From: mece1e3@Jane.UH.EDU (Arindam Ghosh)
Subject: What will I do in India(Re: Rape in Bengal)
Reply-To: mece1e3@Jane.UH.EDU
Organization: University of Houston
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1992 22:12:55 GMT


> Arindam, if you go back, what are u' going to do ? I see that:
*My individual plan is based on three planks:

1. Join as a professor in IIT Kharagpur. Do something to help India flex
its muscle in science. Revive the moribund NSS(National Service Scheme)
to do some useful work. As a hall-warden to show new students that there
is work for them in India if he doesn't find the greener pastures of USA
so stimulating once he reaches there and keep them off from drug,alcohol,
and pornography and wasting their energies in "hall tempo". 
I have 4 years of first hand experience and I was not one of the "commies".

2. Use Galudih, a tribal town in Bihar where my parents are planning to
settle when they retire to try to help the tribals get their voice heard
without falling in the trap of separatist movements and "western" values.
Personally, being a product of St. Xaviers +2 system; I think I know what
it is required to make students go to IIT. I am going to make sure that
these tools are available to the tribal children. Now this is more important
as quotas are abolished; a decision I support

3.Use Calcutta, my current home to make sure that the children of the 
prostitutes get enough help so they don't have to bear a burden of shame.
Prostitution was always religiously unacceptable but socially respectable
in ancient India. There is no reason why it should not be the same now; with
so many "socially respectable" people violating other religious laws. I hope
they will be able to teach the hypocritic middle class a lesson how to live
in joy and happiness.

 Now the first 2 are achievable as I have been thru the system.
 3 is day dreamingas I don't have any first hand experience;
 but then neither do any of the readers I think.



> # 1. CPI(M) will be very anxious because you are a Bahai which Marx did not
>     define, and, thus will be after your ass all the time. They might think
>    that you are something `edible' - and may want to eat you !!!

*I don't care what CPIM thinks. They can continue to stuff the ballot boxes
with whatever they want. We are religiously forbidden to vote for a party.
So it's a spontaneous boycott.  The same is true with pimps and prostitutes.
If some of them individually wnats to change,fine. As long as there's demand
there'll be supply.*

 ># 2. After getting married, if you do, and live in Calcutta, then CPI(M) will
>      run after both of you - you know why, right ???
*Luckily, I will be living in the only place which CPIM failed to penetrate
despite their untiring and persistent efforts. Though I am not afraid of
CPIM running; but then who knows may be the "cadres" will not run if they see
an actual improvement plan in action and realize that they can hold on to
the political power as long as they want*

 ># 3. Life everywhere is like a cog in the wheel. The grass on the other side
      always looks greener. I am not saying that U.S has the greatest democracy
      in the world. NO American will be offended, I hope !!!!! But, from a
      practical point of view, you must remain alive (mentally/ physically) and
      then you will be able to do the day-dreaming which you do.
*I think I showed you how mine is not going to be*

 ># 4. Suppossing you want to change faith to Hindu/ Moslem or etc. Now there is
      a law that the district magistrate will have to be notified 3 months 
      before and then he will, in presence of a priest change your faith. The
      trouble is that if you within 3 months decide to change your mind, then
      the court may accuse you of felony and throw you in jail. In U.S it is not
      a problem to change faiths. I can predict that you will after 3 years will
      change faith from a Bahai to a Hindu !!!!!  
*Good point, reminds me I got to check if there is anything that needs to be
done in India in this regard for me. To be a Bahai you have to apply to the
national spiritual assembly of the country; which will review your request.
This has 11/2 month turn over time in USA; so in India it's automatically
going to be 3 months I think. There has been 100000 conversions(I hate this
word; I use evolution) in India in a month. So I guess they have figured
some way to take care of these things. Anyway my plan does not require anybody
to be a Bahai; but it is easier if you are one. It gives you the motivation.
Anybody who is not a Bahai can do what I proposed here; but I don't see anybody
doing it.*

> # 5. There are no Bahai temples in Calcutta. The only one I know is in Delhi.
      Will you go from Calcutta to Delhi every week ???/
*I need not visit a temple even once. The place where all the Bahais of a
community meet at 19 day intervals is our temple. The work we decide to
carry out is our worship. What do you think I am doing at Houston? Personal
spiritual development is personal business; between you, Bahaullah and God.
Community worship has been abolished.*

> # 6. A SERIOUS word of advice: If you cannot find  a job in Calcutta and must
      move to Bombay or Bangalore to survive, it is basically `tough shit' for
      you. There will be some kind of cultural alienation  and you cannot go to
      visit your parents at their old age in Calcutta because of (a) your work,
      (b) your family and (c) traveling from U.S to Calcutta is easier than from
      Bombay/ Bangalore. Believe me, I have worked outside home for 3 and 1/2
      years. Remember: Money talks.

*With mass-scale retirement due in IIT Kharagpur; I don't really anticipate
a problem in getting a lecturer's job*
> - deb chatterjee
>(a good samaritan)
Arindam
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian