Either our leaders smoke some very strong stuff, or they are completely dumb and stupid, or they just make dumb and stupid statements for the consumption of our gullible public.
What on earth is Pradhan Mantri ji trying to achieve by things like this?
Persuade Pakistan to stop terrorism, PM urges Saudi Arabia
Isn't it common knowledge that the chief patron of the Pakistani state is Saudi? That Saudi material and other sponsorship of corrosive Wahhabi ideology is the chief culprit behind the ultra-radicalization of a whole generation of Muslims worldwide? That Saudi intelligence played a key role in the creation of the Taliban and they were the only country besides Pakistan to recognize the Islamic Emirate under Mullah Omar?
Funny thing is the Saudi regime has one of the worst records in the world, suppressing human rights, dissent, minorities and women. While our media went to town highlighting the atrocities committed by the Taliban 'Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice', they conveniently hide the fact that the Talib's inspiration was the Saudi Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.
And India should offer them a cloak of respectability by endorsing their good offices? Of course cannot expect much from a government which had the head of such a state invited as guest of honour at our cherished R Day parade some time back. Its comical then that they had the South Korean Prez over this time around when they should have rather invited Kim Jong-ill, going by their record.
Or it could just be that the US has managed to charm our leaders to such an extent that they now behave as clowns of their circus, entertaining whoever the US wishes India to entertain and wherever. A visit to Turkey must be up next.
Monday, March 01, 2010
Kabul attack motives
after my previous post, I came across Sri Gaurav's post on the previous Pune attack.
If the motive was to disrupt the Indo-Pak talks as Gaurav has surmised, then this links it to the Kabul attack too as B Raman has suggested.Gaurav wondered whether the US had manouvered these talks backstage so that Pakistan was going to give some concession to India.
Asia Times Online's Syed Saleem Shehzad, usually with quite strong sources, suggests, this could be Pakistan handing over Zakiur Rahman Lakhvi to India! Now that would be something, if it happened.
If the motive was to disrupt the Indo-Pak talks as Gaurav has surmised, then this links it to the Kabul attack too as B Raman has suggested.Gaurav wondered whether the US had manouvered these talks backstage so that Pakistan was going to give some concession to India.
Asia Times Online's Syed Saleem Shehzad, usually with quite strong sources, suggests, this could be Pakistan handing over Zakiur Rahman Lakhvi to India! Now that would be something, if it happened.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Kabul Attack
The attack on hotels in Kabul targeting Indians is another in the series of desperate acts by jehadi networks in Pakistan. But I don't think they are doing this to 'scare' Indians away from Afghanistan, or simply to provoke India so it complicates matters for Pakistan, as Stratfor has apparently thought up:
Kabul attack might be to 'provoke' India
I think the aim is to somehow have India to get involved militarily in Afghanistan. That will give the aQ's more India-focussed arms just the trigger they need to initiate the 'ghazwa-e-Hind' terror mayhem in India which Ilyas Kashmiri talked about in his very strange interview to Saleem Shehzad of Asia Times Online:
Al-Qaeda's guerilla chief lays out strategy
aQ (and the jehadi network leading all the way into Pakistan Army, 'rogue' or not, its your call) perhaps believe that a spectacular series of attacks that would leave India humiliated would polarize Pakistanis in their favour and lead them to their long term goal of capturing power there. But they need a trigger - they are not able to justify all-India attacks solely on the basis of Kashmir.
India must tread carefully - we should not give them any such chance at a time when we are not at all confident we have plugged all our internal security loopholes and nor do we have much covert action capability:
Hit but stealthiliy
At best we have to increase physical security to the staffers of India's humanitarian effort in Afghanistan, wherever they stay, within the embassies or otherwise. And request the Afghan Govt to punish the culprits as much as possible.
Kabul attack might be to 'provoke' India
I think the aim is to somehow have India to get involved militarily in Afghanistan. That will give the aQ's more India-focussed arms just the trigger they need to initiate the 'ghazwa-e-Hind' terror mayhem in India which Ilyas Kashmiri talked about in his very strange interview to Saleem Shehzad of Asia Times Online:
Al-Qaeda's guerilla chief lays out strategy
aQ (and the jehadi network leading all the way into Pakistan Army, 'rogue' or not, its your call) perhaps believe that a spectacular series of attacks that would leave India humiliated would polarize Pakistanis in their favour and lead them to their long term goal of capturing power there. But they need a trigger - they are not able to justify all-India attacks solely on the basis of Kashmir.
India must tread carefully - we should not give them any such chance at a time when we are not at all confident we have plugged all our internal security loopholes and nor do we have much covert action capability:
Hit but stealthiliy
At best we have to increase physical security to the staffers of India's humanitarian effort in Afghanistan, wherever they stay, within the embassies or otherwise. And request the Afghan Govt to punish the culprits as much as possible.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Inspector Karamchand: Prologue
A new thriller series
Prologue
No. This is not the comeback series of Pankaj Kapoor after his long break from TV, though for sure he is contemplating one. This is also not the launch of his son Shahid Kapur into the high world of the telly. His career is doing too good for that, now that he is finally over his addiction to the social networking site, bebo.com.
This is the story of a patriotic jasoos from our much maligned IB, a rare babu who's trying desperately, to help our countrymen from yet another terrorist attack. Now, because he was so Deolesque in his patriotism, in typical filmi style, he was shifted out of a secret branch of IB that thought it was safe from the hands of netalog. Well netalog ke haath bahut lambe hote hain. That was something Karamchand learned the hard way, as he rued the day he had a heated discussion with a pulisman investigating the latest terrorist attack in Mumbai. Apparently, the Chief Minister, who was afraid hs bhaanje and saale would all be caught napping after gourging on samose if the attack was investigated well, had ordered his corrupt puliswaale to come up with some ingenious plan. So the commissioner of pulis secretly commissioned a wellknown fiction writer to author ten 1000 page dossiers on the involvement of 'elements' in Pakistan in the dastardly act and sent them off to the Home Ministry to buy time.
Anyhow, here he was, posted in a new IB cell that was serving the purposes of democracy well. They have hit upon a brilliant plan to nab the terrorists who keep commiting murder in India. They will wait until the next attack, so they can follow the trails. Meanwhile they keep him busy typing away hundreds of 'analysis' notes on what the son of politicians of opposition parties were upto, for the ruling party president to review in her weekly meetings. But our hero is also up to some plan. He secretly manged to slip his 3G compatible Nokia E71 into the lid of his box size 1995model nokia phone. Now every few hours a day, he secretly surfs the net looking for leads on the next possible attack. How good is the team he secretly put in place just for this eventuality? Can he prevent the next big attack without the compromised IB moles stopping him in his tracks?...
Inspector Karamchand will follow after a few days when I take a break from not working.
Prologue
No. This is not the comeback series of Pankaj Kapoor after his long break from TV, though for sure he is contemplating one. This is also not the launch of his son Shahid Kapur into the high world of the telly. His career is doing too good for that, now that he is finally over his addiction to the social networking site, bebo.com.
This is the story of a patriotic jasoos from our much maligned IB, a rare babu who's trying desperately, to help our countrymen from yet another terrorist attack. Now, because he was so Deolesque in his patriotism, in typical filmi style, he was shifted out of a secret branch of IB that thought it was safe from the hands of netalog. Well netalog ke haath bahut lambe hote hain. That was something Karamchand learned the hard way, as he rued the day he had a heated discussion with a pulisman investigating the latest terrorist attack in Mumbai. Apparently, the Chief Minister, who was afraid hs bhaanje and saale would all be caught napping after gourging on samose if the attack was investigated well, had ordered his corrupt puliswaale to come up with some ingenious plan. So the commissioner of pulis secretly commissioned a wellknown fiction writer to author ten 1000 page dossiers on the involvement of 'elements' in Pakistan in the dastardly act and sent them off to the Home Ministry to buy time.
Anyhow, here he was, posted in a new IB cell that was serving the purposes of democracy well. They have hit upon a brilliant plan to nab the terrorists who keep commiting murder in India. They will wait until the next attack, so they can follow the trails. Meanwhile they keep him busy typing away hundreds of 'analysis' notes on what the son of politicians of opposition parties were upto, for the ruling party president to review in her weekly meetings. But our hero is also up to some plan. He secretly manged to slip his 3G compatible Nokia E71 into the lid of his box size 1995model nokia phone. Now every few hours a day, he secretly surfs the net looking for leads on the next possible attack. How good is the team he secretly put in place just for this eventuality? Can he prevent the next big attack without the compromised IB moles stopping him in his tracks?...
Inspector Karamchand will follow after a few days when I take a break from not working.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
News Flash - 1
Hello and welcome to the randomly updated news flash section on current affairs
* Just when people were beginning to wonder where the PM will surface this time after his latest vanishing act, he appeared again, at yet another remote 'peace conference'. His words of wisdom were that the country is facing grave internal and external dangers. Apparently everybody appluaded. Sources also say that most important topics concerning the country came up for discussion in the Q and A session and our PM responded, as usual, with a dignified and ponderous smile.
* HM Sri Chdiambaram has hit upon a novel plan for peace with the naxalites. He will appear on TV at midnight on one random day this week when IB are sure everybody is asleep, and announce a mechanism for the formation of the new state of Naxalangana. The whole affair it seems, will be in the manner of a live press conference and the naxals can call in and raise their concerns. Last heard, the naxls were desperately trying reach someone in a friendly neighbouring country to check on the proposed map of the new state.
* Companies in India may soon be hiring graduates without interviews. Yep, that's the latest gem from Kapil Sibal, following closely on the heels of his master-acts abolishing board exams, clamping down on the arrogant IITs, and pioneering IMFD (Indian made foreign degree). We assure him every success with his efforts for the 'best performing minister' award instituted by the PM.
* Highly placed sources confirmed that Nitin Gadkari is on a lean diet these days. No, not because he wants to look fit like Rahul. This is because he has vowed to Lord Ram that from now on he will eat at every village including and adjoining those that Rahul visits.
* Varun Gandhi has again said that BJP is losing out because they are not focussing on cows, which are our national wealth.
* A spokesperson for the Chinese Government bemoaned that while they are only providing humanitarian assistance to Pakistan,Sri Lanka, Burma, Bangladesh and Nepal pointing out that these countries dont just surround India, they are desperately poor and need lots of guns to survive, India is playing a dangerous game by training Bhutan, China's most prosperous and important southern neighbour.
* Pakistan has said that India was daydreaming. Apparently the 10 Pakistanis trained by their Army to kill hundreds in India in late 2008, were just that. Our collective nightmare. The Pakistani Ambassador to Chile, who is also a famous qawwali expert, clapped his hands and sang a song, 'hum parindey hain do watan ke lekin hain hum ek qom ke, jindagi kya hai kya maut sab hai khuda ke haath me, faraq kya padta hai kaun jiye kaun mare jab hum hai ek qom ke..such dreams should not come in the way of normalization of ties between one and the same people. how much does it matter who lives,if we are one and the same people'.
* Barack Obama has met the Dalai Lama. But he believes he has delivered the right message to China by not meeting him in the Oval Office.
* Just when people were beginning to wonder where the PM will surface this time after his latest vanishing act, he appeared again, at yet another remote 'peace conference'. His words of wisdom were that the country is facing grave internal and external dangers. Apparently everybody appluaded. Sources also say that most important topics concerning the country came up for discussion in the Q and A session and our PM responded, as usual, with a dignified and ponderous smile.
* HM Sri Chdiambaram has hit upon a novel plan for peace with the naxalites. He will appear on TV at midnight on one random day this week when IB are sure everybody is asleep, and announce a mechanism for the formation of the new state of Naxalangana. The whole affair it seems, will be in the manner of a live press conference and the naxals can call in and raise their concerns. Last heard, the naxls were desperately trying reach someone in a friendly neighbouring country to check on the proposed map of the new state.
* Companies in India may soon be hiring graduates without interviews. Yep, that's the latest gem from Kapil Sibal, following closely on the heels of his master-acts abolishing board exams, clamping down on the arrogant IITs, and pioneering IMFD (Indian made foreign degree). We assure him every success with his efforts for the 'best performing minister' award instituted by the PM.
* Highly placed sources confirmed that Nitin Gadkari is on a lean diet these days. No, not because he wants to look fit like Rahul. This is because he has vowed to Lord Ram that from now on he will eat at every village including and adjoining those that Rahul visits.
* Varun Gandhi has again said that BJP is losing out because they are not focussing on cows, which are our national wealth.
* A spokesperson for the Chinese Government bemoaned that while they are only providing humanitarian assistance to Pakistan,Sri Lanka, Burma, Bangladesh and Nepal pointing out that these countries dont just surround India, they are desperately poor and need lots of guns to survive, India is playing a dangerous game by training Bhutan, China's most prosperous and important southern neighbour.
* Pakistan has said that India was daydreaming. Apparently the 10 Pakistanis trained by their Army to kill hundreds in India in late 2008, were just that. Our collective nightmare. The Pakistani Ambassador to Chile, who is also a famous qawwali expert, clapped his hands and sang a song, 'hum parindey hain do watan ke lekin hain hum ek qom ke, jindagi kya hai kya maut sab hai khuda ke haath me, faraq kya padta hai kaun jiye kaun mare jab hum hai ek qom ke..such dreams should not come in the way of normalization of ties between one and the same people. how much does it matter who lives,if we are one and the same people'.
* Barack Obama has met the Dalai Lama. But he believes he has delivered the right message to China by not meeting him in the Oval Office.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
A new foreign policy vision
For some years India's foreign policy seems to have become the mirror of US foreign policy. But while advocating close ties with the US, a fellow liberal democracy, I think India can also show some creativity in her own policies.
Traditionally US has allied with Sunni powers in the West Asia, Saudi Arabia being the most notorious and obnoxious of them. The current Saudi regime actively spreads Wahhabism in the world, and may be the single largest catalyst behind the increasing radicalization in the Muslim world. Pakistan is a very good example of the maturing of the typical Saudi experiment.
Can't India do something about this? To be sure, India certianly is doing something through the honest humanitarian work in Afghanistan. Instead of foregoing our relations with Iran if we can use our friendly relations with them to have them give up virulence in their relations with Israel, and moderate them in their millenarian fanaticism, Iran is really not such a bady country, I think. Instead of foregin sponspored 'regime change' if the Iranian regime can genuinely reform from within, nothing better than that. And, democracy in Saudi Arabia will be good to have too.
Traditionally US has allied with Sunni powers in the West Asia, Saudi Arabia being the most notorious and obnoxious of them. The current Saudi regime actively spreads Wahhabism in the world, and may be the single largest catalyst behind the increasing radicalization in the Muslim world. Pakistan is a very good example of the maturing of the typical Saudi experiment.
Can't India do something about this? To be sure, India certianly is doing something through the honest humanitarian work in Afghanistan. Instead of foregoing our relations with Iran if we can use our friendly relations with them to have them give up virulence in their relations with Israel, and moderate them in their millenarian fanaticism, Iran is really not such a bady country, I think. Instead of foregin sponspored 'regime change' if the Iranian regime can genuinely reform from within, nothing better than that. And, democracy in Saudi Arabia will be good to have too.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Renewal
It is almost an year since I wrote something here. It's been a year of silent work and much contemplation. This Deepavali period consolidated some insights - it is a period of inner revival. Rama is the Supreme intelligence, and His return to the rulership of Ayodhya the centre of our existence with Sita, the receptive inner being (the jivatman or the psychic being in Sri Aurobindo's words) - this is the eternal occasion that the lamp of renewal reminds us of. We light this lamp of understanding in our hearts and become aware of the True existence, this is Deepavali. the Truth and our true relation to it, illumining this is Deepavali.
Monday, December 01, 2008
Al Qaeda and the barbarous Mumbai massacre
The brazen Mumbai attack follows an old AQ blue print, says this piece
Friday, November 28, 2008
war on India
now terrorism has morphed into what it always was, more openly, more brazenly and more shamelessly than ever. with deep anguish I write these lines...yet again our nation has failed before an enemy it is not willing to understand. as this article on south asia analysis says, how dare these sick men preach to us Indians! we are a democracy, however much imperfect we are, we still have noble ideals which we have set out to follow...and what are they? a country built on blood of innocents, who have ethnically cleansed their minorities and till today have no rights for them..a country ruled by dictator donkeys forever and who know no human rights..they preaching to us and claiming to fight for our rights? what audacity!
to quote from the article:
I ask today, as I rage at these terrorists who may not even be citizens of my country, how dare you speak for people of this country? And if it is Babri Masjid and Gujarat that you avenge, how many times should we apologise as a nation and justify your barbarity with heads hung in shame and guilt written on our faces? If we are paying the price for being a tolerant and democratic (although not perfect) nation (there are many dissenting voices tolerated in this country including the voices that speak of hatred against communities of all kinds, voices that talk of revenge and exclusion and voices that are overtly seditious against the state), I reject the guilt, shame and tolerance today for it makes me your ‘enemy’. You punish our innocent people for crimes of a few; and scream hoarse when the ‘innocent’ in your community are held up because of your barbarity. You reject our diversity (of our opinion and politics as well that has defended you and stood for you always), you do not like it when we have spoken with different voices.
I am praying that atleast this latest attack wakes our people up..our leaders up..
well it might take a long time when India can stand up to Islamist terror but I believe in our destinty and no matter how many years it takes, one day we will get there and get there as we are, and not as mirror images of those beasts.
to quote from the article:
I ask today, as I rage at these terrorists who may not even be citizens of my country, how dare you speak for people of this country? And if it is Babri Masjid and Gujarat that you avenge, how many times should we apologise as a nation and justify your barbarity with heads hung in shame and guilt written on our faces? If we are paying the price for being a tolerant and democratic (although not perfect) nation (there are many dissenting voices tolerated in this country including the voices that speak of hatred against communities of all kinds, voices that talk of revenge and exclusion and voices that are overtly seditious against the state), I reject the guilt, shame and tolerance today for it makes me your ‘enemy’. You punish our innocent people for crimes of a few; and scream hoarse when the ‘innocent’ in your community are held up because of your barbarity. You reject our diversity (of our opinion and politics as well that has defended you and stood for you always), you do not like it when we have spoken with different voices.
I am praying that atleast this latest attack wakes our people up..our leaders up..
well it might take a long time when India can stand up to Islamist terror but I believe in our destinty and no matter how many years it takes, one day we will get there and get there as we are, and not as mirror images of those beasts.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Indian tricolur on the moon
how does it feel to be among the only 4 countries on the planet that have their flags planted on the moon!
The Indian Triolour is now fluttering on the moon - a nation is over the moon today!
The Indian Triolour is now fluttering on the moon - a nation is over the moon today!
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
CNN goes Obi Wan Kenobi!
Jessica Yellin of CNN has had the fortune of doing a Princess Leia for the first time in this solar system of ours:
watch this amazing video where she beams into CNN's election centre last night all the way from Chicago's Grant Park!
the force is all powerful :)
watch this amazing video where she beams into CNN's election centre last night all the way from Chicago's Grant Park!
the force is all powerful :)
Obama victory!
as someone who hasnt really been convinced about Obama- I feel humbled at being witness to history as just moments back, he clinched the Presidency of the most powerful nation on earth. Seeing millions in Chicago's Grant Park and the genuine feeling of joy and empowerment among the African-Americans across the USA is indeed humbling.
History has been made. And I am honoured to see it all in live action - all the way from the gruelling primary battles with Hillary to this day here. I watched McCain concede defeat graciously and Obama deliver his eloquent acceptance speech, ending with his famously preachy tone of 'yes we can' live on the BBC webcast.
Well this Obama presidency may really not turn out to be all 'goody-goody' as people, often even naively, expect it. For India particularly*, the 'special relationship' with the US under GWB might be diluted. There might be pressure on Kashmir and non-proliferation. But just for the sake of sheer joy of millions in America whose faith in their democracy has been restored this is a remarkable victory.
*But then this is how the world is, what happened during the second term of W. was grace, a rare apportunity for India and obviously it was not going to last forever. Now is the time for India to realize the limits of patronization and the necessity for perseverence. No matter who rules in the US and the world, we in India must work to solve our problems and work towards fulfilment of our destinty.
** on a related note, we can take this rediff.com (which is unabashedly pro-Democrat usually) compilation of Obama's views on India taken out of context with some pinch of salt.
History has been made. And I am honoured to see it all in live action - all the way from the gruelling primary battles with Hillary to this day here. I watched McCain concede defeat graciously and Obama deliver his eloquent acceptance speech, ending with his famously preachy tone of 'yes we can' live on the BBC webcast.
Well this Obama presidency may really not turn out to be all 'goody-goody' as people, often even naively, expect it. For India particularly*, the 'special relationship' with the US under GWB might be diluted. There might be pressure on Kashmir and non-proliferation. But just for the sake of sheer joy of millions in America whose faith in their democracy has been restored this is a remarkable victory.
*But then this is how the world is, what happened during the second term of W. was grace, a rare apportunity for India and obviously it was not going to last forever. Now is the time for India to realize the limits of patronization and the necessity for perseverence. No matter who rules in the US and the world, we in India must work to solve our problems and work towards fulfilment of our destinty.
** on a related note, we can take this rediff.com (which is unabashedly pro-Democrat usually) compilation of Obama's views on India taken out of context with some pinch of salt.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
the State of the Union
Chandrayaan, Deepavali and the continuing social unrest...
There was some sweet news from India in the past few weeks, but the continuing rumble of severe social unrest is worrying and is spoiling all the joy.
The succesful launch of Chandrayaan-1 moon mission was very heart-warming. Although we still are a bit away from manned space missions and quite a distance from where other established world powers are, this was a powerful showcase of our increasingly advancing technical prowess. I hope we indeed go on to develop a space propgramme, one that will give our kids (for once, real- and not bollywood type reel-) starry eyes and dreams!
But the disturbing signs of rapidly spreading social unrest - semingly unending and increasingly audacious Islamist terrorist attacks (Mumbai, Gujarat, Delhi, Manipur, Guwahati...) with fuzzy masterminds, the resurrected parochialism and separatism in the Kashmir valley, the ugly Marathi-Uttarbharatiya spat following on the heels of Tamil-Kannadiga discord on Cauvery, rudderless and chaotic pandering to Tamil ethnocentric passions, rowdy clashes with Christians and Maoist Terror in the tribal belts - and now an irresponsible trial-by-media and the 'Hindu Terror' namecalling : really points to a leadership clueless on the state of the nation.
with the global financial crisis likely to hit investments into India badly over the coming months and such a restive society, the outlook appears very grave indeed. The Chandrayaan appears to be the one of the few silver linings on the cloud hiding the moon...
There was some sweet news from India in the past few weeks, but the continuing rumble of severe social unrest is worrying and is spoiling all the joy.
The succesful launch of Chandrayaan-1 moon mission was very heart-warming. Although we still are a bit away from manned space missions and quite a distance from where other established world powers are, this was a powerful showcase of our increasingly advancing technical prowess. I hope we indeed go on to develop a space propgramme, one that will give our kids (for once, real- and not bollywood type reel-) starry eyes and dreams!
But the disturbing signs of rapidly spreading social unrest - semingly unending and increasingly audacious Islamist terrorist attacks (Mumbai, Gujarat, Delhi, Manipur, Guwahati...) with fuzzy masterminds, the resurrected parochialism and separatism in the Kashmir valley, the ugly Marathi-Uttarbharatiya spat following on the heels of Tamil-Kannadiga discord on Cauvery, rudderless and chaotic pandering to Tamil ethnocentric passions, rowdy clashes with Christians and Maoist Terror in the tribal belts - and now an irresponsible trial-by-media and the 'Hindu Terror' namecalling : really points to a leadership clueless on the state of the nation.
with the global financial crisis likely to hit investments into India badly over the coming months and such a restive society, the outlook appears very grave indeed. The Chandrayaan appears to be the one of the few silver linings on the cloud hiding the moon...
Friday, October 17, 2008
this IS funny!
watch barak obama revealing his funny side.
and yes, its going to be releaved in the coming weeks that his middle name is 'steve' lol
and yes, its going to be releaved in the coming weeks that his middle name is 'steve' lol
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
beautiful words from Kate Knapp Johnson's poem Parker's Mountain
...I was twelve
and though I knew language
I did not know the meaning of things--
I lived within a lattice of time, unhurt,
undifferentiated, so that even in remembering now
there is only the singular quality
of that time itself; while I was there,
in its duration, I was possessed, wind-mastered
as the scrolled fields of clouds and disappointed
when the spell was broken and the real snow
came, and the cold.
(italics mine)
...I was twelve
and though I knew language
I did not know the meaning of things--
I lived within a lattice of time, unhurt,
undifferentiated, so that even in remembering now
there is only the singular quality
of that time itself; while I was there,
in its duration, I was possessed, wind-mastered
as the scrolled fields of clouds and disappointed
when the spell was broken and the real snow
came, and the cold.
(italics mine)
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
haikus
A haiku on life and lifelessness in urban enclaves
Torrential downpour-
Dry, morose, barren buildings;
solitary tree.
I was peering out of the window next to my desk at work: heavy rain. I love rain, for all its lifegiving energies. But here it was falling into a rectangular enclave of dry, barren buildings. But imagine even just a solitary tree in this picture, what a change it would bring to the experience!
On the response of India's pseudointelligentsia to Islamist terror
Pontificating:
from an ivory tower;
A shivering earth.
How long before the platforms of these pontificating falseleaders far removed from reality collapse? the earth has begun to tremble and shake - better for them to get down from those towers and egnage with truth - before it does so even more violently and drop them off their seats.
Torrential downpour-
Dry, morose, barren buildings;
solitary tree.
I was peering out of the window next to my desk at work: heavy rain. I love rain, for all its lifegiving energies. But here it was falling into a rectangular enclave of dry, barren buildings. But imagine even just a solitary tree in this picture, what a change it would bring to the experience!
On the response of India's pseudointelligentsia to Islamist terror
Pontificating:
from an ivory tower;
A shivering earth.
How long before the platforms of these pontificating falseleaders far removed from reality collapse? the earth has begun to tremble and shake - better for them to get down from those towers and egnage with truth - before it does so even more violently and drop them off their seats.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
what a magazine!
This is a lovely new magazine I've come across. This is the direction I'd like India's incipient 'enlightened rightwing' to take.
Its latest issue is dedicated to the morass in Kashmir valley and nails the coffin on its head on most issues I wanted to comment upon. Mandooka, the article 'No more partitions please, we are Indians' on pg 4 is a special read for you .
Its latest issue is dedicated to the morass in Kashmir valley and nails the coffin on its head on most issues I wanted to comment upon. Mandooka, the article 'No more partitions please, we are Indians' on pg 4 is a special read for you .
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Ramananda Sengupta puts it quite bluntly and appropriately in his recent piece. why Kashmir, start to give India away.
and if what he quotes has any truth in it, about intelligence sources saying that all this is a 'trial balloon' being floated by the UPA govt - let them just start on track and see what people's reaction will be. the movement they will precipitate will leave no one, no political party standing on its feet.
and if what he quotes has any truth in it, about intelligence sources saying that all this is a 'trial balloon' being floated by the UPA govt - let them just start on track and see what people's reaction will be. the movement they will precipitate will leave no one, no political party standing on its feet.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
battle for Kashmir's soul is the battle for India's soul
I have also sometimes pessimistically thought, 'ok lets just give up this piece of land, why keep fighting these rogues'. in pretty much the same vein as Mandooka does in his recent post.
But I was discussing with a friend of mine the other day and she reminded me of something, 'what about the rest of India then? many states have muslim majority areas. some states like UP, Bihar, Assam and WB have huge Muslim poulations, equalling or more than 25% of the state total'
extend those lines, and you have a recipe for a deadly broth. the majority areas in these regions could also follow the 'kashmir path': ethnically cleanse the Hindus and others out, claim a 'unique culture watered by the great river of Islam', 'historically separate' and then want to secede.
so ultimately, there is no short-term solution to the problem of Kashmir valley. we cannot give in to bullying by separatists. we have been very shoddy in the past 60 years in handling this problem. the battle in Kashmir is not about Pakistani landgrab or jehadi separatism per se, it actaully the battle for India's very soul: the very idea of what India is.
Can a people sharing a common spiritual culture yet diverse and even disparately different in practical matters manage to live together in harmony through the philosophy of Dharma? 'yes' is the Truth enshrined as India's soul. 'No' says Muslim separatism on the subcontinent. In fact Muslim separatism and extremism hold similar views all over the world. This battle cannot be won if we do not corner the moderate section and converse with it directly with the light from the lamp of India's soul flashed on its face. We have to engage all sections of Indian society and make them accept the idea of India - not just the Hindus, as has been done always.
in the Kashmir valley, we must slowly build a relationship with the moderate and rational leadership of the civil society. we must engage in a debate with them on the issues of sovereignty, religious fanaticism and pluralism, economic growth, freedom. I am sure the idea of India has enough to cover their aspirations in all these respects. I think this is the long term way forward. In the short term, we must not allow separatists to get away with mischief such as passing off a murder of their leader as a killing by security forces or creating an artificial myth of 'economic blockade'. also the larger civil society in India must rap the political class for their absentee leadership and bankrupt vision.
But I was discussing with a friend of mine the other day and she reminded me of something, 'what about the rest of India then? many states have muslim majority areas. some states like UP, Bihar, Assam and WB have huge Muslim poulations, equalling or more than 25% of the state total'
extend those lines, and you have a recipe for a deadly broth. the majority areas in these regions could also follow the 'kashmir path': ethnically cleanse the Hindus and others out, claim a 'unique culture watered by the great river of Islam', 'historically separate' and then want to secede.
so ultimately, there is no short-term solution to the problem of Kashmir valley. we cannot give in to bullying by separatists. we have been very shoddy in the past 60 years in handling this problem. the battle in Kashmir is not about Pakistani landgrab or jehadi separatism per se, it actaully the battle for India's very soul: the very idea of what India is.
Can a people sharing a common spiritual culture yet diverse and even disparately different in practical matters manage to live together in harmony through the philosophy of Dharma? 'yes' is the Truth enshrined as India's soul. 'No' says Muslim separatism on the subcontinent. In fact Muslim separatism and extremism hold similar views all over the world. This battle cannot be won if we do not corner the moderate section and converse with it directly with the light from the lamp of India's soul flashed on its face. We have to engage all sections of Indian society and make them accept the idea of India - not just the Hindus, as has been done always.
in the Kashmir valley, we must slowly build a relationship with the moderate and rational leadership of the civil society. we must engage in a debate with them on the issues of sovereignty, religious fanaticism and pluralism, economic growth, freedom. I am sure the idea of India has enough to cover their aspirations in all these respects. I think this is the long term way forward. In the short term, we must not allow separatists to get away with mischief such as passing off a murder of their leader as a killing by security forces or creating an artificial myth of 'economic blockade'. also the larger civil society in India must rap the political class for their absentee leadership and bankrupt vision.
Friday, August 22, 2008
post-independence day reflections
the ever so sublime lyrics in the heart-rending voice of Manna Dey..
'Ai mere pyarey watan'
Aye mere pyaarey watan aye mere bichhade chaman tujh pe dil kubraan
too hee meree aarazoo, too hee meree aabaru, too hee meree jaan
tere daaman se jo aaye, un hawaaon ko salaam
choom loo mai us zubaan ko jis pe aaye teraa naam
sab se pyaaree subah teree, sab se rangee teree shaam
maa kaa dil bankey kabhee seene se lag jaataa hai too
aaur kabhee nanheesee betee ban ke yaad aataa hai too
jitnaa yaad aataa hai too, utanaa tadapaataa hai too
chhodakar teree zameen ko door aa pahuche hain hum
fir bhee hai yahee tamannaa tere zarro kee kasam
hum jahaan paidaa huye, us jagah hee nikle ye dam
'Ai mere pyarey watan'
Aye mere pyaarey watan aye mere bichhade chaman tujh pe dil kubraan
too hee meree aarazoo, too hee meree aabaru, too hee meree jaan
tere daaman se jo aaye, un hawaaon ko salaam
choom loo mai us zubaan ko jis pe aaye teraa naam
sab se pyaaree subah teree, sab se rangee teree shaam
maa kaa dil bankey kabhee seene se lag jaataa hai too
aaur kabhee nanheesee betee ban ke yaad aataa hai too
jitnaa yaad aataa hai too, utanaa tadapaataa hai too
chhodakar teree zameen ko door aa pahuche hain hum
fir bhee hai yahee tamannaa tere zarro kee kasam
hum jahaan paidaa huye, us jagah hee nikle ye dam
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