That's right. only words have synonyms or antonyms. S. Bain is confused about the difference between holding an 'opinion' which is marked by its subjectivity and making a statement of fact, such as "The sun rises in the east." The distinction between 'fact' and 'opinion' must be maintained at all cost, especially when we are discussing subcontinental history which is a fraught territory.
For instance, S. Bain;s opinion about Bengali Hindu lower castes having mass-converted to Islam is totally un-factual and based only on false descriptions made by the British in the 1872 Census of Bengal. There is no indication of this big event happening in recorded history, literature, Brahminical writings or any of the other archeological or anthropological evidences available in the region before the British concocted this lie.
Because I had studied this subject and wrote a scholarly article (published in Southern Asian Literature Journal of MLA, 2002, and Bangla Academy Journal, 2005), I have been saying this for the last ten years. But S. Bain is adamant. He will not make any alteration to his "opinion' by the intrusion of any 'fact'.
As the saying goes: You are entitled to hold your opinion as long as you can support it with facts. .....
Farida Majid
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
From: subimal@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 9 May 2012 19:14:37 -0700
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Partition: Panorama of the Indian history and Human tragedies
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Mukto Mona plans for a Grand Darwin Day Celebration:
Call For Articles:
http://mukto-mona.com/wordpress/?p=68
http://mukto-mona.com/banga_blog/?p=585
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"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190
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For instance, S. Bain;s opinion about Bengali Hindu lower castes having mass-converted to Islam is totally un-factual and based only on false descriptions made by the British in the 1872 Census of Bengal. There is no indication of this big event happening in recorded history, literature, Brahminical writings or any of the other archeological or anthropological evidences available in the region before the British concocted this lie.
Because I had studied this subject and wrote a scholarly article (published in Southern Asian Literature Journal of MLA, 2002, and Bangla Academy Journal, 2005), I have been saying this for the last ten years. But S. Bain is adamant. He will not make any alteration to his "opinion' by the intrusion of any 'fact'.
As the saying goes: You are entitled to hold your opinion as long as you can support it with facts. .....
Farida Majid
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
From: subimal@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 9 May 2012 19:14:37 -0700
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Partition: Panorama of the Indian history and Human tragedies
I believe only a word, not a phrase, can have antonyms by definition. "False statement" is a phrase. I hope a grammarian can help us.
It is practically impossible to stand in the middle between a Hitler and a Gandhi in order to strike a balance. The case of Hindus vs. Muslims, for example, is quite different. Any sensitive issue should be discussed in a balanced manner. This is required to do justice to both the sides. Hitler does not need any justice or compassion, Gandhi needs. It would be great if critics of a religion come from within, not outside. This minimizes the chance of being branded as a communalist.
From: Sukhamaya Bain <subain1@yahoo.com>
To: "mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 9, 2012 4:50 PM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Partition: Panorama of the Indian history and Human tragedies
To: "mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 9, 2012 4:50 PM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Partition: Panorama of the Indian history and Human tragedies
I thought I was pretty good in vocabulary. But I surely am confused with the comparison between the words "statement" and "opinion." An opinion is a statement, and a statement could very well be an opinion. "Statement" and "opinion" are not antonymous to each other. In fact, there is no real antonym of either "statement" or "opinion." Of course, "true statement" would be antonymous to "false statement", and "good opinion (judgment)" would be antonymous to "bad opinion (judgment)." The way I see it, good judgments (opinions) are vital for the progress of the human civilization. I certainly have a lot of respect for good judgments (opinions).
In any case, going back to the subject matter here, standing at the mid-point between religious hate-mongering and secularism may be balanced by some definitions, but it is neither fair nor respectable. This kind of balancing acts has been impeding progress in the world.
Looks like I have ignored the change in the headline of the thread here. I am actually not interested in lamenting the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. That partition would not have been a long-term problem if Pakistan had enough leaders, intellectuals and people to engage in a competition with India on secularism as the motto of the state.
So, this is the end of my writing on this thread.
Sukhamaya Bain
From: Jiten Roy <jnrsr53@yahoo.com>
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, May 7, 2012 7:41 PM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Partition: Panorama of the Indian history and Human tragedies
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, May 7, 2012 7:41 PM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Partition: Panorama of the Indian history and Human tragedies
My personal observation is that - Mr. Subimal Chakraborty wants to be fair and balanced. To achieve this goal, he often dilutes the truth. He rarely takes a strong position on anything, possibly, out of apprehension that someone might get offended by his statements. To me - he usually gives statements, not opinions. Jiten Roy --- On Mon, 5/7/12, Sukhamaya Bain <subain1@yahoo.com> wrote:
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****************************************************
Mukto Mona plans for a Grand Darwin Day Celebration:
Call For Articles:
http://mukto-mona.com/wordpress/?p=68
http://mukto-mona.com/banga_blog/?p=585
****************************************************
VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/
****************************************************
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190
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