tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38282176.post5735310401752943075..comments2024-03-25T15:09:18.577-05:00Comments on Abraham George - Uncovering the Truth Behind Poverty: Is Social Justice Just a Dream?Abraham M. George, The George Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13555482832813847506noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38282176.post-42096646940565310072007-08-10T10:39:00.000-05:002007-08-10T10:39:00.000-05:00i came across your foundation a few mnths back on ...i came across your foundation a few mnths back on the internet and have been very impressed by the work you are doing.last mnth,i hunted around a lot for your book "india untouched" and finally managed to get it.i found the story of your school and related projects very fascinating but was a little disturbed to read the chapter "of holy cows ------" and now this blog about social unequality.i feel you have presented only one side of the coin -the darker side.i feel there is another side too -the positive side.for that i want to say something about myself.<BR/>i am a keralite hindu butgrew up in calcutta.over the years,we have had several dear friends belonging to different states,castes and religions both at home and at schooland even now.in fact language,caste and religion has never been a criterion for making friends.on the contrary,the differences in food habits,festivals etc is a source of joy as it means we can taste different tasty food and celebrate all the festivals.<BR/>when i went to university,i met my future husband.i was from the so called forward caste while,he was from the so called backward caste and also a different state.his grandparents were poor farm labourers but his father got into the airforce so they moved out of the village and stayed in different parts of india and the children studied in kendriya vidyalayas.they were bright so they became well qualified and are at present pursuing successful careers.but the background didnt make the least bit of difference to me.neither did it make a difference to my father and so he immediately agreed to our marriage.this december,we will complete 13yrs of a very happy married life.<BR/>my husband is a well educated and very successful executive in an indian owned multi national company where all the employees are indians.caste has never been a barrier to his progress.he has people from different castes working above and below him.in fact caste is no where on the scene.as i look around i find it is the same in all good private companies.the only thing that matters is educational qualification and competence.<BR/>i have to also add that my husband has had some very close brahmin friends as well inspite of them knowing about his caste.in fact,caste is something we almost never think about.i am mentioning about it here just to explain something .otherwise caste is the last thing on my mind.in fact i would feel sick if i think on those lines.<BR/>ours is not an unique case.rather it is quite common in urban india.i feel the urban educated indian doesnt have the prejudices you have described.<BR/>also on the national level,if people were truly biased,our [now former]president,dr.kalam a muslim,wouldnt have been so highly respected in india.he has become like a national hero with people regardless of their religion or language,holding him in such high regard.i am yet to meet a single person who doesnt agree that we have all been honoured to have had a president like him.<BR/>likewise,many top bollywood stars are muslims who have a huge fan following among indians regardless of their religion.<BR/>i am not saying you are wrong.but i think it is a description of rural india.it is very unfortunate but there is hope it will change with good education and good jobs.afterall,a lot of present urbanites in india had their roots in rural india.<BR/>so i think you should be more optimistic.you are on the right path with shanti bhavan and one day you will <BR/>see that the children of shanti bhavan with their education and successful careers will blend into the mainstream quite effortlessly.<BR/>ps-i also have something to say regarding the chapter "of holy cows ---" in your book but i will do it another time.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17026841389987318492noreply@blogger.com