Israel protests Hitler praise in Indian schoolbooks

Expatica ^ | 11/11/05 | Expatica

[wagglebee]

NEW DELHI - Israel is planning to protest a western Indian state's move to include references in school books that glorify Adolf Hitler, a news report said Friday.

The Israeli Embassy is planning to communicate its displeasure to Gujarat state, appalled that the school textbooks "sing praises" of Hitler, the Indian Express reported.

The state is ruled by the Hindu rightist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Israel's Consul general in Bombay, Daniel Zonshine said the representation of Hitler in Gujarat's textbooks was "misleading".

"Personally, I feel offended, and publicly, the representation has caused anger and unhappiness at the twisting of facts," Zonshine was quoted by the paper as saying.

Zonshine said the protest could include writing to the state government. "We are exploring options, coordinating and exchanging views on this."

He added Israel plans to get the support of Germany. "It could also be a joint effort with the German embassy," he said.

The controversy concerns a Class X text book of the Gujarat Education Board that is silent on the Holocaust and glorifies Hitler. In a section on "Internal achievements of Nazism", the school book states; "Hitler adopted a new economic policy and brought prosperity to Germany. He made untiring efforts to make Germany self reliant within one decade".

The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) has also demanded the textbooks be withdrawn, stating the books are full of prejudices and hatred towards religious minorities.

[indcons]

The Congress Party was infested with communist sympathizers; it is indeed a pity that the Congress ruled India for almost 50 years after 1947.

[MarkL]

Prosperity?

Sure! He tried to unite all of Europe and Asia under a single banner. Of course, that banner was the Swastika, and directly responsible for many tens of millions of civilain deaths. And in doing so, Nazi Germany was rather prosperous, what with plundering all of the countries of Western Europe.

Then the mean old Allies had to go and ruin all of Hitler's fun!

Mark

[CarrotAndStick]

He would probably have attacked the jews who have lived safely in India for centuaries. No pogroms, victimization or danger. He would have probably destroyed one of the oldest synagogues in the world in Kochi in the state of Kerala. It is still standing today, even though a lot of the people who worshiped there have safely migrated to Israel.

And subsequently lost the Hindu support which got him voted in the first place. You must remember, in India, the text-books on history of the 1940-1950 period lay far greater emphasis on India's independence movement than on world history. Most Indians have no clue what the Holocaust was, or what it did to the Jews. But all the same, the Jewish community in India has successfully sought refuge in Hindu India, over 500 years ago. Most Jews in India have left for Israel. And almost all of them still maintain their ties to India, visiting India frequently, to see old friends, and family who refused to leave India when Israel was created.

[indcons]

India's most famous Indian English poet, Nissim Ezekiel, was also a jew. In fact, Jews have been living in the south and west coasts of India for hundreds of years without a single incident. Wish the rest of the world were as tolerant, don't you think so?

[CarrotAndStick]

I just did that, before you asked me ;^)

[CarrotAndStick]

Jews in India

COCHINI JEWS
The second Jewish community of India is called ‘Cochini Jews’. They are called Cochini Jews because they lived in the city of Cochin in south India. But actually the first settlement of the Cochini Jews wasn’t in Cochin but a little north from Cochin in the town of Kudungallur (formly Cranganore).

Like the Bene Israels, the arrival time of the first Cochini Jews isn’t clear. But one fact is sure about the Cochini Jews, that they weren’t a single emigration. At different times Jews arrived and settled in south India at Kudungallur. According to one version the first forefathers of the Cochini Jews arrived in India during the King Solomon’s period.

King Solomon had commercial business with a kingdom probably existing in the present state of Kerala in south India. Other version claims that the Cochini Jews are from the Lost Tribes. Another version claims that the Cochini Jews arrived in India after they were exiled from Land of Israel by Nebuchadnezzar. Later on in the history Jews from Spain, arrived in Cochin. The Spanish Jews lived separately from the veteran Jews and considered them as Indian proselytes to Judaism.

The Keralans take pride in the fact that the kingdoms of Kerala were world famous and merchants from around the world frequently visited Kerala, since the times of King Solomon and later on Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Chinese and others. Among the merchants, also arrived in Kerala many Jewish merchants and some of them settled in Kerala. The main center of the Jewish community in Kerala was at Kudungallur (referred to in English as Cranganore).

The existence of the Jewish community in south India was known to other Jewish communities outside India and some other Jewish merchants also arrived in India. The Jewish merchants were influential community in their state and outside their state and were main reason for the prosperity in their kingdom. As a gratitude for their contribution to the kingdom, the ruler Sri Parkaran Iravi Vanmar gave to the head of the Jewish community Joseph Rabban the village of Anjuvannam and pronounced him the Prince of this village.

These Jewish rulers had all the rights preserved to the ruling families of the Indian kingdoms. But till today there isn’t an agreement among the scholars on the exact date when this ‘Jewish kingdom’ was established. Different scholars give different dates to the establishment of this principality. Some claim it to be in the 4 century A. D. Others claim it to be at a much later period around10 century A. D. According to the Cochini Jews the ‘princely rights’ (written on copper plates and therefore called Copper Plates) were given to them in 379 A. D.

Another fact not clear is : Which Cochini Jews received the ‘Copper Plates’? The Cochini Jews are divided in three groups. The biggest group is called ‘Meyuhassim’ (meaning ‘privileged’ in Hebrew) or Malabari Jews (Malabar is the name of the coast on which Kerala is situated). These Jews forefathers are considered to have arrived in India as merchants during the period of King Solomon. The second group is called ‘Pardesi’ (meaning ‘foreigner’ in some Indian languages).

The Pardesi Jews are Jews who came to Kerala at different periods from different countries namely Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Spain and Germany. These two groups were merchants and had slaves who were converted to Judaism and later on released from their status as slaves and are called ‘Meshuhararim’ (meaning ‘released’ in Hebrew). These groups were sometimes referred to by colors. The ‘Privileged’ Jews were called ‘black’ Jews, the ‘Pardesi’ were called ‘white’ Jews.

The ‘Pardesi’ Jews looked at the ‘Privileged’ Jews as impure Jews and as Jewish proselyte. Both these communities claim that the ‘prince’ was from their community. The Jewish principality survived till the 16th century A. D. In 1524 the Jews were attacked by Moorish Arabs because of the monopoly Jewish merchants had in some commodities. The Jews who were a principality with no real army deserted their principality and asked for shelter from the king of Cochin. The king received them in his kingdom and so was established the Jewish community of Cochin. The area where they lived and did business is even today called ‘Jew Town’.

The Cochini Jews knew all of the Jewish traditions and preserved all Jewish traditions. They were particularly strict of Passover and didn’t even allow the non-Jews to touch the cooking utensils during this period. As stated before the Cochini Jews were very influential in their society. Numerically the Cochini Jews at their height were 3000 and that was in the 1940s. Of that the Pardesi were only 200. Today there are about 70 Jews in Cochin.

[Moorings]

Quick on the trigger, aren't ya?!!

[CarrotAndStick]

The Jews could not have survived under Portuguese rule in Cochin(1502-1663) had it not been for the Hindu king Parumal. In 1565 he gave them a strip of land next to his palace and in 1568 permitted them to build a synagogue not 30 yards from his temple. He appointed a hereditary mudaliar (chief) from among the Jews and invested the position with special privileges and jurisdiction in all internal matters in the Jewish community. This office continued in force under subsequent Rajas and even under Dutch and British rule. The Hallegua family, which still holds the title, continues to be influential in Cochin.

[indcons]

Yeah, I am aware of the rich history of judaism in India - in fact, I have visited the Jewish Quarter in Kochi. However, with increasing immigration to Israel, the numbers of Kochi jewish community are unfortunately decreasing.

[indcons]

Though you might be interested in this inscription from South India's oldest synagogue.

[muawiyah]

As early as the First Century (AD or CE) there were Jewish missionaries at work in India.

[CarrotAndStick]

As early as the First Century (AD or CE) there were Jewish missionaries at work in India.

Actually, it is still disputed the Jews were converts from India. The earlier article I posted points to the controversy.

[SJackson]

Obviously Jews in India and the pacific rim were tiny minority, even by minority standards in the West, but they've been there for centuries and I'm not aware of any overt problems.

[Prime Choice]

Ping to ya. *snap* *snap*

[GSlob]

Eyewitness accounts [like Anne Lindbergh-Morrow, for example] from 1935-36 period [Berlin Olympics' time - way before the WWII] do not support your statement about "self-reliance" part.

[Wiz]

ping

[Sam Gamgee]

It is true that Hitler succeeded in convincing the German people to sell their freedoms for bread. On the surface it did appear that he achieved an economic miracle - even many Americans thought so. However it was based on mass subsidization of German business. So what seemed a success in the short run would have likely been completely unsustainable.

Your point is great however. Part of the answer was his "living space" strategy.

[Valin]

Exactly my thought.

[Valin]

A Band Of Brothers

---

David Webster: [at a passing column of German prisoners] Hey, you! That's right, you stupid Kraut bastards. That's right. Say hello to Ford, and General f*ckin' Motors. You stupid fascist pigs. Look at you. You have horses. What were you thinking? Dragging our asses half way around the world, interrupting our lives. For what, you ignorant, servile scum. What the f*ck are we doing here?

[Cronos]

India goes down in record as the only place where the Jewish Diaspora were treated well and not persecuted -- there are Jews known to have lived in Southern India right from after the temple was destroyed.

What the idiotic govt. of Gujarat did was stupid and shouldn't have been done and should be removed pronto with apologies. However, that's not a sufficient reason to blame the entire country.