From: bkannan@HA24.ENG.UA.EDU (Balaji Kannan)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: soc.culture.tamil
Date: 16 Apr 92 00:59:21 GMT




>From: sridhar@enuxhb.eas.asu.edu (Sridhar Venkataraman)
>Subject: Re: soc.culture.tamil
>Date: 15 Apr 92 17:28:19 GMT

>Since this proposal of soc.culture.tamil has taken an interesting
>turn, I will voice my points on it. Bear in mind that I am a Tamil.

            [stuff deleted]

  Mr. Venkataraman, if you had spent a little time reading the
  first few lines of my article, you could have saved me
  and yourself the trouble of having to go through all these.


>> Inasmuch as I'd  hate to indulge in nitpicking, I am
              ---------------------------------- 
>> forced to ask Ms. Shyamala Parameswaran to explain away
   ----------------------------------------------------
>> the inconsistency in her arguments between a Mar 18
  ----------------------------------
>> posting and an April 14 posting. It is entirely possible
>> that the inconsistency itself is only an apparent one;
>> probably there is a subtler shade to all those  statements
>> that this reader finds it difficult to appreciate.
>> Only parts of her article have been reproduced here.
>> To me,this appears as a perfect example of "volte face".

>> My apologies for having to go through this avoidable
   ----------------------------------------------------
>> ritual.
   -----
 
  Ms. Shyamala's response to my original article on the
  "Minority Syndrome" questioned my position: On the
  need to have the Kashmiris integrate/melt into the mainstream
  Indian culture (that doesn't mean renouncing one's faith)
  rather than  aspiring for an extra-territorial loyality.
  I was immediately pounced upon as though I was a person
  with dark deceit in suggesting this idea. There is a tendency
  to portray everyone who talks about Hinduism (as the mainstream
  culture) as a fascist or even a Bajrang Dal demolition-squad
  goonda. The way she reacted, I guess, she thought that I was
  in some way affiliated to the BJP/VHP/RSS cadres back home.

  Now, she felt that it was not a good idea for the majority
  to tell each subgroup what they have to do  about assimilating
  mainstream values and that they should have the right to
  choose what they want. But the problem in Kashmir and Punjab
  today has spun  so much out of control, that given the
  choice,(that precludes rigging) the people of the two states
  would like to secede from the Indian Union.
  There is an overwhelming popular sentiment to get out of the
  Indian Union. I guess most Indians (particularly Hindus)
  don't take kindly to this idea. I say "particularly Hindus"
  because only inconsequential Muslim politicians
  like Mr. Farroq Abdullah and Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad have
  (who do not mirror popular Muslim sentiment) come out
  openly against secession.
 
                   What bugs me is this double-talk
  when dealing with two different minorities whose
  extra-territorial aspirations(call it sub-nationalism
  under the prevailing conditions) are all too well
  known and not unlike each other. It is the inconsistency 
  here that irked me to salvage her original post and point
  what I thought  was a contradiction in her arguments,not
  some kind of a crass mentality to throw in my lot around
  a particular group with which I have suddenly found common cause.
  (& not because I am disgusted with this "caste garbage"
    ----              ---------            ------------- 
  going on in sci of late.) She was selectively applying
  one Mr. Spivak's theory to argue in favor of Kashmiris
  but not applying the same for the Tamils who were asking
  a separate group.(I question Mr. Spivak's theory which
  I feel may be relevant to the American context, but
  not to India though both of them may be multi-racial
  and multi-ethnic today,unless of course Shyamala also
  would like to see a splintering of the nation). My point
  is that our fears are all the same about splintering into
  numerous groups. The Kashmir situation is far more serious,
  dangerous and real (the future of the Indian Union
  itself largely depends on how it is resolved) than this 
  quest for a separate group.

              Finally, if you see my post, at no point
  did I advocate the formation of the news group per se. 
  My argument all along was something on the lines of a
  "It's possible that the Tamils-------------"
  and not I am a Tamil so I feel--------------"
  I have all along used Ms. Shyamala' language, style
  and train of thought to argue in favour of splintering
  sci(Please reread my posting) not with any devious designs
  of encouraging such a move per se. Just as you did, Mr. Ranjith
                                                      -----------
  Ravindran Suresh has mistaken my motives(though clearly
  ----------------
  stated as nitpicking) for posting it and has been quick
  to thank me. I haven't responded to his mail , neither
  do I intend to because of his  blatantly pro-LTTE,
  pro-AK47 propaganda. And if you want to know my
                       --------------------------
  intentions about soc.culture.tamil it is a big NO. I will
  --------------------------------------------------------
  neither champion nor encourage such a move. I'll vote
  ------------------------------------------  
  along with you and Shyamala(perhaps) for a NO.I guess
  the Tamils of India have every freedom to post all
  that is good about Tamil culture, litreature, and
  history on SCI as does every other group of India.

      I think I was wrong in using the negative approach
  (why don't U splinter scI if you've to splinter I) to prove 
  my point.Personally, I have nothing against Ms. Shyamala except
  that I would like her to change her  opinion if she
  believes (or believed) that anyone who talks about
  mainstream values is made in the mould of a 
  Fascist/Bajrang Dal/RSS member.

  There are a lot of Tamils from other countries who read SCI
  & I shall not comment on their desire for a separate group. But
  I wish as Mr. N.S.Raja has requested that Tamils of India
                                            ---------------        
  continued to post on SCI.

  Balaji Kannan 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian