Letter from Abnashi Ram
DESCRIPTION
Letter dated March 18, 1976 from Abnashi Ram to the Indian Ambassador to Japan regarding many topics including the ambassador's recent travels, the death of Dr. Syud Hossain, and how young people act more entitled to everything without working hard.
ADDITIONAL METADATA
Date: March 18, 1976
Type: Correspondence
Creator: Abnashi Ram
TRANSCRIPTION
Abnashi Ram
March 18, 1976 6534 Leland way
Hollywood, California 90028
Dear Ambassador:
Your kind and interesting letter of the last day of last year pleased me very much. The days and weeks and months have passed by effortlessly and I must humbly apologize for my long silence.
Your trip to Japan where you left behind footprints of love, friendship, and silent diplomatic ties between India and Japan and renewal of old friendships as a private citizen on an unofficial basis was beautifully described. I am happy that your health was so improved that you were able to undertake such a strenuous and extended journey.
After your years of service for India in Japan, I was hoping and wishing that your next assignment as an Ambassador would be Washington, D. C. In my estimation, the climate politically between Washington and Delhi would have been quite different and more favorable. Ambassador T. N. Kaul is doing the best possible under the present circumstances.
AS you know, I was a great admirer of Dr. Syud Hossain. His ability, sincerity, and integrity was unquestionable. His efforts created a firm and friendly relationship between Egypt and India. But the Churchill-Jinnah partition of India broke his heart and he died in Cairo requesting that he be buried there instead of dividing his heart between India and Pakistan.
According to your letter, after Japan, you visited other South Eastern Asian countries. There you saw the remnants of the glory of India which once flourished. How interesting.
Here I am spending my remaining days reminiscing the beautiful days that I have enjoyed, especially in the United States. Here I am seeing a civilization that far exceeds old India, China, Greece, Roman or British Empire. Here, every man is a king and every woman is a queen. Labour and the working man has dignity: children, aged, poor or sick, all protected. For the past two hundred years, old pioneers, men and women, through sweat and blood and their hard work, created a heaven on earth for all citizens. Of course, inequities always exist. Though Utopeans claim all men to be created equal, this is a fallacy. God, himself did not create all equal for we have old and young, sick and healthy, intelligent and stupid, black and white, etc. As good as things are here, there is yet plenty of room for improvement.
Lately the trend of young minds seems to be in reverse. They seem to think they are entitled to everything without effort. T. V, Radio, Newspapers, Magazines, and other communication facilities promote such ideas for their own selfish gain.
Still, I believe there are many honest and strong willed citizens here who are aware of these problems. They are determined to bring back respect for law and order, parents, teachers, for God and Society.
A nation cannot survive long without enjoying liberty within law and order. A society cannot tolerate very long a condition where the criminal tells the judge what punishment he should get, where the student tells the teacher what to teach, where children tell their parents how to behave, where the prisoner tells the jailer what his duties are, and so on.
According to the news I receive from visitors from India, in spite of all the criticism from abroad, the Indra government is trying to create a society of law and order and improve conditions there.
Let me say right here ancient Indian culture mentioned in your letter flourished by Atmic force. Today we have the threat of Atomic force. If we don’t look out, either man-made calamity or God-sent tragedy will bring us to our senses. God forid!
I am looking forward to your visit here. Please let me know and keep in good health. Best regards to you and your family.
Very sincerely yours,
A Ram
March 18, 1976 6534 Leland way
Hollywood, California 90028
Dear Ambassador:
Your kind and interesting letter of the last day of last year pleased me very much. The days and weeks and months have passed by effortlessly and I must humbly apologize for my long silence.
Your trip to Japan where you left behind footprints of love, friendship, and silent diplomatic ties between India and Japan and renewal of old friendships as a private citizen on an unofficial basis was beautifully described. I am happy that your health was so improved that you were able to undertake such a strenuous and extended journey.
After your years of service for India in Japan, I was hoping and wishing that your next assignment as an Ambassador would be Washington, D. C. In my estimation, the climate politically between Washington and Delhi would have been quite different and more favorable. Ambassador T. N. Kaul is doing the best possible under the present circumstances.
AS you know, I was a great admirer of Dr. Syud Hossain. His ability, sincerity, and integrity was unquestionable. His efforts created a firm and friendly relationship between Egypt and India. But the Churchill-Jinnah partition of India broke his heart and he died in Cairo requesting that he be buried there instead of dividing his heart between India and Pakistan.
According to your letter, after Japan, you visited other South Eastern Asian countries. There you saw the remnants of the glory of India which once flourished. How interesting.
Here I am spending my remaining days reminiscing the beautiful days that I have enjoyed, especially in the United States. Here I am seeing a civilization that far exceeds old India, China, Greece, Roman or British Empire. Here, every man is a king and every woman is a queen. Labour and the working man has dignity: children, aged, poor or sick, all protected. For the past two hundred years, old pioneers, men and women, through sweat and blood and their hard work, created a heaven on earth for all citizens. Of course, inequities always exist. Though Utopeans claim all men to be created equal, this is a fallacy. God, himself did not create all equal for we have old and young, sick and healthy, intelligent and stupid, black and white, etc. As good as things are here, there is yet plenty of room for improvement.
Lately the trend of young minds seems to be in reverse. They seem to think they are entitled to everything without effort. T. V, Radio, Newspapers, Magazines, and other communication facilities promote such ideas for their own selfish gain.
Still, I believe there are many honest and strong willed citizens here who are aware of these problems. They are determined to bring back respect for law and order, parents, teachers, for God and Society.
A nation cannot survive long without enjoying liberty within law and order. A society cannot tolerate very long a condition where the criminal tells the judge what punishment he should get, where the student tells the teacher what to teach, where children tell their parents how to behave, where the prisoner tells the jailer what his duties are, and so on.
According to the news I receive from visitors from India, in spite of all the criticism from abroad, the Indra government is trying to create a society of law and order and improve conditions there.
Let me say right here ancient Indian culture mentioned in your letter flourished by Atmic force. Today we have the threat of Atomic force. If we don’t look out, either man-made calamity or God-sent tragedy will bring us to our senses. God forid!
I am looking forward to your visit here. Please let me know and keep in good health. Best regards to you and your family.
Very sincerely yours,
A Ram
PROVENANCE
Collection: Abnashi Ram Materials
Donor: Roshan and Raj Sharma
Item History: 2015-07-29 (created); 2017-02-10 (modified)
* This digital object may not be sold or redistributed, copied or distributed as a photograph, electronic file, or any other media without express written consent from the copyright holder and the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA). The user is responsible for all issues of copyright. If you are the rightful copyright holder of this item and its use online constitutes an infringement of your copyright, please contact us by email at copyright@saada.org to discuss its removal from the archive.