Fwd: Peace Mumbai Fwd: [Citizen-Mumbai] Re: PRESS CONFERENCE & PROTEST AGAINST LIFTING OF JAMES LAINE BOOK ON CHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Feroze Mithiborwala <feroze.moses777@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Jul 11, 2010 at 2:31 PM
Subject: Re: Peace Mumbai Fwd: [Citizen-Mumbai] Re: PRESS CONFERENCE & PROTEST AGAINST LIFTING OF JAMES LAINE BOOK ON CHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ
To: peace-mumbai@googlegroups.com


Dear Anand bhai,

I'm firstly sorry about that Malyali quip. 

It's not about the purity issue & let me be clear on that - that taboo really does not exist within the Bahujan culture, as you have rightly pointed out.

The issue was one of the factual interpretation of history due to which people are angry - which centres on the Dadaji Kondev issue.

As for the book, believe me, I've tried to locate it. Our opposition is to the few lines, the book otherwise is very good, I've been told.

As for my friends, I've told you that the Sambhaji Brigade has attacked the Bhandarkar institute undoubtedly - & we have not endorsed that. Our own course has & will entail non-violent means, as has been our norm. The Sambhaji Brigade has never killed anybody from what I've known. 

And as I've said, I find them far less lethal & violent than the political parties organizations that we tend to defend & ally with. 

This is a difficult issue - & I've taken my stand with the rest of my Dalit-OBC friends & organizations.

Marathi Muslim organizations across Maharashtra are joining the protests & Ive been invited to Pune for this - Sambhaji Brigade & the Maratha Seva Sangh will be prersent.

Warm Regards

Feroze

On 11 July 2010 13:20, Sukla Sen <sukla.sen@gmail.com> wrote:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: anand patwardhan <anandpat@gmail.com>
Date: 11 July 2010 11:48
Subject: Re: [Citizen-Mumbai] Re: PRESS CONFERENCE & PROTEST AGAINST LIFTING OF JAMES LAINE BOOK ON CHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ
To: free-binayaksen@googlegroups.com


dear feroze and friends
i must repeat as this never seems to sink in (as a filmmaker who has tried to talk about this for decades i feel like a failure when my close friends still do not reflect):

the concept that women must be PURE is a deeply Bramhinical, patriarchal and fascist concept.

unfortunately those who carry this historical cultural baggage of patriarchal religion (as they all are except to some extent, buddhism) never understand where their own emotion springs from.

feroze and allies, without disrespect, i ask you to again reflect on what makes you angry without reading the book ??? how is your reaction different from the reaction of Savarkarites when they perceive the difilement of Bharat Mata, from christian fanatics who defend the VIRGIN mary,  from religions that insist that women's sexuality must be suppressed and hidden inside a veil ?

i do not demand that you break with your allies and friends whose judgement you so much trust (did any of them read the book??? if so where did they get it???) and whose propensity to fascist violence you so conveniently forget,  but when your own common sense and instinct tells you that you are embarked on a wrong mission, and yet you refuse to change track out of loyalty to your friends, then i think you do an injustice both to yourself and to your friends.

btw  if you brain tells you that your lawyer lost because he was a malayali, i would like to say that my lawyer won because he was a malayali!!!

anand

On Sun, Jul 11, 2010 at 8:08 AM, Daniel Mazgaonkar <daniel.mazgaonkar@gmail.com>
wrote:

Dear Feroze,

I totally agree with Sukla. So I do not repeat what he has emphasised from his heart.

I only say, that in your reply to all of us, you go to the extent of comparing bigger evil, which you assume is siding with Sambhaji Brigade, because they do no violence, but you accept that they attacked Bhandarkar Insti. and then you go on saying many of us hob nob with leftist who do more violence.

Just re-consider Feroze. This again is a very dangerous argument.

Why dont you just think that the Hindutwa's anger  began gathering slowly step by step for Gandhi, which ultimately culminated in his assasination.
And shamelessly they call it "Vadh", you know that.

Just consider all these points plus what others like Sukla have brought to your notice.

See, we are actually struggling against a very big "Rakshas", which we recognise, each one of us, in a different way. You work on Gaza prob, Palestinians, we work on globalization, some work on Bhopal, some work on women's issues, some on education, of childrens etc. some work on slums. but unfortunately, we do not recognise that these are all the different "dresses of the one and the same Bahurupia" identity. And we must all stand together to give a last and the best fight of all uptil now.

This message, by the way, was very loud and clear in Dr. Anil Sadgopal's yesterday's talk. But so many of you have other important things to do, so you never attend.

Daniel.

On 11 July 2010 07:27, Sukla Sen <sukla.sen@gmail.com> wrote:

This culture of banning books, the ugly display of muscle powers, the motto of Democracy for Bush and Autocracy for Me is deeply disturbing.

If one has a problem with a book, or a portion of a book, which one can very well have, one is welcome to contest.

But demanding a ban on the ground of sacrilege is truly disturbing. That too when it comes with the threat of using violence.

As I've not read the book, I've personally nothing to defend the book nor there is any point in my taking up cudgel against it.

But the essential point is trying to gag the voice is rather imprudent and morally unacceptable.

Here there is another disturbing trait. The attempt to play up the historical frictions between Bramhins and Marathas in the implied belief that it will act as a glue for a projected Bahujan-Muslim alliance. 

Even if we overlook the ethical basis for such exclusionist alliances based on birth, the implied assumption is all Bramhins are the historical legatees of the sins of their Bramhin ancestors and Marathas the virtues of their Maratha ancestors. And they must be treated accordingly. 

This implied call for righting now the historical wrongs committed in the past, too familiar otherwise, is evidently too dangerous.

Sukla

On 11 July 2010 06:50, Feroze Mithiborwala <feroze.moses777@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Kavita, Jyoti, Mallika Sarabai, Anand bhai & Daniel bhai,

As for the James Laine Book, we are only opposed to the few lines on page number 93, which seek to question the very parentage of  Shivaji Maharaj.  

On that page, James Lane writes that it was the whispering of 12 Punekar Brahmins in the Bhandarkar institute that told him that the father of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was Dadaji Kondev (a Brahmin), thus insulting the very memory of Rajmata Jijau & claiming  that Shivaji was a Brahmin - whilst conveniently forgetting that Shivaji Maharaj was refused his Rajabhishek by the Brahmin priests of Maharashtra & that the first fatal atack on Shivaji Maharaj was by Bhaskar Rao Kulkarni, another Brahmin & not by Afzal Khan.

The Dalit-OBC & Maratha organizations are going to find out who these 12 Brahmins were.

There is no other problem with the book. Many articles & books critiquing Shiavji Maharaj have been written & none have objected & called for a ban.

The only demand is to delete those few lines & the rest of the book is very good.

I have personally not read the book & I have not even been able to obtain a copy of the same.

But I trust my Dalit-OBC-Maratha friends in what they say - & they have never knowingly misled me.

The greater fault in this entire matter lies with the Maharashtra government for failing to win the battle mainly due to their lackadaisical attitude. They had a lawyer from Kerala defending their case, whilst they could have got the best from Bombay. Intriguing.

True, Sambhaji Brigade did attack the Bhandarker institute & we, the Awami Bharat or Bharat Bachao Andolan - have not supported that action.

Most of the Secular & Left political parties that we all hob-nob with are far more violent & have killed far more people than the Sambhaji Brigade. And to my knowledge the Sambhaji Brigade has not killed anybody. Do correct me if I am wrong.

The other is the Maratha movement in Maharashtra, especailly the Maratha Seva Sangh that is trying to break the shackles of Brahmanic Religion & Culture that the dominant Maratha castes still follow. The Shiv Dharma movement was initiated by them as well amongst other key people as well - namely A H Salunke.

The Maratha Seva Sangh has blunted the anti-Dalit & anti-Muslim edge of the RSS lobbies active within the Maratha community, as the overwhelming atrocities on the Dalit community have been perpetrated by the Marathas.

And today also at the Press Conference we made it very clear that we will oppose the James Laine book through non-violent stayagraha & will not be part of any violent action.

I understand the sentiment with which people are reacting, but our ground realities are for us to assess. Many a Left Union works with the Shiv Sena & its affiliates, just as the Left Unions do work with the BJP & its Unions, both at the State & the National level.

Though for me the Sambhaji Brigade is a Secular organization & I know them personally & all our Dalit & OBC friends attend their meetings & we have not found them otherwise.

Our friends from other castes could have a different opinion.

Regards

Feroze

On 10 July 2010 16:47, Kavita Srivastava <kavisriv@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Feroze,

I was very disturbed to read your email. Not only do you believe in
promoting undemocratic values like banning books but I also see the
name of Sambhaji Brigade which is your partner in organising this
press conference.

I remember very clearly that Sambhaji Brigade had lead the attacks on
the Bhandarkar Oriental research Institute in 2003 when James Laine's
book was out. They had destroyed the  Institute. I remember hearing
the tragedy of it all from the late Prof Dilip Chitre's himself. How
call you ally with those who epxress their opinion with a lathi. If
there was a difference with the book there are  other democratic ways
of responding

And Feroze, while we all have tremendous problems with the biases of
the Judiciary. But you cannot say that a judgement of upholding the
Freedom of Speech and expression is out of  a Brahmanical bias of the
SC. That is being very short sighted.  I hope you will call of this
programm of yours and also delink yourself from organisations like
sambhaji brigade. Which are clones of the Shiv Sena.

Kavita

On Sat, Jul 10, 2010 at 11:17 AM, Feroze Mithiborwala
<feroze.moses777@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> SHIVRAJYA PARTY / SAMBHAJI BRIGADE / BHARAT BACHAO ANDOLAN / MARATHI BHARTI
> PROTEST AGAINST LIFTING OF JAMES LAINE BOOK ON CHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ
> PRESS CONFERENCE: MARATHI PATRAKAR, CST / JULY 10, SATURDAY, 2009 / 3-4pm.
> FOLLOWED BY A PROTEST- JAIL BHARO ANDOLAN  & COURT ARREST: AZAD MAIDAN, CST / JULY 10, SATURDAY, 2009 / 4-5pm
> WE OPPOSE THE LIFTING OF THE BAN ON THE BOOK BY JAMES LAINE THAT HAS INSULTED THE MEMORY OF CHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ BY QUESTIONING HIS VERY FAMILY ANTECEDENTS. HIS VERY MOTHER, THE REVERED RAJMATA JIJAU, WHO IS A VENERATED FIGURE WITHIN THE NON-BRAHMIN MASSES OF MAHARASHTRA HAS BEEN THE TARGET OF THIS CALUMNY & THUS THE UPROAR AMONGST THE BAHUJAN-DALIT, OBC & MARATHA MASSES & THIS CUTS ACROSS ALL RELIGIONS OF THE MARATHI PEOPLE.
> THIS IS CLEARLY THE RESULT OF THE STRANGLEHOLD OF THE CASTEIST BRAHMANICAL FORCES WITHIN THE BUREAUCRACY, ESPECIALLY THE JUDICIARY.
> WE THUS ALSO DEMAND THAT THE PRINCIPLE OF RESERVATION BE EXTENDED TO THE JUDICIARY, IF THIS DISCRIMINATION & CASTEIST BIAS IS EVER TO END.
> BRIGADIER SUDHIR SAWANT (STATE PRESIDENT, SHIVRAJYA PARTY),
> KISHORE JAGTAP (NATIONAL PRESIDENT, MARATHI BHARTI),
> FEROZE MITHIBORWALA (NATIONAL PRESIDENT, BHARAT BACHAO ANDOLAN),
> JYOTI BADEKAR, VILAS GAIKWAD, YAWAR ALI KAZI, SANJAY SAKHARKAR, PRAMOD SHINDE, JAGDISH NAGARKAR, MULNIWASI MALA, PRAVEEN AMRE, SUDHIR DAWALE, SHYAM SONAR, AVINASH KAMBLE, HARSHAVARDHAN VARTAK, PRAVEEN BANGERA, POOJA BADEKAR, AARTI BONKAR, AMOL MADAME & OTHERS.
>

--

Kavita Srivastava
(General Secretary) PUCL Rajasthan

Address for correspondence :

76, Shanti Niketan Colony, Kisan Marg, Barkat Nagar, Jaipur-302015
Tel. 0141-2594131
mobile: 9351562965

--
Feroze Mithiborwala

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Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/