Huh! When did this happen?

Re: Fighting for Faith and Nation by Cynthia Keppley Mahmood

I have had this page up for a few hours now and going over the words over and over again trying to remember of any possibility that I wrote this! So, the Gingko Biloba supplements I have been taking for the past couple of years have failed me.

Now this is a book that I truly admire and like the way Mahmood has executed her research. It is a very hands on book. Inspite of being in Punjab, India during the 1984 riots and later witnessing the haphazardness of Fremont Sikh Temple's environment in the early 90's, I did not want to write a review of this book which would influence the reader to form any opinions but rather want to read what Keppley had discovered!

So, the error is that whoever picked up this review from amazon.com did not note that it is written by "A Customer".

Here is what I was credited with:

Fighting for Faith and Nation (Series in Contemporary Ethnography)

Average Rating:
Release Date:
Author:Cynthia Keppley Mahmood
Manufacturer: University of Pennsylvania Press
Title: Fighting for Faith and Nation (Series in Contemporary Ethnography)
Price: Check Pricing & Availability

Description: No Description
Reviews:
A review by Jasleen (Last Name)
Support for a separate sikh nation is no longer there among sikhs in India. Infact, even during the height of terrorism a very small percentage of sikhs supported the cause. Currently the only sikhs who support this cause are sikhs outside of India who are far removed from realities in India. This book fails to capture that. It also fails to capture the Pakistani hand behind all this which Benazir Bhutto admitted to in one of the interviews. Infact, lots of millitants were Pakistanis posing as Punjabi Sikhs. Also, it needs to be updated now that the struggle is no longer their in Punjab.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

This is what I wrote:

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1984-India, June 2, 2001

By	Jasleen - See all my reviews

When Cynthia Keppley Mahmood narrated some of her experiences with the Sikh Militant during the fieldwork to one of her students, he remarked, "These people are magnificent." After reading the book, many readers may feel the same way while others may disagree depending on which side of the fence they stand - victim of terrorism or victim of injustice that leads to terrorism.

Although Mahmood makes it very clear in no uncertain terms about her disagreement in regards to the route the Sikh militants have taken up to seek justice, she still manages to bring together a very unbiased and objective account. This book sheds light on the history and politics behind what led to the disaster of 1984 in India. And then the aftermath is recounted by the eye witnesses and victims now settled in the US.

Inder Malhotra, one of the most distinguished journalists of that time, compared Sant J.S. Bhindrawale to Khoemini and Frankenstien but this first hand accounts of people who grew up with, lived with, and fought with Bhindrewale show a different picture. After reading this book, it is up to the reader to decide which account to believe.

Finally, a version that tells the story on behalf of the militants, their justifications, and their ideology. The first hand accounts of people who were directly involved and affected during the Blue Star operation are extremely moving and shows the image in different light than what one has seen before. The bravery of Sikh men, women and even children is amazing. The illustrations, some provided by the international documentation of human rights violation in India, are tremendously moving.

This is a read that will take a while due to its poignant nature, but worth the time to understand the depth and dimensions of this problem