HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: das@oliveb.ATC.Olivetti.Com (Das Saumitra)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Air India had good service
Summary: Yet another experience
Date: 1 Sep 92 01:25:48 GMT
Distribution: soc


We had travelled by Air India twice from Tokyo to Bombay/Calcutta and back
in the recent past. We had very good experience three out of four times.

The fourth time, when my 2 yr old kid was crying to sit by the window (as he
was sitting by a window-seat that did not have a window) and watch other
planes in the airport, this air-hostess asks him to stop crying. She was
plain rude. We requested her to look for a vacant window seat, which she
could not find. He was ok, when one co-passenger let him seat by a window seat
that she had found vacant and was occupying. To my utter astonishment, I found
out later, in the whole cabin behind, there were just one or two passengers.

The other three times, the crew took special care of all the kids aboard. The
service were pretty good and for food, we could not expact any better. However,
we noticed that the quality of service was not consistent.

All these four times, we travelled by Northwest between SFO and Tokyo. And, I
must say, three out of those four times, it was just terrible.

- Saumitra
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 13:59:21 EDT
From: <PXH@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: status of category two applications?

would anyone happen to know what the current status of the "category two"
green card applications is?  basically, i would like two know how long it
will take a person with a priority date of jan 92 to receive a call for an
interview.  incidentally is there a long wait after the interview too?
Deepti

Deepti Pradhan  PXH@PSUVM.PSU.EDU         (814)863-1767 (Work)
430 S. Frear Lab                          (814)231-0503 (Home)
Penn State University
University Park, PA-16802
From: prasanth@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (Ravi K. Prasanth)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: why satti is practiced
Date: 31 Aug 92 16:20:56 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network

In article <1992Aug31.122159.12346@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, rroy@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Raja R Roy) writes:
> 
> 
> In article <1992Aug30.181542.20861@gn.ecn.purdue.edu> prasanth@gn.ecn.purdue.ed
> u (Ravi K. Prasanth) writes:
> >In article <92243.023522RIPBC@CUNYVM.BITNET>, RIPBC@CUNYVM.BITNET writes:
> >> 
> >>   Many postings on the notion and practice of Sati have ignored  one
> >>important fact.  According to Hindu doctrine, self-immolation HAS to be
> >>voluntary because taking  the life of  a woman is  a grave sin.   Among
> >>sins regarded as worse than ordinary  killing are the killing of a  cow
> >>(gau-hatya)   brahmin   (brahma-hatya),   king (raja-hatya)   child
> >>(bal-hatya) and woman (stree-hatya).
> >>
> >
> >On the contrary, Hindu belief is that no act is inherently good or
> >bad. 
> >
> >
> >Dronacharya was killed. King Duryodhana was killed. And above all,
> >Bhishma was killed. What you have stated earlier isn't correct.
> >Same goes for Ramayana.
> >
> >In case you haven't heard the story about Parashurama, allow me to 
> >tell you that he killed his own mother. What do you mean by a "good
> >Hindu" ?
> 
>    The case of Parshuram is an exception. He was ordered by his father
> to do so and he did. A case of whom should one be devoted to - mother
> or father.
> 

If you care to read Rohit's original comments (which appear at
the very beginning of this post), you might notice that Stree-Hatya,
Raja-Hatya etc are unconditional sins (so he states). It doesn't say
that stree-hatya committed at the behest of one's father is not a
sin. 

The point is different. As I have stated before, no act on its
own is good or bad. There is also no need to recite scriptures
to justify or to oppose Sati.

> 
> 
> 
> >
> >
> >Westerners may have a psychological need to feel superior to 
> >non-Westerners. They may even be superior. But that is immaterial.
> >Sati is the problem (and a not a small thing as you seem to suggest).
> >Are you willing to accept that ? Showing that Westerners are 
> >equally barbarous is not going to help prevent Sati (IMO).
> >
> >>          Rohit Parikh
> >
> 
>    I don't see how sati is a problem. There is no sati practice
>  going on. It happens once in a decade. 
>

Even if it happens only once in a millennium, some unfortunate
woman would have lost her life. That is not acceptable to me.

>   Raja
> 
> 
> 
> 
> >RKP

RKP
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: trivedi@curie.uchicago.edu (Anil Trivedi)
Subject: Re: Buddhism/Sikhism a part of Hinduism ?
Organization: Enrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 21:14:38 GMT

jsingh@uicadf.csl.uiuc.edu (Jaidip Singh) writes:

 > Butalia did not bring Sikhism into the discussion - Anil Trivedi did.  

I am happy to sort of agree with you: I brought in Sikhism as an analogy;
what Butalia did was to lose sight of the original discussion and take off
tangentially.

 > Butalia also happens to be right - in the period 1698-1705
 > Guru Gobind Singh did fight several battles against the Hindu...

I will ask you again: so what? If he is right, it is about something
utterly irrelevant. All that I learn from this is that the two sides had
some quarrel, not that they belonged to separate religions. People have
shown a great tendency to fight throughout history, and not only those 
of another religion.

However, I am happy to concede, for entirely different reasons having
nothing to do with who was quarreling with whom, that by the time of
Guru Gobind Singh, and certainly after him, Sikhism was an independent
religion.

I raise the following point once agin: is there any evidence traceable
to Guru Nanak that Sikhism was then not a part of Hinduism?

-----
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: imani@cisa.cis.uab.edu (Salim Imani)
Subject: Too Diverse to be United?
Originator: imani@cisa
Organization: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1992 20:15:21 GMT

	Coming to the US has changed my opinion about Indians.  I was blinded
by the cosmopolitan environment of Bombay to really understand that there
exists too many difference among various groups in India.
	
	The different organization such as Tamil Group, Telugu Group, Orrisa
Group, etc. came as a total shock to me.  I just couldn't and can't understand
why such groups are formed.  It is incredible that being so far away from home
one chooses to limit our horizons. One not only doesn't wanna mix with Americans
but also with their own fellow Indians.  

	These organization look down upon people from other groups even 
attending their gathering.  It really makes me mad when two people from a
particular region converse in their native tongue without regard to
others around them, who just stand there gaping.  This violates basic courtesy.
I tried unsuccessfully to bring this to the attention of some people.  

	With my cosmopolitan background, I find it difficult to identify and
associate with such people.  If there was any group like that I would never
subscribe to it.  It sets me thinking sometimes, that are we indeed to diverse
to be united.  Comments?

Regards,
Salim.
P.S.  I don't mean to be offensive to any particular community.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: ngrjn@milton.u.washington.edu (V Nagarajan)
Subject: Re: RSS ( Education: BJP Adopts The Nazi Model)
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 19:58:16 GMT

In article <92245.110357DXS23@psuvm.psu.edu> DXS23@psuvm.psu.edu (Deepak Srivastava) writes:
>An article by Purnima S Tripathi  --  Times of India 20th August 92.
	
	Is this an OP-ED piece? Or a letter to the editor perhaps?

>Hitler in his Mein Kampf had this to say about education in gen-
>eral and history in particular: " A reform of particular importa-
>nce is that which ought to take place in the present method of
>teaching history. If politics means history in the making, then
>our way of teaching history stands condemned by the way we have
>conducted our politics. History must studied as a guide to the
>future and to teach us what policy would be the bestto follow the
>preservation of our people -- that is the real end."

	Except for the part about the preservation of OUR people, by which
	Hitler meant the "Aryan" people no doubt, this pretty much sums
	up the goal of history, sociology or any other humanities curricula
	at high school level in this country. Now there may not be a 
	conscious effort to make it so but it is there nevertheless.
	It seems to me that Purnima Tripathi is looking at the BJP
	thru ideological glasses. She is determined to see them as Nazis
	and she is not going to let reason get in the way. Putrid pap, I say.

							- Nagarajan
From: fafat@usc.edu (Vijay Fafat)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Cowp attempt
Date: 31 Aug 1992 19:45:31 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu

 Cowlaji writes:

Aruna writes:

>"humongous" is listed in the dictionary, u mindless illiterate ;-). (and i
                                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>swear i saw "illiterate" in the dictionary, when i looked for it. Its not 
>George Chacko's copyright, incase your n/herdy "knee" jumped to that
                                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>conclusion:-))    
>
   
     A dissident cow? :) Let me join your ranks. Maybe then, I can
     keep snorting at that horny stud [Dung].

Dr. Dung allows no cowoperation where a cowp attempt is cowncerned.. The 
North Cowrolina cow is now a coweted venison :)

--- Carl Dung
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Cowrting a cow cowses cowntless pains ...
------------------------------------------------------------------
From: crick@htlv.med.umn.edu (Ed Crick (CD))
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Sati is for our good!!
Date: 2 Sep 92 19:36:27 GMT
Organization: University of Minnesota

In article <m912121.715336257@chudich.co.rmit.oz.AU> m912121@chudich.co.rmit.oz.AU (Joydip Das) writes:
>
>>how did you expect women to be a part of the 'intelligent' elders? 
>>Suresh
>
>I can feel only pity for you.  But I despair for the people
>who are responsible for the social environment that gave rise
>to your opinions (I doubt that YOU are capable of having thought
>this out YOURSELF).  The fact that you associate the word
>"intelligent" to these people is even more disturbing.
>
>JD.

It seems that the society that you are referring to is ostensibly Indian.
Therfore you suggest that Indian environment that forged Suresh's 
mysogenistic views needs correcting.  How many others have "benefitted"
from such an upbringing?

Ed
From: slahiri@jade.tufts.edu (Sandip Lahiri)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Tax bill for students.
Date: 28 Aug 92 19:46:20 GMT
Organization: Tufts University - Medford, MA
Originator: slahiri@jade.tufts.edu

The following appeared in news.important.announce. As I felt that I
should share this info with the desi students in US, I am reposting 
this article (with tacit permission from the author). Here it goes,



Bill H.R. 4418, now being considered by the U. S. House of
Representatives, would return the graduate student fellowship stipends
to tax-exempt status.  That is, stipends given in the form of a
scholarship or program for teacher education, as opposed to stipends
which are given as a return for service, which would still be
considered taxable income.  Prior to the Reagan-Bush era, graduate
student fellowship stipends were not taxed, and Tom Lewis (R- Florida)
has proposed a bill which not only would make these stipends
tax-exempt, but would also return all taxes paid since 1986 on these
stipends.  The Bill is H.R. 4418 and is currently under consideration.

The National Association of Graduate-Professional Students (NAGPS)
supports this bill as a first step in completely returning all
graduate education stipends to tax-exempt status.  You can reach their
central office for NAGPS at (708) 256-1562 and request a recruitment
packet, filled with various information on what else NAGPS does and
can help with at your school. The regional Coordinator in the MidWest
is Monica White, at Western Michigan University.
  
To voice your opinion on the bill, call or write your local
congressperson.
  
If you do not know who your Representative is, call (800) 347-1997
(THE FEDERAL INFORMATION CENTER) and ask.
  
Please feel free to redistribute this message, and please direct
all further discussion of this issue to the soc.college.grad news
group.  Thank you.  


-Sandip
From: hassan@cup.portal.com (hassan monu alam)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Buddhism a part of Hinduism ?
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 92 22:31:00 PDT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
  <1992Aug28.235216.17062@midway.uchicago.edu>
  <1992Aug29.092814.1364@cs.wayne.edu>

To call Buddism a part of Hinduism is like calling Christianity a
part of Judaism. Indeed in the first few centuries, Christianity did
operate like Judaism, and the Romans treated it as such (another version
of Judaism). It wasnt until it took up European customs (Christmas,
Easter, etc) and get modified by European thinkers that it became
a distinct religion.

Perhaps Buddhism evovlved similarly, but as it is practices in much
of the world (ie outside India), it has little resemblance to modern
Hinduism.

Simple observations. No offence indended to followers of either
faith.

Hassan
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: trivedi@curie.uchicago.edu (Anil Trivedi)
Subject: Re: Buddhism a part of Hinduism ?
Organization: Enrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 06:11:49 GMT

tbutalia@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Tarunjit Singh Butalia) writes:

>Some Hindus regard the Sikh Gurus too to be Avtars of Hinduism. However,
>Sikh religion does not say so. 

I do not disagree with your general thrust that Sikhism is an
independent religion. I believe I said so! However, your present
remark could sow some unmeant confusion, please allow me one
clarification:

Hindus themselves do not regard *anyone* as an "avtar of Hinduism"
any more than say Christians themselves regard Jesus as "son of
Christian god".

If anyone is considered an "avtar" in Hinduism, then it is as an
"incarnation of God". Period. Similarly, Christians regard Jesus
as "Son of God". Period.

That is what these religions themselves hold, even if the wording
should not make it always clear. In either case, followers of other
religions will be free to agree or disgaree. 


[On whether Sikhism was ever a part of Hinduism.] 

>Guru Gobind Singh fought most
>of his battles against the Hindu Hill Rajas. It was on representation 
>of the Hindu Hill Rajas to the Mughals and the Nawab of Malerkotla that 
>Sikhs fought against the Moghuls. Sikhs have always fought agianst 
>oppresion irrespective of whether the oppressors were Hindu or Moslems. 
>Also, Guru Arjan Dev himself proclaimed that " I am neither a Hindu nor 
>a Muslim."

>Scriptural evidence from the Guru Granth Sahib and writings
>of the Tenth Guru does not suggest any such view. 

I would be very interested in any evidence traceable to Guru Nanak.

Of course, no one would deny that Sikhism was an indepenedent faith
by the time of Guru Gobind Singh. [While accepting that point on its
own merit, I should say that *your argument* about "battles" is 
unconvincing since people of the same religion have been known to 
fight each other as well. :-) ]

-----
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian,rec.music.indian.misc
From: pkohli@cc.gatech.edu (Prince/Jasjit)
Subject: Popat kee kahani, part 2. Love blossoms..
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 19:36:04 GMT


Part 2: Love Blossoms
-----------------------


Popat is sitting in a class when the Heroine enters:

Popat: Yeh kaun aaya, roshan ho gayee, mehfil jiske naam se

[ She sits, turns and looks at him.]

Popat: Hai hai hai yeh nigahein, kar de sharabi jise chahen, jise chahen,
       main to bhool gaya rahein

Classmates: Ankhon hi ankhon me ishara ho gaya..

Popat: Saagar jaisi ankho vali, ye to bata tera naam hai kya...

[ The heroine is angry. She walks out. ]

Popat: Ruk ruk ruk ruk ruk ruk, ruk jaana o jaana
       humse do batein karke chalee jana, ke mausam hai diwana

[ She, regrettably, does not. ]

Popat: Thoda ruk jayegi to tera kya jayega,
       nain bhar ke dekh lenge, chain aa jayega

[ Popat tells his friends about her. ]

Popat: Dekhaaa main dekha, sapnon kee ik rani ko,
       masti bhari jawani ko, hai re hai maine dekha, maine dekha

[ Dusk..... ]

Popat: Kaheen door, jab din dhal jaye,
       saanjh kee dulhan, badan churaye, chupke se aaye

[ The dreaded night..... ]

Popat: hai re hai, neend nahin aaye

[ Morning. Popat still sees her everywhere. ]

Heroine [In Popat's thoughts]: Mujh ko dekho ge jahan tak,
                               Mujh ko paooge vahan tak...

Popat: Duniya mein, logon ko, dhokha kabhi ho jata hai..

[ He has a cold bath to try to get rid of the hallucinations ]

Popat: Thande-thande pani se nahana chahiye....

[ He is now on the gate of the girl's hostel ]

Popat: Too chupi hai kahan, main tarapta yahan...

She [comes out with her sahelis ]: Ye larka zara sa deewana lagta hai..
                                   Gari ka koi model purana lagta hai..

He: Hamto to tere aashiq hain sadiyon purane,
    Chahe too mane chahe na mane...

[ She starts to walk away ]

Popat: Ruk ja O jane valee ruk ja, main who rahi teri manzil ka..

.........what happens next? Coming soon, the third and final
part of this trilogy :-)

---------

-Prince and Jasjit

pkohli@cc.gatech.edu      | "What's so unpleasant about getting drunk?" 
Distributed Systems Group,| "Ask a glass of water."   Hitchhikers'....
College of Computing, Georgia Tech.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: mramesh@nyx.cs.du.edu (Murthy Ramesh)
Subject: Re: I will close you by my ices --[ The Tiger Cascade ]
X-Disclaimer: Nyx is a public access Unix system run by the University
	of Denver for the Denver community.  The University has neither
	control over nor responsibility for the opinions of users.
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 92 16:52:58 GMT

In article <1992Aug25.205607.23086@colorado.edu> paulchem@tigger.cs.Colorado.EDU (Icarus) writes:
>In article <1684EE14D.R2GAR@VM1.CC.UAKRON.EDU> R2GAR@VM1.CC.UAKRON.EDU writes:
>>In article <1992Aug24.205710.14905@colorado.edu>
>>paulchem@tigger.cs.Colorado.EDU (Icarus) writes:
>>>In article <1684DE746.R2GAR@VM1.CC.UAKRON.EDU> R2GAR@VM1.CC.UAKRON.EDU writes:
>>>>In article <l9bd1fINN4av@aludra.usc.edu>
>>>>sramacha@aludra.usc.edu (Sudarshan Ramachandran) writes:
>>>>>paulchem@tigger.cs.Colorado.EDU (Icarus) writes:
>>>>>>In article <1992Aug21.173245.13865@ugle.unit.no> youhong@solan.unit.no (User) writes:
>>>>>>>I will close you by my ices.
>>>>>> I will lose you by my dices.
>>>>>  I will kill you with my spices.
>>>    Hi willki, you with mices ?
>>>    No Vepal, that would be crises.
>      No pal, begone, that suffices.
       I car US life's main spices?
From: av2@ukc.ac.uk (A.Varshneya)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: queries directed to jains ... (from a jain) : answers follow
Date: 31 Aug 92 09:48:00 GMT
Reply-To: av2@ukc.ac.uk (A.Varshneya)
Organization: Computing Lab, University of Kent at Canterbury, UK.

In article <17gm8mINNad8@matt.ksu.ksu.edu> sunjain@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (mera bharat mahan) writes:
>In <1992Aug26.190856.21698@umbc3.umbc.edu> kuntal@algol.cs.umbc.edu (survivor) writes:
>>In article <1992Aug24.203312.27146@umbc3.umbc.edu> kuntal@algol.cs.umbc.edu I 
>>had asked :
>>... I am always faced with this poser, "Why eat plants if
>>you don't believe in killing animals ?"
>
> Agreed, Plants have life but they have the capability to regenerate.
>
> If you want to eat some fruits from a tree, the tree WON'T DIE.
>
> But if you want to eat the leg of a Chicken, it won't regenerate another
> leg in due course of time!!
>

I do not agree with the previous point at all.
It does not hold for vegetables like potato, carrot, raddish, cabbage,
cauliflower, ......, so would vegetarians not eat them ?

Frankly, I do not know what to say about the point in discussion.  Has
it to do with pain ?  Then is it ok to kill a person after giving him
anesthesia ?  With complexity of life form ? Then where do we draw the
line ? and so on ...

Atul

PS: I _LIKE_ vegetarian food more than non-vegetarian food.
From: manu@tigger.cs.Colorado.EDU (K. S. Manu)
Subject: Re: EMAIL ADDRESS OF PANTNAGAR UNIVERSITY WANTED
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 18:55:16 GMT

In article <185b95INNsd@matt.ksu.ksu.edu> misra@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Boo!) writes:
>manu@tigger.cs.Colorado.EDU (K. S. Manu) writes:
>
>	I think you are taking this a bit too far. what does rec.humor have 
>to do with india? But kerala is part of india, I dont see any reason
>why the query is not valid on ACK and these threats you make about flaming..
>please.. not on *public* nets.. if you people feel like dictators find 
>a banana republic somewhere and try it there or else *moderate* this group!

You just don't get it, do you? Try taking a bath... that should clear things
up a bit. (I wouldn't bet on that, though)

>if you dont want to take that responsibility then you will just have to 
>live with post which *you* think are invalid.

Njan
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian,alt.sex,sci.med,talk.politics.misc,talk.ph,talk.religion.misc
From: eepee@polaris.utu.fi (Esa-Pekka P{lvim{ki)
Subject: Re: Does masturbation reduce intelligence? (Was Re: Is it correct th
Organization: University of Turku, Finland
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 92 18:12:42 GMT

In article <4eavpr_00WBK83y1sF@andrew.cmu.edu> lc2b+@andrew.cmu.edu (Lawrence Curcio) writes:
>A phenomenon first noted at public hangings and later investigated under
>controlled conditions: when a male's brain is deprived of oxygen, an
>erection occurs. 
>
>Much more familiar phenomenon: The above process works in reverse.
>
>
>To this extent, I'm certain that the answer is "Yes" for males.
>
>In my experience, however, females become *craftier* when aroused.
>
>Go figger.

Go post this bullshit to some other newsgroup and leave sci.med alone.

/ep
From: ss7k+@andrew.cmu.edu (Shvetank Shah)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Clinton's Email Address
Date: 4 Sep 92 05:55:55 GMT
Article-I.D.: andrew.sedqffO00WB5N78mU2
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

Excerpts from org.heinz.opinions: 4-Sep-92 Clinton's e-mail by James M. Peters 
>Here's Clinton's email address, George doesn't seem to have an e-mail address.
> 
>Bill Clinton:
>75300.3114@compuserve.com 


Enjoy representative democracy...........

    Taxman

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shvetank Shah                              
       Internet: helix@CMU.EDU                    
       Tax & Policy Economics Group
       Price Waterhouse
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