Comments on: Chomsky & Co. on Nandigram http://amitavakumar.blogsome.com/2007/11/21/chomsky-co-on-nandigram/ Reading Writing Teaching Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:16:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: moi http://amitavakumar.blogsome.com/2007/11/21/chomsky-co-on-nandigram/#comment-858 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:03:32 +0100 http://amitavakumar.blogsome.com/2007/11/21/chomsky-co-on-nandigram/#comment-858 I think Anjaan Singh might have been a little more nuanced in his/her comment, but there's little doubt that Waris is responding in the most limited and literal sense possible. I don't know about all the signatories, but Victoria Brittain looks pretty white to me (even if she is really from Bengal). In any case, whether someone's skin color is black, brown, or white is irrelevant in this debate. Tariq Ali, if I'm not mistaken, is British-Pakistani, and Vijay Prashad is from an elite Indian background and, if I'm not mistaken, a permanent resident of the United States. They have a stake in the white-dominated US and UK. I'm not sure whether that's what Anjaan was trying to get at. Although they are distinguished scholars and writers, it is not altogether surprisinig that these signatories' concerns seem largely removed from the reality of the peasants in Nandigram -- and, in that sense, utterly academic. The signatories are effectively saying the peasants of Nandigram must share in the world's burden of resisting those who were put in office (or at least allowed to take office) by American voters. That is offensively self-absorbed. American and British citizens/ permanent residents can fight their own battles at home, make their democracies work, and remove the "rancor" from their "public space". They should leave the peasants of Bengal alone if they can't actually support their right to live securely on their land, and practice their way of life. <i>Especially</i> if they call themselves leftist. I think Anjaan Singh might have been a little more nuanced in his/her comment, but there’s little doubt that Waris is responding in the most limited and literal sense possible. I don’t know about all the signatories, but Victoria Brittain looks pretty white to me (even if she is really from Bengal). In any case, whether someone’s skin color is black, brown, or white is irrelevant in this debate. Tariq Ali, if I’m not mistaken, is British-Pakistani, and Vijay Prashad is from an elite Indian background and, if I’m not mistaken, a permanent resident of the United States. They have a stake in the white-dominated US and UK. I’m not sure whether that’s what Anjaan was trying to get at. Although they are distinguished scholars and writers, it is not altogether surprisinig that these signatories’ concerns seem largely removed from the reality of the peasants in Nandigram — and, in that sense, utterly academic. The signatories are effectively saying the peasants of Nandigram must share in the world’s burden of resisting those who were put in office (or at least allowed to take office) by American voters. That is offensively self-absorbed. American and British citizens/ permanent residents can fight their own battles at home, make their democracies work, and remove the “rancor” from their “public space”. They should leave the peasants of Bengal alone if they can’t actually support their right to live securely on their land, and practice their way of life. Especially if they call themselves leftist.

]]> by: waris http://amitavakumar.blogsome.com/2007/11/21/chomsky-co-on-nandigram/#comment-806 Mon, 26 Nov 2007 10:25:59 +0000 http://amitavakumar.blogsome.com/2007/11/21/chomsky-co-on-nandigram/#comment-806 Anjaan: You are wrong. Tariq Ali, Walden Bello, Vijay Prashad and Victoria Brittain are not "white people". They are Pakistani, Filipino, and Indian. You might wonder about someone named Victoria Brittain: she is from Bengal. Waris. Anjaan:
You are wrong.
Tariq Ali, Walden Bello, Vijay Prashad and Victoria Brittain are not “white people”. They are Pakistani, Filipino, and Indian. You might wonder about someone named Victoria Brittain: she is from Bengal.
Waris.

]]> by: Anjaan Singh http://amitavakumar.blogsome.com/2007/11/21/chomsky-co-on-nandigram/#comment-804 Sun, 25 Nov 2007 08:12:21 +0000 http://amitavakumar.blogsome.com/2007/11/21/chomsky-co-on-nandigram/#comment-804 Oh great! Nandigram at last, but only following the lead of some white people! No condemnation? How about Taslima Nasreen? Oh great! Nandigram at last, but only following the lead of some white people! No condemnation?

How about Taslima Nasreen?

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