I agree

[BAKULA at delphi.com]

I also agree with Dominic, Alex, and Enrica. Get the riff-raff
out of this place. Unfortunately, I am one of those
'hanger-on', 'curious', 'just looking', kind of people. I hate
to leave. My reasoning is simple. We in India used to have a
practice called "Pravacchan" or "Satsang" where knowledgeable
'Gurus', 'Shastries', 'Pundits', and 'Commentators' used to
have marathon discussions on the topics of their interests. Us
nobodies or 'Forrest Gumps' were allowed to attend these
'hi-falutin' shindigs, provided we did not disrupt their
discourses in any way. They needed us badly. Otherwise their
erudite interpretations of subject matter under discussion
would be like a sound of a falling leaf in the forest-did it
make a sound or not? My humble request to you learned
academicians, therefore, is suffer occasional noise, little
commotion, exceptional outburst inappropriately expressed, and
go on with your 'Satsang'. Frankly, after Republicans got into
the Congress us intellectuals and liberals have no place to go.
Sid Harth
 


> From THRASHER at MAIL.LOC.GOV 14 1995 Jan GMT 14:44:14
Date: 14 Jan 1995 14:44:14 GMT
From: ALLEN W THRASHER <THRASHER at MAIL.LOC.GOV>
Subject: SOCIOLINGUISTIC QUESTIONS

          I would appreciate any help on  the following questions that came 
          up  in  the  course  of research and  of helping library patrons. 
          Anecdotes, personal experiences, and and speculation are welcome, 
          as well as bibliography. 
           
          1.  I have noticed that Indians are not surprised to be addressed 
          in an Indian language.  Do other Westerners have this experience? 
          If  so,  why?   Is  it  because  of  widespread  bilingualism  or 
          multilingualism, which leads them  to  find  the  same natural in 
          other peoples?  Is  it  from  two centuries of British rulers who 
          were likely to have some of the local language, from a smattering 
          to fluency?  Is the same true in other South Asian countries? 
           
          2.  Is it likely that a significant market of publishing of Hindi 
          translations of Sanskrit religious classics (with  or without the 
          original Sanskrit) was speakers of  other languages?  It  strikes 
          me   that   a  highly  Sanskritised  style  of  Hindi  would   be 
          intelligible to  those  who  knew Sanskrit or Sanskrit vocabulary 
          with a very small acquaintance with specifically Hindi vocabulary 
          or specifically Hindi grammar.  Many people may have picked up  a 
          bit  of Hindi from pilgrimage sites as  well  as  by other means. 
          The Hindi translations might be very useful as cribs to those who 
          knew some Sanskrit but  not  very  much  and  who  did  not  feel 
          confident with  it.   Any anecdotal evidence  of  relatives using 
          Hindi versions for these purposes? 
           
          3.   Does  anyone  have  any  experience  or  knowledge  of   how 
          African-American visitors have  been treated in  South Asia?  Any 
          differently (and  in particularly of  course, worse)  than  other 
          North Americans? 
           
           
          Thanks for any help, 
           
          Allen W. Thrasher 
          Senior Reference Librarian 
          Southern Asia Section 
          Library of Congress 
          Washington, DC 20540-4744 
          tel. (202) 707-5600 
          fax  (202) 707-1724 
          Internet: thrasher at mail.loc.gov 
           
          Any opinions expressed are mine and  not those of  the Library of 
          Congress or its management.