[Assam] Fwd: Murder Most Foul - Pets

Wed Jul 16 12:31:23 IST 2008

A befitting reply indeed!

Gautam Choudhury

--- On Wed, 16/7/08, uttam borthakur <uttamborthakur at yahoo.co.in> wrote:

> From: uttam borthakur <uttamborthakur at yahoo.co.in>
> Subject: Re: [Assam] Fwd: Murder Most Foul - Pets
> To: "'A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the world'" <assam at assamnet.org>, w.saleh at indiawijzer.nl
> Date: Wednesday, 16 July, 2008, 7:44 AM
> Ram da
>  
> A good one within no time. 
> 
> 
> Uttam Kumar Borthakur
> 
> --- On Wed, 16/7/08, W.Saleh <w.saleh at indiawijzer.nl>
> wrote:
> 
> From: W.Saleh <w.saleh at indiawijzer.nl>
> Subject: Re: [Assam] Fwd: Murder Most Foul - Pets
> To: "'A Mailing list for people interested in
> Assam from around the world'"
> <assam at assamnet.org>
> Date: Wednesday, 16 July, 2008, 2:58 AM
> 
> Excellent reply. Thanks for covering it also on our behalf.
> 
> Warm regards,
> Wahid Saleh
> 
>  
> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> Van: assam-bounces at assamnet.org
> [mailto:assam-bounces at assamnet.org] Namens
> Ram Sarangapani
> Verzonden: dinsdag 15 juli 2008 19:35
> Aan: A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from
> around the world
> Onderwerp: Re: [Assam] Fwd: Murder Most Foul - Pets
> 
> Thanks C'da. I am not sure why it didn't make it to
> the Assamnet the
> first
> time.
> BTW - I made sure to CC all her friends at JNU, the Deccan
> Chronicle and
> elsewhere.
> 
> If nothing else, the next time any of these people write,
> they might think
> carefully and pay more attention.
> 
> --Ram
> 
> 
> 
> On 7/15/08, Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net>
> wrote:
> >
> > Terrific Ram.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > At 11:53 AM -0500 7/15/08, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
> > >   Not sure if this made it to Assamnet before.
> Anyway forwarding
> here.
> > >___________________
> > >
> > >Dear Ms. Shukla,
> > >
> > >I was agast to read your article "Murder most
> foul" in the
> Deccan
> > Chronicle
> > >(July 15, 2008). Yes, I was agast as to how the
> poor JNU's campus
> dog was
> > >bludgeoned to death, but I was more agast of your
> rather poor
> knowledge
> > of,
> > >and condescension toward the North Eastern states
> of India.
> > >
> > >It maybe that you perhaps first need an object
> lesson in geography,
> > possibly
> > >history of India (you know - get to know your
> country), and not in the
> > >least, a good lesson in humility.
> > >
> > >First of all, you ought to know that the North
> Eastern States
> comprises
> of
> > >many other states. In Assam, a North-Eastern
> State, for example, there
> are
> > >many vegitarians, as well as non-vegitarians, and
> the population is
> mostly
> > >Hindu. Manipur, another North-Eastern state, too
> is mostly Hindu. Dogs
> > >certainly are not on the menu.
> > >
> > >It is unfortunate, that you could not bring
> yourself to appreciate the
> > >beauty of the landscape of Nagaland. You probably
> did not find it in
> your
> > >heart to appreciate and study the culture, the
> language and customs of
> the
> > >good people of Nagaland. If I could suggest, you
> might want to try and
> > read
> > >the volumes of good literature written by the
> British (many of the
> > >army) on the North-Eastern states during the Raj.
> > >
> > >You make some sweeping statements regarding the
> whole of the North
> East,
> > >when you declare,
> > >
> > >"Apparently North-Eastern students at JNU
> regularly lynch and
> barbecue
> > >dogs."
> > >
> > >Really! Have you ever met or heard of any Assamese
> or Manipuri who
> eats
> > >dogs?  I know, you may think 'they all look
> alike' and hence
> your
> > >condescension and then clubbing of all the
> 'natives' together.
> The fact,
> > >however, is the people in the North-Eastern states
> are as varied and
> > >different as other parts of the country, and so
> are their food habits.
> > They
> > >come in different hues.
> > >That is what makes India unique, as the country
> comprises of all hues,
> > >shapes, forms, colors, religions, vegitarians, and
> non-vegitarians.
> > >
> > >And when you write
> > >  "After combing the area, my husband visited
> the Gaon Burha
> (village
> > >Pradhan) of the closest Naga settlement and spelt
> out all sorts of
> dire
> > >consequences if the dog did not return. Twenty
> minutes later, Bindu
> was
> > >safely home."
> > >
> > >Wow! isn't that something? Your husband showed
> them, didn't
> he? Your army
> > >husband brought down the full weight and force of
> the whole Indian
> army
> on
> > >the Gaon Burha and threatened the poor guy with
> "dire
> consequences".
> > >One wonders, with all this condescension raining
> down on the poor
> chap,
> > what
> > >those threats might have been?
> > >Beat up the natives? Burn down their silly
> hutments? Kill, rape and
> > plunder
> > >their sordid villages? What?
> > >
> > >Ms. Shukla, what you and your husband may not know
> is that the Indian
> Army
> > >is NOT yours or your husband's personal army.
> The Army has a role,
> and
> > >hopefully that role does NOT consist of rescuing
> irish setters of some
> > army
> > >officer. Your very tone suggests of condescension
> and of 'dealing
> with
> the
> > >natives'. At the very least you might want to
> get off that high
> horse and
> > >descend the mighty steps of Indraprastha.
> > >
> > >  Just like many people, we too love our pets and
> would prefer that
> > animals
> > >not be ill-treated. Your concern for the pet dogs
> of JNU is admirable.
> > >Every time we visit India, we often see animals
> either uncared for, or
> > being
> > >ill-treated. All sorts of animals from domestic
> cows, and horses to
> > mongrels
> > >are let loose and are not cared for.
> > >
> > >Therefore when you write about Nagas (and all of
> the North-East)
> eating
> > >dogs, one tends to think about all those other
> animals being eaten by
> > >non-vegitarians? How do you think vegitarians feel
> about the
> slaughtering
> > of
> > >these animals and how they are slaughtered? How do
> you explain that
> away
> > to
> > >hard-core vegitarians in India?  How do you feel
> about the slaughter
> of
> > >goats and buffaloes in the name of animal
> sacrifice in many Kali and
> Durga
> > >Temples across India? Where really are your
> sensitivities? Do you
> protest
> > as
> > >vehemently and with such venom?
> > >
> > >I would like you and your kind readers to also
> note this. The past so
> many
> > >years, there has been a tendency, specially in
> Delhi, to view young
> women
> > >from the North East as "easy". There
> have been a number of
> cases of rape
> > and
> > >molestation of these women, and if I am not
> mistaken even at JNU.
> These
> > >cases were not so much because the victims were
> women, but more so
> because
> > >they belonged to the North-Eastern States.
> > >
> > >In fact, after one of these cases, a high-ranking
> police official in
> Delhi
> > >was quoted saying something like, "These
> North-Eastern girls
> should dress
> > >properly - then these things would not
> happen".  This is the same
> reason
> > why
> > >women from the West are periodically molested and
> raped in Delhi and
> other
> > >places - they are though of as being
> "easy" and dressing
> provocativingly.
> > >
> > >Then there are pre-conceived notions held by
> sections of people in
> Delhi
> > and
> > >other places that the North-Eastern states are
> "foreign" and
> their people
> > >from China or some other place - obviously because
> how some of them
> look.
> > >
> > >Add articles like yours to such pre-concieved
> notions and then imagine
> > what
> > >the people of the North-East are likely to feel.
> And then good people
> in
> > the
> > >rest of the country keep wondering why on earth do
> the people of the
> > >North-East feel alienated from the rest of
> country?
> > >
> > >Perhaps you and others would be kind enough to
> educate this section
> > uncouth
> > >and uneducated Delhites and other places that the
> people of the
> > >North-Eastern states are also Indians. That some
> look different and
> are
> as
> > >different as people from Kerela and UP, and that
> their customs and
> > languages
> > >are different as others, and lastly they are as
> much (or as
> > >less)sophisticated and educated as people in the
> rest of India.
> > >
> > >Lastly, regarding the punishment you recommend for
> Mr. Yoronso. First
> off,
> > >what are the laws regarding animal cruelty in
> India? Is it a crime to
> eat
> > >dogs? Is the law strictly applied? How is the
> slaughtering of a goat
> (by
> > >slitting its throat, half-way) any different? Have
> you goaded others
> to
> > >prosecute all such butchers in India?
> > >
> > >And then, what has Mr. Yoronso's Phd to do
> with this case? Why
> would you
> > >take away his Phd? Does the crime, if any, fit the
> punishment you
> > recommend?
> > >
> > >Bottom line, Ms. Shukla, your article hurts a lot
> of people, and you
> don't
> > >do the country any favors. But, I have a lot of
> confidence in the
> Deccan
> > >Chronicle's readership. They will, I am sure,
> give your article
> the
> > >attention it deserves and understand the gist of
> my protest here.
> > >
> > >I sincerely hope the Deccan Chronicle will publish
> this strong
> objection.
> > >
> > >Sincerely & with best wishes,
> > >
> > >Ram  Sarangapani
> > >Texas, USA
> > >_______________________________________________
> > >assam mailing list
> > >assam at assamnet.org
> >
> >http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
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> >
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