I Think politicians should quit trying to leverage themselves. They parade around with Z security, what for? Let them walk the streets without ant protection. They are supposed to serve us, instead we have become servants to them. (Views of Jaideep Mehrotra, Mumbai based artist)
Maharashtra deputy chief minister RR Patil kicked off a major row on Saturday by dismissing the attack on Mumbai as an insignificant incident. “Bade bade sheheron mein ek-aadh aisi ghatna hoti rehti hain (such small incidents keep happening in big cities),” Patil told reporters on Saturday, adding that the terrorists had come to kill 5,000 people, but “we didn’t allow them to do so much damage”.
It is time to ask our politicians: Will you go back to playing politics with our lives? Or are you going to do something worthwhile with yours? How many deaths will it take till you know that too many people have died?
I am proud of being an Indian Muslim. Like any Indian, I am angry, frustrated and depressed. I am angry at the rabid dogs of war. I am frustrated by the tone-deaf impotence of government. I am depressed at the damage being done to my India. (M J AKBAR )
Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh Sunday visited the battered Taj hotel here with his actor-son Riteish and filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, triggering angry reactions among Mumbaikers of all hues.
I thought the SMSes about Raj Thackeray summed up the mood of India. Thackeray had no role to play in the aftermath of the attacks but the murder and the mayhem put his politicking in context. Bombay was not defended solely by the Marathi manoos. It was defended by Indians who protected other Indians — while this particular Marathi manoos — or perhaps that should be Marathi mouse — cowered at home. (Vir Sanghvi)
Just of context a saying of Ronald Regan, " Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first".
Saturday, November 29, 2008
An Interesting article by Vir Saghavi- We’re all Bombayites today
If there is one thing that the last two decades have taught anybody who loves Bombay is that our city is no stranger to misfortune and disaster. In 1992 we had unprecedented and bloody communal riots. In 1993, serial blasts rocked the city, killing hundreds. The terrorism has continued sporadically ever since — the biggest recent blasts were two years ago — but when the bombers have given us a rest, the elements have taken over. Three years ago, the city nearly drowned after the biggest deluge of the century.
Such has been the spate of disasters that a special term has been devised to describe the city's ability to cope: "the spirit of Bombay". And while that now sounds like a horrific cliché, it does nevertheless accurately capture the ethos of this great city.
In 1993 when charred bodies piled up on the streets, the citizens of Bombay did not lose themselves in recrimination and grief. They got on with their lives.
Only once before have I felt Bombay rock and heave with anger. And that was in 1992 when the city burned and rioters ran wild in the streets. Nearly everybody in Bombay felt that the carnage could have been avoided. The police force had failed, the government took too long to call in the army and the Centre seemed indifferent to the fate of Bombay.
Much of the anger was directed at Prime Minister Narasimha Rao who either went into a coma or simply did not give a damn. But no politician was exempt from the public rage.
We hated the Congress where a quarrel between the Chief Minister and the Defence Minister prevented the government from responding quickly. We blamed the BJP whose supporters had brought down the Babri Masjid and set off the spiral of violence. And we loathed Bal Thackeray whose goondas roamed the roads, killing people at will.
In our view, the politicians had failed Bombay. And it was only a matter of time before they failed India.
Well, that time has come.
Not since 1992 have I felt so much public anger and outrage directed at the political class. People do not blame politicians for terrorism. We understand that this is a global phenomenon. We accept also that every attack cannot be anticipated or prevented.
But the Bombay attacks are different. Surely, they were not unexpected? After bomb blast after bomb blast and attack after attack, India's politicians must have known that the city was at risk. And yet the authorities reacted to this attack exactly as they had reacted to all the previous ones: with astonishment and ineptitude.
How many bombs need to go off, how many innocents need to die before politicians realise that they have been elected to defend the people of India?
Consider the US. Nobody blamed George Bush for 9/11. And for all his faults he was able to ensure that there would be no terrorist attack for the next eight years. Or think of England. The country was shocked by the 7/7 bombings. But politicians assured people that there would be no repeat and indeed, there's been nothing since. Think of Indonesia. The Bali bombing has not been followed by any terrorist attack on that scale.
I can think of only three countries where terrorism reigns unchecked: Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
Of those three, Afghanistan is at war and Pakistan is a failed state.
How is it possible that India, which we are constantly told is an emerging superpower, is on par with those two chaotic basket states? Isn't it sad that even Baghdad saw fewer deaths last month than Bombay?
Are you surprised that people are so angry?
The fury against politicians is not directed at any individual or any single party. Rather it is an all-round rage against the entire political class.
Of course the ruling party gets it in the neck — with Shivraj Patil cast in the Narasimha Rao role. But so does the BJP. When Gopinath Munde arrived at Nariman House, there was widespread outrage over his attempt to seek a photo opportunity. When Narendra Modi turned up at the Oberoi to announce that he would give Rs 1 crore to the family of the slain ATS chief he had slandered in life, there was public revulsion. Even L.K.Advani was needlessly vilified for refusing to travel to Bombay on Manmohan Singh's plane. (It was because Singh was not sure that he would make it to Bombay that day.)
I thought the SMSes about Raj Thackeray summed up the mood of India. Thackeray had no role to play in the aftermath of the attacks but the murder and the mayhem put his politicking in context. Bombay was not defended solely by the Marathi manoos. It was defended by Indians who protected other Indians — while this particular Marathi manoos — or perhaps that should be Marathi mouse — cowered at home.
The BJP has tried to turn terrorism into a political issue, suggesting indirectly that the government is not acting against terrorists because it is scared of losing the Muslim votes. The Congress has retaliated by pointing out that many of the terrorists are in fact Hindu extremists.
But what the public response of the last few days tells us is this: we don't really care. As far as we're concerned, they're all the same. Of course the Congress is culpable for the Bombay attacks. But then, were things very different during the BJP's term when Parliament was attacked?
The message from the people of India is that we are fed up of politicians who use terrorism as an excuse to win votes. We are fed up of the way they seek to pit Muslim against Hindu over the dead bodies of victims of terror in the cynical hope of winning the next election. We are fed up of their incompetence. And we are fed up of their tendency to play politics when they should be doing something to protect us.
Some of this is, I concede, unfair. We are not always sure of what we want. People complained in Bombay that there was no visible political leadership. And yet, when politicians turned up on the streets, they were derided. Some Bombay personalities called Manmohan Singh's TV address 'robotic' and demanded charismatic leadership. But when Narendra Modi — probably India's most charismatic politician — appeared, the people of Bombay acted as though they wanted to throw up.
So yes, public anger is not always rational and it's not always fair. But then, what anger is? We resort to rage only when we're confronted by injustice and are frustrated by our inability to make things better.
And God knows, we have enough to be angry about. We begin each day, unsure of how it will end. We say goodbye to our children each morning, not really sure when we will see them again. We hear a car backfiring and think immediately of bullets. We go to malls and wonder if terrorists will strike. We cancel our trips because we're not sure that hotels are safe.
It was not supposed to be this way. This was supposed to be the Indian century. We were to be the objects of the world's envy. Instead, we are now the subjects of its sympathy. What use is it to build a thousand malls if we are too scared to use them? What is the point of a million new cars if the roads are too dangerous to drive in?
In some strange way, I suppose, it is just as well that the terrorists chose Bombay and not some other Indian city. At least, Bombay knows how to take misfortune and is capable of bouncing back. But which of us can deny the citizens of Bombay their right to anger and rage? They've had enough and they shouldn't have to take it any more.
In that and in every other significant way, we are all Bombayites today.
Such has been the spate of disasters that a special term has been devised to describe the city's ability to cope: "the spirit of Bombay". And while that now sounds like a horrific cliché, it does nevertheless accurately capture the ethos of this great city.
In 1993 when charred bodies piled up on the streets, the citizens of Bombay did not lose themselves in recrimination and grief. They got on with their lives.
Only once before have I felt Bombay rock and heave with anger. And that was in 1992 when the city burned and rioters ran wild in the streets. Nearly everybody in Bombay felt that the carnage could have been avoided. The police force had failed, the government took too long to call in the army and the Centre seemed indifferent to the fate of Bombay.
Much of the anger was directed at Prime Minister Narasimha Rao who either went into a coma or simply did not give a damn. But no politician was exempt from the public rage.
We hated the Congress where a quarrel between the Chief Minister and the Defence Minister prevented the government from responding quickly. We blamed the BJP whose supporters had brought down the Babri Masjid and set off the spiral of violence. And we loathed Bal Thackeray whose goondas roamed the roads, killing people at will.
In our view, the politicians had failed Bombay. And it was only a matter of time before they failed India.
Well, that time has come.
Not since 1992 have I felt so much public anger and outrage directed at the political class. People do not blame politicians for terrorism. We understand that this is a global phenomenon. We accept also that every attack cannot be anticipated or prevented.
But the Bombay attacks are different. Surely, they were not unexpected? After bomb blast after bomb blast and attack after attack, India's politicians must have known that the city was at risk. And yet the authorities reacted to this attack exactly as they had reacted to all the previous ones: with astonishment and ineptitude.
How many bombs need to go off, how many innocents need to die before politicians realise that they have been elected to defend the people of India?
Consider the US. Nobody blamed George Bush for 9/11. And for all his faults he was able to ensure that there would be no terrorist attack for the next eight years. Or think of England. The country was shocked by the 7/7 bombings. But politicians assured people that there would be no repeat and indeed, there's been nothing since. Think of Indonesia. The Bali bombing has not been followed by any terrorist attack on that scale.
I can think of only three countries where terrorism reigns unchecked: Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
Of those three, Afghanistan is at war and Pakistan is a failed state.
How is it possible that India, which we are constantly told is an emerging superpower, is on par with those two chaotic basket states? Isn't it sad that even Baghdad saw fewer deaths last month than Bombay?
Are you surprised that people are so angry?
The fury against politicians is not directed at any individual or any single party. Rather it is an all-round rage against the entire political class.
Of course the ruling party gets it in the neck — with Shivraj Patil cast in the Narasimha Rao role. But so does the BJP. When Gopinath Munde arrived at Nariman House, there was widespread outrage over his attempt to seek a photo opportunity. When Narendra Modi turned up at the Oberoi to announce that he would give Rs 1 crore to the family of the slain ATS chief he had slandered in life, there was public revulsion. Even L.K.Advani was needlessly vilified for refusing to travel to Bombay on Manmohan Singh's plane. (It was because Singh was not sure that he would make it to Bombay that day.)
I thought the SMSes about Raj Thackeray summed up the mood of India. Thackeray had no role to play in the aftermath of the attacks but the murder and the mayhem put his politicking in context. Bombay was not defended solely by the Marathi manoos. It was defended by Indians who protected other Indians — while this particular Marathi manoos — or perhaps that should be Marathi mouse — cowered at home.
The BJP has tried to turn terrorism into a political issue, suggesting indirectly that the government is not acting against terrorists because it is scared of losing the Muslim votes. The Congress has retaliated by pointing out that many of the terrorists are in fact Hindu extremists.
But what the public response of the last few days tells us is this: we don't really care. As far as we're concerned, they're all the same. Of course the Congress is culpable for the Bombay attacks. But then, were things very different during the BJP's term when Parliament was attacked?
The message from the people of India is that we are fed up of politicians who use terrorism as an excuse to win votes. We are fed up of the way they seek to pit Muslim against Hindu over the dead bodies of victims of terror in the cynical hope of winning the next election. We are fed up of their incompetence. And we are fed up of their tendency to play politics when they should be doing something to protect us.
Some of this is, I concede, unfair. We are not always sure of what we want. People complained in Bombay that there was no visible political leadership. And yet, when politicians turned up on the streets, they were derided. Some Bombay personalities called Manmohan Singh's TV address 'robotic' and demanded charismatic leadership. But when Narendra Modi — probably India's most charismatic politician — appeared, the people of Bombay acted as though they wanted to throw up.
So yes, public anger is not always rational and it's not always fair. But then, what anger is? We resort to rage only when we're confronted by injustice and are frustrated by our inability to make things better.
And God knows, we have enough to be angry about. We begin each day, unsure of how it will end. We say goodbye to our children each morning, not really sure when we will see them again. We hear a car backfiring and think immediately of bullets. We go to malls and wonder if terrorists will strike. We cancel our trips because we're not sure that hotels are safe.
It was not supposed to be this way. This was supposed to be the Indian century. We were to be the objects of the world's envy. Instead, we are now the subjects of its sympathy. What use is it to build a thousand malls if we are too scared to use them? What is the point of a million new cars if the roads are too dangerous to drive in?
In some strange way, I suppose, it is just as well that the terrorists chose Bombay and not some other Indian city. At least, Bombay knows how to take misfortune and is capable of bouncing back. But which of us can deny the citizens of Bombay their right to anger and rage? They've had enough and they shouldn't have to take it any more.
In that and in every other significant way, we are all Bombayites today.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Hurricane IKE
We are under the threat of Hurricane IKE. Authorities are cautioning citizens to be ready for the worst. It has created havoc in Cuba and coming to our state Texas. This news is flashed all our the world.
Yesterday, I was expecting calls from my home to know my and my family's well beings. But none had called. Everybody, back home expects me to call even if one sneezes in the family. This thought had depressed me. No one cares about us. Everybody is busy in their own life. For the first time, I made a complaint to my mother about this. She was aware of the flood situation of Patna and work done by Asa Ram Bapu ji there. She was also aware of the Large Harder Collider testing by European Union. But she was not aware of the Hurricane IKE and it's seriousness. Patiently I explained the potential danger of it and evacuation situation. After hearing she started crying and asked me to keep her updated about the situation. Effect of this was that my both the sisters called me and asked about our plans. Though it was late, but they realized there is someone, to who they tie bond of love twice a year, need to care about out of their routine life. I don't expect anything from my friends, perhaps I do not have any friend.
Early this morning, when I was enjoying morning sleep, one of my colleague called and asked if I am evacuating? I was not prepared for this question, particularly when, you are waken up by the annoying call. I told him I have not decided and also given reference of those people who have decided not to evacuate. He explained his long baseless logic and after hearing I told him I would prefer to stay at home. There is no evacuation announced for our area. Official requested not to increase crowd on highways as you are not required to go out. I am not part of that crowd. I do not know what will happen in next 24 hours? This time is critical. We might be without power and water or might be surrounded by water and no roof on our head. I think I will gracefully accept whatever this country is offering to me ..Great Experiences, travel , dollars and hurricane...
Yesterday, I was expecting calls from my home to know my and my family's well beings. But none had called. Everybody, back home expects me to call even if one sneezes in the family. This thought had depressed me. No one cares about us. Everybody is busy in their own life. For the first time, I made a complaint to my mother about this. She was aware of the flood situation of Patna and work done by Asa Ram Bapu ji there. She was also aware of the Large Harder Collider testing by European Union. But she was not aware of the Hurricane IKE and it's seriousness. Patiently I explained the potential danger of it and evacuation situation. After hearing she started crying and asked me to keep her updated about the situation. Effect of this was that my both the sisters called me and asked about our plans. Though it was late, but they realized there is someone, to who they tie bond of love twice a year, need to care about out of their routine life. I don't expect anything from my friends, perhaps I do not have any friend.
Early this morning, when I was enjoying morning sleep, one of my colleague called and asked if I am evacuating? I was not prepared for this question, particularly when, you are waken up by the annoying call. I told him I have not decided and also given reference of those people who have decided not to evacuate. He explained his long baseless logic and after hearing I told him I would prefer to stay at home. There is no evacuation announced for our area. Official requested not to increase crowd on highways as you are not required to go out. I am not part of that crowd. I do not know what will happen in next 24 hours? This time is critical. We might be without power and water or might be surrounded by water and no roof on our head. I think I will gracefully accept whatever this country is offering to me ..Great Experiences, travel , dollars and hurricane...
Monday, July 28, 2008
Happiest Moment with Your Father !!
Last night I was watching a TV Serial-Monk. In this serial the doctor had asked the patient to remember the happiest moment he spent with his father.
I tried to recollect my happiest moment spent with my father. He went to heavenly abode few years ago, while suffering from deadly disease called Alzheimer's. He fought with this disease bravely for about 5-6 years.
I could not recollect any.. memory is fading away...or is it something else. I could not find any reasons for it. Though there were proud moments, which I think my father felt for me. Those were related to passing of various exams. I can not classify those as my happiest moments. Is it that I have not spent any happiest moment with him..I can't say this either. My memory is fading away....I am not able to recollect any happiest moment spent with him...
I am sorry Pa..Perhaps I am also getting memory loss........
I tried to recollect my happiest moment spent with my father. He went to heavenly abode few years ago, while suffering from deadly disease called Alzheimer's. He fought with this disease bravely for about 5-6 years.
I could not recollect any.. memory is fading away...or is it something else. I could not find any reasons for it. Though there were proud moments, which I think my father felt for me. Those were related to passing of various exams. I can not classify those as my happiest moments. Is it that I have not spent any happiest moment with him..I can't say this either. My memory is fading away....I am not able to recollect any happiest moment spent with him...
I am sorry Pa..Perhaps I am also getting memory loss........
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Indian Reality Shows
These days Indian TV channels are flooded with reality shows. I particularly watch the shows broad casted on Z TV. There are two shows are being aired Ek se Badhkar ek and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2009. I find judges in the former show are egoistic and do favoritism. These judges always try to show they are smarter than anybody else. Even they consider viewers as dumb. This particular reality show is among the participants who are winners in various shows of different channels. But Z TV wants to show that their winners are better than any body else. In this process participants are being harassed, because they are struggles and wants to earn name and fame and of course money. The judges and TV channel are earning money. The judges have forgotten their struggle period. Abhijeet had copied songs of legend Kishore kumar. I have nit witnessed struggle of Ahmed. I have never heard of him. This is the first time I have seen him. He appears to be villain and always talk nonsenses.
Coming to SaReGaMa.. All contestants are good. I do not understand how USA and UK partcipants are eliminated in first round. This is not a Vishvyudh. What I guess, again Z Tv is trying to encash emotions of Indians and Pakistani citizens. It has nothing to do with singers of rest of the world. The channel has nothing to do with any singers either. Based on emotions of people of these two countries, it wants to earn money. Two judges are dumb..Hemesh and Pritam. Hemesh does not respect elders as well. Sometimes success is caught in wrong hands. Pritam is a copy cat. Nothing great about him. Asha Bhonsle has rightly pointed out that if any body sings in that tone and texture, for which these judges are fighting like dogs and cats, they should provide him opportunity of play back singing. These judges claim they will provide opportunity to participants for play back singing. But these are all false promises.
I have never heard, winners of previous shows are singing playback (Only 2-3 exceptions are there). They are still being abused and harassed. Will participants be able to stop this nonsense? Can we People of India and Pakistan come forward and stop these channels for playing with our emotions?
Coming to SaReGaMa.. All contestants are good. I do not understand how USA and UK partcipants are eliminated in first round. This is not a Vishvyudh. What I guess, again Z Tv is trying to encash emotions of Indians and Pakistani citizens. It has nothing to do with singers of rest of the world. The channel has nothing to do with any singers either. Based on emotions of people of these two countries, it wants to earn money. Two judges are dumb..Hemesh and Pritam. Hemesh does not respect elders as well. Sometimes success is caught in wrong hands. Pritam is a copy cat. Nothing great about him. Asha Bhonsle has rightly pointed out that if any body sings in that tone and texture, for which these judges are fighting like dogs and cats, they should provide him opportunity of play back singing. These judges claim they will provide opportunity to participants for play back singing. But these are all false promises.
I have never heard, winners of previous shows are singing playback (Only 2-3 exceptions are there). They are still being abused and harassed. Will participants be able to stop this nonsense? Can we People of India and Pakistan come forward and stop these channels for playing with our emotions?
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