Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ut-ngp.UTEXAS Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!ut-sally!ut-ngp!rama 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 Lines: 54 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.