Grow up please! Will you?

What is it about politics that makes anyone corrupt and idiot as soon as he or she enters into it? Perhaps it fiercely attacks on the jugular vein connecting common sense and integrity; otherwise there is no particular reason for which politicians after politicians are writing their political obituary by opening up in public. The recent comment by Mr. Digvijay Singh that terrorists bargained for releasing some terrorists but the UPA government didn't listen to them while NDA government released three dreaded terrorists in their reign demands second thoughts about him. (I am sure we did not have even first thoughts). Do we really need a leader who can speak rubbish any time he wants just for the sake of defaming the other party and sweeping a few extra votes of blinkered public. Has vote-politics completely replaced common sense and social responsibilities? Has the conscience totally been sold to buy a few MLAs? Or has the stupid common man adopted sheep like behaviour on the cost of growing up? Grow up please! will you?

It does not take and Einstein to figure out the vested interests behind his statements. But the sad part of the story is that Mr Digvijay Singh, devoid of any power to think --and solely busy in electioneering since it holds pedestal over the good work-- spewed venom in a new form. He tried to kill two birds at one shot by alluding at the failure of NDA government in dealing the hostage condition and at the same time throwing panegyric remarks for his UPA government. In the process he forgot two rudimentary mandates of leadership, humanity and need of secrecy. Firstly his unfounded comments would have badly hurt families who lost their priceless dear ones. Second his remarks in such a situation where India is trying to garner world support will certainly belittle the support US and Isreal might provide otherwise. And of course they be forced to think that in India their citizen died in spite of available option. Even if such his invented story was true, it must have been kept secret in the national interest. Oops, did I not expect more from our narrow minded harebrained politicos?

It is unfortunate that we, the common men, have to suffer our politician's lack of vision from time to time.

Hopeless politicos

When the toothless politicians inexorably act to make the nation soft (and porous) to swallow it easily, the nation bleeds. In the current spate of terror attacks on the sovereignty of India, politicos have played blame the opposition game profusely. While the NSG operation was in progress, Mr L.K. Adwani couldn’t stop himself from bashing on opposition and called it a system failure. At the same time Mr Modi spoke utter non-sense and announced some packages for martyrs, which fortunately was thrown back at his face by the proud families. BJP leaders firstly failed to understand the gravity of the situation and could not help themselves from showing their animal upbringing by speaking rubbish. Secondly, they forgot, thanks to their volatile memory, that there were much severe attacks on India during BJP rule, namely - Parliament attack, Kargil war, Attack on Akshardham temple and some here and there bomb blasts. They also forgot that BJP is the sole responsible party who sought vote in the name of 'Ram Mandir' and spread the contagion of riots in the entire world. Further what Mr L. K. Adwani, and surprisingly our news hungry media, has also forgotten that he was in the first few to have been booked under Hawala. On what merits did he qualify for the prime ministerial candidature is beyond my ken. MNS, the great Marathi savior party, too was not away from playing politics. They spread the SMS, apart from the ritual posters all politicos pasted all over Mumbai, that Marathi officers gave their lives fighting terrorists. What they must understand that not all the naval commandos and not all the NSG commandos were Marathi. In such a serious state, Shiv Sena cheif says that he will not allow Pakistan team to play in Maharashtra; when will he (they) learn that it is about country, not about a particular state. Those who support either Shiv Sena or MNS must reevaluate first on the basis of their silence and then on their funny remarks. Does Mumbai really need a leader who didn't dare to address the state? Does Mumbai really need a leader who deserted them when they needed him the most? Does Mumbai need a leader who did not come forward to console and encourage his citizen? At least in such a situation, when the whole country stood united, MNS, Shiv Sena, BJP and Congress should have stayed in their lairs.

In a country, where blood comes cheap, where neighbors uncork champagne when we perish, where media is continuously showing the story of horror and using martyrs as their advertisement bait (being really insensitive to their families), where common men have realized a new pastime of bashing on politicians, where the politicos don't do anything but condemn the attacks, where so called public servants started cashing on the opportunity even before the trauma was over, where a chief minister of a state says, "the terrorists planned 5000 killings but we made them succumbed to kill only 200" and "we had some information but not the specific ones" (the most absurd statement I have ever heard, as if terrorists are obligated to inform everything before arriving), where a home minister of a state writes his own political obituary by saying, "such small accidents do happen", and where the other CM says, "not even a dog will visit Sandeep Unnikrishanan's house", and where they still roam with tight security (I really mourn on parliament attack failure), while common man is fighting for survival, I feel not to waste my precious moments thinking and writing about politic mistakes of our citizen anymore.

Media Monsters

First Kashmir, then terror attacks and now unbridled media of both the countries are helping fuel the fire between India and Pakistan. The siege of Mumbai is over. What remains is finger pointing, happening bilaterally, by the media. Media monsters have been ruling the world since the time immemorial. Indian history witnessed the rift between the two communities after the munity of 1857, in which both the communities unitedly fought against their common enemy. Then British ruler took media their hostage and re-wrote the history, publishing only the atrocities on Hindus by the Muslim rulers. While it is true that Muslim rulers invaded Indian states, it is also true that they gradually accepted Indian traditions and mingled into India. What had happened in the past, what had held no importance, was elaborated so effectively that India suffered partition and many Hindu-Muslim riots since then. We Indians (and Pakistanis), good at carrying on the legacy, are still fighting due to the media created monsters.

Indian media, without much evidence, started making stories about Pakistan's role in current terror attacks (Somehow it has been proved true now), while Pakistani media criticized Indian media's endeavors and provided calculations to oppose such manifestations. Obviously it is surprising that just after such a huge intelligence failure we started making conclusions within hours of the attacks. While it is true that our media is mostly busy in making a potpourri of happenings, without understanding much of responsible journalism, Pakistan's involvement in maiming India cannot be denied. On the Indian side, media showed such a grim situation of the country to whole world continuously like a horror or action movie. Barkha Dutt, an eminet journalist that she is, was found asking her camera men to point on snipers. Such a despicable act of journalism was not expected from a 'Padm Shree' winner.

It is quite funny that people on both the sides of the borders are told altogether different stories about same event. India says, they used voice recognition software to dictate an e-mail in Hindi, while Pakistan says no one knows Hindi in Pakistan. India says, they said they hail from Hyderabad Deccan, while India says it is Pakistan that knows Indian Hyderabad as Hyderabad Deccan; In India we don't use this word 'Deccan'. India says, they spoke in accented Punjabi spoken in Punjab in Pakistan, while Pakistan says that they clearly spoke in north India Punjabi language. Pakistan somehow doesn't talk about boats, satellite phones, e-mail being traced to Lahore and mutilated fishermen found; perhaps they have nothing to lie about there (Jai Hind). In the end, they are making fun that it took only 10 young men (‘the dawn news, 1st Dec 2008'. They don't even call them militants or terrorists) to control Mumbai, again defaming India for their malicious satisfaction. I am surprised that in the same newspaper, on the same day, they have reported Karachi violence where gunmen (yes I too will not call them terrorists) opened fired indiscriminately on public and Pakistan police couldn't even trace the miscreants.

Media, serving the purpose of selling masala news (badly irresponsible), have poisoned the relations between the two countries, and have brought us on the verge of war. Instead, media from the both sides should have taken the responsibility of dousing the fire between us and would have turned this tragedy into an advantage, internally and internationally.

India needs reforms

Price of subverted politics, corruption from bottom to top and compromised state of law and order cannot be paid in currencies (not even in $). It has to be paid by terrorism, unemployment and hatred among each other who once lived in comity. Any cosmetic step such as the peace talk with neighbours or charity allowance to those who suffered will not undo the hatred, and any change in the governance will not change the compromised situation of the state.

In the politics shitland we have experimented with many governments, incompetent to the core, with the sterile creativity and stagnant thought process. They have only infused venom to the already created fissures between the various communities in India Inc. The decision makers sitting on the top must understand that interests of the state come first, then comes the interests of citizens and in the last it is themselves they should think of. But in India Inc. the order is, unfortunately, reversed. The need of hour is reform in the political system, and introduction of capitalist touch in politics. And must be well imbibed that reform is not something that accrues in small changes. It demands a complete redesign.

Firstly we need a change from parliamentary system (a gift from them who ruled us) to president rule for 5 years. Strict law and order is needed to bring the morale of those down who are flourishing under the impunity of minority appeasing policies and champions of human rights. That they care about human rights is understandable, but what is not understandtable is the plea for human rights for whom, who at the first place cannot be categorised as humans. Since anything that stays permanent is prone to be corrupted, president rule cannot be used for more than 5 years. Further all the politicians who have even a single case filed on them must be thrown out of the system. This will give enough chances for young and new leaders to come in front, and think competition, should they want to take the power.

Secondly, police and their recruitment process must be made independent of government. Proper corporate culture, like there is in each private institution that supports competition, must be the only way to go ahead with. This way we will be able to purge the officers who have been playing stooges of politicians. Strict laws such as POTA must be enacted and it should be told to police that they too are subjected to the same laws. This will alleviate the fear of the misuse of such laws.

Thirdly, any terrorist should not be negotiated or talked with. They should be exterminated. For them let there be the law suggested by their religion, eye for an eye. Such a law will surely make them think twice before taking any step forward. It has worked in Punjab, it is working in Sri Lanka and it will work for whole India too. Lessons of good conduct are not for the extremist. Brazen steps for brazen motives.

Fourthly, reservation harbours the gaps in the society, hence must be repealed. Media must be taken hostage and should be allowed to spread only what is in the benefit of the state. Sneaking truth out is not always correct. Learn from China. Instead of reservations, education till 12th could be made free /subsdized for those, who have enjoyed reservations till now. Reservations and any such policies of marginalisation should be rescinded.

Fifth, like Israel, India must make army service mandatory for every citizen for 3-4 years. Such a rule will work as a backup for our army, make our civilians well equipped against terror shit heads and will instil the patriotism in every one of us. Certainly we need to have more army for our porous borders. China, Pakistan and Bangladesh are inching days by day towards us.

In sum, the truth is that there is no ideal system to stick with forever. Initially we need a revolution and then a will to keep the rotation on to boost the confidence of the common men and keep the economy running.

Country ! My Country

We are living in an era where our ears are attuned to hearing the news about serial blasts and eyes accustomed to see vast devastation on television. Tele-programs (I no longer call them news channels) keep the issue sensational, as bad generally outsells good, and politicians keep blaming the other party without understanding the gravity of the situation. They must understand that such a luxury is indeed an instrument to be played only in better times. None of the Indian cities have been spared by fundamentalists, who eulogize their particular religion and ideology of particular community, and at the same time, due to their heinous acts, are totally against the very concept of community.

Right now, Mumbai, once called the safest city of India, whose (Mumbai's) police was once compared to Scotland Yard, is under siege. Such an unprecedented host of events in which terrorist open fired indiscriminately, but co-coordinately, and made various foreigners their hostages in various five start hotels, has left us with the question, 'Are we still waiting for a savior to incarnate?'. Our security, and hence future, has been compromised to such an extent that we are no more safe in our own house (as has happened tonight with those who thought to watch from the windows). Till now we have watched such acts, where terrorists take control of Hotels, and Hospitals or hijack police vehicles and run in the city firing almost everyone, only in movies. It is a reality currently manifesting itself in Mumbai. What I fail to understand is that a truck load of ammunition, AK 47s, automatic weapons, and grenades were pumped into the fortified city and police couldn't smell anything. That day is not far when terrorist will get hold of Nuclear weapons and may take whole country under hostage. This can easily be compared with the 93 serial blasts in Mumbai, and perhaps will eventually be claimed by the same perpetrators. On the television, on all news channels, I see the face of death, terror and a question that 'Will it ever end?' And again it is not just an attack; it is a tight slap on the face of lesson of secularism that India chose to teach to the world, when she suffered partition.

I really feel a pity on Indian common men, who vote and live under the false hope that any government can provide them safe life. I won't be surprised if tomorrow our politicians, who never leave an opportunity to entertain us with their funny acts and continuously prove their animal upbringing and instincts, start mudslinging at one another. UPA (Sonia) will lose sleep even if one from the minority (their vote bank) dies and Advani will call it an act of cowardice, and eventually no one would do anything. Our home minister might sound a bit upset, for he would have been woken up from his deep slumber by the news hungry media. I wish someday, some amount of destruction will wake their sleeping conscience up and make them apprise of the compromised state of our country. For now it is imperative for us not to participate in electoral process and demand president rule for next 5 years.

I, currently watching the Mumbai situation on-line on CNN news, with the eyes moistened for the martyr ATS chief Hemant Karkare, feel that someday it will be I who will add up the death toll, felling a prey to one of such attacks.

Colors of terrorism

Contrary to our belief, terrorism has become multicolored now. Previously different parts of India had different colored terrorisms. Muslim rulers colored it green; Communists colored it red; Capitalism added stars in almost every color. All those colors have been since quite long and are well ingrained in our head. However, presently we see a new color in making, the saffron.

Throughout the history terrorism has emerged , and has been nourished by them who sit far behind and enjoy the spurting red color, in different circumstances with different objectives. The earliest form of terrorism known to us is collective's angst against individuals when political and religious groups defaulted to violence against people who chose to think and hence became a threat to those 'individual's' existence. The English still call Indian freedom movement an act of terrorism. Monarchies and dictatorship have always been in trouble since the power was in an individual's hands, hence easy to be snatched away. Acts of terrorism, by them who felt exploited, were messages to the individuals that atrocious policies and exploitation will no longer be accepted.

Previously such groups were formed by the youth with deep nationalist sentiments. They then acted in support of a nationalist cause and killed those were in anyway against their nationalist cause. In Russia before the 1917 revolution, members of such group tried to kill Tsar and other officials in a hope to bring about a change. During the British Raj, at the time of partition of Bengal in 1905 by then viceroy Lord Curzon, Bengali nationalists adopted terrorism since all peaceful and democratic march failed. They had the Bengal reunited in 1911. After the first world war, Bhagat Singh and his friends took the path to terrorize the English and told everyone not to fear them. They were hanged in 1931, but their acts kept echoing in the form of other freedom movements and the English had to leave. Hitler and his fascist government used the police force to control the people; in response his enemies resorted the path to terror to remove him.

With such a vast set of historical evidence, it can safely be assumed that whenever state blocks the avenues of expression and adopts unfair means to control its own people, result will be terrorism. The most excruciating part of the story is that poeple can be influenced in the name of almost every thing. The government (lets assume good government) executes policies to remove terrorism either by extermination or by initiating the talk process. Both of the routes have been instrumental in increasing the acts of terror. While exterminating them, others who were immune to what is going one, see their people dying and take the path of terrorism. When government initiates the peace talk, such a movement spreads wrong message all around. To a faction, it feels that they could be rewarded eventually should they take such a path, and to other faction, it feels that government is marginalizing them on the vote politics. Both the steps lead to more terror activitives. Hence, once trapped, no nation could be saved from the bloody hands of the terrorism.

The myth that saffron wasn't the color of terrorism has been broken. As they claim, it is just a reaction from the other colored terrorisms, chiefly green. Such acts are generally committed under political impunity, mostly to discredit the government in power.

The key question to be asked here is that do they really understand for whom and against whom, now a days terrorists are fighting? And the key lesson that should be learned by the terrorists is that it is an act of weakness, not that of power. People or political parties who adopt such methods have no intellectual creativity and instead of convincing their opponents by intellectual arguments they resort to violence and cause chaos. That’s why most of the terrorist organizations in the end give up this method and adopt peaceful and non-violent means for achieving their objects such as the IRA and the ANC of South Africa, which abandoned violence to struggle on moral grounds and ultimately overthrew the apartheid regime. I, therefore, can only hope that people in India, someday will take the other route to comity and forget all the colors.

It's raining resignations in India.

Opposition dies asking resignation, still our politicians remain glued to their five legged chairs. There was a time when politicians too had conscience; they say that Lal Bahadur Shashtri resigned because a train accident in his time. Well those were the old golden days. Politicians we kids then. As the time passed they learned politics and stopped resigning. Now even if opposition dies demanding resignation, no one listens to them. Why should they even listen to opposition? If tomato prices soar, they ask for resignation. If it rains badly, they ask for resignation. I am too thankful to the glue with which politician keep them afixed, otherwise we will keep voting every other day.

But suddenly it is raining resignations here. Perhaps all of them have been told the gist of 'Atlas Shrugged' (I am sure they cannot read and understand such a great novel), that if the movers of the earth shrug off, the world will stop. Delusioned like us who vote and elect them, the politcians assumed that they run the things.

DMKians are resigning due to attacks on Tamilians in Shri Lanka. Lallus and Paswans are resigning due to attrocities against north indians.

At least I am happy for such outpourings. Contrary to the theory in Atlas Shrugged, if such people, who assume they run the thing when they spoil in reality, quit, India will paved ahead on road of comity and progress.

Mr Raj

We know him now; thanks to his inflammatory speeches, acting as fuel to the motor working against the concept 'India united'. We knew him earlier too, when he himself could not stay united with his family. It was alleged that his involvement in murder of 'Ramesh Kinni' led to such a decision. However, this does not sound logical. How can there be a politician (who he is not yet) without red hands. Anyway sometimes the thought of someone taking initiative to rebuild Maharashtra and unite Marathi Manoos bothers me. Not because that the cause it not good, to me the thought is supreme, but because it is perpetrated in the pretext of politicians vested interests . One must think of protecting and rebuilding his persons, but the cost associated and the means to achieve the end goal must be fair. Raj will enjoy congress's imputiny as long as he plays its puppet and as long as he is against Shiv Sena (The aim is actually to divide Marathi Manoos between Congress and BJP). For the congress it is not new; they have been raising such people from time to time. Bhinderwalan, Mr. Raj are just a few examples of Congress's politics.

His partners in crime have been singing victory songs for their continual assaults on Indian constitution. Quite recently, they sang a new song as Maharashtra government is asking for 80% reservation for local people in the industries in Maharashtra. Such a ordinance, if passed, will violate the fundamental rights of Indian citizens to stay anywhere in the country and practice the vocation they want. Well it is not new for MNS to rejoice when laws are broken. Today, he is one of those who are acting profusely to undo the efforts of the great 'Iron man', sardar vallabh bhai paten. He (Iron man) was instrumental in getting 600 princely states into one dominion named India. Raj and his champions are hell bent to divide India in the lines of states of origin.

Maharashtra, if we look into the history, was not confined to the boundaries we see today. Its reach was till Jhansi and its people actively fought the English from Kanpur. Maharashtra is an integral part of India and any Indian should be treated there equally as long as he is contributing to the nation. However, it seems that Raj Thackeray, either doesn't have the political finesse or is incompetent to deal with issues that are much more serious issues. At least I don't believe that Marathis are incompetent in any manner. Why do they need protection from 'South Indians' (1960s), from 'Muslims' (1970s), Gujratis and now from North Indians. For his information, most of the industries are owned by non marathi people. The best example is Bhojpuri movies industry. It generates jobs for more than 200 marathi people in Mumbai and earns around Rs 50 crore for Maharashtra government. What if they plan a shift to somewhere else. All the big guns, such as Tata, Reliance and many more are from non-maharashtra orgin. Today Gujrat is prospering leaps and bounds and Modi government is more than stable. MNS's such efforts will help Modi, and then Gujrat, gain an edge over Maharashtra. Perhaps Mr Raj hasn't thought about insidious effects of his acts.

If he se so serious, he must think about the farmers committing suicide in Maharashtra. If he is so serious, he must think about terrorsims in Maharashtra, and in whole India for that matter. But he cannot think beyond casting aspersions on Amitabh Bachchan (who actively helped Indian film industry survive in 1970 when it was seeing new grounds by each movie they produced) and on north indians. If he is so seirous, he must think about Maharashtra ad a whole not Mumbai alone. He asked what has Amitabh Bachchan done for Maharashtra, but I ask what has he done for Maharashtra economy instead of asking his goons to destroy public property, which in fact will be ressurrected by Marashatra's tax payers money. He chose easy targets, as opposed to those chosen by Shiva ji Maharaj, whom he worships. In the last, if he is so serious, he must resort to fair means for his people. MNS workers beat up innocent students, and actually killed one, on the false belief, spread by the man himself, that railway recruitment advertiesements were not published in Marathi news papers. However, when it was proved otherwise, he shifted his stands and argued on the prominency of the advertiesments. To my knowledge, naked hurried run doesn't appeal to voters. They need an issue, he created one and media helped him.

But when a state sponsors terrorism, the country bleeds. All the laws broken, his arrests are made to popularize him. Poor common people cannot see that the battle over marathi manoos is actually a battle between two cousins, working to cut other's vote bank. The calculation is simple enough; the more MNS does pro-marathi fights, the more famous it becomes. In such conditions, Shiv Sena loses marathi votes, however if it tries to do the same and act againt north-indians, it loses its non-marathi votes, hence 15-18 assembly seats.

With the conscience of most of the politicians dead in this age of power, fame and wealth, it will indeed be heartening to see, if this letter touches your conscience somewhat and renders an apology from you, for your unpardonable divisive act targeted at our secular nation, India.