lalita ramdas | SabrangIndia

Lalita Ramdas hails Himanshi Narwal’s stoic courage in open letter

sabrang — Fri, 02 May 2025 05:39:13 +0000

It brought tears to her eyes and certainly made her heart swell with pride and joy, to hear a tragically widowed young woman, speak out with such lack of rancour and plead that there be no hatred, no targeting of Muslims and Kashmiris.

What an example..
Hope the sarkar will issue a strong message now to stop the shameful acts of hate, vengeance and petty retribution.

Himanshi

My name is Lalita Ramdas

I am a Navy daughter and a Navy Wife
My father and my Husband were both Chiefs of the Naval Staff….the first and the thirteenth,!

This is a personal tribute from possibly one of the oldest Navy daughters/wives alive today ….to the newest and youngest among the special fraternity of Naval Wives.

I am so proud of you as I watch the clip of your words to the press, over and over again. Your extraordinary strength, composure and conviction when you speak out against hate and targeting of Muslims and Kashmiris after the horrific killing of so many innocent men in Pahalgam on the 22nd is truly remarkable! And so badly needed in our times
“We only want peace”, you said, and of course rightly, “we want justice too”.

You are the perfect Fauji wife Himanshi, true to the spirit of the service, the constitution and to our secular values.

You are clearly a woman who knows her mind, and there could not have been a more courageous partner of a Navy man like Vinay.

You have echoed the thoughts and feelings of every thinking citizen of this country..
And we should all take your message of love and compassion far and wide.

Thank you Himanshi

I wrote you a letter just two days ago, which I sent c/o the CNS sectt.
Hope you get it.

And since they kindly sent me your address I will be mailing you my letter directly to Karnal..

Lalita
Himanshi Zindabad!
Nari Shakthi Zindabad
Bhartiya Nao Sena Zindabad
Jai Hind – Jai Jagat
.

https://www.threads.com/@zoo_bear_/post/DJG0cA3yCek?xmt=AQGzDVH4yZrWa-Puwqf17C-H8LizxrI69Pl59fY7WIel_g

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/16P9achuRj/

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International Women’s Day: Reflections from my Gaon

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 05:41:47 +0000

Image Courtesy: Youtube.com

In the words of our dearest Nirmala Didi Deshpande – one of our many intrepid peace activists:

‘Goli Nahin – Boli Chahiye – Naphrath Nahin – Pyaar Chahiye” …

A former Foreign Secretary, Nirupama Rao sent round this song yesterday – a famous anti-war song called “Where have all the Flowers Gone” – by the Kingston Trio.

She went on to add that this powerful anti-war song, rewritten by the legendary Pete Seeger in response to the many wars, was originally a Ukrainian folk song inspired by the Russian novel “The Quiet River of the Don” – what tragic irony.

Today I feel bruised, battered and buffeted from all sides with every possible opinion and position about Ukraine – Russia – NATO – the USA… Who is guilty, who is to blame? Who to support, whom to attack? Anguish and despair all round… How far back in our tortuous histories and geographies do we travel?

Women’s Day used to be so special – a day of joy and celebration of our sisterhood and feminine bonding. Today I just feel a dull despair and an ache that won’t go away and want to.

So, as I listen to the piercing words of the song – “Where have all the young men gone – Gone to graveyards everyone”, I just want to share some feelings and some thoughts – inchoate as they are…

As women – mothers, grandmothers, daughters, grand-daughters, nieces, aunts, mothers in law, sisters, sisters in law, wives, daughters in law, friends and lovers, we only know one truth – it is women and children who pay the price in every war – in every conflict. And it is especially those at the bottom of the economic and social heap who have everything to lose.

It is an equally uncontested truth that the winners are almost always those with money and muscle power, backed and instigated above all by the might of the Global Military Industrial Complex – the macho militaristic men who are calling the shots and have trapped us all – the world, our press and our media, otherwise decent men and women, into taking sides in a criminally wasteful and catastrophic enterprise.

We sisters in South Asia will never forget Kamla Bhasin, our peace activist who would always quote Jimi Hendrix in hope of that day when the “Power of Love would vanquish the Love of Power”.

I am also sharing what my friend Nina Rao wrote on her FB page:

“My Belief: Ban all War Pacts – Start Talks on Reduction of arms,

Stop Export of Arms – Have a Citizens Peace Keeping Force that Brings Ceasefire And the Belligerent to the Table

Dialogue is Preferable and possible – UN Must stop Veto, and Sanctions

Have a Global Peace Committee”

So, on this Women’s Day 2022 – we have just one agenda –

#Say NO to war

#Say YES to Peace

#Hold Fire –

#Sit around the table

#Work for the Cease fire

There is only way to win the Peace – Peace has to be the Way

Any one listening?

*The author is a peace activist. Views expressed are the author’s own.

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#IamChristian #IamMuslim #IamHindu #IamSikh #IamParsi…

Thu, 21 Dec 2017 08:54:07 +0000

#IamChristian#IamMuslim#IamHindu#IamSikh#IamParsi, Jain, Buddhist,Jewish…

And in the wise words of Rehman Bhai, our fruit man in Alibag: #HumSabInsaanHain

For the last three days our home in Alibag has been full……Of family, and friends.

Eldest daughter Kavita, from the USA, with her daughter, our very special Indo Paki …Hindu .. Muslim…Agnostic … Atheist… Grandaughter….

With them came Andrew Frisbee..Miru’s significant other… White…From a christian family

And we were delighted to have newly weds Sahiba Sawhney and Himanshu Vaswani ..

Sikh ..Hindu..Panjabi .. Sindhi…

And we walked, we talked, we joked, we reminisced , we discussed the state of the world…Thanks to the Trumps, the Modis, the Erdogans, the Dutertes, and too many others, bent on destroying the fabric of human relationships, the Iove that binds, bent on creating hate filled fanatics ….

And we cooked and we ate…..Deshi, Firangi, all kinds of food – and we imbibed too – spiritual refreshments of many kinds!!

And above all we shared our mutual passion for music ..And song…and rhythm

Everything from Christmas Carols, to bhajans and every conceivable form of music…..You are so right Jawed Naqvi.

Music helps cut across all religious dogmas, bigotry and intolerance – and keeps spirituality alive

(And our Hindutva goons are trying to stop those harmless joyful carol singers as well)

From the time I was a little girl…our family has celebrated and enjoyed every possible religious and cultural festival. And that has continued into our life and many homes….and people would often try to find out who and what we really were – whether we were Hindu, Muslim, Sikh , ya Isai

No wonder then it was never a problem when our children and nieces and nephews, and now grand children – brought in muslims, christians, atheists, blacks, whites, British, American, Sri Lankan and Pakistanis into the family fold….

And as Xmas season rolls around…My own years in convent school bring to the fore, a deep resonance with silent night, holy night, and come all ye faithful … Son in law Carl – a southern Baptist from Virginia, and Mallika – our youngest – are in Florida for Xmas – , And the Pakistani part of this crazy adorable clan are gathering for a family wedding in Karachi …..Kavita and Mira have just flown to Karachi – but via Oman – taking a long and arduous journey because our brilliant leaders have ensured there are no direct flights to connect us any longer. Where my African American son in law Carl had no problem in being issued an OCI card [Overseas Citizen of India!] poor Zulfiqar – who genuinely should qualify by virtue of being born in Quetta, is finding it difficult to get a visa to visit his in laws !

As we gather together and celebrate Xmas, Deepavali, Id, Guru Purab, Bonalu and Brathakamma – the Telugu – the Tamil – the tribal Goddesses and Dalit festivals, and …I think with a sadness that is impossible to describe..the opportunity that we have deliberately destroyed, and lost, in this country, in this region – this sub continent …We who could have walked down the path of a Tagore , where the mind is without fear and a land of freedom – have now to follow a Savarkar.

Imagine if we could have had the wisdom and generosity to celebrate this extraordinarily diverse heritage that is the glory of India…The exquisite richness – the bewildering and glorious diversity of ethnicities, of customs and rituals, the cacophany of languages and many tongues, the undoubted world champions of cuisine and food , of music and art, and craft and natural and architectural masterpieces…

Instead look what we are doing to each other..Thanks to a narrow, bigoted and hate spewing regime, mindless puppets singing hosannas, and a Parivar which does not understand the meaning of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakkam .

So Merry Xmas to all – heres to a great 2018 – may we fight the forces of hate and divisiveness with all our united power and energy …..spread love and togetherness and work for a world without barriers and boundaries and no visas and no immigration authorities!

And to FB, warts and all, I still say – you have served to give so many hours of happiness – with old and known and so many new and wonderful friends….so stick to inclusion and no exclusion! Am off to hang up my Star of David light outside….

The post #IamChristian #IamMuslim #IamHindu #IamSikh #IamParsi… appeared first on SabrangIndia.

lalita ramdas | SabrangIndia

Lalita Ramdas hails Himanshi Narwal’s stoic courage in open letter

International Women’s Day: Reflections from my Gaon

#IamChristian #IamMuslim #IamHindu #IamSikh #IamParsi…

#IamChristian#IamMuslim#IamHindu#IamSikh#IamParsi, Jain, Buddhist,Jewish… And in the wise words of Rehman Bhai, our fruit man in Alibag: #HumSabInsaanHain

#IamChristian#IamMuslim#IamHindu#IamSikh#IamParsi, Jain, Buddhist,Jewish…

And in the wise words of Rehman Bhai, our fruit man in Alibag: #HumSabInsaanHain