NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/bit/listserv/indiad/16

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India Interest Group Digest Sat, 23 Jan 93       Volume 2: Issue  82

Today's Topics:

      2001 - A Poem
      ABCD/DCBA
      Cheese Content
      Help please
      Immature Alarmism
      Info requested
      Knee Jokes
      Language Debate  [ Part 3 of 6 ]
      MCI rates
      One Grey And Balding Leper
      Optimistic about the future
      Organization or gang ??
      Radio frequencies to tune India
      Regarding Salim Imani's "when guardians stop caring"
      Responding to Mr Salim Imani
      Responses
      Some fun with unix
      Thank you, from Japan
      Volunteers Needed for On-Line Educational Project
      Wake up India-D, Bombay riots
      World Beat/World Music

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Date: 22 Jan 1993 00:13:23 -0500 (EST)
From: [e-mail] (SRINIVAS SURAPANANI)
Subject: 2001 - A Poem

The cowboy wonders on years past and years ahead
  as the day passed and night rides
  Long after Adam's eve, came the age of stone
  with apes and dinosaur, pitching darts and rolling stone

The earth was flat as the sun and the moon went round and round
  with zero coming around, Days passed and nights ride
  as stones clashed and fires lit
  with Aristotle's noble and Plato's pitch

Centuries later came the age of metal, copper and steel
  with Knights, kings and queens, sharpening arrow
  caliber and glittering sheen

The earth became round as moon and earth
  went round and round, with the sun centered around

The days passed and nights ride, as cannons thundered
  and battles fought with Newton's apple and Galelio's pitch

Recent past, decades last, came the age of plastic and nuclear
  atom and polymer, with commies and democracies
  nazis and banana republics, clouding mushrooms and bombing smart

The earth remained round, but universe went
  round and round, with big bangs and black holes

The days passed and nights ride as commies fell
  and new world order rise with Freud's libido and Einstein's relativity

2001 and beyond, will yield to molecules and materials
  silicones and rubber with space ships of chips and computer

The days pass and nights ride, as the cowboy dreams
  of years past and years ahead

                                   Srini Surapanani

               (The cowboy from the land of holy cows and magic fakirs)

------------------------------

Date: 21 Jan 1993 16:21:42 -0400 (EDT)
From: "K.Prabhakar" <PKASTURI@KENTVM>
Subject: ABCD/DCBA

We all know what ABCD means.
DCBA? This is for the Indian students who are here and
try the style - which is going "Desi Confused Behaves American"

I hope you enjoy this for its humor.

Thanks.
K.Prabhakar

------------------------------

Date: 21 Jan 1993 09:57:48 -0500 (EST)
From: [e-mail] (Shubha Ramapriyam)
Subject: Cheese Content

I am a great lover of cheese products. Recently, I was
conversing with an Americam friend of mine about vegetarian
and non-vegetarian foods. I was told by him that cheese
(used in pizza and mexican foods) contains enzymes and/or
rennet which are animal substances. I did some research on
this and found out that rennet is an animal substance, but
enzyme could be either animal or vegetable substance. Being
a pizza lover, I wish to know if mozzarella cheese used in
pizza contains any animal enzymes. Hope to see some discussion
on this topic.

Thanks,
Shubha

------------------------------

Date: 22 Jan 1993 16:12:06 +0530 (IST)
From: [e-mail] (Mr. D.V.Ramana)
Subject: Help please

Can you do me a favour please !

is there any univ running the MS or Ph.D course in
"Hospital Architecture and Health Facilities Planning"?
If so can you please send that universities e-mail addresses
and other details if possible.

Thanks
Ramana

------------------------------

Date: 21 Jan 1993 11:44:40 -0500 (EST)
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Immature Alarmism

To my friend in the UK:
                        Dear chap, I'm terribly sorry that you feel
this way about India, Britain, the West and all that sort of rot, and
I think that all this is rather the product of your living in that
beautiful launderette: Asian Britain. Do such outrageously outlandish
notions abound in England, like the West setting us up?
                        On a serious note, the self-loathing that
Asians in Britain seem to have is quite easily understood. You are
not near the centres of power in Howard's End. That is a function of
your ethnicity, for sure, but more than that, it is a function of
ethnic association. You are basically the Shudras of England, and,
old boy, YOU chose it. Be a rebel if you will, but you can't
overthrow what dominates you: welcome to reality, chaps: you live in
a caste based society, and you are the feet of the Lord!
                        That ugly fact notwithstanding, you have one
of three choices:
                    1. Prove to your host country that Indians have
skills other than causing urban blight.
                    2. Educate the proletariat.
                    3. Get out of there.

                        I would choose 3. Who needs the aggravation
and wild scary thoughts about cats on the wall? And, as far as being
manipulated by the West, Tish- Tosh!

Cheerio,
Ranjan

------------------------------

Date: 22 Jan 1993 08:32:49 -0500
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Info requested

Dear Netters,
        I have picked up much useful information from this net and I thank you
all. I have finished my MS in Industrial & Management Engineering from RPI with
a concentration in MIS. Right now I have some funding for a Ph.D. but don't
know if the support will continue. I have work experience in the State Bank of
India which I joined as a P.O. Will some kind soul enlighten me on the
followings:
(a) What is the job scene in this country? So far I have drawn a blank. If my
support runs out, I will be stranded.

(b) Whether it is possible for me to shift to some other school where there is
more of a certainty of getting financial assistance? My GMAT score was 600 and
I have a high GPA from RPI.

(c) What are the job opportunities in India? How can I apply for a job? What
sort of a job? Which companies? Does some body have any contact persons/
addresses? Please respond.

Thanking you all once again and thanking the editors of this group to provide
electronic help (and hope!).

Somendra Pant

------------------------------

Date: 21 Jan 1993 09:27:58 -0700 (MST)
From: SANDEEP KRISHNAMURTHY <[e-mail]>
Subject: Knee Jokes

Hi everybody!

I want to introduce a new series of jokes based on knees. Some of this may
be old hat to some of you. But, I am sure there are a number of people
who have not heard this stuff.

Well, here goes:
a:      Guy with no knees:      Bin-ny.
b:      Lady with no knees:     NI-NA.
c:      Guy with three knees:   Ni-tin.
d:      Guy with six knees:     Saha-ney.
(In marathi saha = 6!)
e:      Guy with nine knees:    Nitin Sahaney !!!!

I'm afraid knowledge of Hindi is a prerequisite and any concept of
translating is ludicrous.

Cheers
Sandeep

------------------------------

Date: 21 Jan 1993 10:28 -0600 (CST)
From: Deivan Durai <[e-mail]>
Subject: Language Debate  [ Part 3 of 6 ]

6.  Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and please avoid telling that one
    language is better than another.  Tamils, as would anyone, consider it
    offensive when it is implied that Tamil language is less than beautiful.

    Hindi is a fairly new language compared to Tamil.  It is my understanding
    that Hindi as it exists today did not exist a thousand years ago.  [Please
    correct me if I am wrong.]  What existed back then was a spoken language
    for which Moghuls gave a written script by incorporating Arabic and Persian
    characters.  This constituted Urdu.  It was the efforts of Sanskrit/Hindu
    scholars who appropriated Devanagiri characters to Urdu creating Hindi.
    Apparently, it was the dislike for Urdu of the non-Islamic North Indian
    community which resulted in the creation of Hindi as we know it.

    Many Tamils sense some bragging and animosity when someone tells them why
    Hindi ought to be learnt.  They feel that it is a put-down of Tamil and
    that Tamil might become a second-grade language.  It is their feeling that
    with all its richness, maturity, and age, Tamil must not be allowed to
    become devalued.  And the supreme place cannot be given to Hindi, a very
    young language.  You see, Tamil is their goddess and Tamils want their
    language to have the top spot at least in Tamil Nadu.  [I do not personally
    believe that official use of Hindi in Tamil Nadu would in any way degrade
    the Tamil language but that is not the majority opinion in Tamil Nadu.]
    There are still plenty of opportunities to learn Hindi and the state
    government does not stifle the unofficial availability of Hindi in Tamil
    Nadu.

    Hindi-interest groups act similar to rock music aficianados.  To a hard-
    core rock-music fan, it is inconceivable that any radio station plays music
    other than his/her favorite and that his/her parents purchase tapes of
    classical, country, Blue Grass, Jazz, and other music.

7.  The fact that Hindi movies are popular in Tamil Nadu deserves no argument.
    The marketplace takes care of many things and Hindi will be accepted in the
    marketplace quite nicely if Hindi interest groups avoid belligerence as one
    of their tactics.  The lack of serious interest in RSS and other Hindu
    groups in Tamil Nadu is also due to the fact that these fundamental groups
    adamantly support the imposition of Hindi and transact primarily in Hindi.

------------------------------

Date: 21 Jan 1993 14:15:48 -0500 (EST)
From: [e-mail] (Jayarama N Shenoy)
Subject: MCI rates

  MCI rates are $2.89 for calling India during 8:00 am to 5:00pm.
$1.55 is their calling rate for weekends/evenings. This is never
made clear except when you happen to have to call during daytime
for an emergency and you end up with a whopper of a bill. Then the
MCI operator tells you "That's why we encourage you to call during
the evenings.".

------------------------------

Date: 22 Jan 1993 09:35:45 +0100
From: POPOWICZ_ALISON/[e-mail]
Subject: One Grey And Balding Leper

One grey and balding leper who
looked like my next door neighbour
sitting on nobody's scrap of bazaar road
with two almost hands like unclawed paws:
round like two slippery saucers or
a moving bicycle without handlebars.

Nothing unusual in India.
As common as flies in India.
But I recognised him from two hours before.

He didn't see me approach or else his
foxhole eyes would have kitten meowed,
my blind hand pulled out a large note
and I had no reason to argue with fate,
he took it between oyster palms hoisted
chalice high and with his head bowed.

When I returned to my rickshaw
my driver was chatting to a friend
my son was munching on a banana
and the one grey and balding leper
was talking aloud to his thin paper luck:
laughing, beaming, hugging his body,
displaying it to the vendor next-door,
clearing his eyes with an unclawed paw,
laughing, beaming, like a grown up child,
until his bubbling happiness overflowed
into me and very soon paid off his debt.
(And perhaps even left me in debt to him.)

Ahmednagar;  November, 1992
By Mirek Popowicz

------------------------------


Date: 21 Jan 1993 15:02:35 -0600 (CST)
From: [e-mail] (R. Ravikrishna)
Subject: Optimistic about the future

Dear Netters,
        This is my first posting on the net. I joined the net five months
ago and all these months I remained a silent observer because there was so
much of bickering on unnecessary issues. However, recently there have been
some good postings (by Nishi Kant,Tariq etc.) which put all the aspects of
the issue in the right perspective. I would specially like to commend
Mr. Chandra Balachandra for his aesthetic and extremely thought-provoking
articles.
        All of us are aware that India is passing through a very difficult
phase. The recent happenings have caused damage both to the economy as well
as to the psyche of the people. However, this is nothing new to our country.
It has faced similar ( and sometimes even worse ) upheavals throughout the
centuries of its existence. And everytime it has emerged stronger and richer
in experience. Our motherland has enormous amount of potential and this
combined with the age-old wisdom would surely take us far. On this optimistic
note, I suggest that we discuss topics of national reconstruction and forget
about the past.    ---- JAI HIND!

Ravi

------------------------------

Date: 21 Jan 1993 23:13:32 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Anilkumar Sivakumaran)
Subject: Organization or gang ??

apropos mr.nitin's([e-mail]) defence of the shiv sena,
i must say he is labouring under a delusion if he thinks popular support
decides whether an organisation is a "gang" or not. the incidental fact
that much of bombay's population supports the shiv sena does not sanctify
it.its actions determine what it has to be called. those who stand behind
it merely earn the sobriquet of "gangsters" themselves. incidentally, the
"gang" LTTE also commands wide respect among its people. it would also win
many seats in a municipal election held in jaffna. as for the rather weak
protest that the shiv sena has not been involved, i am amused.i am sure
balasaheb thackeray can illumine our dear friend better. and surely mr.nitin
is not a greater authority on the shiv sena's activities than balasaheb
himself! or is he?

------------------------------

Date: 21 Jan 1993 10:54:23 -0800 (PST)
From: [e-mail] (Ashok Choudhry)
Subject: Radio frequencies to tune India

Couple of days ago I saw an enquiry for radio frequencies to tune India.
Here they are:

============================================================================
khz             Kw              Location        Times
============================================================================

6045            100             Delhi      0030-0040, 0125-0130, 0228-0259
6045            250             Aligarh    1330-1405
6115            100             Madras     1330-1730
6115            100             Delhi      1330-1345
7412            250             Aligarh    1445-1730
9535            100             Madras     0125-0400
9610            100             Delhi      0800--0940
9675            100             Delhi      0820-0830
11770           250             Aligarh    1130-1200, 1220-1310
11770           100             Delhi      1220-1315
11830           250             Aligarh    0130-0225, 0228-0251 ( News )
11830           100             Bombay     0830-0940
11850           100             Delhi      0830-0940
11910           250             Delhi      0350-0404
15125           100             Madras     0830-1100
15185           250             Aligarh    0130-0251
15275           250             Aligarh    1220-1245
17387           250             Aligarh    1220-1245

PS: I have a friend in Arizona (Chandler) who on regular basis is able
    tune to Delhi on his 'Radio Shack' World Band model (costs around 200
    dollars) without any fancy antennas.

------------------------------

Date: 21 Jan 1993 11:22:41 -0500 (EST)
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Regarding Salim Imani's "when guardians stop caring"

        I agree with Mr.Imani for condemning violence in Bombay. But what I
cannot (and definitely many more will agree) understand your unilateral
attack of Shivsena. Sit back and think who made Shivsena or VHP or any
other pro-Hindu Organisation ? It is a fact that none of these groups never
had a base in the past few years. But people like Bukhari,Shahabuddin made
them. Nobody even talks about the plight of Kashmiri Hindu exodus? WHY?
WHY? WHY? It is the mentality of Muslim leadership and "minorityism" of
the government for all these years that has led to this flashpoint.
ONUS IS ON THE MINORITIES. THEY CAN MAKE OR BREAK MAJORITY FUNDAMENATLISM.
IF THEY DO NOT MEND WAYS (OBVIOUSLY I AM REFERRING TO THEIR LEADERSHIP),
THERE IS NO STOPPING MAJORITY FUNDAMENTALISM.
        People like Imani should start this, (I know it is difficult,for the
fear of being outcast or branded traitor), AND IT IS NOW OR NEVER!!!

-Dr.VIDYASHANKAR P.R.

------------------------------

Date: 21 Jan 1993 14:48:36 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Anilkumar Sivakumaran)
Subject: Responding to Mr Salim Imani

Dear friend,
I am a student of astrophysics at state univ.of new york. much as i share
your anguish about recent occurrences and agree that innocent bohras have
suffered, may i remind you that sadly, muslims in general and your community
in particular are not well served by your religious leaders. In case
you are unaware, may i bring to your notice that in the communally charged
situation of our nation where we have no lack of trouble makers,your highly
respected syednaji did not make a positive contribution by dismissing the
principal and teachers in one of your community's educational institutions
for girls having worn saris and having used a hindu calendar as a stage prop
in a skit during annual school festivities. the link between the syednaji and
the criminal underworld and the fact that the bohras function as a virtual
state within a state need hardly be mentioned. as a hindu committed to
fighting the shiv sena and like minded forces with as much gusto as i can
muster,the least that me and like minded hindus who are still in the majority
can expect from muslims is that you dump your religious leaders who are
sacrificing you to rightist violence. help secularist hindus to save the
nation from the clutches of evil. if communities like yours do not help us,
the situation will swiftly pass out of control. it is already doing so. think
objectively. if you were hindu,however secularist you were,would you not feel
dismayed by the religious leader of an insignificant minority get away with
insulting the sentiments of vast multitudes whose tolerance and sense of
fairplay is what makes our nation secular in character and not divine,
irreversible ordinance determined by the founding fathers of our nation in
a moment of inspired brilliance. mind you, democracy can swiftly degenerate
from majority rule to majority dictatorship and that will harm ultimately
the majority. hence,whether muslims cooperate with good hindus in helping to
win the battle against rightist forces, good hindus will oppose rightist
forces. but mind you, if we lose, we will have lost because our enemies are
not just the bjp ,vhp and shiv sena,but also the shahi imam,the syedna, and
such other lumpen elements and you who stand behind them as the true strength
and bulwark of shiv sena goondas. do you feel it was a mere coincidence that
shiv sena goondas did not have the courage to attack the ahmadiya community
(another peaceful,passive community). compare the aga khan (may his tribe
increase) and your syednaji and tell yourself in your heart of hearts whether
or not your leaders have dealt with you cruelly. i appeal once again that if
you have the least gumption, help hindus who are opposed to obscurantism by
fighting evil within your communities.

------------------------------

Date: 21 Jan 1993 21:36:11 -0700
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Responses

Response to:

 Mr.Dhanajay Patankar:
     I quite agree with you. India is neither mature nor powerful enough
     to be on the security council. Population alone doesnt count as a
     measure of greatness or power. India is still controlled by its fear
     of the OPEC nations. With the fundamentalist BJP on the rise its
     highly improper for india to have veto power.

     The disgraceful presence of china on the council is somewhat moderated
     by the might exercised by the U.S economically on that country. Its not
     preferable for India to be a puppet of U.S in the council. Rather stay out.

 Mr.Deivan Durai:
     I am aware of the fact that Tamilians value their language even above god.
     But I think that self-immolation is an action which reflects the level of
     civilization in our state. Human dignity is a far worthier cause than
     loyalty. Even though commonsense is lacking among the indian masses
     in general, its predominantly perceivable among Tamilians. (The masses).
     (Or has it been over-publicized? comments welcome)

     It is our duty to educate our less fortunate brethern. I am doing my best.
     By the way, your arguments are interesting and forceful.

  Mr.R.S.Mani:
     Another good point. These differences between the residents of different
     states of India should be suppressed. It doesnt behoove an educated person
     to bring up and exploit such feelings. Hopefully the readers will avoid
     using such sarcasm directed at a certain populace's customs etc.
     Being a forum of the best minds of India,lets discuss ideas,not people.

     (self-immolation is not a custom,it'd rather not be)

-N.Rajarajan

------------------------------

Date: 21 Jan 1993 15:52 -0600 (CST)
From: [e-mail] (Rajeev)
Subject: Some fun with unix

Computer nerds have been playing around with Unix shells and have come up
with a few gems. Note that the '%' prompt indicates the C shell, while the
'$' prompt indicates the Bourne shell. Go ahead and try some.

% scan for <<"Arnold Schwarzenegger"^J^D
     "Arnold Schwarzenegger": << terminator not found
% ar m God
     ar: God does not exist
% "How would you rate Quayle's incompetence?
     Unmatched".
% ^How did the sex change^operation go?
    Modifier failed.
% If I had a ( for every $ the Congress spent, what would I have?
    Too many ('s.
% make love
    Make: Don't know how to make love. Stop.
% sleep with me
    bad character
% got a light?
    No match.
% man: why did you get a divorce?
    man:: Too many arguments.
% ^What is saccharine?
    Bad substitute.
% %blow
    %blow: No such job.
% cat 'the can of tuna'
    cat: cannot open the can of tuna
$ mkdir matter; cat>matter
    matter: cannot create
$ drink <bottle; opener
    bottle: cannot open
    opener: not found

------------------------------

Date: 22 Jan 1993 10:49:49 +0900 (JST)
From: [e-mail] (Kuniaki Kudou)
Subject: Thank you, from Japan

Hello Friends !!
I am Kuniaki Kudo from Japan.
I was overwhelmed with the response to my letter in INDIA-D.
Thank you very much for your interest.
"Arigato Gozaimasu" (Japanese Thank you).
I will send reply to all of you but recently I am bogged down
with my work. Please forgive me,if I am late in replying.
Hoping to hear more.
With regards.

Kudo

------------------------------

Date: 20 Jan 1993 21:27:19 -0600 (CST)
From: Judith Harris <[e-mail]>
Subject: Volunteers Needed for On-Line Educational Project

WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SHARE WHAT YOU KNOW WITH PRE-COLLEGE STUDENTS AND
TEACHERS BY ELECTRONIC MAIL?
   Recent estimates indicate that there are now more than 50,000 classroom
teachers from primary, middle, and secondary schools who hold accounts on
the Internet. This makes a very special kind of learning available to them:
one which directly involves subject matter experts communicating with
students and teachers about their specialties, via electronic mail.
   With support from the Texas Center for Educational Technology, we (at
the University of Texas at Austin) are now piloting a new Internet-based
service (the "Electronic Emissary") that will bring together pre-college
students, their teachers, and subject matter experts (SMEs) electronically,
helping them to create telecomputing exchanges centered around the students'
learning in the SMEs' disciplines.  For example,

*  A class studying South America could learn about recent global environmental
research results from a scientist who studies rainforest deforestation in Brazil
*  A class studying geometry might "talk" electronically with Euclid, who is
actually a mathematics professor.
*  A class studying the future of education might converse with an emerging
technologies specialist from California's Silicon Valley.
*  A class studying American History might electronically interview Harry
Truman, who is really a curator with the National Archives.
*  A class exploring the rapidly-changing governmental structures that are
emerging in what was once the Soviet Union might correspond with a group of
graduate political science students at a university in the CIS.
*  Or, a class reading _Huckleberry Finn_ might correspond with an African-
American studies scholar about the repercussions resulting from the enacting
of the Emancipation Proclamation.
   In this pilot phase of the project, 10-12 SMEs or SME groups are needed to
correspond regularly (approximately 4 times per week) with primary, middle
school, or secondary students and their teachers (1 SME or expert group per
class).  Each electronic exchange will begin with 2 weeks of project planning
via electronic mail between the SMEs and the teachers (2/16 - 2/28/93).
Communications with students will begin during the week of March 1st, and will
continue for 4 - 6 weeks.
   If you would like to find out more about this pilot project, please send
electronic mail to Judi Harris, [e-mail]. Please include your name,
institution, and areas of expertise. PLEASE RESPOND ASAP; all teacher-SME pairs
will be formed by 2/15/93.

------------------------------

Date: 21 Jan 1993 10:08:37 -0500 (EST)
From: Tariq=[e-mail] (Tariq Rizvi)
Subject: Wake up India-D, Bombay riots

Dear Friends at India-D:
     I had hoped that there would be a spate of responses to the moving
posting ( which almost brought tears to my eyes) from Dev Dutt (India today,
read and cry; India-D, Jan 14) on what has been happening in Bombay. Joe(Jan
14)and Sandeep (Jan 15) also informed us of the horrors of Bombay. I had hoped
(as did Dev ) that some hearts would bleed for India, for the innocent lives
that are being lost in Bombay and elsewhere. I had hoped that attempts will
be made to reach out to those who are losing their loved ones (irrespective
of their religions). I had hoped that there will be many people who will stand
up and speak out against this madness for the dignity of India - that we so
proudly call our motherland. But alas !! Till today there were only 2 or 3
responses to these postings on this issue including one from Nidhi Srinivas
who has rightly asked us to speak out against this outrage ( India-D, Jan 18)
and a moving one from Vinay Desai (Jan 16). What has happened to you India-D??
     You have participants who can find all the time in the world arguing,
worrying and writing about 'Sambars', 'Diapers', and 'Languages' !!!! You also
have people who can write postings after postings with their judgements
(without any attempt to learn first) on MPL, on muslim population in India,
and the lack of their participation in the 'mainstream India'. You have people
who can keep up their concern for the uncivilized marriage of Ameena Begum in
numerous writings. Well my friends, WAKE UP. Today in Bombay, there are
hundreds of Ameena Begums who have lost their lives due to their own country
-men's insanity (No foreign Sheikh, to put all blame on!!). Hundreds of
Ameenas have been gang raped by their own fellow Indians. Yes, there are
thousands of Ameena Begums and Seeta Ranis who have been made homeless and
have lost their dear ones. What is the reason for your silence my friends
at India-D ???  Is it because you don't care about these happenings?  Or
because you don't want to face the reality back home ? I surely hope it is not
because 80-90% of the victims in these riots are muslims ? I have been listen
-ing to BBC, VOA, have called India and have just recieved horrifying newspaper
cuttings sent by a friend in India. In Bombay, the Shiv Sena/RSS gangs have
carried out a vicious well-planned campaign of killing, terror, and "ethnic
cleansing" mainly against muslims.The houses of muslims were marked in advance,
and planned attacks were carried. There were 60,000 of these victims waiting at
the railway stations in Bombay on Sunday, who were attempting to get out of
Bombay to save their lives leaving all their belongings and homes behind. Out
of these about 10,000 were tamils (hindus included). Wake up my friends, and
join hands against both hindu and muslim selfish leaders and their agents, who
have an agenda to spread hatred and venom against each other to get to
political power- BY ANY MEANS POSSIBLE. Wake up before it is too late !!!!

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Date: 21 Jan 1993 11:11:44 -0500 (EST)
From: [e-mail]
Subject: World Beat/World Music

Dear Chris:
    It's great that you have an interest, but this approach is sheer lunacy.
To wit, you build an economic model based on certain utterly fallacious
assumptions, and then proceed to ask for an explanation of the effects that
emanate from it. Note that a model of preferences: a preferred to b, c more
successful than d, is a pricing model, as in the market is willing to pay more
to consume 1 unit of a as opposed to Chitra and Jagjit, or whoever.
    Where on earth did you get this preference data? Who on earth told you
which artiste is more popular, especially in as disorganized a medium as
Indian classical music? In addition, who listens to whom is so subjective.
I know a Kannadiga political scientist who listen to Ali Akbar Khan, Kurt Masur
and the Smiths; and a Tamilian economist who listens only to the so-called
"classic rock" of the 1972-81 period. What generalizations can one make out of
this? Yet you make sweeping statements, and actually want an explanation? I'd
like to see your sources of information. Believe me, if you ACTUALLY have REAL
preference data, you will be famous. Economists have not found it on any
commodity in a 100 years. Second, how on earth do you make your claims? I
mean, empirically. What is the basis for your assumptions?
    Secondly, you have also implicitly taken into account the economics of the
popular music industry, without adequately stating the premises. For instance,
Peter Gabriel, on his own label, has introduced and made major stars out of
rather marginal people like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The qawwals that are big in
India are not heard of or seen because the market for "weird" music, of the
genre of 3-Mustafa-3, Gypsy Kings and the like, is insatiable as far as
experimental ideas are concerned, BUT cannot really handle a totally different
idea that can't be FUSED into the rock-jazz genre. The pale of this genre may
be wide, but it has been worked to the bone. So a new idea from a Moroccan
tambourinist is fine, as long as it fit in to a rock-and-roll-harmonic and
jazz-melodic structure. This is to say that a Nusrat is not Nusrat as Nusrat,
but as the product of a Peter Gabriel record label. You can also see this
happening in the case of Paul Simon, with Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
    Chris, as a good mystic Oriental, I see the future: You will have trouble
with your dissertation committee. This topic needs a LOT of work.  I'm sorry
if this seems harsh, but as an academic, I feel compelled to caution you.
Remember that music is like academics, based on ideas and practice, and its
study merits rigor.
With best wishes,
Ranjan Chakravarty

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End of India Interest Group Digest
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