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Re: Is this list serving any purpose?

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mani Varadarajan • June 4, 2002 


Fellow Members,

I am forwarding other notes sent privately in response
to my question.

-------- Original Message --------

Dear Sri Mani Varadarajan:

Thanks very much for asking the reading public
about their feelings about the restructuring
of the Bhakthi List charter and guidelines for
submission of articles .I will venture to offer
some personal observations.

Here are my well meant comments as one , who has been
priveleged to take an active part in posting
articles in the Bhakthi list from June 1995 - March 8 ,2002:

1. Bhakthi List is the spark of many e-groups
dealing today with topics on SrI Vaishnavam. All of us owe you
enormous thanks for keeping this as  a forum to
bring together BhakthAs around the world to get to know
each other , build sath sangams and feel rejuvenated
about their rich heritage. I have seen enormous transformations
in the individual lives of Members as they expanded
their awareness of our rich Darsanam and sampradhAyam.
It has been a pretty tolerant group and has been
managed to stay that way. Bhakthi List has an important
role to play.The question is : What can one do to
provide a personality to it along the lines that you
intutively came up with under tremendous time pressure of
some sort .

BHAKTHI LIST NEEDS TO THRIVE AND SERVE THE COMMUNITY
OF SRI VAISHNAVA KUDUMBAM .THE REDEFINITIION OF ITS
SCOPE AND GOALS IS A WORTHWHILE THING TO DO WITH
THE KIND OF READER INPUTS THAT YOU HAVE INIITATED.

Comments:
*********
1. The rules imposed from the top --without consultation of
a few resource people-- were hastily concieved , even if it
was meant to create some order from the chaos of the list
being every thing to every body. At this time , it is my
humble opinion , Bhakthi list is too restrictive .
The minute and probably untenable classifications
(sv-poetry , ritual , general) of today is artificial .

2. I can appreciate your reverence for AchArya RaamAnujA
and the logic for separation of the contributions along
Pre-RaamAnujA time frame and Post-RaamAnujA time frame.
It is not such an easy boundary to hold .

3. You should define strict rules on fund raising appeals
and sthala purAnams etc that you have indicated. I support
it. There are other places for them.

4. You have to reexamine the policy on Multiple
postings across many lists. I am seriously considering
limiting myself to release in fewer groups and only if
the moderator asks me to .

4.Regarding topics , When you focus solely on SrI BhAshyam
and other complex Sri Sookthis, you will find that you have
reached heights of understanding that are too rarefied .
Very few people can comprehend such topics without
rigorous training. You may or may not agree with me
on this point. Hence , introductory postings are needed
as generated by Post-RaamAnujA AchAryas for our benefit.

4. There is a general feeling , correct or not that
you are personally are not in favor of the works of specific
AchAryA(s) . That has turned off a few people . They felt
unwelcome and tok off to form other groups. Jury is still
out on the judgement about the relevance and usefulness
of these groups .They will have to change too based on
the  audience needs .

5. There are some groups that want to establish a record
on the largest membership drive . Bhakthi group did not
need to do it, since it happened as a result of reader
interest. This is the proof positve of the value-add
of Bhakthi List before the changes.

In conclusion , I would like to see a restructured Bhakthi group
with fewer restrictions and a refined version of its goals
and missions based on audience input. This has just started
and will prove valuable.





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