[Reader-list] A letter from an activist of the Narmada Andolan

[TaraPrakash]

You said:
And amazingly, this suspicion makes me wonder - are all online testimonials to be taken with a pinch of salt since faking identities online is  an option
I would say, yes. It seems to be an existential? truth?

You are right that I don't know the "real story" but the claim I made does not require one to know any "real story". I had no intention of hurting anybody, but I reserve my right to doubt the text as well as the author.
Regards

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Gitika Talwar 
  To: TaraPrakash 
  Cc: Byatha N Jagadeesha ; reader-list at sarai.net 
  Sent: Friday, October 19, 2007 5:58 AM
  Subject: Re: [Reader-list] A letter from an activist of the Narmada Andolan


  Atheists forgive me, but I have to exclaim 'Jesus! Do you not read?'

  Jagga (Jagadeesha) did not say he did not write the letter and neither did he say he will die for Narmada. And if you are concerned about fake identities - let me be that witness who vouches for the fact that THIS Jagga is a real person and not a lurker out for all the 'goodies' one gets from writing to a readerlist. 

  And amazingly, this suspicion makes me wonder - are all online testimonials to be taken with a pinch of salt since faking identities online is  an option that you think people exercise? 

  The main tragedy here is that Jagadeesha's letter was taken out of its private space and hurled into a public one where it now has to withstand far more scrutiny than it was originally meant to. There were too many experiences and contexts that were personal and far removed from the information we have about NBA, so the shock and disbelief from the list is understandable. I have deep respect for the movement, but my email right now is not about that. 

  It is about protesting someone's taking someone else's testimony into the public eye without consent and then exposing them to the disbelief and criticism of people who do not know the 'story before the beginning'. Wasn't there a rule against this on Sarai, just a while ago? 

  ~ Gitika  

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Gitika Talwar 
  To: TaraPrakash 
  Cc: Byatha N Jagadeesha ; reader-list at sarai.net 
  Sent: Friday, October 19, 2007 5:58 AM
  Subject: Re: [Reader-list] A letter from an activist of the Narmada Andolan


  Atheists forgive me, but I have to exclaim 'Jesus! Do you not read?'

  Jagga (Jagadeesha) did not say he did not write the letter and neither did he say he will die for Narmada. And if you are concerned about fake identities - let me be that witness who vouches for the fact that THIS Jagga is a real person and not a lurker out for all the 'goodies' one gets from writing to a readerlist. 

  And amazingly, this suspicion makes me wonder - are all online testimonials to be taken with a pinch of salt since faking identities online is  an option that you think people exercise? 

  The main tragedy here is that Jagadeesha's letter was taken out of its private space and hurled into a public one where it now has to withstand far more scrutiny than it was originally meant to. There were too many experiences and contexts that were personal and far removed from the information we have about NBA, so the shock and disbelief from the list is understandable. I have deep respect for the movement, but my email right now is not about that. 

  It is about protesting someone's taking someone else's testimony into the public eye without consent and then exposing them to the disbelief and criticism of people who do not know the 'story before the beginning'. Wasn't there a rule against this on Sarai, just a while ago? 

  ~ Gitika