Baldeosingh should change his name

THE EDITOR: This is my only letter ever to a newspaper. I am Hindu. I look forward to Divali which falls in the month that ends with Kartic. It is the holiest period of the year and the most auspicious time for pujas. I was therefore shocked on Divali morning (while listening to bhajans and preparing for puja) to collect your newspaper ( we are subscribers) and note after the beautiful front page and inner pages with Newsday staff and even MPs in traditional wear, (so nice) to read on page 10 big bold headlines “Why I am still not a Hindu.” Then I read the story, I became so incensed and disturbed that I could not do my puja.

Your columnist uses ordinary hindi words to fortify his article, I have four he left out. If Mr Baldeosingh feels so strongly he should (1) change his name. “Bal” and “Deo,” are two wonderful names for god, and together they are a source of strength, (2) he should not “Juteha” the food of his pious and blessed Aunt, (3) he should note Hinduism is not only erudite, there is the “Atman,” the spark of divinity within each of us and (4) he should not become “Abhiman” (vain, egoistic). I now fully expect you both to do similar headline and story on the Eid holiday and on Christmas day. Let’s see how brave Kevin is to bash the prophet (pbuh). If he finds fault with Islam’s view of women. If he can fault the opening to the verses “In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate. (Is anything more beautiful than those words) he should note the Koran is best read in its “saj” form of prose-poetry, and unfortunately it truly loses everything in translations out of Arabic. Let’s see what he says about Christianity. About Christ’s company with men, a virgin with many children, and a man who said “turn the other cheek,” (see if he can fault this most passive of truths.)

SINANAN MARAJ
Golf Drive
Maraval