One of my NRI friend showed me a printout of an article in a magazine by Mushirul Hasan, a former Jamia Milia Islamia Vice Chancellor and currently J N Fellow. I hope I got the data and name correctly. Professpr Hasan has been a respected educationist as far as I know of. I am not so erudite surely but a middle class educated Bengali who is quite liberal in outlook and education. At least that is how I rate myself, a post-graduate in Mathematics and a retired computer and information scientist who is not a staunch follower of any ism. However, Prof Hasan has dropped himself quite a few notches in my eyes because in the article he singled out Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Nirad C Chowdhury and attacked them. Being a Delhi born and educated in the second half of the 20th Century I do not iconize none of the two persons really. As far as I know none has criticised Bengalees as much as Nirad C Chowdhury. Probably being a Jawaharlal Nehru Fellow Prof Hasan has attacked Nirad C Chowdhury, who because of Nehru left India and re-established himself in England. I think Prof Hasan does not stand much before N C Chowdhury. I would request Prof Hasan to read the Old Testament to temper himself wherein I have found before Jesus Christ appeared on the scene how many prophets criticised their forefathers for the wrongs their forefathers did in their times. Many segments of muslim society (not all I am quite certain) clearly needs reformation in the modern world and who they can depend upon if not people like Prof Mushirul Hasan, an educationist of repute? Bankim Chattopadhyay clearly saw happenings in Bengal and wrote social and historical novels. He was not a historian. I thank Prof Hasan because he has now inspired me to read Bankim Chandra seriously again very soon. I will advise people like Prof Hasan not  to take any gaul as BJP has come to rule for say a decade in India. A few elections hence they will surely go out of power. If muslims could rule for six to seven centuries, and British for two centuries and Nehruvian secularism for six decades, why be upset if some Hindubaadis rule for a decade? In History everybody should get a chance to prove themselves. Bengalees have finished themselves. Their best time was during the British rule. Hindubaadis too will finish themselves in time. Corporate oligarchy will soon take over India. I would therefor advise Prof Hasan to rather redraft his thesis of baiting Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Nirad C Chowdhury to retain his respectibility.