Mind your language
First of all, the word "Ramadan" isn't even pronounced with a "d" in Arabic (“Why are Indian Muslims using the Arabic word ‘Ramadan’ instead of the traditional 'Ramzan'?”). The closest would be the way you pronounce "the". The sound that "th" makes is most appropriate. So "Rama-th-an".
Another thing I would like to tell you is the origin of the word "Allah", it's a Hebrew word and has nothing to do with Arabic. Even the word for "Satan" isn't Arabic. It's of Ethiopian origin. – Mustafa Mukaddam
***
I would just like to bring to your notice a small, bit very significant thing that I noticed. Whenever, we say our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) we always use the words ‘peace be upon him’. The same applies to all the prophets. You can simply use ‘P.B.U.H’.
However, I would recommend that you once check with people who might have more knowledge about this than me. Please take this message as a sincere opinion from someone who likes to read what you all write. – Salman A Khan
***
Beautiful article on linguistic and cultural nuances in Indian Islam. I, too, hated the artificial “Allah hafiz,” that I encountered everywhere in Pakistan. The centuries old Persian influence on India is a far more civilised one than the Wahhabism that is all-pervasive in the Philistine Gulf states. – Vibhuti Patel
***
I never lived in India, and when I was in Pakistan, we said Ramzan. When I'm speaking to someone in Urdu, I will say Ramzan. But for the past 15 years I've been interacting with many Muslims from many different backgrounds. I taught in an Islamic school my first year here in Dallas where children were learning Arabic, so when I speak English I say Ramadan.
I don't seem to understand the brouhaha over saying it one way or another. I do kind of feel like you should say the word in its original form if you can. Just like I wouldn't want anyone to say my name differently then I think it should be pronounced. The origin of the name of the month is actually Arabic, so what's the big deal if you use its original form? It's like saying Mumbai instead of Bombay.
Really, we have a lot more important things to be offended by. – Sharmina Zaidi
***
You've made some good points in your article, but I believe you've ended it grossly wrong.
I don't believe there is a need to relook or rethink about our cultural identity. There are fragments of our cultural heritage that are far more engrained than the "z" and "d". There is a cultural exchange taking place within Muslims in North India. As the North Indian diaspora has begun to swell up in the Middle East, people have come in touch with aspects of religious teachings that were previously limited to those in the south who received the religion through the sea.
Now, hold your horses before branding me a "Wahabi". I am sure you understand the religion and you will appreciate that a lot that Islam preaches is against what was prevalent in post-Muhammadan society of Hijaz (parts of mordern day Saudi Arabia), the Makkans were resistant to change because of cultural bonding. Those who migrated with the Prophet to Madina were people who looked beyond the "cultural identity" and were ready to mould their life based on what was being taught.
Change and learning is essential to Islam and a lot of people should try and mould themselves as and when they understand the religion. Ramadan vs Ramzan debate is futile, but to link it to cultural identity isn't right. – Talha Siddiqui
***
A very good article. Thank you. I have seen this discussion played out among university students in the US in Urdu class, specifically about Khuda Hafiz vs Allah Hafiz. This trend in religious-political Arabisation of Urdu seems to be occurring in the American Pakistani diaspora community as well. – Scott Meadows
Bouquets from Bangladesh
I can't resist sending a reply regarding your inspirational writing about the Bangladesh Cricket team (“Bangladesh vs India could just be the next big Asian cricket rivalry”). Thanks for your nice write-up. – Zaman Shovon
***
Thanks for a wonderful article. I couldn't believe an Indian cricket fan could put in such a constructive review about our cricket. Honestly, based on the previous Facebook and YouTube comments about how Indians think about us, I was a bit sceptical when I had first clicked on to the headline. Would this be another blind Indian cricket fan trash talking?
I really appreciate how this article portrayed an Indian's love for cricket and their country and also appreciating good cricket as well. We would love to become rivals only on the pitch. Welcome to Bangladesh as a good neighbour. – Shihab Talukder
***
Thanks a lot for writing this wonderful piece of article and congratulating us. We really appreciate this.
We grew up watching the rivalry between India and Pakistan and it was always a gem to watch the two teams rip each other apart. Pakistan's pace against the Indian classy batting lineup. Sachin is and always will be one of our best cricketers ever.
It would be great to see the India-Bangladesh rivalry in international cricket on the likes of the India-Pakistan ones. It will be real eye candy for both the supporters. It will be an even greater treat because the relation between India and Bangladesh is far better than India and Pakistan.
What we all expect from Bangladesh is a little more respect. We know we still have to go a long way to compete against your team head on. But a little more respect would certainly make us more wonderful about you. And the best way you can show that by arranging more and more bilateral test and ODI series between the two teams. Hope yours and our cricket boards realise this.
Thanks once again and let's look forward the next two matches to be the same cracker like the first one. – Barki Imam
***
Your article on the Bangladesh vs India rivalry was simply put a spectacular piece of literature. Thanks for letting us know the perception you have over our team and rivalry can sometimes be a form of friendship. – Tahmid Hossain
Portraying Jats as devils
After a long time, I read a proper journalistic piece on the true picture of Jats (“Why BJP and the rural distress are to blame for the violence of Jats”). Every journalist has portrayed Jats as devils and other castes as victims. Jats and Muslim are two sects of society who don't get social support from other Hindu castes like Gurjars, Rajputs, Marathas, Brahmins and Yadavs (Muslims are supported only by Mulayam Singh Yadav). To gain prosperity they always need to work hard because of less social support and they are always portrayed in a negative light.
A Jat-Muslim alliance is very much necessary for the development and prosperity of western Uttar Pradesh and every party is afraid that if Jats and Muslims align together, the survival of the Hindutva line is impossible. Jats have always been secular and that's why they are hated by other castes. However, the problem is that they couldn't pass that secularism on to their children and forgot the legacy of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Charan Singh, Mahender Singh Tikait, and the likes.
There are only two ways to survive the snake and ladder democracy – unite and force the government to work or fight with each other and ask "rehem ki bheek" from the government. – Ankit Kumar
Striking students
I am a member of GRAFTII's Delhi chapter and have also been teaching at the AJ Kidwai MCRC as a professor in the Department of Film Production. Incidentally, I was also a member of the three member Parliamentary Committee chaired by Girish Kasarvalli, which had recommended that both the FTII & the SRFTII should be accepted as Centres of Excellence in the years to come.
In view of these facts, I would request the student body should not go on a typical strike which has happened in the earlier years, as this would further delay your graduation from the campus and may jeopardise your careers (“FTII students boycott classes to protest appointment of new chairperson, BJP man Gajendra Chauhan”). Corporate India is the major sponsor of many of our entertainment programmes and hence we do need them. Please do not get myopic at this stage.
It is, therefore, time to adopt other forms of protest rather than closing down the FTII and giving a break to government employees. The protest should have happened when non-filmmakers are brought in as FTII directors irrespective of what service they come from. – Prof B Diwaker
Helpful homeopathy
Homeopathy is based on the Law of Similars, yet blinded cross-over specificity studies confirming this dictum are not provided (“After being rubbished by recent Australian study, beleaguered homeopaths look for credibility”). Some products marked as being homeopathy contain detectable levels of a pharmaceutical drug that is not disclosed on the product label or even admitted by the manufacturer.
In spite of these reservations, clinical improvements do occur following the administration of homeopathic products. Essentially, the alcoholic tinctures activate a kinetic activity of water, than can extend to added water. They appear to do so via the transfer of an environmental energy termed KELEA (kinetic energy limiting electrostatic attraction). The KELEA activated water can enhance the body’s alternative cellular energy pathway. – W John Martin
Right of way
One I came across a youngster riding a motorbike at Babulnath in the opposite direction of a one-way street. (“Another drunk-driving accident: Why do Indians think that the laws are for someone else?”) He looked strong and one who has been visiting the gym regularly. I asked him why we was riding it in opposite direction in a one way street, he said that the road is one way but in the direction of one way was changed recently. I asked him since when and how did he know? He answered "My father is a police Inspector". His bike had police painted in red!
There is plenty to tell. – Sudhir Badami
Syntactical errors
I have been a follower and reader of Scroll since the day of its inception. Scroll has been a breath of fresh air and I have been taken in by the diversity of your features/stories which no publication in India, I think, can match. In fact, I have saved many stories for future read too.
Lately though, I have found grammatical and syntactical errors creeping into your stories. Having been in the media for over three decades, I have stopped reading the dailies, irritated by their language and grammatical errors.
It seems the same has started to happen with Scroll too. Before you lose one of your regular reader, I expect you to wake up. – Hiren Bose
Meaty matters
It is one of the many humourless ironies in our country that a person with a Brahmin last name pontificates freely on why meat-eating is considered a deviant social and cultural practice in India (“Why do we insist on calling India a vegetarian country when two-thirds of us eat meat?”). It is an instance of blatant expediency and elision that he simply mentions the following line, “Historians have shown that the people of ancient India, beginning with the Brahmins, ate many kinds of meat, including that of cattle.”
I would like to ask Mukul Dube that given his reliance on the work of historians, why does he fail to mention the reasons why vegetarianism became a norm, and eating meat an act of deviance? Such a selective statement of facts smacks of intellectual cowardice and dishonesty on his part.
To simply point out the imbecilic binary between 'veg' and 'non-veg' as being unique to India without going into historical reasons for the same is a clear, calculated effort to reduce the humongous significance of the debate to a cretinic one. Dube may be flippant enough to use a clause like 'never mind all the ersatz Vedic humbug that flies around in Bharat', but is he so ignorant or disingenuous as to neglect the centuries of oppression that have been carried out in the name and fear of such baloney? – Bishaldeb Halder
***
If the rationale for India not being vegetarian, and rightly so, is that majority are meat-eaters, then why is India a Hindu Rashtra or Dharma Samrajya, because Hindus form the majority of India? I support the first, hence I question the naysayers go Hindu Rashtra or Dharma Samrajya. The rational should not be used selectively but universally. – Ravindra Koul
***
First of all, killing animals for meat is cruel, unnecessary and barbaric. Just because 95% of the world does it does not make it right. About 99% of the world thought slavery was okay and made it legal; rape used to be okay… the list goes on depending on where you land on the globe. – Maha Raman
***
In Mukul Dube’s article, the basis of Indian belief must be emphasised: why kill for food? – Om Sehgal
Spreading lies
Please stop spreading lies about Ayurveda without research to fill your stomach, you are doing great disservice to humanity by spreading such lies (“Maggi controversy: Millions of Indians face danger of lead poisoning ‒ from Ayurveda”). – Sumit Nanda
No going back
I studied in the pre-Islamic Europe (“Germany's Pegida anti-Islamisation group says it has a new hero: Narendra Modi”). Except for France – because of its African territories – the rest of Europe had a few scattered Islamic families. 'Gest arbeiter' was a shortcut method of getting cheap labour. The Turks who flowed in were now regular citizens. But what the native Germans did not realise is the deep commitment of every Muslim to his faith.
But, wait a minute, wasn't Turkey a secular country? Politically, administratively – yes, but Islam of the non-theocratic style flourished, especially in the backward interiors. And, did these Turks integrate into German society? Some did but the majority had to fall back on their roots, as one way of retaining their identity.
There was a millennium gap in civilisations. Turkey, for all its European claims, is Asian, only a tenth of the country being trans-Bosphorus. Thus, like all resettled people, Turks and other minorities could not break down the iron wall of Germanic exclusiveness.
It is also relevant to note that it was not the westernised, sophisticated Turk who emigrated. All over the world, immigrants are marginalised, disempowered; after all if one was doing well in one's own land, why should you leave it in the first place?
Britain made the same mistake: reasoning that Indians, Pakistanis and Srilankans – all former colonials – would adjust to the land of cockneys and stiff upper lips. There's no going back now, not in Britain, not in Germany. – N Balachandran
Eggs Kejriwal
Eggs Kejriwal was invented by Deviprasad Kejriwal (my father) and not by Alok Kejriwal (“Election menu: Eggs Kejriwal in Mumbai, Congress peanuts in Bangalore”). My father was a regular visitor at the Willingdon Sports Club Mumbai and he used to have this dish there daily.
Thus, this dish was named as Eggs Kejriwal in the 1960s. – Anjan Kejriwal
Timeless Myanmar
Yes, these picture cards of Burma are beautiful (“How an Indian played a crucial part in preserving Burma’s history for posterity”). We visited Myanmar not too long ago and I would say it still looks like it did back in those days. – Rajagopal Ramachandra
Love and hate
It is nice that Aareha Johari visited our country, Pakistan. I appreciate the positive feelings about Pakistan and its people (“Ordinary Pakistanis seem to love Indians. Do we love them back?”). In fact, if one tries to understand, it’s not just Indians being welcomed but a welcome extended to everybody who travels here.
Pakistanis are loving in nature and give maximum respect to all of their guests, no matter where they belong, but when it comes to India, there are many things in common, especially language, which gives an element of comfort.
With India, despite all the negativity, people have a different relation. It’s a relation of love and hate. When relations at the state level boil, people do feel the heat, but after it scales down it assumes its natural course. I myself have seen people in Lahore welcome Sikh pilgrims.
I wish, at some point of time, the government of India realises that creating hype will in no way solve the problems; disputes can only be resolved through negotiations in a peaceful manner like other civilized nations of the world.
Despite all drawbacks. Pakistan stands at a far better position than 1971. Pakistanis, without a doubt, want peace with India, but at an equal level. – Sultan Durrani
Beyond reform
I have a very simple reason why I don’t agree that Air India is not the worst airline (“Despite lizards in meals and faulty ACs, Air India is not India's worst airline”). Does it look sensible and rational that despite lizards in meals and faulty ACs, Air India is not India's worst airline? Where is the catch then?
Let's get more penetrating data. The highest percentage of travellers on Air India is government officials. They may not complain as it is the national carrier and they do not wish to be in the bad books or they know for sure that their complaints are not going to have any effect or impact.
Whereas, filing a complaint for a private carrier feels more result-oriented, or there is a bright chance for corrective measure. Let's not be driven by naked data and its misleading inference. Why not look at complaints resolved or follow-up measures?
The 'maharaja' airline is beyond any reform. It can survive if privatised. May it survive and do exemplary service. – Pradeep Bhandari
Yogic advice
Why can’t you see yoga – which is not a religious activity – getting centre stage when we see mass namaz (prayers) on the streets of India every year, at least twice? Grow up (“India has too many trivial world records. Let's not add yoga to that list”). – Rahul RJ
National shame
The One Rank One Pension story is well written, but believe me, no politician, bureaucrat and only a handful of people in our country will read it (“Why the One Rank One Pension scheme is so terribly important for the Indian military”). A country that does not know how to respect its armed forces is doomed to perish one day. Our country, unfortunately, is heading in that direction.
For the first time in my living memory, the politicians and bureaucrats have forced the veterans of many wars, that the honourable defence minister is unaware of, on the streets of Delhi and 50-odd cities of the country. What could be a bigger shame for the country?
While politicians and bureaucrats are antagonistic towards the armed forces, the country also lacks empathy, except during periods of war or a catastrophic national disaster. Anyway, this is a good article and I hope our politicians, bureaucrats and the country men/women spare a thought for the men of arms. – Brig Ranbir Sethi
***
How pathetic the situation is, the head of our nation is not trustworthy and beheads the hopes of own guards. – Vijay N
No coup
My father, who was in the army, used to say military dictatorship could never happen in India for two reasons (“Why there has never been a military dictatorship in India”):
1. There was no unified command to get all three arms of the military onto the same side of street.
2. The ethnic, cultural, linguistic diversity of the regiments that comprised at least the army was so great that organising a coup would be like trying to get the militaries of ten different countries on four different continents together. (Of course, the UN does it, but not with a coup in mind) – NJ Cama
Patriotic posturing
I congratulate you for your article and the positive view of the Indian Army to keep peace and build the nation, as well as helpers in times of emergencies and calamities (“Flawed arithmetic, flawed respect: Parrikar doesn't seem to understand what an army is for”).
I, however, feel that there would be compulsions on the part of the system. If you buy billions worth of weaponry and not try it out, you feel a bit out of practice! The system is geared to engage not in peace, but in war. Unless the benefits of peace are seen worth investing in, unless the research is oriented to polyvalent products, unless the energy of the army is put to good use in peace time, then peace will not win over the mindset of war.
There is need to believe in diplomacy and good neighbourliness over jingoism, one-upmanship and posturing in the name of patriotism. Yes, may the message of peace triumph. Thanks for the perspective you sowed. - Thomas A
No reservations
With the 'quota' policy, which brilliant engineer will get jobs in India? This is why we are backward in technology, as all the brilliant minds have gone outside the country where talent is recognised (“Dear Smriti Irani, stop giving my money to IITians”). – Madhu A
***
I appreciate the immense sense, guts and responsibility to publish such a relevant and sensitive issue we are facing. Thanks for the thoughts and addressing the voices of millions of Indians. – Sam Thomas Valiyakala
Those IIT women
I liked the article about IIT women graduates from the '90s are (“What happened to the women who graduated from IITs in the '90s?”). I am a metallurgical engineer graduate from Bengal Engineering College (one of the oldest engineering college of India) in 1986. I subsequently pursued my PhD from Applied Mechanics department of IIT Delhi in 1993.
I strongly felt that the golden time for a career lasts for the first 15-20 years from the date of joining any organisation when an employee is of 25-45 years of age. It is the time when the people get married and go the family way. Biologically, a mother becomes emotionally attached to her children and that’s why normally they do not take any chance with their loved ones.
This is not true at all with their male counterparts. They take care of their little ones when they have free time. Women subject themselves to emotions and not to the cause/responsibility. We want to balance, they want to rise. This is the reason most of us reach middle-level and not the highest level. – Dr Sova Bhattacharya
***
"Quartz spoke to more than a dozen women who graduated from the IITs and other top engineering colleges..." turned out to be a highly misleading statement. No "other top engineering colleges" but the IITs were covered and all the graduates interviewed were from IIT Delhi, totally ignoring the other institutes. Further, how representative can a handful of students from a single IIT be of all the girl grads from the various IITs? Finally, the article offers no new perspective on the gender barriers, both external and internalised. No probe, this, but just a skimming. – Usha Subramanian
Yoga is Hindu
The main reason for yoga is to know your higher self, your higher consciousness or sat-chit-anand. Abrahamic faiths don't have such idea that God resides in us. (“If Muslim groups are opposing Surya Namaskar, the government is partly to blame”.) According to them, God is infinitely removed from the cosmos, hence not accessible to the common man. This is why God has to send prophets through which he reveals himself.
Since their idea of God is in conflict with ours, it doesn't mean we should delink yoga from its roots and say that it is not Hindu. Yoga is Hindu and it can be practiced by anyone. – Tanmay Patil
DANIPS is not IPS
DANIPS is not the Indian Police Service, it's equivalent to the one who clears states’ Public Service Commission. It's ranked as Junior grade 2, since UPSC is also responsible to select the personnel of Union Territory as the State Public Service Commission do in states (“Before Sanjukta Parashar, there was another gritty female cop from Assam”).
IPS is one among three all-India services that exist in India. And DNAIPS is a like Union Territory service.
IPS is a highly preferred service among the civil service aspirants. So, in order be an IPS officer, one needs to be clear within 250 rank of civil service. Whereas, the last rank holders in DNAIPS are kept for this service.
So, please don't put IPS and DANIPS on the same level. – Manash
Get out, government
Firstly, why should the government run the FTII? (“Don’t ignore the FTII protest – the film school’s problems run deeper than Gajendra Chauhan”). The film industry is one of the most prosperous industries and needs no crutches. Secondly, any government-run institution always draws fire from every side. It simply cannot meet the expectations of everyone. Last but not least, spend this money on primary schooling in rural India. – Ravee NK
***
We really appreciate articles you all published about the ongoing protest at FTII and we would like to thank you for your support.
But in your article it is mentioned that "the protests against television actor Gajendra Chauhan’s appointment as the chairperson". We want to clarify that we have got nothing against him being a "television" actor and it is actually about his overall body of work.
And we would request you to take note of this while putting up the protest-related articles. – FTII Student Body
Scroll app
I'm a regular Scroll reader. I love the range and quality of writing. I was wondering, do you have plans to launch a Windows app any time soon? – Abhinav Krishna
***
I am an MBA student and have been mightily impressed by your app. The headers providing access to succinct summaries of a variety of news are awesome. – Mayank Kalia
No comparison
Chetan Bhagat doesn't stand anywhere near Amish (“Will Amish’s ‘Ikshvaku’ overtake Chetan Bhagat’s ‘Half Girlfriend’?”). I don’t understand why the Indian readers are still ready for what Bhagat has to offer. Amish is at a different platform altogether. I don't know why they are even being compared. – Parul Kapoor
Modi, dada
I am a big fan of cricket, When I started watching cricket in 1990, it had become a fever for every Indian youngster. (“How Lalit Modi methodically created Indian cricket’s biggest brand.”) In 2000, Sourav Ganguly ruled Indian cricket. Then Sachin Tendulkar and Dada made cricket a religion for every Indian. Then came all the controversies and Dada was thrown out of the Indian team due to politics. Then came the IPL we could see Sachin and Sourav back in action as cricket icons thank to Lalit Modi.
Then came N Srinivasan who pulled Modi out and sat on the hot chair and made MS Dhoni the whole and sole of Indian cricket. But for all the true cricket lovers, Dada, Sachin, Sehwag, Yuvraj, Harbhajan, Dravid and Lalit Modi are the ones who made Indian cricket successful and gave their hearts for India.
Dhoni is eating the fruits of the hard work of so many legends. So please do not forget what Dada and Modi did for Indian cricket. – Francis Fernan
We welcome your comments at
letters@scroll.in.
First of all, the word "Ramadan" isn't even pronounced with a "d" in Arabic (“Why are Indian Muslims using the Arabic word ‘Ramadan’ instead of the traditional 'Ramzan'?”). The closest would be the way you pronounce "the". The sound that "th" makes is most appropriate. So "Rama-th-an".
Another thing I would like to tell you is the origin of the word "Allah", it's a Hebrew word and has nothing to do with Arabic. Even the word for "Satan" isn't Arabic. It's of Ethiopian origin. – Mustafa Mukaddam
***
I would just like to bring to your notice a small, bit very significant thing that I noticed. Whenever, we say our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) we always use the words ‘peace be upon him’. The same applies to all the prophets. You can simply use ‘P.B.U.H’.
However, I would recommend that you once check with people who might have more knowledge about this than me. Please take this message as a sincere opinion from someone who likes to read what you all write. – Salman A Khan
***
Beautiful article on linguistic and cultural nuances in Indian Islam. I, too, hated the artificial “Allah hafiz,” that I encountered everywhere in Pakistan. The centuries old Persian influence on India is a far more civilised one than the Wahhabism that is all-pervasive in the Philistine Gulf states. – Vibhuti Patel
***
I never lived in India, and when I was in Pakistan, we said Ramzan. When I'm speaking to someone in Urdu, I will say Ramzan. But for the past 15 years I've been interacting with many Muslims from many different backgrounds. I taught in an Islamic school my first year here in Dallas where children were learning Arabic, so when I speak English I say Ramadan.
I don't seem to understand the brouhaha over saying it one way or another. I do kind of feel like you should say the word in its original form if you can. Just like I wouldn't want anyone to say my name differently then I think it should be pronounced. The origin of the name of the month is actually Arabic, so what's the big deal if you use its original form? It's like saying Mumbai instead of Bombay.
Really, we have a lot more important things to be offended by. – Sharmina Zaidi
***
You've made some good points in your article, but I believe you've ended it grossly wrong.
I don't believe there is a need to relook or rethink about our cultural identity. There are fragments of our cultural heritage that are far more engrained than the "z" and "d". There is a cultural exchange taking place within Muslims in North India. As the North Indian diaspora has begun to swell up in the Middle East, people have come in touch with aspects of religious teachings that were previously limited to those in the south who received the religion through the sea.
Now, hold your horses before branding me a "Wahabi". I am sure you understand the religion and you will appreciate that a lot that Islam preaches is against what was prevalent in post-Muhammadan society of Hijaz (parts of mordern day Saudi Arabia), the Makkans were resistant to change because of cultural bonding. Those who migrated with the Prophet to Madina were people who looked beyond the "cultural identity" and were ready to mould their life based on what was being taught.
Change and learning is essential to Islam and a lot of people should try and mould themselves as and when they understand the religion. Ramadan vs Ramzan debate is futile, but to link it to cultural identity isn't right. – Talha Siddiqui
***
A very good article. Thank you. I have seen this discussion played out among university students in the US in Urdu class, specifically about Khuda Hafiz vs Allah Hafiz. This trend in religious-political Arabisation of Urdu seems to be occurring in the American Pakistani diaspora community as well. – Scott Meadows
Bouquets from Bangladesh
I can't resist sending a reply regarding your inspirational writing about the Bangladesh Cricket team (“Bangladesh vs India could just be the next big Asian cricket rivalry”). Thanks for your nice write-up. – Zaman Shovon
***
Thanks for a wonderful article. I couldn't believe an Indian cricket fan could put in such a constructive review about our cricket. Honestly, based on the previous Facebook and YouTube comments about how Indians think about us, I was a bit sceptical when I had first clicked on to the headline. Would this be another blind Indian cricket fan trash talking?
I really appreciate how this article portrayed an Indian's love for cricket and their country and also appreciating good cricket as well. We would love to become rivals only on the pitch. Welcome to Bangladesh as a good neighbour. – Shihab Talukder
***
Thanks a lot for writing this wonderful piece of article and congratulating us. We really appreciate this.
We grew up watching the rivalry between India and Pakistan and it was always a gem to watch the two teams rip each other apart. Pakistan's pace against the Indian classy batting lineup. Sachin is and always will be one of our best cricketers ever.
It would be great to see the India-Bangladesh rivalry in international cricket on the likes of the India-Pakistan ones. It will be real eye candy for both the supporters. It will be an even greater treat because the relation between India and Bangladesh is far better than India and Pakistan.
What we all expect from Bangladesh is a little more respect. We know we still have to go a long way to compete against your team head on. But a little more respect would certainly make us more wonderful about you. And the best way you can show that by arranging more and more bilateral test and ODI series between the two teams. Hope yours and our cricket boards realise this.
Thanks once again and let's look forward the next two matches to be the same cracker like the first one. – Barki Imam
***
Your article on the Bangladesh vs India rivalry was simply put a spectacular piece of literature. Thanks for letting us know the perception you have over our team and rivalry can sometimes be a form of friendship. – Tahmid Hossain
Portraying Jats as devils
After a long time, I read a proper journalistic piece on the true picture of Jats (“Why BJP and the rural distress are to blame for the violence of Jats”). Every journalist has portrayed Jats as devils and other castes as victims. Jats and Muslim are two sects of society who don't get social support from other Hindu castes like Gurjars, Rajputs, Marathas, Brahmins and Yadavs (Muslims are supported only by Mulayam Singh Yadav). To gain prosperity they always need to work hard because of less social support and they are always portrayed in a negative light.
A Jat-Muslim alliance is very much necessary for the development and prosperity of western Uttar Pradesh and every party is afraid that if Jats and Muslims align together, the survival of the Hindutva line is impossible. Jats have always been secular and that's why they are hated by other castes. However, the problem is that they couldn't pass that secularism on to their children and forgot the legacy of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Charan Singh, Mahender Singh Tikait, and the likes.
There are only two ways to survive the snake and ladder democracy – unite and force the government to work or fight with each other and ask "rehem ki bheek" from the government. – Ankit Kumar
Striking students
I am a member of GRAFTII's Delhi chapter and have also been teaching at the AJ Kidwai MCRC as a professor in the Department of Film Production. Incidentally, I was also a member of the three member Parliamentary Committee chaired by Girish Kasarvalli, which had recommended that both the FTII & the SRFTII should be accepted as Centres of Excellence in the years to come.
In view of these facts, I would request the student body should not go on a typical strike which has happened in the earlier years, as this would further delay your graduation from the campus and may jeopardise your careers (“FTII students boycott classes to protest appointment of new chairperson, BJP man Gajendra Chauhan”). Corporate India is the major sponsor of many of our entertainment programmes and hence we do need them. Please do not get myopic at this stage.
It is, therefore, time to adopt other forms of protest rather than closing down the FTII and giving a break to government employees. The protest should have happened when non-filmmakers are brought in as FTII directors irrespective of what service they come from. – Prof B Diwaker
Helpful homeopathy
Homeopathy is based on the Law of Similars, yet blinded cross-over specificity studies confirming this dictum are not provided (“After being rubbished by recent Australian study, beleaguered homeopaths look for credibility”). Some products marked as being homeopathy contain detectable levels of a pharmaceutical drug that is not disclosed on the product label or even admitted by the manufacturer.
In spite of these reservations, clinical improvements do occur following the administration of homeopathic products. Essentially, the alcoholic tinctures activate a kinetic activity of water, than can extend to added water. They appear to do so via the transfer of an environmental energy termed KELEA (kinetic energy limiting electrostatic attraction). The KELEA activated water can enhance the body’s alternative cellular energy pathway. – W John Martin
Right of way
One I came across a youngster riding a motorbike at Babulnath in the opposite direction of a one-way street. (“Another drunk-driving accident: Why do Indians think that the laws are for someone else?”) He looked strong and one who has been visiting the gym regularly. I asked him why we was riding it in opposite direction in a one way street, he said that the road is one way but in the direction of one way was changed recently. I asked him since when and how did he know? He answered "My father is a police Inspector". His bike had police painted in red!
There is plenty to tell. – Sudhir Badami
Syntactical errors
I have been a follower and reader of Scroll since the day of its inception. Scroll has been a breath of fresh air and I have been taken in by the diversity of your features/stories which no publication in India, I think, can match. In fact, I have saved many stories for future read too.
Lately though, I have found grammatical and syntactical errors creeping into your stories. Having been in the media for over three decades, I have stopped reading the dailies, irritated by their language and grammatical errors.
It seems the same has started to happen with Scroll too. Before you lose one of your regular reader, I expect you to wake up. – Hiren Bose
Meaty matters
It is one of the many humourless ironies in our country that a person with a Brahmin last name pontificates freely on why meat-eating is considered a deviant social and cultural practice in India (“Why do we insist on calling India a vegetarian country when two-thirds of us eat meat?”). It is an instance of blatant expediency and elision that he simply mentions the following line, “Historians have shown that the people of ancient India, beginning with the Brahmins, ate many kinds of meat, including that of cattle.”
I would like to ask Mukul Dube that given his reliance on the work of historians, why does he fail to mention the reasons why vegetarianism became a norm, and eating meat an act of deviance? Such a selective statement of facts smacks of intellectual cowardice and dishonesty on his part.
To simply point out the imbecilic binary between 'veg' and 'non-veg' as being unique to India without going into historical reasons for the same is a clear, calculated effort to reduce the humongous significance of the debate to a cretinic one. Dube may be flippant enough to use a clause like 'never mind all the ersatz Vedic humbug that flies around in Bharat', but is he so ignorant or disingenuous as to neglect the centuries of oppression that have been carried out in the name and fear of such baloney? – Bishaldeb Halder
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If the rationale for India not being vegetarian, and rightly so, is that majority are meat-eaters, then why is India a Hindu Rashtra or Dharma Samrajya, because Hindus form the majority of India? I support the first, hence I question the naysayers go Hindu Rashtra or Dharma Samrajya. The rational should not be used selectively but universally. – Ravindra Koul
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First of all, killing animals for meat is cruel, unnecessary and barbaric. Just because 95% of the world does it does not make it right. About 99% of the world thought slavery was okay and made it legal; rape used to be okay… the list goes on depending on where you land on the globe. – Maha Raman
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In Mukul Dube’s article, the basis of Indian belief must be emphasised: why kill for food? – Om Sehgal
Spreading lies
Please stop spreading lies about Ayurveda without research to fill your stomach, you are doing great disservice to humanity by spreading such lies (“Maggi controversy: Millions of Indians face danger of lead poisoning ‒ from Ayurveda”). – Sumit Nanda
No going back
I studied in the pre-Islamic Europe (“Germany's Pegida anti-Islamisation group says it has a new hero: Narendra Modi”). Except for France – because of its African territories – the rest of Europe had a few scattered Islamic families. 'Gest arbeiter' was a shortcut method of getting cheap labour. The Turks who flowed in were now regular citizens. But what the native Germans did not realise is the deep commitment of every Muslim to his faith.
But, wait a minute, wasn't Turkey a secular country? Politically, administratively – yes, but Islam of the non-theocratic style flourished, especially in the backward interiors. And, did these Turks integrate into German society? Some did but the majority had to fall back on their roots, as one way of retaining their identity.
There was a millennium gap in civilisations. Turkey, for all its European claims, is Asian, only a tenth of the country being trans-Bosphorus. Thus, like all resettled people, Turks and other minorities could not break down the iron wall of Germanic exclusiveness.
It is also relevant to note that it was not the westernised, sophisticated Turk who emigrated. All over the world, immigrants are marginalised, disempowered; after all if one was doing well in one's own land, why should you leave it in the first place?
Britain made the same mistake: reasoning that Indians, Pakistanis and Srilankans – all former colonials – would adjust to the land of cockneys and stiff upper lips. There's no going back now, not in Britain, not in Germany. – N Balachandran
Eggs Kejriwal
Eggs Kejriwal was invented by Deviprasad Kejriwal (my father) and not by Alok Kejriwal (“Election menu: Eggs Kejriwal in Mumbai, Congress peanuts in Bangalore”). My father was a regular visitor at the Willingdon Sports Club Mumbai and he used to have this dish there daily.
Thus, this dish was named as Eggs Kejriwal in the 1960s. – Anjan Kejriwal
Timeless Myanmar
Yes, these picture cards of Burma are beautiful (“How an Indian played a crucial part in preserving Burma’s history for posterity”). We visited Myanmar not too long ago and I would say it still looks like it did back in those days. – Rajagopal Ramachandra
Love and hate
It is nice that Aareha Johari visited our country, Pakistan. I appreciate the positive feelings about Pakistan and its people (“Ordinary Pakistanis seem to love Indians. Do we love them back?”). In fact, if one tries to understand, it’s not just Indians being welcomed but a welcome extended to everybody who travels here.
Pakistanis are loving in nature and give maximum respect to all of their guests, no matter where they belong, but when it comes to India, there are many things in common, especially language, which gives an element of comfort.
With India, despite all the negativity, people have a different relation. It’s a relation of love and hate. When relations at the state level boil, people do feel the heat, but after it scales down it assumes its natural course. I myself have seen people in Lahore welcome Sikh pilgrims.
I wish, at some point of time, the government of India realises that creating hype will in no way solve the problems; disputes can only be resolved through negotiations in a peaceful manner like other civilized nations of the world.
Despite all drawbacks. Pakistan stands at a far better position than 1971. Pakistanis, without a doubt, want peace with India, but at an equal level. – Sultan Durrani
Beyond reform
I have a very simple reason why I don’t agree that Air India is not the worst airline (“Despite lizards in meals and faulty ACs, Air India is not India's worst airline”). Does it look sensible and rational that despite lizards in meals and faulty ACs, Air India is not India's worst airline? Where is the catch then?
Let's get more penetrating data. The highest percentage of travellers on Air India is government officials. They may not complain as it is the national carrier and they do not wish to be in the bad books or they know for sure that their complaints are not going to have any effect or impact.
Whereas, filing a complaint for a private carrier feels more result-oriented, or there is a bright chance for corrective measure. Let's not be driven by naked data and its misleading inference. Why not look at complaints resolved or follow-up measures?
The 'maharaja' airline is beyond any reform. It can survive if privatised. May it survive and do exemplary service. – Pradeep Bhandari
Yogic advice
Why can’t you see yoga – which is not a religious activity – getting centre stage when we see mass namaz (prayers) on the streets of India every year, at least twice? Grow up (“India has too many trivial world records. Let's not add yoga to that list”). – Rahul RJ
National shame
The One Rank One Pension story is well written, but believe me, no politician, bureaucrat and only a handful of people in our country will read it (“Why the One Rank One Pension scheme is so terribly important for the Indian military”). A country that does not know how to respect its armed forces is doomed to perish one day. Our country, unfortunately, is heading in that direction.
For the first time in my living memory, the politicians and bureaucrats have forced the veterans of many wars, that the honourable defence minister is unaware of, on the streets of Delhi and 50-odd cities of the country. What could be a bigger shame for the country?
While politicians and bureaucrats are antagonistic towards the armed forces, the country also lacks empathy, except during periods of war or a catastrophic national disaster. Anyway, this is a good article and I hope our politicians, bureaucrats and the country men/women spare a thought for the men of arms. – Brig Ranbir Sethi
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How pathetic the situation is, the head of our nation is not trustworthy and beheads the hopes of own guards. – Vijay N
No coup
My father, who was in the army, used to say military dictatorship could never happen in India for two reasons (“Why there has never been a military dictatorship in India”):
1. There was no unified command to get all three arms of the military onto the same side of street.
2. The ethnic, cultural, linguistic diversity of the regiments that comprised at least the army was so great that organising a coup would be like trying to get the militaries of ten different countries on four different continents together. (Of course, the UN does it, but not with a coup in mind) – NJ Cama
Patriotic posturing
I congratulate you for your article and the positive view of the Indian Army to keep peace and build the nation, as well as helpers in times of emergencies and calamities (“Flawed arithmetic, flawed respect: Parrikar doesn't seem to understand what an army is for”).
I, however, feel that there would be compulsions on the part of the system. If you buy billions worth of weaponry and not try it out, you feel a bit out of practice! The system is geared to engage not in peace, but in war. Unless the benefits of peace are seen worth investing in, unless the research is oriented to polyvalent products, unless the energy of the army is put to good use in peace time, then peace will not win over the mindset of war.
There is need to believe in diplomacy and good neighbourliness over jingoism, one-upmanship and posturing in the name of patriotism. Yes, may the message of peace triumph. Thanks for the perspective you sowed. - Thomas A
No reservations
With the 'quota' policy, which brilliant engineer will get jobs in India? This is why we are backward in technology, as all the brilliant minds have gone outside the country where talent is recognised (“Dear Smriti Irani, stop giving my money to IITians”). – Madhu A
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I appreciate the immense sense, guts and responsibility to publish such a relevant and sensitive issue we are facing. Thanks for the thoughts and addressing the voices of millions of Indians. – Sam Thomas Valiyakala
Those IIT women
I liked the article about IIT women graduates from the '90s are (“What happened to the women who graduated from IITs in the '90s?”). I am a metallurgical engineer graduate from Bengal Engineering College (one of the oldest engineering college of India) in 1986. I subsequently pursued my PhD from Applied Mechanics department of IIT Delhi in 1993.
I strongly felt that the golden time for a career lasts for the first 15-20 years from the date of joining any organisation when an employee is of 25-45 years of age. It is the time when the people get married and go the family way. Biologically, a mother becomes emotionally attached to her children and that’s why normally they do not take any chance with their loved ones.
This is not true at all with their male counterparts. They take care of their little ones when they have free time. Women subject themselves to emotions and not to the cause/responsibility. We want to balance, they want to rise. This is the reason most of us reach middle-level and not the highest level. – Dr Sova Bhattacharya
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"Quartz spoke to more than a dozen women who graduated from the IITs and other top engineering colleges..." turned out to be a highly misleading statement. No "other top engineering colleges" but the IITs were covered and all the graduates interviewed were from IIT Delhi, totally ignoring the other institutes. Further, how representative can a handful of students from a single IIT be of all the girl grads from the various IITs? Finally, the article offers no new perspective on the gender barriers, both external and internalised. No probe, this, but just a skimming. – Usha Subramanian
Yoga is Hindu
The main reason for yoga is to know your higher self, your higher consciousness or sat-chit-anand. Abrahamic faiths don't have such idea that God resides in us. (“If Muslim groups are opposing Surya Namaskar, the government is partly to blame”.) According to them, God is infinitely removed from the cosmos, hence not accessible to the common man. This is why God has to send prophets through which he reveals himself.
Since their idea of God is in conflict with ours, it doesn't mean we should delink yoga from its roots and say that it is not Hindu. Yoga is Hindu and it can be practiced by anyone. – Tanmay Patil
DANIPS is not IPS
DANIPS is not the Indian Police Service, it's equivalent to the one who clears states’ Public Service Commission. It's ranked as Junior grade 2, since UPSC is also responsible to select the personnel of Union Territory as the State Public Service Commission do in states (“Before Sanjukta Parashar, there was another gritty female cop from Assam”).
IPS is one among three all-India services that exist in India. And DNAIPS is a like Union Territory service.
IPS is a highly preferred service among the civil service aspirants. So, in order be an IPS officer, one needs to be clear within 250 rank of civil service. Whereas, the last rank holders in DNAIPS are kept for this service.
So, please don't put IPS and DANIPS on the same level. – Manash
Get out, government
Firstly, why should the government run the FTII? (“Don’t ignore the FTII protest – the film school’s problems run deeper than Gajendra Chauhan”). The film industry is one of the most prosperous industries and needs no crutches. Secondly, any government-run institution always draws fire from every side. It simply cannot meet the expectations of everyone. Last but not least, spend this money on primary schooling in rural India. – Ravee NK
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We really appreciate articles you all published about the ongoing protest at FTII and we would like to thank you for your support.
But in your article it is mentioned that "the protests against television actor Gajendra Chauhan’s appointment as the chairperson". We want to clarify that we have got nothing against him being a "television" actor and it is actually about his overall body of work.
And we would request you to take note of this while putting up the protest-related articles. – FTII Student Body
Scroll app
I'm a regular Scroll reader. I love the range and quality of writing. I was wondering, do you have plans to launch a Windows app any time soon? – Abhinav Krishna
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I am an MBA student and have been mightily impressed by your app. The headers providing access to succinct summaries of a variety of news are awesome. – Mayank Kalia
No comparison
Chetan Bhagat doesn't stand anywhere near Amish (“Will Amish’s ‘Ikshvaku’ overtake Chetan Bhagat’s ‘Half Girlfriend’?”). I don’t understand why the Indian readers are still ready for what Bhagat has to offer. Amish is at a different platform altogether. I don't know why they are even being compared. – Parul Kapoor
Modi, dada
I am a big fan of cricket, When I started watching cricket in 1990, it had become a fever for every Indian youngster. (“How Lalit Modi methodically created Indian cricket’s biggest brand.”) In 2000, Sourav Ganguly ruled Indian cricket. Then Sachin Tendulkar and Dada made cricket a religion for every Indian. Then came all the controversies and Dada was thrown out of the Indian team due to politics. Then came the IPL we could see Sachin and Sourav back in action as cricket icons thank to Lalit Modi.
Then came N Srinivasan who pulled Modi out and sat on the hot chair and made MS Dhoni the whole and sole of Indian cricket. But for all the true cricket lovers, Dada, Sachin, Sehwag, Yuvraj, Harbhajan, Dravid and Lalit Modi are the ones who made Indian cricket successful and gave their hearts for India.
Dhoni is eating the fruits of the hard work of so many legends. So please do not forget what Dada and Modi did for Indian cricket. – Francis Fernan