Response to Irene Veldman's message

Subj: Response to Irene Veldman's message
1. From: ireneveldman@live.nl
To: spattri@hinduunity.org
Subject: some questions
Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:29:44 +0200

Dear Mr. Attri,

With great interest I have read your article 'How the heck did we Hindoes get trapped?'. I would like to quote some of your statements in my thesis.
At the moment I am writing my master thesis, the main questions in it are: how and why is it that more and more India is being referred to as Bharat Mata in Indian (Hindutva) politics?

I have a genuine interest in hindu-culture en hindu-religion. After two visits to India, and a lot of reading, I am now able to use all of this in my studies as well.

Because I would like to quote you in my work, I am also interested in you as a person. I have seen you are active on many websites and forums. But all I have been able to trace is that you are a USA resident. It would be helpfull for me to know where this passion for hinduism and India's future is coming from. Are you a politician? Or are you affiliated with a culturally-based hinduorganisation? Are you born in the USA, or did you move there later in live? I suppose you are a very religious person. Can you tell my anything on that?

If you could spare the time to help me with my question, your help is very much appreciated.

Yours sincerely,

miss Irene Veldman
masterstudent Religious Studies
Radboud Universty, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

2. My Take:
Quote: With great interest I have read your article 'How the heck did we Hindoes get trapped?'. I would like to quote some of your statements in my thesis.

COMMENT: Signora Irene Veldman: I am glad that you wanted to know, what I wrote in " How the heck did we Hindus get trapped ? " Please feel free to quote or use any of my statements, in your thesis.

3. Quote: At the moment I am writing my master thesis, the main questions in it are: how and why is it that more and more India is being referred to as Bharat Mata in Indian (Hindutva) politics?

COMMENT: Hindutva-type Hindus use the term Bharat Mata to protest ( and cry out ) against the repression, suppresion,subjugation, slaughter, and plunder of Hindu people & Hindu culture, by Moslem rulers ( and also British rulers ), But " Bharat " is used by Non-Hindutva types also. The usual reference is:
" India that is Bharat "

Bharata is an ancient Sanskrit word. There are several theories about the origin of the term Bharata. The most popular theiry is that:
" Bharata is the son of king Dushyanta & his beautiful wife Shakuntla, who became the First Emperor of Greater India. "
India has been known Always as Bharata, after that event, until the Moslems came over, and started demolishing ( and levelling to the ground ) everything about the Kafir (Non-Moslem Infidel ) Hindu.

4. Quote: I have a genuine interest in hindu-culture en hindu-religion. After two visits to India, and a lot of reading, I am now able to use all of this in my studies as well.

COMMENT: I am delighted that you have a " true-blue " interest in Hindu Culture & Hindu Religion. Also that you are putting it to good use.

5. Quote: Because I would like to quote you in my work, I am also interested in you as a person.

COMMENT: Please feel free to use any of my write-ups.
Regarding me as a person: I am a Pagan & a Kafir. I like the Dutch people & know a few Dutch-Pagans. Unfortunately, due to crash of my hard-drive, I lost their phone-numbers as well as their E-Mail addresses.

6. Quote: I have seen you are active on many websites and forums. But all I have been able to trace is that you are a USA resident.
COMMENT: Absolutely true.

7. Quote: It would be helpfull for me to know where this passion for hinduism and India's future is coming from
COMMENT: Signora Irene: No body has asked this question from me before. It is a legitimate question, but I am going to answer your question, in a round-about way.
Once I was at a dinner table, next to an American friend, amongst a group of Americans. My American friend took a serving of beef from the table and then said to me, " You don't eat this stuff." I replied, " No, I don't. " My friend then said, " Cows are sacred to Hindus. " I replied, " They sure are. "
I told my American friend that this probably appears outlandish to you, and you laugh at us Hindus because we worship our cows. My American friend replied, " No, we don't "
I said, " Oh yes, you do. " My friend again replied, " No, we don't. "
I then told my friend, " Don't deny, I know you do. " Finally, my friend replied, " I guess we do, but it is only cultural, we have nothing against the Hindu people. "

I told my American friend, " You know something. Everytime I realize that your religion blames everthing that is evil, on a totally imaginary creature, which you call Devil, I have Hell of a time, controlling my laughter. "
My American friend then said, " This whole thing about religion is crazy. "
I said to him, " Not only the religion, but all of us humans are a little bit crazy, but don't know about it. "
My Yanke friedn & I totally agreed with the last statement.

8. Now I can answer your question. Neither Christianity nor Islam, deal with evil at all. Both blame all evil on a totally-imaginary creature, which they call the Devil. They are:
" Passing the Buck. "
Hinduism is not perfect, but Hinduism confronts evil Head-On. Hinduism puts man in the Driver's Seat, and holds him responsible for all his actions, good as well as bad ( known as good-Karma & bad-Karma ). There is Total-Accountability in Hinduism. In Islam & Christianity, the Acountability is Absolute-Zero.

My passion for Hinduism, comes from this far-flung difference, between Islam/Christianity & Hinduism,..

9. Quote: Are you a politician? Or are you affiliated with a culturally-based hinduorganisation? Are you born in the USA, or did you move there later in live? I suppose you are a very religious person. Can you tell my anything on that?
COMMENT: Negative on all counts.
I was born in India, but now live in the USA. You might call me a Yanke ( this is a joke ).

10. Finally, I like the Dutch people, especially the Dutch-Pagans. They are my-type of people.

:" These Dutch have the Touch. "

Sincerely,

Surinder Paul Attri