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How Readers reacted to Rajeev Srinivasan's recent columns
Date sent: Tue, 12 May 1998 16:12:44 -0400
Simply brilliant. Took words out of my mouth, words that I have been contemplating for 10 years. Please publish this in a reputable paper like NY Times, LA Times, Washington Post or the London Times.
Shantanu Ghose
Date sent: Tue, 12 May 1998 13:07:43 -0700
Wow! This is some article by Rajeev Srinivasan! It is a blazingly spirited article! The author has echoed the sentiments of millions of Indians in India and abroad. The details that the author has brought out is really amazing and he has asked the right questions. He says the truth when he writes, "I believe, based on my reading of Indian history, that one of India's problems has always been the perception, and the reality, of her being a "soft state". For the past 50 years, naive Nehruvian ("Hindi-Chini etc") vacillation and craving for the approval of the foreigner made a laughing stock of the nation. Shrill, yet spineless scolds, the world, with justification, has determined India to be. And proceeded to merrily support terrorists and secessionists in India. No fear of retribution." What we need is an "India that is not so worried about what others might think; an India, in short, that can pursue its own interests!" How true this is! Keep it up, guys! I would like to congratulate all the people at Rediff. I am a regular visitor to your site, in fact I read your news section daily. Congrats, once again.
Date sent: 12 May 98 14:08:31 -0700
A very good article by Rajeev. He is right -- Nehruvian policy has made us a laughing stock. It showed we did not have a spine. I congratulate the BJP government for going ahead with the bold move. Even the assertation by Mr George Fernandes is correct. The article was very good in bringing out the different reasons that made us test a nuclear device. It is my firm belief that those who have conducted nuclear tests do not have any moral ground to prevent others from doing the same. He is absolutely correct in asking what passports Indian Communists carry. I want to thank Rediff once again for this good article from Rajeev.
Date sent: Wed, 13 May 1998 09:13:55 -0700
This article is well documented. Although, I don't fully agree with everything he says, yet it makes interesting reading. On one hand, yes, it makes me feel proud that we are capable as a nation of "going nuclear". On the other hand, I feel sad that we (the world as a whole) are still ignorant and inherently stupid to even develop nuclear weapons even after the well-known effects of the infamous Hiroshima-Nagasaki tragedy. Thinking more along the same lines, it's probably stupidity with a reason (like financial/power gains for the superpowers -- some of which are open secrets). That apart, if one takes the big picture into consideration, it's simply ridiculous to point fingers or try to create a "nuke race" anywhere in the world. I think there should be absolutely NO nuke development or, if there is any, then there is no stopping this "nuke madness" which one day may cause this very beautiful world to be destroyed beyond imagination! In my opinion, the so-called super powers or the "Big Five" or whatever they want to be called, need to "walk their talk" to be be really recognised as true big brothers or leaders. Instead of creating double standards (causing discrimination amongst the nations) and trying to act as pseudo-policemen (in reality, they only bully or threaten) in the world community, these superpowers need to be more straightforward and courageous in truly pursuing the elimination of nukes from the face of the earth. Folks, as responsible citizens of this world, we need to ask such basic, yet very important questions and voice our concerns loudly and clearly in the hope that it will ignite the real torch of nuclear disarmament and, in the process, will give us a safer, more peaceful world to live in. Hope we, as world citizens, realise the severe dangers of nukes (even if we forget politics, nationalities, border disputes, national egos, military superiority, religious fanaticism, hate and terrorism) and discourage our respective governments from developing nukes. I know this is far too idealistic but what the heck, atleast it is a good start and, unlike nukes, does not cause any harm! Bottomline -- absolutely no development of nukes on face of this Earth, period!
Anil Kempanna
Date sent: Wed, 13 May 1998 13:05:54 -0400
Excellent, extremely articulate, makes a whole lotta sense. All the heat generated by this incident is merely political. The superpowers can't do much about this, without feeling the backlash themselves. It conveys a sense of pride in the mind of every Indian.
Kaydee Dwarakanath
Date sent: Fri, 15 May 1998 11:01:45 -0400
The article by Rajeev Srinivasan was enjoyable; he obivously believes very strongly in what he writes. I feel he did not present a full argument about the link between a country's ability to defend itself and wealth. Look at Japan and Germany. After the ravages of World War II, both countries were in ruins. Both countries followed a policy of non-aggression and are not nuclear powers themselves. Japan has minimal security forces and one can only speculate as to how Japan will fare if it is attacked. Everyone will agree that Japan and Germany are economic superpowers and that this economic power did not go hand-in-hand with a military initiative. Then there is the case of the ex-Soviet Union -- a military power but, these days, essentially a third world country. Basically, what I am trying to say is... India will have more clout and influence in the world if it becomes a "rich" country. I strongly believe that the road to riches and international respect does not lie in a strong military program.
Raveen Sharma
Date sent: Fri, 15 May 98 03:54:18 UT
Rajeev's commentary was simply awesome!
Date sent: Thu, 14 May 1998 13:47:51 +0400
Rajeev's article is a very laudable effort. I hope this article reaches the large number of Indians in America who are, today, putting their own interests before the country.
Date sent: Thu, 14 May 1998 10:09:53 +0200
Excellent work! Keep it up.
Prakash V Lakhi
Date sent: Thu, 14 May 1998 17:17:28
The views I had formed about the Indian nuclear tests through fairly inexpert information-gathering from standard media sources (anything but pro-Indian) are backed up 100-fold by Rajeev Srinivasan's excellent article published on this site. India is a bulwark of civilisation and decency in a region of brutal dictatorships and police states nurtured by China and the USA and, far from baying about sanctions, our Australian government should be offering support. If India ever went down, the days of democracy -- even in Australia -- would be numbered. Thank heaven the Indian people have elected a government prepared to defend the country, and that India has a group of scientists and officials patriotic enough not to have been penetrated by the CIA. Churchill was no friend of India, but the Winston Churchill who stood up to the Nazis would have understood the stand the Indian government took on May 11, 1998.
Dion Giles
Date sent: Thu, 14 May 1998 18:32:28 +0030
Great article. An eye opener for India and Indians who should realise that one needs the gun to defend the butter.
Vivek
Date sent: Thu, 14 May 1998 21:04:28 -0500
Your article about India losing its nuclear virginity seems to suggest that the reason why India became poor in the first place was because we didn't have the weapons to defend ourselves. Well, isn't it the fact we were defeated because of a lack of unity amongst our the people/rulers? Right from Shailaditya betraying Rana Sanga to Babar, to the British divide-and-rule, we've been defeated and robbed not because we lacked weapons but because we lacked the courage to stand united and fight. Even today, one state cannot share its waters with its neighbour and another wants independence. Nuclear or not, the strength of a country is measured by its people, not its weapons. In this day and age, economic and intellectual strength is more important than military might. Take the case of Japan. It was at the receiving end of not one, but two, of your beloved nuclear bombs and look at it now. Look how it torments the United States, the very country that destroyed it, with its economic prowess. How? Hard work, intelligence and commitment as an individual and as a nation to be successful. That's how! Let me tell you something: Nuclear weapons are in no way going to change the story of our country. The "They have it, so we should" or "Who are they to say that we can't" stand is neither going to bring in more dollars nor help the common man get his square meals every day. Wake up to the truth. Ignore false pride and hypocrisy. It will take much more than a n-bomb to get our nation back to its lost glory.
Venkatesh Padmanabhan
Date sent: Fri, 15 May 1998 10:19:49 PDT
I understand that the CTBT/NPT has NOT been ratified by the US Congress. How does this have a bearing (politically or morally) on the current situation? Your articles in Rediff are wonderful. Don't stop.
J V Krishna
Date sent: Wed, 13 May 1998 16:41:26 -0400
I found the column extremely interesting and especially well written. Living in a foreign country (US) where the media creates news and policies and influences people's mindsets, it is really nice to read about Indian feelings... Keep it going...
Date sent: Wed, 13 May 1998 16:42:33 -0400
Bravo! Well-spoken! Congratulations!
Vipul Parekh
Date sent: Wed, 13 May 1998 13:05:50 -0700
Superb piece of work. Keep it up! |
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