41 Writers Return Indian Award, Cite Climate of Intolerance

[Samudra Manthan]

For the purpose of this debate. I am not talking about the role of the media in society, nation, culture etc.

This is a manufactured concern because clearly they do not report the blood letting on Eid which is much much more polluting. This is a concerted attack on all Hindu festivals and I will never ever go by what progressives have to say about our festivals. The more they complain the more they want me to be brash.

When the world itself is an illusion and spirituality a way out, how can the two coexist in harmony ? Their very nature as described in Hinduism is self contradictory.

The purpose of life is not to find a way out. That is a wrong interpretation of our religion. The illusion came into being for a purpose and that purpose is being served when we live. The end goal may as well be the end of illusion but that is measured in millions of years as Brahman's night and day. The way out is only for those souls who do not wish to be part of the illusion anymore for whatever reason, but that should not be interpreted as the illusion itself as a bad thing or serving no purpose. Their nature is in no way contradictory.

 

[rubyjackass]

@Akheilos @jamahir .... lets not fall into usual saghi vs non sanghi debate... lets talk about freedom of speech... what do you people think about "extent" of this "freedom"??? i mean same salman rushdie wrote "satanic verses" which was banned in india and abroad....should it be revoked and made legal in india? and charlie Hebdo cartoons are also "freedom" of expression??? you support them?

Thanks for trying to steer the topic to things that matter. Freedom of expression should be absolute as long as it does not hinder other's freedoms. Satanic Verses should be unbanned. For the government's credit Lajja was not banned in India. I consider the bans so far acceptable only in view of the practicality of the law and order situation at that time. As India gets strong enough law enforcement, we should strive for more freedom of expression. As long as a blasphemer doesn't force you to listen to his/her insults to your religion, you have no right to complain. And no majority or noisy minority gets to decide where freedom of expression ends.

 

[indianBong]

. As India gets strong enough law enforcement, we should strive for more freedom of expression. As long as a blasphemer doesn't force you to listen to his/her insults to your religion, you have no right to complain. And no majority or noisy minority gets to decide where freedom of expression ends.

i personally believe freedom of speech cannot be selective wholly.. i mean like you cant cherry pick :what should i say or what not:" you should be allowed to speak against religion as well as larger than life personality too...
there are two types of criticism... one constructive other just for trolling... now when you are criticising a religion or its practises naturally you will bring wrath of extremist ... the state should ensure that proper environment of a debate/discussion exist and not just mudslinging. one who does constructive criticism also speaks about how to make "things" better.. whereas trolls only speak garbage and run away...
@Joe Shearer can give us more light on freedom of speech...

 

[rubyjackass]

i personally believe freedom of speech cannot be selective wholly.. i mean like you cant cherry pick :what should i say or what not:" you should be allowed to speak against religion as well as larger than life personality too...
there are two types of criticism... one constructive other just for trolling... now when you are criticising a religion or its practises naturally you will bring wrath of extremist ... the state should ensure that proper environment of a debate/discussion exist and not just mudslinging. one who does constructive criticism also speaks about how to make "things" better.. whereas trolls only speak garbage and run away...
@Joe Shearer can give us more light on freedom of speech...

In my POV, freedom of expression includes freedom to troll But hate speech should be punishable. Whereas bigot(who tactfully skirt the hatespeech definition) should be treated like the bigots and racists they are. In US you are free to be a racist, except you would be isolated socially. Even a person like Mel Gibson lost his corporate endorsements after his anti-Semitic comments. Even Donald Trump is correcting himself and apologizing for his words. That is how society should be. Government should not be the one solely deciding what is right and what is not.

 

[JOEY TRIBIANI]

Good work bjp .

 

[Joe Shearer]

i personally believe freedom of speech cannot be selective wholly.. i mean like you cant cherry pick :what should i say or what not:" you should be allowed to speak against religion as well as larger than life personality too...
there are two types of criticism... one constructive other just for trolling... now when you are criticising a religion or its practises naturally you will bring wrath of extremist ... the state should ensure that proper environment of a debate/discussion exist and not just mudslinging. one who does constructive criticism also speaks about how to make "things" better.. whereas trolls only speak garbage and run away...
@Joe Shearer can give us more light on freedom of speech...

Whoa!

Is there any way to postpone this discussion? Then I could get one of my counterparts on the law side to weigh in with a useful opinion?

@indianBong
@rubyjackass

 

[dadeechi]

Internationally renowned novelist Salman Rushdie, who was born in Mumbai, has come out strongly in support of the Indian writers, saying the government's silence is allowing a new "degree of thuggish violence" in India.

"It's become a question of an individual's right to speak, to think, to write, to eat, to dress, to debate," said Maya Krishna Rao, a playwright and theater actress, who returned her award to the academy this week.

The irony is that when Mr Rushdie's book as banned in India none of people had any conviction and righteousness to protest. I hate such so called Intellectual hypocrites.

Salman Rushdie: India banned Satanic Verses hastily

Salman Rushdie: India banned Satanic Verses hastily - BBC News

 

[Rain]

Welcome to Modi-fied india people.

Ultra nationalism and religious fanatisms are demons.
Rest of the world is paying heavy prce for nurturing and ignoring these demons. Its indias turn to nurture and empower a demon of its own. All the seculars librals and humanists must gear up for worst.

My sympathies with you but i love to see increase in SS And RS power...(yes i am hypocrate vis a vis India)

 

[Joe Shearer]

The irony is that when Mr Rushdie's book as banned in India none of people had any conviction and righteousness to protest. I hate such so called Intellectual hypocrites.

Salman Rushdie: India banned Satanic Verses hastily

Salman Rushdie: India banned Satanic Verses hastily - BBC News

I agree: there should have been a far more vigorous resistance to some of the worst instances of blackmail of the state that took place in recent decades:

1. Banning the Satanic Verses;
2. Not allowing Taslima Nasreen to live wherever in India she pleased, a fault aided and abetted by the CPI(M), although the MIM were prime movers;
3. Allowing Penguin to be blackmailed into withdrawing Wendy Donniger's book.

Having said that, as far as the present movement is concerned, better late than never.

Should it be that we wait for the cycle to turn and start protesting only then?

 

[Niyogi]

This is a manufactured concern because clearly they do not report the blood letting on Eid which is much much more polluting. This is a concerted attack on all Hindu festivals and I will never ever go by what progressives have to say about our festivals. The more they complain the more they want me to be brash.

Media is a corporate entity. So naturally they will have their own agenda which is guided by profit.

I could not care less for their attacks. They do not govern my life or my thinking. Neither should they govern yours. You have a choice to be free from their oppression. Exercise it.

The purpose of life is not to find a way out. That is a wrong interpretation of our religion. The illusion came into being for a purpose and that purpose is being served when we live. The end goal may as well be the end of illusion but that is measured in millions of years as Brahman's night and day. The way out is only for those souls who do not wish to be part of the illusion anymore for whatever reason, but that should not be interpreted as the illusion itself as a bad thing or serving no purpose. Their nature is in no way contradictory.

Hinduism addresses the "aspirational" aspect of Human nature. Everyone wants to become richer, work less, know more, look better etc.

Only Hinduism teaches that our aspirations are wrongly aligned since these are short term aspiration and are never static. It changes with TIME (maha-kaal). We get richer or poor with time, gain and loose looks with time, same with health, rest, pleasure etc.

It teaches one to align one's aspiration for long term benefit. It describes life as a long journey of birth and rebirth. Not a short episode of a single birth.

The aspiration then would be to ensure a better life in EACH rebirth...... and once we get tired of that, to escape the cycle when we are ready.

THAT is the purpose of Dharma. To ensure the next birth is always better than the one before. Born as a man/women you would not want to be born again as a dog or a worm. The equivalent would be born in a palace but be reduce to poverty and live in a shack due to one's own foolish squandering of lifes resource.

The "resource" in this long cycle of birth-rebirth is TIME itself. Which is why Hinduism teaches one to use one's time to address the long term aspiration / ambition. To look beyond the short term which is transitionary and hence illusionary.


Which is why in the Gita lord Krishna says I am Time itself (misinterpreted by oppenheimer as "death", when he misquotes Gita).


The contradiction in dealing with the material is that it takes up too much mind space leaving far too little mind space to focus on the big picture, the long term aspiration. THAT is why the contradiction exist and is recognized as a barrier.

 

[Skull and Bones]

The OP should also have posted some example of their literary compositions to assess their quality of their works. Just saying.

 

[Joe Shearer]

The OP should also have posted some example of their literary compositions to assess their quality of their works. Just saying.

I don't think that is relevant. It is not that the value of their protest is to be weighted by their literary ranking, it is that a privileged few are surrendering their privileges because of a grave danger that is overtaking us, and that they feel needs to have people's attentions drawn to it through a dramatic gesture.

Just saying.

 

[Skull and Bones]

I don't think that is relevant. It is not that the value of their protest is to be weighted by their literary ranking, it is that a privileged few are surrendering their privileges because of a grave danger that is overtaking us, and that they feel needs to have people's attentions drawn to it through a dramatic gesture.

Just saying.

Few have genuine concern, and I respect their sentiments. But as always, most of them might be following a herd mentality, to have his/her moment under the limelight.

 

[Joe Shearer]

The OP should also have posted some example of their literary compositions to assess their quality of their works. Just saying.

On the other hand, your sly allusion that not all that glitters is gold was amusing and chuckle-worthy.

Few have genuine concern, and I respect their sentiments. But as always, most of them might be following a herd mentality, to have his/her moment under the limelight.

Yes, there might be some amount of herd mentality coming in, but from my partisan point of view, why not? Rather they herd in this direction than in the other, as many others have done.

 

[indianBong]

Whoa!

Is there any way to postpone this discussion? Then I could get one of my counterparts on the law side to weigh in with a useful opinion?

@indianBong
@rubyjackass

Yeah sure sire..... jus now saw one of your good thread running in seniors cafe on liberal, democracy.... where i dont have privilege to comment yet... had loads to say...