Weekend reading Riot and wondering

Absolutely devoured and finished off Shashi Tharoor's Riot this weekend.Sometime since i read a book at one go.Its a fine enough book now....I always think i should write a decent review of books but then i always am so centered on my thoughts and so again here too the same story.The book as i read it made me wonder a bit ...made me feel been there seen that a bit and so on....
Well this passage is to be read..............hard core relegious ppl pls excuse.
and guess what ..... i liked it and thought i shud post it and felt lazy typing it.So just to try my luck googled and i got my passage.Ah small mercies.....

This is written by the American girl working in a small district in UP for population control.

"Learned something interesting about the Hindu god Ram, the one all fuss about these days. Seems that when he brought his wife Sita back from Lanka and became king, the gossips in the kingdom were whispering that after so many months in Ravana's captivity, she could not possibly be chaste anymore. So to stop the tongues wagging, he subjected her to an agni-pariksha, a public ordeal by fire, to prove her innocent. She walked through the flames unscathed. A certified pure woman.
That stopped the gossips for a while, but before long the old rumours surfaced again. It was beginning to affect Ram's credibility as king. So he spoke to her about it. What could she do? She willed the earth to open up, literally, and swallowed her. That was the end of the gossip. Ram lost the woman he had warred win back, but he ruled on as a wise and beloved king.
What the hell does this say about India? Appearances are more important than truths. Gossip is more potent than facts. Loyalty is all one way, from the woman to the man. And when society stacks up all the odds against a woman, she'd better not count on the man's support. She has no way out than to end her own life.
And I'm in love with an Indian. I must be crazy."

I have nothing against the relegion of Ram though.....Hinduism i think its the best .....that is if relegion is a necessity.
After all where else can you call on a Ram when you want to defend yourself in name of social justice and chastity and a Shyam when you want just...what they say divine love.You can argue for any thing and find examples for everything....such vast is our mythology.

Now i read this book on the weekend and thought it truly represents the hypocrisy in our society and then let it be. Then today i read about that Indian engineer killed in Afghan and his second wife.Well i know its not nice speaking of dead and who am i to judge....i dont judge anyone but it surely shows how much our society values appearances.
One report was he told the second wife " you both are like my two eyes"...a very common line used by parents to to refer to their children.It made me LOL and reminded me of a childhood incident.
My sister shattered my grandma and this myth once and for all in my home........when once she repeatedly teased and grandma said you both are like my two eyes.....she answered back promptly
"But then one eye could be bright...................one eye might have a better vision".

Surely all this wouldve been known to first family but survival is the moot point hence people live through.....but when it becomes a public matter its a disgrace.Suffering and disgrace in private is honorable.....funny is our society or rather us.
Actually people have started using this Funda 'I am an Indian ' for all their stupid habits.You speak rotten english...." iam an indian man not firangi"
You spit around, smoke on face " This is india".
The next extract really is a very serious one but i laughed cynically a lot on this.
Ok let me give the context..

"a married indian bureaucrat having an affair with a visiting American student in a small district in UP.They are arguing the future of their relationship"

Priscilla:Its not that difficult Lucky .You are more western than you think...You'll adjust easily.

Lakshman: "Its not that adjustment i am talking about......In my culture no man with any self respect gives his mangalsutra, his ring his name to a woman who's been with other men.I never thought in my life i would be in a position where another man would think ,' Ive slept with his wife......"

Priscilla: You are sick.
Lakshman: I'm indian..................(I really laughed and laughed..............what an answer)

Most of the stuff in the book is pretty real India...and so one'd feel what's so special stuff.
The books well written i mean simple not too hi fi.......I wanted to read " The Great Indian Novel " and ended up with this....as ever you never find what you want when you want.It was a fine way to spend a weekend drained as i was of that office work.