An Artist in Exile Tests India’s Democratic Ideals

[Vinod2070]

Christian and Protestant conflicts are well documented and very stupid but no Govt was toppled or voted in over it.

Please check that out.

Regards

Well no two ways about it. I agree.

They are as stupid as the Taslima and Hussain issues in India.

Moreover both the issues are the handiwork of a few hoodlums and lumpen elements. There is at present an excess of such elements in India unfortunately and the government of the day has failed to control them.

 

[s90]

India,Pakistan,Bangladesh have same problem of religious extremism!

 

[Vinod2070]

Well many would and so would U if you visited and lived in Norway for 6 months.

Regards

Well I am sure that the Scandanavian countries are great to live in, have some of the highest HDI ratings and the most crime free and just societies and have a moral voice much greater than their physical power.

But if we go by the definition of a Superpower:

A superpower is a state with a leading position in the international system and the ability to influence events and its own interests and project power on a worldwide scale to protect those interests; it is traditionally considered to be one step higher than a great power. Alice Lyman Miller (Professor of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School), defines a superpower as "a country that has the capacity to project dominating power and influence anywhere in the world, and sometimes, in more than one region of the globe at a time, and so may plausibly attain the status of global hegemon."[1] It was a term first applied in 1944 to the United States, the Soviet Union, and the British Empire. Following World War II, as the British Empire transformed itself into the Commonwealth and its territories became independent, the Soviet Union and the United States generally came to be regarded as the only two superpowers, and confronted each other in the Cold War.

Superpower - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I don't see them as Superpowers in the literal sense.

 

[Always Neutral]

Well I am sure that the Scandanavian countries are great to live in, have some of the highest HDI ratings and the most crime free and just societies and have a moral voice much greater than their physical power.

But if we go by the definition of a Superpower:



Superpower - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I

You go with wikipedia and I will go with common sense. You can only be a super power if you donot need power projection.

Regards

 

[Vinod2070]

I don't think the Scandanavian model is workable for countries with large populations like India.

Heck, these countries can't even defend themselves. They are happy to be defended by someone else and then pontificate to others about the evils of nuclear weapons.

Its good that it works for them. I doubt the model can work for any other countries around the world who have more pressing and mundane issues to deal with.

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Does freedom of speech imply that I could stand outside your home & abuse you loudly.. and not expect you to respond ?

That is a very wrong analogy. This Muslim artist is not thrusting his work down anyones throat. You have the choice to view the works or not. He does not have a gun to your head saying that you must look at my paintings. The Hindu fanatics were not forced to look at these pictures but they took insult anyway and threatened his life. If India is truly secular society such acts do not happen. Bangladesh does not make any pretense to be entirely secular and Islam is protected by the constitution so the limits are clearly set. There is a gulf of difference here.

 

[Vinod2070]

^^ You should be happy about it.

In vandalism and bigotry, at least some people in India are following your country.

And you had a choice to not see the Danish cartoons too. In fact most of the rioters never did see them, nor did they read the Rushdie book.

If you are an Islamic country, why are you so high in corruption rankings? Why so many hands in the cookie jar!

 

[BanglaBhoot]

^^ You should be happy about it.

In vandalism and bigotry, at least some people in India are following your country.

And you had a choice to not see the Danish cartoons too. In fact most of the rioters never did see them, nor did they read the Rushdie book.

If you are an Islamic country, why are you so high in corruption rankings? Why so many hands in the cookie jar!

Try not to be a moron all your life .....

I have already stated that Bangladesh or many other Muslim nations to not hold up the pretense of being secular. According to Nehru it was this idea of secularism that held India together so if that binding agent dissolves then what is the reason behind India? This is my point.

Oh and how does it go with banging elephants and horses?

 

[Vinod2070]

If you are an Islamic country, why are you so high in corruption rankings?

OK, let me be more specific. Have you stood up to the responsibility of being an Islamic country, has any country in the Islamic world stood up to the requirements for being an ideal Islamic state?

If no, what is the point of your existence? Shouldn't all of them be dissolved?

 

[BanglaBhoot]

If you are an Islamic country, why are you so high in corruption rankings?

OK, let me be more specific. Have you stood up to the responsibility of being an Islamic country, has any country in the Islamic world stood up to the requirements for being an ideal Islamic state?

If no, what is the point of your existence? Shouldn't all of them be dissolved?

Most of the States based on Islam are failing to live up to the ideal in many ways but since it is an ideal conception no one expects perfection. As for corruption Islam is very severe on the issue but that severity has not been institutionalized. Our institutions remain weak and subject to malign influences but that only means that we have to strive harder and finds ways where we can live morally according to the teachings of the Holy Quran and the prophet. As Muslims we must try to uphold Islamic moral ideals but also practice tolerance as well. But Islam lays down certain limits to that tolerance and this cannot be crossed.

India pretends to be secular but is in fact a very religious state. The issue is different to the Islam issue in that India uses an artificial glue to keep the country together which is secularism. Secularism is merely a convenience for India but is not a true bond. India's actual base or foundation is an elitist version of Hinduism. India in other words pretends to be what it isn't.

 

[Logic note]

Most of the States based on Islam are failing to live up to the ideal in many ways but since it is an ideal conception no one expects perfection. .

Forget about perfection , most of them don't even match the realistic accepted standard . if you are trying for the idealistic perfection you will at least reach better then average .

As for corruption Islam is very severe on the issue but that severity has not been institutionalized. Our institutions remain weak and subject to malign influences but that only means that we have to strive harder and finds ways where we can live morally according to the teachings of the Holy Quran and the prophet. As Muslims we must try to uphold Islamic moral ideals but also practice tolerance as well. But Islam lays down certain limits to that tolerance and this cannot be crossed.

Problem is my dear Friend , that you see everything with a narrow perception , corruption free idealistic society is every humans dreams , muslim , non muslims or athiests . it has nothing to do with anyones faith .

India pretends to be secular but is in fact a very religious state. The issue is different to the Islam issue in that India uses an artificial glue to keep the country together which is secularism. Secularism is merely a convenience for India but is not a true bond. India's actual base or foundation is an elitist version of Hinduism. India in other words pretends to be what it isn't

Thank god for what we are and this artificial , secular elitist version of Hinduism is much better then other system around us .. specially in comparision to Bangaldesh

 

[Flintlock]

India pretends to be secular but is in fact a very religious state. The issue is different to the Islam issue in that India uses an artificial glue to keep the country together which is secularism. Secularism is merely a convenience for India but is not a true bond. India's actual base or foundation is an elitist version of Hinduism. India in other words pretends to be what it isn't.

Secularism is not some lofty ideal, it is a necessary and an essential rule for any modern nation. If Bangladesh is not pretending to be secular, it better start doing that soon, because religious countries have no place in the postmodern world.

Your idea of India is obviously shaped by your religious as well as ideological bias, and is undoubtedly a very negative one. However, considering your intellectual weight in the world, I am not too bothered.
India has been a major player throughout the history of mankind, and the unification of India in 1947 was the best possible decision that could have been made by Indians in order to improve their condition after almost a millennium of colonial rule.

In the modern world where people are putting aside their differences and looking for something common in order to work together rather than continue to fight each other like they have done throughout their history, the idea of a single united India is stronger and more relevant than ever before. Its simple - unity is strength, disunity is weakness. We have learnt our lessons from history. Have you learnt yours?

 

[Vinod2070]

Most of the States based on Islam are failing to live up to the ideal in many ways but since it is an ideal conception no one expects perfection. As for corruption Islam is very severe on the issue but that severity has not been institutionalized. Our institutions remain weak and subject to malign influences but that only means that we have to strive harder and finds ways where we can live morally according to the teachings of the Holy Quran and the prophet. As Muslims we must try to uphold Islamic moral ideals but also practice tolerance as well. But Islam lays down certain limits to that tolerance and this cannot be crossed.

India pretends to be secular but is in fact a very religious state. The issue is different to the Islam issue in that India uses an artificial glue to keep the country together which is secularism. Secularism is merely a convenience for India but is not a true bond. India's actual base or foundation is an elitist version of Hinduism. India in other words pretends to be what it isn't.

Munshi, you have no idea how pathetic your arguments are! Its beyond hypocrisy.

You say these are God given systems. How can they be anything but perfect? You can't perfect them in 1400 years!

Far from perfect, you are among the worst in the world on most parameters. So your perfect system is worse than the man made systems!

You are expecting perfection from others but refuse to submit to any standards at all for yourself. Not that it is unexpected. People like you are giving a bad name to anything you associate with.

It is the glue that is holding you that is artificial. It has already broken once and that was just a start.

 

[Flintlock]

Listen for people who call themselves civillised and secular your health minister has to approach the PM to get the gay act de-criminalised as its own Govt is opposing it.

Introspection is the first sign of a super power not military budgets. I consider Scandanavian countries as true super powers.

Regards

Give me a freaking break AN.

A super-power is by definition a country with global force-projection capabilities.

You can invent any definition you like, of course.

 

[PeaceForAll]

That is a very wrong analogy. This Muslim artist is not thrusting his work down anyones throat. You have the choice to view the works or not. He does not have a gun to your head saying that you must look at my paintings. The Hindu fanatics were not forced to look at these pictures but they took insult anyway and threatened his life. If India is truly secular society such acts do not happen. Bangladesh does not make any pretense to be entirely secular and Islam is protected by the constitution so the limits are clearly set. There is a gulf of difference here.

The muslim artist is not thrusting his work ... so there s no need for the people to make a hue and cry of it! but then the cartoon about the prophet was in the papers and u can still choose not to read it!!

if there is an infringment on to someone's feelings, it is wrong! as simple as that. I woul not tolerate it if something like that happens to Islam, Why should I tell other religions to tolerate? they are equal humans and have same feelings!

Mr.Hussain can paint pictures of lots of bollywood actresses in nude- and pay them for it- why the goddesses who lots of people pray for their purity? what authority does he have to do that?

people like them are dangerous to the society - just like viruses - they thrive on indifference and delayed justice! they want publicity! he has got a wrong name to muslims - by showing muslims as people who are intolerant to other religions and he did that by not showing respect to hindu dieties! he need not worship them (he should not!!) but atleast show respect to them!!