Letters from Readers
Op-Ed on gun safety was uninformed
The article in Khabar’s June issue (“Op-Ed: Brian Kemp is Moving Georgia Backwards on Gun Safety”) is remarkably uninformed. It suggested that Kemp passed constitutional carry to gain re-election against a “formidable challenge” from David Perdue. Kemp trounced Perdue in the primary. Additionally, the reason constitutional carry was passed was because of the lawsuits. During the pandemic, the probate court suspended concealed carry permit renewals. This affected many Georgians and me personally. The court case Walters v Kemp informed the constitutional carry law. Background checks typically happen at the time of purchase which filters out people with a history of crime, domestic violence, or mental illness. That background check has nothing to do with concealed carry permits or constitutional carry. I do agree that private sales should require background checks just as retail and online purchases do, but that is a completely different conversation than constitutional carry.
Patricia W. Huff
by email
English usage has helped India make progress
Regarding Khabar’s June issue (“Commentary: BJP and the ‘Hindi as National Language’ Debate: A Gift That Keeps on Giving”), the following few points would be of interest. The “Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan” equation would be better expressed as “Sindhu-Hindu-Sanskrit- Hinduism,” since Hinduism’s scriptures, the Vedas and Upanishads, spelled out both the rituals and philosophy of the religion some 4000 years ago. Even though Hindi is largely derived from Sanskrit, it also borrows heavily from Urdu, which, in turn, is heavily influenced by Arabic and Persian languages. In fact, Hindi and Urdu are mutually intelligible. And Urdu, let us not forget, is the national language of Pakistan.
With a population of some 194 million, as per a 2012 survey, India has the second-largest English speaking population in the world, after the U.S. This is to India’s great advantage, since like the U.S.—the world’s most technologically advanced country—India is also democratic. The mutual exchange of technology is natural and easy. There can be little doubt that, thanks to this fact, people of Indian origin hold many of the highest positions in the world of technology. Hindi may reach Kanyakumari someday, but English would also be more widespread throughout the world by that time. It would be wise for India to remain strong in English usage.
Asit N Sengupta
by email
Create inclusive community for widows and widowers
The cover story in Khabar’s May issue (“Flying Solo: Reinventing Widowhood”) was well written, but it shows a gender bias. The situation is not easy for widowers in our community either. They are feared as a social liability and kept at bay at parties, visitations, etc. because they may not be able to reciprocate. Unlike in India, there is no support system of friends and families for widowers. They may be financially more self-dependent than widows, but often find themselves unsupported socially and emotionally.
By referring to the ancient practice of sati—a favorite topic of Westerners—the article portrays a lopsided view of widowhood in Indian history, which is replete with trailblazers of powerful and reigning widows like Minal Devi (11th century), Ahalyabai Holkar (1725-95), Chand Bibi (1550-99), and many others. If you don’t want to go that far, you have Indira Gandhi, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Sumati Morarjee, etc.
India has some outstanding centers to help widows rehabilitate and stand on their own feet. We need to create such centers here, knowing that all Indian widows in this country are not educated and/or financially independent. The number of widows and widowers is constantly increasing, especially after Covid-19. We should support them to make them selfdependent. Both men and women should be raised with no gender bias for their future self-sufficiency. We need to create a cohesive community where everyone is supported, cared for, and nurtured with dignity. Widows and widowers all have a window of opportunity to be happy in their own ways, remarriage being a viable option.
Bhagirath Majmudar, MD
Atlanta, GA
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