What August 15th should mean to us!

About a week ago, I received a peculiar message that got me thinking. In essence, it was an early I-Day greeting...... a tongue-in-cheek reference to how we wish people for Friendship Day, V-Day and a variety of such meaningless, absurd occasions a week before they arrive, but that we never well up with anxiety over missing out on wishing someone on Independence Day. It was maybe a cheeky way of saying that we don't value the occasion enough.

Though I'd agree with the sentiment to some

extent, I think the malaise grows deeper than that. It seems people don't see a purpose or a reason to celebrate the occasion! Besides the usual 'India gained independence and the right of self-rule after centuries of oppression by an imperialist power' that we learn to repeat without blinking our eyes in school, I have not heard many reasons why this day would hold any significance to any of us personally. In the same way that you attach significance to Valentine's Day only when you're in a committed relationship yourself, I-Day is meaningless unless it means something to all of us personally.

Thinking of my motivation for celebrating I-Day(and I can't believe I've never really felt the need to think this through the 19 previous times that I've celebrated it), I come to a fairly straightforward conclusion : To me the significance of the occasion is that the 15th of August 1947 marked the mid-point of a movement. This movement saw people across this nation, irrespective of class, creed and gender gathering together because of one realisation : They realised that this nation was in trouble, that too many problems existed in this densely populated region that could not be ignored any more, and that the only way their problems and grievances could be addressed was to take the responsibility of governing this nation into their own hands and seek solutions themselves! They realised that besides showing a general disrespect towards the people, the British lacked one thing that was needed to bring modernity to this nation steeped in tradition and culture: sensitivity. In recent times, that one quality in itself would have averted some of the most despicable crimes that have been committed against the people of this country.

After independence, the first leaders of this nation ambitiously laid plans to tackle each of our burgeoning headaches in an effort to prove that the sacrifices that had been made in the process of gaining India's freedom were not in vain. In those times, Independence Day meant something to everyone. It was a time to reflect on the progress that had been made in the past 1 year, how life had improved for the masses, and to mark out the next brick to be laid along that long road to be followed to make this nation the envy of the world. Along the way, human nature took its toll. The visions of our forefathers for a prosperous, egalitarian society were crushed so the whims of a few could be imposed on the nation. The rich got richer, the poor got poorer, and the corrupt got fat! And in the process, we lost hope. Laws were amended and new ones made that went against the visions of the Constitution, the very foundation of our democracy. Older laws, rather than being strengthened, were amended to add more loopholes to allow further corruption. Politicians stepped away from their duty towards social reform, allowing fanatics to impose their morals upon the masses in their religious bastions. Rather than rooting out the evils in our social system, we had sarpanches, imams, pujaris and pastors picking and choosing the bits and pieces of our 'culture' they wanted to retain/discard. We retain our infernal caste system in the name of tradition, but the culture of 'athithi devo bhava' now applies only to Aamir Khan's commercials.

Our goal as a nation now to be to celebrate Independence Day the way it was originally meant to : not just nonsensical chest-thumping and muscle-flexing as the Americans do it! To treat the day as a celebration of our achievements over the past year, and recognition that the road ahead is still long, while planning what development/progress we must aim to celebrate on the next Independence Day. As individuals, we can take this opportunity to demand action on the challenges we face, and to seek answers if the promises of the previous year have not been delivered upon. Progress should not mean higher GDPs, but higher standards of living across the board,with a special emphasis on workers and farmers who are the engine of our economy. As a nation, we must stop buying into the notion of 'India Shining' that our politicians seek to feed us. Such beliefs only bring in a sense of complacency among us, the people, and help policy makers kick back and take breaks on the job without being held accountable for it. The India we know should be the India we hear of everyday : the one where farmer suicides, lack of foodgrain storage, improper water management, a broken PDS, internal conflicts still dominate headlines! Let's demand constructive action on those fronts first, and then find time to celebrate our progress as a nation on those counts on August 15th the next year. As long as these issues hang like nooses around our collective necks, how can we celebrate? If we do not show the sensitivity to pay heed to the headaches of our own people, who can? Would that then, not be a betrayal of whatever progress we've made in the years since independence? We cannot distance ourselves from the misery of the masses and embrace the good fortune of a few, for it would breed discontent. We rise or fall together, so unless each of us finds a sentimental attachment to the 15th of August, its significance will continue to wane in the public conscience, which will prove to be the harbinger of the destruction of our most prized character as a nation : our unity in diversity.

The Master and the Pretender

Yes, this is turning into a football blog, but if so, so be it! The past 2 weeks have been incredible to watch football-wise, and while boring everyone with depressing details of my academic achievements during the study holidays is an option, I think I'm making the right decision here.

On Tuesday night, Barcelona completed the job they should've done at the Emirates. They only played about 60% as good as they had in the 1st leg, and went behind to an astonishing early goal courtesy Nicklas Bendtner : but a little genius who leads the European scoring charts raised his hand up to be counted. If there was ever any debate over who is the world's best player : the bullish and bang-in-form Rooney, arrogant prince 'CR9', or the magician who enthralls the Nou Camp week-in, week-out, then that debate has been settled once and for all! Messi demolished Arsenal in a first half delay that had the commentators gasping for breath and scanning their thesaurus for plaudits that had not already been showered upon him. The first goal was a bullet, powerful, precise, squeezed between 2 defenders' legs in a split second into the top corner before Almunia could move. The second goal was the result of a trademark Barca breakaway, and credit goes to the youngster Pedro for a delightful pass that put Messi through barely 2 metres from goal. The third was a touch of class, a delightful chip passing inches over a desperately advancing Almunia. The fourth goal in the second half merely the cherry on top! Barcelona outpassed Arsenal, and proved why the level at which they perform, Arsene Wenger can only hope his young team will do in 7 years' time. It showed how Barca were not only more adept at passing and retaining the ball than Arsenal, but were also more clinical in front of goal, and more composed in their reaction to going down! To their credit, Arsenal didn't let their shoulders drop and kept soldiering on, but having less of the ball, and less penetration due to the absence of Fabregas, Song, Van Persie and with Rosicky putting in a shoddy performance, Arsenal had little hope of rescuing anything from the match! At the weekend, Real Madrid host Barcelona at the Santiago Bernebeu, with last season's outcome being a 6-2 demolition by the visitors. Madrid may be top of the league, but any layman could tell you they don't play nearly as well as this Barcelona team do, even on their off days!

Wednesday night saw United being dumped out of the Champions' League by a remarkably patient, cunning Bayern Munich side. Though they won 3-2, Robben's wonder strike which produced the 2nd goal levelled the tie on aggregate and sent Bayern through on away goals. It was a first half that United dominated : putting to bed fears that they'd be suffering a hangover from their miserable 1st leg loss at the Allianz Arena and the despair of dropping 3 points at home to Chelsea! United produced a sparkling display, and Nani in particular, was brilliant, producing two magical pieces of skill that we would expect from the likes of CR9 and Messi. 3-0 up and cruising, young Rafael retaliated to a challenge by the all-at-sea left back Badstuber, needlessly earning a yellow card! Olic sneaked in a goal just before half time, proving to be a thorn in United's side once again, thanks to poor defensive work by Carrick. Rafael proved his naivety at this level by pulling back Ribery when he was already on a yellow card. The 2nd yellow was inevitable, and United found themselves a man down, and needing to keep Bayern out to progress. A well worked corner shattered those dreams. Ribery picked out Robben straight from the corner, who volleyed, almost Zidane-like (2002 Champions' League Final) with power and precision straight into the bottom corner. No goalkeeper in the world would've stopped that Howitzer!

Ferguson blamed the 'typical German' mentality of the Bayern players pressuring the referee to send Rafael off. But across all these quarterfinal ties, what anyone would've noticed is that even purists such as Barcelona aren't averse to rolling around on the floor and feigning injury to win free kicks and convince the referee to brandish cards. Chelsea were undone similarly by Inter, Barcelona outclassed as well as out-foxed Arsenal, while United shot themselves in the foot to be honest! United were the poorer team in Germany, failing to keep possession against a Bayern team with only Ribery for inspiration, and despite dominating the first half at Old Trafford, let Bayern back in it in the 2nd half! Someone should explain to Sir Alex that losing 3 out of 4 halves in a 2-leg tie, doesn't make you the better team over the two legs ! The very fact that he'd blame luck and the opposition rather than analysing his team's own frailties should be worrying! As for Bayern, their 'star' Ribery, to me, is THE most overrated player in European football! Comparing himself to Zidane, having a price tag of 50 million pounds labelled against his name : what exactly has he achieved to deserve that? Of what I've seen of him he's self-centred, lazy to hustle the opposition to regain the ball, reluctant to track back, often attempts too much when he does get the ball( reminiscent of the Cristiano Ronaldo of old) and generally has no effect on the team when the team itself plays poorly. When United went down to 10 men, he suddenly appeared from the shadows and began to play, just as Bayern began to keep the ball better! Until then you wouldn't have known that he was the hottest talent produced by France after Zidane! Ultimately, it's big occasions where the big players step up...I have not seen Ribery do that, and for that matter, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, barring his 2 goals vs Arsenal, comes on that list as well! The World Cup might give him the platform to do just that however, with an uninspiring French side led by a national hate figure of a manager, but until then, his greatness will remain in his mind, and he will always be the pretender to the throne upon which Messi is seated today!

I cannot see Bayern winning the Champions' League Trophy. They're patient, and they wait for their opportunities, but against Barcelona or Inter they won't get many. United have lost themselves an assured 3rd consecutive final appearance!

Top DROGS Again!

The doubters came, and the doubters were proved wrong! After the meek surrender to Inter Milan in the UCL Round of 16 and the barrage of criticism following the complacent draw at Blackburn, the Chelsea squad proved how tough they are!

After comments flew in left and right that this team lacks energy, lacks creativity, has no spark, lacks the pace and the hunger to to handle a title run in, they bounce back with 3 wins on the trot. 5-0 vs. portsmouth, 7-1 vs aston villa (the tightest defence in the league according to stats until then) and finally a well deserved 2-1 victory against reigning champions Manchester United at Old Trafford!

The 1st half seemed like almost a play-by-play of United's defeat to Bayern. Chelsea kept the ball and just didn't let United near it. They frustrated them by stringing together 20-30 passes in each move and movi ng from side to side. Malouda continued his incredible form and Joe Cole seemed to be newly confident after a few good recent performances, and the 2 combined to give
Chelsea a deserved lead after a delightful flick by Cole left Van der Sar beaten all ends up. Two penalty appeals arrived, both of which should've been given and on the basis of which Gary Neville should've had a yellow card, and since he picked up a yellow card around the 60th minute as well, United should've been a man down.

Irrespective, United came out of the tunnel fighting. They made the game much more interesting in the 2nd half, threatening from the wings in particular as Valencia broke into space countless time but was under sustained pressure and produced few truly magical crosses! United kept pushing forward, but more than skill or flair, they played more with a steely determination, fighting to scrape through with a draw. When Drogba came on, his 2nd touch of the ball yielded a goal! Although Drogba was clearly offside, the linesman for some reason didn't raise his flag. The finish from Drogba though, was exceptional! Shocking yes, but as United scored only minutes later with a scrappy goal that came off Federico Macheda's chest and then his arm, the referreing errors seemed to even themselves out. Inspite of the great lift that United must have felt following that goal, they still failed to set up camp in the Chelsea half, and Chelsea maintained their composure and weathered the storm to pick up a much deserved win!

5 games to go....2 points ahead....4 goals ahead on goal difference....and the Blues March On!

Football at its Best!

The Arsenal-Barcelona showdown in Champions' League quarterfinals proved as mouthwatering as predicted. Prior to the game, I felt Arsenal would sneak a 2-1 win given that it was at the Emirates and Barcelona weren't the kind of team to sit back and defend simply because it was an away leg.

As it turned out, the first half was an exhibition of why Barcelona are the most feared team in the world. The first 25 minutes saw the ball trapped in the Arsenal half of the field, with wave after wave of Barcelona attack baring down on poor Manuel Almunia. To his credit, he stood his ground as Barcelona tortured the Arsenal defence, creating chance after chance for Ibrahimovic and Xavi to give Barca the lead. He pulled off some magnificent blocks to deny Barca what should've been a 3 goal lead on the basis of the play. Arsenal started to get the ball back a bit near the end of the half, but created absolutely nothing, giving possession away at the Emirates, a place where visitors usually suffer the fate they seemed destined for that night. Barcelona, undeservedly, went into the break level at 0-0.

The beginning of the second half saw Arsenal's luck finally run out, as Ibrahimovic poached two stunning goals to give Barca a deserved lead. At that stage, it seemed game, set and match in this quarterfinal tie, as Arsenal would need nothing less than a miracle at the Nou Camp to march on. Until the half hour mark, it seemed Barca would only extend their lead. But with the introduction of Walcott, Arsenal came alive. Walcott's simmering pace finally gave the Barcelona defence something to fear. A glorious heading chance was spurned by Bendtner as Valdes parried, but Walcott himself prevailed eventually, whisking past dani alves on the wing and making a beeline for Valdes' goal, before stabbing the ball home as the keeper came out to stop him. It was the first direct piece of football Arsenal had pulled off the entire night, with their passing game blown away by Barcelona's selfish ball possession. Arsenal fought back, and even though Barca still created chances and controlled most of the possession, an 80th minute penalty scored by captain courageous Cesc Fabregas tied the match at 2-2.

Given that Barca are level on aggregate, the 2 away goals may prove a decisive advantage, but Arsenal will take heart from their fightback and may dream of eliminating the World Champions if luck goes their way at the Nou Camp. Next Tuesday, all I know is that another spectacle awaits!

Game ON !

To be very honest, I'm loving this season of the Champions' League. Yes, Chelsea are out and that still hurts, but that now allows me to view the remainder of the competition as first and foremost a football fan. This year's edition has been the most exciting in several years! It seems that finally, the romance is back, and that the giants of Italian and German football are performing to their potential rather than meekly surrendering to the English and Spanish! The quarterfinals this time around feature only 1 Spanish side, Barcelona ( though arguably the best in the world ) and 2 English sides, Arsenal and Manchester United, along with 2 French, 1 Italian, 1 German and 1 Russian outfit. Granted Michel Platini's vision for European football aims to promote teams from other regions , the likes of Scotland, Portugal, Austria, Turkey reaching the quarterfinals, but this is at the very least a great first step!

I am loving the unpredictability of this tournament! Liverpool have been rank amateur all season and unlike in previous seasons where they struggled for 4th in the league but still prevailed in Europe, this year their European pedigree matched their Premiership pedigree! To be dumped out at the group stages is a scenario Benitez wouldn't have rehearsed for too often. Real Madrid succumbed in the last 16 to Lyon, scoring only once over 2 legs, inspite of the array of world-class attacking talent at their disposal, to go 2-1 down on aggregate. Madrid still need to gel as a team, and watching them play, you would agree that unlike in other teams, the stars in that side take away each others' space, rather than creating space for each other! Lyon were regular contenders at the last 16 a couple of years ago, but seemed to go downhill, losing ground not only in Europe but also domestically. With Bordeaux also in the quarters, the signs for French football are promising! Inter Milan dumped out Chelsea, though this tie might have turned out differently if Chelsea had taken their chances in the first leg or been lucky with a couple of penalty decisions in either leg. Either ways, one can't deny that Inter's performance at Stamford Bridge was superlative. They rugby tackled Drogba to oblivion, body-blocked every single shot on goal, broke the flow of the game, and in Sneijder, they had an in-form passing machine. Sneijder did not get possession often given how fractured play had become, but he seemed to find Milito and E'too at will as they ran and got behind the Chelsea back four. If Milito had timed his runs better and not been caught offside nearly 4-5 times, this match would've been over by the 60th minute. Before the tie, not many would've voted Inter as favourites to go through, but they did!

Last night, the surprises continued. Manchester United put in arguably their worst performance of the season against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Their play lacked pace, their passing was horrible, and they couldn't keep the ball for more than 5 seconds. An early free kick and a slip by Demichelis gave them a fortunate lead, but Bayern pressed all night, and Van der Sar was kept busy throughout while Hans Jorg-Butt probably fell asleep at the other end. That said, Bayern's attack was hardly effective, and even though they passed the ball well, their final balls always seemed to go awry. That changed with a bit of luck from Ribery's free kick deflecting off Rooney into the back of the net. Rooney himself was a lonely figure, isolated up front with his midfield thoroughly outclassed all night! And 2 minutes into injury time, eerily reminiscent of the night at the Nou Camp in the 1999 Champions League final, Bayern righted a wrong and this time BROKE United hearts as Olic robbed Evra and shot past Van der Sar to make it 2-1. Truth be told, Van der Sar was probably the only United player on the pitch who played upto even half his usual ability. Shocking for a side in rich vein of form, having won their last 7. Bayern got little more than they deserved, but the 2nd leg at Old Trafford will still be a challenge. At the very least, Bayern have an equal chance now though, since United have no option but to look to score and settle the match early. But this Bayern side was without Arjen Robben and Bastian Schweinsteiger, and both Ribery and Mario Gomes were carrying injuries. The return leg will feature a much stronger side that will be a whole lot more effective and innovative in attack! United have only themselves to blame for backing themselves into a hole, though most, including me, still believe they will get out of it! For now though, it's Game ON!

Mountain out of a Molehill

The economic recession is blowing away from Indian shores the fastest, yet the Great Indian Thamasha draws more eyeballs than the strength of our financial system. Day after day, the stories get weirder and the disillusionment of the public with the political class and the media grows deeper!

Amitabh Bachchan attends the opening ceremony of an addtional line along the BWSL and the reverberations are apparently so huge that it receives front page coverage for the next four days. A man becomes the ambassador of a state and somehow is then perceived to be an ambassador for the ruling administration. Are these people serious? Do Congress workers have their faces jammed so far up the first family's a$$es that they need to manufacture an issue out of nothing to display their 'loyalty'? Manoj Tiwary, Congress spokesman, appears on every god-darned political debate claiming Bachchan made x number of demands to the BJP regarding his wife's political future, land for a film studio etc etc, and in this way was trying to arm-twist the Modi government to make his role as Ambassador a mutually beneficial one! If that is indeed the case, then why should the public give a rat's ass about it unless land is being sold illegally to Mr. Bachchan? And how does that amount to supporting Mr. Modi's role in the 2002 communal pogrom?

Attacking a national icon such as Mr. Bachchan on such flimsy ground is ludicrous. Whether he approves or disapproves of Mr. Modi, he shall never be idiotic enough to make a statement for or against him, when he knows that either public faith or his (alleged) wishlist with Modi will be held hostage to his statement. When his actions have so far not warranted any statement on his stand on the Modi government, why the sudden uproar? Are you going to ask every celebrity in this country now to declare his/her personal stand on every political issue when nothing they've done can be deemed by a rational human being as 'political'?

Being an ambassador to a state means promoting its culture, its heritage, its people : NOT its politicians! So unless the state government comes out with an ad promo featuring Bachchan alongside BJP stalwarts, praising the real and imaginary achievements of the government, how is this a 'political move'? Mr. Tiwary argues that it is Modi who appointed Bachchan as ambassador to the state, so there is political affiliation! But who shall appoint him the ambassador other than the Chief Minister of the state, genius? Do these people really take the common man to be a numbskull?

Yes, Modi is a criminal, and if the SIT is sincerely intent on investigating him, more power to them. Reports though, indicate otherwise, but I digress. That Narendra Modi is the worthiest candidate for the death penalty in this candidate is a fact agreeable to all other than the most ardent BJP supporters and Hindutva fanatics. So why is the Congress so thoughtlessly shooting itself in the foot by aiming for those around him? If anything, the Gujarat Chief Minister is a master at this game: painting himself as the 'development guru', the 'perennial victim', 'one of the people', and a soft target for the Government. He is none of the above, but the more the Congress tries to verbally assault him without thinking it through, the more believable these claims become. The BJP on the other hand, is probably grinning with glee because an incompetent Congress keeps handing issue after issue for the BJP to exploit and remain politically relevant even though their support base is shrinking and their leadership is inept. So now the BJP can also claim that appointing Bachchan as ambassador is yet a visionary decision by the great Narendra Modi, monument of Gujarati pride! It is a testament to a vibrant Gujarat, and a testament to the competence of the 'good ol' BJP' who have honored the people's trust in them!

It all sounds like the script of a badly written Priyadarshan comedy, but it irritates me that this tripe qualifies as news in this country! It happened a month ago with the Shiv Sena-Shahrukh Khan row in which the only real loser was the general public which was duped into going out in large numbers to watch an average film under the pretext of 'supporting freedom of expression'! Is it just me, or do all these episodes reek of that not-so-new fragrance 'eau de cheap publicity stunt'??

Farmers in Vidarbha are still dying, Operation Greenhunt is using criminal force against tribal people to crush the Maoist revolt, Delhiites are paying the bill for the CWG, terrorists are readying to cross the border, food prices are rising.....but this child-like banter between the two national parties over a promotional event is grabbing headlines. To all these people I say.....GROW UP YOU, MORONS!!!!

The World Through My Eyes

3 days away from the university exams, and a small window of opportunity presents itself. It’s raining outside, and the smell of the greenery surrounding the hostel embellished by the gentle kiss of rain drops is far too enticing to ignore. Hardly the most conducive environment for cramming equations into your head. The heart yearns to merely lay still, watching the heavens open up outside while soft music plays in the background. It’s one of those moments that bring to your mind how amazingly peaceful and satisfying it is to just pause your life for a minute to let your worries float away with the gentle breeze, your thoughts wandering to the world around you.

It’s hard to believe this very world that delights us in its natural beauty is at threat every single day. From potential nuclear conflicts in the near future in the war theatres of the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, and the Korean peninsula, to a world climate change summit at Copenhagen which may well decide the expiry period of our race on this earth. Progress seems to have brought with it equally frustrating worries to heap misery on our everyday lives! All of this, mind you, as ‘learned prophets’ look for signs of the coming apocalypse, deriving incredible meaning from the most ordinary incidents. Whether it be the Mayan calendar or the Christian Calendar, we all seem to believe that the future is beyond our control and hence, our responsibilities deemed void.

We as a race seem to have become so accustomed to news of conflict, strife, and so addicted to the thought of being eternally vulnerable to evils lurking outside our doors that we go to the lengths of believing in such absurd media-hyped tripe as “love jehad”. It seems that a monster must always lurk in the corner, even if it is of our own creation! It’s truly incredible how much we’re capable of : from feats of genius to moments of astounding stupidity, from years of preaching tolerance and ahimsa to decades of arrogance, an allergy to compromise and a penchant for war, from closing our minds to the possibility of knowing more than what our religion alone certifies suitable for us to shunning all belief in the Almighty altogether. There seems no limit, neither upper nor lower, to what the human race is capable of. But increasingly, it is the depth to which we can sink that has caused us so many nightmares as a society. The weight of being the most intelligent beings on the planet (and perhaps even the universe) seems to have taken its toll upon this race.

Sound pessimistic? The truth often does, because it is that ugly. But unlike those who merely shrug their shoulders and count the days until judgement is brought upon them, I choose to retain hope. I don’t see DOOMSDAY painted on every wall. I don’t see wars and massacres as inevitable. I believe that our issues can be resolved. I believe that Indo-Pak tension can ease, that the Middle East crisis can lead to an amicable resolution, that the rise of other superpowers including China and India can bring balance rather than further disorder to a world where the U.S. is seen as both the caring parent and the unruly dictator. I sustain this belief because I feel that we as a race are as capable of good as we are of evil. Every Hitler is followed by a Martin Luther King Jr., every Babar by an Akbar. Almost every conflict we observe today stems from decades if not centuries of hurt and suffering. Even amidst the crusades there were periods when peace reigned over Jerusalem when both Christians and Muslims were granted rights to worship in the Holy Land. Decades of dictatorship and open massacres ended in the 90s with the 1 moment of reason and sanity on the part of Mikhail Gorbachev that ended the erratic Soviet rule and gave freedom to the people chalk out their own borders. With human history itself bearing witness to our ability to see reason when pushed to the crossroads, why should it be considered foolhardy to nurture hope?

Rewinding to the Holocaust

The subject of this post, I assume, is made very clear by the title. Recent events in the Middle East have brought back vivid memories of a time when a race of people endured the worst form of torture and persecution in mankind's history. The only difference between the events of 70 years ago and the previous 2 weeks, are that the victims have turned the aggressors.

The vile and despicable military action undertaken by the Israeli regime over the past 2 weeks serves as a reminder to people across the world, especially us in India, that harbouring feelings of vengeance can yield unimaginable havoc! Any kid on the street could tell you that a war in which the deaths of only a handful of Israelis is countered by the massacre of a thousand Palestinians is little short of genocide! The term "overly-aggressive" hardly suffices. With the highest population density of any region in the world, Israel knew that collateral damage and civilian casualties could never be contained if a ground offensive were launched in Gaza. The military leadership was either too stupid or too indifferent to care! The latter theory makes greater sense to me. What confounds me even more is the extent to which the United States can back Israel, even as it commits such atrocities! The U.N. Security Council makes the right noises, but its words fall on deaf ears, and yet, Israel is not evicted from the U.N. or punished for grossly disrespecting its orders! Other countries around the world, with the exception of a few, remain mute spectators. Palestine is left alone, and the Gazans have no hand to reach out to for aid! They live in abject poverty, their livelihood and economy crippled by the economic blockades imposed by Israel and the rest of the world. Without basic healthcare, sanitation and reeling under near-famine due to an acute scarcity of food, their suffering is unlike that of any race currently existing! A lead sky envelopes their present and their future, and yet the world does little but watch!

Post the 26-11 attacks, statements emerged from Israel saying that both India and Israel are bonded in grief, both victims of a remorseless and resilient terror! That assessment could not be further than the truth. India is a nation built on the foundation of non-violence and non-alignment. We have never played the part of the aggressor in any of the wars in our past, and have never sought to annex our neighbours, even though some of them now export terrorists by the dozen across our borders. The same though, cannot be said of Israel.

As my frustration at this collective failure of human conscience grows, a friend's summary of the events of the past 2 weeks gives me a fresh new perspective : "You believe in a God who is always non-violent and peace-loving and who is "goody-good", but some wars, and some conflicts, are justified even by God. Though he doesn't promote violence between his creations, God does consider some causes to be worth the bloodshed. This hatred and conflict between the Palestinians (or Phillistines) and the Israelites dates back more than 2000 years, as is said in the Bible. The treatment meted out to the Palestinians today by Israel is no different from that which was borne by the Israelites when their land was first conquered! This is no atrocity, it is only a case of Hamas using the pick of its arsenal : the Kathyusha Rocket, and Israel its F-16s, to carry on a war that may never end! The ratio of casualties is irrelevant, only the act of war counts." This friend is by no means a devil. He is, by my interactions with him, a very likeable and good natured person and a fervent follower of his faith, but some of his views, particularly this one, truly shock me! There is no God of War, and if there were, then I'd rather turn atheist than bow down to his feet and sing his praises. No God justifies the killing of innocents at the behest of self-righteous political regimes weilding the staff of religion to rally support!

This chat, however informal it may have been, caused alarm bells to sound loud and clear in my head. This is not a religious dispute, and nor should be made out to be so! It is the cry of a people removed from their own land after the Jews sought an independent state, to seek refuge after the holocaust : It is a cry of desperation for a small state of Palestine, to be recognized by one and all and given its due place in world forums! Hamas is a terrorist organisation, and even though my sympathies for Israel have all but dissolved by now, Hamas shall never have my sympathies either. An organisation whose sole purpose of being is the destruction of Israel should be denied both the importance and the dignity that they seek. The world has no place for such narrow-minded people to be given the chance to air their views in public forums! Yet, the more the people of Palestine are pushed to the brink of complete genocide, the deeper the roots of fundamentalism will grow in the minds of the people, and so too will the support for Hamas multiply!

It's time for the world to realize the urgency required in dealing with the Middle East Peace Process. Half-hearted declarations of temporary ceasefires will not do. Citizens across the world may protest these massacres, but our governments remain inept and incapable of taking action!
The suffering of the people of Gaza cannot be allowed to continue, for they will only aid in the spread of extremism in the Muslim world and destroy all efforts to maintain peace and order around the world!

Glory to the New-born King...........

Christmas, and religion as a whole, have their beauty entwined in the different meanings that they bear for each individual. To those who have lost their near and dear in the several instances of violence over the past year, it is a day to help kick-start their healing process, that the wounds of the past no longer cloud their futures. To wide-eyed children, the pinnacle of innocence, it is just another annual celebration in a country whose yearly calendar is littered with them. Then there are those like me, who, staying away from home, use this time to catch up with friends and family alike, to cuddle up in the warm blanket of familiarity before returning to a still-foreign city. To some, the gifts and material value of the holiday bear more significance, while for others, the spirit of the occasion remains supreme in their hearts.


I read a wonderful article in the editorial section of the Hindu today, which forms part of the inspiration behind this post. The other inspirations include my own experiences as well as talks with Joel, a fellow hosteler with whom I tend to spend many hours discussing matters theological in nature. Christmas, to any Christian, is the celebration of the noblest sacrifice : the act of a father sacrificing the life of his only begotten son, to help reform and bring back to the fold, his beloved sheep who had strayed away from his flock. According to my faith, had this sacrifice not been made, the fate of you and I in the after-life would have been sealed long before either one of us could prove his worth to the Creator. "He sent me Christ, because he loved me before my eyes could see" : this, in the most concise manner, conveys the emotions that every Christian feels on this auspicious day. To allow a world of sinners to seek redemption, God sent his son Jesus, the very personification of a true child of God, in human form, that others may listen to him, see him, touch him, and hence, yearn to be like him, so that they, as He, could be assured of their place in the new Jerusalem. Yes, you can point out certain points where the Bible contradicts known science, but that is the case with every Holy Book. Whether you choose to accept it at face-value or argue with it until the day of reckoning arrives is your own choice, but for me, this much can never be questioned, because Christ was not the figment of anyone's imagination. His life was documented by thousands of individuals who could yield no possible gain from spreading lies. The propagation of the word of God was hindered in different parts of the world by different kings, and those who dared to be a part of it were cruelly prosecuted, yet the religion survives and prospers today because the word of God cannot be suppressed.

Though at times, the significance of the holiday may appear to be diluted by the growth of its commercial side, it is still as much relevant now as it was 2008 years ago. Regardless of one's faith, being a historical character, it cannot be argued that Christ was not only a Messiah for followers of the Christian faith, but also a role model for every human being on this Earth. During his short lifetime, he communicated the need for every individual to have his own personal connection with the Almighty. He spoke out against the Jewish clergy of the time, which, he believed, had corrupted the Abrahamic faith. He attacked the traders who used the House of God as a place of business. Sadly, a majority of our places of worship today seek to gain just as much financial revenue from their flock as the spiritual guidance they provide. Our faith in God should never depend on the teachings of bishops, mullahs, and pujaris, for very few truly understand and speak the word of God as he intends it. He was tempted by the same Satanic tendencies and urges which lead so many of us humans astray, yet his unshakeable faith in the Father in Heaven enabled him to rise above and rebuke them.

To leave the fate of such a loving, dutiful son in the hands of a swarm of sinners blinded by the temptations of Satan would seem unthinkable to us, yet God chose to make that sacrifice. His forgiveness and mercy knows no bounds. If we are to be worthy of his Love inspite of our several flaws, then the life of Jesus Christ, for all mankind, should be the measuring stick for our own journeys through life.

Christmas is an occasion to forget our worldly desires and ambitions and the headaches which accompany the task of achieving them. It is an occasion to celebrate our very own humanity, to celebrate the inner goodness in us which is otherwise overshadowed by our glaring flaws. It is a time to bestow upon all of humankind pure, naked love, comparable to that which the Messiah held in his heart for us the day he laid down his life on the cross! Through this incredible journey , we learnt how to live!

To one and all who may come across this blog, my heartfelt apologies that this post appears on this space so late on the night of the 25th of December. Having arrived home late from a trip to Kozhencherry, there could've been no other time! I hope you had a joyous Christmas, and wish that the coming year heralds even more memories to cherish than the one that will soon pass us by! May God bless us all!

" Hark! the herald angels sing

Glory to the new-born King!

Peace on earth and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,

Join the triumph of the skies;

With the angelic host proclaim

Christ is born in Bethlehem!

Hark! the herald angels sing

Glory to the new-born King! "

Tread Lightly !

A nation bays for blood as the memory of events 3 weeks ago linger on in the mind, igniting passions like never before. A newly-empowered media feeds off the public hunger for retribution, organizing shows and interviews with "expert" guests to analyse the road ahead, each pretending to be Prime-Minister-for-a-day!

While I respect the passions that have arisen among my countrymen post 26/11, a lingering fear at the back of my mind has grown into full-fledged panic : war cries can be heard from different corners, some subtle, and some hardly so! The aam aadmi may still consider bijli-sadak-paani to be of prime importance, as was evident from the results of recent assembly polls, but the intelligentsia which hold true power in this country, and whose voices are most loudly heard by a hard-of-hearing-bureaucracy, seem to have retribution firmly engraved in their minds.

Among the darkness, there is the need for voices of sanity to speak out as beacons of hope and change. Do not get swayed by the rhetoric of an increasingly reckless media and the ever-opportunistic political class. Our aims, and our demands, should remain clear, and beyond corruption! The focus of this administration, and of every other administration that follows, should be the overall security of its people : the rozi roti should not be separated from the need for protection against terrorist threats : both are equally important. Our coastlines are vulnerable, our police force poorly trained and ill-equipped, our borders porous, our intelligence agencies clueless and our citizens unaware : Internal security should remain the prime concern for our government at this juncture : to ensure that lapses of the sort that occurred in relation to the Mumbai attacks are never again repeated! Attacks will occur in the future, without doubt, for we live in a world of conflicting ideologies, where the values of tolerance and understanding grow increasingly scarce! Limiting their scope, and saving as many lives as possible, is, however, the duty and obligation of the ruling class.

The issue of Pakistan, and who truly is in control, is complex, and to be treated with care. What concerns me is the lacksadaisical manner in which the media, with expert panels featuring actors, singers, NGOs and CEOs, attempts to peek into the future to predict the nature of the response that will/should emerge from the government! Since when have these faces developed such vast skills in international diplomacy? They are entitled to their opinion, as is every citizen of this nation, but for them to pose as policy-makers in a media-concocted fantasy is simply ridiculous! From the chaiwallah down the street to your favourite barber, every citizen of this country feels he/she knows what must be done to solve this country's problems. But when the onus is upon them, the vast majority of them fail to come up with any coherent policy to bring about this "change" we seek : we speak from experience, because we HAVE elected a lot of these chaiwallahs to office, and bear the brunt of our folly today!

Exercising military force should NEVER....and I repeat... SHOULD NEVER come under consideration. To restrain from such brute force is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of maturity! In dark times, it is all-too-simple to propagate violence than to propagate peace. Our response must remain measured. Diplomatic pressure from different corners, economic sanctions, trade embargos will force the Pakistani government to tow the Indian line. This will ensure that the fledgeling government of Pakistan, regardless of the manner in which it was formed and the nature of elections conducted, remains relevant. The ISI and the Pakistan Army may be beyond the control of the Pakistani civillian government, but for India to discredit the authenticity and to undermine the authority of this government is to play into the hands of the Army. Air strikes against terrorist camps and installations may yield short-term gains, but ultimately, will only do our cause greater harm! The Taliban and Pashtuns which control much of Pakistan's Western Front, could possibly unite with the Army under the banner of "Pakistani nationalism". The Pakistan Army has shown in the past its overwhelming lust for power : should the democratic government of Pakistan be undermined domestically and internationally any further, the situation may yet arise once again! The Pakistan Army would then be able to focus on the Indian border, rather than being distracted by the losses incurred during its current internal battle with the militant tribes in the Western Areas. The Army would exercise every resource under its disposal, including nuclear arms, to ensure victory. A nuclear exchange is a conflict that the sub-continent, and the world at large cannot afford! Though we may prove victorious in the long haul, the loss of lives will be too great to allow any sense of jubilation! Let us not deploy our armed forces with the same sort of reckless abandon that has led America into the quagmire that is the Iraq War.

The deaths of innocents and of security personnel during those 3 horrific days affected every one of us, and with due respect to those who lost parents, children, friends and neighbours in the attacks, though their grief may be incomprehensible to people like me, to adopt an "eye-for-an-eye" approach would be devastating to world peace. A single misstep could send the region hurtling towards decades of instability! This is no time to give in to machoistic or jingoistic urges! It is a time to tread lightly, to absorb selectively the information we receive from the media, to separate the objective report from the emotional outcry that may or may not be truly honest, and develop informed opinions. This must not be our 9/11, but rather, our own, distinct 26/11, characterized by a measured and calculated response for the world to admire and emulate! Our increased significance in a multi-polar world bestows upon us an increased responsibility to promote harmony among the nations of the world, and it is a responsibility we CANNOT shirk!

26/11 - Anarchy Re-defined

It's been more than a week since the events that unfolded in the Maximum city shook the country. The tardiness in my response is regretted. Simply put, it's taken me the whole of these past 11 days to absorb the event in its entirety, the ramifications and the road ahead. The kind of enclosed world in which I currently reside, in my first year in college, obviously did not hasten my response. The wave of emotions that swept me with each passing moment made it especially difficult to gather my thoughts. Briefing anyone on the events that occurred isn't my purpose, for anyone with a radio or television in this country probably caught 72 hours of uninterrupted coverage and is tired of being reminded of the horrific scenes splashed across the front page of every newspaper.

It seems every time the city of my birth makes news, it does so for all the wrong reasons. A month and a half ago, it was an arrogant, gutless Raj Thackeray who drew deep wedges into the cosmopolitan fabric of Mumbai in a bid to garner political mileage. The frighteningly ruthless terror attacks only compounded the sense of misery I feel every time I reminisce about the city I grew up in, and the state it is in now.

The anger in the air is palpable. An urge to set things right with our democracy can be felt in the hearts of every mind. As citizens, while remembering the sacrifices of our valiant NSGs and policemen and giving them the honour due to them, our duty remains to utilize this as an opportunity to unite inspite of our petty differences in caste,creed,religion or ideology. The need for reform at every level is evident even to the layman. From the chaiwala around the corner, to our favourite filmstar, to the cash-rich CEO, everyone has his own set of ideas ; his own demands of the government on what must be done. The fierce passion that this attack has produced in the minds of our people should be channeled in constructive ways. Questions must be raised of the government in power. The media cannot be our only voice in a working democracy.

The ideals of democracy, rather than withering away, should be re-inforced by this attack. The government, should at every level, maintain its composure in relation to foreign affairs. Though the tendency remains to exercise the military option against our fair-weather friend across the border, the offer must never be placed on the table. A conflict between the only two nuclear-armed states of the sub-continent will beget only more violence, hatred and bloodshed which will benefit no-one other than the vile dogs perpetrating it from their hideouts along the Afghan-Pak border and in camps in POK. The democracy of Pakistan, freshly restored, is still a fledgeling in relation to ours, and hence must be pressured diplomatically rather than placed at gunpoint. It is common knowledge that the government of Pakistan is not the sole power centre in the country. Let us not doubt the will of the Pakistani people to nurture better relations with us. While I agree with the suspension of trade talks and CBM proposals until concrete action is taken by the government of Pakistan to aid in the investigation and arrest of the persons responsible for the attack, allowing the peace process in itself to die out should never be considered. The stability,safety and security of the region depends too heavily on the peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues between our two nations.

At the domestic front, the single most important that must be ingrained into the mind of every politician in this country, be they of the BJP,BSP,INC,Left or any other goddamn school of ideology, is ACCOUNTABILITY. Considering that nearly 1000 Indians have become victims of terror in 2008 alone, why doesn't it come as a shock that the name "SHIVRAJ PATIL" was still associated with the post of Home Minister ? Did he, during his tenure, do anything besides blame intelligence failures for every attack and after a few weeks, conveniently forget about the very "loopholes" he claimed existed ? Why did the message take that long to reach home : "You're a lame duck with no ideas. Kindly raise your useless bottom off of the Minister's chair!" ? Why is Narendra Modi not put in his place by the public of Gujarat, for defiling the name of the now late Hemant Karkare when it suited his political agenda? Where is the gutless coward who claims to represent the "Marathi Manoos", terrorizes North Indians and seeks bail the very day he's arrested for his so-called "heroics"? Why does that vile scum choose to remain silent?

Our anger should not be directed towards our democracy or towards the political class as a whole : it should be channeled against those politicians who remain ineffective in power, spread hate among the masses, or simply are past the expiry date to the extent where changing their own medical insurance plan seems their most RADICAL new idea. We need new blood, new ideas, and fresh commitment on the part of our leaders. We need to let our own concerns and issues, and vision for the future for this country be known through the ballot as well as through a general movement towards greater political awareness. Modernisation of our forces, better pay-checks to our men, greater security for ordinary citizens, and not merely for VVIPs, diplomatic efforts to stamp out bases across the border, sincere efforts to check radical elements within our own nation. Though we may admit it or not, our own society is proving to be a breeding ground for disillusionment and frustration among minority communities upon which terrorism thrives. The youth of this country, given the same commitment as that being shown by the drug-addicted, gun-toting bastards who held Mumbai hostage for 3 days, can bring about a sea change in our democracy. As an individual, my first priority is to register to vote. I plan to try that as soon as the December holidays approach, possibly resorting to online registration at Jaagore.com . Having just turned 18, voting in the present elections might not be possible, but I certainly will vote in every one of the elections that follow. Furthermore, in the future, whenever memorials are held for this event, or protest marches are organized on a large scale in my city, I'd be among the first to sign up. If I ever get to do so, I'd even like to organize such events and gatherings : any way in which I felt I could, I'd speak up for myself. I don't mean to preach or lecture, that others may develop a slightly heightened sense of respect for me than they do at present. I speak from the heart, just as nearly 1 lakh citizens did on a dark November night by lighting candles to serve as beacons of hope in a dark time. I don't care if these ideas sound pathetic and insignificant in the broader scale of things, but they would mean a lot to me as an individual. Unless we take collective responsibility for our failures, our tag of being a "thriving, living democracy" will never truly bear any meaning. Power rests with the people, to delegate it to whoever they chose.

It is a time for peace, unity, solidarity and a renewed commitment to learn from our lapses and reform ourselves and our government to meet the challenges of being a constant terror target. The events of 26/11 may either prove a watershed in the history of our still-growing democracy and our battle against the forces of extremism, or merely another link in a chain of events that will lead to the disintegration of our nation and its decline to a new definition of anarcy.

I Love My Desi Girl

I suppose the title of the post gives away the main content. I've just returned from a screening of Dostana. The film earns a respectable 3 out of 5. It's an enjoyable watch, and would've probably been a better movie had the last 30 mins been different. The first half is incredibly funny, and the second half is good in parts, but senseless at times. Two songs, namely "Desi Girl" and "Jaane Kyun" are quite catchy, while the rest are simply average. In terms of acting, John Abraham and Bobby Deol are no better in terms of their expressions than what we've seen in the past. John looks impressively sculpted, but could make do with a more facial expressions to juggle with. Abhishek Bachchan, surprisingly, acts quite naturally, and gives full credibility to his role. Boman Irani and Kirron Kher play out their cameos superbly. The film is enjoyable due to the witty and slightly risque humour ( featuring mostly in the first half and used only sparingly in the second), and the good chemistry that the lead actors seem to share. The main selling point of this film for most people, inspite of surprise package Abhishek, would be Priyanka.

The last time an actress took my breath away in this manner was probably when I watched Jodha Akbar, featuring Aishwarya Rai wearing close to no make-up at all. Priyanka Chopra is simply breathtaking in Dostana. Her acting is fairly good, but her role, to be honest, is less challenging than that of the male leads. The movie made more physical demands of her than thespian ones. Still, there's no escaping the fact that she looks amazing. Captivating eyes, gorgeous hair and a breathtaking face : I don't bother to elaborate on her figure because it's probably the main selling point of the film, judging by the trailers and promos. She takes my breath away in every sequence of the film, especially her gentle smile during the brief crying scene. Simply put, this desi girl has no equal at the moment!

An Iron Hand is the Need of the Hour

It's deja vu for the city of Mumbai. Decades after the rhetoric machine named Balasaheb Thackeray first erupted onto the scene issung a doctrine of hate to incite violence and carnage across the state of Maharashtra, beta Raj is winding the clock back. The assault and persecution of outsiders has been a long-time favourite among the Shiv Sena's vote-gathering tactics. With the Shri Balasaheb's age catching up and the frail leadership of Udhdhav weakening the Sena's grasp on the state, Raj has begun to stoke the fires once again, hoping to draw away some of the votes that have helped the Shiv Sena form governments in the past. Taking on from where the "Me Mumbaikar" and Marathi sign-board campaigns left off, Raj's clarion call has already induced a few vicious attacks on north Indian workers, with more seemingly planned. This violence disturbs me greatly because the city in which I was born, and for which I still share great affection, is being led to the brink of chaos by a stark-raving lunatic.

Mumbai has always been a city that people in the nation look up to and aspire to be a part of. It is one of the few cities in the world that ensure that your dreams can come true if you persist with them. It is a cosmopolitan city, with an ethnically diverse population, unlike a few centuries ago when only Marathi-speaking people populated the land.Though the basis of Raj's argument : that people from outside Maharashtra should try to adapt to and learn from their surrounding Marathi culture rather than stay reserved to their own communities, is legitimate, his actions leave much to be desired. Outsiders do need to attempt to fit in as they move to the maximum city, by absorbing the local culture and learning the local tongue, and they should be encouraged to do so. However, this "encouragement" should never infringe on the fundamental rights of any Indian citizen, North,South, East or West Indian......

What are merely the deranged, remorseless rants of a vile despicable human being seeking only personal and party gain, are being seen by some loose sections of the populace as a call of identity. The same form of divisive and separatist dialogue have been heard from different corners of the country, Kashmir, the North-East, Telangana, and now, after the killing of Tamils in Sri Lanka, even Tamil Nadu. The survival of the Indian democracy is at stake. Even though the present UPA govt has done well to implement legislations such as RTI, NREGA and pushing through the Nuke Deal, it has been SHOCKINGLY poor on issues of internal harmony and security. The need of the hour is a strong central government that stands by the faith of the majority of the populace of a strong, free, united India. Separatism in any part of the country cannot be tolerated, as it will lead to a chain reaction in other states as well. India is a nation of diverse cultures, combining together in harmony to form a single identity. This diversity should be a cause for pride, not a cause for dissent, resentment and separatist tendencies.

Governments of the past as well as the current one have been reluctant to deal with such blatantly shameless vote-bank gathering by state parties. The concern of the Tamils for their cousins in Sri Lanka is justified, but under no circumstances should a state government place pressure on the Centre to alter its foreign policy. Extortion cannot be tolerated, and bluffs such as these should be called as soon as they erupt. The criminal named Raj Thackeray should be dealt with in the manner that Bala Saheb Thackeray should have been treated decades ago : lock up the cell door and throw away the key. There is no place in the world for mongrels who spew doctrines of hate from their foul mouths. Kashmir, being a long-standing debate, must be handled with care, but under no circumstances should the government allow the separatists to dictate terms to the Centre on the peace process. Separatists thrive on regionalism and communalism, and empty rhetoric is their most potent weapon. Unless India elects a Central Government that can dare to challenge their rhetoric and stand up for the idea of a unified India, the future one of the world's greatest democracies will remain shrouded in doubt. 

Carnage knows no limit!

Such posts, I realize, have begun to sound far too run-of-the-mill in the passing years, and though some bloggers would rather avoid such posts in the fear of boring their readership to death, I have my own resons for doing them, which I shall reveal later on in this same post!

A series of 5 serial blasts have rocked India's capital New Delhi, claiming 20 lives and injuring another 90 civilians in the process, according to current data : the figures, as you can perceive, are bound to change in the next 48 hours as several of the injured battle for life in various ICUs across the city.

I have gone to great lengths in previous posts to outline exactly how I feel about such mindless carnage, but the world seems intent on making me repeat myself : so I choose to focus on a parallel issue of the same ilk ! India is fast becoming a soft target for terrorism, and bomb blasts in metros no longer draw shock. After every such cowardly act, people in the media praise the population of the affected city for carrying on with their daily lives with utmost normalcy, and for "striking a firm blow to the miscreants looking to disrupt our daily patterns". Mumbai, in that regard, appears to be home to the country's most courageous people, followed closely by places such as Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, New Delhi and Varanasi. I have the deepest regard for people of these cities, but with all due respect, is it bravado that draws them back to their workplaces, or is it necessity?

The answer is simple : for 99.9% of this population, it is NEED! We simply cannot afford to live in fear in these competitive times. There is no alternative : living in fear in the sanctity of your home translates to hunger, and poverty! It's what drives everyday citizens in countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq to go on with their lives inspite of the frequent surges of violence. How do you expect India to be any different? I'll tell you what scares me most though : The fact that more and more people across the spectrum have come to ACCEPT it as a part of their daily lives. Yes, there is a need to restore normalcy as soon as possible after such meaningless acts of violence by fundamentalist psychopaths arrogant enough to believe that they read the Lord's intentions as clear as the night sky : but to be indifferent is to sacrifice our very humanity. The media is, to an extent, responsible for the growing apathy we observe among the masses. There are only so many times that a story can be recycled over and over again by an abundance of news channels before the viewer starts to lose interest. The outrage lasts only for a day, because the media itself is, for lack of a better term, ruthless, in its make-believe sympathy : delivering perhaps a couple of days of uninterrupted, repetitive coverage of an attack until the viewer is so disinterested that he'd prefer to watch an RGV Ki Aag for a second time......before moving on to stories of tiffs between film stars and UFO sightings and other inconsequential stories which seem to have greater appeal! No sincere follow-up is ever done : no detailing of the aftermath of these acts, no directives to the common man to help cope with such attacks, and identify miscreants who dare to plant bombs in broad daylight.

I write this post with a heavy heart. Not only has innocent blood been shed for the most illogical of reasons, but the soul of the country is itself perhaps withering away. The death-knell to my hopes was sounded by a political expert on one such channel, who dismissed the significance of this attack to the elections to be held in the city in 2 months' time, explaining simply : people have short memories. As part of the city reels under the after-shocks of the explosions, the other resumes its daily pattern, unaffected, and simply unconcerned!

I sincerely deny that I am a "holier than thou" sort of person. To an extent, the same apathy reflects in my own reaction to the blasts. My first concern remained the safety of my brother and my aunt living in the city : with their safety assured, the misery will probably fade within another 72 hours or so. Today, it seems terror fails to grip us unless it strikes DIRECTLY home, rather than close to it. Now, to why I really wrote this post : another 10 years down the line, when I would have a job, perhaps a family, and probably enough responsibilities to override any commitment I feel to my fellow man, I want to look back.......look back and see that there was a time when I DID care, there was a time when such incidents made my blood boil, and my heart race! I want to remember what it felt like to truly be human....My biggest fear, today and forever more, is to be swept up by the tide of indifference and inhumanity that's been gathering strength across the world with every passing year! You may call me an eternal pessimist or a "doomsday-prophesying maniac" for airing such views, but I'm only spelling out the misery and destruction I see all around me...only because I CARE to see, unlike many others! There is yet a fair deal of good in this world, but it is eroding fast, and will soon disappear completely, unless we introspect, and judge each other as harshly as our Lord himself would at the hour of judgement. I am no saint, but with the parents I have, I am obliged to be the best person I can be : and ten years down the line, I hope to still live up to that obligation!

Hail Manmohan!

The Indo-US Civilian Nuclear Agreement has attained a clean waiver from the NSG, with many in the country hailing the Prime Minister for sticking to his guns, and others labelling it as the surrender of our sovereignity! I don't claim to know all there is to know about the deal, but here's how much I've gathered so far :

The Nuclear Deal is set to enable trade in nuclear fuel between the US and India. Though the prime motive behind this deal is to ensure consistent fuel supply, there appears to be a difference in interpretation between the two governments with regard to testing. India does not wish to surrender its right to test, for namesake that it may need to in the future. FACT : A voluntary moratorium was signed after the tests in '98 by Prime Minister Vajpayee, seeing that no further tests were required : India had already the necessary expertise to generate nuclear weapons if the times called for such measures. It is this very same BJP that argues today that we need to maintain that right, which they'd chosen to voluntarily place on the backburner indefinitely. My simple question : WHY?? For a country that already has the required knowledge, and supports the cause of de-nuclearisation and disarmament, why would tests in the future be necessary, if not to make weapons even more sinister than the ones existing??? What crime would justify the kind of havoc that nuclear detonations wreaked on the towns of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 63 years ago? Has the world not come to its senses that weapons of such potential should never be considered an option, regardless the scenario? Even in the face of whatever hell Pakistan chooses to unleash in desperate bids at destabilising the country, would/should we EVER consider the nuclear solution?

FACT : The NSG Waiver enables India to undertake nuclear commerce with the US, as well as other suppliers such as France and Russia, to create a stable supply to our generators! Regardless of whether the US opts to cut off supply IN THE EVENT of a NUCLEAR TEST, commerce can still be continued with other nations, if independent deals with them are negotiated! India has a very limited deposit of Uranium, and hence, internal supply in itself, cannot be sustained for long!

The naysayers to the deal make the following claims :

1) Nuclear Energy, in China, accounts for 6% of the total energy output. Energy security can never be attained through it. ANSWER : Aiming to increase our capacity in one alternative source of energy is better than none at all. 6% of India's energy need is still a significant amount, and will give India the kind of cushion required to develop other, still cleaner sources.

2) India's sovereign foreign policy has been compromised. ANSWER : The 123 Agreement does not mention an immediate cease to fuel supply in case India conducts a test, but states that the decision will be discussed over a period of a year, taking into consideration the circumstances that may cause India to take such a drastic step. As a test seems unlikely, even this clause may never truly come to bear significance!

Let us consider the rammifications of this deal on the political scenario of the country. The Congress and the UPA have not garnered the trust of any vote-bank by this victory : the Nuclear Deal is low on the priorities of the common man. Over the past several months, it has given the Opposition a chance to criticize every aspect of its policies, an opportunity which they've accepted with open arms! What would the Congress have to GAIN by misleading the country? To me, the answer is clear. The past year has been little but a political charade on the part of the Opposition, attempting to crush the valour and spirit of the only true visionary left in the political establishment today! The Opposition has resolved to petty mud-slinging, calling the deal Anti-Indian for deceiving the nation, Anti-Aam Aadmi for ignoring the common man's plight in pursuit of the deal, and even Anti-Muslim for establishing nuclear trade with the US! The Opposition, being the minority in the House, represents neither of these three constituencies of which it speaks! The truth, is that the Prime Minister and the Government have gone against their better political instincts and backed a deal which they realised will benefit the nation in years to come, but might cost them the next General elections. They've dared to tread a path filled with persistent Opposition thorns, but persevered! The Prime Minister, particularly, deserves acclaim for the integrity and dignity with which he has held his post, even in the face of some truly despicable remarks from the Opposition about the devaluation of his post in the past 4 years! This deal will do a lot more good to our young democracy than bad! To you, Mr. Prime Minister......JOB WELL DONE!

Golden Eye

After 2 Olympic disappointments, Abhinav Bindra finally came through with a historic Olympic gold medal for India, its first ever in individual competition at the Olympic stage. There isn't much I can add that most of you by now would've already heard as each television channel salivates over the TRPs to be gained from this achievement! However, to let this event go unnoticed and unadressed would be criminal. Years of toil and struggle have paid off. The country has a new sporting idol, a child prodigy who attended his first Olympic Games at the age of 17 in Sydney. He remained calm under great pressure, and exceeded the expectations of an undeserving nation. He's made us proud and gifted us with a great honour inspite of the several hurdles we've thrown in his and other Olympians' paths.

It filled my heart with great joy to witness the last shot of the final live on Doordarshan. Tied with the Finn shooter Hakkinen before the final shot, the distractions and fears he faced must have been great. But the very fact that he shot 10.8, the highest by any shooter in the final, in his last attempt, proves his mettle and temperament. The national anthem and the hoisting of the flag truly caused my chest to expand with pride and joy. There is little more I can say, other than THANK YOU.......Thank you Abhinav, for giving every Indian a reason to celebrate, for reminding us the strength of will-power, for reminding us of how much further our Olympians can go with greater support, and for making the 15th of August that much more special. You deserve a parade in your honour around New Delhi on your return! Kudos, and may God bless you!

"First World Policing With Third World Money"

Watching a televised debate on NDTV on the "New Face Of Terrorism", I came across this delicious quote, attacking the inexplicable expectations of a population which fails to make public safety in this country a major election issue. The orator pondered over how we, as Indians,  expect thorough-bred policemen at our service, inspite of the obvious shortfalls in funding and equipment. Post-independence, every terrorist attack that has rocked the nation has been blamed on 2 major "culprits" : a) the ISI and the Pakistan Government which, in the past, promoted cross-border infiltration, and today, perhaps, have lost all control over the extremist elements which they bred in the hopes of promoting the "freedom struggle" of the state of J&K b) Inefficient policing and a grave lapse on the part of the intelligence agencies. 

Let us analyse both these causes. a)The fact that Pakistan for years has been a breeding ground for extremists is a known fact, and even though the world has been presented evidence on numerous occasions, they have chosen to ignore India's warnings until now. The dictatorship of Gen. Musharraf has come to an end, and the newly-elected democratic government in Pakistan faces a tough task in garnering complete control over the Pakistan Army. Pakistan has never truly had a single seat of power : rather, it has had an assortment of power players each wielding their own clout among separate departments of the government, or even among the armed forces. The new government will require our patience and understanding if it is to turn good intentions into positive results on the ground. Though the casualties are mounting, a disruption in the peace process will have far greater consequences for the stability of the region! While we must stress that the Pakistan government understand its responsibilities, we must not pressure them to breaking point, as the eyes of the world are already on Pakistan!

b)The most concrete step that we can take to ensure that the carnage we have witnessed over the past 2 weeks in Ahmedabad and Bangalore, and a few months ago in Jaipur is not repeated is to bolster the protectors of this country's laws. The police force have long been condemned as being corrupt,inefficent and ill-equipped, and with terrorism looming large, it is high time we enhance our funding to the nation's police force. The script of modern-day tragedies reads along familiar lines : every attack is followed by a lecture on how each state is responsible for its own police force, and how the Centre provides help only if asked. Lame-duck excuses are conjured out of thin air to explain our obvious vulnerability. India is a nation, and not merely a union of states : perhaps its time we demand greater efforts from the Central government in ensuring the safety and security of our citizens. The need for greater legislation is dwarfed by the need for stricter enforcement of existing laws! Our ratio of citizens to policemen is among the lowest in the world. The failure of the services to draw able bodied young men is the lack of technical assistance, along with financial support which is far too meagre compared to the dangers they now face. Service to the nation cannot come at the cost of tending to your family. Training facilities are inadequate and forensic labs are in short supply. Facing foes and threats which are technologically superior, it's no wonder that our policemen are found wanting. None of the blasts in the past 3 and a half years have yielded results even after prolonged investigations. The demand for better funding for our security must be voiced loud and clear, and made a priority before the coming General Elections. Only then will the elected government heed our call. How long can we ignore the problem inspite of having identified it decades ago? Along with the emphasis on policing, the public itself must be educated on the need to stay alert. Neighbourhood watch programmes, which encourage citizens to report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station, can prove HIGHLY effective in preventing attacks. It is political will as well as the will of the public which will determine our success in eliminating the threat of terrorism! We've met with success in the past, wiping out the Khalistani separatists who'd terrorized Punjab for decades. It was political will that enabled our victory back then, and it is political will which will help counter the fresh threat of terrorism we face today!

The Peak of Cowardice

A combined total of nearly 22 low-intensity explosions within 48 hours, disrupting normal life in two important and highly vulnerable urban centres of the country : Bangalore, the IT Hub of the nation, and highly influential to its economic progress, and Ahmedabad, tortured by a history of communal violence! India is fast becoming a soft target for the world's scum!

The blasts are undoubtedly aimed at spreading terror and panic among the multi-cultural Indian society. Rather than attack the giant, blossoming tree that is this nation head on, they choose to attack its very roots.....the ideals of democracy and secularism. Though such incidents of violence seem to have become the norm in a world where vice comes with attractive labels ranging from "service to the community", "service to the nation".....or even more sickening, "service to God". I simply fail to understand how some people have the AUDACITY to declare themselves to be comparable to the right hand of God....ordained the power to judge other mortals and servants of God! With their narrow-minded, hateful vision of the world, they declare war on "blasphemers" and "disbelievers", all the time serving their prejudices, rather than any God! These are not men of religion, but dogs....vile,cruel,rabid dogs whose bloodlust defies logic. Their actions glorify no God, and serve no constructive purpose.

At times, I feel rendered near-passive by the frequency of such attacks. But this attack has driven away all such thought. For the first time in living memory, terrorists have targeted hospitals! HOSPITALS.......Of all the depths to which this human race has dropped in front of my very eyes, this is arguably the WORST. We are often confounded by documents highlighting the kingdoms of the past, where violence was far too common, dictatorship the law of the land, and peasant rights a distant dream. We wonder how people saw sense in trusting their land in the hands of a single family, how they accepted war as a means to glory, how they remained loyal to the very hand that crushed their dreams.........................But now, FAR more disturbing than any of these ridiculous concepts, is the "glory" and "honour" which these filthy, shameless cowards seek by attacking the very sanctum to which the sick, the wounded and the weary turn to for help! What "honour" do you find in causing burns to a cripple, gashes to the arm of a HIV+ child, and scars to the temple of a leper???....What "glory" do you find in destroying the lives of the diseased, who remain helpless to fight for them? The blood charting its course through my veins boils with rage at the thought of such vile, despicable creatures......if ever the rapture does occur, with every fibre in my being, I would pray that these sons of the devil be burnt in the fires of hell for eternity! The right hand of the Lord shall smite those who inflict pain upon his creations in his name and dare to pass judgement when HE alone, is entitled to!

Answering The Omnipresent Question

There are few topics which puzzle man as much as religion. My views on the subject have varied greatly with every passing stage of my life. The views I share today need not be the same I shall adhere to several years down the line. I believe one's understanding of this complex subject should never remain constant, but should evolve, similar to the physical and emotional evolutions which we undergo with the passing of time. A rigid, uncompromising view of one's faith causes only spiritual stagnation, and the rise of blind faith, irrational fervour and superstition.

I am a Christian(Marthomite, to be precise) by birth, and largely by choice as well. I am neither a regular church-goer, nor am I addicted to gospel music. I neither fancy large religious conventions, nor adhere to every religious custom as told to me by others. In the eyes of the world, I may appear a pretender, a hypocrit, or even an atheist......the clergy would probably foresee a future for me among the "eternally damned" ! These labels rest as light as feathers against my shoulders.

To my eyes, all religions are equal, not because secularism is among the favourite terms used by the educated class, but because I believe all religions are based on the same principle. All religions believe in the existence of a supernatural being, far beyond our understanding, one who gives life and takes it away, and one who judges us once Death wraps its cold, sinister claws around us. All religions believe that the people of the world are the creation of the Almighty, and as an inherent duty to their Maker, they are to follow guidelines of behaviour to live in civil society. In Christianity, these would be the Ten Commandments, the ten rules meant never to be broken by a true devotee. They form the backdrop of the morals we feel should be developed in every good human being.

Is God to be feared?? If your fear does not overpower your affection towards him, then it may strengthen your faith. Else, to fear your loving,forgiving Father would only serve to distance yourself from him! I, personally, fear the Lord, to the extent that my prayers are never half-hearted.....they are always true, and honest to the way I feel, and my faith is thus embellished! Do I believe in miracles or unearthly powers??? Definitely, because it would be arrogant to assume that there were no forces in this world beyond our understanding. Does God turn a blind eye to the heinous crimes we see today??? It is easy to blame the problems of today on a seemngly negligent God, as easy as it is to blame corruption and dishonesty on the government we help elect. The world we live in is governed by his rules, yet, what we do with it is our will entirely. Anarchy reigns supreme in parts of the world today due to our inaction, and our inability to control the powers He has granted to us. Yet, ultimately, our actions decide our fate during the final judgement! Do I believe in destiny, or a life that is scripted before it unfurls??? No, for the same reason I find claims of God's supposed "negligence" preposterous....The Lord gives us abilities with careful thought, hoping with due faith, that his children make best use of the gifts granted to them! Else, what is life??? Is it merely a re-enactment of a play directed by Him? Is it not, instead, a trial ground, a test to gauge the purity of your soul, and your ability to choose the higher path in times of turmoil?

To me, one's faith should serve the purpose of establishing a heart-to-heart connection with the One you decree as your father in heaven! If you truly believe in his existence, speak to him with an open heart, share your troubles and sorrows, and do your best to live your life as closely to his ideals as possible, then your faith serves a purpose. It is virtually impossible to avoid sin, yet, it is possible to regret,repent, and aim to improve. It is possible to strive each day to root out each undesirable quality in your character, and to yearn to be a better person. Your faith need not involve complex rituals, or unnecessary practices. When you are secure about your own faith, outward demonstrations of it are unnecessary.....after all, if God knows all and can truly read your noble heart, is it truly necessary to prove it through such gestures? The practice of attending Sunday Mass ( Friday prayers or temple visits to others) is, however, very important, for I believe bonding among people is as important as bonding with God himself. It promotes social harmony and unity, and is a healthy practice. I, myself, hope to inculcate this habit in myself soon......the only thing holding me back is laziness, and a tendency to sustain my practices from over the years. PRAYER, is however, the backbone of faith. It is only through prayer that you can truly communicate with God, and the more you ignore it, the more incomplete and meaningless life appears to be. A prayer need not be complex, or all-encompassing, but should only include what you truly needs to communicate......pray for God's forgiveness for the sins you would have committed, for God's strength to help you to never commit them again, and for guidance, that you may always do what is right!

The REWARD??? The sense of warmth and personal gratification which you feel, every time you fulfill a promise or lend a helping hand, is a blessing from God. There are times, when one is deeply troubled, when devoted prayer, for 15 minutes even, leaves you with a sense of comfort. You are filled with an unknown courage, a need to test the gifts that God may/may not have granted you. Above all, rather than groan about your misfortunes or the cruelties of life, you are left convinced that every experience serves a purpose, teaches you more about life and inches you closer to Him. A consistent prayer life can do wonders for your well-being, both physical and spiritual. It keeps you sane in the darkest of times, and serves as a beacon of hope that is never flickers even in the strongest of winds.

Rationalists belittle religion as an illogical means to fulfill a very human need : the need to feel protected when one fears to take responsibility for his own existence. If religion is properly interpreted, it serves the purpose of turning us into better people, by following the laws laid down by Him. If we were to understand and uphold the core values of our religion instead of immersing ourselves into the interpretation of its finest details, communal violence would cease to be a concern in our cities and towns. It becomes a plague upon society only when fervour is misguided by flawed interpretation of the good book, leading pious young men to the arrogant conclusion that they alone, understand its meaning, and are pre-ordained to carry out his judgement on a negligent and corrupt population! For men to consider themselves worthy to pass judgement on others is despicable, for it cripples the very basis of our faith!

It is my belief that each person must chart out his OWN journey back to the arms of the Lord. Rather than succumbing to societal pressures or the interpretations of a select few, one must broaden one's horizon to develop one's individual view of the world, and the objective of one's life! Your faith should bear meaning to you.....your fervour etrenched firmly in its roots, rather than in the preachings of others.

True faith need not conform to society's rules, but only to His rules!