60 hrs, 250+ dead and the peace shattered again. It's Mumbai this time. But here’s what’s going to happen. Glowing tributes will be showered upon the brave men of the armed forces who laid down their lives, we the Indians will fulminate for a good week or so… and then we will be back to our mundane lives. Just waiting for our peace to be shattered again. Maybe not all of us. The kin of the 250+ dead will have another path to take. The one of reconciling with the fate that their loved ones went out that day and never came back alive.
It is needless to say that this would be a good time to cut all relations with our neighbor and possibly go start a war too. It would be a great idea if we could pinpoint terror camps sitting in PoK and elsewhere on the soil of our neighbor and give them a 24 hr ultimatum to eliminate these facilities. Failure to comply would allow us a reason to respond in a manner deemed fit to protect our sovereignty. I guess most of the camps are within 150 km of our borders. I wonder what a 1000 kgs of napalm laden Prithvi missiles could do to these camps. I guess we won’t see that. Guess that takes a Texas governor who ends up as President of a nation which does that. But what we need the most, beyond wishful thinking, are the lessons learnt in this incident. All the mistakes that occurred in the run-up to this day need to be rectified. Some of those were seemingly so easily “duh you didn’t?”
Start with the response. The ATS chief had to ask his men to arrange for a bulletproof vest. Arrange? Doesn’t every man in the ATS have full battle gear? Then the hotels. The terrorists had enough ammunition to battle out 60 hrs? Unconfirmed reports say they stockpiled the weapons beforehand. Ever heard of X-ray systems? Those scan baggage at the airport? How about the police response to the Cama location. Residents had to get help from Navy barracks first after the police was a no-show for over an hour. This from a police force of a city that is regularly targeted by terrorism? The NSG did a great job but the big question. Why did they have to wait to get to the city (and reportedly travel to the locations by BEST buses) before taking stock of the situation? Ever heard of computers and internet which could have been used to give details of the plan and layout of their targets while they were airborne? Lastly, waiting for day break to storm the hotels. Why doesn’t the team have night vision goggles? And don’t tell me that the US is not ready to sell them. If the terrorists can procure weapons illegally, what’s stopping us from getting this kind of gear? Questions questions… I don’t see them answered, hope someone does try to.
The problem with countering terrorism in the guerilla form of warfare is that it is hard to counter beforehand and even harder when it is ongoing. The objective of each individual involved in the attack was to take lives. Our forces were put on back foot since their primary objective would have been to save those lives. Instead, if they were instructed to eliminate the hostile threat, irrespective of the loss of life, we could have sent back a stronger message and achieved a faster response. But such an approach would only be useful if we were also able to ensure that the masterminds would not be able to walk away alive and our leaders would ensure retribution at a later date. Given that our leaders are not capable of this, we should be happy with the lower body count. A small compromise for our inability to go elect the right people into power and opposition.
Bottom line is… extremism works… because the greatest human weakness is that we can be convinced too easily to kill or be killed for the flimsiest cause. Maybe the answer would be systematic elimination of individuals who preach extremism. Or maybe we missed something about the Gandhian message about non-violence and peace. If only the people with nothing to lose had something to cherish, something they would not want to lose, we could see a change. That would somehow make the idea of 72 virgins in Paradise not exactly the most lucrative one. Till then, if Paradise is where they want to go, let’s give them a helping hand!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Banquet Hall View
I once saw a Venus Fly trap. That, it’s a carnivorous plant, however fails to detract an onlooker's attention from its captivating beauty. Those violet tendrils snaking from its interiors execute a graceful arc, almost Victorian in nature, & puts to shadow its murky intent of trapping any unsuspecting insects in those cushy pods.I was struck by the conflicting nature of the interpretation of an image and the truth that lay miscast beneath. It was the case of judging an alligator by the handbag made from it. Its apparent beauty would have never provided an inkling of the viciousness of the beast. Most of us sadly remain contended with the impression garnered from the handbag. They remain satisfied with a banquet hall view of life, one wherein comfort meets intellect and between the two fashion a world that apparently highlights the pinnacle of our progress.Six years back, a tragedy shook the nation and six years hence, its repercussions, amongst other things, lifted that banquet view from my eyes. I would not get into the analysis of the right and wrong, the accused and the misrepresented of Godhra. We have had ample evidence of that, thanks to the likes of Tehelka and others. If there is one conclusion that can however be solidly evidenced from all reports, it is that the truth - the cold, factual, absolute truth has been banished in a dark corner shorn of any identity and recognition. Nobody would lay their hands on it in an era of Goebbelsian propaganda for each has a motive, allegedly far higher than adopting an orphan called truth.What I however would like to highlight are two factors - namely, the media assuming the right arm of anarchy, and the state of a nation whose collective conscience could do with a much besought wake up call.The much touted media of our nation could perhaps do well to revisit the roots in which its principles lie enshrined. The tenets of just and equitable coverage of events have been dispatched with such impunity that it makes one wonder just how sinister must the underbelly of such a system be, that could coerce an institution so mighty as the media to submission. In sync with the powers to be, they fanned the rage emanating from the smoldering ruins of an express train in 2002 by publishing graphic images and fanciful tales that could churn the knots of the stomach of even the most hardened veterans. What followed was unsurprising. 2000 Indians, mind you, not Muslims, Christians, Sikhs or Hindus, but Indians were massacred. 2000 lives were extinguished in an act of unparalleled savagery. Surely, no God would have permitted this. Surely, no conscience would have tolerated this. Then, how is it, that we, as a nation, one that is apparently recognized as a tolerant and progressive one, can live with this in our conscience?Which brings me on to the second factor emerging from our "tolerant ambience".I once walked on a street in Mumbai that served to be a microcosm of what Indians have become today. One side of the street sported a mansion of a hotel, resplendent as much in its splendor as in the ostentation of the guests thronging it. Across the other side lay a shack of hovels with rickety people scuttling about them and gathering fuel for their waiting chulhas. The stark antithesis of the two worlds lay in the utter lack of acknowledgement each had for the other. I suppose, while this particular case could perhaps be excused owing to the existing paradigms, what puzzles me the silence that seems to choke every sane mind in the face of events of the likes of the Godhra tragedy.From brutal gang rapes of members of a community (Orissa) to daylight massacres of dalits (Khairganj), from inflammatory speeches that incite such blithe acts to the barbarism of its executions (everywhere) , the covers that clouded the shimmering hatred of each group (Its shameful to realize that we have degenerated into being just "groups") seems to be coming off and every ghetto is giving vent to their collective rage. We have seen all this and in what can be perhaps the most appalling transgression of justice, have chosen to remain silent about it. We chose to blind ourselves to the savagery of the state's machinations and in doing so gave the dogma "see no evil" & "hear no evil" an entirely new meaning, one, that its creator would have been profoundly ashamed of. Let no soul overlook the fact that when stripped of the layers of justification every leader, religious and/or political has applied to such dastardly acts, they remain in its basest form, remnants of the primeval human wants & needs satiated at the expense of innocence as well as, on a holistic basis, the progress of the state.And yet, hope springs forth, alike a lonely geyser spraying atop a rocky plateau. In pockets, from outrage at the spurious claims made by the Nanavati commission, to the hundreds of unknown faces working tirelessly to apply the balm of love and care on those mutilated wounds, inflicted as much upon the psyche as on the skin, that nurse faint hopes of seeing the light of recognition or justice. We need to bolster these endeavors, for in a society that tethers on the brink of insanity, these acts of altruism are sonnets of peace that still bind the tag of civilization to our identity. And maybe, in the process, knock the banquet hall view of life off our eyes...
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Vighaharta ki Vighnakarta? (The destroyer of obstacles or creator of obstacles?)
To the people for whom this context is lost due to cultural differences, this is about the Ganesh Utsav (festival) that is a standard fanfare of the devout Hindus of Maharashtra and Gujarat. As a kid and as a student the lord of knowledge, Ganesha was always a source of awe and wonder. The 10 day celebration that goes with the birth of the lord was a time of merry making and fun. And yeah, the ‘bundi ladoos’ were the added attraction. Ok, for the orthodox, the ‘modaks’ are the official sweets to be associated with the lord, but I am partial to the former. The celebration of ‘Sarvajanik Ganesh Mahotsav’ was intended to bring together the people of the village or community and add to the feeling of unity. It was an excellent concept brought about by the great freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak.
Note the ‘was’. More on that later. The fun part was about sitting on the petrol tank of dad’s trusty Crusader motorcycle and going on a ride around the Ahmedabad city catching glimpses of the deity’s different poses. Each group or ‘mandal’ would hotly vie the top spot as the most creative representation of the god. In those days, we used to have free prasad (read ‘ladoos’) from the mandal’s designated priest and the viewing of the lord’s idol was easy. Any person walking down the road could have an excellent and unrestricted view of the idol and pray obeisance without having to do anything special. Life was simpler then and the god demanded precious little.
But time is something that changes everything. Cut to today in Ahmedabad and I found myself facing a crowd of brainless ‘devotees’ performing Garba to the tunes of Suneeta Rao’s “Pari Hoon Main”. Not that I am orthodox or anything. I’d have not minded if these lunatics were gyrating to the tune of “Valentine’s Day”. My problem was simpler. My watch read 12.30 A.M. and if I had a decibel meter, it would have been pointing to ‘ear drum damage’ level. I like most sane individuals would prefer to sleep peacefully at night. Instead I had a choice to either ignore this din which had kept me awake for the last few nights or go ‘talk’ to the organizers. My very devout neighbors chose to bury their heads in satin pillows and snore the night away. I didn’t have one and so I was faced with the obvious choice.
Long story short, the morons at the pandal turned down the volume after offering lame excuses that the volume control knob didn’t work and that their kids were studying too. I had to counter with a response stating that Ganesha had amply huge ears and could do without the 140 dB pop music. As I walked back to my home, I wondered. Where is it actually going wrong? I wondered if this kind of flagrantly idiotic behavior would make Lokmanya Tilak turn in his grave. Would he have tried to imbue the concept of unity in some other way if he had a way of knowing what his approach would turn into?
And before the people from Mumbai snicker at the foolishness of ‘Garba before Ganesha’ prevalent in Gujarat, wait to hear what I have for you. Ganesh Utsav was supposed to bring the community together irrespective of caste, creed and wealth. Mumbai too has forgotten this. The mad rush of people, trying to buy Ganesh idols on the night of Ganesh Chaturthi with a blatant disregard for the civic order and traffic rules, was example enough how wrong the festival has turned out to be. Nowhere in the melee did I feel the presence of unity. Instead it had turned into an all out mines-bigger-than-yours run with an objective of creating the maximum ruckus while bringing home the deity’s idol at 2 AM. Frankly, if the real Ganesha could hear this, he’d probably consider conversion to Islam (No offense meant, but the idol-less worship concept seems much greener now). And these were only the idols headed for homes.
The mandals for ‘Sarvajanik Ganesha' have a more novel idea. Not only do they block critical parts of over-congested roads, they also have turned the festival into the very thing it should not be. Out of the 3 Ganesh Utsavs that I have seen in Mumbai, I have not caught glimpse of a single idol in due course of the 17 km bus ride from office to home, even once. Gone are the days with the wind blowing through my hair, legs tightly wrapped around the petrol tank of the Crusader, I could join hands to pay my respects to idol after idol as I whizzed past the pandals.
In the land of uber-babugiri, the pandals are no longer open door affairs. The lord is shrouded behind a closed door and the entry is restricted. I don’t know if the door keeper asks for donations to get inside. I have been an agnostic for too long to visit one of these places. Yeah, don’t blame me. I grew up and started getting thoughts. Last I heard about Ganesha was that he was the lord of learning, the destroyer of obstacles. Then where does this obstacle of hiding the lord behind a curtain come into picture? It reminds me of Kanakdasa for whom, legend says, Lord Krishna’s idol turned 180 degrees, tore down a wall and appeared before the lower caste devotee. Nothing like that happened with me. This goes on to prove one of two things. Either, I am not Ganesha’s favorite devotee, which possibly figures from my agnostic approach to life. Or, Ganesha himself probably chooses not to ‘reside’ in any of these idols. Guess he’s allergic to Plaster of Paris!
Either ways, as in the movie Wild Hogs, where Damien Blade tells the Del Feugos to go remind themselves what being out on the open road is about, it’s time for a reminder. Ganesh utsav is not about harassing the neighborhood with loudspeakers and ostentatious display. It is to celebrate the birth of the lord who destroys obstacles. Not exactly the kind of God who expects a flyover to be demolished (and then take a painful 2 years to get back up) just because his idol cannot pass underneath it. Not exactly the kind of God who puts on a veil and allowing ‘darshan’ to only those who stand in line for hours together. Not exactly the kind of God who likes a crowd of nubile youngsters performing ‘Garba’ to the tunes of pop music. Maybe the Ganesh I knew was just a simpler God who liked ‘bundi ladoos’ and whose form inspired a feeling of wellbeing and pleasantness. Guess this is what they call getting old, because I miss the good old days already.
Note the ‘was’. More on that later. The fun part was about sitting on the petrol tank of dad’s trusty Crusader motorcycle and going on a ride around the Ahmedabad city catching glimpses of the deity’s different poses. Each group or ‘mandal’ would hotly vie the top spot as the most creative representation of the god. In those days, we used to have free prasad (read ‘ladoos’) from the mandal’s designated priest and the viewing of the lord’s idol was easy. Any person walking down the road could have an excellent and unrestricted view of the idol and pray obeisance without having to do anything special. Life was simpler then and the god demanded precious little.
But time is something that changes everything. Cut to today in Ahmedabad and I found myself facing a crowd of brainless ‘devotees’ performing Garba to the tunes of Suneeta Rao’s “Pari Hoon Main”. Not that I am orthodox or anything. I’d have not minded if these lunatics were gyrating to the tune of “Valentine’s Day”. My problem was simpler. My watch read 12.30 A.M. and if I had a decibel meter, it would have been pointing to ‘ear drum damage’ level. I like most sane individuals would prefer to sleep peacefully at night. Instead I had a choice to either ignore this din which had kept me awake for the last few nights or go ‘talk’ to the organizers. My very devout neighbors chose to bury their heads in satin pillows and snore the night away. I didn’t have one and so I was faced with the obvious choice.
Long story short, the morons at the pandal turned down the volume after offering lame excuses that the volume control knob didn’t work and that their kids were studying too. I had to counter with a response stating that Ganesha had amply huge ears and could do without the 140 dB pop music. As I walked back to my home, I wondered. Where is it actually going wrong? I wondered if this kind of flagrantly idiotic behavior would make Lokmanya Tilak turn in his grave. Would he have tried to imbue the concept of unity in some other way if he had a way of knowing what his approach would turn into?
And before the people from Mumbai snicker at the foolishness of ‘Garba before Ganesha’ prevalent in Gujarat, wait to hear what I have for you. Ganesh Utsav was supposed to bring the community together irrespective of caste, creed and wealth. Mumbai too has forgotten this. The mad rush of people, trying to buy Ganesh idols on the night of Ganesh Chaturthi with a blatant disregard for the civic order and traffic rules, was example enough how wrong the festival has turned out to be. Nowhere in the melee did I feel the presence of unity. Instead it had turned into an all out mines-bigger-than-yours run with an objective of creating the maximum ruckus while bringing home the deity’s idol at 2 AM. Frankly, if the real Ganesha could hear this, he’d probably consider conversion to Islam (No offense meant, but the idol-less worship concept seems much greener now). And these were only the idols headed for homes.
The mandals for ‘Sarvajanik Ganesha' have a more novel idea. Not only do they block critical parts of over-congested roads, they also have turned the festival into the very thing it should not be. Out of the 3 Ganesh Utsavs that I have seen in Mumbai, I have not caught glimpse of a single idol in due course of the 17 km bus ride from office to home, even once. Gone are the days with the wind blowing through my hair, legs tightly wrapped around the petrol tank of the Crusader, I could join hands to pay my respects to idol after idol as I whizzed past the pandals.
In the land of uber-babugiri, the pandals are no longer open door affairs. The lord is shrouded behind a closed door and the entry is restricted. I don’t know if the door keeper asks for donations to get inside. I have been an agnostic for too long to visit one of these places. Yeah, don’t blame me. I grew up and started getting thoughts. Last I heard about Ganesha was that he was the lord of learning, the destroyer of obstacles. Then where does this obstacle of hiding the lord behind a curtain come into picture? It reminds me of Kanakdasa for whom, legend says, Lord Krishna’s idol turned 180 degrees, tore down a wall and appeared before the lower caste devotee. Nothing like that happened with me. This goes on to prove one of two things. Either, I am not Ganesha’s favorite devotee, which possibly figures from my agnostic approach to life. Or, Ganesha himself probably chooses not to ‘reside’ in any of these idols. Guess he’s allergic to Plaster of Paris!
Either ways, as in the movie Wild Hogs, where Damien Blade tells the Del Feugos to go remind themselves what being out on the open road is about, it’s time for a reminder. Ganesh utsav is not about harassing the neighborhood with loudspeakers and ostentatious display. It is to celebrate the birth of the lord who destroys obstacles. Not exactly the kind of God who expects a flyover to be demolished (and then take a painful 2 years to get back up) just because his idol cannot pass underneath it. Not exactly the kind of God who puts on a veil and allowing ‘darshan’ to only those who stand in line for hours together. Not exactly the kind of God who likes a crowd of nubile youngsters performing ‘Garba’ to the tunes of pop music. Maybe the Ganesh I knew was just a simpler God who liked ‘bundi ladoos’ and whose form inspired a feeling of wellbeing and pleasantness. Guess this is what they call getting old, because I miss the good old days already.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Do we lack the killer instinct?
‘25 blasts in 24 hours, what next?’ screams the headlines on one news channel. ‘14 blasts, 14 dead, 140 injured’ screams another. People rush to condemn the dastardly act of bombs being set off in a hospital’s trauma wing. ‘How can they do it?’ is the common refrain. My question is ‘Why not?’ A terrorist has only one objective in his mind. That would be to terrorize. Ever heard of a peaceful terrorist who leaves roses inside the abandoned bag? No you won’t. Because then you won’t be scared of him and he’d be out of a job.
17 is the final count of blasts as I finally give up listening to the news channels. This seems familiar. Roll back to 2006. Mumbai saw something similar. Train after train was hit. Their timing was off on a couple of trains. Else the body count would have been more than 9/11. I wonder what we did after that. Did our intelligence bureaus become smarter? I’d love to imagine so. But to this date, the intelligence agencies of other nations command better respect. I’d love to talk about the exploits of CIA and MI6 but that would be too clichéd. Instead there’s one closer home as a nation and its intelligence agency that seems to be working better than its more famous cousins.
1972 Olympics would long be remembered for the deaths of innocent athletes. Yet their nation took the pledge to avenge their deaths. With blurring memories of the actions, clouded by intrigue and secrecy, it is hard to contemplate the exact details. But it does show that there was enough collateral damage to the perpetrators to force a paradigm shift in their path to attain their objectives. In 1976, the same nation said, “Hell no!” to a group of hijackers sitting half a continent away. Not only did they successfully recover the hostages, they also went on to slaughter the terrorists. And yet we sat mute witness to a group of 5 terrorists walk away into the Kandahar sunset, as our leaders did nothing. Not only did we do nothing then, we did nothing later on too. The prisoners we released are still standing. USA, even in their most controversial stances, still went and blew up $10 tents with $10000 missiles post 9/11. It was a statement that was needed and they made that statement. Come what may, if you strike us, we will not hesitate to retaliate wherever we deem suitable.
All in all, it makes me wonder. What makes our nation an epitome of perseverance? Why do I feel that the perpetrators of today’s event will live to tell about it to their grandchildren? Way back in time, when there were rumors that the plague in Surat was in fact a biological weapon tested by our enemy countries on us, I used to wonder. What if there were people, covertly yet totally insanely dedicated to only one cause? And that cause would be the protection of our nation from all enemies foreign and domestic. I had a rather humdrum name for it, ‘CDAC’ or the Comprehensive Defense and Attack Committee. It was to consist of brains from all fields. There would be political experts, economists, biologists, engineers, software specialists etc. All would be working together contemplating the different ways the country could be attacked, plan the countermeasures and then plot retaliation.
“No it can’t be done”, that’s all I have heard till date. I would love to imagine that it is being done. Not that I see it working, but then it is achieving its objective of being a covert operation. Then again the channels report that there is widespread horror and terror amongst the people, even the ones who were not affected by the blasts. The perpetrators responsible for this would just need to switch on their television set and flip to a news channel to see their work succeed. Truth be told, I’d have loved to see at least one man not try to steal his 15 seconds of fame with a scare story and rather just stick up his middle finger and say, “Fuck you! You can’t scare me with this. You’re gonna pay for this” and then later on someday have the news reporter cover a retaliation by the nation. That would get the attention of the terrorists. Not only would they see failure in being able to terrorize innocent public, but also not be sure when they would be on the wrong side of a ticking explosive device.
Somewhere in some darkened room that is owned by the nation’s rulers, they should be planning retribution. If the credit for this dastardly act is being claimed by an outfit operating right on our soil, we should dedicate our efforts in eliminating such pestilence. And this should not be stopped even if these elements exist on a foreign soil. While these individuals send boastful emails to media, where are our NSAs and NROs tracking down the origins of the emails, sending out S.W.A.T. teams authorized to use deadly force against the senders? With an IT industry boasting 300K+ workers, why is it so hard to engage in surveillance of electronic communication with an objective to catch such activity? Why do we see our government websites defiled while we so tolerantly let their websites stand?
So what do we need to do? Frankly, nothing significantly different. We still need to keep our plans for Sunday on track. We still need to venture out into the market and buy whatever we planned to buy. We need to show, as the common public, that this was not something that scares us. Let’s not have the news channels report that life is limping back to normalcy. Let us show that we took a running start back into it. At the same time, we need to understand what is to be done. We could be more vigilant about our surroundings. A suspicious package needs to be cordoned off. Don’t contaminate a scene by trying to be Sherlock Holmes. There are people with that job profile, who’d appreciate it if you left the things as they were. If you can’t help, you are better off out of the way. Bottom line is, “Be smart not scared.”
And next time some television reporter wants you to recant the tale of horror, please do stick up
your finger to the perpetrators and say, “Up yours!”
Note: To the families of those injured or killed in these incidents, let there be the strength to come to terms with the tragedy and go on. To the families of the medics who lost their lives while tending to the wounded, let there be pride in the knowledge that they performed their jobs beyond the call of duty in the face of an enemy who didn’t stop at performing inhumane actions.
17 is the final count of blasts as I finally give up listening to the news channels. This seems familiar. Roll back to 2006. Mumbai saw something similar. Train after train was hit. Their timing was off on a couple of trains. Else the body count would have been more than 9/11. I wonder what we did after that. Did our intelligence bureaus become smarter? I’d love to imagine so. But to this date, the intelligence agencies of other nations command better respect. I’d love to talk about the exploits of CIA and MI6 but that would be too clichéd. Instead there’s one closer home as a nation and its intelligence agency that seems to be working better than its more famous cousins.
1972 Olympics would long be remembered for the deaths of innocent athletes. Yet their nation took the pledge to avenge their deaths. With blurring memories of the actions, clouded by intrigue and secrecy, it is hard to contemplate the exact details. But it does show that there was enough collateral damage to the perpetrators to force a paradigm shift in their path to attain their objectives. In 1976, the same nation said, “Hell no!” to a group of hijackers sitting half a continent away. Not only did they successfully recover the hostages, they also went on to slaughter the terrorists. And yet we sat mute witness to a group of 5 terrorists walk away into the Kandahar sunset, as our leaders did nothing. Not only did we do nothing then, we did nothing later on too. The prisoners we released are still standing. USA, even in their most controversial stances, still went and blew up $10 tents with $10000 missiles post 9/11. It was a statement that was needed and they made that statement. Come what may, if you strike us, we will not hesitate to retaliate wherever we deem suitable.
All in all, it makes me wonder. What makes our nation an epitome of perseverance? Why do I feel that the perpetrators of today’s event will live to tell about it to their grandchildren? Way back in time, when there were rumors that the plague in Surat was in fact a biological weapon tested by our enemy countries on us, I used to wonder. What if there were people, covertly yet totally insanely dedicated to only one cause? And that cause would be the protection of our nation from all enemies foreign and domestic. I had a rather humdrum name for it, ‘CDAC’ or the Comprehensive Defense and Attack Committee. It was to consist of brains from all fields. There would be political experts, economists, biologists, engineers, software specialists etc. All would be working together contemplating the different ways the country could be attacked, plan the countermeasures and then plot retaliation.
“No it can’t be done”, that’s all I have heard till date. I would love to imagine that it is being done. Not that I see it working, but then it is achieving its objective of being a covert operation. Then again the channels report that there is widespread horror and terror amongst the people, even the ones who were not affected by the blasts. The perpetrators responsible for this would just need to switch on their television set and flip to a news channel to see their work succeed. Truth be told, I’d have loved to see at least one man not try to steal his 15 seconds of fame with a scare story and rather just stick up his middle finger and say, “Fuck you! You can’t scare me with this. You’re gonna pay for this” and then later on someday have the news reporter cover a retaliation by the nation. That would get the attention of the terrorists. Not only would they see failure in being able to terrorize innocent public, but also not be sure when they would be on the wrong side of a ticking explosive device.
Somewhere in some darkened room that is owned by the nation’s rulers, they should be planning retribution. If the credit for this dastardly act is being claimed by an outfit operating right on our soil, we should dedicate our efforts in eliminating such pestilence. And this should not be stopped even if these elements exist on a foreign soil. While these individuals send boastful emails to media, where are our NSAs and NROs tracking down the origins of the emails, sending out S.W.A.T. teams authorized to use deadly force against the senders? With an IT industry boasting 300K+ workers, why is it so hard to engage in surveillance of electronic communication with an objective to catch such activity? Why do we see our government websites defiled while we so tolerantly let their websites stand?
So what do we need to do? Frankly, nothing significantly different. We still need to keep our plans for Sunday on track. We still need to venture out into the market and buy whatever we planned to buy. We need to show, as the common public, that this was not something that scares us. Let’s not have the news channels report that life is limping back to normalcy. Let us show that we took a running start back into it. At the same time, we need to understand what is to be done. We could be more vigilant about our surroundings. A suspicious package needs to be cordoned off. Don’t contaminate a scene by trying to be Sherlock Holmes. There are people with that job profile, who’d appreciate it if you left the things as they were. If you can’t help, you are better off out of the way. Bottom line is, “Be smart not scared.”
And next time some television reporter wants you to recant the tale of horror, please do stick up
your finger to the perpetrators and say, “Up yours!”
Note: To the families of those injured or killed in these incidents, let there be the strength to come to terms with the tragedy and go on. To the families of the medics who lost their lives while tending to the wounded, let there be pride in the knowledge that they performed their jobs beyond the call of duty in the face of an enemy who didn’t stop at performing inhumane actions.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Tryst with Ignominy
Three score and a year more ago we made a tryst with destiny, redeeming a pledge to will for a nation conceived on the principles of democracy and equality of men and their religion. At the stroke of the hour, when the world watches, India awakens not to freedom and life, but to its darkest hour as a test. It is a test that others have stood through and barely passed before us. A test of whether a nation, so conceived on ideals can long endure the vagaries of human vice like the greed for power. It is a test for a nation to endure thus and still stand true to its commitment of common good by a handful few. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, where we bear mute witness, the end of an age where the keepers of the bastions of the nation were dedicated to its upkeep, and watch hapless as the soul of a nation, thought to be free, finds suppression without remonstrance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to ensure that the keepers of our nation’s bastions are in their basest interests only dedicated to the service of the country and her people, free of hunger of power or money, unhindered by their prejudices and aligned without question to the only cause of our nation’s progress.
We need not meet on a battlefield of a war fought amongst us or against invaders, for this battle is to be fought in our hearts and minds. The brave men, living or dead, who struggled to achieve our nation’s freedom, have consecrated with blood and sweat this nation, far above our poor judgment of selecting the people to lead it forward. The world will little note, nor long remember what is said here, but it can never forget what they did. It is for us, the people of the nation, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to remind ourselves of the unending quest of a nation through trackless centuries to strive in face of countless odds, emerging victorious or failing, yet never losing sight of the quest or lay down the ideals of peace, equality and oneness with nature, which are her strengths.
In a global arena, we stand at the start of a period of ill fortune, wrought with problems of poverty, population, global warming, energy crisis and inflation. These problems are not the result of divine wrath upon humanity, but brought upon ourselves by our thoughtless pursuits suiting our selfish interests and behavior contrary to our ideals. This should provoke us to will the end of this era and rediscover ourselves as individuals capable of doing the right thing, to be wanting to awaken our real conscience and no longer take pride in the ability to break the rules and get away with it. And so listening to it, we strive forth not alone, willing others to fall behind, but as one state, one country, hand in hand, towards the quest laid down by the founders of this great nation. The achievement of such unity will only be a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us.
Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future? The service to India no longer means the service of the millions who suffer. It is no longer prudent to aim to wipe every tear from every eye. It is a larger effort of uplifting each one and in the process, each mind, to want to not bring a single tear to any eye. We need to labor and work hard, walk a path potholed with our own desires, asking us to shy away from sacrifice for a greater good, asking us to be morally weak just because someone else was too. And yet we may falter, succumb to our inborn weakness momentarily, we need to remind ourselves to rise above it and make amends.
Let us not give to the future generation the reason to add from our generation people to the ranks of Jaichands and Mir Jaffers and instead rejoice in the fact that we as a generation went on to rebuild the foundation of a nation aimed at becoming the most revered nation that led and not just aimed to lead the progress of humanity. Once committed to such a cause, let us remind ourselves to purge ourselves of the sins committed by putting the future of our nation into the hands of people who believe not in its progress but only their own. Let us ensure that we do not rejoice the existence of a government and its opposition who hold amongst their ranks convicted criminals. Let us not rejoice in the fact that scammers are in charge of the decisions that affect the progress of a nation. Let us not rejoice in the fact that the leaders we elect are ones who only espouse the cause of fragmentation of the nation by creed or language or caste, or those who hold dear the progress of a community instead of the whole nation. Let us for once put the ‘we’ before the ‘me’. Let us awaken to a future we would promise to the future children of this nation.
Only when we start on this arduous journey, shall we hallow our respect for the ones who gave the last full measure of devotion to this nation and thus solemnly resolve that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not only not perish from the earth, but shall be the greatest one ever conceived.
Note: This 'speech' is totally inspired from the 'Tryst with destiny' speech by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and the 'Gettysburg Address' by Abraham Lincoln and is a result of the events that unfolded in the hallowed portals of the Parliament on and before 22nd July 2008.
We need not meet on a battlefield of a war fought amongst us or against invaders, for this battle is to be fought in our hearts and minds. The brave men, living or dead, who struggled to achieve our nation’s freedom, have consecrated with blood and sweat this nation, far above our poor judgment of selecting the people to lead it forward. The world will little note, nor long remember what is said here, but it can never forget what they did. It is for us, the people of the nation, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to remind ourselves of the unending quest of a nation through trackless centuries to strive in face of countless odds, emerging victorious or failing, yet never losing sight of the quest or lay down the ideals of peace, equality and oneness with nature, which are her strengths.
In a global arena, we stand at the start of a period of ill fortune, wrought with problems of poverty, population, global warming, energy crisis and inflation. These problems are not the result of divine wrath upon humanity, but brought upon ourselves by our thoughtless pursuits suiting our selfish interests and behavior contrary to our ideals. This should provoke us to will the end of this era and rediscover ourselves as individuals capable of doing the right thing, to be wanting to awaken our real conscience and no longer take pride in the ability to break the rules and get away with it. And so listening to it, we strive forth not alone, willing others to fall behind, but as one state, one country, hand in hand, towards the quest laid down by the founders of this great nation. The achievement of such unity will only be a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us.
Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future? The service to India no longer means the service of the millions who suffer. It is no longer prudent to aim to wipe every tear from every eye. It is a larger effort of uplifting each one and in the process, each mind, to want to not bring a single tear to any eye. We need to labor and work hard, walk a path potholed with our own desires, asking us to shy away from sacrifice for a greater good, asking us to be morally weak just because someone else was too. And yet we may falter, succumb to our inborn weakness momentarily, we need to remind ourselves to rise above it and make amends.
Let us not give to the future generation the reason to add from our generation people to the ranks of Jaichands and Mir Jaffers and instead rejoice in the fact that we as a generation went on to rebuild the foundation of a nation aimed at becoming the most revered nation that led and not just aimed to lead the progress of humanity. Once committed to such a cause, let us remind ourselves to purge ourselves of the sins committed by putting the future of our nation into the hands of people who believe not in its progress but only their own. Let us ensure that we do not rejoice the existence of a government and its opposition who hold amongst their ranks convicted criminals. Let us not rejoice in the fact that scammers are in charge of the decisions that affect the progress of a nation. Let us not rejoice in the fact that the leaders we elect are ones who only espouse the cause of fragmentation of the nation by creed or language or caste, or those who hold dear the progress of a community instead of the whole nation. Let us for once put the ‘we’ before the ‘me’. Let us awaken to a future we would promise to the future children of this nation.
Only when we start on this arduous journey, shall we hallow our respect for the ones who gave the last full measure of devotion to this nation and thus solemnly resolve that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not only not perish from the earth, but shall be the greatest one ever conceived.
Note: This 'speech' is totally inspired from the 'Tryst with destiny' speech by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and the 'Gettysburg Address' by Abraham Lincoln and is a result of the events that unfolded in the hallowed portals of the Parliament on and before 22nd July 2008.
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