India and my fears

[funnylilkids]

Well, the government of India has changed recently, and hopefully the situation gets better, but frankly, the past 5 years have been really horrid as far as religious persecutions in India are concerned.. Thus death has been a very real fear for me and my family. While we where living in Gujarat, India, missionaries we knew received death threats,

Comments

[shakennotstired]

I read a news report that said Ghandi expected to take office on Wed., and that just struck me as amazing. Having never lived outside the United States (or, say, a "western" country), I've never known a country with political instability. Here in America, obviously, everybody trusts in the system and nobody would ever think of leaving office if they lost. It just does not happen. Never has happened, and couldn't happen

[ducey_the_jew]

Frankly, theres a lot of funky stuff going on in India independent of religious concerns. Okay, pseudo-independent. One great problem is that despite the official elimination of the caste system, religious fanatics remain almost completely unpunished. Anyone who works in a job affiliated with butchery or leather tanning for example are immediately labeled as "Untouchables" along with their entire families. Houses have been razed and wives and daughters raped with full government knowledge. The government "despises" these acts but takes no measures to their prevention as most of the officials are very strongly old-school Hindu themselves, and see those who work with dead animals as only receiving their karma. Frankly, change will happen in India. I don't know when or where it will begin, but the tide will turn and not necessarily for the better.

[funnylilkids]

Hm.. there are a lot of issues you are addressing here. For one thing.. the caste system is rooted in Hinduism. Hm.. I really wish I could reply to this more completely now, but I don't have the time. I will more later, though, I promise.

[ducey_the_jew]

Yeah, I did a reports on Mahandas Ghandi for my 6th grade social studies report. I got really into eastern philosophy for quite a while, and read Siddhartha and loved it. I'm sure you've read it, but if you haven't, you should. I also recommend "The art of happiness" by the Dahli Llama. Very good.

[funnylilkids]

hm.. interesting. I have no such qualifications for judgement. I was only born in India.

[flyhighasr]

Wow, I didn't realize you lived in Gujurat. That was one of our case studies in State and Secession. I really need to sit down and talk to you for like five hours...well more like 5 days! I am sure you could teach me a lot.

[funnylilkids]

Actually, I haven't been there in 5 years, so I wouldn't be surprised if you thought me something new too, haha!