We, the undersigned, express our support and solidarity for documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan and his attempts to raise issues of vital concern for those within and outside South Asia.

Patwardhan has been making socio-political documentaries for nearly three decades and has received numerous awards worldwide. His films have addressed a vast array of issues affecting peace and prosperity within South Asia- nuclear proliferation, communal politics, religious fanaticism, globalization, environmental degradation, and caste oppression- and have served to facilitate further public debate and scrutiny regarding these issues.

In this regard, it has come our attention that various groups and organizations claiming to represent the interests of the Hindu community have launched a campaign to oppose the screening of Patwardhan’s films in the US and abroad as several of his films are very critical of the right wing “Hindu” movement in India.

We believe that religion and politics should remain open to public debate and scrutiny, and that Patwardhan’s films serve a valuable function in fostering that debate and deserve to be screened. We, therefore, urge institutions and organizers of film screenings in the US and abroad to resist the efforts by those who wish to silence the debate and to carry on in their efforts to make the films of Anand Patwardhan accessible to the public.

Name: Chris porter
Occupation: Student
City: Lincoln, Country: US
Comments: Let free speech ring!
Date: 01-22-02 Time: 18:28 pm

Name: cheryl buxton
Occupation:
City: chester, Country: GB
Comments:
Date: 01-22-02 Time: 23:25 pm

Name: Zahed Amanullah
Occupation: Structural Engineer
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-22-02 Time: 23:55 pm

Name: Tasnim Gosla
Occupation: Student
City: Ladera Ranch, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-22-02 Time: 23:58 pm

Name: Anita Vasa
Occupation: Therapist Intern
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 00:04 am

Name: Ashish Chadha
Occupation: Student
City: Stanford University, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 00:04 am

Name: anil patwardhan
Occupation: grad student
City: san francisco, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 00:22 am

Name: Francine Viloria
Occupation: student
City: –, Country: JP
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 01:01 am

Name: Angel Roque
Occupation: Graduate Student
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 01:13 am

Name: Aditi Chowdhury
Occupation: Media Consultant
City: Hong Kong, Country: HK
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 01:29 am

Name: Veena Dubal
Occupation: student
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 01:51 am

Name: Jyotirmoy Chaudhuri
Occupation: student
City: New Delhi, Country: IN
Comments: Not again!
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 02:06 am

Name: Devyani Sharma
Occupation: student
City: Mountain View, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 02:22 am

Name: debbie townsend
Occupation: working stiff
City: halifax, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 03:12 am

Name: Shishir K. Jha
Occupation: Teaching
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments: The need to protect sentiments of justice must come first!
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 04:00 am

Name: Geeta Citygirl
Occupation: Actor/Director
City: New York, Country: US
Comments: One Love…
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 04:41 am

Name: andrew pritchard
Occupation: writer
City: sligo, Country: IE
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 04:45 am

Name: The Baron Abbotsford (LSR/USA)
Occupation:
City: Chicago, Country: US
Comments: Manifesto 2000 Defend freedom of expression and cultural diversity, giving preference always to dialogue and listening without engaging in fanaticism, defamation and the rejection of others! http://www.unesco.org/manifesto2000/default.asp?part=ind/usa/369/uxu
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 05:02 am

Name: Naeem Zamindar
Occupation: Venture Capital
City: Santa Clara, Country: US
Comments: Diversity of view and freedom of speech with integrity of being are the cornerstone of human evolution
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 05:29 am

Name: Diana Reddy
Occupation: student
City: Houston, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 05:38 am

Name: MaryJoan D’Amore
Occupation:
City: Lancaster, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 05:39 am

Name: Sukla Sen
Occupation: Activist, EKTA (Committee for Communal Amity)
City: Bombay, Country: IN
Comments: In no way the voice of the voiceless millions of Indians, whom Anand Patwardhan persistently keeps on trying to give an audible, well articulated and aesthatically balanced voice must be gagged.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 05:55 am

Name: Chukka Srinivas
Occupation: Engineer
City: Woburn, Country: US
Comments: If anything, Anand Patwardhan movies are doing a service to the Hindu religion – by showing the real face of the Sangh Parvari brand of religio-politics – and it’s perverse and bigoted interpretation of religion.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 06:17 am

Name: Rini Bhattacharya Mehta
Occupation: Graduate Student
City: Ithaca, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 06:22 am

Name: Daniel Lee
Occupation: Marketing/PR
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 06:22 am

Name: Parul Shah
Occupation:
City: brooklyn, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 06:26 am

Name: Imran Khalid-Khan
Occupation:
City: Ottawa, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 06:34 am

Name: Alexander R. Bay
Occupation: Graduate Student
City: Stanford, Country: US
Comments: Mr. Patwardhan’s films are very powerful, very political, and have EVERYTHING to do with the state of world affairs today. To not show his films would be a step towards the type of thinking we are supposedly fighting against in Southcentral Asia today.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 06:40 am

Name: Shompa Datta
Occupation: Teacher
City: Tuscaloosa, Country: US
Comments: Hindu Fundamentalist is an oxymoron.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 06:44 am

Name: erica loomba
Occupation: Attorney
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 06:46 am

Name: Sahana Dharmapuri
Occupation: Media Manager
City: –, Country: US
Comments: To quote: “An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 06:52 am

Name: David Clingingsmith
Occupation: Economics Graduate Student, Harvard University
City: Somerville, Country: US
Comments: I fully support and encourage the screening of Mr. Patwardhan’s films and believe those who disagree with them should use public channels to express their views and not attempt to prevent others from having the opportunity to come to their own conclusions.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 06:58 am

Name: Maha Hussain
Occupation:
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 07:02 am

Name: Amitava Kumar
Occupation: Professor
City: State College, Country: US
Comments: All those who, in the name of tradition, believe in burning women, churches, and minorities, will support the muzzling of Patwardhan’s brave voice.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 07:03 am

Name: Simona Mkrtschjan
Occupation: Editor
City: Chicago, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 07:06 am

Name: Ashwini Tambe
Occupation: Teaching
City: Washington D.C., Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 07:36 am

Name: Abja Midha
Occupation: Consultant
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 07:45 am

Name: Sanjay Tyagi
Occupation: Scientist
City: New York, Country: US
Comments: It is time that we resist the attempts of religious chauvinists to stifle our voice. People who are opposing the screening of these films are the same groups that raise money for right-wing extremist parties in India and have been exhorting us towards war.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 07:57 am

Name: Mridu Chandra
Occupation: Filmmaker/Writer
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 07:59 am

Name: Nandini Rajwade
Occupation: Assoc prod/ broadcast journalist(was in india- currently studying)
City: san jose, Country: US
Comments: it’s quite simple really; a film maker has the right to produce his verion of society and life; NO ONE SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO STOP HIM
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 08:06 am

Name: Christian Anderson
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 08:08 am

Name: Puja Lalmalani
Occupation: actor/writer/dancer
City: Brooklyn, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 08:09 am

Name: Rajika Bhandari
Occupation: Educational Researcher
City: –, Country: US
Comments: Anand Patwardhan’s films are provocative and significant because they educate and because they address some of the most insidious problems of Indian society. It is bad enough that his films face resistance in India–it would be even worse if the Indian diaspora responds in a close-minded fashion.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 08:12 am

Name: Balmurli Natrajan
Occupation: Teacher
City: Ames, Country: US
Comments: Patwardan’s works are not only timely but also bold, progressive and thought-provoking. They need to be aired freely.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 08:14 am

Name: Shelly Bahl
Occupation: Artist/ Educator
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 08:16 am

Name: Akhila Raman
Occupation: DSP Engineer
City: berkeley, Country: US
Comments: Protect free specch!
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 08:37 am

Name: R. Ezra Erb
Occupation: Student
City: Stanford, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 08:39 am

Name: Ashish Gupta
Occupation:
City: Pomona, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 08:51 am

Name: Vivek Asija
Occupation: CIO
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 08:53 am

Name: Raza Mir
Occupation: Teacher
City: Long Branch, Country: US
Comments: Anand Patwardhan’s films do not attack any religion, only religious bigotry.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 09:04 am

Name: Madhuri Deshmukh
Occupation: Professor
City: Chicago, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 09:04 am

Name: Aisha Karim
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 09:11 am

Name: Nimish Desai
Occupation: student
City: Austin, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 09:16 am

Name: Pradeep Sopory
Occupation: Professor
City: Memphis, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 09:21 am

Name: Jisha Menon
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 09:26 am

Name: Iram Khandwala
Occupation: Graphic Designer
City: Chicago, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 09:27 am

Name: shailja sharma
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 09:27 am

Name: Sapna Desai
Occupation: Student
City: Boston, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 09:29 am

Name: Veena Singh
Occupation: doc
City: san francisco, Country: US
Comments: We can’t allow fundamentalism of any kind to be ignored.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 09:31 am

Name: Pritam Singh
Occupation: University lecturer
City: Oxford, Country: GB
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 09:35 am

Name: Vivek Mittal
Occupation:
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 09:35 am

Name: manish mukherjee
Occupation:
City: hollywood, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 09:40 am

Name: Gauri Kitchlu
Occupation: Student
City: Washington, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 09:48 am

Name: Shalini Gera
Occupation: Consultant
City: San Jose, Country: US
Comments: Great religions are enriched by discussion and introspection, not maligned by honest criticism. The issues raised by Mr. Patwardhan’s films need to be discussed in a free and open society.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 09:51 am

Name: Girish Agrawal
Occupation: Engineer
City: San Jose, Country: US
Comments: Please do not bow to pressure from the hate-mongering Hindu fundamentalists. The HSC, VHPA and others of their ilk are bigoted and intolerant of any views but their own–and admirers of Hitler to boot.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 09:54 am

Name: Dr. Vinod Mubayi
Occupation: Scientist
City: Miller Place, Country: US
Comments: The objections voiced against Anand Patwardhan’s films by the so-called Hindu organizations are biased and absurd. They should be disregarded completely.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 09:54 am

Name: Anubha Kothari
Occupation:
City: Stanford, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 10:00 am

Name: Caesar Sengupta
Occupation:
City: Palo Alto, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 10:08 am

Name: sandhya pallana
Occupation: network engineer
City: oakland, Country: US
Comments: patwardhan’s films bring religion into a healthy thought provoking light. we should embrace not fear our freedoms in this country, one of them being freedom of speech. i don’t believe his films are against or for any specific religion, but the understanding of what atrocities can be done in the name of religion.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 10:13 am

Name: Sonny Gill
Occupation: Attorney
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 10:13 am

Name: Aniruddha Vaidya
Occupation: Computer Engineer
City: Mountain View, Country: US
Comments: I have seen and been inspired by the several Anand Patwardhan films. Anand Patwardhan’s films teach us much about what is ailing India and South Asia today : the pillage of public resources, big dams, religous and caste bigotry and the rise of Hindu fundamentalism. His films need to be watched by anyone interested in South Asia and everyone in India as it holds a mirror to our faces and the image does not make a pretty picture.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 10:40 am

Name: hitchhiker intergalactic
Occupation: engineer
City: palo alto, Country: US
Comments: PROTECT FREE SPEECH!!
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 10:41 am

Name: dushyant pandya
Occupation: Marketing
City: Palo Alto, Country: US
Comments: Freedom of speech and religious tolerance are the hallmark of civilized society.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 10:47 am

Name: Rajesh Veeraraghavan
Occupation: Software Design Engineer
City: Saratoga, Country: US
Comments: Protect Free Speech. And don’t allow the hindu fundamentalist to hijack any agenda.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 10:47 am

Name: Alka Hingorani
Occupation: Student
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 10:50 am

Name: shrikanth shankar
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 10:53 am

Name: Yamini Nayar
Occupation: artist/writer
City: Brooklyn, Country: US
Comments: our voice is all we have. when it’s stomped upon, we walk into a tunnel of dark.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 10:55 am

Name: Anirvan Chatterjee
Occupation: CEO
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments: Petitions and counter-petitions are nothing more than popularity contests. Patwardhan’s films should be screened because they’re relevant, not because people are willing to write in to support them. Squelching debate is always a bad idea.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 10:57 am

Name: Supratik Chakraborty
Occupation: Teaching and research
City: –, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 10:59 am

Name: radhika xxx
Occupation:
City: san francisco, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 11:00 am

Name: MAnisha Nair
Occupation: Eng
City: Santa Clara, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 11:07 am

Name: Lauren Hotchkiss
Occupation: writer/musician
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments: Preventing film screenings is just one step away from blacklisting. Do we really wish to resurrect the spirit of McCarthyism?
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 11:11 am

Name: Prasad Vaidya
Occupation: Energy Analyst
City: minneapolis, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 11:20 am

Name: vinod chandnani
Occupation: web developer
City: columbus, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 11:26 am

Name: Anjum Ansari
Occupation:
City: Oak Park, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 11:36 am

Name: Maharaj K. Kaul
Occupation:
City: Fremont, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 11:43 am

Name: mona chopra
Occupation:
City: new york, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 11:48 am

Name: Ali Kazimi
Occupation: filmmaker
City: –, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 11:56 am

Name: Ali Mir
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 11:59 am

Name: Prashant Jawalikar
Occupation: Programmer
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 12:00 pm

Name: Mishka Zaman
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 12:07 pm

Name: Shailaja Menon
Occupation: Student
City: Ann Arbor, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 12:19 pm

Name: Arvind Raghavan
Occupation:
City: Camarillo, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 12:19 pm

Name: Siddharth Shah
Occupation: Physician
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 12:22 pm

Name: Kinkini Banerjee
Occupation: Nutritionist
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 12:26 pm

Name: Vidhya Muthuram
Occupation:
City: Washington DC, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 12:37 pm

Name: Srividhya Venkataraman
Occupation: Engineer
City: Saratoga, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 12:47 pm

Name: Roland Hsu
Occupation: College adviser
City: Chicago, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 12:48 pm

Name: Sarika Seth
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 12:50 pm

Name: Karuna Morarji
Occupation:
City: Olympia, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 12:59 pm

Name: Sameena Vaseem
Occupation: student at Cal
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments: Patwardhan is THE leading documentary filmmaker from India. Do not silence his images of truth!
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 13:22 pm

Name: Shaheen Tarafder
Occupation: Software Engineer
City: Forest Hills, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 13:35 pm

Name: Rahul Gudla
Occupation: Engineer
City: San Jose, Country: US
Comments: Anand Patwardhan’s moview are eye-openers
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 13:35 pm

Name: Birjinder Anant
Occupation:
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 13:47 pm

Name: Karuna Muthiah
Occupation:
City: Foster City, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 13:49 pm

Name: Bhaskaran Raman
Occupation: Graduate Student
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments: Branding is an easy way to reject arguments. That’s what the people who brand Anand Patwardhan a “self-proclaimed leftist” are doing.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 13:52 pm

Name: Anand Raghavan
Occupation:
City: Sunnyvale, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 14:02 pm

Name: Shalini Eddens
Occupation: program manager-public health
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 14:19 pm

Name: Amit C.
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments: Let the Hindutva brigade counter speech with speech openly. They have no divine right — though they have repeatedly attempted to exercise it in any case — to stifle the public discourse. Their methods, from barring screenings to attacking film sets to burning books, prove that they belong to their beloved Middle Ages far more than to pluralistic, democratic life.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 14:21 pm

Name: Reva Patwardhan
Occupation:
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 14:29 pm

Name: Radhika Sehgal
Occupation: Student
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 14:35 pm

Name: Shashikanth Suryanarayanan
Occupation: Student
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments: Right to expression has to be protected expressly! Moreover, Anand’s films are cool :-))
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 15:21 pm

Name: Joyoni Dey
Occupation: Engineer
City: Sunnyvale, Country: US
Comments: I saw both the documentaries. I did not feel the film maker demeaned Hinduism in anyway. He just wanted to point out injustices in the name of religion.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 15:29 pm

Name: Susmita Das
Occupation: student
City: SF, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 15:30 pm

Name: Patrick McCully
Occupation: Environmentalist
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments: Patwardhan’s films are important – and freedom of speech is important.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 15:30 pm

Name: Jith Meganathan
Occupation: Student
City: Somerville, Country: US
Comments: To those who oppose Mr.Patwardhan’s work: why not seek a forum in which you can express disagreement with his views, rather than pursuing suppression? We would benefit from hearing all sides.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 15:33 pm

Name: Manjri Sewak
Occupation: Graduate Student Conflict Transformation Eastern Mennonite University 1200 Park Road Harrisonburg, VA 22802
City: Harrisonburg, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 15:54 pm

Name: brinda sarathy
Occupation:
City: oakland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 16:30 pm

Name: Chris Anderson
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 16:49 pm

Name: Lata Iyer
Occupation:
City: Redlands, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 16:56 pm

Name: Manish Desai
Occupation:
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 17:06 pm

Name: Rahul De’
Occupation: Educator
City: Lawrenceville, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 17:09 pm

Name: Urmila Mohan
Occupation: Communication Designer
City: –, Country: US
Comments: Dear Elaine, This is to express my support for the screening of Anant’s films at the AMNH. I remember seeing Anant Patwardhan at school in India and recommend his film ‘Ram Ke Naam’ (In the name of God) to all people concerned with the rise of fundamentalism worldwide and the freedom of the artist/documentor. I resent the idea that any one group of people can speak or be outraged on behalf of an entire community! The truth is that fundamentalism & religious revivalism are alive & kicking in India. To force the censorship of documentation/commentary is just a disgusting strongarm tactic. Such censorship seems to target literary or artistic interpretations of texts like the Ramayana, that do not agree with the majority. There is no One Ramayana, just like there is no One way to live as a Hindu. I hope that the exhbition will continue as originally planned. That will give me some hope that hindu fundamentalism although imported to the US cannot take permanent root in this country.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 17:19 pm

Name: Srinath Alapati
Occupation: IT Specialist
City: San Jose, CA, Country: US
Comments: I have not seen this particular film, but I have seen many films made by him. I strongly encourage showing this film. He is very objective.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 17:23 pm

Name: Abdulrahman Rafiq
Occupation: Engineer
City: Santa Clara, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 17:26 pm

Name: Sunil Deshmukh
Occupation: Wall Street Commodity Trader
City: Stamford, Country: US
Comments: India is on the brink of fascism. All progressive people and orgs have to support courageous progressive artists like Anand at this critical juncture
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 17:58 pm

Name: Nuraini Arsad
Occupation: research assistant
City: Skudai, Country: MY
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 18:16 pm

Name: Maya Manian
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments: There is a dire lack of information regarding the rise of hindu fundamentalism in India.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 18:19 pm

Name: Gisele Gordon
Occupation: Filmmaker
City: Toronto, Country: CA
Comments: Anand Patwardhan’s work is crucial. He has the courage to show the tragic repurcussions of power hungry politicians’ manipulation of ethnic and class divisions to further their own ends. His work needs to be seen by as many people as possible.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 18:27 pm

Name: Cameron Bailey
Occupation: Film critic
City: Toronto, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 18:37 pm

Name: Purnima Manghnani
Occupation:
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 18:40 pm

Name: Aparna Devare
Occupation:
City: ROCKVILLE, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 19:00 pm

Name: Vijay Iyer
Occupation: musician
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 20:13 pm

Name: Gautam Sen
Occupation: Teacher
City: Istanbul, Country: TR
Comments: At a time when all kinds of things are being swept under the label of terrorism, it is important to distinguish the REAL terrorists. Patwardhan’s films on the Hindu fascists help in making this distinction. Moreover, I agree with the person who asks Patwardhan’s opponenents to debate their views openly rather than rely on fascist tactics.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 20:14 pm

Name: Anjali Kamat
Occupation: teacher
City: oakland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 20:23 pm

Name: Subhradip Ghosh
Occupation: Research scholar
City: Highland Park, Country: US
Comments: I wholeheartedly support the screening of Anand Patwardhan’s film. The succesful screening would be one step ahead to combat the religious fascists back in India and their overseas friends.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 20:26 pm

Name: Lizette Lim
Occupation:
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 20:37 pm

Name: Rita Mazumdar
Occupation: Teacher
City: Ranchi, Country: IN
Comments: Freedom of expression must not be stiffled. Patwardhan should have right to screen his films in India or abroad
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 20:50 pm

Name: Sumita Sen
Occupation: fianance & marketing/student-screenplay writing
City: –, Country: US
Comments: Have seen several of Mr Patwardhans films..have gained valuable information and feel it would be a terrible mistake if in any shape of form they were made unavailable to the public
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 20:54 pm

Name: Ricardo Acosta
Occupation: Film Editor
City: Tooronto, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 20:58 pm

Name: Iftikhar Chaudhry
Occupation: Engineer
City: Santa Rosa, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 21:31 pm

Name: Kiran Patel
Occupation:
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments: There’s room for all of us. I appreciate Mr. Patwardhan creating a space in the film medium to represent underrepresented perspectives on critical matters that affect many. Let’s not silence this rare voice. Instead, let’s open our ears, our hearts and minds and let these voices enter our souls.
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 22:10 pm

Name: Hatem Radwan
Occupation: Engineer
City: San Jose, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 22:11 pm

Name: Syed Asif
Occupation: Financial Analyst
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 22:59 pm

Name: husain akbar
Occupation: cameraperson
City: new delhi, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 23:02 pm

Name: florence yoo
Occupation:
City: new york, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-23-02 Time: 23:02 pm

Name: Ramesh Dodamani
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 00:31 am

Name: Lehar Hind
Occupation: Management and Development consultant.
City: SFO/ New Delhi, Country: IN
Comments: Freedom of Speech is part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. No Talibani group, ‘Moslem’, ‘Hindu’or Christian should be allowed to get way with this kind of attack on human liberties. The United States has been a champion of civil liberites and freedom of speech since the American War of Independence. We hope that it will not let us, the international and US community, down.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 01:37 am

Name: Anibel Ferus-Comelo
Occupation:
City: –, Country: GB
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 01:42 am

Name: Meena Dhanda
Occupation: University Lecturer
City: Oxford, Country: GB
Comments: I have seen two of Patwardan’s previous documentary films and both were excellent: very perceptive and very well made. I look forward to seeing the latest one when it comes to the UK. It is ridiculous to call for a ban on something that could improve our understanding of ourselves!
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 04:44 am

Name: Felicia Craig
Occupation:
City: Middletown, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 05:22 am

Name: Kirankumar Vissa
Occupation: Communications Engineer, and volunteer for Association for India’s Development
City: College Park, Country: US
Comments: I have seen both these films and also a few other films of Anand Patwardhan. They are excellent documentaries and bring to light facts with a lot of clarity. They are a must-see for everyone who wants to form an opinion on the issues involved – in this particular case the Hindutva ideology, the Ayodhya tangle and Dalit perspective. Given that very few Indians in the US refrain from having an opinion on these matters, it is all the more essential for these to be screened widely and publicly.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 06:16 am

Name: Anwar Kazimi
Occupation: Public service
City: Toronto, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 06:44 am

Name: Sumita Bhandari
Occupation: Attorney
City: Washington D.C., Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 06:54 am

Name: rohit tripathi
Occupation:
City: germantown, Country: US
Comments: All power to Anand for his great work!
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 07:03 am

Name: Tulika Narayan
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 07:20 am

Name: Tarun Jain
Occupation:
City: Washington, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 07:26 am

Name: Manu Mathai
Occupation: Graduate Student
City: College Park, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 07:28 am

Name: Ambar Narayan
Occupation: Economist
City: –, Country: US
Comments: I have always found Anand’s work impressive and thought-provoking, even when I haven’t agreed with him (particularly on globalization). I absolutely condemn any effort to silence his voice. To the would-be censors (every community has its “talibans”): are you intellectually incapable of engaging in a constructive debate, or are your beliefs too irrational (even to you) to take that “risk”?
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 07:36 am

Name: Madhu Raghunath
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 07:41 am

Name: Rahul Rajkumar
Occupation: Medical Student
City: New Haven, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 07:58 am

Name: Joseph McKenzie
Occupation: Retired Professor
City: Fredericton,, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 07:59 am

Name: Ashim Jain
Occupation: Engineer
City: San Jose, Country: US
Comments: Freedom & democracy is the birth right of every human being – which can never become a reality without free speech.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 08:05 am

Name: Rajeev Natarajan
Occupation: Graduate Student and volunteer for Association for India’s Development
City: College Park, Country: US
Comments: I think his movies depict the problems in a perspective that needs to reach out to more people. The fact that there are groups that have called a ban shows some element of fear in terms of the repercussion that they might face…
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 08:15 am

Name: Ashok Bhargava
Occupation: Professor of Economics
City: Madison, Country: US
Comments: I am currently writing a review of Anand’s films. Good luck with the petition.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 08:17 am

Name: narayan iyer
Occupation: Entrepreneur
City: owings mills, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 08:17 am

Name: Pradyumna Singh
Occupation: Graduate Student
City: Newark, Country: US
Comments: Views can be questioned, but anyone’s right to express those views is beyond contention.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 08:20 am

Name: Powell Jose
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 08:25 am

Name: Ravishankar Arunachalam
Occupation: Engineer
City: Austin, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 08:32 am

Name: Nandini Gupta
Occupation: Research Scientist
City: Eindhoven, Country: NL
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 08:34 am

Name: Ayesha emad
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 08:34 am

Name: Ann Tanner
Occupation: Secretary
City: Glasgow, Country: GB
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 08:44 am

Name: Ravi Kanitkar
Occupation: Engineer
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 08:54 am

Name: Amit Mukherjee
Occupation: Graduate Student University of Maryland, College Park USA
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 08:58 am

Name: Prita Subramanian
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 09:22 am

Name: Sabine Meier
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 09:53 am

Name: Isabelle Valois
Occupation: Development practionner
City: Ottawa, Country: CA
Comments: Anand’s film always provide with a different and often missing perspective on different social issues.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 10:03 am

Name: Kausik Sarkar
Occupation: asst prof (mech. eng.)
City: newark, Country: US
Comments: free speech should be protected
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 10:04 am

Name: kalpa shah
Occupation: Student
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 10:07 am

Name: Jason J Green
Occupation:
City: Stanardsville, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 10:14 am

Name: Irfan Mufti
Occupation: Development Activist
City: Lahore, Country: PK
Comments: I fully support the concept of the film made by Anand.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 10:25 am

Name: Sayantan Biswas
Occupation: Graduate Student
City: Washington D.C.,, Country: US
Comments: Anand Patwardhan is one those few people who are dealing with issues, which are unheard or ignored by many of us. This intention to curb his voice is highly undemocartic.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 10:48 am

Name: charulatha venkataraman
Occupation: graduate student
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 10:55 am

Name: Dr. Aurangzeb Syed
Occupation: Professor
City: Marquette, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 10:57 am

Name: Vidhi Parthasarathy
Occupation:
City: madison, Country: US
Comments: free speech should be protected
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 11:02 am

Name: Faris Ahmed
Occupation:
City: –, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 11:05 am

Name: Mamta Ahluwalia
Occupation:
City: Stanford, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 11:10 am

Name: Anurag Acharya
Occupation: Software Engineer
City: Mountain View, Country: US
Comments: Anand is an insightful filmmaker. His documentaries explore complex issues and usually reach the core of the matter at hand.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 11:18 am

Name: Sriram Srinivasan
Occupation: Software engineer
City: berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 11:22 am

Name: Ashwin Baskaran
Occupation:
City: Petaluma, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 11:23 am

Name: Om P. Damani
Occupation: Computer Scientist
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 11:26 am

Name: Samir C
Occupation:
City: Wash DC, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 11:38 am

Name: Mira Nair
Occupation: film director
City: new york, Country: US
Comments: patwardhan is a great political film-maker and must be seen and heard in as many places as can possibly determine!
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 11:46 am

Name: Veena Gokhale
Occupation: NGO worker
City: Ottawa, Country: CA
Comments: I absolutely support freedom of speech and expression and the screening of Anand Patwardhan’s films in the U.S. I first got to know Anand’s work in the mid-80s, as a journalist in Bombay and have followed his career since. I think his work is relevant and good and deserves wide exposure and discussion.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 11:49 am

Name: Chitra Ranganathan
Occupation: Student
City: Columbus, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 12:13 pm

Name: Sankar Sitaraman
Occupation: Professor
City: –, Country: US
Comments: We should let the right wing know that most Indians (Hindus, especially) don’t support their fundamentalist policies
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 12:22 pm

Name: Shundell Prasad
Occupation: Film Student New York University
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 12:35 pm

Name: Barnali Ghosh
Occupation: Landscape Architect
City: berkeley, Country: US
Comments: We have to learn to face reality.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 12:55 pm

Name: Ratna Sengupta
Occupation: Engineer
City: –, Country: US
Comments: As a secular humanist I would recommend showing Patwardhan’s film in every country.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 13:04 pm

Name: Phong Tran
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 13:06 pm

Name: Sakina Sadat Hussain
Occupation:
City: Seattle, Country: US
Comments: Art is free and films, such as those directed by Patwardhan, are always an eye-opener in many ways. Efforts to ban the screening only proves that fundamentalism kills creativity and free speech.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 13:32 pm

Name: Balram Sampla
Occupation:
City: Rochester, Country: GB
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 13:47 pm

Name: Saurabh Lodha
Occupation: Graduate Student
City: West Lafayette, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 13:48 pm

Name: francis kombarakaran
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 13:57 pm

Name: Dhanada Mishra
Occupation:
City: Sydney, Country: AU
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 13:58 pm

Name: Courtney Cswercko
Occupation:
City: Slater, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 14:25 pm

Name: Deepak Lall
Occupation:
City: Union City, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 14:54 pm

Name: Shilpa Joshi
Occupation:
City: Brookline, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 15:30 pm

Name: Tabrez shaikh
Occupation: student
City: Toledo, Country: US
Comments: After meddling with history now the hardliners want to obscure current facts! Its a duty to thwart their gimmicks.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 15:38 pm

Name: Siva Digavalli
Occupation: Scientist
City: ROCKYHILL, Country: US
Comments: I have seen these videos and they are very interesting. Not withstanding their merit, Mr.Patwardhan, or for that matter any artist, should have an open forum to express him/herself.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 15:39 pm

Name: Ritwik Bhatia
Occupation:
City: West Lafayette, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 15:39 pm

Name: Michelle Oja
Occupation:
City: Lincoln, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 15:51 pm

Name: Kavita Philip
Occupation: Academic
City: atlanta, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 16:18 pm

Name: Robert Gill
Occupation: University Professor
City: Toronto, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 16:20 pm

Name: Meetali Jain
Occupation: attorney
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments: Patwardhan’s films must be protected for provoking critical dialogue in a time of simplistic rhetoric.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 16:24 pm

Name: Shridhar Reddy
Occupation: Student
City: Atlanta, Country: US
Comments: As a Communication student years ago in Hyderabad, it was Patwardhan’s “Father son… ” that shook me up to social realities in India and of the power of film-makers to help reflect and interpret these realities. But why should hindu right-wingers in the US want to oppose screenings of his films?! I thought that Indians here would be free from fundamentalist delusions. All the more reason that his films should be screened!
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 16:29 pm

Name: Tracye Sine
Occupation: Inventory Auditor
City: Huntsville, Country: US
Comments: I have not had the pleasure of viewing any of Anand Patwardhan’s films, but I wish there were more venues for non-mainstream film. If religious people were truly confident in their faiths, an opposing viewpoint would not be cause for such protest.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 16:46 pm

Name: sally matsukawa
Occupation: cashier
City: bellflower, Country: US
Comments: freedom of spech is what this country is all about… freedom.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 17:03 pm

Name: Elizabeth Garone
Occupation: Journalist
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 17:57 pm

Name: Patricia O’Leary
Occupation: Teacher
City: College Park, Country: US
Comments: I have not yet viewed any of his films, but would do so at the first opportunity.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 18:01 pm

Name: Magnus Isacsson
Occupation: filmmaker
City: Montreal, Country: CA
Comments: Anand’s work is exemplary, and this campaign to defend freedom of expression is essential.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 18:03 pm

Name: Manon Hogue
Occupation: Journalist and film-maker
City: Montreal, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 18:22 pm

Name: Subramaniam Vincent
Occupation: Communications engineer
City: Bangalore, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 18:32 pm

Name: I.K. Shukla
Occupation: Litterateur
City: Los Angeles, Country: US
Comments: Any gag on Patwardhan films would only embolden the HinduTaliban stalking the land. His concerns, his commitment to social justice, his purposive filmcraft help educate and enlighten people.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 18:32 pm

Name: Sraboni Ghose
Occupation: Post doctoral fellow
City: Palo Alto, Country: US
Comments: Let the people who see the films decide for themselves.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 18:36 pm

Name: Arun Jain
Occupation: Physician
City: Boston, Country: US
Comments: I completely and whole heartedly agree with this petition.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 18:42 pm

Name: Vivek Nirkhe
Occupation: Software Engg.
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 18:54 pm

Name: Amit Puniyani
Occupation: student
City: Stanford, Country: US
Comments: Hinduism like any other religeon or dogma can be and has been hijacked by the vested interests of a small bunch of elites. Anand’s films show this side of the story of Hinduism and must be screened.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 19:01 pm

Name: Marc-Antoine Parent
Occupation: Software Engineer
City: Ottawa, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 19:17 pm

Name: s j
Occupation: student
City: –, Country: US
Comments: The US Second Generation of Indians are unaware of how much they have grown up within a fundamental Hindu milieu. It seems that the Indians from India, living through senseless riots all the time, are much more attuned to the fundamentalism in their midst. A. Patwardhan obviously highlights this, and this is displeasing to the funders of the Shiv Sena who live in the comfort of their New Jersey residences.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 19:22 pm

Name: Dharma Tejus
Occupation: Engineer
City: San Jose, Country: US
Comments: Bringing out the negative aspects of a religion can help make it better. Stifling all criticisms will only deepen any decay.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 19:30 pm

Name: Amita Jha
Occupation: Physician
City: –, Country: US
Comments: Arts and creativity should not have to bear the burden of religious dogma. It should be allowed uncurtailed expression and exhibition. People whose religious beliefs systems are affected negatively by opinions or view points because of such expression have the freedom to not watch.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 20:01 pm

Name: Linda Hess
Occupation: professor
City: –, Country: US
Comments: Patwardhan is a courageous and internationally acclaimed filmmaker whose films have been very valuable to me as an educator. I also show the Sagar Ramayana videos and other sympathetic insider representations of Hinduism. But the self-appointed thought police of the right seek to suppress the art and literature that they disapprove of and to control access to information. India stands for democracy. It will be truly against India’s interests and image in the world if such forces succeed in suppressing free speech, academic and artistic expression. I hope the AMNH doesn’t cave in.
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 21:19 pm

Name: Chandana Mathur
Occupation:
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 21:32 pm

Name: suma veerabhadraiah
Occupation: student
City: sanjose, Country: US
Comments: free speech that inspires critical social discourse is always welcome
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 21:52 pm

Name: Sanjana Chopra
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 21:57 pm

Name: Megan Pugh
Occupation: teacher
City: Kwangyang, Country: KP
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 22:28 pm

Name: Ijaz Syed
Occupation: Consultant
City: San Jose, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 23:00 pm

Name: sayan gupta
Occupation: Research Student
City: Bangalore, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 23:37 pm

Name: myra syed
Occupation: teacher
City: Irvine, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-24-02 Time: 23:56 pm

Name: Beena Sarwar
Occupation: Journalist
City: Karachi, Country: PK
Comments: Anand’s films should be shown not only on the national television network in India, but also in Pakistan where the issues he addresses are equally relevant. There is little difference between our religious right and that which exists in India.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 01:02 am

Name: Lawrence Friedman
Occupation: scientist
City: Delft, Country: NL
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 02:13 am

Name: Ziad Asim
Occupation: Technology Consultant
City: Karachi, Country: PK
Comments: This displays clearly : what they Think, What They Say, What they Actually DO……..!!!
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 02:34 am

Name: Tony Dowmunt
Occupation: Teacher and producer
City: –, Country: GB
Comments: In the current global climate, spaces for these kinds of messages to be aired are vital to human survival.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 03:11 am

Name: Ram Puniyani
Occupation: Teaching
City: –, Country: IN
Comments: I strongly endorse the appeal
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 03:33 am

Name: Ahmed Salim
Occupation: Writer, Poet, Civil Society Activist.
City: Islamabad, Country: PK
Comments: I srongly support the petition.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 03:39 am

Name: Himanshu Thakkar
Occupation: Research
City: Delhi, Country: IN
Comments: It will be a sad day if such anti democratic attempts succeeed.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 04:03 am

Name: Anjali Sagar
Occupation: Producer / Artist
City: London, Country: GB
Comments: In brief, Anand’s work should be respected not only for the message, then for the years of energy he puts into the making of his films. Don’t these idiots who oppose the film War and Peace have anything better to do??
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 04:08 am

Name: marianne martin
Occupation: Language teacher
City: Berlin, Country: DE
Comments: Protection of free speech is a necessary and eternal fight, it will not go unnoticed.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 04:44 am

Name: Sumit Basu
Occupation: Research Scientist
City: Eindhoven, Country: NL
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 05:06 am

Name: Jhilli Biswas
Occupation: Filmmaker
City: Calcutta, Country: IN
Comments: The whole buisness of curbing democratic expressions is severely condemnable
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 05:10 am

Name: judy jackson
Occupation: documentary film makers
City: Toronto, Country: CA
Comments: We have seen over and over the consequence of curbing freedom of expression. Think about Rwanda. Think about Afghanistan. Think about Kosovo
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 05:30 am

Name: larry hughsam
Occupation: accountant
City: toronto, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 06:34 am

Name: Kavitha Nellore
Occupation: Graduate student, Penn State University
City: State College, Country: US
Comments: I hope the museum will definetely screen these movies
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 06:42 am

Name: Sreeram Pydah
Occupation: Founder and CEO of a High Tech. Company
City: Burlington, Country: US
Comments: Freedom of speech and expression is the very foundation to Intellectual progress, and any efforts to curb it should be strongly opposed.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 06:45 am

Name: Naren Kumarakulasingam
Occupation: Researcher
City: Washington, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 06:45 am

Name: sam mehta
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 07:12 am

Name: V. Kripa Sundar
Occupation: Software Engineer
City: Marlborough, Country: US
Comments: Hatred and intolerance have no part in civil society.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 07:19 am

Name: Richard McGill Murphy
Occupation: Writer, editor, producer
City: New York, Country: US
Comments: This man has important things to say. Disagree if you like, but please give him a forum.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 07:24 am

Name: Gina Moore
Occupation: student
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 07:29 am

Name: Ute Winston
Occupation: teacher
City: Tuscaloosa, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 07:36 am

Name: J. Sri Raman
Occupation: Journalism
City: –, Country: IN
Comments: The Indian or avowedly ‘Hindu’ fascism, notable above all for its ignorant contempt for India’s history and heritage, is even more obnoxious when it goes ‘phoren’, when it combines the worst features of an oppressive majoritarianism at home and an insular minorityism abroad.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 07:45 am

Name: Valerie Busch
Occupation: Homemaker
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 07:59 am

Name: Claudie Gosselin
Occupation: policy analyst
City: Ottawa, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 08:28 am

Name: Deepa Rathnam Nirmal
Occupation: Interactive Designer
City: St. Paul, Country: US
Comments: Kudos for striving to protect the freedom of speech! Let Mr. Patwardhan be seen and heard and the viewers decide for themselves.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 08:29 am

Name: yasmeen fatimah
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 08:36 am

Name: Dane Kuppinger
Occupation: graduate student
City: Chapel Hill, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 08:48 am

Name: Radhika Rammohan
Occupation: Software Engineer and Volunteer with Association for India’s Development
City: Atlanta, Country: US
Comments: I STRONGLY support this petition.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 08:49 am

Name: Priti Kumar
Occupation: Research Assistant
City: Canton, Country: US
Comments: We must be open to all view points before we form our own.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 09:08 am

Name: Anita Balasubramanian
Occupation: DSP Engineer
City: Bellevue, WA, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 09:09 am

Name: Sana Shaikh
Occupation: Software Engineer
City: –, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 09:20 am

Name: Prachi S Jawalikar
Occupation: Travel Agent
City: Atlanta, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 10:01 am

Name: Anjli Tantod
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 10:26 am

Name: Savita Kini
Occupation: Software Engineer
City: Santa Clara, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 10:48 am

Name: Kamal Ahmed
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 11:04 am

Name: momo h
Occupation:
City: berlin, Country: DE
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 11:08 am

Name: Susan Chacko
Occupation: scientist
City: Bethesda, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 11:13 am

Name: Jill Keesbury
Occupation: Researcher
City: Honolulu, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 11:17 am

Name: Swati Sharan
Occupation:
City: St. John’s, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 11:44 am

Name: punee gupta
Occupation: Student
City: University park, Country: US
Comments: I support Dr. Anand Patwardhan and would like the screenings of his films to continue. If he can tell us something, then we MUST know it…and no one has the right to deny us that information. LET THE TRUTH PREVAIL…LET THE AUDIENCE DECIDE…dont let authenticity die like this.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 12:17 pm

Name: Jan Tarlin
Occupation: College Professor
City: Jackson, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 12:27 pm

Name: kodwo eshun
Occupation: Author and cultural critic.
City: London, Country: GB
Comments: At a critical moment like this, the films of a director such as Patwardhan are more neccessary than ever.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 12:39 pm

Name: Kaushalya Bannerji
Occupation:
City: Ottawa, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 12:44 pm

Name: Pawan Hegde
Occupation: Engineer
City: Atlanta, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 12:57 pm

Name: Vidur Sahney
Occupation: Optical Engineer
City: Sunnyvale, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 13:15 pm

Name: Nandini Chandrashekar
Occupation:
City: Mountain View, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 13:35 pm

Name: Dede Oetomo
Occupation:
City: Surabaya, Country: ID
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 15:24 pm

Name: Arnab K Chanda
Occupation: Investment Banker
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments: We need to have progressive and secular Indians remind us from time to time that secularism is one of the two basic components of Indian nationhood as such cannot be compromised.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 16:45 pm

Name: Ayaz Ahmed
Occupation:
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 17:20 pm

Name: Sameer Samudra
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 17:25 pm

Name: DR. Anis Alam
Occupation: Professor of Physics at the University of the Punjab
City: Lahore, Country: PK
Comments: I wholeheartedly support the campaign.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 17:37 pm

Name: Cecil Chaudhry
Occupation: Principal, St. Anthony’s College
City: Lahore, Country: PK
Comments: I fully support this petition
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 18:14 pm

Name: Kalpana Sutaria
Occupation: Architect
City: Austin, Country: US
Comments: I fully support this petition. Anand has courage to make films which tell the truth about our society.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 18:43 pm

Name: Asad Zaidi
Occupation: Writer
City: –, Country: IN
Comments: I wholeheartedly endorse the petition.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 19:12 pm

Name: Lesley Esteves
Occupation: Content provider, web site developer, member of non-profit collective working for rights of Indian sexuality minorities
City: New Delhi, Country: IN
Comments: Anand Patwardhan is a precious citizen of a democratic country whose medaeval political class violates with impunity every day, the rights of India’s citizens. When it comes to corruption and nepotism, there are no divisions along party lines in India. Anand Patwardhan’s commitment to questioning the staggeringly inappropriate authority the Indian state imposes on citizens, to questioning those who make use of sectarian violence towards political ends, is unwavering. The current attempts to censor his participation is an indication of the terror this honest man inflicts on India’s corrupt political class. His right to expression, to question evil, must not be tampered with to appease the evildoers.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 19:27 pm

Name: Deepak Malghan
Occupation: Doctoral Student
City: College Park, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 19:35 pm

Name: srikanth voorakaranam
Occupation:
City: Dallas, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 21:22 pm

Name: Ayan Banerjee
Occupation:
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments: The Truth is a powerful weapon…
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 21:29 pm

Name: Robin Khundkar
Occupation: Finance Professional
City: –, Country: US
Comments: Anand Patwardhan is one of the foremost Indian Documentary Filmmakers. His work is an act of conscience and must not be censored in any way.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 21:48 pm

Name: Shruti Nagar
Occupation: telivision Writer
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments: It is a shame that film makers are not allowed to do thier job!!! Another case which comes to mind is that of Tahmineh Milani from Irani. A woman film maker, she is facing threat of execution, because her film has angered the ruling community of her country! Those who believe in freedom of expression, please visit http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/683717633 to support her cause.
Date: 01-25-02 Time: 23:12 pm

Name: Aditya Bondyopadhyay
Occupation: Human Rights Lawyer, Activist for Sexual Minority Rights and rights of HIV positive persons.
City: New Delhi, Country: IN
Comments: By not getting influenced by the protests against the screening of the movies, maybe we would send out the message that there are people here who would do their utmost to resist the facsi-ization of liberal democratic and diverse India. It is fundamentally important for the continued survival of free speech in India.
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 00:59 am

Name: Rajiv Dua
Occupation: Independent Consultant
City: Thane, Country: IN
Comments: Let each have its say
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 01:31 am

Name: Jim Holdom
Occupation: Retired taecher of 5-6 yr olds. Human Rights activist.
City: Hamilton, Country: NZ
Comments: All perspectives should be open to be espoused, and, to be critcised. Censorship is by definition undesirable, for it prevents open examination of all perspectives/programmes, etc, and it is only by such examination that we are likely to more or less get things right.
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 02:55 am

Name: Satish Saberwal
Occupation: academic
City: Delhi, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 03:36 am

Name: Khaled Hassan
Occupation: Student
City: Claremont, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 04:08 am

Name: Arindam Ghatak
Occupation: student
City: Pune, Country: IN
Comments: I have seen three of Anand’s films and they are truly thought-provoking and unpretentious. In no way, can we allow the political and religious fanatics to dictate to us what can be censored and what cannot be. That is a private matter. I wholly support this cause and earnestly demand that Anand’s films be shown.
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 04:21 am

Name: Ravi Kumar
Occupation: student
City: Nagpur, Country: IN
Comments: nothing………..
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 04:31 am

Name: Nickie Shah
Occupation:
City: Edison, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 04:54 am

Name: Neil Pate
Occupation: News Paper, Reporter
City: Pune, Country: IN
Comments: I haven’t seen any of his films, but no group, particularly religious fanatics has a right to dictate `Terms’ on somebody elses piece of `Artwork’. Its high time these `Culture Vultures’learn to appreciate creativity from a fresh perspective. Because all they do is change the names of railway stations and bus terminus, which have nothing to do with creativity nor our famous warriors. Say What?
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 05:17 am

Name: Vamsi Veeramachaneni
Occupation: Doctoral student
City: State College, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 05:33 am

Name: TOM Crews
Occupation: English/Spanish Teacher
City: Columbus, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 05:41 am

Name: Sujit Patwardhan
Occupation: Graphic Designer, Printer and Environmentalist
City: Pune, Country: IN
Comments: I whole-heartedly support this petition for the right to free speach and freedom to speak out against the inhuman policies by the (any) state and for the right to work for a more humane society worldwide, which is the goal of people like Anand Patwardhan.
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 09:25 am

Name: Venkatesh Iyer
Occupation:
City: Newark, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 09:39 am

Name: Swadesh Mitter Mahajan
Occupation:
City: Austin, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 09:57 am

Name: Jeet Thayil
Occupation: Writer
City: New York, Country: US
Comments: Whether or not I agree with Mr Patwardhan’s point of view, I am on his side againt those who would seek to shut him up.
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 10:20 am

Name: Udit Chaudhuri
Occupation: Tech Writer
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments: I support this petition for the right to speak out against inhuman policies, be it anywhere. I thereby support the endeavour of people like Anand Patwardhan in building a just civilisation.
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 10:22 am

Name: Karamatullah K. Ghori
Occupation: Retired Pakistani Ambassador
City: Toronto, Ontario, Country: CA
Comments: India and Pakistan have both suffered enormously on account of bigotry, fanaticism and fascism in politics. In the interest of communal harmony in either state, and for the sake of peace between them these nihilistic trends must come to an end.
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 10:52 am

Name: Ashwini Pawar
Occupation: Artist
City: Lawrenceville, Country: US
Comments: I totally support the right to free speech ! I have seen a couple of documentary films by Anand Patwardhan in the past; one of them being “In the name of God”. And even that tiny glimpse of his work in the arts makes me sign this petition (to support his film screenings in India or wherever), with a sense of total heartfelt conviction !
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 11:42 am

Name: J.P. Leary
Occupation: Publishing
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 11:54 am

Name: S. M. Shahed
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 12:18 pm

Name: Smita Botre
Occupation: Horticulturist
City: London, Country: GB
Comments: I fully support the petition. I have seen myself ‘In the name of god’ and i see no reason not to screen it anywhere in the world. I am very sorry to say that people who do not agree are rather defensive, unreasonable and narrow minded.
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 12:24 pm

Name: Bhavana Padiyath
Occupation: Researcher
City: Cambridge, Country: GB
Comments: Those who oppose Anand’s films and views ought to do so by providing counter arguments. Suppressing his right to express himself is not the answer.
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 13:05 pm

Name: Jess Hart
Occupation:
City: Bellevue, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 13:19 pm

Name: Betty Chan
Occupation:
City: san francisco, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 13:29 pm

Name: Baljit Kaur
Occupation: University Teacher
City: Christchurch, Country: NZ
Comments: Humanity faces a bleak future indeed if the chances for fearless debate on the issues plaguing us get obstructed just because some people might be made uneasy by some views. To stifle free expression of multiple views will not get us far.
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 14:08 pm

Name: Russell Johannesson
Occupation: Unemployed Computer Programmer
City: San Leandro, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 15:20 pm

Name: Sheila Ghose
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 17:24 pm

Name: Irma Avila Pietrasanta
Occupation: Filmaker
City: Mexico, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 19:16 pm

Name: Ram Rahman
Occupation: Photographer
City: New Delhi/New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 19:22 pm

Name: Jiten Vaidya
Occupation: Software Engineer
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 20:36 pm

Name: Rondi Gilbert
Occupation: University Teacher
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 22:12 pm

Name: Umesh Patil
Occupation: Software Engineer
City: San Jose, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 23:13 pm

Name: Sukumaran K
Occupation: Social Activist
City: Badwani, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 23:20 pm

Name: Irum Shiekh
Occupation:
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-26-02 Time: 23:50 pm

Name: Samuel Asir Raj S.
Occupation: Environmental activist, documentary film maker, lecturer
City: Ambasamudram, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-27-02 Time: 01:25 am

Name: Jayant B.Joshi
Occupation: Graphic Designer & Painter.
City: Pune, Country: IN
Comments: I cherish Freedom,respect expressions, love likeminded persons.Every view/point must be heard/seen,displayed to the young. Sincere expressions should not be supressed.
Date: 01-27-02 Time: 01:29 am

Name: Shyam Menon
Occupation: Academic
City: Delhi, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-27-02 Time: 01:40 am

Name: Mark Reade McKenna
Occupation:
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments: I strongly endorse the screening of Mr. Patwardhan’s provocative and thoughtful work.
Date: 01-27-02 Time: 04:47 am

Name: J. Davis
Occupation: Self Employed
City: Branford, Country: US
Comments: We believe in free speech
Date: 01-27-02 Time: 06:43 am

Name: David Fujino
Occupation: Actor/writer/artist
City: Toronto, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-27-02 Time: 09:12 am

Name: Starr Austin
Occupation: writer/artist
City: Springdale, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-27-02 Time: 10:08 am

Name: Amara Westheimer
Occupation: student
City: Hartford, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-27-02 Time: 10:41 am

Name: Sharmila Roy
Occupation: Attorney
City: Naperville, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-27-02 Time: 10:41 am

Name: Rashmi Sadana
Occupation: Student
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-27-02 Time: 12:59 pm

Name: Sanjeev Bery
Occupation: Fundraiser
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-27-02 Time: 13:10 pm

Name: Dimple Abichandani
Occupation: student
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-27-02 Time: 14:23 pm

Name: fabrizia baldissera
Occupation: University professor
City: Florence, Country: IT
Comments: I love and admire Anand Patwardhan’s films, and would feel very deprived if any of us were deprived of the experience of seeing them.
Date: 01-27-02 Time: 14:29 pm

Name: Harris Parnell
Occupation: Community Organizer
City: Portland,, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-27-02 Time: 16:06 pm

Name: Abhijeet Paul
Occupation: Research
City: Kolkata, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-27-02 Time: 18:57 pm

Name: Vinay Lal
Occupation: professor of history
City: Los Angeles, Country: US
Comments: Anand Patwardhan’s films are thoughtful, probing examinations of violence and other social problems in contemporary Indian society, and attempts to silence him, in whatsoever fashion they may be attempted, must be unequovically condemned.
Date: 01-27-02 Time: 20:19 pm

Name: Shanth V. Mannige
Occupation: Business
City: Pune, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-27-02 Time: 20:31 pm

Name: Himani Bannerji
Occupation:
City: –, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-27-02 Time: 20:46 pm

Name: Kyle Tucker
Occupation: writer
City: –, Country: US
Comments: It takes real cowards to be afraid of a movie.
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 02:24 am

Name: Ammu Abraham
Occupation: Feminist activist Women’s Centre, Bombay
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments: No need to hide my name or that of the organization. Comment: You should perhaps highlight the fact that Ramanand Sagar’s soap opera on Ramayana is being shown anyway at the exhibition; so there is no reason not to show Anant Patwardhan’s.
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 02:48 am

Name: Apratim Chatterji
Occupation: Research Student
City: Bangalore, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 03:42 am

Name: Nadarajah Manickam
Occupation: Lecturer
City: Kuala Lumpur, Country: MY
Comments: AP’s films will provide a “deep reading” of modern India and aggressive Hinduism. It is important that many people around the world see the films.
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 03:57 am

Name: George Jose
Occupation:
City: Bangalore, Country: IN
Comments: I am hoping that competing signature campaigns do not become the only yardstick to measure the feasibility of free speech (and indeed the significance of AP’s oeuvre). However: To paraphrase Mr. Holla, ‘In the name of God’ holds up a mirror to right-wing ‘Hindu’ organizations and individuals’, and I can only join Mr. Holla in hoping that the Hindutwavadis heed his counsel to “learn what it is about itself that lends easily to negative portrayal”. That education might enable them to realise the futility of attacking a mirror for the perversity of their vision.
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 05:29 am

Name: Jyotin Sachdev
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 05:42 am

Name: bhaskar narayan
Occupation: job holder
City: calcutta, Country: IN
Comments: good work. might recommend a few other people as well.get rid of the “bander bhakts”.
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 06:07 am

Name: Amy Sprik
Occupation: teacher
City: Comstock Park, Country: US
Comments: Freedom of speech is a core democratic concept of the USA.
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 06:21 am

Name: Satyan Ramlal
Occupation: Student
City: The Hague, Country: NL
Comments: It’s sad to see Hindutvadis active even in the US. Showing Anand’s films is one of the few ways in which those people can perhaps wake up, and see that the movement / ideology they are propagating is a mere facade, designed to divide communities and instigate hatred to achieve political gains. Instead of ‘protecting’ Hinduism, those right-wing Hindu parties are bringing Hinduism a bad name. Instead of demonizing others, they (the ‘desi Hindutvadis’) should realize that in order to save Hinduism (if at all it is in danger) and India, they should focus their attention to the issues of poverty, casteism, women oppression, dalit oppression, corruption, environmental damage, national health, national education for the poor, sexual abuse of children (by ‘HINDU’ priests), prostitution, rising AIDS numbers, illiteracy and demographic pressures, to name a few. These are the real threats facing ALL Indians. Once the ‘identity crisis-stricken desi Hindutvadis’ realize this, then perhaps they’ll move away from the paranoia ideology and invest their energy in more beneficial activities. Thus, showing Anand’s films is of utmost importance.
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 06:55 am

Name: Rukmini Patki
Occupation: Health educator
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 07:22 am

Name: William Biety
Occupation:
City: Delray Beach, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 08:02 am

Name: Syed Jamal Uddin
Occupation: Teaching
City: Islamabad, Country: PK
Comments: Never in Indian history has a group as vicious and absurd as the present-day Hindu fundamentalists ever come into power. South asia should work together to demolish them before they demolish the former.
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 08:25 am

Name: ruchi yadav
Occupation: student
City: washington, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 08:39 am

Name: Kalyan Pathak
Occupation: Musician- Composer- Teacher
City: –, Country: US
Comments: Free Speech all the way!
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 08:44 am

Name: Anita Agarwal
Occupation: Consultant
City: New York, Country: US
Comments: I believe this man’s films should be freely distributed and viewed.
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 10:03 am

Name: Miriam Ticktin
Occupation: student
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 10:12 am

Name: Connie Paige
Occupation: filmmaker/writer
City: Milford, Country: US
Comments: Any time an artist is silenced, other artists must support him/her.
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 10:40 am

Name: Rafi Khawaja
Occupation: Software Engineer
City: Mountain View, Country: US
Comments: I am from Pakistan and I believe that the fundamentalism needs to be fought in both countries for peace, friendship and prosparity in all of South Asia. Our common past is full of wisdom, let us make wise choices together for our future as well. I strongly support the petition.
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 11:23 am

Name: lila blue
Occupation: student
City: berlin, Country: DE
Comments:
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 11:44 am

Name: Dipangkar Dutta
Occupation: Science
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments: The AMNH has a duty to uphold freedom of expression and must not succumb to any pressure group.
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 11:51 am

Name: Eunice Cho
Occupation:
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 12:01 pm

Name: Rahel Mathews
Occupation:
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 12:02 pm

Name: Nandan Joshi
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 12:51 pm

Name: Bina Fernandez
Occupation: student
City: –, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 12:58 pm

Name: Arif Noorani
Occupation: Journalist
City: Toronto, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 13:08 pm

Name: Harriett Skye
Occupation: Grad Student—Adjunct Professor
City: Pleasant Hill, Country: US
Comments: The Native American Film and Video Department,Smithsonian Institution has practiced censorship in the past against Native American filmmakers. For that reason I sign this petition.
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 13:09 pm

Name: Zahida Pirani
Occupation: student
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 13:24 pm

Name: Andy Quan
Occupation: international policy officer
City: –, Country: AU
Comments:
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 15:00 pm

Name: Sunita S. Mukhi
Occupation: Cultural Worker/Theater Artist
City: New York, Country: US
Comments: Patwardhan is an incisive social commentator and innovative filmmaker. The ban is a testimony that his work is powerful, provocative and worthy.
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 15:01 pm

Name: Arvind Krishnaswamy
Occupation: Public Sector employee
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments: Patwardhan’s films show aspects of society that a few would like to sweep under the carpet. They need to and must be available to all
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 20:00 pm

Name: allwyn d’silva
Occupation: social work
City: mumbai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 22:27 pm

Name: Kashif Maqsood
Occupation: Engineer
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments: Anand has been an inspiring voice of intellegence and real humanity. He speaks through his words and actions! This is a voice trhayt we can not afford to silence.
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 22:56 pm

Name: Fiaz Hossain
Occupation:
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-28-02 Time: 23:49 pm

Name: Michele Biety
Occupation: art consultant
City: London, Country: GB
Comments:
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 01:12 am

Name: zainab Poonawalla
Occupation:
City: Pune, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 04:14 am

Name: Bernadette Pimenta
Occupation: Educator and social worker.
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 04:22 am

Name: Shobha G S
Occupation: Student
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 04:27 am

Name: Narasimha D. Rao
Occupation: Energy professional
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 06:15 am

Name: Patrick VanDeLaarschot
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 06:31 am

Name: Vishakha N. Desai
Occupation: Senior Vice President, Asia Society Director of the Galleries and Cultural Programs
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 08:02 am

Name: Dr Amman Madan
Occupation: Anthropologist
City: Hoshangabad, Country: IN
Comments: I have seen Anand Patwardhan’s “In the Name of God” and greatly admire his work. He authenticately represents a large section of Indian opinion.
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 09:15 am

Name: Rashmi Gera
Occupation: Media Professional
City: Bombay, Country: IN
Comments: Censorship in any form is undesirable.
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 09:57 am

Name: Sandra Nayak
Occupation: housewife
City: Belmont, Country: US
Comments: Anand’s films should be seen and discussed
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 10:58 am

Name: Anjali Adukia
Occupation:
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments: This is critical, informative work that must be exposed.
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 11:27 am

Name: Vasanthi V
Occupation: Engineer
City: Boston, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 11:29 am

Name: Rupal Shah
Occupation: Reporter
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments: If Indians are to support a true democracy, then they must support freedom of speech and expression–and be willing to hear all sides of a matter.
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 11:57 am

Name: Kamal Mitra Chenoy
Occupation: associate professor & president, jawaharlal nehru university teachers association
City: New Delhi, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 11:58 am

Name: Lisa Tsering
Occupation: reporter
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 12:05 pm

Name: Allison Moon
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 12:05 pm

Name: Soumya Bhat
Occupation: community outreach for a non-profit organization
City: Austin, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 13:49 pm

Name: rehan siddiqui
Occupation: student
City: santa fe, Country: US
Comments: I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.—- Voltaire
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 14:28 pm

Name: Govind Acharya
Occupation: economics graduate student
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments: right-wing hindus do not represent all hindus. this is a small step to take back the religion from the fundamentalists.
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 14:30 pm

Name: Alex Gillis
Occupation: Journalist
City: Toronto, ON, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 16:25 pm

Name: Kanwaldip Anant
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 17:42 pm

Name: Jose de Mesa
Occupation: Professor, Religious Studies
City: Manila, Country: PH
Comments:
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 18:52 pm

Name: Dr. Ambrose Pinto Pinto s.j.
Occupation: Principal, St. Joseph’s Evening University College,
City: Bangalore, Karnataka, India, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 19:01 pm

Name: Minal Shah Fenton
Occupation: Attorney
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 19:33 pm

Name: Dhanyal Sahibzada
Occupation: Physician
City: Malibu, Country: US
Comments: Whenever a group or individual wishes to supress the natural rights of another-to criticize and question-due to their own beliefs, then understanding is defeated.
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 20:46 pm

Name: Surabhi Sharma
Occupation: film maker
City: Banaglore, Country: IN
Comments: An attempt to stop a screening of any film reflects the complete intolerance of right wing groups.Anand’s films target precisely this.Right wing groups are incapable of engaging with any ideas apart from their own and resort to trying to quell any other voice. Hopefully a museum of this stature will give no space to the rantings of marginal groups like the ones trying to stop the screenings.
Date: 01-29-02 Time: 22:37 pm

Name: K.P. Sasi
Occupation: film maker
City: Bangalore, Country: IN
Comments: The attack on Patwardhan’s film is much more than an attack on freedom of expresson. It is an attack on the basic human instinct to live in communal harmony.
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 00:14 am

Name: Pushpamala N.
Occupation: Artist
City: Bangalore, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 00:24 am

Name: Anupam Koul
Occupation:
City: –, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 01:10 am

Name: Shilpa Phadke
Occupation: Sociologist
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments: Censorship in any form is unacceptable and we must act to protect the right to free speech and expression.
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 01:20 am

Name: Sunil Shanbag
Occupation: Theatre Director
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 02:21 am

Name: SANJAY MANGALA GOPAL
Occupation: TEACHER IN ENGINEERING COLLEGE AND SOCIAL ACTIVIST.NATIONAL SECRETARY OF SAMAJWADI JANAPARISHAD(PEOPLES SOCIALIST PARTY)NATIONAL CO-COORDINATOR,NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLES’ MOVEMENTS, INDIA.
City: THANE, MUMBAI,, Country: IN
Comments: STOP FANATICISM IN US.
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 03:09 am

Name: Swayam S. Panda
Occupation: Anthropologist
City: Pune, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 04:21 am

Name: Rakesh Sharma
Occupation: film-maker
City: Bombay, Country: IN
Comments: perhaps they should direct their attention to leaders of their own parties who propogate hate and have caused bloodshed in the last 15 years!
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 06:17 am

Name: Suchitra Shenoy
Occupation:
City: Boston, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 06:49 am

Name: Kavita Srinivasan
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 08:15 am

Name: Ranganath Nayak
Occupation: Entrepreneur
City: Belmont, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 08:19 am

Name: Mourad Ezzoubaa
Occupation: Student
City: Amsterdam, Country: NL
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 08:58 am

Name: mishka sinha
Occupation: student
City: oxford, Country: GB
Comments: Although i am not entirely convinced that Mr.Patwardhan uses the most balanced, reasoned ways of expressing his views in his work, nor that he always avoids visually or structurally coercive methods to persuade his viewers, he is nonetheless part of a movement for real democracy. For real freedom as it is stated in the Indian constitution, imperative to the real progress of the nation.The New Hinduism as espoused by hindu fundamentalists in india and abroad and supported by the majority party and its subsidiaries, is intolerant, fanatical, anti-humanist, fascistic and unreasoning, seeking to subjugate and deny the basic rights of the citizen, hindu and non-hindu. This form of religion should have no place in any nation.It has no place in our country the defining feature of whose history and culture, the political ideals which formed it, and its present identity, is its undeniable, unforgoable diversity.
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 09:25 am

Name: samiran datta
Occupation: cinematographer
City: calcutta, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 09:48 am

Name: Roxanne Hadnott
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 09:53 am

Name: sue jeffrey
Occupation:
City: –, Country: GB
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 09:53 am

Name: Fr.Lawrie Ferrao s.j.
Occupation: Educator
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments: the need of the hour!-with you!!
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 10:09 am

Name: Farzin Karim
Occupation: student
City: Tucson, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 10:14 am

Name: Ellen Kolasky
Occupation:
City: Ann Arbor, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 11:52 am

Name: mini kahlon
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 12:08 pm

Name: cathy kenny
Occupation: web designer
City: Grand Prairie, Country: US
Comments: Films of this nature can be the spark for change. Change is not always good, but it should not be feared.
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 12:08 pm

Name: joya p
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments: Free speech for all.
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 12:14 pm

Name: Ashiqur Rahman
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 13:11 pm

Name: Raj Barot
Occupation: Law student
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 13:14 pm

Name: Rajesh Mashruwala
Occupation: Senior Management
City: Palo Alto, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 14:22 pm

Name: jennifer kidd
Occupation: Photographer
City: Staunton, Country: US
Comments: Protect free speech!
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 15:11 pm

Name: I.K. SHUKLA
Occupation: Journalist/Writer
City: Los Angeles, Country: US
Comments: This foul bid to silence freedom of thought and expression is a blatant attack on civil liberties which only fascists can find pleasant.
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 15:39 pm

Name: Satinath Choudhary
Occupation: Currently unemployed
City: Bronx, Country: US
Comments: Character of the individuals who would not like Anand Patwardhan’s documentary to be shown is clear. They are Nazis, they would like to control mind of people not only in India, even in the rest of the universe. If they wanted to make their own view point know, they could have simply come over to the Museum on the day of the screening and let their zero minus two penny worth known, in words and pamphlets. Instead they have made it look like the heaven is going to fall down on the earth. I hope you would continue to show such documentaries and movies that make the scum of the earth squirm more and more and make them reveal their real character.
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 16:04 pm

Name: Arudra Burra
Occupation:
City: New Haven, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 16:40 pm

Name: Shailee Upadhyaya
Occupation: Production Assistant
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 16:52 pm

Name: Ajit Kumar
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 17:07 pm

Name: Kamble Kamble
Occupation: Scientist
City: –, Country: IN
Comments: These Hindu Fanatics Just don’t want to accept the facts and want to always think that others don’t deserve…… Look at the state of India… How They have messed UP
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 18:04 pm

Name: Sithanandam Sadhasivam
Occupation: Physician
City: Potomac, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 19:32 pm

Name: Ravi Mundoli
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 21:27 pm

Name: Hari Prasad
Occupation: Software Architect
City: Bangalore, Country: IN
Comments: The US is the main source of funds for fanatical organisations like VHP which do nothing other than spread hatred in the minds of innocent victims in the name of religion. I request the civilized western world to stop this flow of funds into the hands of such organisations.
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 21:50 pm

Name: Samira Ahmed
Occupation: Student
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 22:00 pm

Name: Sarita Geisel
Occupation: student
City: Dayton, Country: US
Comments: I believe in freedom of speech
Date: 01-30-02 Time: 22:34 pm

Name: Indranil Roy Chowdhury
Occupation: film maker, making tv comercials mainly.
City: calcutta, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 04:48 am

Name: Audrey Singh
Occupation: Retired ex-nurse, potter and other odd bits
City: Leicester, Country: GB
Comments: Hinduism used to be the most tolerant of philosophies and earned my respect for that. What is happening now? The US allows its citizens to carry guns, to shoot up colleagues in the work place and young children in school. What on earth could Patwardhan do that is worse than that? Is freedom to kill more allowable than freedom of speech and sharing of ideas?
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 05:25 am

Name: Mithuna Thottethodi
Occupation: Student
City: Durham, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 06:34 am

Name: E. Annamalai
Occupation: Professor
City: Nashua, Country: US
Comments: The opposition to the documentaries is an expression of political Hinduism that uses religion to gain power to some (upper caste Hindus in particular) and to deny it to others. As such, it is a politcal act and not a cultural, even a purely relgious, one. It goes against the spirit of democratic polity and cultural diversity and their multiple cognitive and artistic manifestaions.
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 08:58 am

Name: antoine lewis
Occupation: food writer
City: bombay, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 09:51 am

Name: Sonali Kolhatkar
Occupation: Software Developer at Caltech, Manager of non-profit organization, The Afghan Women’s Mission
City: Pasadena, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 09:54 am

Name: Saqib Mausoof
Occupation:
City: Union City, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 11:20 am

Name: Sanjay Jayachandran
Occupation: Scientist
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 11:28 am

Name: Maheen Mausoof Adamson
Occupation: Graduate student
City: –, Country: US
Comments: Anand’s films provided an Indian perspective to the opinions I have encountered as a Pakistani-American. It was a thought-provoking screening. It is extremely crucial for all south asians to view his work.
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 11:36 am

Name: Faisal Nasim
Occupation: Business
City: Karachi, Country: PK
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 12:45 pm

Name: Ali Taqi
Occupation:
City: Chicago, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 13:30 pm

Name: Mursaleena Islam
Occupation: Economist
City: Los Angeles, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 13:36 pm

Name: Deepa Kumar
Occupation: University Professor
City: Winston-Salem, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 13:51 pm

Name: vim ttt
Occupation: student
City: yonkers, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 13:57 pm

Name: Suraj Kumar
Occupation: Software Engineer
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 14:19 pm

Name: Lutfus Sayeed
Occupation: Professor
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments: Any attempt to stifle independent expression must be fought. Patwardhan’s documentaries reflect an independent mind’s reflection on social and political issues. One may disagree with his analysis, but that does not mean that his work should be barred. I vehemently oppose any effort to suppress his works.
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 14:56 pm

Name: nadeem naqvi
Occupation:
City: Austin, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 15:19 pm

Name: Sujani Reddy
Occupation:
City: Brooklyn, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 19:48 pm

Name: Dorothy Kidd
Occupation: university professor
City: –, Country: CA
Comments: I have seen many of Anand Patwwardhan’s films and appreciated them a great deal. They have been shown at universities, gatherings of South Asians and the wider public in Canada. I think they have helped to educate Canadians about the complex and rich contect of today’s India.
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 19:59 pm

Name: Robindra Deb
Occupation: student
City: Greensboro, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 20:21 pm

Name: Balaji Narasimhan
Occupation:
City: Los Altos, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 20:29 pm

Name: Prerana Reddy
Occupation: Film Festival Organizer
City: Brooklyn, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 20:46 pm

Name: Anjali Kamat
Occupation: Student journalist
City: Chennai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 21:29 pm

Name: Sanat Mohanty
Occupation: scientist
City: Minneapolis, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 01-31-02 Time: 21:42 pm

Name: abdullah akhtar
Occupation: finance
City: amman, Country: JO
Comments: for one thing, for petition# 281, i just want Miss Dimple to note that majority of the petitions are not from Pakistan but from Hindus in USA and India themselves. so, check before you speak. thank you. now, as far as freedom of speech is concerned, no speech or movie should malign or discredit any religion. here, one must remember that i talk about religion and not traditions. sorry that i have not seen any screenings of Dr. Anand, so i cannot comment on that. but if they are not defaming any religion, then he should be supported in his work. criticisms are always there from those whose practices are either opposite to the issue or reflect lack of education. Thank you.
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 00:26 am

Name: Mary Hess
Occupation: teacher
City: Saint Paul, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 04:30 am

Name: surya kant
Occupation: teaching
City: chandigarh, Country: IN
Comments: Anand Patwardhan a is wellknown, well respected and a talented personality of our film world
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 04:58 am

Name: Ayan Banerjee
Occupation: Research Scholar
City: Bangalore, Country: IN
Comments: I do not when this petition was launched, but I got it from a friend about a week back, and assuming that it started going around sometime before that, it is not an encouraging sight for protectors of freedom of expression, creativity and in general of free thought itself, that only some 500 people have so far signed it. It is perfectly shocking and even a bit frightening that the reach of these Hindu fascists has become long enough to try stopping Patwardhan’s films from being shown in the US. Maybe I am being a bit paranoid, but I do think that the situation in India at the moment is very much similar, both politically and economically, to Germany before the advent of Nazism in the early thirties, and we may see a similar kind of thing happening here, only it will be far more bloodier and all-destructive…
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 05:16 am

Name: Musarrat Islam
Occupation:
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 06:32 am

Name: Toby Jo Vandiver
Occupation: Student
City: Checotah, Country: US
Comments: Freedom is speech is one of the most valued things we have as human beings, and no one can take that away from us. One way of expressing that freedom is through the art of film.
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 07:23 am

Name: Akhila B
Occupation: Research Scientist
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 11:57 am

Name: Dr. David Rana
Occupation: Psychologist.
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments: Patwardhan has made some excellent documentaries. Please do not buckle under to a vocal right wing religious organization that is trying to close down political debate.
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 16:20 pm

Name: Swati Argade
Occupation: Filmmaker/Choreographer
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments: Patwardhan’s films have provided a dissenting voice against majoritarian movements, and to ban his films would be anti-democratic and would infringe on the universal right of free speech. He is one of India’s most important and prolific activist documentary makers. Those that wish to boycott his films advocate the suppression of free thought and expression.
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 16:37 pm

Name: Huma D
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 17:17 pm

Name: Harsha Ram
Occupation: University Professor
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 17:49 pm

Name: sanjana bala
Occupation:
City: bangalore, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 18:32 pm

Name: Rajesh Gopakumar
Occupation:
City: Allahabad, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 20:06 pm

Name: Kavita Datla
Occupation: Student
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 20:14 pm

Name: lacey zaycher
Occupation:
City: south pasadena, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 20:38 pm

Name: hriday kant dewan
Occupation: Educational worker
City: Udaipur, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 21:23 pm

Name: Yasmine Kabir
Occupation: Filmmaker
City: Dhaka, Country: BD
Comments: As a filmmaker, I strongly support Patwardhan’s right to a free and public forum. In an increasingly polarised world, voices like his need to be heard and cannot be stifled.
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 21:45 pm

Name: Chris Plummer
Occupation: Univ. of California
City: Berkeley, California, Country: US
Comments: I fully support Anand and his work.
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 22:09 pm

Name: Benjamin K
Occupation: Professional
City: Los Angeles, Country: US
Comments: Hinduism is a religion which is different from others in the world. It divides people in to compartments at the time of birth itself. It gives enormous wealth and power to a small percentage of people and daily miseries to other vast majority. It is this small group of people who defend Hinduism for fear of losing the benefits when it is exposed. They are great in number in this country because of their wealth and education denying the same to others back in India. They can not tolerate even slightest criticism of Hinduism. They support the organizations like VHP, Bajaragdal that are responsible for several communal riots and thousands of innocent deaths in India. It is sad to hear about the cancellation of these films fearing these self-proclaimed protectors of Hinduism. They are in fact the protectors of their pwn privileges in the name of Hinduism. If it exposed, people of this country will come to know its true color and they can not be duped by these people in the guise of Gurus, Babas, Ammas etc. They never open their mouths when Millions of the so-called lower casts are crushed day in and day out in India in the name of religion. Freedom is the corner stone of this country and the organizers should not buckle to the threats of these people.
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 23:03 pm

Name: lance oditt
Occupation: web/graphic designer
City: middletown, Country: US
Comments: usurping diversity in opinion always has repurcussions beyond the intended purposes of it suggestion, WILL NEVER BE OKAY—
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 23:20 pm

Name: Kim Morarji
Occupation: Business.
City: –, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 23:26 pm

Name: tahir h. naqvi
Occupation: Doctoral Student in Anthropology
City: berkeley, Country: US
Comments: Diasporas – Muslim and Hindu – should not take advantage of secular religious freedoms in the U.S.. Unlike in India and Pakistan, South Asian fundamentalists in the U.S. are not *ideologically* accountable to the American public. South Asian Hindus and Muslim’s are minority siphers, left to stoke their past hatreds in a land where the mainstream couldn’t be bothered. Try doing that in Lahore or Delhi. American secularism and minoritism is not a liscence to privatize religion or fundamentalism. South Asian Muslims and Hindus should not take advantage of their cultural invisibility in America to breed ideological hatred. Someday it will catch up with you. You will both eventually be made accountable by the American mainstream. Eventually, the cultural obscurity of your mutual enmity will fade for Americans. It will fade because religious fundamentalism is a global critical category now, and you are both in fundamentalism’s thrall.
Date: 02-01-02 Time: 23:55 pm

Name: Sudip Bhattacharyya
Occupation: Research Scholar
City: Bangalore, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-02-02 Time: 02:37 am

Name: A. Aneesh
Occupation: Education
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-02-02 Time: 03:03 am

Name: cherukuri.d devadas
Occupation: n/a
City: silverspring, Country: US
Comments: PATWARDHAN is a great director his movies make a lot of sense so it’s our duty to make sure his movies are screened.
Date: 02-02-02 Time: 03:08 am

Name: Girish Merchant
Occupation:
City: Bombay, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-02-02 Time: 06:32 am

Name: Raman Pichumani
Occupation: Engineer
City: North Potomac, Country: US
Comments: I had earlier signed the wrong petition against screening! Please remove my name from that list! I saw the film clips and find them very good.
Date: 02-02-02 Time: 09:59 am

Name: dhananjay kapse
Occupation: graduate student
City: berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-02-02 Time: 10:27 am

Name: Pervez Ahmed
Occupation: Professor
City: –, Country: SA
Comments: Yes, I know very well Mr. Patwardhan. I had seen his work. He is doing great work. I would be obliged if you kindly send some details on his work.
Date: 02-02-02 Time: 13:20 pm

Name: tommi lee
Occupation:
City: omaha, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-02-02 Time: 15:13 pm

Name: Amrit Gangar
Occupation: film critic, curator
City: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-02-02 Time: 16:37 pm

Name: Vijay Sonawane
Occupation: Scientist
City: Chandigarh, Country: IN
Comments: A bar on screening Anand Patwardha’s film will leave a permanent blot on Americas reputation as the land of liberty. The truthful materialistic interpretation of the history if prohibited in this way, will surely mean support to irrational, theistic interpretation of the history. majority of the Indian masses, Dalits and Bahujan, belive in materialistic interpretation of the history.This fact remains unknown to the world because most of them do not have English education and access to the internet. The view projected in Patwardhan,s film has long been a part of public knowledge. It has also been recorded in the ` Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Neharu, The first Prime minister of Modern India.
Date: 02-02-02 Time: 20:25 pm

Name: pete leekha
Occupation: usa
City: new york, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-03-02 Time: 00:06 am

Name: K.K. James
Occupation: SENIOR MANAGER
City: Manama, Country: BH
Comments: FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION ARE THE HALLMARK OF DEMOCRACY. NO BODY CAN FORCE ME TO BELIEVE ANY THING. IT IS MY RIGHT TO SEE WHAT I LIKE. THE AUTHORITIES MUST RESPECT THE RIGHT OF INDIVIDUALS, AND MUST NOT HEED TO PRESSURE FROM ANY QUARTERS AND TAKE ACTIONS WHICH WILL HAMPER THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH OF AN INDIVIDUAL. IT IS MY RIGHT TO SEE THE PATWARDHAN FILMS AND NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO STOP IT.
Date: 02-03-02 Time: 05:27 am

Name: tamara nausheen
Occupation: bank
City: hyderabad, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-03-02 Time: 09:01 am

Name: M. Mayuran Tiruchelvam
Occupation: Student/Organizer
City: Middletown, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-03-02 Time: 09:52 am

Name: Naresh Barsagade
Occupation: Software Engineer
City: Folsom, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-03-02 Time: 10:51 am

Name: Abraham C. Thomas
Occupation: Retired
City: –, Country: US
Comments: Hindutva’s standard in India and in the US are different about discrimination and freedom of speech. If they say that democracy is important, why they are not willing to give the same protection to minorities that they enjoy in the US?
Date: 02-03-02 Time: 11:27 am

Name: Thiago Winterstein
Occupation: Peace Activist
City: North Hollywood, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-03-02 Time: 11:37 am

Name: Claudia Mansbach
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-03-02 Time: 13:04 pm

Name: Ananth Chikkatur
Occupation: Student
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments: Let the public make up their own minds on this issue.
Date: 02-03-02 Time: 13:11 pm

Name: Abhijit Banerjee
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-03-02 Time: 15:21 pm

Name: Francis Parmar, SJ
Occupation: College Principal
City: Ahmedabad, Country: IN
Comments: In this age of instant knowledge, right to information should not be curtailed. Let people see the movie and decide for themselves.
Date: 02-03-02 Time: 18:26 pm

Name: Carol Walker
Occupation: teacher and artist
City: albuquerque, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-03-02 Time: 19:13 pm

Name: Julie Dulani
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-03-02 Time: 19:16 pm

Name: Johnnell S. LaFreniere
Occupation: Student/Art store manager
City: Ann Arbor, Country: US
Comments: Censorship is wrong.
Date: 02-03-02 Time: 20:06 pm

Name: Emily Schroeder
Occupation:
City: McFarland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-03-02 Time: 20:58 pm

Name: alex m george
Occupation: none
City: –, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-03-02 Time: 21:21 pm

Name: Sriparna Majumdar
Occupation: Research Student
City: Bangalore, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-03-02 Time: 21:32 pm

Name: raju sarkar
Occupation:
City: new delhi, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-03-02 Time: 22:49 pm

Name: devadas adidela
Occupation: ex-banker
City: hyderabad, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 00:38 am

Name: Sandeep Vaidya
Occupation: Telecoms Engin
City: –, Country: IE
Comments: Anand Patwardhan’s films derseve to be seen by all. We must unite to defeat the fascists in their attempts to dictate their take away our freedom of expression.
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 03:43 am

Name: yugal rayalu
Occupation: Lecturer
City: nagpur, Country: IN
Comments: Support the present campaign for freedom of expression. Anand Patwardhan’s films are excellent. Deserve to be seen by all
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 04:32 am

Name: Kiran Shah
Occupation: Software Professional
City: Dublin, Country: IE
Comments:
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 04:44 am

Name: Sashikanth Chandrasekharan
Occupation: IT Consultant
City: Cleveland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 05:29 am

Name: Pankaj Gupta
Occupation:
City: Union, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 05:47 am

Name: ulrike bode
Occupation:
City: nyc, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 05:51 am

Name: Shahana Siddiqui
Occupation: Student
City: Oberlin, Country: US
Comments: I have watched “In the Name of God” and thought it was a brilliant production. Independent films especially from the South Asian region are very critical of our societies and communities. Constructed criticism is not to de-human our ways of life, but it builds a more profound and well thought out foundation for our love and respect for our people. It is really interesting how South Asian fundamentalists, Hindu or Muslims have never voiced out against commercial Bengali, Hindi, Urdu movies which exploit female sexuality in the most gross manner and portray a very incorrect picture of the South Asian value system, yet independent film makers like Anand Patwardhan or Deepa Mehta have to go through such ignorant and close minded rhetoric for their ground breaking films. I suppose that is what scares fundamentalists so much – that these movies are ground breaking and that they question authority, an authority much enjoyed by fundamentalists.
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 07:12 am

Name: Vishnu Gurung
Occupation: Radio Broadcaster
City: New Delhi, Country: IN
Comments: Why can’t a country (USA) who boasts to be the champion of Democracy and Freedom of Expression tolerate the films by Anand Patwardhan?
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 08:19 am

Name: Karin Polit
Occupation: PHD-student
City: Heidelberg, Country: DE
Comments:
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 08:24 am

Name: Joe Mangalam
Occupation: social activist-Movement for Secualar Democracy
City: –, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 08:39 am

Name: Mr Pirthi Kaeley
Occupation: Manager in ‘Consignial’ the old name for the ‘Post Office’.
City: Bedfprd, Country: GB
Comments: Protect Free Speech: Support the screening of films by Anand Patwardhan We, the undersigned, express our support and solidarity for documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan and his attempts to raise issues of vital concern for those within and outside South Asia. Patwardhan has been making socio-political documentaries for nearly three decades and has received numerous awards worldwide. His films have addressed a vast array of issues affecting peace and prosperity within South Asia- nuclear proliferation, communal politics, religious fanaticism, globalization, environmental > degradation, and caste oppression- and have served to > facilitate further public debate and scrutiny regarding these issues. In this regard, it has come our attention that various groups and organizations claiming to represent the interests of the Hindu community have launched a campaign to oppose the screening of Patwardhan’s films in the US and abroad as several of his films are very critical of the right wing “Hindu” movement in India. We believe that religion and politics should remain open to public debate and scrutiny, and that Patwardhan’s films serve a valuable function in fostering that debate and deserve to be screened. We, therefore, urge institutions and organizers of film screenings in the US and abroad to resist the efforts by those who wish to silence the debate and to carry on in their efforts to make the films of Anand Patwardhan accessible to the public. Mr.Pirthi Kaeley , Member Dr B.R. Ambedkar Mission Society Bedford, United Kingdom. Mr.Arun Kumar , Member Dr B.R. Ambedkar Mission Society Bedford, United Kingdom. Mrs.P.D. Kaeley, Member Dr B.R. Ambedkar Mission Society Bedford, United Kingdom. Mrs.N. Kumari, Member Dr B.R. Ambedkar Mission Society Bedford, United Kingdom. Mr.Hem Raj, Member Dr B.R. Ambedkar Mission Society Bedford, United Kingdom. Mr.D.R.Rattu, Member Dr B.R. Ambedkar Mission Society Bedford, United Kingdom. Mr.H.C. Mehmi, Member Dr B.R. Ambedkar Mission Society Bedford, United Kingdom. Mr.Harbhajan Singh, Member Dr B.R. Ambedkar Mission Society Bedford, United Kingdom. Mr.R.P. Rahi, Member Dr B.R. Ambedkar Mission Society Bedford, United Kingdom. Mr. M. S. Dhariwal, Member Dr B.R. Ambedkar Mission Society Bedford, United Kingdom. Mrs. R.K. Dhariwal, Member Dr B.R. Ambedkar Mission Society Bedford, United Kingdom. On and behalf of all members of Dr B.R. Ambedkar Mission Society Bedford, United Kingdom.
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 08:47 am

Name: Parin Shah
Occupation:
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 11:14 am

Name: Jai Birdi
Occupation: Social Worker
City: –, Country: CA
Comments: Mr. Ananand Patwardhan is an excellent documentalist who has documented social issues that others may have shied away from. I have seen his doumentaries such as “We Are Not Your Monkeys”, and “In the Name of God” at the India Mela which was organized in Vancouver, BC few years ago and found these films excellent tools for not only discussing social issues such as castism, but are also quite empowering! I fully support screenings of Mr. Patweardhan’s films.
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 12:29 pm

Name: aidindia 2k
Occupation: aid
City: chennai, Country: IN
Comments: AID fully supports screening of comrade Patwardhan’s movies. It is great that so many people from all over the world support us. It is a different matter that many are anonymous- one has to be careful with this fundamentalist govt in power. By screening such movies, we can slowly spread these ideasand increase support.In fact we believe the time when somebody like comrade Surjeet will become India’s PM is not far. Atleast for the present we will be able to replace this Hindu govt with Soniya or Priyanka. then slowly our comrades will come to power and wipe out this evil of a hinduism from the face of earth. then we can also get rid of all our nuclear weapons, which is why we are viewed as enemies in the eyes of china
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 12:39 pm

Name: Latika M. Malkani
Occupation: Attorney
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 12:58 pm

Name: Inez Sunwoo
Occupation: Student/ Organizer
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 13:03 pm

Name: Lindsay DeWitt
Occupation:
City: Johnson City, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 15:15 pm

Name: Vaisheshi Jalajam
Occupation: student
City: Marietta, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 17:29 pm

Name: Shivali Tukdeo
Occupation: Student
City: Champaign, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 17:40 pm

Name: Indranil Dutta
Occupation: Graduate Student
City: Champaign, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 18:04 pm

Name: Pankaj Meshram
Occupation: ASIC Design Engineer
City: Longmont, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 18:54 pm

Name: Raj Kumar
Occupation: Software
City: Delhi, Country: IN
Comments: Free Speech must be Protected
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 19:36 pm

Name: Praveen Kumar
Occupation: R&D in Telecom.
City: New Delhi, Country: IN
Comments: Freedom of Expression as a fundamental right should be protected and respected.
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 20:46 pm

Name: Harsh Chaturvedi
Occupation:
City: Delhi, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 20:54 pm

Name: P D Ubale
Occupation: Govt servent
City: Pune, Country: IN
Comments: Support freedom of expression.
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 21:29 pm

Name: Sameer Kamble
Occupation:
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 22:19 pm

Name: Jayashree Janardhan
Occupation:
City: Redmond,, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-04-02 Time: 23:43 pm

Name: Senthivel Arulselvan
Occupation: Lecturer Department of Communication, Manonmaniam Sundaranr University, Tirunelveli 627 012
City: Tirunelveli, Country: IN
Comments: In support of freedom of expression I extend my support
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 02:20 am

Name: Jayesh Bhagat
Occupation: Engineer
City: Pune, Country: IN
Comments: Well the media is the tool to project any voice,In india so many want to say so much but no body says anything.
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 02:29 am

Name: Siriyavan Anand
Occupation: Journalist
City: Chennai, Country: IN
Comments: I support anything that exposes the ugliness of hinduism
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 03:07 am

Name: Ram Kumar
Occupation: Engineer
City: Pittsburgh, Country: US
Comments: Freedom of speech is not only Constitutional right but also representative of human civilisation irrespective of Nation race or religion. It must be respected and guaranteed for everybody.
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 06:28 am

Name: Prashant Lade
Occupation:
City: Pune, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 08:49 am

Name: Parul Sehgal
Occupation: Student
City: Montreal, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 09:53 am

Name: Kamal Mahendroo
Occupation: Education
City: Bhopal, Country: IN
Comments: Anand’s films need to be seen to understand India
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 10:18 am

Name: ajay balakrishnan
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 11:32 am

Name: B. Ashok
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 12:13 pm

Name: Heather Hughes
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 12:48 pm

Name: Anil Wagde
Occupation: Software Professional
City: Sunnyvale, Country: US
Comments: Freedom for expression is a must, specially when it come to opressed class who were not allowed to speak for ages.
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 14:47 pm

Name: Kapil Bawa
Occupation: Professor
City: –, Country: US
Comments: Glad to support this. Saw “Ram ke Naam” years ago and thought it was terrific.
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 16:31 pm

Name: Pavithra Vasudevan
Occupation: Student
City: Durham, Country: US
Comments: Patwardhan’s films play an important role not only in educating desis about the realities of their beloved homeland, but also, in recording – documenting – political realities that are so easily reconstructed by the Hindutva agenda.
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 18:25 pm

Name: Amisha Patel
Occupation:
City: Chicago, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 18:42 pm

Name: Nirupa Goel
Occupation:
City: Durham, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 19:36 pm

Name: Pallavi Biswas
Occupation: Scriptwriter
City: Kolkata, Country: IN
Comments: It is predictable that political filmmakers like Anand would face these ‘blocks’ – his is a voice that NEEDS to be heard!
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 22:08 pm

Name: Sayan Bhattacharyya
Occupation: Graduate student, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
City: Ann Arbor, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 22:44 pm

Name: pepa marin
Occupation:
City: denia, Country: ES
Comments:
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 22:51 pm

Name: marcellina aguiar
Occupation: social work
City: mangaon, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 23:06 pm

Name: Saul Thomas
Occupation: Student
City: Chicago, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-05-02 Time: 23:24 pm

Name: Elaine Sonnie
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 01:19 am

Name: mariateresaAdemollo Ademollo
Occupation: University Associate Professor
City: Florence, Country: IT
Comments: I prefer true films to be shown wherever possible
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 01:35 am

Name: Nisha Susan
Occupation: student
City: Pune, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 02:00 am

Name: Gauri Gill
Occupation: Photographer
City: –, Country: US
Comments: No-one should be allowed to dictate what a museum can and cannot show.
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 02:27 am

Name: Rahul Roy
Occupation: Film Maker
City: New Delhi, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 03:13 am

Name: rajwardhan Nandram
Occupation: Student
City: –, Country: IN
Comments: There should be enough strength behind the true history and the person who dares to tell the true history.
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 03:16 am

Name: Vikram Vyas
Occupation: Scientist
City: Jaipur, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 04:35 am

Name: Nabina Das
Occupation: Journalist
City: New Delhi, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 04:50 am

Name: Dr. William Robert Da Silva
Occupation: Academic. Teaching and Research. Sociology, Anthropology, Religion Sciences
City: Hamburg, Country: DE
Comments: I do not need privacy. I wish AP all the best for his cinework.
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 05:35 am

Name: Sibu Varghese
Occupation: Research scientist
City: Pearl river, Country: US
Comments: Freedom to our Dalit brothers at all costs
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 05:42 am

Name: Dipti Gupta
Occupation: PhD student, McGill University
City: Montreal, Country: CA
Comments: Filmmakers such as AP are few and their speech and expression should be commended rather than censored.
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 05:58 am

Name: Nikhil Aziz
Occupation: Researcher/Writer/Editor
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments: Anand’s films are an honest and critical examination of Hindutva ideology, and the Hindu right wing’s agenda and actions. Your cancelling the screening goes beyond censorship and/or cowardice–it implicitly supports the casteist, sexist, homophobic, anti-Muslim, and anti-Christian agenda of the Hindu Right.
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 06:24 am

Name: Linta Varghese
Occupation: graduate student
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 06:56 am

Name: Raja Harish
Occupation:
City: Middletown, Country: US
Comments: Since when do museums decide their programming based on threats from cowards who want to block and trash the very principles that made museums such as yours possible? Such excuses are pathetic, especially for a museum located in New York city (not Kandahar).
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 06:57 am

Name: Alia Hasan-Khan
Occupation: Artist
City: Brooklyn, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 07:15 am

Name: Amit Chakraborty
Occupation: Civil right and peace activist
City: Kolkata, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 07:42 am

Name: Don Edward Walicek
Occupation: Graduate Student
City: San Juan, Country: PR
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 07:42 am

Name: Shaila Mehra
Occupation: Grants Coordinator
City: St. Louis, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 07:45 am

Name: Jamie Munkatchy
Occupation:
City: Brooklyn, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 07:52 am

Name: Mubbashir Rizvi
Occupation: IT/student/activist/
City: ny, Country: US
Comments: I am very disappointed in your cancellation of ‘Ram ke Nam’ and ‘We are not your monkeys’. The screening of these films is especially important at this moment when sectarian strife and religious tensions are being exploited by right wing parties in India in post 9-11 environment. It seems to me that the right wing Hidutva parties have more influence in US, then then they do in India where such movies can still be screened.
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 08:59 am

Name: Saba Waheed
Occupation:
City: Harlem, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 09:07 am

Name: Abha Sur
Occupation: Hisorian of science
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 09:37 am

Name: Nurul Kabir
Occupation: Software Engineer
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 09:37 am

Name: Murtaza Vali
Occupation: Scientist/Art Historian
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 09:42 am

Name: ziaul hasan
Occupation: professor
City: chicago, Country: US
Comments: Intimidation by fascists getting to you?
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 09:45 am

Name: Asad Naqvi
Occupation: Research Scientist
City: Philadelphi, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 09:46 am

Name: anupama Rao
Occupation: asst. prof., history
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 09:49 am

Name: Nida Kirmani
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 10:01 am

Name: Chiraag Bains
Occupation: Student at Yale University
City: New Haven, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 10:21 am

Name: Radharani Ray
Occupation: asst. prof., media studies
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 10:23 am

Name: Noman Mohammedi
Occupation: Retired
City: Brea, Country: US
Comments: As a secular member of the Indian community,his film is great service to the continent, An excellent film must be viewed by everyone.
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 10:43 am

Name: Nilanjan Dutta
Occupation: Journalism
City: Kolkata, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 11:29 am

Name: Kavita Vijayan
Occupation:
City: Chicago, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 11:56 am

Name: Elisa Shzu
Occupation: student
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 12:19 pm

Name: Dr. Joseph Gerson
Occupation: Director of Programs American Friends Service Committee New England Regional Office
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments: Anand is among the world’s most important film makers. His work is of fundamental importance. For the sake of our collective survival and the ability of people to live their lives with freedom and dignity, Anand’s films must be widely shown and easily accessible.
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 12:19 pm

Name: Rashmi Sinha
Occupation: Researcher
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments: I support the screening of Anand Patwardhan’s films.
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 14:04 pm

Name: Ellen (Xiao Feng) Guidone
Occupation: project assistant
City: brooklyn, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 14:04 pm

Name: Eiko Ishizaki
Occupation: translator
City: Hiroshima, Country: JP
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 16:08 pm

Name: Sanjeev Khudanpur
Occupation: Professor
City: Baltimore, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 16:54 pm

Name: Kenyon Lenart
Occupation:
City: Ocean Springs, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 17:12 pm

Name: Bettina Shzu
Occupation: student
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 17:34 pm

Name: Waheed Mukaddam
Occupation:
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 19:46 pm

Name: Sagari R Ramdas
Occupation: Veterinary Scientist
City: Hyderabad, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 19:55 pm

Name: Gautam Sethi
Occupation: Professor
City: Tivoli, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 20:50 pm

Name: Dina Lee
Occupation: Student
City: –, Country: US
Comments: Stop trying to suppress art and imagination. What’s wrong with you??
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 21:07 pm

Name: Royston Mascarenhas
Occupation:
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 22:15 pm

Name: anuradha tiwari
Occupation: Writer-Director
City: bombay, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-06-02 Time: 23:08 pm

Name: chitralekha ghosh
Occupation: interior designer
City: kolkata, Country: IN
Comments: go free!!!!!!!!!
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 00:10 am

Name: Rukmini Dey
Occupation: mathematician
City: –, Country: IN
Comments: India is a democracy. There should be freedom of speech. There is a lot of fanaticism in India which one must guard against. Movies like Sri Patwardhan makes are very necessary.
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 01:14 am

Name: Shiraz Rustomjee
Occupation: Lawyer
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 05:57 am

Name: J. Reddy
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 06:14 am

Name: Arindam Nandy
Occupation: Advertising professional
City: Calcutta, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 08:58 am

Name: Geoffrey Cook
Occupation: Creative writer, artist, journalist, scholar on South Asia.
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments: Patwardan is an important artist that India should be proud. That such a prestiguous American governmental organization should react to pressure by the Indian rightwing is disgraceful.
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 09:11 am

Name: Paramesh Ganta
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 09:19 am

Name: Jesse Carr
Occupation: student
City: Oberlin, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 10:32 am

Name: asdkl asdas
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 11:08 am

Name: Susan Susman
Occupation: Law Professor
City: NY, Country: US
Comments: With democracy so recently threatened by terrorism, we learned that the response must be to celebrate our principles — not to yield. Anand Patwardhan’s films are well reasoned, factually supported, and well made. Their focus has often been the brutish efforts of the ruling party in India to wrap itself in religion to divide the Indian people and justify Hindu dominance in the society. That message has just been played out at the Museum: some people wrapping themselves in Hinduism have shown themselves to be thugs, threatening violence. For that reason alone, the films must be shown.
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 13:04 pm

Name: S. K. Biswas
Occupation: student
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 13:41 pm

Name: retu singla
Occupation: lawyer
City: Brooklyn, Country: US
Comments: I support his films and find them to be of highly educational value
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 15:16 pm

Name: Rajarshi Datta
Occupation: Student
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 15:26 pm

Name: Ashok Deo Bardhan
Occupation: Economist
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 15:28 pm

Name: Venkatesh Subramanian
Occupation: Engineer
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 16:43 pm

Name: Varuni Tiruchelvam
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 17:21 pm

Name: Joyoni Dey
Occupation: Engineer
City: Sunnyvale, Country: US
Comments: I have seen most of Anand Patwardhan’s films, including the two in questions. I find them insightful. He is not against any religion. He points out injustices in the name of religion.
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 18:07 pm

Name: Ravi Arvind Palat
Occupation: Professor
City: Binghamton, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 18:29 pm

Name: Bernard D’Mello
Occupation: Economist
City: Gurgaon, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 21:04 pm

Name: vijay sonawane
Occupation:
City: –, Country: IN
Comments: The view proposed by Patwardhan is true. There is nothing Marxist about it. Those who are saying so are fanatics and qualify to be called as the distant cousins of Bin laden.
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 21:36 pm

Name: Dilip D’Souza
Occupation: Writer
City: Bombay, Country: IN
Comments: These films do not insult Hinduism in the slightest.
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 22:00 pm

Name: J John
Occupation: Editor, Labour File (A Journal of Labour and Economic Affairs)
City: New Delhi, Country: IN
Comments: The protestors have their right to protest. But, they cannot infringe on Anand Patwardhan’s right to express. American Museum of Natural History should not be instrumental in throttling freedom of speech. The film should be screened.
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 22:15 pm

Name: Kamal G
Occupation: Engineer
City: Houston, Country: US
Comments: Please protect freedom of speech and expression !!
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 22:43 pm

Name: Sehjo Singh
Occupation: film maker
City: new delhi, Country: IN
Comments: This would be the same as americans in India trying to stop a screening of a film against racism in US. sounds idiotic, so does this.
Date: 02-07-02 Time: 22:58 pm

Name: Vida Vaisnoriene
Occupation:
City: Elektrenai, Country: LT
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 00:07 am

Name: Vineeta Gupta
Occupation: Human rights activist and medical doctor
City: Bhatinda, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 00:11 am

Name: Yousuf Saeed
Occupation: Filmmaker
City: New Delhi, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 00:22 am

Name: saraswati rao
Occupation: film-maker
City: mumbai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 00:31 am

Name: atif aziz
Occupation:
City: south san francisco, ca, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 00:46 am

Name: Concerned Indian
Occupation: Development consultant, geneticist and human rights activist.
City: –, Country: IN
Comments: Remember bin Laden..carry the war against terrorism to all his colours.. and types( a fundamentalist is a fundamentalist, ‘HIndu’ or ‘Islamic’) otherwise the price is steep. This is America’s hour of test. Is the war againt terrorism/ fundamentalism really genuine or hypocrisy? The world is watching..
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 00:58 am

Name: Abir Bazaz
Occupation: Writer and Filmmaker
City: Srinagar, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 04:36 am

Name: dhanaraju katti
Occupation: NABARD Bank Manager
City: hyderabad, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 06:15 am

Name: Dr. Tripta Wahi
Occupation: Teaching
City: Delhi, Country: IN
Comments: This kind of communalist offensive needs to be fought at all levels. This is the beginning of fascism.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 06:31 am

Name: Rosa Basanti
Occupation: Film Maker
City: Delhi, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 06:44 am

Name: shriprakash prakash
Occupation: film activist
City: ranchi, Country: IN
Comments: Please protect freedom of speech and expression !!
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 06:51 am

Name: Dr.Vinod Pavarala
Occupation: Academic
City: hyderabad, Country: IN
Comments: any kind of ban on patwardhan’s screenings is atrocious. he is the biggest advertisement we have for the indian documentary film movement!
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 06:52 am

Name: Lalita Ramdas
Occupation: Educationist – Activist
City: Bhaimala Village,Alibag,MAharashtra,, Country: IN
Comments: How can we continue to call ourselves democracies – one the `largest’ – the other the `greatest’? And what happened to the right to freedom of expression?
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 07:02 am

Name: Sangeetha Sriram
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 07:23 am

Name: Robert Marion
Occupation: Retired teacher
City: Seattle, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 07:51 am

Name: Vivek Puri
Occupation: Business Manager in a Financial Services Firm
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments: It would be ironic in the worst sense if the violent threats of the fundamentalist groups in question were to keep this film from being shown in the AMNH itself.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 07:59 am

Name: Sejal Patel
Occupation:
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 08:08 am

Name: aparna sindhoor
Occupation: Choreographer
City: somerville, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 08:20 am

Name: Umar Ahmad
Occupation: Student
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 08:35 am

Name: Ashok V. S.
Occupation: Scientist
City: Houston, Country: US
Comments: I don’t always agree with Patwardhan’s viewpoints. Despite the fact that I think they are, to an extent, biased, they should be seen and discussed. They should not be “dismissed” as they are done.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 08:44 am

Name: sandip roy
Occupation:
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 09:05 am

Name: Avi Singh
Occupation: Computers
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments: At a time when the dangers of religious extremism are all too visible, Anand’s films are valuable chroniclers of that issue.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 09:30 am

Name: Deepak Lall
Occupation: Engineer
City: Union City, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 09:57 am

Name: Govind Acharya
Occupation: Graduate student and activists
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments: We’re finally taking on the “Hindus” that claim to represent us in the United States. Bravo Ekta!
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 09:59 am

Name: Christie George
Occupation:
City: Brooklyn, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 10:10 am

Name: Birjinder Anant
Occupation:
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 10:13 am

Name: Anand Dholakia
Occupation: Engineer
City: san francisco, Country: US
Comments: I would think in our civilized society, that people might react to such material in a manner other than childish and primitive threats of violence.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 10:28 am

Name: Kashif Maqsood
Occupation: System Project Manager
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments: Anand provides “another” perspective to the effects of the religiousl zealotry and the consequences of religiously motivated movements in India.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 10:50 am

Name: GURBUX SINGH BAGHA
Occupation: SERVICE
City: SACRAMENTO, Country: US
Comments: I WAS ASHAMED TO READ THE VERDICT OF THE ORGANISATION NOT TO ALLOW THE MOVIES TO SHOW AND PARTICIPATE.THIS IS THE ONLY COUNTRY WHERE ONE CAN ENJOY THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.THE WHOLE WORLD LOOK TO THIS COUNTRY.USA MEANS DEMOCRACY,WHERE EVEN PEOPLE BURN THE FLAG AND NOT PERSICUTED,BECOUSE OF FREEDOM OF THE SPEECH.THE HINDUS SUPRESSED THE WEAKER SECTION AND UNTOCHABLES FOR THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE THOUSANDS OF THE YEAR,FEW HINDUS SIGNE THE PETITION AND STOP THE EHXIBIT,IT IS SHAME ON THE PART OF AUTHORTIES TO YIELD TO THESE PEOPLE UNDER FEAR.I STRONGLY RECOMEND TO REVERT TO UR DECISION AND LET THE DOCUMENTRIES TO BE SHOWN. THIS IS FREE COUNTRY ,GOD BLESS AMERICA, NO FEAR.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 11:17 am

Name: Sankofa Ra
Occupation:
City: New Rochelle, Country: US
Comments: When will we allow education and love to rule us and not ignorance and greed?
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 11:35 am

Name: Sriranjani Parthasarathy
Occupation: student
City: –, Country: US
Comments: it doesn’t matter if you don’t like what they have to say. They have a right to say it. We have a responsibility to protect that right.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 11:45 am

Name: Preeti Chopra
Occupation: Doctoral Candidate
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 12:04 pm

Name: dr jacob srampickal
Occupation: teacher
City: delhi, Country: IN
Comments: i fully endorse
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 12:13 pm

Name: Melliyal Annamalai
Occupation: Computer Scientist
City: Nashua, Country: US
Comments: The view expressed in the forces that postponed/stopped the screening does not represent the view of the Hindus living in the U.S. It is not even the view of the majority of them. Nor is it the view of the majority of the Hindus in India. It is a view of just those who subscribe to a sectarian and divisive platform of political Hinduism that is extremist (even fundamentalist) in action and ideology and is intolerent of dissenting voice. The petition betrays a political agenda, and not a cultural, even a pure religious, agenda. Interpretation of a mythological story or a historical event varies by the life expereince and perception of the people who interpret them. This is natural and to be expected. A white and a black american or a brahmin and a dalit Indian have different life experience and view of the world and its history; they read different meanings in the mythologiclal stories; they may even have different versions of them. Such diversity in the reading of mythology and history is positive because it helps us to come closer to the truth.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 12:16 pm

Name: Jayanta Dey
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 12:19 pm

Name: Mohit & Amy Bhatnagar
Occupation:
City: houston, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 13:14 pm

Name: Azam Saeed
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments: Free speech must be protected, especially when the opponents threaten violence or other such tactics. The path of religious extremism is a dangerous one, and those who speak up against it must be allowed to do so.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 13:27 pm

Name: Satish Kumar
Occupation: student
City: Ahmedabad, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 13:37 pm

Name: Rajan P
Occupation: Engineer
City: –, Country: US
Comments: Sad to see AMNH succumbing to threats by Hindu fundamentalists..
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 13:58 pm

Name: Suketu Mehta
Occupation: Writer
City: Brooklyn, Country: US
Comments: If anticipated ‘threats of violence’ had been accepted as sufficient justification for stifling free expression, the Gettysburg Address and Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a Dream’ speech would have been banned. The Museum is giving in to fanatics and bigots. Patwardhan’s film should be shown, with adequate security arrangements.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 13:59 pm

Name: Anita Balasubramanian
Occupation: DSP Engineer
City: Bellevue, Country: US
Comments: The movie makes one think about the relationship between democracy and religion. One thing that has been potrayed clearly through is that the events of Dec 6 are full of religious intolerance and violence. Such movies are definitely important, since they catalyse thinking in people, which is needed when we see so much of intolerance and war around us.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 14:07 pm

Name: Ramesh Ganapathy
Occupation: Research Scientist
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 14:18 pm

Name: Nawaz SHaik
Occupation: Programmer
City: Austin, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 14:34 pm

Name: Prof. Paul Wallace
Occupation: Professor of Political Science
City: –, Country: US
Comments: Patwardhan is a world class film producer who emphasizes non-violence and secular approaches to difficult problems.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 14:51 pm

Name: Subuhi M. Jiwani
Occupation: Searching…
City: New York, Country: US
Comments: The American Museum of Natural History attempts to deny any political affiliations with BJP, VHP or RSS related groups in the United States. The exhibit “Meeting God: Elements of Hindu Devotion” presents Hinduism as apolitical. The Museum denial of the screening of Pathwardhan’s film and no mention of the militant aspects of Hinduism in the exhibit, only prove that the museum is not apolitical. It is simply reiterating the “traditional Hindu life” metaphor of BJP propaganda and silencing an entire history of Hindu nationalism by choosing not to screen the film, in conjunction with the Orientalist exhibit.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 15:08 pm

Name: Uday Varadarajan
Occupation: Graduate Student
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments: In the Name of God is a film that must be seen by Hindus everywhere. Hinduism, just like every other religious movement, is far from free of its fanatics and zealots, a fact that most Hindus seem to be in denial of. I believe that this film is exceedingly important for any Hindu who truly cares about the future of this ancient way of life. There is much that we can no longer ignore that has fallen far short of our ideals in the practice of Hinduism – we must understand this before we can change it.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 15:37 pm

Name: Anup K
Occupation:
City: Chicago, Country: US
Comments: I have seen Anand Patwardhan’s films. His documentaries are excellent for their objective view on sensitive issues. No one who claims to be ‘secular or democratic’ will object to showing of his films. These films are shown in India and have won international acclaim.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 15:41 pm

Name: Sagar Khare
Occupation: Grad Student
City: Chapel Hill, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 15:53 pm

Name: Miriam Shakow
Occupation: Researcher
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments: A truly democratic country requires dissenting voices, especially when so many lives are at stake
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 16:01 pm

Name: Martin Ray
Occupation:
City: Gloucester, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 16:25 pm

Name: Suzanne Pearce
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 16:26 pm

Name: Ranjan Prasad
Occupation: Ops. Manager
City: Fremont, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 16:41 pm

Name: Steven P. Wallace
Occupation: Professor, UCLA
City: LA, Country: US
Comments: Freedom of speech is a hollow right if extremists prevent the showing of films such as these.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 17:00 pm

Name: Paula Sharaga
Occupation: Children’s Librarian
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 17:08 pm

Name: Brajesh CHOUDHARY
Occupation: PARTICLE PHYSICIST
City:PASADENA, Country: US
Comments: Freedom of speech is sacred. AMNH has done grave injustice to people who love free speech, whether they agree with the content of the film or not. Anand Patwardhan is a well known film maker. He presents a perspective, his perspective on the indian life, politics and religion. One may agree or disagree with him but no one has the right to ask for cancellation of the screening. Unfortunately in USA, the petition business is very common, both, among the left and the right, whether they are Hindus, Christians, Jews, Muslims or others. The private groups try to minimise their loss by throwing the numbers and blaming the community. India itself is going through a churning process in its social, moral, cultural and religious perspective. One must respect and be ready to discuss all colours of the spectrum whether championed by left or right. Use of words like fascist and Nazi only heightens the discord and kills the prospect of any discussion. People must use restraint and every one must be allowed to express their opinion without silencing anyone. THE FILMS MUST BE SCREENED, DEBATED and DISCUSSED.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 19:22 pm

Name: Seema Hossain
Occupation: Graduate Student
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 20:54 pm

Name: nithya ramanathan
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 21:57 pm

Name: Jayashree t
Occupation: Film Maker
City: Bangalore, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 22:43 pm

Name: Mohammed Razzak
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 22:56 pm

Name: Venkatesh Chakravarthy
Occupation: Lecturer, Screen Studies, University of Science Malaysia
City: Penang, Country: MY
Comments: The ultimate value of free speech depends on the fact that it should not succumb to any mode of censorhip. Well knowing that legal avenues to censor dissenting views are not available the saffron brigade is consistenly engaging in mob censorship borrowing its techniques from the erstwhile Nazi Germany and the mobs of Hitler. Therefore, I strongly support the film screenings by Anand Patwardhan with the plea that the so-called free world use its legal mechanisms to ensure the screening of such films.
Date: 02-08-02 Time: 22:56 pm

Name: gopal k
Occupation: student
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 02:36 am

Name: Sujit Ghosh
Occupation: Social Activist
City: Lucknow, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 03:27 am

Name: Ranjan De
Occupation: Filmmaker
City: New Delhi, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 03:37 am

Name: anne ghitman
Occupation: grant writer
City: boston, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 04:02 am

Name: Meera K
Occupation:
City: –, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 04:52 am

Name: Joy Augenstern
Occupation: R.N.
City: Hull, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 05:50 am

Name: Gregory D. Alles
Occupation: Professor
City: Hanover, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 06:06 am

Name: Ann Spanel
Occupation: writer
City: –, Country: US
Comments: Americans are in danger of losing our freedom of speech. We must work actively for it.
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 06:24 am

Name: Prof NG Barrier
Occupation: Professor of South Asia History
City: Columbia, Country: US
Comments: I use all of the Patwardhan films in my courses, and we show them regularly on campus. They are important critiques of contemporary issues in India
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 06:40 am

Name: Jacob Levich
Occupation: Editor, film critic
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 07:08 am

Name: David Klafter
Occupation:
City: Brookline, Country: US
Comments: To impose self-censorship in the face of threats is to abandon our rights without even a struggle. These important films should be seen. The AMNH should be ashamed .
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 09:01 am

Name: Admiral L Ramdas
Occupation: Former Chief of the Indian Navy
City: Alibag- India, Country: IN
Comments: I feel that an Institution like the National museum should not permit itself to be pressured by self appointed spokespersons. Every viewpoint must find a place in the public discourse.Resorting to threats and blackmail has to be condemned in the strongest terms.
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 09:08 am

Name: Mike Westerhaus
Occupation: medical student
City: Boston, Country: US
Comments: Please allow all voices to be heard.
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 09:28 am

Name: suresh pillai
Occupation: film maker
City: port of spain, Country: TT
Comments: i haven’t seen Patwardhan’s latest films. i have seen his films on bombay , kshami , 1984 riots. he is one of the rare indian documenatry film makers who have shown rare strength to address serious political issues. one may disagree with his views but that does not on any means that it should be viewed as anti hindu or anti indian . Its high time that we Hindus also has to do some soul searching . I pledge my support for the freedom of expression
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 10:02 am

Name: Martha A. Penzer
Occupation: teacher
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 10:26 am

Name: Lawrence K. Miller
Occupation: Endangered Species Monitor
City: Nantucket, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 11:02 am

Name: Jeffrey Herman
Occupation: teacher
City: Boston, Country: US
Comments: Ever since September 11 the Bush Administration has been using the tragedy to turn the whole world into a B rate movie of cowboys shooting “Injuns.” We are already well away down a slippery path of militarism which will have untold consequences for the human race. Mr. Patwardham’s movie would be an educational tool that may slow that slide. Play it!
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 11:19 am

Name: Deeptha Thattai
Occupation: Student
City: Columbia, Country: US
Comments: The essence of democracy is to permit a healthy discussion of contentious issues. Those threatening violence as a reply go against all the freedom they have obtained as a result of non-violence. The AMNH should not give-in, it should go ahead with the screenings.
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 11:32 am

Name: Jennifer Norris
Occupation: student
City: boston, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 12:57 pm

Name: Sunny Thomas
Occupation:
City: St. Louis, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 13:23 pm

Name: Louise Dunlap
Occupation: Educator
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 13:44 pm

Name: Marion Menapace
Occupation: powerless old woman
City: Catawissa, Country: US
Comments: To the Museum: Shame that you should allow yourself to be intimidated! To those who would censor: Give us the respect to make up our minds about these subjects. We shall in turn respect your rights and honor you, though we may disagree.
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 14:08 pm

Name: Sriram B
Occupation: Student
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 14:19 pm

Name: Anirban Hazra
Occupation: Graduate student
City: princeton, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 15:11 pm

Name: Archana Patwardhan
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 15:31 pm

Name: Saikat Bhattacharya
Occupation: Engineer
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 17:19 pm

Name: srikumar kadagambadi
Occupation: student
City: columbia, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 17:45 pm

Name: Shanmuga S
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 17:57 pm

Name: K.P. Jayasankar
Occupation: Filmmaker
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 20:03 pm

Name: Anjali Monteiro
Occupation: filmmaker
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 20:09 pm

Name: Nayna Jhaveri
Occupation: Assistant Professor
City: Seattle, Country: US
Comments: Anand Patwardhan’s films have been consistently very useful for teaching not only in my classes but numerous other professors rely on his documentaries.
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 20:30 pm

Name: Monish K. Das
Occupation: film maker
City: Kolkata, Country: IN
Comments: free speech + free cinema= freedom
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 21:04 pm

Name: Mukundan C. Menon
Occupation: Journalist and Human Rights Defender/Activist
City: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala State, Country: US
Comments: More efforts needed to formulate broad-based united front and actions to counter the menace of Hindutva Fascism threatening the whole of India.
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 21:23 pm

Name: Gurpal Singh
Occupation: Film Maker
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments: Absolutely essential for Anand’s films to reach out to the people….and ofcourse all films made by others too.
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 22:00 pm

Name: Sharat G. Lin
Occupation: Medical scientist / Political economist
City: Fremont, Country: US
Comments: I have known Anand Patwardhan for over 25 years, and have seen many of his films. Patwardhan’s films tackle serious social issues in a responsible and credible manner, and have been brilliantly directed. Had Anand been an American producer/director raising issues about religious fundamentalism in the United States, the AMNH would not have even considered cancelling the film screenings.
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 22:14 pm

Name: Ananya Chatterjee
Occupation: film maker
City: Kolkata, Country: IN
Comments: i vote for freedom of speech
Date: 02-09-02 Time: 22:15 pm

Name: seshan sundararajan
Occupation: PGT physics,sainik school,rewa, M.P.
City: Rewa, Country: IN
Comments: iam for protecting the freedom of expression and speech and againstthe fascist interpretation of any particular thing
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 00:05 am

Name: Milind Bhave
Occupation: engineer
City: boston, Country: US
Comments: when it comes to freedom of expression, there cannot be any ifs or buts. Anybody who doesnt agree with what’s depicted in the film has the same freedom of expression to critique the film, but preventing the screening of the film just gives away the intellectual depravity of those doing so.
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 02:25 am

Name: Rajkumar Bhan
Occupation: Film director
City: Villejuif, Country: FR
Comments: I know Anand from India since my film Institute. I know his films as well. He is a very progressive film maker. It is pity that his films have the problems in US to be screened. This kind of curtailment and throttling conditions for freedom of expredssion is absolutely deplorable. Beibng a film maker I condemn it outrightly. Rajkumar Bnah
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 05:50 am

Name: Julia Steinberger
Occupation: Researcher
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments: Anand Patwardhan’s films are a richness for humanity.
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 06:26 am

Name: Eugene Culas
Occupation: Social Worker
City: London, Country: GB
Comments: Showing a film will not make heaven fall down. No God or religion require defence committees to protect them. US has experienced how fanatics use religions to talibanise situations. US Please do not give in to phanaticism of any religions. Against all odds UK is protecting the writer of Satanic words – Salmon Rusdi. What is for US and its great citizens to show a film. Is the US telling that it gives in to the threats of Hindu Talibans?
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 06:36 am

Name: Mary Fusoni
Occupation: Administrator
City: Arlington, Country: US
Comments: The ideas expressed in Mr. Patwardhan’s films need to be brought forward for public debate.
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 07:55 am

Name: P John Anderson
Occupation: Epidemiologist
City: Arlington, Country: US
Comments: It’s hard to imagine a documentary on a more important topic. What could be more disastrous for the planet and its fragile cargo of life than nuclear war between two of the most populous states on earth?
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 08:53 am

Name: Terry Gips
Occupation: artist
City: South Wellfleet, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 09:48 am

Name: Ram Dixit
Occupation: Research Associate
City: –, Country: US
Comments: These films threaten “certain” people, not religion. Also, the films don’t prevent people who don’t agree with it’s contents from expressing their ideas. Perhaps they’d care to extend the same courtsey to the films.
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 09:57 am

Name: Anand Swaroop Verma
Occupation: journalist and human rights activist
City: New Delhi, Country: IN
Comments: Hindutva forces are trying to destroy the secular fabric of India. We must take up the challenge unitedly
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 10:26 am

Name: Balasubramanian Pranatharthiharan
Occupation: Assistant Research Professor
City: Columbia, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 10:41 am

Name: Humaira Mahi
Occupation: Asst. Professor
City: –, Country: US
Comments: This form of censorship only bolsters the image of an increasingly intolerant right wing presence both here and in India — if these organizations want to disagree with these images it would behoove them to engage in debate rather than promote censorship. In the true spirit of democracy, please promote freedom of speech by screening the films.
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 11:18 am

Name: Satish Menon
Occupation: Film maker
City: Chicago, Country: US
Comments: Censor in any of its forms impedes the political discourse and by succumbing to pressure and censoring itself, the Museum joins forces with the rightwing special interest groups in restricting access to information and expression of opinion. Alas, what is a function of a museum in our culture when it can’t even demonstrate courage in light of criticism from a select few.
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 11:36 am

Name: Bella Mody
Occupation: Professor, College of Communication
City: East Lansing, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 12:27 pm

Name: Pankaj Gupta
Occupation: Engineer
City: –, Country: US
Comments: The claims of Mr. Patwardhan’s detractors seem to me to be hollow – Hinduism should and does have the strength to witness its various varieties in all forms practised at any time. Mr. Patwardhan’s films are thought provoking and educational. They seem to portray reality as it is, and are worthy of as wide an audience as possible, in my opinion.
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 14:12 pm

Name: Vinod John
Occupation: Engineer
City: Schenectady, Country: US
Comments: It is important to show and discuss Anand Patwardhan’s movies as it highlights the subcontinents future.
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 14:17 pm

Name: Raju Rajagopal
Occupation: Retired Corporate Executive
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments: Of late, the mantra of “hurting public sentiments” has become a convenient proxy for censoring ideas that does not fall in line with one’s own. The Sangh Parivar, which for years has been crying foul about ‘appeasement’ of muslims by ‘suppressing’ Moghul atrocities is nowadays busy trying to supress any history that is inconvenient to its agenda. Some of the Muslim political parties are not far behind in seeking ban on films (such as ‘Gadar’) that they claim ‘hurts minority sentiments.’ It is time we sent a clear message to extremist political and religious parties, be they Muslim and Hindu, and their supporters in the U.S., that their very existence is a threat to and “hurts the sentiments of the silent majority in South Asia.” By mobilizing against their antics in the U.S. we can send them an unambiguous message: “You are not wlcome here.”
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 15:10 pm

Name: Georgia L. Lloyd
Occupation:
City: Cleveland Heights, Country: US
Comments: As Tom Friedman wrote in an op-ed piece today, all societies depend on self-criticism. While respect for the sensitivity of other cultures is proper, airing criticism is also proper. Controversy is essential to arrive closer at truth. Time for opposing viewpoints would show by example the principle of open dialogue.
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 18:29 pm

Name: p n shankar
Occupation: scientist
City: bangalore, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 19:18 pm

Name: Subhalakshmi B. Nandi
Occupation: Teacher, Writer
City: Kolkata, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 20:15 pm

Name: Arvind Kumar
Occupation: Engineer
City: Delhi, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 20:31 pm

Name: sunil kumar
Occupation: mca
City: hyderabad, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 20:55 pm

Name: Anand Ram
Occupation: Professional
City: Huntington, Country: US
Comments: I was totally ignorant about why these films were banned. I am glad the truth is out now. I condemn all the cowards that threatened violence. Mr. Patwardan deserves support from all educated people.
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 21:03 pm

Name: Swetha Gupta
Occupation: Student
City: Columbia, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 21:18 pm

Name: rekha banerjee
Occupation:
City: san francisco, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 21:42 pm

Name: S.Seethalakshmi Usha
Occupation: Researcher
City: Hyderabad, Country: IN
Comments: Iam strongly for freedom of speech and creative expression
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 21:58 pm

Name: Kay Dellinger
Occupation:
City: Baltimore, Country: US
Comments: No museum or any other institution should ever back down from showing a film or any other work of art because of threats. They must show the films. The Bill of Rights is meaningless unless it is put into practice. Freedom of expression must always win over cowardly threats. The museum needs to show some backbone.
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 23:16 pm

Name: amudhan ramalingam pushpam
Occupation: media activist
City: madurai, Country: IN
Comments: We need to support each other in this critical time. I condemn all the forces that are against freedom of expression.
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 23:34 pm

Name: Zaki Ansari
Occupation: Journalist
City: Bombay, Country: IN
Comments: Doordarshan has always messed around with anything remotely counter-culture. Anand has won several battles against it in the past. He is fighting again. I support him with all my heart.
Date: 02-10-02 Time: 23:55 pm

Name: Tathagata Bhattacharya
Occupation: Journalist
City: New Delhi, Country: IN
Comments: Whatever an artist thinks, gets reflected in his work. And Anand is no exception. Well, u are ready to disagree. But to do that u got to watch his films first. Help shun this bureaucratic policy of exclusion.
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 00:14 am

Name: Nasreen Fazalbhoy
Occupation: teaching
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 03:18 am

Name: Maryann Alukonis
Occupation:
City: N Providence, Country: US
Comments: One way to know what is going on. As our news only show the same thing.
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 04:18 am

Name: Gabriel Camacho
Occupation: Union Organizer
City: Boston, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 06:27 am

Name: Nilay Mistry
Occupation: Service
City: New Delhi, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 06:28 am

Name: Raghu Prasad
Occupation:
City: Navi Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments: I respect every artist’s rigths to express him/herself. You may disagree but you can’t stop other people from accessing or evaluating his/her work. We all have freedom and my freedom is not lesser/greater than yours. So let us respect everyone’s rights of expression.
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 06:49 am

Name: Alison Conforti
Occupation:
City: Brighton, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 06:50 am

Name: Marie-Louise Jackson-Miller
Occupation:
City: Quincy, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 06:52 am

Name: Kas Subramanian
Occupation: Scientist
City: Edison, Country: US
Comments: An artist must be able to represent his take on what he observes around him. There is no justification is muzzling such voices.
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 07:17 am

Name: Sana Younis
Occupation: Research Project Manager
City: Boston, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 07:28 am

Name: jennifer hieb
Occupation: waitress/student/substitute teacher/spanish tutor
City: yarmouth, Country: US
Comments: I haven’t seen the films but it sounds like it contains information that we all need to have. The “bomb” is a responsibility and a power owned by humanity. It is dangerous that all voices cannot be heard on this subject. Or any other, for that matter. The people can be trusted to make the right decision if they have all of the facts.
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 08:59 am

Name: Donald Ariel
Occupation: Professor
City: Abbotsford, Country: CA
Comments: It is a matter of shame that the movies of such a respected person as Anand Patwardhan are canceled at promptings of people who believe in imposing their views upon others by any means – fair if it suits them, foul if they find that fair means do not work.
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 09:25 am

Name: Helen Snively
Occupation:
City: Cambridge, MA, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 09:54 am

Name: hark vasa
Occupation: Consulting
City: –, Country: US
Comments: One must allow free speech and expressions.
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 09:59 am

Name: Santhosh Raghunath
Occupation: Sr. Enggr.
City: San Jose, Country: US
Comments: I support Anand
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 10:30 am

Name: kate cloud
Occupation: administrator
City: –, Country: US
Comments: No one should be allowed to use intimidation to censor dissent.
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 10:54 am

Name: Irfan Ahmed
Occupation: Professor
City: Anchorage, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 10:55 am

Name: Ranjit S. Mathoda
Occupation: Lawyer, painter, writer.
City: Los Angeles, Country: US
Comments: Threats from terrorists should not stop us from living our lives the way we would have before the threats. Show the film!
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 11:04 am

Name: Laura Lehsten
Occupation:
City: Longmont, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 11:04 am

Name: Ivy Gabbert
Occupation:
City: Brookline, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 12:16 pm

Name: Sanjay Kewlani
Occupation: IS Manager
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments: I support any effort to protect our right to free speech. Besides I also think Anand Patwardhan is an extremely courageous film maker and deserves every bit of support
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 14:01 pm

Name: Sheela Shankar
Occupation:
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 15:18 pm

Name: Vaishali Wagh
Occupation: Architect
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 15:31 pm

Name: Divya Karan
Occupation: Technology Consultant
City: Minneapolis, Country: US
Comments: Simply in the name of free speech.
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 15:43 pm

Name: Urmilla Deshpande
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 17:15 pm

Name: Jenni Harwood
Occupation:
City: Louisiana, Country: US
Comments: First they take away free speech,then freedom of religion then freedom of illegal search and seziure ..then the Government raises income taxes to 90% then everyone is standing in lines to get bread.Sound familar? Sure does to me and I refuse to let America become what it has fought so hard in the past to overcome in other countries.
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 17:45 pm

Name: Kathy Bull
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 18:08 pm

Name: DRUM- Desis Rising Up & Moving
Occupation: DRUM is a social justice organization fighting for the rights of low-income South Asian immigrants and INS detainees & their families. Our Projects include the INS De-Detention Campaign and YouthPower!
City: New York, Country: US
Comments: DRUM fully supports the work and history of Anand Patwardhan’s films. We urge the officials to not pander to right-wing threats that suppress the expression of marginalized communities and struggles for equal rights and dignity. Anand Patwardhan’s films represent this commitment to bringing forth the voice of poor and oppressed communities seeking justice.
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 18:10 pm

Name: Nishant Dabral
Occupation:
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 18:17 pm

Name: sava s
Occupation:
City: Pune, Country: IN
Comments: Freedom of Speech Zindabad!
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 20:20 pm

Name: Shanti Narasimham
Occupation: finance
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-11-02 Time: 20:41 pm

Name: A.F.Mathew Francis
Occupation: Assistant professor, MIC, Manipal 576119, Karnataka India
City: Manipal, Karnataka, Country: IN
Comments: Fundamentalism of all forms to be condemned. Free speech is an integral part of democracy. I condemn this intrusion.
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 04:06 am

Name: Hriday Kant Dewan
Occupation:
City: Udaipur, Country: IN
Comments: Free speech on issues like this is a must. Cannot allow muscle power to throttle the right to be heard and present alternative evidence
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 04:22 am

Name: Suvarna Damodaran
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments: In the name of democracy and non-violence…..
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 07:00 am

Name: Ajay Sathiakumar
Occupation: Medical Student
City: Birmingham, Country: US
Comments: Protect free speech
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 07:22 am

Name: Dr Nandini Rao
Occupation:
City: Hyderabad, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 07:35 am

Name: fahd ahmed
Occupation:
City: BROOKLYN, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 08:49 am

Name: Usha Raman
Occupation: writer and editor
City: Hyderabad, Country: IN
Comments: protect creative expression…and let people make up their own minds. we can’t be cowed down by violence–that only helps it achieve its ends!
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 09:38 am

Name: Sarah Fort
Occupation:
City: Seattle, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 09:41 am

Name: Seema Pereira
Occupation: student
City: Boston, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 10:42 am

Name: simantini dhuru
Occupation: film-making, educational activist
City: Bombay, Country: IN
Comments: don’t give in to threats by ‘terrorists’ in garb of patriots.
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 11:23 am

Name: Amarjit Singh
Occupation: Scientific Research
City: College Park, Country: US
Comments: Unity and communal harmony are vital to India’s strength, security and survival as an independent nation
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 11:26 am

Name: Parag Mody
Occupation:
City: san francisco, Country: US
Comments: in support of freedom of media.
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 12:50 pm

Name: sachi varma
Occupation: business
City: kottayam, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 13:29 pm

Name: Ebony LaBrew
Occupation:
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 18:37 pm

Name: ashish desai
Occupation: Physician
City: Rego Park, Country: US
Comments: It is impossible to solve problems of great magnitude without first understanding the questions that precede them.
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 18:44 pm

Name: Nilesh Shah
Occupation: Student
City: Orange, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 18:55 pm

Name: Deepak Doshi
Occupation: student
City: Houston, Country: US
Comments: ALL MY SUPPORT
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 19:14 pm

Name: Sujata Bhatt
Occupation:
City: Los Angeles, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 21:17 pm

Name: vivek borkar
Occupation: Scientist
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 22:05 pm

Name: sujatha rangaswami
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments: for too long have a few hijacked the many in the name of religion (oh yes its happening in every religion i believe ) …i am tired of listening to these self appointed spokesmen of faith …and their usurpation of my voice to legitimise their view of ‘the moral order’…to them i say…please do not speak for me as a hindu or muslim or buddhist or jew or christian or taoist or …i hereby assert my right to my voice…and support mr.patwardhan and anyone else who cares to do so in claiming their right to speak up and be heard !
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 22:10 pm

Name: Arijit Mitra
Occupation: Software Engineer
City: –, Country: IN
Comments: Democracy is always a priceless attribute for progress
Date: 02-12-02 Time: 22:44 pm

Name: Harish Pillai
Occupation: Teacher
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 00:53 am

Name: Madhu N. Belur
Occupation: Mathematician
City: Groningen, Country: NL
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 01:01 am

Name: Joe Athialy
Occupation: Social Activist
City: Kochi, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 01:31 am

Name: suryasarathi dasgupta
Occupation: research scholar, indian institute of technology-bombay, india.
City: mumbai, Country: IN
Comments: freedom of artistic expression is an integral part of any civilised society. Protests against banning of such freedom should be encouraged wholeheartedly.
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 01:46 am

Name: Swati Ali
Occupation: student
City: mumbai, Country: IN
Comments: people have a right to know…the govt wants us to remain in our illusions..patwardhan has really brought me out of the dream world i was living in…thank you, sir
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 02:13 am

Name: Debanjan Bagchi
Occupation: Student
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments: The saffron brigade have no right to stop the screening of Anand Patwardhan’s films.Brainwashing the uneducated masses doesn’t make them the representative of majority opinion in India or anywhere else.Rather they should come out and face the debate in open fora rather than using unethical means to stop the freedom of speech.
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 02:26 am

Name: Supratik Chakraborty
Occupation: Research/Teaching
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 05:24 am

Name: Bidhan Chandra Dash
Occupation: Research Scholar, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 07:46 am

Name: Cyriac Mathew
Occupation: worker
City: Oakland, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 10:13 am

Name: Reema Khan
Occupation: Analyst
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 10:17 am

Name: Sujeet Mehta
Occupation: Student
City: Hamden, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 10:37 am

Name: Vishwambhar Pati
Occupation: Associate Professor of Mathematics, Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore Centre
City: Bangalore, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 11:16 am

Name: Nadeem Rahman
Occupation: jobless
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 11:21 am

Name: Amitabh Dubey
Occupation: Student
City: –, Country: US
Comments: What’s the problem… free expression forever!
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 11:36 am

Name: Gaurav Vasa
Occupation: Jobless – Looking for a job in software industry
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 11:41 am

Name: Supriya Madhavan
Occupation: Public Health Officer
City: Washington, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 12:00 pm

Name: Uma Asher
Occupation: Graduate student
City: State College, Country: US
Comments: I was pleased, over the winter break, to see AMNH’s exhibition titled “Worshipping God”, on everyday ritual in the lives of Hindus. Now, learning about the museum’s refusal to screen films that criticize the political manipulation of Hindu myth and practice, even that exhibition seems sinister — it gives the impression that AMNH, or someone in it, has a stake in promoting Hindu chauvinism and fascism in the US. AMNH should stand up for its rights to exhibit whatever it wishes, if it wants to be taken seriously as a cultural institution.
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 14:25 pm

Name: arvind s grover
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments: what ever happened to “freedom of speech”
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 15:20 pm

Name: Nina Asher
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 17:45 pm

Name: Vikram Asher
Occupation: Scientist
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 19:18 pm

Name: vasuki belavadi
Occupation: media teacher
City: Udupi, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 19:54 pm

Name: Vijayalakshmi Raghavan
Occupation:
City: –, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 20:28 pm

Name: Sudeep K S
Occupation: Researcher
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 21:20 pm

Name: Ratna Pathak Shah
Occupation: Actress
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 21:20 pm

Name: Srinagesh Akella
Occupation: Executive – AHSL WIPRO
City: Hyderabad, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-13-02 Time: 22:51 pm

Name: Helen Regis
Occupation: professor of anthropology
City: Baton Rouge, Country: US
Comments: vigorous debate about cultural, religious, and political issues, is the only way we can guarantee our intellectual freedom and the possibilities for democracy. US cultural institutions in particular must be vigilant in ensuring that the exchanging of ideas is not threatened by extremist groups threatening violence, whatever their origins.
Date: 02-14-02 Time: 08:05 am

Name: Sankaran Krishna
Occupation: Professor of Political Science
City: Honolulu, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-14-02 Time: 08:51 am

Name: Hima B.
Occupation: filmmaker
City: NY, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-14-02 Time: 09:40 am

Name: Srirupa Roy
Occupation: Assistant professor of Political Science
City: Amherst, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-14-02 Time: 09:52 am

Name: Nilanjana Dasgupta
Occupation: Assistant Professor of Psychology
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-14-02 Time: 10:01 am

Name: Oindrila Sen
Occupation: Retail
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-14-02 Time: 10:16 am

Name: sonal shah
Occupation: physician
City: new orleans, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-14-02 Time: 10:53 am

Name: Annie Wiberg-Rozaklis
Occupation: Grad Student in Geography
City: Seattle, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-14-02 Time: 11:56 am

Name: Shampa Biswas
Occupation: Assistant Professor of Politics
City: Walla Walla, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-14-02 Time: 13:38 pm

Name: Subramanya Sastry
Occupation: Graduate Student
City: Madison, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-14-02 Time: 13:50 pm

Name: Tasnim Gosla
Occupation: Graduate Student
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-14-02 Time: 18:26 pm

Name: Kathryn Barnier
Occupation: Filmmaker
City: NYC, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-14-02 Time: 19:59 pm

Name: manohar kanuri
Occupation: consultant
City: new york, Country: US
Comments: spread the word people
Date: 02-14-02 Time: 19:59 pm

Name: Ravindra. R.P.
Occupation: Researcher
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments: Anand is not only a film maker; he is a commentrator on contemporary history. In a broad sense, he is a historian; documenting events as they unfold, analyse, preserve and present them to the public domain.He has been a great fighter. Free speech is under a threat -in India, U.S. and in other places too. We need to fight in our respective domains and support each other. Or else, hisory will, unfortunately repeat itself.
Date: 02-14-02 Time: 20:24 pm

Name: Lata P.M.
Occupation: Social activist
City: Mumbai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-14-02 Time: 22:10 pm

Name: kriti team
Occupation: research and communication
City: New Delhi, Country: IN
Comments: we are for free speech
Date: 02-14-02 Time: 23:12 pm

Name: Sunil D’Monte
Occupation: Engineer
City: Delhi, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 00:17 am

Name: atreyee saviel
Occupation: teacher in middle school – mathematics and english
City: kalimpong, Country: IN
Comments: keep this up. i will always support any such cause.
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 00:39 am

Name: Raghuraman Raghavan
Occupation: IT Consultant
City: Chennai, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 01:38 am

Name: Indrani Chatterjee
Occupation: Professor of South Asian History, Rutgers University
City: –, Country: US
Comments: As a historian who was born in South Asia, and knows its history intimately and well, I find it shocking that Patwardhan’s films should not be shown simply because they are critical. How does the US hope to build democratic alliances if all that the Museum can do is shut out one kind of indigenous voice simply because it is afraid? I find it very very hard to believe that in this current environment when there is so much security everywhere that the forces of the Museum and the city are to be held hostage by one group of people offering violence. Or is all this cowering in fear merely a cover for something else? does the museum hopes to raise funds from some well-heeled Hindutva types, and is willing to give up a current program, for a future prospect of gain?
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 03:22 am

Name: Laxmi Hariharan
Occupation:
City: Secaucus, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 03:36 am

Name: Lata Maganti
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 04:55 am

Name: Manu Goswami
Occupation: Assistant Professor of History, New York University
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 06:04 am

Name: Poonam Srivastava
Occupation: writer/healer
City: New York New York, Country: US
Comments: no one in their right, free, democratic mind would condone not showing these films. and no one with any real knowledge of hindu fundamentalist, in the U.S.A. would take any threats of violence from their part seriously. but more important than all that, cultural institutions have an obligations to transcend the daily squables of politics and religion and present all expressions of art that merit presentation.
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 06:53 am

Name: Douglas Haynes
Occupation: Professor
City: Hanover, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 06:57 am

Name: gargi bhat
Occupation: mother
City: Racine, Country: US
Comments: And where is Democracy? Fled to brutish beasts?
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 07:03 am

Name: Durba Ghosh
Occupation: Wellesley College, Mellon post-doctoral fellow
City: –, Country: US
Comments: I find this sort of censorship deeply upsetting, particularly from a publicly supported educational institution such as the American Museum of Natural History. I am a second generation South Asian-American from New York City who has been a frequent visitor to the museum and am disappointed about the museum’s position on the issue.
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 07:16 am

Name: Meena Sripathy
Occupation: lawyer
City: New York, Country: US
Comments: in light of all that is going on in this country these days, i have to question what this is really about. is it perhaps an over reaction to threats from “foreign fanatics”? Surely basic security measures would suffice to allow these important films to be shown.
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 07:22 am

Name: Tamra Plotnick
Occupation: Adult Education Director
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 07:33 am

Name: Christopher Stephens
Occupation: Legal Secretary
City: Jackson Heights, Queens, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 07:57 am

Name: Lauren Leve
Occupation: Asst Professor of Anthropology, Wellesley College
City: Cambridge, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 08:37 am

Name: Erica Antonson
Occupation:
City: Bedford, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 09:49 am

Name: Veena Viswanatha
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 09:56 am

Name: Lipika Mazumdar
Occupation: Asst. Professor/Research Associate
City: Pittsburgh, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 10:31 am

Name: Pankaj Butalia
Occupation: FILMMAKER
City: New Delhi, Country: IN
Comments: As a filmmaker whose films have been screened at MOMA and other such venues in USA and Canada, I am horrified to find that screenings of Anand Patwardhan’s films have been stopped at the American Museum of Natural History in NY. There are three obvious problems with this: 1. No American film of this type would ever be stopped at such a venue. It would be considered a denial of the right to free speech of the filmmaker. Thus there is an act of condescension in doing it to a non-American filmmaker. 2. Patwardhan’s films argue against the kind of hatred that is spread by fundamentalists and communalists who are now campaigning against his film. As a cursory viewing of his films will show, they actually expose the hatred of the Hindu fundamentalists. Thus films of this type actually expose criminals hiding under the garb of religion. 3. Those who claim the films harm the sentiments of Hindus are NOT the spokespersons of Hindus. I am a Hindu who does not recognize or give any importance to their kind of Chauvanist religion. It is tantamount to the KKK arguing against a film exposing their activities by claiming that they(the KKK) are the true spokespersons of Christianity and no one should be allowed to argue against them. I strongly implore the Museum not to fall prey to the VHP or RSS kind of politics … these persons are admirers of Hitler … and they should be treated as the scum of the earth.
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 10:47 am

Name: Ania Loomba
Occupation: Professor
City: Champaign, Country: US
Comments: I am shocked at this blatant attempt at censorship. Patrwardhan is an important flm-maker and this is only the latest in the Hindu Right’s eforts to silence all critical dialogue.
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 12:38 pm

Name: Ramesh Kumar Mallipeddi
Occupation: Graduate Student
City: Buffalo, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 13:06 pm

Name: Suvir Kaul
Occupation: Professor
City: Champaign, Country: US
Comments: I find it an astonishing dereliction of public duty if the AMNH actually cancels these screenings because fundamentalist Hindus threaten the venue or the film-maker with violence. The films must be screened and debated, and audiences in the US must know, as audiences in India and elsewhere do already, just how fascistic the Hindu right in India has become, both in it beliefs and in its practices (now obviously exported to the US).
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 13:32 pm

Name: Brian C. Haverback
Occupation: none
City: State College, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 13:57 pm

Name: Sumit Guha
Occupation: Professor
City: Providence, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 13:58 pm

Name: zohreh T. Sullivan
Occupation: university professor
City: champaign, Country: US
Comments: THis is intellectually and politically reprehensible behavior.
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 14:04 pm

Name: Hans Henrich Hock
Occupation: Professor of Linguistics and Sanskrit Director, Program in South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies University of Illinois
City: Champaign/Urbana, Country: US
Comments: Diminishing one person’s right to speak will diminish all our rights. Beside, as the motto of India says, satyam eva jayate “The truth is victorious”, and what Patwardhan reports e.g. on Ayodhya in Ram ke nam/in the name of God is the truth.
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 14:04 pm

Name: Robert Parker
Occupation: Professor
City: Champaign, Country: US
Comments: In addition to all the other horrors of censorship and of caving in to to extortionist pressure groups (noted elsewhere in people’s comments), we must note that once to cave in to censorship is to invite ever more censorship.
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 17:34 pm

Name: Debjani Mukherjee
Occupation: Postdoctoral Fellow
City: Chicago, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-15-02 Time: 20:58 pm

Name: Shripad Dharmadhikary
Occupation: Reseracher and Social Activist
City: Badwani, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 01:15 am

Name: Geraldine Forbes
Occupation: Professor of History
City: Syracuse, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 06:39 am

Name: ina rimpau
Occupation: Librarian Newark Public Library
City: Maplewood, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 06:42 am

Name: Anil Sharma
Occupation:
City: Chandigarh, Country: IN
Comments: There was the widely held belief that Imam Khomeinis would not be born among Hindus. Now watch out! they are there.
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 06:56 am

Name: James Hurt
Occupation: Professor of English, University of Illinois
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 07:46 am

Name: Madhuri Kommareddi
Occupation: Student
City: Evanston, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 08:28 am

Name: mahua sarkar
Occupation: Professor
City: Binghamton, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 09:24 am

Name: Valerio Orselli
Occupation: Executive Director of Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association
City: New York, Country: US
Comments: India, unlike many of its neighbors, is a democracy. But it is a deeply flawed democracy, with certain basic rights acknowldged in its constitution and legal documents but not granted in reality, particularly to its Dalits. A major cultural institution should not buckle under to censorship, be it from the Mayor of NYC or right wing religious institutions. Screening of the two censored movies would help remove some of the flaws.
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 10:24 am

Name: Chris Gutkind
Occupation: Librarian
City: Berkeley, Country: US
Comments: Those who are afraid of hearing opposing views have nothing to be afraid of if they believe what they believe strongly. Openness is the answer.
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 11:08 am

Name: Susan S. Wadley
Occupation: Professor
City: –, Country: US
Comments: This is important work. Please show these films!
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 11:36 am

Name: Ann Grodzins Gold
Occupation: Professor of Religion and Anthropology
City: Ithaca, Country: US
Comments: Patwardhan’s films are not only important social documents but moving works of art, expressions of a humane vision. These films show ordinary people’s strength and truthfulness, as well as the cruel manipulations of popular devotion by some power seekers. Rather than harmful to the public image of Hinduism they reveal its deeper strength, heart, and beauty. Please resist censorship!
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 14:07 pm

Name: Steve Derne
Occupation: Associate Professor of Sociology, SUNY – Geneseo
City: Rochester, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 14:23 pm

Name: Lisa Daughtry-Weiss
Occupation:
City: N. Syracuse, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 15:13 pm

Name: Daniel Gold
Occupation: Professor
City: Ithaca, Country: US
Comments: There are many voices in the Hindu community. They should ALL be heard.
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 16:22 pm

Name: Kaizar Campwala
Occupation: Student
City: Providence, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 17:09 pm

Name: Bhaskar Sarkar
Occupation: Assistant Professor Film Studies
City: Santa Barbara, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 17:23 pm

Name: Mimi Sharma
Occupation: Professor of Asian Studies University of Hawaii
City: Honolulu, Country: US
Comments: Anand Patwardhan is a proud son of Indian soil whose commitment to producing political documentaries spans three decades and 13 films that have won innumerable awards. He is nationally and internationally esteemed as the leading progressive filmmaker in that country. His work is dedicated to matters that lay at the heart of civil rights and civil liberties in the world’s largest democracy and each one deals with a burning issue affecting the lives of millions in his country. Patwardhan’s films reveal the hypocrisy of those who use the name of religion or the nation as shields to promote discrimination, separatism and bloodshed-much as they use those very same terms now in the attempt to silence him!! He reveals how common ties that bind communities of different faiths, castes, and tribes together are torn asunder and violence ensues. Many are thus left bereft with only the hollow sounds of freedom and justice as their legacy of a long struggle for an independent India.
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 17:29 pm

Name: Piya Chatterjee
Occupation: Assistant Professor, Department of Women’s Studies. University of California at Riverside
City: Riverside, Country: US
Comments: Anand Patwardhan is a consummate artist-of-conscience whose work needs to continue being screened internationally–and seen widely. It is troubling that the US/or NY state government would not protect the right of a viewing in NYC because of a “threat of violence.” This is far too easy capitulation to our special brand of desi export–transnational-feudal bullying!
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 18:22 pm

Name: Anjali Arondekar
Occupation: Assistant Professor Women’s Studies
City: santa cruz, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 18:35 pm

Name: omair ahmad
Occupation: Student
City: syracuse, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 18:36 pm

Name: Samir Bhattacharya
Occupation: Editor, Parabaas
City: Howell, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 19:02 pm

Name: Kelley Scarmeas
Occupation: student
City: Syracuse, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 19:33 pm

Name: Manas Ray
Occupation: Academic
City: Calcutta, Country: IN
Comments: Down with Hindu Right!
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 20:57 pm

Name: Mark Elmore
Occupation: Doctoral Student, University of California at Santa Barbara
City: santa barbara, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-16-02 Time: 21:36 pm

Name: Gloria Goodwin Raheja
Occupation: Professor of Anthropology
City: Saint Paul, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-17-02 Time: 01:53 am

Name: Dolly Arjun
Occupation: syracuse university student
City: syracuse, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-17-02 Time: 11:02 am

Name: Parama Roy
Occupation: Associate Professor of English, University of California, Riverside
City: Kensington, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-17-02 Time: 11:26 am

Name: Radhika Mongia
Occupation: Assistant Professor University of California, Santa Cruz
City: Santa Cruz, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-17-02 Time: 12:29 pm

Name: Jason Grace
Occupation: None
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-17-02 Time: 14:29 pm

Name: Joyashri Kundu
Occupation: Full Time College Student
City: Park Ridge, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-17-02 Time: 15:24 pm

Name: Lisa Trivedi
Occupation: Assistant Professor of South Asian History, Hamilton College
City: Clinton, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-17-02 Time: 15:25 pm

Name: Eduardo A. Rabel
Occupation: Site Coordinator, After-School Program @ P.S. 153 Chinese-American Planning Council
City: Brooklyn, Country: US
Comments: I urge you to stand up for freedom of expression instead of giving in to terrorist threats.
Date: 02-17-02 Time: 16:12 pm

Name: Margaret Trawick
Occupation: professor of social anthropology
City: Palmerston North, Country: NZ
Comments:
Date: 02-17-02 Time: 16:50 pm

Name: Nathaniel S. Behura
Occupation: President of a Consulting Firm
City: Orange County, Country: US
Comments: True Hindu philosophy is far too deep and rich to be tarnished by the actions of individuals as portrayed in a film. Those with intellect understand that disingenuous interpretations by the followers of a religion or philosophy do not taint the idea itself.
Date: 02-17-02 Time: 17:09 pm

Name: Danis Frombach
Occupation: Teacher
City: Albuquerque, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-17-02 Time: 18:43 pm

Name: Purandar Bhaduri
Occupation: Software R&D
City: Pune, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-17-02 Time: 20:01 pm

Name: stefan fiol
Occupation: studebnt
City: champaign, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-17-02 Time: 23:11 pm

Name: Sanjay Joshi
Occupation: University Professor
City: Flagstaff, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-17-02 Time: 23:30 pm

Name: Caleb Elfenbein
Occupation: graduate student, University of California at Santa Barbara
City: Santa Barbara, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 01:01 am

Name: Philip Lutgendorf
Occupation: University Professor
City: Iowa City, Country: US
Comments: I sometimes disagree with aspects of Patwardhan’s films, but feel that they raise important issues that need to be openly discussed. I support their screening.
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 06:10 am

Name: vidya kalaram
Occupation: Graduate Student,University of Iowa
City: IA, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 06:24 am

Name: Jaime Permuth
Occupation: artist
City: Brooklyn, Country: US
Comments: start an investigation into the threats and provide additional security for the screening of the films.
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 06:27 am

Name: Corinne Arles
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 06:32 am

Name: Dharni Vasudevan
Occupation: Assistant Professor
City: Durham, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 06:35 am

Name: Ken MacDonald
Occupation: Assistant Professor Dept. of Geography University of Iowa
City: Iowa City, Country: US
Comments: Censorship is a slippery slope. What does this say about the ability of the museum to provide public programmimg? How can it expect to continue to be seen as a credibile educational institution if it cancels these screenings to satisfy the political demands of a small but vocal group?
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 06:46 am

Name: Debjani Das
Occupation: social scientist
City: –, Country: DE
Comments:
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 07:07 am

Name: Bindu Bhatt
Occupation: Librarian
City: –, Country: US
Comments: I haven’t seen any movies of Patwardhan. I cannot comment on that, for this reason. However, freedom of expression also involves responsibility. No one’s freedom should be curtailed. But at the same time if someone steps on my toes, I have the right to say please, get off. Not correctly understood concepts of any knowledge can be devastating. We as human beings first and foremost have tremendous responsibility now than ever before to accept diversity of all kind. That definitely includes accomodating opposite view points.
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 07:39 am

Name: Kalyan Chatterjee
Occupation: Professor of Economics
City: State College, Country: US
Comments: I haven’t seen any films of Anand Patwardhan, though I have heard of him. However, if the American Museum of Natural History deems them worthy of showing, it should go ahead irrespective of what the Hindutva types might say. All Hindus and others of Indian origin should resist this Talibanizing of our common culture and this assault on freedom of speech.
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 08:01 am

Name: Jael Silliman
Occupation: Professor
City: Iowa City, Country: US
Comments: Anand Patwardhan provides a most important and necessary voice on a range of public issues – his documentaries need to be widely viewed.
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 08:17 am

Name: Amelia Halverson
Occupation:
City: Brooklyn, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 08:32 am

Name: Mary Hancock
Occupation: Associate Professor Anthropology
City: Santa Barbara, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 11:09 am

Name: Paul Greenough
Occupation: Professor of History
City: Iowa City, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 11:49 am

Name: Paul Greenough
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments: I have seen several of Anand Patwardhan’s films. They are informative, technically fine and well within the scope of good investigative journalism based upon interviews with involved local persons. While Patwardhan has some obvious commitments to secularism and social justice, his film “In the Name of God” is essential viewing for anyone who wants to understand the political and cultural forces in conflict today in India.
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 11:58 am

Name: Vikram Adve
Occupation: Assistant Professor, Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
City: Champaign, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 12:27 pm

Name: Alex Rabrenovich
Occupation: Local Government
City: Los Angeles, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 14:24 pm

Name: Sidd Purkayastha
Occupation: Corporate Scientist
City: Champaign, Country: US
Comments: I have seen “Ram ke Naam”. There is no rational for not screening this movie . I will definitely like to see his next movie.
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 15:02 pm

Name: Rose DeNeve
Occupation: Scholar, South Asia Studies
City: Syracuse, Country: US
Comments: There are always many sides to any issue. Perhaps the AMNH would better have consulted the larger South Asian American community, as well as scholars of South Asia, before banning the film in the first place. This is an important film, speaking as it does to some of the destabilizing events in South Asia today. It should be seen by as wide an audience as possible.
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 18:00 pm

Name: Amy Cusick
Occupation: dog walker
City: Somerville, Country: US
Comments: Support free speech!
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 19:15 pm

Name: Taru Dalmia
Occupation: fire man
City: new delhi, Country: IN
Comments: me nah go dictate to dem argument
Date: 02-18-02 Time: 23:26 pm

Name: Radhika Shenai
Occupation: Investment Banker
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-19-02 Time: 05:12 am

Name: David Gilmartin
Occupation: Professor of History
City: Raleigh, Country: US
Comments: “Threats of Violence” are a form of intimidation that the museum cannot afford to give in to without tarnishing its own reputation.
Date: 02-19-02 Time: 05:31 am

Name: Zarina M. Hock
Occupation: Director of Book Publications
City: Champaign, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-19-02 Time: 07:46 am

Name: A.H. Cemendtaur
Occupation: Writer
City: Dadu, Country: PK
Comments:
Date: 02-19-02 Time: 08:21 am

Name: S. Nadeem Shafi
Occupation: Education
City: San Diego, Country: US
Comments: Free Speech is an essential ingredient of any functional Democracy.
Date: 02-19-02 Time: 08:34 am

Name: Abhijay Prakash
Occupation:
City: Santa Monica, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-19-02 Time: 10:18 am

Name: Vishwanath Tirupattur
Occupation:
City: New York, Country: US
Comments: I strongly support the screenings of Patwardhan’s films. In addition to being well made, they present a well reasoned point of view, reflective of the true secular spirit of Indian Constitution.
Date: 02-19-02 Time: 10:39 am

Name: Banu Subramaniam
Occupation:
City: Amherst, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-19-02 Time: 10:47 am

Name: Laura Lindley
Occupation: student
City: Los Angeles, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-19-02 Time: 10:57 am

Name: David Pendleton
Occupation: Film Programming Coordinator, UCLA Film and Television Archive
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-19-02 Time: 11:20 am

Name: Blair Kling
Occupation: Professor Emeritus (History)
City: Champaign, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-19-02 Time: 11:40 am

Name: Anila Bhagavatula
Occupation:
City: yorba linda, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-19-02 Time: 11:41 am

Name: Robert Abiad
Occupation:
City: San Francisco, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-19-02 Time: 13:30 pm

Name: louis juska
Occupation:
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-19-02 Time: 14:06 pm

Name: Bhavana Patel
Occupation: student
City: lbc, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-19-02 Time: 14:34 pm

Name: Sylvia Vatuk
Occupation: Professor
City: Chicago, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 07:42 am

Name: Charles Wolfe
Occupation: Professor of Film Studies
City: Santa Barbara, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 08:31 am

Name: Paul Hockings
Occupation: Anthropologist
City: Chicago, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 08:32 am

Name: Shankar Raman
Occupation: Associate Professor, Literature
City: –, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 10:36 am

Name: M. V. Ramana
Occupation:
City: Edison, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 10:45 am

Name: Meera Vaidyanathan
Occupation: editor
City: princeton, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 11:19 am

Name: Sujatha Moni
Occupation: Graduate Student
City: Lawrenceville, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 11:33 am

Name: Carol M. Babiracki
Occupation: University professor
City: Syracuse, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 11:38 am

Name: Ashwini K Rao
Occupation: Assistant Professor
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 12:01 pm

Name: Nilita Vachani
Occupation: Filmmaker
City: New York, Country: US
Comments: It’s outrageous if a renowned institution like the Museum of Natural History caves in to every petty threat, every evidence of partisan politics that comes its way. I do think however, that this petition should be directed not to Elaine Charnov who, as I understand it, has not made this decision, but to those in the Museum who went over her head.
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 12:29 pm

Name: Bhama Srinivasan
Occupation: Professor
City: Chicago, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 12:33 pm

Name: Geetha Sivaraman
Occupation:
City: Edison, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 12:33 pm

Name: Ritty Lukose
Occupation:
City: Philadelphia, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 13:08 pm

Name: Raghu Trichur
Occupation: Teacher
City: Lawremceville, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 13:11 pm

Name: Philip Bittenbender
Occupation: Graduate Student
City: Pittsburgh, Country: US
Comments: ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do.’ In case these fanatics don’t know, there are laws regarding free speech in this country based on the Constitution. People can exercise their opinions in print or non-attendance to the event.
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 13:16 pm

Name: Kaushik Ghosh
Occupation: Professor
City: Seattle, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 13:28 pm

Name: Aloka Lahiri-Srinivasan
Occupation: Scientist
City: Herndon, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 14:57 pm

Name: Ravi Bhagavatula
Occupation: Management Consultant
City: Yorba Linda, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 15:40 pm

Name: Suppiramaniam Nanthikesan
Occupation:
City: New York, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 19:29 pm

Name: Cletus Zuzarte
Occupation: Social Work Profession – Research and Documentation
City: Mumbai,, Country: IN
Comments: The Right to Freedom of Expression is paramount in a “human being’s” life. Denial of this amounts to chaining the person. We live in a modern age dominated by science and technology and human reason should prevail.
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 19:44 pm

Name: Kulwinder Bajar
Occupation: Artist
City: Toronto, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 20:45 pm

Name: Friends of South Asia
Occupation: Organization for promotion of peace in South Asia
City: Stanford, Country: US
Comments: Patwardhan’s movies provide an important insight into the dynamics of conflict in the subcontinent, and also highlight the fact that the bulk of the people in the subcontinent desire peace and communal harmony.
Date: 02-20-02 Time: 21:46 pm

Name: Tapobrata Sarkar
Occupation: physicist
City: Trieste, Country: IT
Comments: stop the fascist onslaught
Date: 02-21-02 Time: 02:45 am

Name: satish kolluri
Occupation: Professor
City: New York, Country: US
Comments: Down with VHP and shame on AMNH.
Date: 02-21-02 Time: 04:10 am

Name: F. Hughes-Freeland
Occupation: University Lecturer
City: –, Country: GB
Comments:
Date: 02-21-02 Time: 08:41 am

Name: Nilanjana Chatterjee
Occupation: Anthropologist
City: Chapel Hill, Country: US
Comments:
Date: 02-21-02 Time: 09:19 am

Name: Monika Szewczyk
Occupation: MA Candidate in Art History, University of British Columbia
City: Vancouver, Country: CA
Comments:
Date: 02-21-02 Time: 09:23 am

Name: Dhritiman Chaterji
Occupation:
City: –, Country: IN
Comments:
Date: 02-21-02 Time: 09:42 am