Thanks to Rediff for having young (TARUN in HINDI) columnist on its site in a Guest Column. Hope, he does not remain a guest, who is generally forgotten after his departure from home and he is, rather made a regular contributor. His contemporary coverage of events of the country is remarkable, in particular, a fact disclosed by him of burning of a library in Manipur resulting in destruction of an important part of Indian History. It is unfortunate that our premier media barons have not taken a serious note of it. It was not taken up in any of the leading TV channels as a topic for discussion in any of the many, which are forced upon the viewers. Tarun ji please keep it up and enlighten the readers with your regular columns. Vinod Tuli
What a sheer tragedy it is that people are fighting for baseless reasons and causing immeasurable havoc in the process!
Any library is a treasurehouse of information and historic manuscripts are testimonies of the glory of this nation and its history.It is SHAMEFUL that protestors had to resort to destruction of such carefully preserved documents to vent their frustration.
Are we SO blind that we cannot develop a balanced appreciation for any and every language in India?Arent we proud of the fact that we have diversity in our culture beyond limits-in language,religion,customs,traditions and geography? If such is the case, how can we afford to be so narrowminded and regionalistic in our efforts?
It isnt just hypocritic, its downright SHAMEFUL what we see happening in Manipur (and in every other state where activists are fighting in the name of \'liberation\' for an \'independent state\'). This country\'s beauty is the fact that all these cultures have co-existed for many centuries. How can we even THINK of destroying that by acting this way?
Thanks Tarun for putting some light on the issue. The extrimist isses mentioned in the article is not only the problem Manipur alone, but entire NE Region, and government is responsible for them in some way or the other. Two main reason for growing extrimism in the region are continuous reluctence by central government and improper leadership in the region. Leaders in the region should be more focused in overall development instead of being concentrating on the growth of their individual parties. Apart from government, media also, I think have a great role to play as they can help people to think and grow consciousness among people and especially youths in the region. We need more articles as the one by Tarun, that might help government to have look at the plight of NE people. NE need some unbiased journalists who can write for wellbeing of its people.
All over the world ,nations are uniting economically,socially,politically e.g.,the Europian Union.Then why shouldn't people of a great nation unite and integrate in to the social fabric.Differences arise within a family and are solved through mutual understanding and concessions.Manipur has a great tradition which must be safeguarded.Tolerance is a great virtue which is the need of the hour.Manipur cannot be secluded,posperity can only be achieved through greater interaction with rest of the world.Govt of India should not do anything detrimental to the interests of the people of manipur
RE:INDIA, A FEDERAL STATE
by karigar on May 11, 2005 10:12 PM Permalink
Yeah Yeah...don't worry about what those heathens say...they're always fighting the "Word of God" (in spite of all our money & arms, i'll be damned..!)
Situation in manipur has been/is unfortunate, throughout all the govts. But pls don't read too much from what an RSS guy has to say. You know these guys.
RE:Situation unfortunate, but how much is exaggerated?
by bhupi on May 17, 2005 12:17 PM Permalink
You are apparently looking at the issue emotionally.You are very much justified in your outburst but the facts can't be ignored.I have seen these areas for long enouph and can say that the role of the church in these areas is too dubious to be ignored.You must if possible visit the places to see for youself.The normal public has been uprooted from their roots.Church and its representatives dictate day to day life of the people.The issue is not the antiquity of the christianity in India but the role played by its fronts. No one is doubting your or for that matter anyone else integrity towards our nation.It is standing firm because of people like youand others.But one can't ignore the mischief being played in the name of religion.
None of us has understand the real problem. The root cause problem is conversition. Whereever ther is conversion the problem will arrise as the writer had wrote the movement supported by Church.
The biggest question rise once conversition is about their identity as the past identity is of ancient Indian culture which is of hinduism thus this church wants to destroy this identity in result of destroying the identity of Indian culture.
This conversion is showing its result in North East and will further show in other parts of India if not countered by RSS.
RE:The real Problem
by Jerryl Varghese on May 13, 2005 11:31 AM Permalink
The RSS is a bunch of violent hooligans. Christianity was in India somewhere before the 1-4 Century AD, nearly two thousand years ago. Christianity is not a 'White' or 'European' or 'Western' thing.
I'm Christian, but I have no intention of destroying India or Indian culture. To the contrary, I'm an Indian, and extremely proud of it too. And I don't agree with the Westerners on many issues.
I have NO problem with Hinduism or Islam or Buddhism etc. and I have no intention of trying to destroy these religions. And it would be a pointless battle in any case.
If I want, can I not tell others of my personal religious beliefs? And if they too believe this, then is it not their right to convert?
I do not endorse forced conversions and I think that those who forcibly convert others should be put in jail.
India is not a land of one religion but many. Did the arrival of Islam and the rise of Buddhism and Jainism take away from the Indian culture? No? Then why do you think that Christianity will do that to India?
Please keep an open mind. I love my country just as much as you do, even though I am Christian. I will fight anyone who tries to invade it, Christian or not.
We indians just blame everything to politician and never ready to take charge. We have no right to say that govt. has to do something about it coz we also force govt to handle the other issues in country of the rich state. Govt is always in big worry of loosing their feet and so they only take actions where there is vote bank. And we the vote bank wants them to do work for our states before any other state. If India as a coutry is not able to handle those state then i think we have to give them freedom. Or just make a long term goal and take some very strong footprints to turn the situation turn around. but its rightly said in the article that India is a country driven by god and so no one will care and at last life of all INDIANS in manipur is in hand of god.
Why is apathy towards Manipur by all the consicutive governments since independence. The north east is such a beautiful state. The hopeless governments at the center never looked at the states like manipur as a tourist attraction with its natural beauty which in turn fuells employment at the local level. Why this tragedy. Center pls look east. Its burning.
The entire North-East has been converted into a Gangster raj where "elected" politicians and sundry secessionist losers is making life hell for all and sundry. Has the presence of the secessionists improved the life of the average tribal --- an emphatic NO. They have a bogus desire to create China orbiting Satellite states -- how these corruption loving gangster "leaders" are going to run these independent states any better than the other Indian politicians is anybody's guess. It's easy to target the Bengalis because they are economically and politically weak and unorganized. I am awestruck by the sheer buffoonery of people who are prepared to burn their own cultural heritage. The people who are influencing these folks are no better than the Taliban.
