Suman Palit

No more posts this week.. the wife and I are off to visit friends in Cleveland (the best man at my wedding, as a matter of fact) for a weekend of good eats, good drinks, good company, chats about archery and beer-brewing, tall hunting tales and even taller fishing tales.

Carmen Jonze wants some help with
the Gujrat situation.



Curfew has now been imposed on nearly 26 towns and cities, including Ahmedabad - the nerve center of Gujrat. The army is moving in but the energy of the riots has dampened. It usually takes 2-3 days for tensions to subside below violence levels... the fires are still smoldering, people are still dying, and when the bodies are cleared, the inquiries and finger-pointing will wind its way through the courts and the legislatures. The world will move on.



People ask: why did this happen? who are the mobs? who incites them? who organizes their mayhem? Was it the Muslims? Was it the Hindus? Was it the Shriners or the Zionist triumvirate that like S.P.E.C.T.R.E or the U.N. seems to always be at the heart of all conspiracy?


The actions of people are always driven by the currents of history, whether we acknowledge them or not. I began this blog after the stress of 9/11 and more so after the events of 12/13 in Delhi. In retrospect, I could not have done otherwise.. I would not have stumbled on to Instapundit in my search for answers, or to Blogger.com for a voice.



Post-partition India is driven by many zero-sum games played between its ethnic divisions. The violence in Gujrat is an expression of one of these games - Muslims and Hindus competing for dominance of the social fabric of this border state. Not every dimension of this game is cultural or theological. It is also economic. Gujrat is one of the most productive and wealthy states in the Union. Gujratis rank as the finest entrepreneurs of India - expatriate Gujrati family-owned motels account for nearly 70% of all motel ownership in the US alone! Because of historical caste divisions, certain economic activities remain the exclusive domain of Hindus, some within the Muslim community. In Gujrat, economic liberalization has moved faster, making all of this is a recipe for disaster! The existing religous divide provides excellent cover for what is really an economic jihad. Notice that all the news articles coming out of that region are all about shops, businesses and homes gutted by mobs. The mobs are not meeting on some giant urban battlefield to fight for their honor. They are systematically targeting the other sides economic base - and claiming the moral high ground using the Koran and the pillars of Ayodhya.



The non-zero-sum game has yet to catch the popular imagination, since most Indians are reluctant to shed part of their ethnic self-image in exchange for a true "Indian" identity. Muslims remain bound to Arabia and the dictates of Mecca. Hindus remain mired in a "golden" past that is irrelevant today except as an instructive history lesson. Thus the dance of death continues...

Dan Rector sends this column by Francois Gautier on rediff.com.



..the West has not yet realised that for the Muslims of South Asia, Hindus are kafirs by excellence: the Buddhists adore only Buddha, the Christians only Jesus, but Hindus worship a million gods and goddesses; and that makes them -- even today -- the number one enemy of Islam...




It has made Hindus an object of incredulity within the various Christain faiths as well. Hence the lack of realisation described by Francois. In fact, he writes eloquently on another related subject: the cynicism towards the sadhus and priests of the Hindu faiths.



However, the world has changed since the days of Muslim invasions.. India is on the road of economic growth, and possesses a dynamic, if imperfect democracy. Her Muslim neighbours are failed states teetering on the precipice of oblivion. Afghanistan is in the Stone Age, and without sustained Indian support will never make it out of there. Bangladesh is locked in a cycle of endemic poverty driven in part by geography, in part by political failures. Pakistan exists simply because India does, and now serves to remind a billion Hindus of the cruel price of tolerance and Ahimsa. Today, it is Indian businessmen and entrepreneurs who are at the helm of the subcontinents future. It is brutally evident that Islam has failed every South Asian nation. The real question is not whether India will ever be destroyed by her belligerent Muslim neighbours, but what kind of short-term slowdown and chaos they can ferment before becoming a forgotten footnote of history.



Take a look at the figures of the Hindu population of India's Muslims neighbours: in 1941, in what would become Pakistan, there were approximately 25 per cent Hindus and 30 per cent in what would later become Bangladesh; in 1948, only 17 per cent in Pakistan and 25 per cent in Bangladesh; in 1991, a bare 1.5 per cent remained in Pakistan and less than 10 per cent in Bangladesh...




Meanwhile, the Muslim population in India has experienced no such decline. Numbers do not lie, and even when twisted, can still tell their story.

John Braue over at Rats Nest has a really funny take on a joke letter to Dr. Laura making the rounds.. the man must be a Rabbi with a sense of humor. You have to scroll down a bit to get to the post, but it's worth the bellyache. Found him via the live feed from the WTC.

Conflicting reports coming from the riot-torn state.. and a new angle on the original event - the train that was allegedly set on fire by a Muslim mob, killing nearly 60 people, most of them Hindu activists on their way to a temple-raising.


People in India cook on train cars.. with an agitated group of Hindu activists on a crowded train, anything can happen, even an accident triggered from within. I wouldn't discount this theory just yet, even though it reeks of the reverse-conspiracy theory so common to some south-asian commentators.


Meanwhile, the semi-official line is still that this was a pre-planned attack and there is some evidence coming out now that it may indeed have been so. Two local city councilmen have been arrested, as have owners of two gasoline stations, for allegedly providing gasoline for the fire..

John Weidner is Mr. Funnyman.. he proposes making a distinction between the American Indians and the Indian Indians.. so now I come from Currystan...


Much as I would like to come from a country named after a small, smelly green leaf, (and I can't think of any funny ones myself), how about just calling American Indians "Americans". I know, I know, novel concept, never been tried before, what on earth will we do with all those John Wayne movies, yada yada yada..! It's going to be great for the country..trust me. Still don't believe me ? Then just sit back and watch how Bengalis and Gujratis and Tamils and Manipuris and Bhojpuris and Malayalees and Punjabis and the rest of the raggedy bunch continue to make the common label of "Indian" work for them.

Courtesy of Megan McArdale who explains the R Kelly story and why his tape is at about the same level of utter grossness as the Pearl videotape..
If you are looking for any of these two videotapes, please click on the links below:

1. Daniel Pearl Videotape
   
2. R Kelly Videotape
   

The city burns..
	.. while we witness the face of anger.

Sectarian violence is back in the Indian state of Gujrat, and it has come with a vengeance. Communal violence has racked India in the past - with record high spikes at times such as during the Partition of 1947, the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the demolition of the Babri Masjid, etc. This recent round however, may bring a higher death toll and a greater chance of short-term chaos.

• Expect the VHP (the largest Hinduvta organization) to use the tragedy of the deaths of nearly 60 Hindu pilgrims at the hands of what appears to be a predominately Muslim mob to their fullest political advantage.
  
• Gujrat is a border state with Pakistan, with a large Muslim population that has a robust anti-India/pro-Pakistani fringe. This fringe may be counted upon to reciprocate with tit-for-tat attacks.
  
• The Gujrat state legislature features the BJP, whose ties and sympathies towards Hindu fundamentalists may have led them to turn a blind eye towards the initial round of rioting. That leaves the supposedly secular nature of the local government with a serious credibility problem. The problem is, this may only matter to the rest of the world. I doubt very much that the people of Gujrat are going to care about the thinning of the secular fabric of their state. They will want action taken against those who started this round of violence in the first place. The government is unlikely to have the political will to move against the very large, and perennially volatile radical elements within the Muslim community. If they do not, expect more violence, more clashes.. and an ever widening and deepening Hindu movement, as the traditionally fatalistic Hindu populace seek their own security.
  
• Finally, what better way to unite a fracturing society than for irresponsible politicians to turn their attention outwards.. the vice-grip of the threat of a new Indo-Pak war has begun to tighten.
  

Diana Moon on Letter from Gotham and others have emailed me a link to this article in the Mirror where it appears that the Pearl video may be on the streets for sale very soon. So my hopes of this story being an internet hoax have been dashed. I feel nothing but physical disgust at the actions of these people.. This is no longer a rational argument about "the different ways of life".. or a polite debate on the pros and cons of capitalism vs islamocracy.. or about the nuances of the war on terror.. This is now about us trying to confront the darkest, unhappiest and most foul corner of the world we live in today, and whether or not we can come out of it with our sanity intact.

MommaBear over at Dodgeblog has her ear to the ground. Apparently, the tape of Daniel Pearl's abduction is up for sale to the highest bidder!



To even attempt to pen my outrage is an impossibility. If true, this is nothing but a blatant and a very, very foolish attempt to further enrage an already angered country. What little sympathy exists in the minds of Americans for the poor and lamentable in the middle east will vanish in a heartbeat. One sincerely hopes that this is not true, and one of those uniquely Internet hoaxes. If it is, then at least part of the remedy is simple. This video would qualify as a snuff movie and is not protected under the 1^st Amendment. Anyone who disseminates this video either over the Internet or via conventional means will be prosecuted, have the book thrown at them, locked up and the key thrown away. No tears will be shed.



No one can make me watch his death, but if they do, I will watch. I will shed no tears. I will not wail at the moon. I will not talk about it in an attempt to soften my rage. I will not waste my energy searching for expressions of sympathy from the rest of the world. I will instead harness my fell anger, and direct it at the morons who trade in human suffering as if it were a commodity. I will make sure that none around me ever forgets this unforgivable sin, which can only come from a deep-seated hatred of all things American, and an astonishing lack of understanding of this countrys anger, and what the reach of the American people can do. The chanting crowds on the streets of Baghdad, and the chattering crebains in their mosques can never stand against the power of a people who unite against them of their own free will!



We may not be able to stop this, we may yet find unctuous news anchors abroad airing his death with undisguised delight. We may have to momentarily cast our eyes in sorrow, and wait for the frenzy to end. Then we make those bloody evil bastards pay dearly, very, very dearly for their unimaginable insolence!

Moira Breen is back with a new FoxNews article.. and she's dragging other bloggers into the glitter of limelight with her!



Sanjaya Baru of the Asia Times has an excellent introduction to a multi-part series on India - history, strategic potential, unfolding relationships with the EU and the US... I recommend this as a must read for anyone trying to join all the dotted lines of the subcontinents history.



.. while Benedetto Amari reassures the world that democracy and long term stability in India was never in doubt.




..it is remarkable that India's democracy has never weakened even in the face of internal and external crises, inadequate reforms or shortcomings in the public administration. Democracy has found in the country's diversity its main strength and its biggest antidote against authoritarian temptations. This fact - together with the absence of Bonapartist ambitions in the armed forces and the solidity of democratic institutions - is a definite guarantee of the survival of democracy.




I've noted before that the growing Hinduvta movement should indeed be watched warily, but without undue panic.. because of the fragmented nature of Hinduism, and the vast theological gulf present between those who call themselves "Hindu", any fascist movements within its ranks has an uphill and ultimately unwinnable battle on its hands.

Well, according to the totally serious and scientifically accurate Ethical Philosophy Selector - (beware, this site suffers from Multiple Popup Syndrome..) I am basically an Utilitarian pleasure-loving Libertarian with a healthy dose of cynicism built in - somehow.. hmm .. !

1. Rand (100%)
   
2. Mill (88%)
   
3. Epicureans (83%)
   
4. Bentham (76%)
   
5. Cynics (73%)
   
6. Aristotle (71%)
   
7. Hobbes (68%)
   
8. Nietzsche (57%)
   
9. Sartre (57%)
   
10. Aquinas (55%)
    
11. Kant (55%)
    
12. Prescriptivism (55%)
    
13. Hume (47%)
    
14. Stoics (46%)
    
15. Ockham (44%)
    
16. Spinoza (43%)
    
17. Noddings (41%)
    
18. Augustine (39%)
    
19. Plato (33%)
    

Buried as a little factoid in most Indian media is the announcement of some new super-fast trains to the Indian railway system. To those not in the know, the Indian Railway is quite possibly, the lifeline of the entire Indian economy. It warrants a separate budget, which recently passed without any real opposition, and managed to push major Indian stock indices upwards. These new services focus on high-speed links between the major Indian metropolises with their fast growing suburban towns and nearby cities.



All economies are essentially information processing machines. I think for once, the body politic in charge understands this. Improving the non-IT communication infrastructure in India should go a long way towards cementing free-market principles in what has always been a very very regulated system. A small, but cheerful toast to those making this happen. For all their sectarian faults, the BJP appears to still be India's best hope for continued economic growth.

The key to understanding Hindu history is to realize that Hinduism is more indifferent and less tolerant than people think. Which is why it is right to be wary of the Hindu militant movement: they may not be so indifferent to what is now a more direct political threat in the form of rising Islamic fundamentalism..



Hinduism is also a practical, nuts and bolts, very personal and visceral religion, favoring animism and imperfect deities over some kind of abstraction common to other religions, but not locking out that possibility entirely. Which means that it has less trouble adapting other theologies to its own needs when the situation so dictates. In fact some of the seminal transformations of Hinduism occurred in medieval South India, when Hindu theologians encountered Islam and Christianity in a relatively non-confrontational historical setting - trade is better than conquest for true cultural synergy!

Moira Breen points to the widespread practice of "honor" killings in various parts of the world.


I'm not surprised that the UN resolution condemning honor killings failed to pass. What passes for ethics and moral codes at the UN always sinks to the lowest common denominator of cultural depravity. Multilateralism is more important than upholding the dignity and safety of more than half the worlds population. Didn't you guys know that!


On a related note, I should add that cultures can sometimes be afraid to take on their seamy underbellies. Case in point: dowry deaths in India. When it comes to prosecuting dowry deaths, justice can be uneven.. as well-connected elites with power and influence can often buy their way out of prosecution. Compounding the problem, Indians do not take kindly to critiques of their social condition, whether justified or not. I remember getting my knuckles rapped (metaphorically) for being a wise-mouth teenager for bringing up the subject with the "village elders". Hide your head in the sand long enough, and apparently the memory of the worst miscarriages of justice can be softened..!
After all, what is life but the accumulation of our own memories.. If trees fall in the forest and women beaten within an inch of their lives every day; If we forget that they ever existed, did they really ?.

Found this interesting editorial piece on the NY Times, courtesy of Stephen Green. The author of this op-ed is alarmed at the "return of the militant Hindu". For several reasons, I am not overly worried about this.

1. This isn't a "return of the militant Hindu".. There have been no militant Hindus in Indian history, not anyway in the sense that the editorial portrays.
   
2. Hinduism is not monolithic.. in fact the practice can vary within neighborhood blocks. This is why fascist movements have a tendency to peter out after a while. Perhaps an anecdote would help illustrate this. One of the biggest Hindu festivals in Kolkata and eastern India in general is the Durga Puja (the autumn earth-goddess festival). In neighborhoods and streets of Kolkata, tents and banners spring up, priests are hired and sculptors commissioned to make clay images of the goddess and her progeny. The driving force behind this effort is a desire to make each mini-festival as unique and differentiated as possible. No two images look alike, no two liturgies follow the same script! Why is this important? It is precisely this grass-roots celebration of diversity that has made Hinduism difficult for any one school of thought to dominate very long. .
   
3. People act surprised when saffron sadhus and warriors take to the streets. This is inevitable. Religion is a *huge* part of Indian life, and as the top-down socialist creed breaks down and the bottoms-up democratization of India progresses, the world will see more expressions of Hinduism than before, not less.
   
4. Commentators who laud India's democracy and in the same breath lambaste the growing influence of religous leaders in Indian public life are not doing their homework, and stand to be accused of double standards. Why is it a benign non-argument for Billy Graham to waltz with Reagan and Bush when the history of Christianity is littered with the corpses of unbelievers, but when Hindu religous leaders do the same, the world is shocked..?
   
5. Not every explanation of Hindu militancy has to do with external forces. Some of it lies in a rising internal struggle marked by the boundaries of India's fraying caste system. The last bastion of feudalism and fascism is inextricably tied to caste politics. Little is made of it in the international media, but this is the real conflict. The upper-caste elite are fighting to stem the tide and shore up a crumbling system under attack from the slow but steady grass-roots efforts at democracy and true egalitarianism.
   
6. Hindu revivalism has more in common with Libertarian tenets than fascist ones. It reflects a "stop treading on me, 12 centuries of abuse is all I can take" attitude that many in the Western media find puzzling. This is an inward movement, and still largely an internal struggle.
   
7. Hindu fundamentalists have not firebombed public places, rammed aeroplanes into American or European buildings, and are unlikely to ever do so. (see above)
   

A few items I do worry about often:

1. The separation of church and state in India is blurring... and while there is every reason to believe that India will hold on to its secular status in public affairs, it could still be toppled over temporarily into a longer period of chaos than is truly necessary.
   
2. Media attention on this phenomenon has been marked by a lack of fact-checking, rational thinking and historical consciousness. I have no reason to belive this will change. Moral relativism and laziness has bracketed Hindu revivalists with Islamic fundamentalists, despite the fact that the former has never crossed the Indus with a war machine, has rarely, if ever, put unbelievers to the sword, has never ransacked Arabia, China, Europe, America, Australia or insisted that the followers of Krishna or any of the thirty million avatars of divinity declare Jihad on the rest of the world.