I thought it couldn't get more bizarre when news channels repeatedly played sound bites of people loudly demanding a police/army rule or saying that states be taken over by corporate houses or when heavily botoxed chat show hosts were suggesting that we not pay our taxes or cast our votes but I was mistaken, things were to get weirder. In the ultra nationalistic fervour that has taken over the country post 26/11/08 non-conformist voices have become more unacceptable than ever. And very strangely and sadly the Indian mainstream media has taken up the role of a very non-liberal watchdog. It has been very fashionable to target and ridicule Arundhati Roy for a while now but this kind of intolerant behaviour has been taken too far this time, human rights activists and other civil society members are openly named, cornered and abused by news presenters (I will not call them journalists, that is being too generous). You just need to watch any prime time news show to figure out what I am talking about, you will see half a dozen news anchors trying to do a Tim Sebastian of the ' BBC's Hardtalk' fame (none come close though, you need to be more than loud and rude to do that). One name I do need to mention here though is that of Arnab Goswami, he is mentally unravelling in front of the cameras, he is getting louder, more reduntant than ever and seriously rude.
Anyone not toeing the flag-waving line is being ganged up on. The famously corrupt Indian police force has suddenly become sacred and anyone questioning their motives or behaviour on anything that happened in the past or is currently happening are being branded traitors. I find this kind of jingoism really scary. The human right and development activists in this country have been waging a battle for reforms on all levels for years, much before the placard bearing- NDTV (n it's spin-offs) watching middle class temporarily woke up. If independent thought, alternate opinions and free voices are unwelcome then we might as well resign ourselves to living in a dumbed down society where the only acceptable line of thought are those expressed by the establishment (the opposition is part of that system) and by Bollywood stars. I am posting the link to a very interesting article written by Arundhati Roy, it is not important one agrees (I do) with what she has written. They are arguments that need to be heard simply because they open a very important alternate line of thought.
The link-
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arundhati-roy/9-is-not-11_b_150637.html
Thursday, 18 December 2008
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
‘This is your farewell kiss, you dog!’
Fortunately or unfortunately for Muntazer al-Zaidi he missed his mark when he threw his size ten shoes on Dubyaman. My first reaction on seeing the scene on news was an instant smile, that broke out spontaneously.It was only a few moments later that the symbolism of an Iraqi Shia muslim throwing his shoe at Bush and saying, 'This is your farewell kiss, you dog' sunk in. I believe Zaidi's disgust and anger got triggered when he heard Bush continue his litany of lies by claiming that the war on Iraq was necessary and when he went to say that American occupation must continue. Zaidi has personally been caught in this spiral of violence that Iraq has been stuck in, he has been a victim of violence at the hands of Al Quaida, American forces and Iraqi police.
I am sure 'polite society' and 'political leaders'(fearing a similar fate) all across the world would say it was not an 'elegant' thing to do but where are these people while Bush and his continous lies are systematically destroying a country and its people (or is that a done thing?). Everyone talks about the number of American soldier who died in Iraq, I feel terrible about them but what about all the innocent civilians dying everyday in Iraq, who is counting them?
Why did Bush go on this 'farewell' tour, to gloat over his 'achievements'? I am just glad somebody gave him the farewell he deserved, there is no bigger insult in the East than to hit someone with your shoe or call someone a dog. My only grouse is that a symbolic shoe throwing however brave and well timed just does not suffice, Bush should be tried for war crimes not just by the USA but by the world.
I only hope Muntazer al-Zaidi gets released from the prison soon and does not become a victim of his one symbolic act of protest. There have been reports that he was severely beaten up after the incident.
I couldn't find a clear video of the the shoe throwing but found a pretty decent report on it by BBC, so here is the link-
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=UzInWK2ldgE
I am sure 'polite society' and 'political leaders'(fearing a similar fate) all across the world would say it was not an 'elegant' thing to do but where are these people while Bush and his continous lies are systematically destroying a country and its people (or is that a done thing?). Everyone talks about the number of American soldier who died in Iraq, I feel terrible about them but what about all the innocent civilians dying everyday in Iraq, who is counting them?
Why did Bush go on this 'farewell' tour, to gloat over his 'achievements'? I am just glad somebody gave him the farewell he deserved, there is no bigger insult in the East than to hit someone with your shoe or call someone a dog. My only grouse is that a symbolic shoe throwing however brave and well timed just does not suffice, Bush should be tried for war crimes not just by the USA but by the world.
I only hope Muntazer al-Zaidi gets released from the prison soon and does not become a victim of his one symbolic act of protest. There have been reports that he was severely beaten up after the incident.
I couldn't find a clear video of the the shoe throwing but found a pretty decent report on it by BBC, so here is the link-
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=UzInWK2ldgE
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
War On Terror? Please, not again!
I have a lot of things to write about, like the hysterical 'five star' panelists on different news channels (making most of the moment). NDTV even made Shobha De's cliched phrase, 'Enough Is Enough', their campaign punchline. Ms.De definitely did not feel enough is enough when Raj Thackerey and MNS were terrorising ordinary Mumbaikars (she even went on to justify his reasons in a feature in the TOI). And she the writer of trite and terrible books was busy criticizing the oratory skills of Dr.Manmohan Singh when the rest of the country was wondering how many more will die. There is more on this topic but it will have to wait.
Another upcoming post is on the 'cooperation' Pakistan is offering in the form silly games and placebos and of course America's benignly patronising attitude towards them.
The other topic that will come later is the one that was mentioned by a friend in his comments, the option of India bombing the terror camps in Pakistan. I have plenty to say on the futility of precision aerial bombing (it is never precise and will surely lead to war) but it will also have to wait.
I have to first write about the term 'War on terror', made popular, in recent times, by a very, very short-sighted man who happens to be the outgoing President of USA. This man went on to prove to his country and the whole world how stupid and misdirected his 'War on Terror' was when he decided to attack (A)Iraq (bcoz Daddy couldn't finish the job, earlier). I really don't need to go into what a disaster this particular cowboy's adventure was.
Why am I bringing this up now? Because there are a bunch of jokers out there who happen to be running news channels and news magazines under the banner "India Today Group" who have decided to adopt this term-'War On Terror' to generate hysteria to gain TRP and readership. Not only is this extremely irresponsible it is also very dangerous in such vulnerable times. The loud and belligerent phrase that destroyed Iraq has too much connotation attached to it to have its meaning mistaken for a mere nationalistic phrase of protest.
I must add here that 'Headlines Today' or 'Aaj Tak' are not the only TV channels that are war mongering, plenty of others are. Why does the electronic media so desperately want 'action', for more continuous live TV? Many out there are in an adrenaline driven zone now (like a caffeine hangover), after days of watching noisy armed action on TV and listening to truckloads of ranting 'opinion leaders'. I am hoping things will calm down and people will realise that the soldiers they are so excited seeing in combat are human not 'GI Joe' toys and realise the cost of what they are being egged on to demand.
We have the an elaborate blueprint of one such failed war. Let us take a look and learn our lessons before we start demanding similar solutions.
The poem below was written around the eighteenth century but I think it tells the story of George.W. Bush's recent 'War on Terror' very eloquently.
War
The victories of mind,
Are won for all mankind;
But war wastes what it wins,
Ends worse than it begins,
And is a game of woes,
Which nations always lose:
Though tyrant tyrant kill,
The slayer liveth still.
---Ebenezer Elliot
Thursday, 4 December 2008
India post 26/11/08 : Change- Wish List 1
The grief and anger is overwhelming. I know, the frequency of terror attacks is supposed to make us numb and indifferent but it will be a really sad for humanity if that happens. It does not matter to me what the social or economic status of a victim is, the loss of a life and the accompanying pain cannot be classified. The trauma experienced by every one of those innocent people, who got caught in this terrible siege, may it be at CST, Taj, Oberoi, Nariman House, Cafe Leopold or on the streets will live with them forever. The stories of bravery and sacrifices made by the various staff, common people, police personnel and the soldiers are endless and restore faith in human goodness. And whatever might be the reasons for the sudden outburst of voices we are hearing across the cities, they give me hope. These voices might be labelled urban, middle class or even 'too late', but they make me want to think, I am so glad there are people feeling, reacting and talking, I don't know for how long but it is enough, for now, that it has started.
There has been enough postmortem of the events since 26/11/08 attacks and their fall out. The media is doing more than an adequate job of it. A lot is being said about 'why' and 'how', I want to focus on 'now what'. I am making a list of changes that I feel are urgent and necessary, especially, now. The ultimate list is huge because the change we need to look for is vast, so I am limiting myself, now, to issues that are direct fall out of the events of those terrible three days and of course it reflects the public outcry ensuing since. This list will hopefully get longer as some of you add to it. I must say though that these suggestions are not mine alone, so many friends and acquaintances have contributed to it over the last one week.
1. Create a Federal Agency of Investigation/Intelligence, centralize terror investigations, do not let narrow state level politics influence the results, make it transparent and verifiable.
2. Effective foolproof Anti-Terror Law. Not draconian laws like POTA that are misused thoroughly as a power tool by politicians. Stop demanding for POTA, it was tried and tested- it failed. Think, consult and don't make populist moves again.
3. Police reforms- this one is so urgent that I am surprised more people are not talking about it. Increase the police force, the ratio of people to cops is seriously skewed at the moment. Pay better so that it attracts young, capable people. Spend more time, thought and money on the training and fitness.
4. Get latest technology and equipment for all the security forces, including the police (We do not need to get into the details of why this is needed, thanks to constant television coverage we have all seen what lack of latest weapons, designated aircrafts and even obvious stuff like night vision technology did). Also, there should be more security checkpoints in crowded places, with latest functional equipment, the cops manning these must be trained well in using the technology and should be armed to react if necessary.
5. Modern paramedic services, more ambulances. Ambulances equipped with latest technology. Have you ever tried to call for an ambulance, there are hardly any available, private hospitals have some, but they are there to take you to them. Have you heard of something called trained paramedics Mr.Ramdoss and whoever your successor might be?
6. Modernize hospitals (clean them up at the least). Increase the number of hospitals and beds. In case you have not seen our population is multiplying everyday. The reason people from rural areas crowd the city hospitals is because they do not have any functioning health facilities.
7. Modernize the Fire Departments, give them latest equipment and safety gear, train them to work in a security crisis, increase their force.
8. CRISIS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM/ QUICK RESPONSE SYSTEM. We need this both at the state and centralized level. This should include the above mentioned highly trained police, medical personnel, fire fighters and other emergency personnel including NGOs working in the related fields. This system will not only come into action during terror strikes and other security threats but also during natural disasters and other emergencies. Don't forget how many people died in the recent Bihar floods because they did not receive rescue services on time. Depending on the Army for every crisis is an inefficient system.
9. Design and create an effective media campaign to educate people on how to be aware of security threats and on how to respond during a crisis. This will be useful not only during the kind of hostage situation we faced last week but also during natural disasters.
Now to the political reforms:
10. We need to commit ourselves to remove crime from politics. Anybody with any proven criminal history must not be allowed to participate in the electoral process. Crimes included must be inciting and abetting mob violence, financial scams and corruption. Even people who are being investigated for terror links must be kept out of the electoral process (I have been hearing rumors about Pragya Thakur being offered tickets to contest elections). If we do not succeed in making the self serving Parliament pass a legislation we as people must monitor such candidates and reject them irrespective of party loyalties.
11. Ban the use of caste and religion as political planks. Do not allow political parties to use these labels to promote themselves and divide the country. Did we not witness centuries of exploitation through the same means. Why are we quietly watching them do it again?
12. Election Commission must monitor the electoral process more closely and make sure that sensitive national issues are not used as campaign tools, especially those that might lead to breach in national security.
13. Make every new MP and MLA go through rounds of rigorous orientation courses and tests. Make them take refresher courses every year. Train them to understand what it means to be a part of a Democratic process and the responsibilities that come with it. It is not just about the power or access to funds.
14. Have transparent and regular performance appraisals and audits of ministers and ministries. Have appraisals on a localized level for MPs and MLAs. Put the results of these audits out for public review.
15. Faces at the governments might change every five years but make the governing structure, the bureaucracy capable, transparent and accountable. Modernize the system, in fact, reassess the selection process' like the current structure of UPSC exams.
16. Review VIP security. If necessary create another force to protect them, pull these personnel out of the police force. Why are the best trained commandos from the armed forces protecting these handfuls of civilians, when they could all be utilizing their talents in a much better manner in the many troubled zones across the country?
17. Make the pay scales of MPs, MLAs and Ministers at par with market rate. This will make politics a viable and sustainable option for youth and it will also help in reducing corruption.
18. Stop ignoring Naxal militancy and other insurgency issues at the centre. They are dangerous and deeply embedded in large parts of the country. Examine and address the root causes. Participate in dialogue with the rebels. At the same time have well trained forces involved in disarming them. Stop exploiting and ignoring the needs of forests and tribals.
19. Stop ignoring the dangerously porous border on the East. Militancy in North East has not only destroyed generations of families but also the whole social fabric of the effected regions. Hasn't it been acknowledged many times that it is aided by outside forces?
20. At least display some political will from all sides to find a solution to the Kashmir problem. How long will the valley live in terror?
21. Do not resort to populist demands for vigilante people's forces; we have seen many times in the past that resorting to outsourcing law-and-order, arming untrained and unaccountable civilians has led to worse problems, may it be in Assam, Jammu and Kashmir or Chhattisgarh's infamous Salwa Judum.
22. Do not get into a diplomatic isolation again. Terrorism is now a global issue, take the help offered. America already has a stake and a firm foot in Pakistan. Tread carefully, though, do not get drawn into serving as an American military base or vantage point in the sub continent.
23. Avoid war. One, the human cost of war is always terrible. Two, WE CANNOT AFFORD A WAR. We are a 'developing' economy with a major part of our population still living in extreme poverty. Also, we along with the rest of the world are in middle of an unprecedented global economic recession.
24. Stop looking for American style solutions. India and USA are very different, geographically and economically. Even the Americans are struggling with their hasty and badly planned 'War on Terror'. Their badly planned actions are causing a lot of grief and trouble to them; their allies and the world. The introduction of draconian laws like the USA Patriot Act have not yielded any great results, there also (please see, point 2 on POTA). They have not been able to make a dent in ‘Al Queda’, their current enemy number one.
25. Finally and maybe most importantly we need a responsible citizenry and civil society. Our participation is necessary for the democracy to function in the true sense. Let our voices not die, let us continue the dialogue. A responsive and broad based civil society is as important as the electoral process and elected representatives. Let us not condemn the democratic process for there are countries across the world struggling for years to be a part of it. Yes, condemn the corrupt politicians, ensure that better people join politics and garner support for them. We cannot beat them unless some of the stronger ones among us join the system. We want a clean system let us also start cleaning it from our end and take our responsibilities as citizens seriously. Let us start by voting responsibly and paying our taxes, if we want any change. Who do you think pays those NSG commandos the whole country is praising ? Next time we see a person being victimized for her/his caste, gender, religion, economic status, cultural differences or regional origins let us step up and protest, in whatever way we can; let us stop bribing, for even the smallest thing; we must stop cribbing when there are security checks at airports, markets, railway stations or cinema halls; let us not, ever, say "chal ta hai yaar, duniya ke saath chalna padta hai or aaj kal duniya kharaab hai kya kare".
There has been enough postmortem of the events since 26/11/08 attacks and their fall out. The media is doing more than an adequate job of it. A lot is being said about 'why' and 'how', I want to focus on 'now what'. I am making a list of changes that I feel are urgent and necessary, especially, now. The ultimate list is huge because the change we need to look for is vast, so I am limiting myself, now, to issues that are direct fall out of the events of those terrible three days and of course it reflects the public outcry ensuing since. This list will hopefully get longer as some of you add to it. I must say though that these suggestions are not mine alone, so many friends and acquaintances have contributed to it over the last one week.
1. Create a Federal Agency of Investigation/Intelligence, centralize terror investigations, do not let narrow state level politics influence the results, make it transparent and verifiable.
2. Effective foolproof Anti-Terror Law. Not draconian laws like POTA that are misused thoroughly as a power tool by politicians. Stop demanding for POTA, it was tried and tested- it failed. Think, consult and don't make populist moves again.
3. Police reforms- this one is so urgent that I am surprised more people are not talking about it. Increase the police force, the ratio of people to cops is seriously skewed at the moment. Pay better so that it attracts young, capable people. Spend more time, thought and money on the training and fitness.
4. Get latest technology and equipment for all the security forces, including the police (We do not need to get into the details of why this is needed, thanks to constant television coverage we have all seen what lack of latest weapons, designated aircrafts and even obvious stuff like night vision technology did). Also, there should be more security checkpoints in crowded places, with latest functional equipment, the cops manning these must be trained well in using the technology and should be armed to react if necessary.
5. Modern paramedic services, more ambulances. Ambulances equipped with latest technology. Have you ever tried to call for an ambulance, there are hardly any available, private hospitals have some, but they are there to take you to them. Have you heard of something called trained paramedics Mr.Ramdoss and whoever your successor might be?
6. Modernize hospitals (clean them up at the least). Increase the number of hospitals and beds. In case you have not seen our population is multiplying everyday. The reason people from rural areas crowd the city hospitals is because they do not have any functioning health facilities.
7. Modernize the Fire Departments, give them latest equipment and safety gear, train them to work in a security crisis, increase their force.
8. CRISIS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM/ QUICK RESPONSE SYSTEM. We need this both at the state and centralized level. This should include the above mentioned highly trained police, medical personnel, fire fighters and other emergency personnel including NGOs working in the related fields. This system will not only come into action during terror strikes and other security threats but also during natural disasters and other emergencies. Don't forget how many people died in the recent Bihar floods because they did not receive rescue services on time. Depending on the Army for every crisis is an inefficient system.
9. Design and create an effective media campaign to educate people on how to be aware of security threats and on how to respond during a crisis. This will be useful not only during the kind of hostage situation we faced last week but also during natural disasters.
Now to the political reforms:
10. We need to commit ourselves to remove crime from politics. Anybody with any proven criminal history must not be allowed to participate in the electoral process. Crimes included must be inciting and abetting mob violence, financial scams and corruption. Even people who are being investigated for terror links must be kept out of the electoral process (I have been hearing rumors about Pragya Thakur being offered tickets to contest elections). If we do not succeed in making the self serving Parliament pass a legislation we as people must monitor such candidates and reject them irrespective of party loyalties.
11. Ban the use of caste and religion as political planks. Do not allow political parties to use these labels to promote themselves and divide the country. Did we not witness centuries of exploitation through the same means. Why are we quietly watching them do it again?
12. Election Commission must monitor the electoral process more closely and make sure that sensitive national issues are not used as campaign tools, especially those that might lead to breach in national security.
13. Make every new MP and MLA go through rounds of rigorous orientation courses and tests. Make them take refresher courses every year. Train them to understand what it means to be a part of a Democratic process and the responsibilities that come with it. It is not just about the power or access to funds.
14. Have transparent and regular performance appraisals and audits of ministers and ministries. Have appraisals on a localized level for MPs and MLAs. Put the results of these audits out for public review.
15. Faces at the governments might change every five years but make the governing structure, the bureaucracy capable, transparent and accountable. Modernize the system, in fact, reassess the selection process' like the current structure of UPSC exams.
16. Review VIP security. If necessary create another force to protect them, pull these personnel out of the police force. Why are the best trained commandos from the armed forces protecting these handfuls of civilians, when they could all be utilizing their talents in a much better manner in the many troubled zones across the country?
17. Make the pay scales of MPs, MLAs and Ministers at par with market rate. This will make politics a viable and sustainable option for youth and it will also help in reducing corruption.
18. Stop ignoring Naxal militancy and other insurgency issues at the centre. They are dangerous and deeply embedded in large parts of the country. Examine and address the root causes. Participate in dialogue with the rebels. At the same time have well trained forces involved in disarming them. Stop exploiting and ignoring the needs of forests and tribals.
19. Stop ignoring the dangerously porous border on the East. Militancy in North East has not only destroyed generations of families but also the whole social fabric of the effected regions. Hasn't it been acknowledged many times that it is aided by outside forces?
20. At least display some political will from all sides to find a solution to the Kashmir problem. How long will the valley live in terror?
21. Do not resort to populist demands for vigilante people's forces; we have seen many times in the past that resorting to outsourcing law-and-order, arming untrained and unaccountable civilians has led to worse problems, may it be in Assam, Jammu and Kashmir or Chhattisgarh's infamous Salwa Judum.
22. Do not get into a diplomatic isolation again. Terrorism is now a global issue, take the help offered. America already has a stake and a firm foot in Pakistan. Tread carefully, though, do not get drawn into serving as an American military base or vantage point in the sub continent.
23. Avoid war. One, the human cost of war is always terrible. Two, WE CANNOT AFFORD A WAR. We are a 'developing' economy with a major part of our population still living in extreme poverty. Also, we along with the rest of the world are in middle of an unprecedented global economic recession.
24. Stop looking for American style solutions. India and USA are very different, geographically and economically. Even the Americans are struggling with their hasty and badly planned 'War on Terror'. Their badly planned actions are causing a lot of grief and trouble to them; their allies and the world. The introduction of draconian laws like the USA Patriot Act have not yielded any great results, there also (please see, point 2 on POTA). They have not been able to make a dent in ‘Al Queda’, their current enemy number one.
25. Finally and maybe most importantly we need a responsible citizenry and civil society. Our participation is necessary for the democracy to function in the true sense. Let our voices not die, let us continue the dialogue. A responsive and broad based civil society is as important as the electoral process and elected representatives. Let us not condemn the democratic process for there are countries across the world struggling for years to be a part of it. Yes, condemn the corrupt politicians, ensure that better people join politics and garner support for them. We cannot beat them unless some of the stronger ones among us join the system. We want a clean system let us also start cleaning it from our end and take our responsibilities as citizens seriously. Let us start by voting responsibly and paying our taxes, if we want any change. Who do you think pays those NSG commandos the whole country is praising ? Next time we see a person being victimized for her/his caste, gender, religion, economic status, cultural differences or regional origins let us step up and protest, in whatever way we can; let us stop bribing, for even the smallest thing; we must stop cribbing when there are security checks at airports, markets, railway stations or cinema halls; let us not, ever, say "chal ta hai yaar, duniya ke saath chalna padta hai or aaj kal duniya kharaab hai kya kare".
India post 26/11/08: To feel and to speak out is the first step
I cannot remember after university days when was the last time I had and was witness to so many impassioned discussions on political will or lack of it and the state of the country. I feel perversely happy to see this fervour and anger outside a liberal arts department. This anger might be rooted in disillusionment and often cynicism but I still see hope, for to speak is the first step.
I am posting links to two previous posts on the blog that were rants on a lot of the same topics that are being raised on the streets today and some more issues that I hope we do not forget in these times of fear. Some of you have read them and we've had debates over them but I am hoping to hear from a some more people this time.
jinhe naaz hai hind par vo kahaaN haiN ...zaraa m...
Some questions, many issues
I am posting links to two previous posts on the blog that were rants on a lot of the same topics that are being raised on the streets today and some more issues that I hope we do not forget in these times of fear. Some of you have read them and we've had debates over them but I am hoping to hear from a some more people this time.
jinhe naaz hai hind par vo kahaaN haiN ...zaraa m...
Some questions, many issues
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
India post 26/11/08: There is hope, when I hear the rising voices from Mumbai and the nation post 26/11/08...
The Status bar on my Facebook account has been saying that I want all the redundant rhetoric (post the Mumbai nightmare) to stop. And that I want all of us to see how we can help in turning some of the rhetoric into reality. This is true and I am, especially, referring to the electronic media in our country. They, I must give credit, have been doing an exemplary job ( even if often overenthusiastic and sometimes irresponsible) in the last few days but are now going round and round in circles in dealing with people's reactions to the horrid events in Mumbai and their fall out. Since, the night of 26th November my mind like yours, I am sure, is buzzing, the shock and anguish were followed by anger. Anger against many things not just against the terrorists, their backers and political apathy; arguments and counter arguments are raging through my head. But the time for another empty rant has run out, we have to channelize this anger and have sane discussions.
The Mumbai tragedy was loud and long drawn but don't forget we have been a target of continous attacks and have been in this defenseless state for a long time now, political parties have changed at the center and the states, over this period. The attacks on citizens across the country continue in form of too common and frequent bomb blasts; in the form of deeply terrorized North-Eastern states of Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Tripura; to unending dance of violence in J n K; to different forms of attacks in Gujarat, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Maharashtra, in fact, communal and caste violence across the country; to the naxal militancy across so many states; we have many very dangerous enemies from outside and inside.
We need to as citizens find the very solutions whose implementation we are demanding. We have discussed on this blog, many times before, the futility of depending on political leadership to respond. Their response are never to the issues but to the mileage to be gained out of the tragedies, across parties- may it be the shaky ruling coalition or the bloody-minded opposition, whose attitude gets reflected in the very fact that these people have been branding terror suspects from Malegaon, who were being investigated by the late ATS chief Karkare- 'soldiers of Hinduism'. A terrorist is a terrorist, beyond any religion. They, the terrorists, are not attacking just religions or communities, their target is humanity and civilized way of living.
Mumbai, might actually have been the proverbial last straw on the camel's back. The only positive thing that has arisen out of this terrible tragedy is that people, in general, are starting to react to life around them, don't know if it is a passing thing or if, indeed, it is a real change. I am really hoping that these voices can be sustained.
One thing I do know amidst all this confusion, our Democracy is as good as we make it. There is no shrugging responsibility may it be the politicians, the bureaucracy, the civil society or the very in demand, 'aam aadmi', us. I also know that war is not a solution, we have seen far more developed nations struggling with it, we can certainly ill-afford it.
I am going to give some semblance of rationality to all the millions of thoughts and comments buzzing in my head and post again soon with more stuff that I have been feeling, hearing, thinking and processing.
The Mumbai tragedy was loud and long drawn but don't forget we have been a target of continous attacks and have been in this defenseless state for a long time now, political parties have changed at the center and the states, over this period. The attacks on citizens across the country continue in form of too common and frequent bomb blasts; in the form of deeply terrorized North-Eastern states of Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Tripura; to unending dance of violence in J n K; to different forms of attacks in Gujarat, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Maharashtra, in fact, communal and caste violence across the country; to the naxal militancy across so many states; we have many very dangerous enemies from outside and inside.
We need to as citizens find the very solutions whose implementation we are demanding. We have discussed on this blog, many times before, the futility of depending on political leadership to respond. Their response are never to the issues but to the mileage to be gained out of the tragedies, across parties- may it be the shaky ruling coalition or the bloody-minded opposition, whose attitude gets reflected in the very fact that these people have been branding terror suspects from Malegaon, who were being investigated by the late ATS chief Karkare- 'soldiers of Hinduism'. A terrorist is a terrorist, beyond any religion. They, the terrorists, are not attacking just religions or communities, their target is humanity and civilized way of living.
Mumbai, might actually have been the proverbial last straw on the camel's back. The only positive thing that has arisen out of this terrible tragedy is that people, in general, are starting to react to life around them, don't know if it is a passing thing or if, indeed, it is a real change. I am really hoping that these voices can be sustained.
One thing I do know amidst all this confusion, our Democracy is as good as we make it. There is no shrugging responsibility may it be the politicians, the bureaucracy, the civil society or the very in demand, 'aam aadmi', us. I also know that war is not a solution, we have seen far more developed nations struggling with it, we can certainly ill-afford it.
I am going to give some semblance of rationality to all the millions of thoughts and comments buzzing in my head and post again soon with more stuff that I have been feeling, hearing, thinking and processing.
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