and/or www.mantra.com/jai (Dr. Jai Maharaj)
2012-10-19 03:20:36 UTC
Indian gods and China are firm favourites
By Sunanda K DattaRay
Editorial
The Pioneer
Friday, October 19, 2012
While Cambodians recognise, and are proud of, their
Indian heritage, they are much closer sentimentally to
China. Repeated policy blunders by New Delhi have not
helped matters
The death a few days ago of the legendary 90-year-old
former King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia was a reminder
of the crassness Indian functionaries often demonstrate
in dealing with other Asian civilisations. This is not,
of course, a universal failing. When I mentioned Cambodia
once to Saharuddin Ahmed, curator of the Guwahati State
museum, he at once burst into a volley of Sanskrit that
was a medieval poem to the glory of the Hindu Prince
Cambu who had founded Cambuj-desa. But, then, the highly
learned curator is not politically important. The
Minister who persisted in referring to Kampuchea at a
conference on South-East Asia was.
Norodom Sihanouk, whose son, King Norodom Sihamoni, is
Cambodias present reigning monarch, would not have been
surprised. Though profoundly conscious of his countrys
deep cultural and historical debt to India, he also
complained of the arrogance and stupidity of modern
Indias rulers and their generally superior attitude.
He gave a telling example.
When he flew the Royal Cambodian Ballet, featuring his
daughter, Princess Bopha Devi, to Kolkata and Chennai for
performances, high-ranking Indian dignitaries assumed the
dances were Indian and asked if he enjoyed the
performance. They believed that at my reception it was
an Indian troupe performing for them! was his outraged
response. Worse followed. When Norodom Sihanouk explained
that his two Dakotas had flown the dancers, their
costumes and equipment from Cambodia, astonished Indians
added insult to injury by asking, You have a runway in
Cambodia?
Continues here:
http://dailypioneer.com/columnists/item/52672-indian-gods-and-china-are-firm-favourites.html
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
By Sunanda K DattaRay
Editorial
The Pioneer
Friday, October 19, 2012
While Cambodians recognise, and are proud of, their
Indian heritage, they are much closer sentimentally to
China. Repeated policy blunders by New Delhi have not
helped matters
The death a few days ago of the legendary 90-year-old
former King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia was a reminder
of the crassness Indian functionaries often demonstrate
in dealing with other Asian civilisations. This is not,
of course, a universal failing. When I mentioned Cambodia
once to Saharuddin Ahmed, curator of the Guwahati State
museum, he at once burst into a volley of Sanskrit that
was a medieval poem to the glory of the Hindu Prince
Cambu who had founded Cambuj-desa. But, then, the highly
learned curator is not politically important. The
Minister who persisted in referring to Kampuchea at a
conference on South-East Asia was.
Norodom Sihanouk, whose son, King Norodom Sihamoni, is
Cambodias present reigning monarch, would not have been
surprised. Though profoundly conscious of his countrys
deep cultural and historical debt to India, he also
complained of the arrogance and stupidity of modern
Indias rulers and their generally superior attitude.
He gave a telling example.
When he flew the Royal Cambodian Ballet, featuring his
daughter, Princess Bopha Devi, to Kolkata and Chennai for
performances, high-ranking Indian dignitaries assumed the
dances were Indian and asked if he enjoyed the
performance. They believed that at my reception it was
an Indian troupe performing for them! was his outraged
response. Worse followed. When Norodom Sihanouk explained
that his two Dakotas had flown the dancers, their
costumes and equipment from Cambodia, astonished Indians
added insult to injury by asking, You have a runway in
Cambodia?
Continues here:
http://dailypioneer.com/columnists/item/52672-indian-gods-and-china-are-firm-favourites.html
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti