This was prompted by the following observations of “factcheck” to which I responded.

*** COMMENT by FACTCHECK ***

In all this concern about Muslims becoming radicalized, have you realized that you folks have become extremely radicalized yourself?!- and unmentionable in polite conversation. I am sure all of you have a laundry list of justifications for why you have become thus. Just check with the jihadis, they have a similar list of deeply held grievances too. And in your propaganda, both of your class use the same tools- generalization, paranoia of the mainstream, conspiracy theories about media, etc. FYI, there are a ton of mind-control weirdos out there too. And btw, nothing Dharma about what you are doing….regds

So Shantanu, I am astounded as I read more about you on your website. So you are ex-IFS, and have lived and worked in the liberal West, yet you post and give others the opportunity to post as if you are a fringe hate group?
You blame the incompetent Indian media- do you think the UK media will allow you to generalize about groups as you freely do?
I am saddened that your apparent epiphany did not reveal this great truth- that hate and divisiveness is never productive, that it will seduce you with its apparent logic. How do you distinguish yourself from the base divisive passions of the jihadi? And then you call your website satyameva-jayate! What did they say about this being kali-yuga…feel free to delete my posts..regds

*** MY RESPONSE ***

@ factcheck: I have not seen you here before, so welcome.

I will briefly address your comments…and I do hope you respond…

1] “you folks have become extremely radicalized yourself?!- and unmentionable in polite conversation“. Can you pl. help me understand just how a discussion such as above is an indication of “radicalization”? Or did I miss something?

I am aware that a lot (probably most!) of what I write is unmentionable in polite conversations…That is a choice others have made – not me. I have no idea where you are based or where have you lived/grown-up in India. But the portents in India are ominous. You can choose to discuss these issues – or have a polite conversation about the weather. I have made my choice.

“…generalization, paranoia of the mainstream, conspiracy theories about media“. Specifics please.

“…And btw, nothing Dharma about what you are doing…” Can you please share what is your understanding of “Dharma” – so we can discuss whether this is “dharmic” or not?

“You blame the incompetent Indian media- do you think the UK media will allow you to generalize about groups as you freely do?” My concern is not so much with the Indian (or UK) media – as it is with issues that are likely to shape developments in India over the coming decades.

“…hate and divisiveness is never productive” – I agree. But you cannot paper over fundamental differences in values under the guise of maintaining “unity” and “harmony”. One can choose to be blind about these things but that does not make them go away.

“…feel free to delete my posts..” – Nice try! If you had spent some more time on the website you would have realised that I don’t delete comments just because they are critical of me – or my approach.

If you are really serious and concerned about the direction this site is taking, I hope you will engage in a debate and a conversation – and suggest alternative approaches to dealing with some of the issues I address…rather than making sweeping generalisations.

Pl. note the last few lines of the post above…I will repeat them below: “Where is the debate on these trends? Where is the discussion? Where is the analysis?”

Welcome to the debate.

P.S. And finally, a request: if you do not wish to share your email address on this site, pl. type satyacomment AT gmail.com in the email address field. Otherwise your comment is likely to get stuck in the moderation queue. Thanks.

Excerpts from his post:
..Five years after the massacre of Russian children in Beslan at the hands of “Caucuses Jihadists” (Jihadiyu al Qafqaz), this attack is still catalogued as the lowest form of Salafi Jihadi Terror on civilian population.

…Wars have always had inhuman results, no matter what is the scale. Since the early 20th century, terrorism has perpetrated mass killing of innocents, condemned by all moral values. Salafi jihadism in particular has produced extreme scales of bloodshed against civilians, comparing with the monstrosity of totalitarian regimes under Hitler or Pol Pot, among others.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and throughout the 1990s, Salafi terror groups operating from the Philippines to Algeria have butchered families, students, journalists, elderly, and the weakest elements of civil society.

Children, too, have been murdered during these ghazwas (jihadi raids). In the post 9/11 era, al-Qaida, the Taliban, Indonesia’ Jemaa, the Janjaweed in Darfur, and the Shabab of Somalia, among others, have bombed and slaughtered kids. The al-Muhayya bombing in Saudi Arabia, the Amman bloody wedding, and the Baghdad’s surreal infanticides are only examples as to how Salafi jihadists and Khomeinist operatives have gone in their devastation of children’s lives.

Obviously, the young souls lost in New York, Madrid, and London testifies to the universality of jihadi terror. The latter’s ideologues do not exclude children from their operations, regardless of any consideration: The “caliphate” can be built on the skulls of all enemies, Muslims and non Muslim alike. But five years ago in Beslan, the zombies of jihadism took the Caucuses’ population to an unreached low.

Not only did the so-called “separatists” target specifically a school in the Russian town of Beslan, but they built their tactical goals on causing pain to the kids and their parents. We now know the details of the operation and have seen the atrocious pictures of boys and girls laying dead or being whisked out from the premises covered in blood.

…Beslan’s killings have something peculiar in its horror: a calculated will to display the scenery of captured children via media all over the world: The Jihadi Kamikazes were proud of doing it. For whatever the “Chechen cause” is, and regardless of the political debate surrounding it, Beslan’s savage “intention” shattered any demands the armed terrorists were allegedly advancing.

…The real message from that tragic episode, at least the one that has registered in Russia and around the world, is that jihadi terrorism has no moral bounders.

…Mumbai’s urban jihad alerted citizens across the planet that it can happen in any city. But Beslan’s butchery awoke basic instincts of parents: it can happen in any neighborhood, any school.

BTW, I am curious, why do you not live in the nation that you are so proud of?

Thanks

Let us take your questions again from a different angle –

““Wouldn’t you be proud of your ‘accidental’ parents if you find them good people compared to your neighbours?”

Yes, but only if I have imbibed of this goodness and they have taught me this goodness.

“Wouldn’t you be proud of your ‘accidental’ school if it turned out be producting great people and top scorers?”

Yes, if they also teach me to be great (whatever that mean, but that is another topic). And top scorer????? hahahahahahahahahahaahahahahaha! No.

“Wouldn’t you be proud to be born in a land of great leaders, accidentally?”

Yes, if that nation practices its greatness today, instead of leaning on a history that is long dead and gone and of little use to people starving in the same “great” nation.

And, more importantly, if that nation provides an environment TODAY where the least of its people can live a productive life.

Did you mean this stuff –
“Wouldn’t you be proud of your ‘accidental’ parents if you find them good people compared to your neighbours?
Wouldn’t you be proud of your ‘accidental’ school if it turned out be producting great people and top scorers?
Wouldn’t you be proud to be born in a land of great leaders, accidentally?”

Actually, if you have not contributed in any way to any of the above stuff, then it is all reflected glory – and, a matter of chance, probability.

It is akin to a rich man’s son putting on airs and trying to throw his weight around, because his father is rich, although he has contributed not one paisa to the creation of that wealth.

So, be proud if you wish to be.

I find such (misplaced) pride irrational and a cause of wars.