Svastika: letter to Microsoft

[Guest guest]

I have sent the following letter to Microsoft.

If anyone needs to take a look at the font file with the symbol,

please send me an email.

 

Kalyanaraman

 

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2003/dec03/12-

12FontLetter.asp

An Open Letter from Senior Vice President Steven Sinofsky

 

Microsoft Releases a Utility to Remove Inappropriate Symbols from

the Microsoft Office System

 

Dec. 12, 2003

 

Microsoft has learned of a mistake in the Bookshelf Symbol 7 font

included in the Microsoft Office System client applications. Due to

an unintentional oversight, we failed to identify, prior to the

release, the presence of two swastikas within the font. We apologize

for this and for any offense caused. Microsoft is taking immediate

measures to remedy the issue for all customers.

 

I am disturbed by this announcement.

 

Svastiks is a sacred symbol (of both right-handed and left-handed

forms) for over a billion people of Hindu Dharma, Jaina Dharma and

Buddha Dhamma.

 

We request you to restore the symbols in the fonts.

 

It may be offensive to those opposed to Nazi phenomenon in Europe,

but Hindu Dharma, Jaina Dharma and Buddha Dhamma should reclaim

svastika from the nazi appropriation of this glyph.

 

Svastika occurs on over 50 epigraphs of Sarasvati Civilization. I

have interpreted this glyph as zinc, jasta, satva, satta (Kannada.

Hindi); rebus: satthiya 'svastika glyph' (Prakrit).

 

In the dictionary of Sarasvati hieroglyphs, this svastika hieroglyph

has to be shown and it will be nice to have the glyph included in

Microsoft font files. See the pictures of the Sarasvati epigraphs in

the encyclopaedic set of 7 books on sarasvati

http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/exchange-

glance/Y01Y2082414Y0848505/002-5207429-3881666

 

Microsoft should not allow a few fanatics to dictate terms to us on

our sacred glyphs and icons.

 

Dr. S. Kalyanaraman