Re: (Songs, Slights....)
Ramana R. Juvvadi (juvvadi@horizoncomp.com)
Tue, 25 Feb 1997 10:32:03 -0500 (EST)
> kollAyi gaTTitE nEmI
> mA gAndhi
> kOmaTai puTTitE nEmI
>
I never really liked this unnecessary reference to Gandhi's caste here.
To say the least it is very condescending.
As a Telangana Vasi how am I supposed to react when somebody says
"Telangana vaadivaitenemiti, telugu saahityamlO kuda interest
choopistunnaavu"
I am not making this up, I faced the comment hundreds of times.
As an Indian, how am I supposed to react if an American says
"Wow! for the education you had in India, you are displaying
remarkable understanding of quantum mechanics."
No American ever said that to me, but I would consider that
less insulting than remarks of the type "Telanagana vaadivaitenem,
komatai puditenem".
While I am personally tolerant enough to brush it off, I want
to warn others that not everybody would be so thick skinned.
Having expressed my concerns, I want to come to the second part.
I don't know whether it was an emotional call or he was serious but I find
it disturbing, when people call for banning and deleting material.
I just want to recall Voltaire "I may not agree with a single word of
what you are saying, but I would defend your right to say it".
Ideas are always fought by better ideas -- not with censorship.
Ramana