So we had another terror attack - perhaps the maddest one this time, with terrorists going berserk in the city's landmark hotels (Taj and Oberoi) plus several other places in southern Mumbai.
How many terror attacks will it take for our wily politicians to do something about the security of innocent civilians?
As I watched the stupefied media coverage on TV (with anchors and reporters blabbering on and on without giving much information, filling airtime with nonsensical commentary), I realized that in a day or two everything will be back to "normal" - with normal people and normal politicians and normal media going back to their normal routines.
I don't have a .32 like Mr Bachchan (and don't support a US-style gun culture), but I must say that technology-driven surveillance and a trained police force are essential to avoid repeated terror attacks in India. I'm afraid people will start taking things with a pinch of salt like they do in the Middle East.
One of our biggest problems (besides scheming and self-serving politicos): rampant corruption amongst policemen across ranks. (Most of us are also guilty by taking the easy way out of a situation in our daily lives through greasing their palms.)
I acknowledge and honor the courage and honesty of those who laid down their lives in saving people. At the same time, I (and every other Indian citizen) must question the manner in which the attacks in Mumbai were carried out. Either we were extremely stupid or extremely corrupt - or a bit of both.
Terror's ugly face is irrevocably masked with the filth of corruption.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Don’t Mix Religion and Terror?
I was watching a free-for-all kind of debate on the Times Now channel about keeping religion and terrorism separate and about the aspects of getting political mileage out of the recent arrests in connection with Malegon blasts of September 29.
It was not so thought provoking as it was funny, though there were some flashes of seriousness.
As one might predict, the political spokespersons threw logic out of the window in favor of their affiliations with their respective parties. They took devious and convoluted stances, harking back to Gandhi’s murder and other historical figures – interpreting everything in a way so as to benefit the so-called ideology of their own clique.
In the commotion resulting from many people speaking at the same time, there were no strong opinions to be noted or taken away.
The point I wish to make is that politicians – irrespective of which party they belong to – live with the compulsion to be seen by their co-workers and higher ups as milking the maximum benefit out of every situation. Even if it’s at the cost of making fools of themselves as blabbering monkeys in front the camera.
I also wonder at the repeated failure of our politicians (and often news anchors) to debate about some controversial topic with a reasoned and seasoned voice and keeping things in the studio decent, logical and civilized (nobody seems to care about the viewers). Instead of hearing a voice that should come out of the mouth of a civilized, educated person discussing and debating something on facts and merits of the case, we get one brazenly and illogically blurting out as many words as the anchor would permit before he or she moves on to the next politico.
Now, regarding the issue at the core: most people, especially intelligentsia and the liberals, seem to contend that religion must be kept separate from terrorism.
I want to ask them: In the real world, is there no connection between religion and terrorism? (Even when many blasts have taken place as a matter of revenge against people following one religion by those practicing another?)
On a parallel note, Is business separate from politics? Is urbanization separate from the condition of villages? Is the process of putting dams across rivers separate from the issue of displacement and destitution? Is global warming separate from industrial progress?
Let’s deal with things as they are in the real world. Why fake it, guys?
It was not so thought provoking as it was funny, though there were some flashes of seriousness.
As one might predict, the political spokespersons threw logic out of the window in favor of their affiliations with their respective parties. They took devious and convoluted stances, harking back to Gandhi’s murder and other historical figures – interpreting everything in a way so as to benefit the so-called ideology of their own clique.
In the commotion resulting from many people speaking at the same time, there were no strong opinions to be noted or taken away.
The point I wish to make is that politicians – irrespective of which party they belong to – live with the compulsion to be seen by their co-workers and higher ups as milking the maximum benefit out of every situation. Even if it’s at the cost of making fools of themselves as blabbering monkeys in front the camera.
I also wonder at the repeated failure of our politicians (and often news anchors) to debate about some controversial topic with a reasoned and seasoned voice and keeping things in the studio decent, logical and civilized (nobody seems to care about the viewers). Instead of hearing a voice that should come out of the mouth of a civilized, educated person discussing and debating something on facts and merits of the case, we get one brazenly and illogically blurting out as many words as the anchor would permit before he or she moves on to the next politico.
Now, regarding the issue at the core: most people, especially intelligentsia and the liberals, seem to contend that religion must be kept separate from terrorism.
I want to ask them: In the real world, is there no connection between religion and terrorism? (Even when many blasts have taken place as a matter of revenge against people following one religion by those practicing another?)
On a parallel note, Is business separate from politics? Is urbanization separate from the condition of villages? Is the process of putting dams across rivers separate from the issue of displacement and destitution? Is global warming separate from industrial progress?
Let’s deal with things as they are in the real world. Why fake it, guys?
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The ‘Seat-of-Your-Pants Approach’ to Writing!
There are three things that every person (almost!) on Planet Earth thinks they can easily do if given a chance: sing, act in or direct a movie, and, yes, write. Write as in, write books, especially novels. The same kinds that appear on the bestseller lists of newspapers and book clubs for several weeks at least.
Of course, most of the unsung, un-acted, un-written billions never get to do what they think they can do.
Recently, I came across a rather odd contest for wannabe writers on a website. Running through the whole month of November, the competition is being celebrated as the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in the US. (I guess being available on the Web, it’s open to all netizens who fulfill the usual T&Cs.)
The best part of the contest – or the worst, depending on how you look at it! – is that anyone who enters AND completes at least 50,000 words of fast-paced composition is a winner. According to the site, everyone who finishes the writ-a-thon will be given a winner’s certificate and a web badge. While the prizes may not be widely recognized, the idea is to pull people by the nape of their neck and get them to write. Hopefully, a lot many Charleses around the world will get the Dickens out of their writing!
To give you some statistics, the site claims that in 2007 as many as 100,000 participated and – gulp! – as many as 15,000 crossed the finishing line of 50,000 words by the midnight deadline. Alas, only two of these 15,000 “works” were published into regular “books.”
That, however, is unlikely to stop the “participants” from pounding away furiously on the keyboard!
Check it out by clicking here.
Of course, most of the unsung, un-acted, un-written billions never get to do what they think they can do.
Recently, I came across a rather odd contest for wannabe writers on a website. Running through the whole month of November, the competition is being celebrated as the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in the US. (I guess being available on the Web, it’s open to all netizens who fulfill the usual T&Cs.)
The best part of the contest – or the worst, depending on how you look at it! – is that anyone who enters AND completes at least 50,000 words of fast-paced composition is a winner. According to the site, everyone who finishes the writ-a-thon will be given a winner’s certificate and a web badge. While the prizes may not be widely recognized, the idea is to pull people by the nape of their neck and get them to write. Hopefully, a lot many Charleses around the world will get the Dickens out of their writing!
To give you some statistics, the site claims that in 2007 as many as 100,000 participated and – gulp! – as many as 15,000 crossed the finishing line of 50,000 words by the midnight deadline. Alas, only two of these 15,000 “works” were published into regular “books.”
That, however, is unlikely to stop the “participants” from pounding away furiously on the keyboard!
Check it out by clicking here.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Insect Attack
Oh, what a little nagging question can cause one to discover!
Over the past few days, Delhi has been literally bombarded with gazillions of small insects that try their best to get into people’s eyes, ears and other openings as they go about shopping (people, not the insects) in the crowded markets. One just can’t escape their onslaught if one is near any source of light. It seems that the festive season has become sort-of ‘pestive’ season!
So the question that keeps biting at the back of my mind: Who are these insects?
Yesterday, as I was returning from a friend’s home on my two-wheeler, waiting for a red light to turn green, a whole army of these insects flew into me – and met their inglorious (for them) and annoying (for me) death. Had it not been for the helmet with a tight visor around my head, my eyes and nose would’ve been full of these tiny creatures, causing me to swerve and perhaps crash my scooter. Thank you Habsolite, Studds and other helmet makers!
Today morning I was wondering again about who these insects were and how come they invade Delhi almost each year just before Diwali. And why are they in so much abundance this time around? Earlier, I had remarked to my friend that the subject is worthy of a story in a Delhi paper.
As I was still wondering, what do I see? A front-page news story titled ‘Mutant insects over Delhi’ in the Hindustan Times!
The insects are called Brown Plant Hoppers and they are rice pests. According to the HT story by Satyen Mohapatra, Delhi’s neighboring state Haryana just had its rice crop harvested. With no crops to feed on, the hoppers hopped onto the next wind toward Delhi and made their way into the markets, streets and people’s homes – struck the lights wherever they found them turned on and died down soon after from starvation. With a life span of about 30 days, these insects usually die by being eaten by their natural predators like frogs and spiders. But the use of insecticides by farmers had killed most of those natural predators and also rendered the hoppers immune to it.
The result: they multiplied like mad, had to flee to Delhi and in turn made millions even madder with irritation.
But the story doesn’t end here. When I did some Google searching on the Brown Plant Hopper, I came across an interesting story in the International Herald Tribune that relates, among other things, how crop research funds are being reduced in the face of a growing food and hunger crisis. Our little hoppies also find a mention in the story.
Didn’t someone say, it’s all connected together?
Over the past few days, Delhi has been literally bombarded with gazillions of small insects that try their best to get into people’s eyes, ears and other openings as they go about shopping (people, not the insects) in the crowded markets. One just can’t escape their onslaught if one is near any source of light. It seems that the festive season has become sort-of ‘pestive’ season!
So the question that keeps biting at the back of my mind: Who are these insects?
Yesterday, as I was returning from a friend’s home on my two-wheeler, waiting for a red light to turn green, a whole army of these insects flew into me – and met their inglorious (for them) and annoying (for me) death. Had it not been for the helmet with a tight visor around my head, my eyes and nose would’ve been full of these tiny creatures, causing me to swerve and perhaps crash my scooter. Thank you Habsolite, Studds and other helmet makers!
Today morning I was wondering again about who these insects were and how come they invade Delhi almost each year just before Diwali. And why are they in so much abundance this time around? Earlier, I had remarked to my friend that the subject is worthy of a story in a Delhi paper.
As I was still wondering, what do I see? A front-page news story titled ‘Mutant insects over Delhi’ in the Hindustan Times!
The insects are called Brown Plant Hoppers and they are rice pests. According to the HT story by Satyen Mohapatra, Delhi’s neighboring state Haryana just had its rice crop harvested. With no crops to feed on, the hoppers hopped onto the next wind toward Delhi and made their way into the markets, streets and people’s homes – struck the lights wherever they found them turned on and died down soon after from starvation. With a life span of about 30 days, these insects usually die by being eaten by their natural predators like frogs and spiders. But the use of insecticides by farmers had killed most of those natural predators and also rendered the hoppers immune to it.
The result: they multiplied like mad, had to flee to Delhi and in turn made millions even madder with irritation.
But the story doesn’t end here. When I did some Google searching on the Brown Plant Hopper, I came across an interesting story in the International Herald Tribune that relates, among other things, how crop research funds are being reduced in the face of a growing food and hunger crisis. Our little hoppies also find a mention in the story.
Didn’t someone say, it’s all connected together?
Monday, October 20, 2008
Raj Thackeray’s Arrest - Mumbai's Unrest
So the cops finally got to Raj Thackeray, who has allegedly been inciting his MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman (!) Sena) workers to go on rampages beating up non-marathis around town.
I remember the day when the Elder Thackeray (Bal) was arrested by the then Deputy CM Chhagan Bhujbal some time around 2000. I was eating pizza in Bandra in Mumbai when all of a sudden, shops started downing their shutters and a riotous noise came from not too far. As the pizzeria I was at downed its own shutter – trapping people still eating inside – I was wondering what the whole fuss was about. Later somebody told me that Bhuj had dared to arrest Bal – but it would be a matter of minutes before the roaring lion would be out.
In the meantime, however, lakhs of people on the street going about their work or eating pizza must suffer anxiety and risk injury at the hands of the marauding Shiv Sainiks who were livid at the incarceration of their beloved deity.
Like that time, I think this Thackeray, too, would get out sooner rather than later.
But it amuses me how the media is going rapturous with malicious delight as to how the whole arm-twisting drama between Raj and those in the raj will play out.
As Raj allegedly unleashed his goons on the city, so have the TV crews (read ‘crudes’) descended on unsuspecting viewers – giving ball by ball account of the arrest, the unrest, and the rest.
We have seen this recently before. But I can’t help thinking that Raj is able to do all his rabble-rousing because there are so many unemployed able-bodied youths in the state who, having nothing better to do, are only too happy to flex those muscles.
Rather than a Raj Thackeray, we need a Kaj Thackeray who can give lakhs of jobless people some constructive kaam-kaj (work).
I remember the day when the Elder Thackeray (Bal) was arrested by the then Deputy CM Chhagan Bhujbal some time around 2000. I was eating pizza in Bandra in Mumbai when all of a sudden, shops started downing their shutters and a riotous noise came from not too far. As the pizzeria I was at downed its own shutter – trapping people still eating inside – I was wondering what the whole fuss was about. Later somebody told me that Bhuj had dared to arrest Bal – but it would be a matter of minutes before the roaring lion would be out.
In the meantime, however, lakhs of people on the street going about their work or eating pizza must suffer anxiety and risk injury at the hands of the marauding Shiv Sainiks who were livid at the incarceration of their beloved deity.
Like that time, I think this Thackeray, too, would get out sooner rather than later.
But it amuses me how the media is going rapturous with malicious delight as to how the whole arm-twisting drama between Raj and those in the raj will play out.
As Raj allegedly unleashed his goons on the city, so have the TV crews (read ‘crudes’) descended on unsuspecting viewers – giving ball by ball account of the arrest, the unrest, and the rest.
We have seen this recently before. But I can’t help thinking that Raj is able to do all his rabble-rousing because there are so many unemployed able-bodied youths in the state who, having nothing better to do, are only too happy to flex those muscles.
Rather than a Raj Thackeray, we need a Kaj Thackeray who can give lakhs of jobless people some constructive kaam-kaj (work).
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