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From: rama@ut-ngp.UTEXAS (rama)
Newsgroups: net.nlang.india
Subject: Re: Sikhs' analysis of the RAJIV-LONGOWAL accord
Message-ID: <2551@ut-ngp.UTEXAS>
Date: Fri, 1-Nov-85 12:43:10 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.2551
Posted: Fri Nov  1 12:43:10 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 3-Nov-85 13:27:43 EST
References: <1190@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712
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Bajwa has raised a number of issues.            
The feeling that I get from his postings on this net is that
he is angry, for a number of reasons.
His anger, and in this I believe that he represents
a fair number of Sikhs, at least in the U.S., seems to convey
to us a sense of betrayal among the Sikhs.
If I were to read his postings correctly,and I believe I have,
the Sikhs have been unfairly dealt with, not merely since the
last few years, but since 1929.
The number and scale of unjust actions, he would lead us to believe,
have risen substatnially over the last few years, but the
general trend has been to subjugate the Sikhs, or in some way,
humiliate them, for decades.
Mr. Bajwa, whenever injustice is done, and definitely injustice 
has been done to the Sikhs, there is a tendency to get emotional
and see injustice in every action.
Just as you perceive that the Sikhs have been unjustly denied
a lot and have been discriminated against, so do others.
Just as you point out to the number of Sikhs dead in the Golden temple
attack, I could point out to the number of Hindus dead in transistor
bomb attacks, to the number of people killed in interstate bus
attacks, to a number of people held ransom by a group of poeple
who believed that their word was law and that they would enforce
their law by the gun.
Neither of us are lying, we are merely looking at two different
sides of the picture.  Pardon me for using an outworn cliche,
but it really is a case of whether the cup is half full or half empty.
In times of discontent like this, it takes a lot of conviction--
conviction in oneself, conviction in the belief that fairness must
prevail, that indeed justice must be done-- and such conviction 
almost always requires that one puts aside one's own feelings aside,
and looks at issues from the other side's perspective.
More important, one has to look at issues in the context not of our
lifetimes alone,(though that is necessary) but in the context of future
generations.
We have, on this net seen perspectives from both sides, and I guess
it is time that we ask ourselves the question, -- is it really necessary
to think of this issue as being a confrontation?
Has there not been enough of that?
Are we all not supposed to be educated people?
My belief is that education does not merely involve getting a
degree, an illiterate person can often be more educated
than many of us.
While I address this letter to you, it is addressed to all of
us Indians.
A number of people have pointed this out, and I merely add my voice
to theirs --- let us put this Hindu and Sikh and Christian and Muslim
nonsense away-- let us think of ourselves as Indians and remember that
Hindus alone or Sikhs alone do make up India.
These themes have too often been exploited by Hindi movies
and frankly most of think of the idea of Indianism as a namby pamby
notion. 
Maybe it is time to think otherwise.