Telugu bidda Raghunandan Yandamuri was an unlucky gambler.
Yandamuri lost $50,000 in 12-months on gambling.
And Yandamuri’s $50,000 ransom gamble led to the loss of two lives, besides the loss of his own freedom and endless misery to many others.
By the age of 26, Raghunandan Yandamuri weathered more financial trouble than most of us experience in a lifetime.
An analysis of Raghunandan Yandamuri’s publicly available financial documents suggest his woes were largely self-inflicted.
Ultimately, Yandamuri’s financial travails became catastrophic not only for himself and his wife but for two innocent souls from the Venna family as well.
Yandamuri – Desperate for Money
Without doubt, Raghunandan Yandamuri committed the two murders (of 61-year-old Sathyvathi Venna and her 10-month-old grandaughter Saanvi Venna) for money.
Just three days before his murder spree, media reports say Yandamuri called his Telugu buddy Chendu Tummala in San Jose, California and asked him for $1,000.
But the thousand dollars Yandamuri borrowed from Tummala was just an appetizer compared to the $50,000 Ransom entree he was quietly cooking up.
Yandamuri wanted big money desperately, something like $50,000 (the amount he asked for in the ransom note).
And to get that $50,000, Yandamuri was willing to go to any extent including murdering grandma Satyavathi Venna and then kidnapping and murdering little Saanvi Venna on October 22, 2012.
However, Yandamuri’s financial woes were not new.
Even before he moved to King of Prussia around May 2012, Yandamuri had severe financial problems while living in San Jose, California.
Where Did the Money Go?
The biggest question in the Raghunandan Yandamuri case is why his financial situation turned into a perilous mess.
Many thoughts come to mind regarding Yandamuri’s finances.
* Was Raghunandan Yandamuri a gambler?
* Was Raghunandan Yandamuri living way beyond his means, eating too much Dum Biryani, watching too many crappy Telugu films and splurging on fancy clothes and latest electronic gizmos?
* Was Raghunandan Yandamuri crippled by family loans/debts?
Only Raghunandan Yandamuri can provide conclusive answers to the questions.
But we can make an informed judgment by analyzing Yandamuri’s publicly available documents like his Bankruptcy filing of April 2012.
By American standards and considering the depressed economy these days, Raghunandan Yandamuri was making decent money as a software engineer.
Here’s a look at Yandamuri’s income statement for the last couple of years:
Yandamuri – Gambling Losses
Unless Yandamuri was lying to the Bankruptcy court, Yandamuri was a big-time gambler.
Yandamuri’s April 10, 2012 bankruptcy filing reveals an interesting disclosure – the young fellow had suffered gambling losses of $50,000 between March 7, 2011 and March 6, 2012 (Source: Statement of Financial Affairs, Page 3, filing signed on March 6, 2012, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of California).
That’s a huge gambling loss for a 26-year-old man.
Telugus in America are not given to spending much money.
They usually lead frugal lives and are obsessed with hoarding money.
Other than an occasional Dum Biryani or a silly Allu Arjun film, they tend to be parsimonious with their money.
In their spending habits, it’s safe to say Telugus give the Scots a good run for their money.
But Raghunandan Yandamuri is clearly not your run of the mill Telugu bidda.
Lord Balaji of the Seven Hills certainly broke the mold after creating Raghunandan Yandamuri!
It’s not clear how Yandamuri lost the money.
Did he lose it in the Las Vegas casinos, was it lost betting on Indian cricket matches or were the losses incurred in some other arena?
Only Yandamuri can answer those questions.
And unfortunately he’s not accessible to either the public or bloggers right now.
Who Provided Gambling Money?
Another intriguing question is, where did Yandamuri get the money to gamble?
Yandamuri’s financial statements to the Bankruptcy Court show that his Average Monthly Net Income was $4,831 while his Average Monthly Expenses amounted to $4,693, leaving a balance of just $138 every month.
Since Yandamuri was sending home $600 every month, I will assume the gambling money was not coming from his family in India.
It’s likely Yandamuri partly used the credit cards as a piggy bank to fuel his gambling habit.
In the Chapter 7 Bankruptcy filing made on April 10, 2012 at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California., Yandamuri listed total liabilities of $26,268 to the credit card companies.
An analysis of his credit card debts shows he obtained multiple credit cards (sometimes on the same day) and ran up huge debts on the cards quickly.
Most likely, Yandamuri took out cash advances on his credit cards.
Still, given Yandamuri’s limited resources some of the gambling money must have come from other sources.
Private loan sharks?? Wife’s side family members?
Maybe.
Yandamuri’s debts to the credit card companies were discharged on July 17, 2012 via his Chapter 7 bankruptcy application.
By this time, Yandamuri had already moved to King of Prussia, was married to Komali Alokam, working in a new job and had befriended the Venna family who were also living in the same Marquis apartment complex.
However, Yandamuri’s financial woes had not ended.
The young man was still in financial dire straits.
Was he gambling again?
We don’t know.
What we do know is that Chester and Atlantic City casinos are not far from King of Prussia.
When he noticed the Vennas together bringing home around $10,000 a month (Siva Venna and Latha Punnuru are both software programmers), he smacked his lips seeing the couple as easy bait for the nefarious plan he was cooking up.
Credit Squeeze
One negative consequence of declaring bankruptcy in the U.S. is that it’s hard to get credit or any kind of loan for several years.
Life without a credit card is hard in the U.S.
Compounding Yandamuri’s financial problems, his wife was pregnant and he had to get his in-laws from India for post-delivery assistance.
If Yandamuri was down to borrowing $1,000 from friends, his financial situation must have been bleak.
Bottom line, if you go by Yandamuri’s financial disclosures and media reports this was a man struggling through severe financial problems.
By October 2012, Yandamuri had run out of options and with the credit squeeze like a noose around his neck he took the deadly gamble of attacking the Venna family that ultimately ended in a great tragedy for two families.
Unanswered Questions
1. Was Yandamuri acting alone? In his ransom note, he uses the pronoun ‘our’ and ‘we’ repeatedly.
2. Did he have a previous connection to the Venna family?
3. How much debt did Yandamuri have as of October 22, 2012?
4. Was Raghunandan Yandamuri still gambling?
5. Does Raghunandan Yandamuri have a history of mental health problems?
Answers to these questions will not rise the dead from their graves or save Yandamuri from the lethal injection or spring him out of prison.
But it’ll certainly bring closure to the millions of Telugus who are now voyeuristically thronging the online forums and endlessly dissecting the two murders with new conspiracy theories.
Related Stories:
Raghunandan Yandamuri’s Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Filing
If He Had Any Brains At All, Raghunandan Yandamuri Would Have Killed Himself
Essential Facts About Raghunandan Yandamuri
Telugu Gambler Raghunandan Yandamuri’s Crime Gamble Failed Big Time added by SearchIndia.com on
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He is just 26. There is time to make money.
Why he was in hurry to make money? He is into consulting work and he can make hell lot of money if he is really capable.
Consulting company’s exporting dump guys like him for that state. These idiots cant survive here. Everything fake. His plan and ransom note says how much dump he is.
This group people do so much politics and cheap activities to hold the job at work place as they are not capable to IT job.
Wherever you go in US, you will see these guys only.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Idiots and crooks are to be found in all communities.
Does he mean Telugus by the word group? 🙂
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Likely, but as with a lot of these comment outbursts one can’t be sure.
Of one thing, we are sure though – The Indian community here is no different from India.
Riven by clashes of caste, region. community, religion, etc, they are an unfailing source of amusement.
I guess he said that for FRAUD CONSULTANTS.
I know not all consultants are fraud but I am sure you can find some cheap FRAUD CONSULTANTS 🙂
What is your community or region or religion or gender ?
SearchIndia.com Responds:
I don’t understand why our Indian people have an idée fixe about community, region, religion, caste, etc.
We all belong to the Homo Sapiens species.
Apparently his father, who used to work as police constable, died in a Maoist attack in 1997.
His mother raised him and his older brother… sad sad story
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Sweetie, for the majority of the world life is a sad, sad story.
It’s only in the details that one sad story differs from another.
Raghunandan has to be hanged for what he did.
No punishment can ever stand up to what he did.
This was such a tragic incident which left all the so called human beings shocked!!
People out there are pouring their heart-felt condolences to the Venna family.
People of all kinds exist in all kinds of communities..
So, it doesn’t matter what community a person belongs to, everyone is different in their own way.
So, its not about communities, its about people!!
Should SI spend this much time discussing the personal details of this guy, although a disgusting idiot he was?
Doesn’t look good.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Boopalangaru, baggunara
Ikkada, manasu ku chaala bejaru ayindandi.
Ivvala kachchitanga oka Chiranjeevi or Nagarjuna cinema chuste kaastha manasshanti dorakavatchu ani anukuntunnanu!.
wow its surprising to know that SI is a telugu bidda too.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Sweetie, if JFK can be a Berliner, SI can be a Telugu, Tamil, Mallu, Kannadiga, German, Punjabi, Hispanic etc.
Watched your Korean recommendation Bow and enjoyed it a lot. Will likely review it soon.
I plan to watch Antonio Negret Transit tonight.
Joku baavundi !…..
SearchIndia.com Responds:
As Telugu moviegoers might say, Brahmanandamga undhi!
hey who is this guy/ girl responding from Search India.
AWESOME.
I want him/ her 🙂
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Sweetie, I hope your medical insurance covers trauma counseling.
If not, I pray Lord Balaji of the Seven Hills provides you sufficient strength to hold tight until the key provisions of Obamacare come into effect in 2014.
Yeah. I heard TANA is full of Kammas….. 🙂
I know many telugu’s who are very sweet, honest, hardworking here in US.
This guy “Raghu” should be hang’d. US should not waste tax payers money to prosecute OR keep him in Jail forever and waste money on this useless creature.
Appreciate presenting facts about Raghunandan Yandamuri.
We should all be ashamed as humans and Indians when such gruesome rarities happen.
OT: How do find the songs of Talaash?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h01UTFWScIc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac5VXVWa8CY&feature=related
SearchIndia.com Responds:
I have a deja vu feeling listening to Jee Le Zara.
Kareena is such a lousy actress that her presence and pathetic attempt at ‘dancing’ subtracts any merit the song may have.
Between the trailer and your videos, I have to assume the little boy dies in some kind of freak accident.
SI & other East Coast people – All the best to survive Sandy!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
So far, we’ve seen incessant rain but wind gusts are now starting to get harder.
NYC might take a big hit
They’ve already closed Holland Tunnel and Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel in NYC.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SUPERSTORM_NYC?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-10-29-12-27-58
Hello SI, I am from Andhra.
Your views are absolutely true.
Only people who are going thru the pain only knows the pain.
It won’t affect remaking people in anyway.
I know some are genuine and felt very sad.
But not sure how many changes their attitude.
Unfortunately for majority this senseless act is another ‘Story’
Please comment on how to change many people sadistic thoughts!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Sweetie, the human soul at its core is beastly, ugly and beyond redemption.
Solitary instances of kindness and decency are aberrations.
Visit some of the other forums and, lo, bored NRI Telugus in search of a new entertainment high are furiously spinning wild fantasy tales attacking the foundations of the grieving Venna family.
Come next Friday and the release of the next silly Telugu film, Venna and Yandamuri will be passe, yesterday’s ‘story’ to most of the vicarious thrill-seeking voyeurs.
Hello SI, I agree with most of ur hard facts.
Hi,
Just discovered you.
Cool blog.
I like your sense of humor!
On a serious note, ‘Dum Biryani’ is not to be ALLOWED to be appropriated by Andhras as it RIGHTFULLY belongs to US.
Like our leader said, ‘biryani’ of Andhrites is like cow dung!!
They have fallen prey to ‘Dum Biryani’ in the same way as they have fallen to the attractions of Hyderabad (no cyclone & no blazing heat like in their motherland of Lord Cotton).
Now we are fighting to get rid of their clutches.
‘Allu Arjun & POWER Kalyans’ are not our cup of tea.
So I do not like the type casting that you attempt!!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. Fret not, my poppet.
Henceforth, when my drooling self visits an Indian restaurant in NJ, MD, DE, PA, VA, DC etc I will first demand the Andhra/Telengana owners for unassailable proof of their origins before placing my order for Dum Biryani.
You may rest assured that should the address/origins of the owners be the ‘wrong’ one, I shall unhesitatingly expel my drooling saliva in a neat arc on the impostor and beat a hasty retreat to the next Dum Biryani restaurant.
2. As for Allu Arjun, I’ve always been of the firm conviction that this distant ancestor of the Homo Sapiens race landed on Planet Earth (on all fours, of course) during a Solar Eclipse when all was dark.
Why is your blog called ‘Search India’?
Hardly any news about India!?
It appears you are living in your own world of burgers, pizzas and ONLY an occasional idly/sambar/paratha/jelebi.
Come on, Kejriwal deserves some coverage here.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. You write: Why is your blog called ‘Search India’? Hardly any news about India!?
Sweetie, like a lot of Telugu biddas I too have been blessed/condemned with an irresistible itch, an unquenchable thirst for Amreeka since the tender years of my youth.
And as Amreeka has now been my home for long years, I straddle two worlds – One foot in Mera Bharat Mahaan and the other in Amazing America.
But rest assured, Dum Biryani is as near to my heart as the Starbucks Pike Place (Medium) Coffee and a good Thin Crust Pizza.
Here are a few South Indian restaurant reviews on SearchIndia.com:
Saravanaa Bhavan East Windsor NJ – http://www.searchindia.com/2011/10/18/saravanaa-bhavan-west-windsor-nj-review-grrrr-nice-toilet-lots-of-flies-crappy-food/
Balaji Temple Chicago – http://www.searchindia.com/2011/07/25/svs-temple-aurora-canteen-count-your-blessings/
Lemont Rama Temple, Chicago – http://www.searchindia.com/2011/10/18/lemont-rama-temple-cafeteria-%E2%80%93-abundant-blessings
North Indian
Bengali Sweet House, Jersey City, NJ – http://www.searchindia.com/2012/02/23/bengali-sweet-house-jersey-city-heavenly/
2. You write: Come on, Kejriwal deserves some coverage here.
Four years back, we anointed Barack Obama as our Kejriwal to clean up the Republican (Congress-I) mess and installed the Black man in the White House.
Now it’s the turn of Indians to install Kejriwal as their Obama on the Gaddi.
SI …I really like ur analysis.
I want to give few facts of Andhra Pradesh,
1. We have one of the best educational systems in the country that’s the reason we are instrumental in rolling out some of the best techies in IT. FYI get the statics from Silicon Valley giants.
2. Most of the development projects runs from Andhra Pradesh as we have best of breed techies.
3. Every region has its own food habits and eating cross cultural food items is no different than you eating English food on English soil.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Nice to hear that Andhra Pradesh is awash with IITs/MITs/NITs and that development projects would be rudderless without the hand of talented Telugu techies at the wheel.
Did you rechristen him/her?
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Yes, for the obvious reasons.
In this kind of a situation, is it possible to travel to India and just stay back? Or will he have Visa issues?
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. Raghunandan Yandamuri will most likely leave prison only horizontally in a box. There’s no way he can get out.
2. For lesser crimes, a guilty person must serve the prison sentence and will usually be deported after serving time if she/he is not a citizen.
But there are some exceptions like a less-than-30-day sentence or in the Tamil boy Dharun Ravi case where the judge made a recommendation not to deport Dharun given the unique circumstances of the case, age of the person, nature of crime and absence of previous criminal record.
3. Obviously, the picture changes if the person is a citizen. In that situation, the person will not be deported after the prison term.
4. Irrespective of whether the person is a citizen or non-citizen, if a suspect runs off to Mexico, India, Pakistan, Germany or any other country, he/she will be extradited back and must stand trial.
Not sure if that is true… there is no prisoner swapping deal between India and US so I don’t think India govt will be able to extradite if he reached India by the time police realized that he is the culprit
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Sweetie, you’re so wrong.
Please see the below link:
http://www.justice.gov/usao/nj/Press/files/Patel,%20Naranjan%20Extradition%20News%20Release.html
As the wise SI has already prophesied (not unlike the Oracle at Delphi in ancient Greece), Raghunandan Yandamuri will never walk out of the U.S. prison.
Yandamuri will leave a U.S. prison horizontally in a cardboard box, unsung, unmourned and be buried in an unmarked grave.
In any case, do you think India cares about the fate of one whacko, who went on a rampage with a kitchen knife!
Your facts may be right about Raghu.
Let me tell you this, there is nothing wrong in saving money for the rainy day. Have you ever looked at Gujarathi’s spending habits or lifestyles?
Before you comment on Telugu guys take a look at, let’s say, Arava guys.
They are the most eccentric guys in the world.
They have a very bad reputation of being anti-social in the US work places.
They don’t have right mannerisms like speaking in a common language in front of a foreigner (in terms of language).
They think their language is ultimate and they are the center of universe.
Speaking about food habits, they can not live a day without Idli, Sambar.
I had the (un)forunate time staying with them for few months and was totally disgusted.
All the things that you attribute to Telugus can be attributed to Tamils (aravas) in addition to what I already said.
At least Telugus only watch movies of their favorite movie stars.
But, Aravas?
They self-immolate/commit suicide if their favorite star, Rajnikanth, or their favorite leader has headache
Just to let you know, Telugus look better than aravas, they are conservative in dressing compared to North guys who like to show skin than their talent
Get a life and honey, don’t call me sweetie!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. You write: Just to let you know, Telugus look better than aravas, they are conservative in dressing compared to North guys who like to show skin than their talent
Beta, Life is not a Beauty Contest between Tamils and Telugus.
Please do not belittle any community by disparagingly referring to their looks, food, dress, movie stars or other practices.
2. As our savior Jesus Christ hath said when the adulterer woman was brought before him, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_and_the_woman_taken_in_adultery
It’s such a pity when comments intended to express aghast towards a coward murderer sway to inter-state fights,,,
As you said, every single community in this world has these Idiots and crooks…Especially with the Indian communities (every single one) where crime and crookedness are hardwired in their DNA…
Its a matter of shame that we get nailed continuously for various crimes across the world, it makes me puke when some ass clowns drag communities into it….
Sweetpea wrote: He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
This brings up a interesting point: are you and me then right in pointing a finger at Raghunandan?
SearchIndia.com Responds:
That is not only a valid point but I’m also a person who increasingly harbors doubts on how much “free will” humans really enjoy.
That said, I console myself that pointing fingers, flinging stones and eating more Dum Biryani than is good for us are but pointers to how flawed we all are.
On this rather interesting notion of “Free Will”, I will pen a separate post one of these days.
Are svhyd and Thambi the same person?
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Unlikely, but on the Internet you never know.
svhyd shows some refinement while Thambi with his/her/its virulent anti-Tamil rant seems to have overdosed on Dum Biryani!
In my not-so-humble opinion, Yandamuri, besides his heinous attack on the Vennas, has knocked the stuffing out of Telugus and left them bleeding, reeling and comatose.
Are gandhiji and SI the same person? (You never know.)
SearchIndia.com Responds:
I’ll grant that you have a sense of humor! 😉
Let me assure you, it’s hard, well nigh impossible, to be both a prolific blog posts writer and a prolific commenter on the same blog at the same time.
Gandhiji will surely have something to say on your comment.
One good thing that has come out of this Raghu mess is that SI has got a bunch of new interesting characters.
Why is Pedda Pappa not posting anymore.
I hope you didn’t exterminate it.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
You’d be surprised at the games some bozos play!
First I have accused Baby Saanvi parents for leaving the baby with her grandma at home.
And then I have accused the killers mother stating she is to blame for not being there for him to depend on her emotionally.
And all this time,I had a softcorner for the killer thinking, he was lost and got unstable over his financial state and at just 26 his life has to end.
BUT then yesterday I have seen his debts. hmm they are around 25000.
And even if we add up the loans he got from his frnds, his debt wouldn’t exceed 40k.
I’m sure when he has declared bankruptcy, he will have an option to consolidate and pay off in n # of years.
And he has a decent job to cover his monthly expenses with insurance to cover his wife’s pregnancy.
SO NOW, i’m saying he is just a bastrd.
He planned to kill the old lady and he opted for a kitched knife because he knew a kitchen knife is enought to kill an old woman.
It is not about a telugu being a bastrd.
All Indians could be bastrds.
It is that urge to be able to have money in the bank, it is that urge to build up wealth, it is that poorness they are born into, it is that comparision mentality of the Indian’s, it is that jealous over others and the ego.
All of the above are the Indian characteristics. All of the above made him do it.
Every Indian bastrd will have these characteristics.
A lesson to be taught for all the Indian bastrds-so no Indian bastrd will be itched or have an urge to accumulate wealth, send money to piggy parents or compare with others. Bastrds.
Your parents are to blame bastrds.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
a) Bravo, brilliant analysis!
So, now the parents are to blame?
By your peerless logic, the following are the most evil people in the world:
1. Vinayak Vamanrao Godse, and Lakshmi (Nathuram Godse’s parents)
2. Alois Hitler and Klara Pölzl (Hitler’s parents)
3. Ketevan Geladze and Besarion Jughashvili (Stalin’s parents)
4. Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder (Caligula’s parents)
5. Damodardas Mulchand Modi and Heeraben (Narendra Modi’s parents)
and the most evil of all
6. Padmavathi and Surendra (Raghunandan Yandamuri’s parents)
Please do share your dietary habits so that the rest of us lesser mortals endowed with a smaller IQ may reach your stratospheric heights of wisdom.
Doubtless, you’re not weaned yet.
The agony of Raghunandan Yandamuri’s mother Padmavathi in this video is heartrending.
b) Searching for an explanation for these kind of acts is like Sisyphus rolling the stone up the mountain.
You can posit all the theories your addled mind can conjure up but at the end of the day, as the Americans like to say, Shit Happens.
SI, sorry but you are slightly being irrelevant.
Yes I have seen one of her videos.
Heartwrenching.
Yes parents are to blame.
You think one fine morning, Raghu has developed the criminal tendencies??
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. If you’re blaming parents for the sins of their children then, fie, you might as well stretch the plot further still and heap withering scorn on the milieu, the times, the mores. At least, that’d be a more tenable point.
2. Criminal tendencies or opportunistic tendencies?
I’d say Raghunandan Yandamuri espied an opportunity and leapt at it but the bough on which he jumped was far too weak to support his vile ambition and came crashing down taking with it the two Vennas and Raghu.
3. Thou art too diligent an acolyte of the Biblical cliche, The sins of the parents are visited upon the children unto the third and fourth generations.
Or are you trying to turn the argument on its head? Prithee, they’re the same.
ok I understand SI. Sorry about my comments.
“Vinayak Vamanrao Godse, and Lakshmi (Nathuram Godse’s parents)” – From what I have read, Nathuram Godse’s story has been hidden from public view and tainted unfairly.
As far as I know, Godse didn’t hate Gandhi, but had to kill him due to factors unknown…. I can’t consider him to be a terrorist. To be frank, Gandhi was the one adamant to listen to any useful suggestions to control the Hindu-Muslim riots and always wanted to aid Pakistan at the cost of Indian lives..
I am sorry, but without knowing both sides of the story, I can’t label Nathuram Godse as a sinner. Although, I condemn his killing of Gandhi and making him the country’s greatest martyr.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
You write: Nathuram Godse’s story has been hidden from public view and tainted unfairly.
Damn, all these years I thought Godse was a rabid Hindu fundamentalist criminal.
Whoever knew he had a hidden, softer, kinder side. I bet he was a member of the SPCA too.
Why Nathuram Godse killed Gandhi was never clear as far as I know.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
A good starting point
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathuram_Godse
Please see References & External Links at the bottom of above link.
Well, thanks.
Just read one of the External Links, an interview with Gopal Godse. I find the below comment by Gopal to be non sense.
“Yes. For months he was advising Hindus that they must never be angry with the Muslims. What sort of ahimsa (non-violence) is this? His principle of peace was bogus. In any free country, a person like him would be shot dead officially because he was encouraging the Muslims to kill Hindus.”
What did he expect then? Did he expect Gandhi to encourage Hindus to retaliate and thereby initiate an endless cycle of Hindu-Muslim clashes? Is that what he wanted?
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Given that Humans are flawed beings, I must say Hindus in India are a tolerant lot.
Attacks on minorities in India, while even one incident is still terrible, is not widespread or bad as what people of minority faiths suffer in Pakistan, Middle East etc. I cannot imagine a single Hindu temple in Saudi Arabia!
Of course, in an ideal world there wouldn’t be even a single communal incident. But we don’t live in such an ideal state.
In my not-so-humble opinion, Christians and Muslims exaggerate their persecution/suffering in India.
“Given that Humans are flawed beings, I must say Hindus in India are a tolerant lot.
Attacks on minorities in India, while even one incident is still terrible, is not widespread or bad as what people of minority faiths suffer in Pakistan, Middle East etc”
In India, stranger things happen.
I don’t know about Christians or Muslims but I guess overall, they are much more united than Hindus. Just look at the number of inter-caste feuds in the rural areas of TN. Even recently, some people were killed by a mob of villagers because they unknowingly entered the ‘sensitive’ area of their village where people from other castes are not allowed(at least, that’s what the papers said).
As much as I like to believe that all these jaadhi kalavaram, madha kalavaram are slowly subsiding, that isn’t the reality. I would say Chennai is far far better compared to the other rural areas. Although it isn’t a ‘kalavaram’ nowadays, fights and other incidents do happen.
But I believe Hindu-Muslims clashes are an aberration now.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Clashes (rarely, if ever, violent) within the Christian community are more class-based.
“Godse was against Gandhi’s personal teachings of extreme or absolutist nonviolence. He thought that such non-violent ideology would lead to Hindus losing the will to fight against other religions, which he saw as a matter of self-defense, and thereby becoming permanently enslaved.”
I am afraid the above paragraph clearly identifies the reason why Nathuram Godse had to kill Gandhi……. While I am sure many people are going to criticize me and raise hell for my comment, but I am afraid Gandhiji was more responsible for his own death than Nathuram Godse. Gandhi, in my opinion was a great man, but a very flawed person with such adamant ideologies that never change according to the times. He should have been sidelined after India achieved freedom and not allowed to dictate terms such as providing Aid to Pakistan or indulge in Governmental affairs. Gandhiji’s greatest weapon, Ahimsa, was only good for fighting against Britishers, he was a fool to realize that he could apply the same ideology to every problem.
For example, if Gandhiji were alive today, he would ask Americans to shed their blood and lives to show their commitment to nonviolence and strong will towards terrorism and terrorists. And I am sure that would have lead to mass killings of Americans, weakening of the society and rising of another Godse, in this case an American, to put an end to the suffering.
Pardon me SI, you gotta understand that all great people have tragic flaws. Gandhi’s greatest Tragic Flaw was that he decided to play God and in the process almost destroyed the country…. I know you will disagree with me, but I am afraid that is the goddamn truth and nothing will change it. Gandhi was a hero,albeit a tragic one at that. But Nathuram Godse was no villain. Hell, the man knew he will be villanized in history for ages to come, but he still did something. My only problem was that instead of fighting and debating against Gandhi, he killed him. Well, who can blame him, afterall Gandhi had this habit of emotionally blackmailing any person by fasting to death, a strategy that someone has used very successfully even today.
Folks, please understand that as History teaches you. There are no permanent Heroes or Villains. All of them characters playing a part with a purpose. To explain why Gandhi was killed, I would like to quote Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight, “You either die as a Hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain.” Thankfully, Gandhi died a hero….. I hope you folks put your emotions aside and see it from an objective perspective.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. Many years ago, I read an essay by the political psychologist Ashis Nandy in which I vaguely remember the author writing that Gandhi felt his life would be in vain if he did not die a violent death.
Maybe, dementia has set in and I’m remembering it all wrong.
But if you care, here’s the source: Ashis Nandy, “The Final Encounter: The Politics of the Assassination of Gandhi”, in. At the Edge of Psychology, Oxford University Press, 1980, pp. 70-98.
2. Gandhi’s Ahimsa and non-violence techniques go against the essence of human nature.
It never works in the real world. The British left India not on account of Non-Violence or Gandhi’s struggle but because those scumbags had looted all that they could.
Thanks for the source.
And by the way, The British didn’t leave India due to one single reason, but due to a couple of factors
1) Their resources were strongly depleted during the Second World War and they had very little military or Human personnal to manage their Indian Colonies as most of them had to be involved in the war.
2) By the time the second world war hit Britain, they were already facing huge problems from India thanks due to the mass freedom movement that was gaining huge momentum. On one side, Netaji Subash Chandra Boss was hitting the British with all he could while on the other end, Indian Freedom fighters like Gandhi, Nehru, Tilak, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, etc were unifying the masses.
3) Indians were sick and tired of the British…The British were just barely under control… thanks to the Ahimsa approach. If Gandhi had not chained Indians with his strategy, perhaps it would have lead to several mutinies and resulted in the killing of many british nationals. The British never helped their cause by indulging in massacres like the Jallianwallah Bagh Massacre, which resulted in a huge uproar.
4) Even if Great Britain had won the war, they would have never managed to rule India like before because 1) Their allies would have never allowed them to continue colonization, 2) The Britisher’s continued domination would have resulted in Indians losing faith in Gandhi and they would have resorted to mass violence. No army in the world can contain millions of angry people destined for a riot.
As History has always shown, Empires die out eventually, no matter how strong they are. Britishers should be thankful they went out alive and unharmed. If it took one Bhagat Singh to bring the local Britishers to their knees, I wonder how they could have handled a few hundreds of them.
Oh man… SI, who r u man!!
Seems very knowledgable!!!
Wow!!wow!!
After reading so many of your responses, I am convinced that you are a Telugu guy!
Of course not a ‘Telugu Bidda’ 🙂
Now I know to whom you are referring words like ‘Telugu Bidda’.
I am sure u r not referring to whole Telugu community.
Congrats!!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Thank God, you stopped at two ‘Wows.”
One more and people would have concluded that I’m writing the fan-mail myself!
SI is a not a Telugu.
He is Tamil. leave this at this.
SI, are you a human?
or a Robot?
May be I should try posting a comment at 3A.M to check on ur response time.
Do You respond to comments in bed via the iPhone?
SearchIndia.com Responds:
In bed, I usually rely on the iPad…bigger screen…more convenient.
Outside, I use the iPhone.
At the desk, it’s the iMac.
ok. I got the info from your Jun11 2012 blog.
Been on SI(blog) for 2 hours.
hmmm! yaa true Der Mensch kann was er will, er kann aber nicht wollen was er will
GN now
SearchIndia.com Responds:
http://www.searchindia.com/2012/09/19/quote-of-the-day-schopenhauer/
Guten nacht, liebchen!
SI, what they are trying to convey with these kind of programs,
http://ap7am.com/lv-85342-saanvi-murder-what-happened-on-that-day.html
Please give ur detailed analysis!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Thanks for the link.
Horribly crude affair.
Padi Nimishallo – A Telugu Monsterpiece
Worst possible journalism!
This idiot hands & legs must cut and ask him to live for entire life ….
Torture & hang also small punishments for him.
How he was having a mind for killing such cute baby
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. Let’s wait and see what the Telugu bidda has to say.
I have full confidence that Raghunandan Yandamuri will come up with an interesting, novel theory.
Ee Yandamuri cinema ki inkaa mugimpu raledhandi (The Yandamuri cinema is far from over).
There will be a twist for sure, watch out!
The Preliminary Hearing has already been postponed twice.
2. I’m surprised that most people focus exclusively on the baby.
What about the Grandmother? Doesn’t she deserve to live and doesn’t she deserve the same degree of sympathy?
After all, all lives are equal.
It looks like Age Discrimination to me! 🙁