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ASSOCIATION FOR COMMUNAL HARMONY IN ASIA (ACHA) ACHA is an non-profit, non-political organization, which is dedicated to promote peace and harmony among South Asians regardless of where they live. Current Board Members are Pritam Rohila (President), Jagdish Grewal (Secretary), Dr. Abdul Qayum (Treasurer), Dr. Kanak R. Ravel, Gulzar Ahmed, Ishvar Patel and Susheela Hoefer. Dharam Yadav is the Honorary Financial Advisor. For more information about ACHA and comments about ACHA Bulletin, please contact us at by telephone at 503-362- 4635, or 503-658-4715, or by email at pritamr@open.org, or visit our Web Page at http://ecumene.org/ACHA/ACHA.htm . The Web Page is maintained by Dr. Ingrid H. Shafer, Professor of Philosophy, Religion & Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Science and Arts, Chickasha, OK.
This Bulletin is being relayed as a part of ACHA's South Asian community service program. Currently, it is being sent out every other Wednesday to about 400 individuals in Africa, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, U.K., and USA. Please let us know (pritamr@open.org), if you want to have your name removed from our email distribution list. Also, please let us know if someone should be added to the list. Comments, letters to editor, and short articles are also welcome and can be sent to the same address. ACHA BULLETIN 2/10/99 Special Issue on Hindu-Christian Relationships in India (Next issue due on 2/24/99) CONTENTS Greetings
GREETINGS
* My Hinduism does not need protection by Pritam K. Rohila, Ph.D. On various pretexts, atrocities against Christians continue to be committed in several parts of India by some Hindu fanatics. In attempting to kill and drive the "devilish" Christian missionaries out of the country, they are exposing the devil that rules their own minds. In attacking the inappropriate behavior of Christians they are revealing the inherent faults in their own religion and fragile nature of their own beliefs. They forget that Hinduism of their conception needs their protection if they believe that without them their Hinduism is weak and defenseless. We want to draw their attention to the Indian Constitution which guarantees and to all the citizens "...justice - social, economic, and political; liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; equality of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all fraternity, assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity of the nation." We want to remind them of what Gandhiji once said, " I do not expect the India of my dreams to develop one religion, that is, to be wholly Hindu, or wholly Christian or wholly Islam, but I want it to be wholly tolerant, with its religions working side by side with one another." We want them to listen to what President K. R. Narayanan said in his address to the nation on January 25, 1999, the eve of India's 49th Republic Day: "The unity of our nation is not based on any monolithic idea, but on our age-old tradition of tolerance which is at once a pragmatic concept of living together and a philosophic concept of finding the truth and goodness in every religion." We appeal to them to please not try to protect our Hinduism. It has been strong enough to survive thorough about 4,000 years of its turbulent history without their kind of protection. Yes, if they really want to help, we urge them to direct their efforts to eradicate from it the un-Hindu practices of casteism, and mistreatment of women. FEATURE * The ideals of secularism are on test in India by K. Gopalakrishnan (From India-West, 2/2/99) The assault on the Indian Constitution, allegedly by Hindu fanatics, continue unabated in Gujarat, reflecting poorly on the government of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. More than anything, the incidents in Gujarat, in particular, are an ugly mark on the secular character of India. The government's alleged failure to protect and uphold the constitutional provisions and insensitivity to the criminal acts against the minorities have tarnished the image of the country internationally. The value-based politics in action, to say the least, poses a major challenge to the rule of law. The principle of secularism, as understood by the framers of the Constitution, is revealed in several articles of the basic law. In short, it is that religion is not a factor that determines the relations between the state and its citizens. B.R. Ambedkar, known as the architect of the Indian Constitution, said, "It does not mean that we can abolish religion, it does not mean that we shall not take into consideration the religious entiments of the people. All that a secular state means is that this Parliament shall not be competent to impose any particular religion upon the rest of the people. That is the only limitation that the Constitution recognizes. We are not here to flout the sentiments of the people." The right to religion, in specific terms, is guaranteed by the Constitution, Article 25 states: "Subject to public order, morality, and health, and to other provisions of this part, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise, and propagate religion." Propagating a religion is often mistaken as converting one to another. As the late P.B. Gajendra- gadkar, eminent jurist, held: "Deliberate attempts at conversion are inappropriate in a truly secular society." But propagation is an entirely different cup of tea. If anyone propagates the teachings of Bhagwad Gita, the Bible, the Quran, or the GuruGranth Saheb, he cannot be faulted. This is perfectly in order. So is the case with the teachings of sages. Even today, we find the message of holy men or women being propagated and millions finding solace and contentment in these. We witness regularly many following the path prescribed by such holy persons and try to realize the best in them. In the case of Christianity in India, the beginnings were a voluntary embracing of the message of Christ, propagated by St. Thomas, according to one version, in A.D. 52, even by those belonging to the highest the caste hierarchy - the Namboodiris of Kerala. Christianity has been practised in India, particularly in Kerala, even before the Europeans knew about the message of Jesus Christ. These Christians had nothing to do with Rome. An example of this separate identity assertion is mentioned in Documentacao para historia III, 550, a reproduction from a report from India to the king of Portugal (1515-18): "The St. Thomas Christians have no interest in mingling with the Portugese: it is not because they are not happy to be Christians as we are, but because we are among them as the English and the Germans are among us. AS to their natural customs, their will has been corrupted by their priests who assert that, as there are 12 apostles, so also there are 12 customs established by them, each different from the other." Forced conversions were reported mainly from Goa. The only other complaint is that the missionaries operate successfully among the tribals to whom God appears in the form of food. But then this is an area where every religious and social organization can work, preferring not to leave to Christian missionaries alone. But people do not convert, or abandon their faith, for jobs or food alone. A classic example, in recent times, is that of Meenakshipuram, where the lower caste members of society embraced Islam en masse mainly for human dignity, denied by the caste Hindus. In the case of Christians in India, historically they have been working for the betterment of society. Their contributions in the field of education and health are unique. In some states, even the governments have not done as much as the missionaries in these fields. Very few are willing to venture into the emote areas and work for the upliftment of the socially and economically backward people. The community never had any problem, as being experienced now. In fact, acknowledging the good work done in the field of education, there is a rush by parents belonging to the majority community for their wards to get admitted into Christian educational institutions. The recent elections to four state assemblies have proved that the people do not harbor any narrow communal feelings. In spite of the presence of candidates of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the voters preferred the Congress, headed by a Christian woman of foreign origin. Though BJP has managed to form a federal government in New Delhi, the Indian people by and large subscribe to the loft ideals of secularism enshrined in the Constitution. What is to be understood in this context is the Christian community and the church should not fall a prey to the machinations of the Hindu fanatics. They want to create fissures and cleavages in Indian society, which alone can keep them and their relevance alive. The Hindu nationalist fraternity has almost succeeded in dragging the institutions and masses of the Muslim community into a confrontation. Now its attempt is to isolate the Christian institutions, whose reaction in some cases indicate that its strategy is succeeding. The attempt by the Hindu nationalists is to turn he overwhelmingly secular masses into religious fanatics. The sad reality is that if the minorities fall victims, it will only hurt them. A secular India expects the best out of everyone, and not the worst. The essence of religion should pervade society, instead of the madness that is prevailing in some minds. Naturally, India woild be a better place if a thousand flowers bloom, not one. At this crucial phase of the country, the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi seem relevant, as usual. Years ago he cautioned, "The need of the moment is not one religion, but mutual respect and to tolerance to of the devotees of different religions. We want to reach not the dead level, but unity in diversity. Ant attempt to root out traditions, effects of heredity, climate and other surroundings is not only bound to fail but is sacrilege. The soul of religion is one, but it is encased in a multitude of forms. "The latter will persist to the end of time. Wise men will ignore the outward crust and see the same sou living under a variety of crusts. For Hindus to expect Islam, Christianity, or Zoroastrianism to be driven out of India is as idle a dream as it would be for Muslims to have only Islam of their imagination rule the world...Truth is the exclusive property of no single scripture." OPINION * A Kill Before Dying by Vir Sanghvi (Excerpts from Rediff on the Net 2/8/99) One of the few iron rules of Indian politics is this: in every situation, there comes a point of no return. After that point is reached, no matter what you do, you have lost control of the situation. A recent example was the ransacking of the offices of the Board of Control for Cricket in India by the Shiv Sena's thugs. Until then, most educated people had disapproved of the Sena's attempts to stop the Pakistan tour but the prevailing emotion was despair. Once the ransacking took place, however, the despair turned quickly to anger. There is a consensus that the Sena had finally gone too far and that action needed to be taken... Until a week ago, most of us were horrified by the rape of nuns and the stoning of missionary institutions. But nothing has affected educated Indians as deeply as the burning alive of the Australian missionary, Graham Stains, and his two small children in Manoharpur in Orissa. There has been some controversy over whether Stains was actually involved in converting tribals.... But even if we were to accept the version of the Hindutva loonies -- that Stains converted tribals -- I don't think that it would, in any way, lessen the shock, revulsion, anger and outrage felt by most Hindus. What the VHP and its partners-in-arms a fail to recognise is that Hinduism is a very content religion. Hindus don't need to convert others, they have no evangelical zeal. Nor are Hindu gods jealous gods. In many Hindu families in Punjab, one son will be brought up as a Sikh while his brothers remain Hindus. Similarly, Hinduism is quite willing to accept that Jains, who revere Mahavir and the Tirthankaras, have a right to worship Hindu gods as well. The Hindu view of the world is a self-satisfied one in which the superiority of the Hindu religion is taken for granted and, therefore, the worship of other gods is not seen as a threat. The Ayodhya movement marked, in Karan Singh's memorable phrase, the beginning of the semitisation of Hinduism. Assorted lumpen youths were gathered under a Hindu banner and made to behave in a manner more suited to Ayatollah Khomeini's Iranian rabble. Hindus took that -- up to a point -- because of anger at what they saw as the central government's pandering to the more fanatical elements in the Muslim community. But even the Ayodhya movement collapsed when it went too far -- the destruction of the Babri Masjid. Hindus are not comfortable with the destruction of other people's places of worship. This, alas, is a lesson that the loony Hindutva forces have failed to grasp When they complain about Fire, most moderate Hindus see them as behaving like the Taliban. When they complain about conversions, they touch a chord (Hindus remain uneasy about any religion with a jealous god) but they run out of public sympathy once the complaints lead to violence. The murder of Stains and his children must be seen in that context. What rational person would condone burning a man alive? Who can fail to shocked and angered by the actions of a mob that burns two children for no crime other than being their father's sons? That such an incident should take place is bad enough. That it should happen to a foreigner in India is even worse -- it belittles us as a nation. But that it should be done in the name of Hinduism is unforgivable. As far as the vast majority of Hindus are concerned, Acharya Giriraj Kishore has as much to do with Hinduism as did Ayatollah Khomeini. Almost everywhere I have gone in the last week, there have been anger and dismay over the Orissa incidents. People finally feel that they have had enough. The Sangh Parivar has been condemned -- not because it is too Hindu but because its actions have nothing to do with Hinduism.... * Why do these Hindu groups always seek to turn India into a Hindu Pakistan? By Amberish K Diwanji (Excerpts from Rediff on the NeT 2/4/99) The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has demanded that all conversions be banned, that missionary activities be abolished. By seeking to ban conversions, the VHP is assuming that the tribals are a dumb poor lot who lack the intelligence to make rational choices themselves, that they leave Hinduism because the missionaries trick or bribe them. This is Brahminical thinking of the worst kind similar to the days when Brahmins laid down all the rules for the entire society. Indian laws ban forcible or induced conversions and such cases must be prosecuted and punished. That is the job of the State. No doubt a few countries like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia don't allow conversions. But then good, mature democracies such as UK and US do allow it. So who's our example? Why do these Hindu groups always seek to turn India into Hindu Pakistan? Years ago, Brahmins told the lower castes what they could do and not do, and laid down every law of society, to their advantage and other Hindus disadvantage. Today, the same Brahmins are now telling the tribals that they will henceforth have no right to convert. Is he to suffer damnation at the hands of the upper castes forever and ever? This is most dangerous and utterly wrong. If the VHP really has guts, why don't they take on the missionaries and spread Hinduism? Why doesn't the VHP change the thinking and prejudice of the upper castes? Is it because the VHP knows it really cannot succeed in these twin tasks? In 1981, a group of dalits in Meenakshipuram, Tamil Nadu, converted to Islam declaring that they were fed up of being mistreated by the dominant Thevar (a caste group above the Dalits; Thevar-Dalit riots still continue with sickening regularity). Please remember that the dalits who converted were not among the poorest of the poor; on the contrary they were above the poverty levels, were literate, and had jobs. But they converted because they hated being treated as second class citizens (just like Indians hate being treated so in Western countries). Two weeks ago, a leading newspaper carried a report on the Meenakshipuram Dalits who had converted. They all declared that after conversion, no Thevar had dared to attack or misbehave with them, that after conversion they got the respect which they never got as Dalits. And, of course, there was the added bonus that some of them even got jobs in he Middle East. But no one had converted for want of a job; they did for want of respect. The respect that other Hindus don't give the dalits (and tribals). Journalist P Sainath is currently writing a book on the plight of Dalits and tribals in India, 50 years after Independence. Excerpts from the book have been carried in newspapers and they make bloodcurdling reading. Sample just a few that I recall from memory: · In south India, tea stalls keep two glasses, one for the Dalits and one for all others (upper caste Hindus, Muslims, etc. Please note that upper caste Hindus and Muslims are treated alike, but not Hindus of different castes); · In villages in Uttar Pradesh, when a Dalit bridegroom rode a horse to the wedding hall, upper caste boys beat him up for having the audacity to carry out an upper caste practise (riding a horse). The poor groom was forced to walk, signifying his lowly status (would they dare to attack Muslims?); · A Dalit woman sarpanch, who hoisted the Indian flag on Independence Day last year was stripped naked and paraded through the village in Madhya Pradesh for doing her duty as an Indian. Incidentally, tales of Dalit women being stripped naked and paraded are endless, the practice showing no end. Await Sainath's book for more. What has the VHP and its allied organisations done to stop all this? Have they ensured that upper caste culprits are punished and such crimes stopped? And if such upper caste persons do not want Dalits (and tribals) to be Hindus equal with them, why should the Dalits and tribals remain Hindus at all? The VHP lamely claims it is working to eradicate the caste system. But they are just not working hard enough. The VHP says it has set up 10,000 schools, but the need is 10 million. In today's fast paced world, no individual will await another birth or 10 years for salvation: he wants it here and now. And if Hinduism cannot give that, too bad, there are other religions. When the VHP reconverted the tribal people in the Dangs to Hinduism, it made them go through a purification ceremony. This involved making the tribal bathe in a hot spring and recite the Hanuman Chalisa (copies of which were handed out). Frankly, this effort stinks of casteism. Why could not the VHP have done the upanayan ceremony and invested the tribals with a sacred thread (the mark of Hinduism)? Is it because the only half Hindus and low caste? This is why the VHP is doomed to fail, why Hinduism is unable to wipe out the horrendous blight of casteism. Because the Brahmins in the VHP and RSS simply cannot bring themselves to give up their own prejudices and treat all equally. Let us clearly recognise one fact. If Hinduism is to remain a religion for the Brahmins and upper castes, then no one else will want to be part of it. Today tribals and Dalits are leaving, tomorrow other so-called lower castes will follow suit. If ever all lower castes become part of another faith, the upper castes are doomed. To stop conversion, Hinduism has to reform radically.... The VHP and other Hindu organisations must realise that to spread the faith, you need people from the background that you are working among. Despite racism and apartheid, Christianity spread among the Blacks simply because there were a sufficient number of black priests who could soothe and preach. These black priests in turn were initiated by white Christians committed to the religion. Hinduism has the great example of the Bhakti movement that swept across the country and among all castes, especially the lower. Unfortunately, the VHP seeks Brahminical and ritualisic Hinduism rather than the bhakti king. The VHP would do well to revive bhakti propagation in India. Also, to win over the tribals, there must be tribal Hindus spreading the word, conducting ceremonies, singing bhakti songs and prayers all in the languages of the tribals. Religion alone, of course, is not the answer. Along with is needed progress in all the facets of life, and helping tribals face the moneylender, landlord and forest contractor who have reduced them to slaves. Alas, it is here that the VHP faces trouble, because the moneylenders, landlords and contractors are usually Hindus and often VHP supporters. The VHP will have to choose between the two. DID YOU KNOW * At least half million people are being hired by the Indian IT industry annually. The demand for IT professionals is expected to grow significantly in view of the software export targets fixed by the Indian government. * The number of cellular subscriptions grew from 794,000 in December 1997 to approximately 1.085 million in December 1998, a growth of 291,000 subscribers. The number of mobile phones of various types in India may count up to 10 million by 2007. A discussion paper put up to the government's Group on Telecommunications says that mobile phones would overtake fixed phone services in the country. In the short term, the paper estimates that the number of phones would touch 2.2 million by 2002. In addition, value-added mobile services, including mobile computing, data, fax, videophone services would grow along with traditional mobile phones in 2002-2007. The paper estimates an additional demand of telephones from 1997 to 2007 to be 66.4 million, of which 23.7 million would be for the period from 1997-2002.The number of users would grow to astronomical figures by 2007, putting the number of users to be about 1.5 to 2 million by 2002. * Many Japanese companies are looking for joint software ventures in India, according to the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council Executive Director R H Naqvi. Already Japan has galloped from nowhere to reach the third spot among India's major software markets, trailing only behind the US (57 per cent) and the European Union (26.2 per cent). Japan now accounts for 7.55 per cent of the software exported from India. * Software exports from India are set to exceed Rs 110 billion by the end of this fiscal year, according to an analysis by the National Association of Software and Service Companies. In Rupees it would constitute 68 per cent growth. The industry posted an export turnover of Rs 65.3 billion in the last fiscal year. * Bhoj Open University of Madhya Pradesh has been directed by the state government to spearhead a Rs. 59.5 million drive to provide computer education in its 417 government higher secondary schools. The project envisages setting up of a modern computer laboratory and a computer library in each government high secondary school. A program to train two teachers from each school is already being implemented. * A series of its 15 pharmaceutical products will be launched in USA by the Bombay-based company, Wockhardt, in a joint venture with New Jersey company Sidmark. * Suicides in India have gone up 62 per cent from 54,357 in 1986 to 88,241 in 1996, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. West Bengal, with 14,082 cases, was right on top, accounting for 15.96 per cent of the total suicides in the country. The states that followed close on heels were Maharashtra (11,216), Tamil Nadu (9,003), Karnataka (8,820) and Kerala (8,086). These five states together accounted for 58 per cent of the suicides reported in the country. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which have a higher population, reported comparatively lower percentage. In 1996, these recorded just 5.07 and 1.03 per cent respectively, of the total. Among the Union Territories, Delhi reported the highest number (958) followed by Pondicherry (519). There was no suicide in Lakshadweep. Among the cities, Bombay (1,086), Madras (912) and Delhi (799) hogged the top slots. On an average, two to three suicides were reported a day in these cities. Illness (20.14 per cent) and family trouble (18.88) were two main crises that people were unable to cope with. The other significant factors that led to suicides were love affairs (4.16 per cent), poverty (3.51), failure in examinations (2.65), dowry (2.47) and property disputes (2.13 per cent). The male-female ratio of suicide victims in 1996 stood at 58:42. Suspected illicit relations, marriage, not having children, death of dear ones, dowry dispute, divorce, illegitimate pregnancy and physical abuse were among the reasons for females taking their lives. Men, on the other hand, were driven to death by bankruptcy, drug abuse, fall in social reputation, professional problems, property dispute and unemployment. Youths (15-29 years) and middle-aged people (30-44 years) were the prime groups resorting to suicide. Of the total, around 38 per cent of the victims were youths and 33 per cent middle-aged persons. Among children, below 14 years, more girls (1,721) than boys (1,683) took their lives. Failure in examinations was the main reason for their action. Housewives accounted for 22 per cent of the victims. Nearly 64 per cent of the total were married while 23 per cent were never married. Divorced and separated people, and widows and widowers each constituted around six per cent. In the unmarried and separated categories, 61 per cent of the victims were males. Among the married category more males (58 per cent) than females committed suicide. And in the divorced group, more females (823) than males (678) resorted to the extreme step. Most of the victims (76 per cent) were uneducated or had low education (up to middle class). Only 23 per cent of the victims had graduated from high school. Hanging (26 per cent), consumption of insecticides (19 per cent) and other poisons (18 per cent) were the most favoured means to call it quits. HOLIDAYS: February 14 Mahashivratri &Valentine's Day, 15 Presidents' Day, March 1 Holi ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT * February 27, Eugene, OR, USA: CLASSICAL MUSIC OF NORTH INDIA with Kartik Seshadri on Sitar at 8 p.m., at Beall Hall, University of Oregon. Tickets at $10 and $ 8. More info from 541- 485-2000 ext 2533. * Till March 3, New Delhi, India: END OF THE ROAD FOR DELHI'S HARLEY DAVIDSONS. Delhi's Phatphatias (Motorcycle Rickshwas) are brought to life again in an exhibition of photos by young artist Samar S Jodha. Harley Davidson motorcycles were mass imported to India around 1949 and were later auctioned. Some of them ended up being modified into three-wheeled motor-rickshaws. They were banned last October following the Supreme Court ruling on pollution after having plied on the capital's rods for four long decades. The exhibition is sponsored by India Habitat Centre and Fotomedia. *April 24, Seattle, WA, USA: 1999 THYAGARAJA MUSIC FESTIVAL sponsored by the ACME (Academy for Carnatic Music Education), a non-profit organization, will be held at Lakeside School, 14050 1st Avenue North East, Shoreline, Seattle, Washington 98125. More info from <www.sadhana.com> OTHER EVENTS * February 10, Vancouver, WA, USA: UNRAVELING THE MYSTERIES OF THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION a talk by Dr. Steve Weber at 7:30 p.m. in the Washington State University Education/Human Development Building Room 101. More info from barnett @vancouver.wsu.edu * February 14, Tigard, OR, USA: SHIV RATHRI POOJA followed by a delicious dinner cooked by volunteers, 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Tigard Temple between More info from (503) 598-3073. * February 16, Washington, D.C., USA: CAN ASIANS THINK? A talk by Kishore Mahbubani, Singapore's Ambassador to the United Nations, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m, will attemp to answer questions like: Are we at the end of the Westernepoch? Is Western civilization universal? Does the West promote human rights for altruistic reasons? Is Japan adrift? Why has Southeast Asia not become the Balkans of Asia? Will Asian societies and civilizations recover from the recent financial crisis or will they languish for another century or so? Tickets at Asia Society members $7; non-members $10; students with ID $5. More info from 202.833.2742. * February 19-20, Vancouver, B.C., Canada: CONFERENCE ON THE RAMAYANA, More info from (mbose@interchange.ubc.ca) * February 20, Berkeley, CA, USA: SOUTH ASIAN IMPACT, a South Asian Intercollegiate Debate organized by INDUS, the South Asian Cultural Alliance, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the University of California's Berkeley campus. More info from 510-843-4166. * February 27, Seattle, WA, USA: SOUTH ASIA COLLOQUIUM OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST (SACPAN) Talks "Take This Child: Why Women Abandon Their Infants in Bangladesh" by Margot Wilson-Moore, University of Victoria, "Sex and the Single Convict: Female Prisoners and Social Disorder in the Andamans" by Satadru Sen, Dept. of History, University of Washington at Faculty Club, University of Washington Campus. More info rom <sascuw@u.washington.edu>. * Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India: ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM IN INDIA, a 15-credit foreign study program for graduate and undergraduate students in architecture, planning, landscape architecture at the School of Architecture, Center for Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad, including field trips to Rajasthan, Chandigarh and Bombay. More info from vprakash@u.washington.edu BOOKS * Ruttie Jinnah: Jinnah-The Life Partner of Quaid-e-Azam by Khwaja Razi Haider. The book is an exhaustive life account of the daughter of a Parsee gentlemen Sir Dinshaw Manakjee Petit, Ruttie. It talks about how she fell in love, and embraced Islam to marry with the young lawyer Mohammad Ali Jinah against the wishes of her father. The author has spared no pains to authenticate his findings through a lengthy bibliographic exercise. Review by by S.A. Haleem in 1/19/99 issue of Jang. * The Great Hill Stations of Asia by Barbra Crossette, the United Nations
Bureau Chief for the New York Times. A hill station is a British-Indian
creation of colonial times, when the Viceroy himself would lead an exodus
to the cooler climate of the hill during the brutal heat of the summer
months in the plains. Although originating in India, hill stations soon
appeared in Indonesia, Burma, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, the Philippines, even
Vietnam. The book is remarkable not only for its information on traveling
in the area, but also for its insights into the history, politics, religion
and economics of the region.
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