An eye for an eye, but Arjun is losing his sight

The national capital rocks again, the explosion that comes a fortnight after serial blasts, took place in South Delhi’s Mehrauli market area today afternoon. Like they warned “before the dust settles…”

Kolkata police took pride in finding a bag that shouts in BOLD letters “Explosives”. Delhi police went in casual outfits for one of the biggest terror encounters - The Shootout at Balta House. Following few days were like as if they were waiting for Delhi blasts to happen to catch terrorists “Thok Ke Bhav Mein” someone defined. At the wake of nation’s bitterness and frustration towards the Home Minister can get us terrorists-after-terrorists being held in Jamia Nagar, Azamgarh, Mumbai… Yet, they are successful in not letting the dust settled. Which is why, perhaps, Rahul Gandhi termed POTA a “useless” law. True and not just POTA, any law is toothless for the police and the govt we have.

Surprisingly only a tabloid asked why the police went to Batla House encounter sans their terror-gears. How the two other ‘suspected’ terrorists fled so easily from 4^th floor without any injuries? Why didn’t police let the media enter the house for hours after the encounter? The one answer for everything: We lost an eligible police officer in the encounter.

Is the govt caught between vote-bank politics and hopeless governance? While the Home Minister (in his own capacity) is trying to review Delhi’s security; Arjun Singh backs Jamia Milia Islamia University’s decision to support Delhi blasts’ accused. Is the so-called secular government is giving rise to terrorism… Don’t question them ’cos there’s no law, there’s only encounter. The govt gets the benefit of doubt, we die in blasts…

Lost in his home ground, yet playing a Home Minister…

He hopelessly watched Mumbai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Bangalore, Ahmedabad burning and now Delhi. The terror agency who bears the responsibility for the latest Delhi blasts also warned, ‘before the dust settles…’ More to watch for? He doesn’t bother.

What does he care for? The day Delhi wore a deserted look; he was busy changing his looks! A TV channel captured the ‘hopeless’ Home Minister of India, Mr Shivraj Patil in 3 different dresses during a period of 4 hours on the day the capital rocked after 5 serial blasts.

Shivraj Patil enjoys an ‘unconditional’ love from the Congress Party, little lesser than Sonia, but he is important. So much so that even when the voters of his constituency, Latur discarded him in the 2004 elections, he got the second most important position in the Union Cabinet – Home Minister. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha later in the same year. There's nothing that can uproot Mr Shivraj Patil as he boasts "I've full blessings of Sonia Gandhi."   

As a part of my job, I edit our reader’s opinions, 9 out 10 letters today suggested the Home Minister's resignation, 8 out 10 asked why the US never faced a single terror attack since 9/11 and India lets the BAD operation (Bangalore-Ahmedabad-Delhi) a success? Uncountable letters screamed… “We need a law to counter terrorism”. 

BAD was SAD but we might have to ALPHABE(A)T with more of such blasts since the govt is busy singing 'Singh Is King', and the king (along with queen Gandhi) are busy singing 'Sweet Child' for Patil! 

Call for a fatwa against the global past-time, terrorism or anti-terrorism

Almost a month back an agency copy suggested news on a terror plot against the UK Queen. The copy came as ‘X’ terror cell 'may have been plotting to attack Queen'. One of the seniors peeped through my monitor and said, remove that ‘X’. I did so. If the ‘X’ is a religion, then it’s bad to club it with terrorism. This debate won’t get over. Like, I celebrate all the festivals of my country… Be it X’s or Y’s but when Salman Khan celebrates Ganeshutsav, religious leaders declares a fatwa against him.

I attended endless calls last evening, even the boss who calls only to shout at me, had spoken to me as if I was a blast victim. I guess, after each blast the cell phone service providers are benefited the most. But jokes apart, a friend over the phone said… “We are a nation of impotents, we deserved this.” I couldn't comment, neither am I a sexologist nor a National-Crisis expert. I am just a common Indian and I don’t want to die even if it means going to heaven.

Despite the fact that anti-terrorism strategies have become a global past-time, the govt is doing a great job to ensure our safety. We find posters carrying photos and profiles of terrorists in bus stops. Or we assume sticking poster across capital’s bus stops is govt’s new yet the alternative anti-terror strategy? Perhaps yes, but what’s wrong in reconsidering POTA (Prevention of Terrorist Activities)? After all, a ministry data says about 4000 people were booked and 800 arrested and jailed under POTA over a period of two years since it was enacted before the UPA govt had repealed it.

Common Indians like me are not against those posters; those security advice to combat terrorism, given almost everywhere – malls, buses, trains, schools, temples etc or dial 100 at seeing bomb-like-polythene-bags on roads - to make cell phone service providers richer. Alongside, We also want a law, if not POTA, an equally strong alternative law.

Can't break the silence

I am this irregular face in the campaign against Bhopal Gas Tragedy and don’t go there wearing my media cap either. I can’t, someone else is assigned for it. I go there to listen to my favourite singer singing Bavra Mann, He Sajni Re etc.

For a fact, I have de-activated myself when I joined J-school 4 years ago, I was asked to think and write like a journalist and not an activist. It was important to de-activate, because more often than not that you have to be factually and not emotionally correct, newsrooms are also like courtrooms! Now, I don’t find "meat" in social movements, I would rather want to know about the latest gadget that detects G-spots:)

Technically G-spots are referred to women, but wonder why Manmohan Singh found his G-spot, which he visited last week in Japan - the G-8 summit? At a time when his own democracy is sinking, not just with rising oil and food prices, gripping credit and climate change, but also with an unsolved misery of last 23 years. As they call it, "a catastrophe that has no parallel in industrial history" – the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Mr. Economist-Prime Minister was busy spotting his G8, to lie to the world about India’s food security, energy security, climate change and what not?

The last time I went to listen to Bavra Mann was also the day when people from Bhopal have entered their 101st day of protest – they sang to break the silence. They sang for Mr. No-Response Prime Minister to agree with their demand of rehabilitation 'in principle'. They sang to restore democracy and human rights... Alas! Bavra Mann

Some little people, in some little places, do something little to change the bigger face of the world

A few friends marched on streets of Delhi in remembrance of the State of Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi government in 1975. Victims and supporters of Bhopal gas tragedy are sitting on indefinite hunger strike for 15 days. The most celebrated activist of contemporary India is in the look out of a new issue to protest upon. Some are trying to debate on parliamentary left and left-by-itself. Media is still crazy behind Aarushi Talwar; by the way, Jaipur blast and Aarushi murder took place in the same month, yet no one followed the blast. Aarushi continues to be the hot-babe. (We have every little detail of the murdered teen, of how she wrote her name or how lovable she was!)

Meanwhile, a tragedy struck me; I am branded as communal, because I call myself a Hindu:) Because I asked why shouldn’t there be Uniform Civil Code? Because I called some communist – tailor-made, like a coat made of khadi but two pockets are stitched with textiles from Latin America (Che) and China (Mao) and dipped in Russian Vodka. My friend and I asked why didn’t the great Historians told us about Maharaja Jai Singh – who may have built the splendid monument, Taj Mahal, as Shahjahannama (Shah Jahan’s biography) didn’t have any mention of building the Taj. Nor about the last king of Chauhan dynasty – Prithviraj, who is said to have built the foundations of the Qutb Minar.

The TV behind me is making me even crazier, so much has been happening around, from inflation to marginal slip of sensex, job cuts and price rise. The channel is constantly showing this story tagging Kalyug Ka Krishna.

More to reservations...

Post by Ankit Khanna

Last week she asked me whether I support reservations or not? I simply said, Yes I do but not in the current format. Then we went on discussing further, followed by her post on reservations. In her post, she nicely presented the case but refrained from passing any views or judgements. Definitely, I am not the expert or the right person to comment on this critical issue, still would like to touch sensitive areas around this issue.

In ancient India, division of labour was done on the basis of castes. The society was divided primarily into four castes, Brahmins occupying the 'Raja' status and Harijans at the lower end. Brahmins were considered to be the people with brains and knowledgeable. Harijans did all the 'shit' work. This led to the greater division of the society in terms of opportunities and standard living. Not much attention was paid to this issue till the time of Independence. After Independence, leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Bhim Rao Ambedkar (a Harijan) tried to address the problem and presented solution in the Constitution in the form of reservations. The underlined philosophy is

''..some sections of the society (SC/ST) were deprived of equal social, economic and educational opportunities, so they are socially and economically backward now. In order to bring equality in society, reservations are introduced to bring the weaker sections to the forefront by providing deprived opportunities across:

a. Educational institutions: schools, colleges.
Reason: Education is the foundation
b. Governemnt jobs
Reason: To bring equality in the society
c. Concessions in fees, fares etc
Reason: They are economically weak''

All sounds good here and then. But what essentially went wrong:

a. At the time of introduction, no deadline was kept when these reservations would end. They can't be perpetual.
b. If one generation has availed the benefit of reservation, it can't be considered socially backward. Agree?
c. Are economically well-off sections of SC/ST eligible?
d. How can these steps ensure change in mentality of so-called socially forward sections of the society?
e. If the college has 100 seats andd 27 are reserved. But the students competing for these 27 seats are less, resulting in lower passing marks causing inequality in the level of standards of education. How to deal with it?
f. If I know I have a reserved seat and i can get it by studying/working less, why would I study more?
g. Now more groups: OBCs, Gujjars etc demand reservation for themselves.
h. Reservations are used by political parties to attract vote banks.
i. In some regions, reservations are now on the basis of religon.

These are few. But the list is long. But i am still clueless on the solution. Any suggestions?

You negotiate. We don't

"You haven't learnt anything from your ex-roomie. Look at her, she spotted the 'right man', grabbed him and got married before he slipped off," (Her hand? Good job!) says my age-old friend, who also taught me Vedic history like a fairy-tale and taught me to take chances in life, "For worst, you would die."

His suggestion on me being 'not-secured', ie not married (Akeli Ladki Khuli Tizori- to spice it up) annoyed me, but others got a shock! I replied to my friend, "I would rather much happily carry the khuli tizori throughout my life, than to forcefully adopt a false-sense of security – by spotting, grabbing and making the 'right man' legally mine." And quickly quoted my cousin who had updated me my ex-roommate’s relationship status, "she is a successful housewife (home-maker to be politically correct) at X." (say 'X' is a low-lying, down-market area in the capital city).

Recently, the Mint carried an amazing column about 'Sex and the City,' which, I believe, have rightly written: "'Sex and the City' is supposed to be the movie that celebrates the independence of today's women." The movie portrayed such a hunky-dory picture as if there's nothing existed beyond 'color' (that's how they idetify sex), shoes and men - for four professionally successful women. And the only answer I have for my dear friend who is worried about my 'security' is as the Mint columnist further writes: "Get married, girls! It's the whole purpose of your existence…" But my purpose of existence is to guard my khuli Tizori:)

Just when we were worried about this sex’s security, many of the same sex are being killed before they could even feel the insecurity. Forget the rest India, cases of female foeticide in posh South Delhi itself can outnumber places that are traditionally accused of killing women.

I know that you are
Hurt Today
In your heart you feel
A pang

I know in the day
Arrive many storms
You can think nothing
There’s just the sand

What you guarded
Really well
Against your bosom
Very close

What was yesterday
A lucky necklace
Is today a noose
Around the neck

O Ballo! O Ballo!
Why the sadness
This is all cause
And effect
See it, feel it
Chin up
In time
We shall all be Together

I know you buried
Many memories
That you couldn’t
Throw Away

They climb you walls
When you close your eyes
Or when you listen to my
Empty counsel

Everyday you Litigate
Everyday a sharp Debate

Sometimes its guilty
Sometimes you set yourself free
But never a Resolution

You must turn the pages Yourself
You must travel Yourself
You must shape your own script ~~~~~~~~~~ the English rendition of song ‘Ballo’ in Rabbi Shergill’s album ‘Avegi ja nahi’