Rahul Writes

A very interesting Open Letter written by Dr Mrs Hilda Raja, addressed to our Press:  

An Open Letter to N Ram, Editor in Chief, ‘The Hindu’

03/03/2010 

http://hildaraja.wordpress.com/2010/03/03/leter-to-the-editor-in-chief-of-the-hindu/

(Open letters)

Meaning of Cattle Class Travel for Holy Cows in Kerala

Shashi Tharoor may have got a pay cheque from Twitter for giving them such an unprecedented free publicity, and may be Sonia Gandhi was inspired by her Roman Catholic inquisitions when she reprimanded Mr. Tharoor for his Twitter comments, but I wonder why no aam admi asked how he was expected to get insulted by Tharoor's comments on economy class travellers: Since when aam admi started to travel in aeroplanes?

Shashi Tharoor may have made a Holy Insult to Sonia/Rahul's Austerity Drive, and may be he would also have received a Twittering Treatment for himself, but how could Maneka Gandhi remain silent seeing cows being abused by being compared with Sonia/Rahul?

This is what had actually happened, rest all is Twitter Class Politics:

Guest: "Tell us Minister; next time you travel to Kerala, will it be cattle class?"

Shashi Tharoor: “Absolutely, in cattle class out of solidarity with all our holy cows.”

We would now try to find out missing links between three things at the centre of this controversy: (1) Kerala (2) Holy Cows, (3) Cattle Class.

Parts of the article 'Beef without borders' (Frontline, Sep 12, 2003) completes the picture:

The meat trade in Kerala evokes images of a savage cattle trail: cows and bulls jammed into trucks and box cars coming from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka or Andhra Pradesh, or tied horn-to-horn in small groups, trudging across the inter-State border. The crossover is often done surreptitiously, the animals going without food, water or rest and with broken tails and bones, dislocated necks, chilly-peppered eyes and horn-gouged body parts.

In 1998, a total of 11 lakh head of cattle “migrate” thus to Kerala every year. The figure could be higher today. Only 4.16 lakh head of cattle pass through government check posts, the rest are smuggled in. Eventually, all of them end up in slaughterhouses lining the State’s towns and villages. There are 774 authorized abattoirs and, according to government officials, over three times that number of unauthorized meat stalls.

Kerala is one of the few States (including West Bengal) where the slaughtering of cattle is not prohibited. Nearly 4.83 lakh head of 'white' cattle (excluding buffaloes) are slaughtered legally in the State, producing 24,278 tonnes of beef every year. Three times the number are actually killed every year, the rest in the unauthorised sector, the total beef production thus being 72,834 tonnes.

Kerala’s beef is not its own. Cattle from local homestead farms account for only a very small percentage of the total beef produced in the State. Of the 4.83 lakh head of 'white' cattle slaughtered in the authorized centers, 4.16 lakh are cattle imported from neighbouring States. Such legal trade is a mere one-third of the total beef business in Kerala and there are no reliable statistics on the unauthorized trade.

Having read this, you would have got an idea, of what Cattle Class travel in Kerala means, for the Holy Cows.

Tell us Minister; any solidarity with the real holy cows making real cattle class travels towards your real Kerala? Or is it that you fear losing your holy followers on twitter class websites?

(Rahul)

18 June 2009

Mumbai

Dear Mr. Obama,

Past is always so easy to understand. It's only the present that we don't get hold of, in order to shape up our future. Still, many of us are obsessed with the future. You would definitely be one of these ' after all, future was all that you promised in your election campaigns in order to buy the present! But I see a big problem in the way you are going about it, and hence this letter.

The Great American Blackmailers

Think of the way your predecessor George W. Bush managed to get his second term in the office. It's an easy guess! Yes, it was nothing but blackmailing Blackmailing the Americans that if they didn't support him, those evil leaders with weapons of mass destruction would dig their graves, oppps, mass graves If they didn't support him, the Afghans would keep bringing down all the Twin Towers, and each Iraqi boy, a born Saddam, will come back to hit at the US So the scared (and fooled) Americans put their faith behind him, and enjoyed all his fairy-tales with a coke and a ham burger. And they gave him enough time on the chair to make himself an unforgettable world leader. What followed is history Can he be called a benchmark on blackmailing? Not yet; he has got a serious contender! Who better than yourself Mr. President?

Your message to America

Last week, you addressed a town hall speech in Green Bay, Wisconsin. You delivered a message to your countrymen. I will present the sequence in which you said things, to bring better clarity. You said: ^{(Ref1, Ref2)}

“Our kids are falling behind when it comes to science. We have kind of settled into mediocrity when we compare ourselves to other advanced countries and wealthy countries That’s a problem because the reason that America over the last hundred years has consistently been the wealthiest nation is because we’ve also been the most educated nation It used to be by a pretty sizable factor we had the highest high school graduation rates, we had the highest college graduation rates, we had the highest number of PhDs, the highest number of engineers and scientists Though the Americans used to be head and shoulders above the people of other countries, especially in the field of education, they are fast loosing that position

So even with the good schools, we have got to pick up the pace, because the world has gotten competitive. The Chinese, the Indians, they are coming at us and they’re coming at us hard, and they’re hungry, and they’re really buckling down."

Is not this is what is called blackmailing? In your statements, you first express envy: "We have kind of settled into mediocrity when we compare ourselves to other advanced countries and wealthy countries." I note that here you are comparing the position of US vis-à-vis 'other advanced and wealthy countries'. Do India and China come here? No. You should be talking about countries like Germany, France or may be exclusively ' Japan. But you have a job in your hand ' to inspire people, 24X7. Envying the Europeans and Japanese is passé. What a better way to inspire the kids than to prepare a soup, opps, curry, made from a little hatred and lots of insecurity? I will explain how this is exactly what you did

Teaching them whom to hate

While addressing the students of US, you brought in India and China. India! And China! The dreaded job-snatchers from American Silicon valleys ' the Bangalorean savages who eat, drink and think software ' the manufacturing mavericks who produce computers cheaper than American cell phones ' are not these the real 'circle of evil' that Americans in Obama Raj should worry about? I love your spirit of teaching. Earlier, you were teaching them how to eat, what to watch on TV, or even how to dream. And now you are teaching them whom to hate! I remember the last time George W Bush used a hard-power to teach Americans whom to hate. Why hard power? Because beards are hard ' caps and black veils are hard ' nukes and chemical weapons are hard and even oil is hard in some ways. Now you Mr. Obama are using soft power. It's not difficult to write a book like 'A hundred reasons to hate Indians and Chinese'. This is a soft way to do the same - blackmail people to do things. (I wonder why Mr. Bush failed to use this type of soft-manipulation ' after all he remains one and only MBA President of the USA in entire history!) Indian students are good at software, they are good in space research, even getting better in nuclear and cutting edge technologies, and they have Bangalores. China has Shanghai while Detroit and Manhattan are in the news more because of bankruptcies than anything else! So your problem was how to let Americans realize and come back till they achieve what it seemed they were destined to lose! And through your speeches, you made use of the uncertainly and vulnerability that a US citizen is going through these days, to blackmail them into studies and hard work!

Declining US Growth rates

Your dilemma is how to sustain the supremacy of the US. US growth rates are witnessing saturation: GDP growth in recent years are 3.2% in 2006, 3.2% in 2007, 2 % in 2008, and (-).57% in 2009. The problem is that many things in life are like the bell curve. You have to come down after a point. How you come down and how you prolong your growth phase is in your hands. I will tell where I think you are making mistakes.

How America can still grow

I think you are wrong when you emphasizes that US was supreme because of its "highest education". Education as an end in itself won't achieve much. What will the US do when the entire world becomes "higher educated"? It happens so many times in our life too ' when we see things as ends in themselves. Is not it the reason why the US firms are losing out? And they are still not learning lessons! Was not this the very reason why US auto giants lost to Japanese and then protected themselves, but again failing now? I think when the entire US growth model is based on a 'superiority feeling', it leaves only one direction for movement ' downwards

Recently, I came to know that Google had to buy present day Orkut from a Turkish guy. He worked for the US firm Google! Doesn't it tell you how much those non-native Americans contribute to your growth? Long before, US firm Microsoft had to buy Hotmail from Sabeer Bhatia. I think the US firms are best at making commercial gains out of ideas. But you should have your own ideas too! Though so many American firms have thrived because of innovation, I see something lacking in your vision. Let us come to the fundamental question ' how can US still grow? I think there is only one way ' and that is your basic job also. The word is ''creativity'.

I think the US can still grow only by making 'creative' ways into areas where others have not plunged yet Making the best use of creativity to create niche sectors, to use creativity to come out with lifestyle changing offerings ' this is the way forward Let the Chinese manufacture your designs at the cheapest costs. Let the Indians write software codes for your companies. You should aim at the intellect! But alas, you are fighting with Chinese to continue making tractor components. You are snubbing the Indians for 'stealing' your back-office jobs! And then you are blackmailing your people into competing against these very Chinese and Indians? I think this may grant you more years in power in the US, but will take your country downwards

Please stop blackmailing into future

I think your approach of showing threats to young children to get them to study, and using blackmailing to bring people in the right direction won't take you far. In fact your approach will kill the very hope that is still remaining in the Great American Dream. Americans like to have fun in doing whatever they have to. The days when the US saw a threat in the USSR and hence made a Space march are over. US now is not an underdog, and those tactics won't work any longer. The faster you understand this, the quicker you will get back.

In a way, your tactics of threatening and blackmailing will breed a generation of jealous Americans. This would never have happened in history of the US. When a generation of Islam-hating America grew up, we saw the Guantanamo happening. Take care to see if you are not watering a 'hate-India' generation to come up Because, the repercussions would be a loss to the entire world.

From India with love,

(Kr. Rahul)

Open Letters

Dear Airtel,

Though our friendship doesn't need this kind of letter, I thought to return the gesture of writing back to you. After all our friendship of six years, I haven't written to you once.

I really feel you are my best friend. You reach out to me even when no one else is around. Also, you follow me wherever I go: remember last time when I was at my hometown, and you called from an unknown number? You didn't even stop yourself, all because of our friendship, as I was on roaming and you even charged me at the roaming rate for receiving your call J As they say, friendship is above money and worldly things J

I remember (with every ring of my phone) the thousands of times when you send me SMSes when I am alone and subjects of your SMSes are also really interesting. If I have a boring day, you send me a funny SMS inviting me to join a funny joke forum. When I am alone, you ask me to join chat-forums without telling others my number. When I am financially ungenerous, you send me offers to make up. When I am wondering about this world, you send me invites to astro-pundits and offer free (@Rs 6 p.m.) consultations. You are so understanding. No one else in my life takes care of me as much as you do.

Friendship is never a single-route journey: at times I call you too, through your customer care centre. Before you can talk to me, you sing such melodious songs for me! I think I get a free experience of waiting for my date with a rose in my hand, when the minutes turn into hours! Your voice is so nice, I think it is my poor handset which makes it appear disgusting.

Your friends call me too, often when I am at critical places, like in the class room, or in a meeting. They are so caring that they always talk to me in Hindi: "Sir, mai Airtel office se bol rahi hoon". As soon as I say that I want nothing, they run away! So respectful, I can see.

And our friendship has even passed the most critical phase. When you told me about your 'Do Not Call' facility, I think in confusion, I sent you an SMS to register. You were so considerate and proactive that you ignored my request, and chose to continue calling me J

I want to thank you for all this. Thank you for being with me when no one is around. For calling me and telling me I am alive, when I am busy. For sending me ever-lasting 'limited time' offers. For sending me funny SMSes and improving my Hinglish. For making me listen to those ever-green songs free of cost. For not letting me register to the Do not call registry. For all that I have went through. And for all that is yet to come.

Keep calling whenever you feel like.

Waiting for your next call,

Kumar Rahul Tiwary

Open Letters

Open letter to Narendra Modi

Dear Modi ji,

After living through the charged atmosphere of attacks on 'outsiders' and 'local pride' in Mumbai, I have decided to write to you. Someone may see this as Vibhishan calling in Rama, but I don't care whatever people call me. Here is my logic and my invitation:

As you know, there are four major political parties in Mumbai and there are three major segments of voters. Here is what I think is the overall segmentation:

1. Congress:          Muslims + Non-Marathi Hindus + Marathi        Hindus

2. NCP:                 Muslims + Marathi Hindus

3. Siv Sena:          Marathi Hindus + Non-Marathi Hindus

4. BJP:                  Non-Marathi Hindus + Marathi Hindus

(5). MNS :             Marathi Hindus

Non-Marathi Hindus consist of Gujaratis, UPites, Biharites, and Southerners. As is clear, the Congress is the in the power because its target voter base is the widest.

The common traits of these political parties are as follows :

1. Congress:         

                            a) Would protect the minority interests

                            b) Would protect the Non-Marathis',        particularly the North Indians' interests

2. NCP:

                            a) Would protect the minority interests

3. Siv Sena:         

                            a) Would protect Marathi Hindus' interests

                            b) Would hit out at non-Marathi Hindus' interests

4. BJP:

                            a) Would protect Hindu interests,

                            b) Would follow and look at Siv Sena for almost everything.

5. MNS:

                            a) Would protect Marathi Hindu interests

                            b) Would hit out at non-Marathi Hindus' interests

At present, Mumbai is charged with the attacks on 'outsiders' and issues related to this. In the Juhu molestation case, no action was taken against the 'proven' accused, because they were Marathis. And then MNS activists attacked non-Marathis in public, for several days, and the government has not been able to take any concrete actions. Because of this, the following has happened:

Non-Marathis have:

1.    Moved away from MNS and Siv Sena, as these two parties will always oppose their 'right to exist'. No one can tolerate politics over the empty stomachs of their family members .

2.    Disillusioned from Congress, as the Congress government has failed to protect them.

But, they have no other option available to them! To use the marketing jargon, a 'gap' exists in the 'market' which is not being tapped by anyone at the moment.

Hence, I request you to come and speak up for the non-Marathi Hindus: say loud that they have full right to live and earn for their families, anywhere in India.

The following points substantiate my request:

1.    Though you had fought and won the last elections on the issue of 'Gujarati Pride', you didn't ask the non-Gujaratis to vacate Gujarat. So non-Marathis have trust on you.

2.    You have really grown as a national leader, and this victory over Maharastra would be an important stepping stone in your march towards the prime.

3.    Mumbai and Maharastra have a good population of Gujaratis and with their support; this creates the initial platform for you.  

4.    State assembly elections are in the sight. Any move made by the political parties 'now' will definitely be counted by the voters at the time of election.

5.    If you speak up and take up this issue, you will gain the support of non-Marathi Hindus, which currently are in the hold of either Congress or Siv Sena.

6.    The major 'long-term' challenge for the BJP is not how to gain ground in the states where it is weak, but how to gain ground in states where it is 'over-dependent' on the alliance parties. And Maharastra is one such major state. Loosing this golden opportunity is not what you should choose to afford.  

Hence, my strategy says: you should take up this issue, speak up 'for' the non-Marathis in Mumbai and create a 'brand differentiation' for your party and a national image for yourself. Choice is yours.

Yours in peace,

Polit Pundit (PP)

Mumbai

Dedicated to Prudent Indian and inspired by his post.

Open letter to editors of all national newspapers of India.

29 June, 2007

Dear Sir,

This is regarding the news that Saudi Arabia has executed (beheaded) two Indian nationals because they were found guilty of a murder. [Link1] We are living in a gloomy situation. While India is debating issues like the Presidential elections, and entry rules for Hindu temples, things are happening which make my country-men’s head lower in shame. Is not this an attack on our national pride? The two beheaded persons were "Indian nationals", not the adopted citizens of Saudi Arabia. Is India's diplomacy alive? We dream of becoming super power in next 10 years! Any nation where judiciary faces constant pressure from parliament, where constitution is a blank page, open to cut and paste maneuvers, where beuraucracy is corrupt and ineffective, where politicians facing criminal cases are central ministers, can still be my country, but a country which doesn't care for its fellow citizens and where media doesn't report such incidents on front pages, makes me disgusted.

Yours truly,

Kumar Rahul Tiwary

Mumbai

Open letter to MF Hussain

Mumbai, June 13, 2007

You must be feeling bad because you are out of India for a long time. India is as much your motherland as much she is mine. Therefore, you have equal right to represent it, talk and write about it, paint about it, and respect it.

But to be honest, I am not happy with the way you have painted some of your paintings. Please understand that I am not attempting to dictate you what to paint and what not to, I am just telling you how I feel when you paint about a particular set ' the Hindu Gods. For example, your paintings include these:

1. Goddess Durga in sexual union with Tiger
2. Goddess Lakshmi naked on Shree Ganesh’s head
3. Naked Saraswati
4. Naked Shri Parvati
5. Naked Draupadi.
6. Naked Lord Hanuman and Goddess Sita sitting on thigh of Ravana
7. Full Clad Muslim King and naked Hindu Brahmin.

These pictures are available at this website: [Link]. They have got these pictures from a book by Daniel Alan Herwitz and published by California State University. Now this is bad; this was between you Vs Hindus and you involved those Americans also? I have noted that on many of your nude pictures of Hindu Goddesses, you have written "Durga", "Saraswati", i.e. the names of the respective Gods. I wonder, have you done this keeping in mind the real purchasers of these paintings? An English diplomat who will purchase your painting and pay in Euros, will definitely like the name of the Goddess there on the painting, so that he can target collecting the whole set of Hindu Goddesses in his drawing room! Do you feel happy about it?

You have recently been selected for Raja Ravi Varma Award by the Kerala government [Link]. There is a protest letter on this website also, which the public can send to CM, and Cultural Minister, Kerala, with CC to Prime Minister of India and the President of India. [Link]. I have sent a protest letter through this website. But a one-to-one letter is always better. Therefore, I am writing to you here.

Shashi Tharoor has called you the Picasso of India [Link]. I am happy that the artists in India are getting their due respect. But why are you outside India? Shashi Tharoor has also lived outside India for a long time. That helps, in losing our roots and thinking ourselves as intellectuals. And why should an intellectual like Mr. Tharoor think like a common man; particularly on this issue?

I would like to tell you about a Muslim guy. On Orkut, there was a forum where people discussed whether you are a human being or an anti-national element. The guy wrote this: "Nude paintings of Gods and respected religious figures will definitely attract criticism from the public. And when a Muslim paints a Hindu God in the nude, it is surely going to hurt a lot of people. Even I, a Muslim, don't support Hussain when he paints Hindu Gods in this way". I thanked that guy from my heart for his honest comments. This spirit of the real Indians makes me proud. And your spirit to paint like this makes me sad. A lot of people have asked you to apologize. You know very well that if you apologize and stop painting Hindu Gods in nude (Is any Hindu God remaining, by the way?), you can return back to India. After all, Indians are so kind hearted. But you may be happy there, as a non resident Indian, and may not want to return back. When you die and meet Allah, you will get to see all the Hindu Gods within the very image of Allah, and they will not look exactly as you have painted them in your paintings; I am sure.

Yours in peace,

Kumar Rahul Tiwary

Open Letter to H.H. the Dalai Lama

Mumbai; May 10^th, 2007

Your Holiness,

I address to you as to one of the greatest spiritual leaders of this contemporary world. I have some apprehensions and want to convey my feelings to you.

Yesterday (May 9) Hindustan Times, Mumbai edition published a report on the front page titled "Nation's largest religious conversion at racecourse" (http://ht09may.notlong.com). I came to know that on 27^th of May, 2007, India's biggest religious mass conversion will be held at Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Mumbai, where more than one lakh people including 1000 nomadic tribes' families will embrace Buddhism. The report contains the following statements: "People from 42 nomadic tribes will convert to Buddhism", "The Dalai Lama will perform the rites", "We tribal never followed Hinduism, so there is no question of relinquishing it" "Conversions were a protest against the government apathy; don't even get shelter and food, and literacy rate is just 0.06%."

Hinduism, at no point of time, could to be defined under a fixed set of principles and beliefs. Hindus are so diverse and far from each others in terms of practices, customs and beliefs that it is very difficult to summarize what Hinduism exactly stands for. One accepted definition is that who ever was born and lived in this land called Hindustan or India, are Hindus. Tribal and nomads, in my opinion, are more Hindu than people who regularly visit temples. They worship the sun, rivers and natural forces, which is a part of the Hindu custom and practices everywhere. They may not be as educated as or as settled as common societies, but they are all Hindus by nature. The difference in skin colors or dialect doesn't matter; they are all my brothers and sisters. Everyone born in Mother India and whoever has drunk her water and ate what comes out of her soil are her own sons and daughters. I don't understand how someone can say that the tribal are not Hindus. They may not know a word called Hinduism, but they have lived it for generations.  

The government apathy over development in tribal areas is a real concern. Even after 60 years of freedom, the tribal people have not seen the life which populace in cities enjoys. We could have done so much to make their lives more comfortable and happier; alas, we have not done enough. But to use religion as a means of retaliation don't seem logical. We need to be part of the system to bring changes.

From my childhood, I have been inspired by the struggle of the Tibetans for their independence. Whenever I see your picture, I feel a feeling of reverence. The atrocities in the hands of China have made Tibetans depart from their own motherland. But I have this solace that India has patronized your cause; it has not back tracked and is second motherland to the Tibetan Buddhists. India has helped Tibetans preserve their free spirit, culture, tradition and education, and their existence has never before posed any threat to the local culture and tradition so far.

As you know, India and Hinduism are so close and engraved into each other that you hit one and the other bleeds. How can your Holiness be part of such an agenda? Religion is a personal matter, but such mass conversions are more politics than religion. Buddhism is not alien to India and even Hindus have learnt a lot from Buddhist ideas. But such mass scale religious conversions make many like me uncomfortable. Are these nomads educated enough to decided about leaving their age old beliefs to accept new ones now, or is their decision a real retaliation against neglect? Why should your Holiness be involved in these events? I love my motherland, and I consider all Indians my brothers and sisters, irrespective of their religion or belief. But I feel shattered when I come to know that my motherland which supported you as her child, suffers in the name of religion. No one can separate India and Hinduism. Hinduism is not merely a religion; it is a way of life for all who consider India as motherland. I pray to you please don't be part of such mass scale conversions. This is my sincere request to you as to the highest figure in Buddhism today.

If anywhere in this letter, I have been less than devout reverent to you please excuse my naivety.

Yours truly,

Kumar Rahul