February 04, 2008
What do Anand Jon and Narendra Modi have in common?Issues
First, a quick background. For those of you who aren’t already familiar with the subjects of this post, Anand Jon is the 30-something Indian-born fashion designer who is currently awaiting trial in the U.S. on multiple counts of rape, including the rape of minors. Most of these alleged rapes took place through “casting couch” situations and involved young models. You can get a quick re-cap on the specifics here and here and here.
As far as Narendra Modi, most people don’t need a recap of his sordid history. He is the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujarat, and many both there and abroad feel he was complicit in the ethnic cleansing of Muslims (see our archives or here and here). Others however, including many American Gujaratis (especially hotel owners) admire him for his economic policies and his “tough stance” against Muslims. They support him vociferously from the U.S.
So what is the admitedly loose connection between these two individuals that motivated me to write this post? Both of these men, in there own way, have become symbols of Indian Nationalism and are being used as vehicles to enflame Nationalistic sentiments (with varying success) both in India and the U.S.
I started to think about this at a party over the weekend when my friend Ankur asked me if I had seen an interview in the print edition of India Abroad, a weekly NRI newspaper owned by Rediff.com. He said the interview was of Sanjana Jon defending her brother. I have not seen the India Abroad issue of which he speaks, but I am quite familiar with the campaign to use the media to recast Jon as a martyr of some sort.
Jacob Joseph (an ex-SM commenter), the lead blogger over at The Great Indian Mutiny blog captures the essence of this campaign quite well in a recent “interview” he conducted with Sanjana Jon. [Disclaimer: Sepia Mutiny readers should be made aware that The Great Indian Mutiny was named after this blog. They even call themselves…mutineers. Except their Mutiny is purer. Indian only (no People of Indian Origin fakers who give a bad name to Indians everywhere)]. Here is the “interview” (and I use the term loosely) of Anand Jon’s sister as posted on Joseph’s blog:
Following my earlier post on Anand Jon, someone named GWB left a link to a Dallas Observer article about him. Although GWB claimed it gives you ‘both sides’ of the story, I found it too one sided. I decided to get in touch with Sanjana Jon, his sister, to get some questions answered.
Here is the chat transcript:
Mutiny: Sanajana, let me start by asking you how your mother is doing? It must be pretty tough for a mother to have her son in prison and acussed of these crimes.
Sanjana Jon: I dont want to describe how she feels but not just as a mother and sister but as people who worked with him and lived with him-knowing that none of this ever happened it is traumatizing and kills us seeing this injustice. [Link]
Quick. I’m not a journalist but don’t you learn (on the first day of Journalism school) to make fun of someone who begins an interview with “…let me start by asking you how your mother is doing?” I don’t blame Sanjana for saying whatever she has to in order to help keep bro out of jail, but come on!
It isn’t until further down in the “interview” that the idealogical bent of the interviewer (and the campaign) is revealed.
M: I read he is an Indian Citizen, is that true?
SJ: Yes he is.
M: Do you think that’s the reason?
SJ: Its definitely a big part why the case was manipulated by the prosecution- we trust the US justice system but its the people who are behind playing these manipulative games- if you actually Google you will see thousands of cases where there is prosecutorial misconduct-over zealous prosecution-as in the rescent Duke case - the main difference here is being Indian we have no one to question what they are doing. Of the 40 counts in NY 30 are from the same girls between LA and TX-does that make sense -why are they doing this-just to keep him in jail and not allow a proper defense.If its an African American or Hispanic person - you have a Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton questioning-in our case who is and who will?
M: Did you approach the Indian Embassy or Consulate? Did they offer any kind of help?
SJ: We have-the sfo consulate has been looking into this and hopefully will pursue this-we need them to—but in NY though we called innumerable times and requested Neelam Deo has not even responded once which is terrible since its this very consulate that honored Anand Jon over the years and gave him the title of cultural ambassador of India.M: But there are so many Indian-American/South Asian associations in the US. Haven’t any of them taken on this issue?
SJ: We approached a few and they feel this has to be on a level that the government is fully involvedM: But surely if they can fight for allowing turbans in the army or more H1B visas, they can fight against the injustice done to an fellow countrymen?
SJ: When its a US citizen the consulate and government get involved no matter where why or how-isnt an indian citizen important?-or just as improtant? Jacob-the fact of the matter is there is NO material evidence—no 911 calls-this whole thing propped up after Anand Jon’s company got funded and they thought 25 million had come into the account[Link]
Joeseph’s central (and only) argument here (and this is really an opinion piece thinly disguised as an interview) is that Anand Jon is Indian. “True Indians” in America (including Indians who refer to themselves as South Asians) should be defending him. If we can blog about the persecution of Sikhs and other injustices like hate crimes, then why can’t we blog in defense of a brown alleged child rapist? What is up with sell-out Indian Americans? The same general argument is used with respect to Modi. Why aren’t all Indians in America backing this fellow Indian? Why do some of us support the U.S. government for denying him an entry visa? Indian Nationalists argue that Modi is an Indian and should not be banned from visiting anywhere UNLESS India finds him guilty…which they haven’t.
In the interview snippet above you can see how Joseph and Jon are engaging in a little dance that benefits both. Jon plays up the “my brother is being prosecuted because he is Indian” angle, which is exactly what Joseph needs her to say in order to back his already formed position. Sanjana has been going around India trying to drum up support with slogans such as, “If our country won’t take care of us, who will?” For the record, I for one am glad that the Indian American community does not have a Jesse Jackson or an Al Sharpton. I like the more grassroots way that we’ve been trying to do things (see Macaca).
Back in 2005 when I learned that NBC’s Hardball host Chris Matthews was going to speak at the Asian-American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), who had also invited Modi, I posted it and the popular blog MediaBistro picked it up (because of my tip to them). In doing so it put such a spotlight on Matthews that he backed out of the event. I was pretty damn proud of that. Modi has been trying ever since that convention to build grassroots support in America by appealing to the Indian Nationalist sentiments of many NRIs. Just this weekend in fact, he urged Indian Americans to vote in the primary elections:
“You are going to have elections soon. I hope you would actively participate and show that you are a political force to reckon with,” Modi said, while speaking to his supporters in New Jersey via video conferencing from Gandhinagar, early Saturday morning.
In his hour-and-a-half long speech to over a thousand people, comprising Gujaratis living in the US, Modi communicated his government’s priorities. The event was organised by the Overseas Friends of the BJP (OFBJP).
Having been denied a visa by Washington, Modi has been speaking to his supporters in the US through video conferencing for the last couple of years. [Link]
What Modi is really attempting to do is to get more Indian Americans to lobby as Indians. This, in my opinion, would be disastrous to the long term standing of our community in America. Circling back, Joseph’s interview also seems to be focused on this:
M: In all these years, why did he remain an Indian Citizen?
SJ: Cos he always was proud to be an Indian and wanted to maintain that-he is on a special O1 category given to less than 1% immigrants-outstanding talent. To the prosecution in all honesty this is a great high profile globally known case with noone to question their doings since he is an Indian brown boy.
M: Are you and your mother Indian Citizens as well?
SJ: I’m a resident here-mom is an indian citizen… [Link]
As it turns out, one of Jon’s alleged victims actually maintains her own blog:
This blog is a response to the another blog claiming rapist Anand Jon his innocence. In my eyes, there is nothing wrong with believing in your family - even if that means your brother is convicted on multiple rape charges. If my brother, whom I love dearly, was to ever get put in prison and he’d say he didn’t do it, I would believe him. But when there are more than 30 girls and counting to this date, including 14 and 15 year olds, the bail is raised to millions of dollars, it’s a disgrace to women out there to parade on the streets claiming all these girls are liars, throwing in words like “civil rights” and closing your eyes from the real truth.
I made this blog to give myself a voice, and possibly other girls who have been in the same situation. I was approached by Anand Jon when I was only 16 years old, and he raped me when I just turned 17. What some of his supporters don’t understand, possibly because most of them are men, is that he really picked us out by our background. I didn’t come from a stable home, wanted to leave, and when this powerful man came into my life saying everything would be better, I believed him. Naive, yes, but I was also still very very young. He took advantage of that, just like he did with so many other young girls that weren’t secure enough to say “no”…I believe all these young girls, and I believe the American justice system will lock him up for a very long time. I have absolutely nothing to gain from writing this, but to let someone hear my voice. [Link]
Kudos to this woman for telling her story through a blog.
Let me end by saying that I support Joseph’s right to believe anything he chooses to and to blog about it. That is of course what we do at SM and what bloggers everywhere do. You can’t fault him for having an opinion and stating it. If he is an Indian Nationalist then more power to him. But I also have the right to yell “bullshit” at what I see written on the internet. My central criticism here is not with Joseph but with some of the Indian media which seems to be falling for this revisionist campaign: Anand Jon as a native son done up Guantanamo style. Not even any so-called Indian Americans are coming to his aid.
Anand Jon will receive the justice due him once all the facts are aired in an American court. If he is innocent then he will be acquitted. If he is guilty he better hope he gets solitary confinement. Modi may never receive the justice due him. In either case, I hope that Indian Americans never conflate a desire for justice with pride in India. Anand Jon is not Gandhi despite what his family would have people believe.
abhi on February 4, 2008 11:16 PM in Issues · T·r·a·c·k·b·a·c·k address · Direct link · Email post
Our facebook wall is going to get destroyed for this. :) But it wouldn't be mutinous otherwise...
Awww. Sorry. :)
But maybe it will make me some mutinous Facebook friends as well ;)
well, at least he won't be emailing you to take down this post or whatever....
Thanks. Nicely done. (It's good to know that the mutineers are keeping an eye on things:)
What Razib is referring to.
If Anand Jon had been caught and under trial in India, would this whole defense even come to play? Of course, he could always manage to wiggle out using his connections there, but the "we're all Indians let's play nice" wouldn't fly. He'd get what he deserved. I see no reasons to subvert justice for a rapist, just because he's of my particular cultural sub-group.
Abhi,
Nice post--I agree with you re: Anand Jon (i.e., he's entitled to the best defense but not, I think, to any sort of community-based action), and I'm seeing why SM goes out of its way to knock Modi (i.e., b/c he has a significant support-block in the US among ABD's and DBD's, as opposed to other various bad elements in the Desh, such as the Naxalites)--sorry if I've been a bit slow on the uptake!
Just to clarify, I don't think that that this kind of "defense" (i.e., discussion) by his sister/mother will play much of a role at all (i.e., it won't be much if anything of a legal "defense")in his criminal trial in the US (cert. not in terms of conviction/acquittal).
Right on. We rarely blog issues we are unfamiliar with (i.e., keep it Americentric). I know nothing about Naxalites for example.
I actually saw an interview with Sanjana Jon on one of the desi channels...it was mostly in Hindi.. and it turns out she speaks Hindi surprisingly well. She was basically defending her brother as an "All-India" kind of guy.
8 · rob said
Ooooooh, Rob...talk legal to me. purrr.
Anand Jon is not Gandhi despite what his family would have people believe.
You mean this Gandhi?
Rob, thanks for the clarification :-) I do know that it's not a legal defense. I just meant that this type of appeal to the community to help wouldn't work in India, so why should it here? Though of course, back home, they'd be pulling out the caste and religious version of this bullshit argument.
Well, imagine that you were driving at 64mph in a 65mph zone, during a rainstorm, when an oncoming truck temporarily blinded you with its high-beams, causing you to have the option to a) continue on your path, with a 50% chance of going over the side of the cliff (and a 50% chance of being safe) or, b) swerve sharply to left, with an attendant 25% probability of striking another car (with both you and they going over the cliff) or 75% probability of avoiding any accident. . . . Discuss. . . .or, drift off to sleep! ;-)
Heh, is that a legal scenario or a physics problem?
There is this relatively new field of "mitigation specialists" who testify at the sentencing phase in criminal trials (on behalf of defendants--are there even by now "enhancement specialists who testify for the state??)--I'm not up on any of the details about it, but it seems pretty interesting, b/c it obviously brings to the fore in terms of immediate real-world serious results much of the relatively timeless academic debates from a number of disciplines in terms of nature v. nurture, punishment as 'desert' v. 'deterrence,' etc.
I suppose a lot of the Anand Jon family story would come in in terms of the 'mitigation specialist's' report, were he to be convicted. But I don't think it'd be relevant in terms of guilt/innocence regarding the underlying charges (I say this having conducted exactly zero criminal trials in any capacity ever).
Legal science (jurisprudence) draws from all fields of human knowledge--so--both--yet, not exclusively. . . .
What I fail to understand about this issue are the demands that his sister/family are putting on the Indian govt. What do they want GoI to do?
AFAIK, GoI offers/arranges/coordinates legal assistance for poor, less-literate laborers in West Asia when they get exploited.. and this is done because it is a system-wide problem over there. That's pretty much it as far as real assistance by GoI is concerned in such cases. There is also some consular assistance, which all countries provide to their citizens whenever they get arrested.. but that's just routine. If a foreigner is arrested, I think the police is legally required to inform the nearest concerned Consulate/Embassy.
Obviously, just to clear up any confusion, I'm kidding when I call law "legal science (jurisprudence)." Law is a human practice, and thus removed from the hard empirical truths of the physical sciences (and indeed, law is also and necessarily removed from the truths of non-empirical bodies of "true" knowledge as well, such as mathematics).
Excellent points Abhi. My blood boils when I hear people defending the likes of Jon and Modi just cos they're desis. Why don't people realize that allegiance to a human is much much higher than that to a fellow desi? As for Modi & Co., I read somewhere (I think tehelka) that the RSS gets a ton of funding from Indians abroad.
11:16pm Abhi writes mutinous post.
11:34pm Anna steels herself for the impending troll-onslaught via their latest favored channel, Facebook, and leaves this as the thread's first comment:
12:10 am Arjuna Sama "facebooks" Anna to say...
::
I hate when I'm wrong. I could've sworn it would be wall!
::
*our FB group was hijacked by Modi-lovers last week and I got kind messages about what they thought of me, this blog, my figure, my religion. A week or so before that, a bewildered me got slammed for moderating a story on our News Tab whose title and blurb did NOT mention Modi at all, which was a repeat (hence my not clicking through that one time). BUT-- you guessed it!-- it was a story that contained many references to Modi, thus sealing my fate as a rabid, anti-Hindu, Muslim-loving, pseudo-secular, Wendy Doniger-spooning censor/bigot.
Blogging is fun. I think I'm going to go take my antibiotics now.
Don't worry--you're ahead of the curve--facebook is "out"--if i had a cite, i wouldn't be cool, so--trust me! But, yeah, i could cite the whole "old people are on facebook thing" from the NYTimes a few weeks ago.
Abhi,
Kudos to you and SM on the post. My tip of the hat on the huevos grande. Once I overcome my fear of online social networks, I will join the mutiny on facebook. Of course, I will set my privacy details so high that none of you will know I joined, nonetheless, it is my initial act of solidarity.
I'd say Anand Jon is doing just fine without the bizarro mutiny's help or Modi's for that matter. He's managed to get himself to stay cross-country in NY while he awaits trial in LA and still continue his "designing" career. How cushy is that, not many people in this world would get that treatment if faced with similar charges. Leave it to effing L.A. to love their celebrity and huge cash bonds. His money is being well spent. I'd love to see him in gen. pop. at pelican bay.
Kudos to Neelam Deo and the Consulate for staying out of the fray too and realizing that Anand Jon's guilt or innocence should be determined without the taint of the Indian Gov't involvement. Especially, where the crimes he has been charged with being so heinous. The consulate's power in a foreign country, as I understand it, is limited. Diplomacy and tactical pressure where needed. If they did get involved in this particular issue, I think they lose their moral credibility and authority when it would be truly needed, such as in the LSU shootings.
I'm kind of surprised that the fundies or bizarro mutiny would go out of their way to support this guy or even resort to spamming where Modi maybe linked. Honestly, even they have to know that supporting this guy makes them look less credible and does nothing for their cause. I wonder how they would feel if they thought about whether it was their children who may have been allegedly abused by Jon. Maybe it doesn't matter to them, because all the victims are in the U.S. I guess they don't believe in the idea of maintaining a moral advantage.
Rob,
From an era long ago, I was involved in applying sentencing guidelines as an intern for a Federal Judge. My limited time there leads me to believe that the defense of the family being ooky and kind of spooky, doesn't really give much relief in terms of post-conviction sentencing. I think Jonny boy would need to show abuse from his family or some type of mental defect (not insanity) that would get him some kind of mitigation from a judge or a jury. Even then, I'm not sure how much weight that carries anymore. Back then the local A.U.S.A's made sentencing recommendations and the Bureau of Prisons made their own recommendations following a meeting with the convicted and a report given by defense counsel. I'm not sure how it would play out in Ca. state court or how mitigation specialists would be used. Maybe some former criminal practice attorneys would know.
I'm with you 100%. I was trying to mark out the line between this type of stuff being evidence for conviction (or not). But, once it gets to sentencing, I'm with you too--probably not going to matter much--I was just trying to emphasize the former against what I took to be the initial charge that the US justice system was going to be subject, in terms of guilt or innocence, to the tabloid press (not so much, right?!) So, I think we agree--and, if, so--thanks for the clarification, b/c I was probably over-emphasizing the other side!
1 · A N N A said
Ah jebus, this might just be the thing that makes me finally succumb to the beckoning Facebook.
"Lemme at 'em! Lemme at 'em!" - Scrappy Doo
When you talk of ethnic cleansing of muslims [where], is it like the ethnic cleansing of Hindus from Kashmir Valley?? Is it not??
Please be honest.
Yes, of course an unacceptable number of Hindus have been driven out of Kashmir (and Banglandesh) over the past 60 years. (I am Hindu myself.) The hard question is what to do about it in terms of going forward--how do we decide what parts of what bits of land get decided by majority rule? Which I tend to not like the outcomes of myself, to be honest--not that I necessarily like the other side either, of course!
26 · RC Sharma said
Please be honest?
If one Hindu dies in Kashmir, does barbecuing ten Muslims in Gujarat bring that Pandit back to life? Does it make some of you feel better, like justice was served?
It's stupid and intellectually lazy and frankly, insulting to Kashmiris to keep crying about the tragedy that is Kashmir anytime someone legitimately raises an issue which might potentially, perhaps, possibly shine 0.01% negativity on Hinduism.
this kind of reminds me of some of the unfortunate support of R. Kelly in the post-piss-on-you era... I guess we often misdirect legitimate feelings (threat by a white/American/Western majority/hegemony) in inappropriate ways (and in defense of the wrong damn people).
I´m not sure that #2- is actually Rob?
[edited]
Excellent catch, iABD, and thank you. We appreciate all the help we can get.
You were right, that was not Rob. See what happens when you comment regularly? Your co-mutineers can tell when someone is impersonating you, and finger them accordingly.
[enjoy that freebie, it's 5:30am]
31 · SM Intern said
Best. Punishment. Ever.
>>Modi is the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujarat, and many both there and abroad feel he was complicit in the ethnic cleansing of Muslims
Trial by feelings...
>>Modi may never receive the justice due him
He already did twice - once in December 2002 and again in December 2007.
M. Nam
In a country where bribes are still rampant and the influence of the wealthy sometimes makes a mockery of the justice system, sometimes "feelings" is all people have. Its the same way that in the U.S. we have a "feeling" that most of the people n Gitmo are innocent.
Abhi, thanks so much for covering this -- I had no idea that this was the flavor of the day in the Anand Jon case. It highlights the challenges (and fine line) between community organizing and "community uber alles" pseudo-organizing. Jon is accused, not convicted yet, but that doesn't mean I'm going to take to the streets for his right to rape (and if not rape, sexually assault) little girls.
Pondatti, right on.
ANNA, you are fantastic. I'm always amazed at how you become the target/effigy for all the SM hateration, but I'm glad you're around.
>>In a country where bribes are still rampant and the influence of the wealthy sometimes makes a mockery of the justice system, sometimes "feelings" is all people have
Agreed to some extent.
I only hope that the folks who feel this way will also block West Bengal CM's any future trip to the US, because enough people feel (and there is evidence as well) that the influence of powerful and wealthy was what caused the massacres of Nandigram.
Prediction: Bhattacharya will come and go to the US many times, and none of the worthies who stopped Modi will lift a finger.
M. Nam
and I always thought male fashion designers were all gay...
that's right. it is dangerous. More Indian Americans should lobby as "South Asians".
>>A. Modi urged Indian Americans to vote in the primary elections...
>>B. What Modi is really attempting to do is to get more Indian Americans to lobby as Indians.
Not sure how the judgemental leap from A to B was made....
>> This, in my opinion, would be disastrous to the long term standing of our community in America.
This, as a libertatian, I fully agree with. There is no such thing as "our community". We're all individuals, and we should vote according to our individual interests.
M. Nam
And how exactly is this relevant to the current topic under discussion?
Great Indian Mutiny was named after this blog. They even call themselves…mutineers
Sorry, but this has to be said - how LAME!!!
Nandigram ≠Gujarat for many reasons, including the murder of at least 14 villagers by police versus more than a thousand dead in communal violence. Your red herring aside, Abhi's point about rabid, irrational nationalism blinding people to the point of defending alleged rapists and state sponsors of murder is well taken. The leaps in logic here are disturbing: I found Sanjana Jon's contention that all African-Americans and Hispanics benefit from high profile advocates to question and bring awareness to their cases to be ignorant at best and offensive at worst.
Hmm...it seems the inequality symbol I was trying to use has morphed into "â‰" For the record, my sentence should read "Nandigram does not equal Gujarat.
I think the basic argument against Modi is that he let his support base "Hindutvadis" wreak havok on citizens of the state, resulting in the deaths of around a 1000 people. And the argument against Bhattacharya is that he let his support base "communists" wreak havok on the citizens of the state resulting in the deaths of around a dozen people.
Just curious. Do you have a number of deaths / casualties cutoff where you can push one from the "good" side to the "bad" side ?.
That's derived from the rules of "progressive speak".
I don't understand your question. Where did I claim there to be a good and bad side to violence? I was challenging MN's implication of the violence at Nandigram and Gujarat to be analogous as a fallacious argument, not addressing the post. Do you believe both events to be equal in scope and in consequence?
The question was in the context of people clamoring for denying visa to Modi and not doing the same to Bhattacharya.
I don't see a difference in both the scenarios where it is alleged that the supporters of the ruling party indulged in the killings while the government looked away. Obviously they are not equal in scope. That's the basis of my question. Do you have a cutoff on the number of deaths / casualties before you start protesting against a person?.
I don't see MN's argument as "fallacious".
just for the record.. the Bengali progressives who had criticised Modi have also protested Nandigram vociferously by bringing out rallies silent marches and other forms of protest. A quick search on the net can bear that out.
And the protest or criticism is not exactly formed in the most polite terms. Click on this "http://www.keralanext.com/India/read.asp?id=1168702".
No, of course not. Do you?
I'm still not following the Bhattacharya/Modi analogy. How do you deny a visa to someone who, so far, hasn't even requested one?
The God of Small Things. And West Bengal/Assam. Lot's there.
Perhaps she is not aware that the connotations of that could work against him, as of lately?
I'd like to know if men get comments about their looks when they blog/write about serious issues they believe in, from people who disagree with them???
You can disagree with Abhi's contention if you have a point vs. a potshot. The "South Asian"-retort is the refuge of poor debaters.
Coming to a "South Asian American" blog when one has such negativity towards the term isn't our problem, it's...
I'm sorry Anand who? And I didn't realize that his sister (and I would do the same thing if it were my brother) was drumming up support for him. Frankly I think he's a non issue. I haven't heard of him since I last heard he was indicted. Frankly I don't think he's any different than many of the other pervert fashion recruits and shouldn't be treated differently. I didn't even know he was Indian and way to fly the India flag now that you are in trouble because if you ever encountered him in person he had nothing to do with India. Reminds me of how Salman Khan donned on the skull cap and was suddenly a devout Muslim the minute he got thrown int he slammer!
As for Modi lovers, it's not just the Gujratis FYI. I know a huge facet high profile desis from MP & Maharashtra who support him for his hardline stance against Muslims. Old school...my parents generation and these folks have been here 30 - 40 years and consider themselves fairly loyal Americans but it's hard to separate yourself from the baggage of your land especially when you are a generation that lived thru and was affected by partition. I may not agree but do understand it.
Good call on the bullshit, Abhi.
This deserves a post all its own. The terms "community" and "our community" and "this community" get thrown around a lot here, and I'm not familiar with any attempts to define it. Have there been?
How one sided is that interview.. I could have doubts if there was a one or two cases, but here rape cases are raining! He is a 'dhabba' in the name of Indians. No sympathy for a slimy rapist. And what is this BS about him supporting a family...I had read that he comes from an immensely rich family in India.
Also this brings me to another issue, I hate it when (some not all) Indian men trick western (read white) women into relationships just to get into the bed. When mission is accomplished they promptly break their heart and leave and marry someone of mommy's choice.
Zuni :-) fixed...
45 · Ponniyin Selvan said
More than the number of fatalities, some other indications may mark a mass murderer / communalist who's visa needs to be denied:
1. When his supporters reply to criticism by asking you to "first" criticise some body else. Their direct connection with God enables them to KNOW who criticised whom anywhere in this world.
2. When he is alleged to have been good for GDP growth, but his public poses are often of his arms up in the air in some sort of gesture.
3. When people keep VCDs of his achievements stacked up along with pirated Bollywood blockbusters, and offer them to you to borrow. (My gujarati neighbor did that, I swear. He knew of every road that had been improved by Modi, its exact length and cost of construction)
4. When their diaspora supporters vote left wing in their adopted countries but ask you to vote right wing in India, and fail completely to see irony in that.
Bhattacharya fails on all counts. He will have to be given a visa, even if he has not applied for one.
JOAT, would you do it if you knew in your heart that he was guilty? If he had as many women claiming rape as Jon does?
Defending Modi is beyond despicable and people who are doing that here should be ashamed of themselves.
If anyone wants to take this up, I invite you here.
Actually, JOAT and Zuni, shouldn't it be
?But then, to be more concise, it should just read, "I hate it when people are dishonest in their romantic relationships." :)
Srsly, though, this "Save Anand" crap is ridiculous. And majorly insulting to all the girls he methodically manipulated and preyed upon. Thank you, Abhi, for blogging about it. Like JOAT, I hadn't heard anything about it since the indictment. I had to skip a lot of the comments on the Bizarro Mutiny blog, though, they were just too awful -- although thank god for #121.
Also, if this news story is to be believed, Sanjana knew that her brother was at least sleeping with underage models, and was only worried about how it would affect their careers. At the very least, she has to know that he pled "no contest" to a lewd act on a child in 2003. Call me cynical, but her sudden claims of his complete innocence just put another nail in the "guilty-as-hell" coffin for me.
i'm bothered that abhi writes that Modi is a proponent of 'Indian Nationalism.' he's not, he's a proponent of Hindu Nationalism, which is what is so disturbing. there's nothing wrong with Indian nationalism, if it actually includes all Indians and doesn't become Indian Jingoism. you're the one confusing the two here. (unless you think that only hindus are proud indians and all proud indians are bigots? i hope not)
also the basis of this post is an interview that i couldn't even understand since it was so poorly written, and is found on some blog (run by Jacob Joseph - a xtian indian?), and you say that you didn't read the india abroad article but you are 'quite familiar with the campaign to portray him as a martyr.' are there any other articles you can point us to, that don't just come from some wierd blog? some of the indian media is really bad (like ToI) but that's doing a disservice to some sources, especially india abroad which actually has some journalistic standards. also if india mutiny is run by an indian xtian, there isn't really a connection to hindu nationalism (well i hope not, that would make the guy a complete idiot). people rag on anna a lot, which i don't understand, but i can't take this post (and some others dealing with similar topics) seriously because of these two things i pointed out.
also i don't think that by bringing up kashmir anyone is saying that killing muslims is justified (!!). but that organizations/groups concerned with human rights violations have selective vision or selective focus, and that gets frustrating because they have a high-and-mighty air about them 'oh we're concerned with human rights we're so much better than YOU who is just concerned aout people like yourself' so it's hard to point out what's wrong with them without getting called a bigot or something. i'm surprised that we haven't got some of the more liberal commenters saying 'innocent until proven guilty' about modi now - on example of what i mean.
i'm glad you recognize that you know nothing about naxalites, abhi, and that this blog is ameri-centric. own up to it, don't claim to be everything for everyone, recognize that you have a bias.
oh and yes rapists and murderers belong in jail
if some immigrants, especially the ones that came here themselves, want to think of themselves as indians let them. i thought some people wanted to be left alone to think of themselves as south asian. so let them think of themselves as indian and be more concerned with india (or pakistan, or sri lanka, et cetera).
Everyone here should read up on Anderson regarding the formation of long distance nationalism and imagined communities.
American society is strongly assimilationist. By the 2nd and 3rd generation specifically, most immigrant communities will be absorbed into the mainstream of American political discourse, barring the infusion of fresh waves of new immigrants (or where instances the community is too small and organized around singlue issues). The vociferous H1B internet warrior of today will be transformed into the grandchild who could care less about the mother country.
Supporting Modi because he is good for business is as bad as people supporting the nazis because they were good for increasing productivity and wanted to make the trains run on time.
or stalin because he increased soviet productivity and within 15 years almost caught up with western european and north american living standards...
The people over at Great Indian Mutiny remind me of the kids in the Indian Students Assn at college who were too Indian to deal with. Their total lack of objectivity and reflection re India and Indians (i.e., Indians are the greatest people in the world, etc.) made them impossible to deal with.
ps - I hope Jon ends up a prison where he can experience the same things those girls felt.
pss - I hope Jon's sister reads this.
Ah, identity vs. race. The discussion will last as long as the Mutiny.
Lizzie, thanks for that comment, btw. That's exactly how I feel about it all. But race still holds a lot of power in quite a few heads...and so does gender.
And while we're on the topic, has anyone ever come across any kind of material on how the Kashmir conflict is frequently presented as parallel to, or modeled after the Palestinian conflict?
And on the flipside, why is any criticism of Modi (or almost any major Indian politician for that matter) met with instant hostility by the elder generation? I've never understood this very well--a kind of hypernationalism seems to set in with my parents' generation. Emigres freeze all that is good about the homeland into a block of Lucite, and anything that interferes with that vision of sacred yummy goodness is therefore heretical.
It drives me nuts. But I'm not an immigrant, so I'm probably not exactly prone to getting this particular -osis.
From what I can glean from the few issues of India Abroad that I've read, they tend to have an overall Nationalist perspective. I remember reading an article, aimed at younger children, about how all parts of the world were once part of India, including vast swaths of Europe, Asia and Africa with an illustrated map included. The basic goal of the article was to expound the superiority of Indian culture.
Abhi,
I have been reading your posts for quite some time. I am also probably a couple of years older than you are. These minor considerations, however, have not prevented me from developing a crush of a rather alarming magnitude on you. If Anand Jon had half your intellect and humanity, he wouldn't have had to bully young girls to get sex.
Thanks for fighting the good fight.
Infatuated Indian Girl
anand jon made the trains run on time
"The Great Indian Mutiny" is a lame name. Its like a run on sentence compared to the original. I mean, you can steal a word but you can't take the soul. "Sepia Mutiny" is poetry: mysterious, unique, sexy, scary but inviting. Its worthy of a great novel, album, or contrarian hedge fund.
Thanks much for the catch and deletion, iABD & SM Intern!
74 · Manju said
This is now my favorite comment of all time.
(Also, I've never wanted a hedge fund more...)
Parts of this case is quite grey especially the statutory rape aspect. I think he does prey on young impressionable women. However, the young impressionable women are hardly children and demanding that they be treated as children is ludicrous. When a large number of underage models parade their wares, it is not unreasonable to believe that these models be treated as adults. Behaving in an adult fashion warrants that the same adult standards be applied consistenly across all areas. I wonder if many fashion designers should be arrested - after all many of them have underage models parading semi-naked. Half of FTV is child porn if one uses 18 as the legal age standard. If a 16 year old commits murder, that person is often tried as an adult not as a child. Maybe someone in the fashion industry can shed some light - do the models sign contracts or does someone else sign them on their behalf. How does one enforce a contract on someone who is a minor.
This guy needed to get a sound thrashing when he was younger - this behaviour would have been nipped in the bud. His sister is fighting this battle the wrong way - bringing up Indian pride is wrong. True Indian culture demands no sex before marriage.
kudos to Abhi for this post. Many ethnic and religious groups are guilty of the sort of historical revisionism that Abhi refers to. It takes a tremendous amount of integrity/strength of character to be able to look at the actions of one of "your own" objectively. The community in which I was raised (Muslim) is rife with this sort of revisionist behavior - turning a blind eye towards wrongs committed against others (eg: Darfur, Southern Iraqis, Hazaras, Kosovans, Bahais, Armenians,9-11, suicide bombings of civilians) for the mere fact that the individuals committing the wrongs are Muslim (or Arab, Turk, Pashtun, etc). I am not naive enough to believe that "turning a blind eye" doesn't happen on various levels of society (governments, NGO's, community advocates). It doesn't matter...It's all bollocks.
I share Abhi (and others) sentiment that Anand Jon must be afforded due process. But to characterize advocacy on his behalf as a "crusade for freedom" (as the banner in the image suggests) is a disservice to the many individuals who are "true" advocates of justice.
Long position on plastic sofa cover & beaded car seat companies
Short position on Abercrombie & Fitch
55 · ptr_vivek said
I sense a faultline here and that is the definition of Indian-American because there are many kinds of Indian-Americans e.g. naturalized, permanent residents and finally ABDs. I think Abhi's contention that it would be disastorous to get more of Indian-Americans to lobby as Indians perfectly makes sense for ABDs but I am not sure you can expect the same kind of "detachment" towards India from other kinds of Indian-Americans who have/had a lot of emotional connections in many different ways. But having said that Abhi is perfectly right that appealing to nationality/national orgins to defend a heinous crime is not acceptable.
Nothing ludicrous about it. Under-age models may sign a contract or waiver with their agent, but there exists no waiver/contractual language to shield the employer from sexual assault liability--this is not a case of kids heading to the skate-park and signing a waiver for bodily injury incurred while skating. I would think that any agreement between employer and underage model is a contract of unequal parties--one between a knowledgeable party and a decidedly less knowledgeable party. In this situation, it is incumbent upon the employer to 'act right' and make sure he/she is not taking advantage of the child--not the other way around.
Yes, equating sexually assaulted underage fashion models with teen murderers adds about 10 gallons of credibility to your argument.
And when I say emotional connection I mean close relatives like parents, a sense of doing something for their country of birth, giving back something where they got their early education. This emotinal tug can be exploited in a positive way and in a negative way like the Modi. But the emotional attachment to India is not bad per-se. it is porbably no different from many of us who have some kind of attachment to California, Texas, NYC, DC or wherever they grew up.
Because clothes hang well on human hangers and most preteens and teens who model lack curves. Beyond that, the whole babydoll-faced Eastern European look has been popular.
85 · melbourne desi said
I can't answer the 'ability to consent' question for all situations but contracts between unequal (relative to the knowledge required to fully understand the implications of contract language) parties abound. Australia doesn't have a well-developed commercial-lines insurance market, but most businesses in the US(and individuals who buy all sorts of insurance) are automatically given the benefit of any ambiguity in contract wording when they sue the insurance company. This is the foundation of professional liability--to cover the insured's missteps when dealing with a third party in a context requiring extensive, business-specific knowledge.
So you would penalize the child?
This is something I have thought a lot about. Many folks including many Hindus in all parts of India have criticized Modi for the Gujarat episode like so many Indian-Americans. But he did win elections and is widely supported by Hindus in his home state. Does it mean Hindus in Gujarat went soft on him for the massacare or did they think that particular issue not to be so grave enough to dismiss him ? Or did they think innocent women and children who got burnt got their justice ? Why didn't he lose and that is something I have never understood. Did money/support from Indian-Americans from here help him win elections/continue his stay in power in spite of the gujarat massacare ? I guess we live in age of politician's appealing to something to make a case for their actions - Bush's Iraq mobilization like the crusades, war against terrorism etc. and Modi's appeal to Hindus/Indians.
Happy to be corrected by real lawyers.
88 · melbourne desi said
I'm still mentally foggy thanks to all the drugs...okay, more foggy than usual, but wasn't there a thought-provoking Law + Order: SVU ep about something related to this? If an adult woman dresses like a Catholic schol girl and pretends to be 16, and you get off on that, does it make you a pedophile? Yes, you know she's of age, but isn't part of the attraction the idea that she's not?
I am an Indian living in America and i totally agree with Abhi's sentiments. Its sick to see a perv like Jon being defended just on the basis of his nationality. I say flog him!
Sex and its various avatars ( including fashion) is an adult activity and children have no place in it.
95 · melbourne desi said
Seeing things as black or white is very child-like, actually. :)
You are describing an "image club."
Nayagan and Mel D,
If you don't mind me adding a clarification to your earlier statements,
It's not too different under US law. For most states, a certain age is required before a party can be deemed to have capacity to enter into a contract otherwise the contract is deemed voidable due to many of the reasons Nayagan stated. The infant, the person who doesn't have capacity, can void the contract with certain minor exceptions. Each state has a different age of capacity. Waivers (ussually with respect to ownership to images) are generally signed by the parents in modeling situations.
This is a little too strong for me but the premise is accurate. Insurance companies strictly construe their own insurance agreements to their benefit and if they can find a loophole in a contract or in their own agreement that would negate providing coverage to an insured they'll have no problem doing it.
Anna,
There was a legal publication I read that touched upon this issue, if I can find it I will scan it and link it for you. Nude and sexually provocative pictures of children is deemed to be trafficking in child porn, especially where the image is sexually explicit. Gov't authorities have no problem going after this, there is a grey area where it comes to fashion as no sexual act is usually displayed. If you remember back, A&F had a huge problem