tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-538874342968130652.post398862491048423436..comments2024-03-27T10:36:39.504+05:30Comments on tantu-jaal: A painter has his own perspective...Sunil Mukhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155823169161030174noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-538874342968130652.post-83465051319832168902008-05-10T22:53:00.000+05:302008-05-10T22:53:00.000+05:30Yes I particularly despise the BJP's tactic of "su...Yes I particularly despise the BJP's tactic of "supporting" the Satanic Verses and Taslima Nasreen, because they aren't supporting freedom of speech at all. They are just being mean-spirited and hypocritical and deliberately trying to humilate Muslims.<BR/><BR/>As to the general problem - it's because we Indians are horribly insecure. So much of current discourse arises from this. <BR/><BR/>I still remember an idiot student who said (Rahul B, you were present on the occasion) that the worst possible crime in his opinion was insulting the national flag. We tried to get him to compare this in seriousness to other crimes like murder, rape, looting... but he would not budge. None of those was worse than insulting his country's flag. Patriot, or idiot? Well I already called him an idiot, so I guess the contest is closed.Sunil Mukhihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05155823169161030174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-538874342968130652.post-34169503153854824842008-05-10T15:28:00.000+05:302008-05-10T15:28:00.000+05:30Unfortunately in India today, perhaps as a result ...Unfortunately in India today, perhaps as a result of coalition politics or excessive ethnic identification, this has become the norm -- James Laine's history of Shivaji, (that's one person who cannot be criticised in your state), Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses, even attempts to ban silly movies like Da Vinci code and more recently Jodhaa Akbar. We are a nation of super touchy ethnicities! <BR/><BR/>Even the comrades are no better considering the way they have treated Taslima Nasreen. I actually don't know why I used the word 'even' - their record elsewhere -- in the erstwhile Soviet Union, in China today -- is hardly one of great tolerance of dissenting opinion. <BR/><BR/>The problem is that so often even those against banning do so for partisan reasons. The BJP is all for lifting the ban on the Satanic Verses but only because it's perceived to be anti-Muslim. On the other hand, they join hands with the Shiv Sena to ban Laine's book, their goon squads go around vandalising Hussein's paintings, his apartment and make it impossible for him to stay in the country. <BR/><BR/>As we get more prosperous, it seems to me, we identify more with our own language, caste, religion and ethnicities and less and less with the 'Idea of India'.Rahul Basuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07751088048215388592noreply@blogger.com