Terror in Mumbai
It has been an unprecedented time in our history. Never have we seen so many armed personnel in action and such fierce 'gun battles' in living memory. Kargil is still fresh in memory but that qualified as an all out war. The theatre there was a 'battle front' in a far off region... not in our very own backyard! As the common citizen comes to terms with this horrendous reality - for it surely does make one scared and question ones own safety at any place at any time. the common refrain seems to be "it could have been me... it can happen to anyone of us... there is no certainty to life..." and so on.
Hobbes did say that life was short, nasty and brutish.
a few observations of my own.
# The media did a commendable job covering the event. They deserve a mention for being so brave... it surely requires courage to be in such a sensitive zone. of course this is hoping that none of them were foolhardy enough to put themselves at risk of being at the receiving end of a stray bullet or shrapnel. The intense desire to acquire that "EXCLUSIVE LIVE FOOTAGE" clip or to cover the "BREAKING NEWS" first and put it on screen is something that needs to be questioned.
CONCLUSION: try not to sensationalise things more that required. they are doing a good job but need to focus on galvanising public opinion and channeling in a fruitful direction
# It has been heartening to hear voices of sanity amidst the chaos. one person reportedly said he had overheard some shakha/mns members say "safai kar dete hain" (implying that a 'cleansing' was required of muslims) yet in the program on NDTV a sorrowful victim who was from the same community was proof that terrorists have no religion... and it is our duty to rise above these communistic/communal narrow views which have eroded our very secular fabric for more than a hundred years now. India was NEVER a country that welcomed these hindu-muslim tensions... yes we were ruled my the mughals and invaded... but as often been pointed out (and rightly so in my opinion) the flaring of communal tensions on religious lines has seen a dramatic increase after british rule in india (part of the divide and rule policy). this has naturally led to escalating tensions and religious extremism and violence if interpolated will surely show a log curve if plotted culminating in the horrendous tragedy of 1947 when an entire people and subcontinent were divided in an arbitrary manner.
CONCLUSION: this is the time for india to show the world our true secular colours. as patrick french in a gripping account of 1947 wrote and i paraphrase "being a hindu does not merely imply that it is your religion. a good muslim is a hindu. a good christian is a hindu. and a good hindu is a hindu." unfortunately the hindu right-wing extremists by this standard insult the very essence of the hindu dharma as much as do radical jihadis who do injustice to the prophet's vision of islam. no religion so much as preaches violence - it is our warped interpretation that we misuse. of course the less i say about PSEUDO-secular parties like the congress the better... in the guise of fighting communalism they have taken vote-bank politics to a nadir. they deserve all the flak and more. Bastards all!
# A celebrity made a wonderful point that there was no need to keep calling these people 'politicians' and 'leaders' for they do not deserve any respect. they are elected representatives of the people and 'public servants'. the idea mooted was brilliant. if our tax rupees are spent on their salary/lutyens' bungalow/car/NSG Z+security it is being misused... lets pull them up and take away their privileges that they take for status symbols.
COCNL: some have resigned... others were defiant in the face of such a crisis. what saddened me most was that none of our politicians is a statesman or a leader! apart from the solitary national address by the PM neither the CM/deputy/an other national leader come live on the TV to bolster the confidence of the people and even days after none seem to be offering solutions that we, the people can believe in
# A wonderful idea expressed was about how Mr. Raj Thackeray of the MNS did not protest against north indian jawans helping with the rescue operations... he indeed was conspicuous by his absence and sound bytes. can we begin to imagine what would have happened had the commandos said "lets not go to mumbai... we aren't welcome there". The karkare family also refused Mr. Modi's monetary gift... rightly so... the pressure and awful politicking that the BJP and it loose affiliates tried to indulge in from the hindutva angle against the ATS cops for doing their duty highlights how bad the situation is... this has been a kick in their balls! i hope it hurts.
CONCL: Did our real national heroes of the freedom struggle indulge is such disgraceful myopic regional or religious politics? did bose raise his INA consisting only of begalis? did gandhiji fight for the freedom of gujarat alone? did tilak talk incessantly about the marathi manoos and maharashtrian culture/ethos? we fought as one people. let us remain as one!
JAI HIND!
Hobbes did say that life was short, nasty and brutish.
a few observations of my own.
# The media did a commendable job covering the event. They deserve a mention for being so brave... it surely requires courage to be in such a sensitive zone. of course this is hoping that none of them were foolhardy enough to put themselves at risk of being at the receiving end of a stray bullet or shrapnel. The intense desire to acquire that "EXCLUSIVE LIVE FOOTAGE" clip or to cover the "BREAKING NEWS" first and put it on screen is something that needs to be questioned.
CONCLUSION: try not to sensationalise things more that required. they are doing a good job but need to focus on galvanising public opinion and channeling in a fruitful direction
# It has been heartening to hear voices of sanity amidst the chaos. one person reportedly said he had overheard some shakha/mns members say "safai kar dete hain" (implying that a 'cleansing' was required of muslims) yet in the program on NDTV a sorrowful victim who was from the same community was proof that terrorists have no religion... and it is our duty to rise above these communistic/communal narrow views which have eroded our very secular fabric for more than a hundred years now. India was NEVER a country that welcomed these hindu-muslim tensions... yes we were ruled my the mughals and invaded... but as often been pointed out (and rightly so in my opinion) the flaring of communal tensions on religious lines has seen a dramatic increase after british rule in india (part of the divide and rule policy). this has naturally led to escalating tensions and religious extremism and violence if interpolated will surely show a log curve if plotted culminating in the horrendous tragedy of 1947 when an entire people and subcontinent were divided in an arbitrary manner.
CONCLUSION: this is the time for india to show the world our true secular colours. as patrick french in a gripping account of 1947 wrote and i paraphrase "being a hindu does not merely imply that it is your religion. a good muslim is a hindu. a good christian is a hindu. and a good hindu is a hindu." unfortunately the hindu right-wing extremists by this standard insult the very essence of the hindu dharma as much as do radical jihadis who do injustice to the prophet's vision of islam. no religion so much as preaches violence - it is our warped interpretation that we misuse. of course the less i say about PSEUDO-secular parties like the congress the better... in the guise of fighting communalism they have taken vote-bank politics to a nadir. they deserve all the flak and more. Bastards all!
# A celebrity made a wonderful point that there was no need to keep calling these people 'politicians' and 'leaders' for they do not deserve any respect. they are elected representatives of the people and 'public servants'. the idea mooted was brilliant. if our tax rupees are spent on their salary/lutyens' bungalow/car/NSG Z+security it is being misused... lets pull them up and take away their privileges that they take for status symbols.
COCNL: some have resigned... others were defiant in the face of such a crisis. what saddened me most was that none of our politicians is a statesman or a leader! apart from the solitary national address by the PM neither the CM/deputy/an other national leader come live on the TV to bolster the confidence of the people and even days after none seem to be offering solutions that we, the people can believe in
# A wonderful idea expressed was about how Mr. Raj Thackeray of the MNS did not protest against north indian jawans helping with the rescue operations... he indeed was conspicuous by his absence and sound bytes. can we begin to imagine what would have happened had the commandos said "lets not go to mumbai... we aren't welcome there". The karkare family also refused Mr. Modi's monetary gift... rightly so... the pressure and awful politicking that the BJP and it loose affiliates tried to indulge in from the hindutva angle against the ATS cops for doing their duty highlights how bad the situation is... this has been a kick in their balls! i hope it hurts.
CONCL: Did our real national heroes of the freedom struggle indulge is such disgraceful myopic regional or religious politics? did bose raise his INA consisting only of begalis? did gandhiji fight for the freedom of gujarat alone? did tilak talk incessantly about the marathi manoos and maharashtrian culture/ethos? we fought as one people. let us remain as one!
JAI HIND!
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