(no subject)

From the Bhakti List Archives

• June 1, 1998


Dear Bhaktas:

During the recent couple of weeks, you all may have heard about the
recent happenings in India.  This hightened media coverage, as you know,
is due to India conducting Nuclear tests.  It is disheartening to view
the negative portrayal of India and Indians in general.  Due to this, I
have been compelled to write this letter and urge all the members of
this organization to take interest in the matter.  Please contact the
media, governmental officials, and TV and radio stations to express our
sentiments and to state that we can't tolerate such negativism.  Let us
all make a difference.  Some of us who are Indian Americans can use our
clout to talk to our respective US Senate and House Representatives.   I
have already done this.  I am sure that some of you have already taken
steps in this direction.  For others, I want to appeal to you, please
join us in this crusade.  I feel that it is our collective
responsibility to portray India as the greatest country on earth.

I thought of writing this letter after recently reading an editorial in
one of our local papers that showed Lord Shiva dancing with bombs on the
streets of New Delhi.  Our Indian Association wrote a strongly worded
letter to the newspaper expressing anger and displeasure over this
article.  To this the newspaper responded by writing an apology letter
to the Indian Community.  This is not all.  Yesterday I heard several
commentators on TV, describing India as an aggressive nation based on
its past track record against Pakistan.  I was not born during
India-Pakistan wars, but my father tells me that this portrayal is
wrong.  I am sure several of our respected elders share the same
sentiments.

I apologize to everybody for using this stage to express my political
views.  I hope I have not offended anyone.  After reading and hearing so
much negative news, I just wanted to do something.  I will also
appreciate if you can convey the essence of this letter to other Indian
people who are not part of this organization.  Also I would like to
inform you that the views expressed herin are my own personal view and
do not reflect the opinion of Metrix-Inc.

Thank you very much.


>_____________________________________________________________________
>
>Anand Vangipuram
>e-mail: anandv@metrix-inc.com
>Phone: (414)-798-8560 ext. 1104
>Title: Tech. App. Programmer
>
>