Innocense of Muslims or Ignorance of the West?

Freedom of speech is a prized value everywhere. But is there a limit to exercising this freedom? Is it ever justifiable to ration this right to freedom of speech and expression? I think so. I think it is fair to curb speech that is racist in nature. One may inadvertently make racist comment, but this sort of comment is different from the intentional ones. It is also fair to curb speeches or expression that intentionally belittle other culture or spread lies. It is one thing to raise criticisms about other culture and practices and quite another thing to belittle or spread lies about others. The recent movie 'innocent of Muslims' does not come under the category of the former case; it rather amounts to belittling or spreading false information intentionally. And this sort of practice, I would consider, is to misuse the right to freedom of speech and expression. 

The controversy also raises other interesting features. In the name of freedom of speech and expression, certain people in the West produce such vitriolic materials. But if such materials is produced against gays or Jews in the name of freedom of speech and expression, I am sure loud protests would be registered. On the other hand we have Muslims who 'specialise' in more or less such double standard practices. The Muslims raise all sorts of hate speeches against the West or Christians' belief or similar parties, but go wild when others do the same about their belief. The Muslims consider that it is okay to convert others to Islam, but when others do similar thing to their fellow Muslims, they kill or try to kill. 

I am not for lies or belittling of others in the name of freedom of speech and expression. And I am also not for violent response to such inappropriate use of the right to freedom of speech and expression. And it is for this reason I am not in support of hate speeches against the gays or the Jews. But it is also because I believe in freedom of speech and expression that I consider that it is proper to engage in religious propagation, which may eventually see some people leaving their religious belief. The world can be much more violent if one exercises freedom of speech in an unlimited way. And the world can be much fairer if Muslims would allow non-Muslims to exercise their religious freedom as much as Muslims consider it their right to propagate Islam to other countries and cultures. 

My Children

Sophia & Daniel

Can Indian Secularism Tolerate Beef & Pork?

Securalism in India has been considered to be an inclusive one. It is the kind that does not try to kick all the gods upstair so that the citizens could have a godless polity; but  it is rather the kind that attempts to accomodate all the gods into the system. In a premier institution, Jawaharlal Nehru University, a group of students who called themselves The New Materialists plans to organise a beef and pork festival in the campus on the 28th of September. The plan has been opposed by Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal etc., all belonging to the Hindutva camp. 

Hindus do not eat beef -- or are not supposed to eat it. And Muslims are not to eat pork. Yet a large section of the Indian population are neither Hindu nor Muslim. And among this crowd a large number enjoys eating beef and pork. So whose right is being deprived of when such a controversy surfaces: those who find eating such meat offensive or those who are refused permission to eat such meat openly? The issue is not unrelated to the BJP's agenda, on and off though, that it would seek to ban cow killing all over the country. This would mean that no one would be allowed to eat beef. If ever BJP happens to take up such a Bill in the Parliament  I would not be surprised if some politicians from Kashmir or Nagaland or Mizoram or Meghalaya etc say that they would prefer that India splits into pieces than give up beef once and for all! 

As more and more people try to assert their rights, I believe this tension will get louder. One's food habit or one's religious belief is very close to each party. And I don't think hiding the controversy under the political carpet would help Indian democracy. People must debate about how custom and polity must take shape... and debate in a civil way. And in this regard I first want to hear from the defender of the cows and pigs why they think such animals are precious so much so that its worth depriving some people of exercising their age old food habit in public.

How to Process JRF in Delhi University

This is written mainly for those scholars who are new to Delhi University and who may not have many friends who may be able to guide them in processing JRF. I am in the Philosophy Department; and unless one is the Science dept the process may be the same. I faced some hardship in processing the JRF due to ignorance; and so it was after seven months of having registered that I began to enjoy the Fellowship.

Once you get registered for M.Phil/Ph.D, get your ID card made and an SBI Bank account opened, if you don't have one. Then go to the Scholarship Cell with your JRF award letter from the University Grant Commission. The Scholarship Cell is situated in second floor of the the Tagore Hall. (If you don't know Tagore Hall, ask anyone loitering near the Central Library where it is.) The Scholarship Cell would provide you a form to fill and to submit it to them along with certain documents like fee slip, JRF award letter from UGC etc. Once you have filled the form and attached the documents, get yourself a xeroxed copy of each document for future reference. Keep the xeroxed copies with you, and submit to the Scholarship Cell the form and the attached documents. Then wait for few weeks. ( You can also run around to open an SBI Bank account during this time when you wait for the letter from the Scholarship Cell so that you save time.)

After few weeks you are supposed to get a letter from the Asst Registrar of the Scholarship Cell. This 'award letter' will be sent to the HOD of your department and also to the Section Officer of Finance Branch-X, Delhi University. Take this letter of yours to the Finance Branch-X, which is located on the third floor of the New Administrative Block, near the Dean Office. They will then give you a form to be filled, which you would have to write your SBI Bank account number, besides other details. If you stay in a rented room like me, you can get a form from the Book Section, which is located on the ground floor, near the Canteen. Take these two forms and get your Supervisor and HOD signed, wherever they are to sign, and submit it to the Finance Branch-X, along with certain documents which they would tell you. Before you submit these forms, don't forget to take a photocopy of each document for your future reference. 

Once you've submitted these forms, the money would come into your account into two-three weeks time.