The apology tendered by Mr. Parasuraman

The New Indian Express came out with an unconditional apology from the writer Mr. Parasuraman when the Gujaratis and many others reacted to their article published on Feb 21, 2011. 

Nice to see that public opinion/criticism was taken constructively and that the morals of the media are in place.

Long Live Democracy!

February 23, 2011

To, 

The Editor,

The New Indian Express,

Kochi

This is in reply to your article titled "blunt edge - whose commandos are they?"

You have indeed succeeded in creating a sensation with your article. Congratulations on that, if you may! But let me tell you that you have succeeded in pissing-off people in the process, so much for your venomous article.

The article published in The New Indian Express dated Feb 21, 2011

Mr. Parasuram (I strongly believe he is a coward. Please convey this to him.) has written some very derogatory comments about the Gujaratis living in Kochi. I see no reason for him to do so, unless he had some stake in the Indi Commandos and was deprived of the same by the team owners. First of all he is forgetting that the IC is a cricket team and not a terrorist outfit owned by somebody living in Gujarat or for any part of this Earth, for God's sake.

He also seems to be very much in tune with the Gujarati lifestyle because he has named some food items which the Malayalees are not easily familiar with. So, I would say he is stabbing his friends in the back.

He calls the spice traders smugglers. Gujaratis and the people of Gujarat are the highest tax paying people of the country. Your newspaper is also from the Goenka group. They are marwaris, I believe. Smart business people.

I know you are not about to print this letter in your "Letters to the Editor" section and even if you did, it would be edited to suit your taste. I don't even want you to do it. I dare your respected journalist to go back to the ethics of his profession and write. I also dare you to publish similar hate-articles against the minority community. The next day your office would be ransacked and gutted in fire.

You may have gained some, but remember you will lose some too. People like myself who always read TNIE will now switch to some other daily. My money will not go to feed the mouths of hate-propagators.

If you have the courage and the morals, please make your respected journalist write an apology to the Gujaratis. I don't think you will do it, because you simply don't have it in you.

With all due respects cos you deserve none,
Shefali A Shah,

Cochin

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What brought me to the Chinmaya Mission?

It was November 2002, Children's Day was being celebrated @ the KDO (for the uninitiated it means Kutchi Dasha Oswal - the community I belong to) Mahila Manch (the ladies wing of the community). Three ladies were invited to make the evening special for the children. They started off with Hindu prayers (I have to specify, bcos KDO is a Jain community) and I was glued; glued forever. I don't really know what they made the kids do later, but I was hooked for life.


I later learnt that the three ladies in question were Sarojben, Neela Vasant and Neela Rajesh and these three ladies took Bal Vihar classes for children every Saturday from 4 pm to 5:30 pm. It sounded nice and interesting 'cause otherwise I wasn't doing much in life except cook three times a day and be a dutiful housewife (whether I liked it or not). I so wanted to join them. I don't know why, where, how..but some strange power kept pulling me towards the Bal Vihar. I just wanted to be there. I expressed my desire but it was phoo-phooed.


I forgot all about it. Rather, put it at the back of my mind with the thought that it will never work out. But God has his plans and no one can phoo-phoo them.


It was March 2004. Arvind and I moved to Lalan Road; not a very good address, but we were moving out of a joint family and setting up our own nest. So the address was really not important. We had dreams, aspirations and hope.

And, who is my new neighbour but Mrs. Neela Vasant herself. WOW! Was God being generous or what? We got off on a fantastic start as neighbours. Slowly, the seed of joining Bal Vihar started sprouting again. I expressed my desire to my hubby and with the green signal, offered my services to Bal Vihar via Neela Aunty.


And, I have not looked back since. My association with the Chinmaya Mission had begun. I was on my journey. Journey of life.


I have turned a full 180 degrees as a person; and still more room to change and get better.


I love my life. It's worth everything I stand for today. 


God has indeed been kind and gracious. I know He is there for me. With his Blue Umbrella. I can feel His presence in my every day. He works miracles in my life and I feel them. 


I have found some of the best gems in his treasury and they are my crown jewels.