From: iview-AT-technologist.com
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1998 21:40:02 -0800
Subject: Re: Harvard conference organizers' diatribe -- IMPORTANT


In answer to Thakur's paragraph excerpted from his letter to Partha
Banerjee:

"I am sorry to hear that some of my sisters have listened to your
propaganda to boycot this conference. I most earnestly appeal to them
not to follow you blindly." [Thakur's letter to PB]

What Mr. Thakur doesn't realize is that those women he calls his
"sisters" are well able to make up their own minds, and do not need
inciting by Partha Banerjee.  The only issue I was responding to
regarding Partha is that the latter felt deliberately excluded, which
does not seem to me so fair minded on the part of the Harvard conference
organizer(s).  Furthermore, Thakur's downplaying news reports is
ludicrous and unnecessary.  Those women originally from India don't
require news reports as evidence.  The evidence exists in *fact*, back
in India, and we are well aware of Hindu fundamentalism which is no more
accepting of women's rights than is Christian or Muslim fundamentalism.

-Manjusree