An ode to the Devil
The Devil is the pseudonym of this gentleman who is solely responsible for making my blog look hugely popular. For those who didn’t notice, check out the 42 comments on my previous entry. (ahem!)
Most of the comments are as verbose as the blog entry itself.
What’s more interesting is that they are all almost unconnected to the main subject of my entry!
And with each comment he seemed to veer my blog entry into a brand-new direction.
From ‘the joke in stereotypes’, he took it to ‘Muslim bashing.’ I still have not understood why. He typed and he typed and he typed to explain why but it made no sense to me atall.
While ‘Muslim bashing’ he touched upon ‘my questionable upbringing.’
From there he leapfrogged to ‘India’s struggle for freedom’ I found that amusing. Considering, he is a typical exhibition of the long-lasting effects of the 'divide and rule' strategy adopted by the British Empire in their attempt to keep their hold on India.
From there he went on to discuss ‘Gandhians being cowards.’
I find this so delightfully entertaining that I wrote a poem on him:
The Devil has been busy in his chambers
Stirring in a large cauldron
A sickening soup of words
On a constant prowl
For blogs that howl
As he pours over them his thick-thick soup
Stereotypes make perfect sense to him
Mainly when it makes charges on a Muslim
“Gandhi only taught us to be cowards”
He says with another swoop of his ladle
Drooling, the Devil
Yanked out the “non”
Leaving only “Violence”
To carelessly melt into his soup
How long will he go on
Convoluting the truth
And pour out a soup
that sure is dear only to The Devil
Most of the comments are as verbose as the blog entry itself.
What’s more interesting is that they are all almost unconnected to the main subject of my entry!
And with each comment he seemed to veer my blog entry into a brand-new direction.
From ‘the joke in stereotypes’, he took it to ‘Muslim bashing.’ I still have not understood why. He typed and he typed and he typed to explain why but it made no sense to me atall.
While ‘Muslim bashing’ he touched upon ‘my questionable upbringing.’
From there he leapfrogged to ‘India’s struggle for freedom’ I found that amusing. Considering, he is a typical exhibition of the long-lasting effects of the 'divide and rule' strategy adopted by the British Empire in their attempt to keep their hold on India.
From there he went on to discuss ‘Gandhians being cowards.’
I find this so delightfully entertaining that I wrote a poem on him:
The Devil has been busy in his chambers
Stirring in a large cauldron
A sickening soup of words
On a constant prowl
For blogs that howl
As he pours over them his thick-thick soup
Stereotypes make perfect sense to him
Mainly when it makes charges on a Muslim
“Gandhi only taught us to be cowards”
He says with another swoop of his ladle
Drooling, the Devil
Yanked out the “non”
Leaving only “Violence”
To carelessly melt into his soup
How long will he go on
Convoluting the truth
And pour out a soup
that sure is dear only to The Devil
Comments
and yes. duende. bangalore. christmas. anagram. crocodile.
Q: What is the Devil's workshop?
Ans: www.lensewiper.blogspot.com (and you thought it was 'Empty Mind', haan?)
squeek squeek
First of all, let me congratulate you on a well written article. You have a really nice way with words,
whether or not you have any substance. And I appreciate your way of taking my words out of context and quoting them to further your propaganda against me, aka "The Devil". But as they always say, and as your benevolent friends continuously do, "If u can't win over the idea, eliminate the perpretator". And I must say that your article is a shining example...And I can see that it has sure gladdened the hearts of your fellow angels.
I refrained from making any comment until now, because u guys have made up your mind on who the "hardcore weirdos & right wing freaks" are. And all you guys seem pretty satisfied with the abundance
of goodness in this world.
My sole intention in writing this comment was to point your view to the latest of Taslima Nasreen
controversy, in case u guys haven't heard it, since your eyes are so filled with the abundance of goodness, chances are you haven't see it.
A famous author was assaulted and threatened with murder and what not, not only by some goondas
or anti-socials, but the elected MLAs. But the state of affairs of a soft state filled with softer angels of goodness comes to the fore, only in the hilarious finishing act. The author who was the victim is charged with the crime of inciting communal tension.
And Sue, I didn't see any body standing up against this intolerance, against this aggression on freedom of speech and life (Ooh...I forgot, that makes them more violent and will start a bloodshed. So close ur eyes, ears & lips).
So what if we dont have the
freedom of speech and life. So what if elected representatives themselves can order murders, there is enough goodness left in us to die for our liberty and freedom of speech, so that the guilty whoever they are, can still continue their communal agenda, and we will always "tolerate their intolerance" in the name of secularism.
I have no "Great Expectations" of opening your eyes, and I can challenge you guys out there that, in the future comments, u will be sticking to personal insinuations(right wing weirdos & hardcore freaks), rather than any intellectual dialogue, which I am sure you are utterly incapable of.
Tc
Which goes to establish that "stereotyping" is based on selective blindness. Or else Devil would definitely have "seen" that all those who routinely condemn the Hindutva fundamentalists when they threaten painters, authors and movie makers, ALSO loudly condemned the action by the Muslim equivalents who threatened Taslima.
Should I refer him to the news items that typically followed the incident?
Widespread protests against attack on Taslima Nasreen
http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/10/stories/2007081060700400.htm
Salaam Taslima http://sabrang.com/cc/comold/mar00/edit.htm
Muslim leaders condemn attack on Taslima Nasreen
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEL20070810050215&Page=L&Title=B+R+E+A+K+I+N+G++++N+E+W+S&Topic=0&
Does Devil realize that his inability to "see any body standing up against this intolerance, against this aggression on freedom of speech and life" is due to his own deep seated xenophobia?
It would seem that all right thinking people have condemned the attitude of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen -- but they ALSO condemn xenophobia against Muslims.
The problem is with those who can find wrong in other religions, but not in one's own...
Anand
Thanks for pointing out the wide spread criticism of the incident.
But I think you are mistaken when you think that I don’t find fault my religion.
I do, did and will condemn in future too any extremism from any religion.
But, if you refer, my earlier comments & replies to the post, "The Joke in Stereotypes", you will understand why I was specific in my comments.
Being a minority doesn’t justify any special treatment, but many others seem to disagree.
You have shown that there has been protest against the treatment meted out to Taslima, but why it did happen? It’s simply because there has been a continuous schooling of extremist views among young Muslims. There are many vested interests here, who wear the garb of holiness and preach hate.
Of course, M.F.Hussain was targeted. I condemn the incident, but nobody issued a fatwa against him. Of course his galleries were vandalized, it too is despicable. But just imagine the situation if it had been the same with Islam. I don't think I need to elaborate on that.
Having said that, criticizing any religion seems to be taboo, especially if they are a minority and more so if it’s Islam.
And regarding stereotyping, I have already written a detailed comment on why Muslims are more susceptible to religious fundamentalism. I don’t want to repeat it. If u can reply to the points raised in that, I would be more than happy to respond.
Tc
Oh no! I am NOT "using a stereotype against" you!
If I was doing that, I would have attempted to judge you based on your membership to a larger group -- rather judege by your own stated views.
What I did was just the OPPOSITE of stereotyping. Despite your expressed views that distinctly "sound" like that of the RSS, I did NOT conclude that you necessarily support that organization. I had said that "perhaps" you do not support the agenda for the Hindu Rashtra of the type that was propounded by Golwalkar.
I assure you that whatever YOU said about Islam, it's simply a REPEAT of "right wing propaganda". But not so what Taslima Nasreen said about her own religion. Nor what Richard Dawkins or Bertrand Russel had to say about all religions. No, I do NOT regard ANY criticism of Islam as "xenophobia". In your PARTICULAR case, I believe it is indeed a case of xenophobia. Why so?
Because you appear to be blind to facts. You also sound confused, I am afraid. As when you tell us, "Just ask any Hindu from Kashmir or some Middle Eastern Gulf country".
The issue is of rights that citizens of India enjoy irrespective of our "membership" to a community. We do NOT want India to be turned into a "Hindu Pakistan" or a "Hindu Gulf Country"!
As for Kashmir, You fail to see the facts. There is an ongoing insurrection there -- as also in our NE; and in the Naxalite districts of central India. People of all communities are victims of the crossfire between the State and the insurgents -- in such a situation. To see any of these as a Hindu Vs Muslim conflict, is perverse and anti-national...
It may amaze you, but my idea of averting India's downfall is to work for the political marginalisation of all varieties of communal ideologies (whether seeking to further Hindu or Muslim "interests") -- and I include your expressed views as a part of one such communal ideology that needs to be countered...
Anand Nair
I can see that you are honest and sincere. We all hold opinions - need not be the same opinions.
I appreciate the fact that you do think about these issues as opposed to ignoring them. That's what matters.
A long as we keep thinking and discussing it's good. The more we know of all the opposing views that exist out there the better....
Take care Devil (sorry about that poem... i was just having fun with words as you rightly pointed out...and i'm happy you liked my way with words too)
i do, my fingernails need painting again...dang!