Desicritics Category: Politics: India

Sorrow of Bihar

Abhinandan Mishra — Fri, 5 Sep 2008 08:04:07 EDT

Northern part of Bihar is swarming with reporters and media personnel. With the who's and who's of print media and the electronic media converging on the swollen banks of Kosi, the might of the sorrow of Bihar and the plight of those affected by it is now being witnessed by everyone.

Before 18th of August no one including me cared about what was happening in Supaol or Saharsha. It is nothing more than perhaps the law of our society that only in times of extreme sorrow that the poor hogs the limelight. And then also the affected victims have to share their 10-15 days of 'fame' with the politicians who are one among the first to reach such places.

In the past too, old women were swept away, children died of snake bites and man drowned, but who cares for a few numbers. In the end it is all about the eye catching numbers; huge number. In the present case the 29 lakh people that were affected was too big a number to give a miss.

As soon as Manmohan Singh after a 'quick response' that took 10 days to come, declared the flood a national calamity, all hell broke loose. The flood affected regions of Bihar which till then were 'immune' from the presence of even a reporter from a local news-channel suddenly found itself facing familiar faces of our vibrant media. You name them and they were there.

No one can take away the fact that the media did and is still doing a commendable job of covering the calamity ,but the point is that is presence of 'huge numbers' the only criteria for making a news a national news?

Reporters after reporters are taking great pains and efforts to visit the areas that are still out of reach for the state officials. Heart rendering footage has become the order of the day. Some have taken great pain to cross over to the other side of Nepal and dig out stories on how the breach occurred due to the negligence on the part of the irrigation department. They also declared that the breach was a result of long period of negligence and the breach didn't take place overnight. Agreed that the breach developed over a period of time. But why wasn't the breach brought in the public when it was still in its initial stage?

Its not that the dam was kept out of bounds for the journalist, it's just that at that point of time it was not worthy of being shown on the national television. Who would have watched a 'eroding dam'.

Post the 'national calamity' declaration things have changed. Now even a glitch in a minor embankment is making news. I guess the top management of the media that moves and shakes in Delhi have their own idea of a news-worthiness.

Calamity or no calamities, politician are flowers that bloom throughout the season. The Below the belt remarks that have been coming from the political leaders of Bihar has highlighted the sad plight of the level to which the leaders can fall even in the worst of time. Not even the catastrophic effects of a swollen Kosi, could stop these leaders from indulging in political war at a time when they should have been attending to the rescue of the millions that have been affected by the raging Kosi.

The political game that ensued saw Nitish Kumar calling himself an unsung hero and terming Lalu, a dramatist, who was moving around the flood affected areas with a train of TV reporters. Lalu replied back and declaring that Nitish has lost his mind.

After Kosi river broke all barriers and flooded 15 districts of the state, affecting more than 29 lakh people, it took 10 long days for the union government to decide that this time it was not 'just another regular flood' that affects Bihar every year but a national calamity.

Then came the initial statements of no politics in time of sorrow. But later the whole nation stood witness to the troika of Lalu Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan and Nitish Kumar engaging in political statements and counter statements over fixing the responsibility for the floods.

Initially it was Lalu who started the fistfight when he announced in a press conference that the state government had failed to pay heeds to the instructions from the Center and had not repaired the Kosi barrage. Pointing out to the callous attitude of the state officials he came out with documents that pointed out that the walls of the barrage was breached a day after the State chief engineer (Irrigation) had reported that all barrages were in good condition.

In reply, Nitish came out with a set of his own documents in which it was said that the state government had been regularly corresponding with the center and asking them to take the issue of repairing the barrage with Nepal.

Paswan too joined in and rapped Nitish for failing to take timely actions to plug the breach. In between all this, the plight of the victims was forgotten and they were left to themselves. Even now many are still stranded and marooned and fighting a loosing battle.

Old timers point out that in a way the 15 years that preceded this government is also to be blamed for this failure of government machinery. During the earlier rule, the whole of the state machinery was left to stagnant and officers found themselves being molded in a way that required them not to venture out in the fields but to stay in the comforts of their offices. The same disease continues to plague some of the current lot.

Till last year the engineers of the water resources department were punished by the DMs in the flood hit areas. Whenever any breach occurred in the embankments the concerned executive, superintending or chief engineer was instantly arrested on the orders of the DMs and sent to jail. But now it seems that, Nitish who is an engineering graduate, has realized the bureaucrats too are at fault.

The CM suspended district magistrates of Supaul and Saharsa districts for Negligence in flood relief work. He was so infuriated with the officers that he ordered on the spot transfer of the two DMs when he visited the flood affected areas.

He also sent three of his cabinet colleagues in the worst affected areas with direction to stay there for a fortnight and not come to Patna. Three senior IAS officers from State Secretariat were also sent as special DMs in the three worst hit districts to monitor and supervise the relief and rescue operations.

Nothing can absolve Nitish because as a CM he was responsible for the state machinery but the bureaucrats too have let down the chief minister.After the flooding the Bihar chief minister was told by his officers that Nepal was responsible for the floods in Bihar as the embankment was breached from their side. Later the foreign minister of Nepal Upendra Yadav denied the charge and claimed that dam in Nepal was still intact.

Such was the mismanagement that rescue boats and rescuers had to wait for six hours for supply of diesel as the BDO of the concerned district was busy with the PMs Program. Then came a statement from a senior official of the state disaster management asking the flood victims not to come to Patna, and return back to their submerged homes through the same special train that had brought them to the capital.

The fury of Kosi continues unabated but for these representatives of people it has boiled down to who gets the maximum accolades in this time of sorrow. And not surprising it's Lalu, accompanied by the ever swelling entourage of reporters who is winning hands down.

The Left are Better Left Behind

Suresh Naig — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:10:57 EDT

Two prominent news items caught my attention, both involving the Left Front, read together reinforces my belief that Left, when left behind augur well for the country.

The first incident involved Jawaharlal Nehru University. The Leftist Students’ organization of JNU on Wednesday forced the varsity authorities to call off a lecture by the US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Richard Boucher.
Boucher, who is on a visit to New Delhi, was invited by the JNU’s Centre for Canadian, American and Latin-American Studies to speak on Indo-US relations. But the varsity authorities had to cancel the programme following protests by the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU), which is dominated by the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and Students Federation of India (SFI).

Mr.Boucher instead met nearly 30 students in the US embassy and had an interaction on bilateral relations between the two countries. The JNUSU president Sandeep Singh said the cancellation of the lecture is a victory for not only for JNU, but also for all who have been raising voices against US imperialism.

The second news item is about West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb’s remarks about bundhs. The CM said on Tuesday that he would not support bundhs and gheraos and that he would no more support such modes of protests even if his party gave a call for it.

The Left parties condemned Buddhadeb for his remarks, terming it as his personal opinion. Not to be “left behind” everyone protested vociferously that they would never give up their “fundamental right”, to refrain from bundhs and strikes.
Analysing these two news items, I could arrive at the following conclusions and I am sure everyone with the right mind would concur with me.

The Students Unions dominated by the Left wing ideologues are scared that the students would listen to the “right” lecture and the Left would be left behind. So much of respect they have for the discerning faculties of the student community of JNU. If the Students Union is so convinced about the misdeeds of US, it is left for the students to decide on listening to different lectures. One more proof of the lefts controlling and conditioning academia of our country.

When the CITU said they cannot give up their “fundamental right” to strike, I couldn’t help laughing. For neither they had any understanding of the “fundamentals” nor the “rights”. If bundhs are fundamental rights, how the apex court has banned it?

What is “right” for the “left"? If left behind, the country can go “right forward”.

Why is Kashmir Important?

Desh — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 07:26:39 EDT

Disclaimer: I am writing this purely with statecraft as the basis. I have deliberately left out the influence of value systems and principles, as in prevalent in most discussions

Kashmir is a major problem between India and Pakistan. Most often the cloak on every issue and problem between state is sewn from the thread of emotions and principles in public opinion. Actually and in hard reality it is rarely so.

At the expense of sounding nonchalant, let me state that never have I ever believed, notwithstanding the public emotion, that Pakistan's establishment had ever coveted Kashmir because of its Muslim residents and India because of its secular credentials.

If there was ever any secularism worth the name in that land of Kashmir, then conversions and Islamic invasion had long destroyed it. What was being dragged on for last few centuries was the coffin of that secularism.

Secondly, if Islamic brotherhood was the concern of the Pakistanis then they should have had a better track record at home to convince even a weak critic.

Of course, my eternal question o Pakistan always strikes at the root of this "Islamic Brotherhood" claim:

Which "Muslim" and "Islam" are we talking about?

The truth about Pakistan's Islamic brotherhood is that its boundaries extend to only Punjabi Sunnis and then it abruptly stops. It assumes vicious forms as soon as it crosses over into the territory of those who believe in Prophet-hood beyond Mohammad. It is then that the love and acceptance that are the hallmark of any brotherhood should - ideally - be exemplified. And that is where it has failed and failed miserably!

Actually, and honestly, the frail "love" fails at the boundary of language itself. Bengalis, Mohajirs are living exhibits of that failure. So, to say that Kashmiri Muslim is any more important than Bengali Muslim.. .or that a Kashmiri Shia will have any more luck than a Punjabi or Sindhi Shia is a tough sell to anyone not unlucky enough to have been brainwashed!

Now, if the interests of Kashmiris and their land was any concern then the quid pro quo, where a third of Jammu & Kashmir (5800 sq.km) - Trans-Karakoram Tract (1963 agreement and 1987 ratification of Chinese ownership) - was bartered to China by Pakistan would not have occurred.

There is a reason why I or you cannot sell the Taj Mahal. Because we do not own it! It is the same case with the land that we hold in "good trust". A trustee does not have absolute rights on the property of the original owner. Trustee of a property cannot therefore sell a property held under trusteeship any more than you or I cannot sell Taj Mahal. That is how a logical law works. But it becomes a completely different matter if the trustee assumes the absolute rights and without any ratification from the original owner goes about wheeling-dealing in the property!

So, two tthe hings are very clear to me - for Pakistan, Kashmir is NOT about Islamic brotherhood and it is also NOT about love and care for Kashmiri interests.

What about India? If indeed Kashmir was the benchmark for secularism, without which the practice of this blessed principle would utterly fail and devastate India, then Kashmiri Pandits would not have been a casualty and that too in such a terrible way. The day the first Pandit was threatened and harmed and the Indian Government turned its eyes away, that pretense of Kashmir's importance for holding together our secular culture collapsed an unsung death! It has never been resurrected since. It never will.

True "Secularism" - if one insists on extolling this word, in my view, and since it has been a point of so much debate in one of my earlier post, resides in people's hearts. It is none other than love - pure love.

When the narrow minded look at Love being expressed to a person who swears by another "God", they call that territory as "Secularism". And Tolerance is basic building block of its definition by such a narrow mind. What they really mean is that Love was not a "natural" state when it saw a "different" opinion, yet this person exhibited it! It is quite obviously an unflattering characterization of "Love" to begin with, but to hide their own short-coming of terming Tolerance as a virtue, such people put Secularism on a high pedestal!

Acceptance of all is a virtue. And acceptance is not despite the differences, but irrespective and beyond the narrow boundaries of similarities and differences.

Love of Heer, of Shirin, of Juliet could not even dwell on such boundaries or mind-blocks. It was just love.

In my view, THAT can be the ONLY true "Secularism" - if you still want to use that semantics. Love and Secularism are, therefore, the same. Anything less than that is just a pretense and hypocrisy! Just as Jesus' unbounded and unconditioned love cannot be characterized and defined in narrow terms... similarly Love of One's own "God" - if it is really a God and not its cheap surrogate - has to and should include everyone's "God"! So where is the reason or need for uncomfortably pretended "love" famously called "Tolerance" and its derivative "Secularism"!!

Arthur Conan Doyle wrote something for Sherlock Holmes that remains - in my book - an excellent benchmark for getting to any truth - "Whenever you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, has to be the truth!"

So, now, if the public stances of India and Pakistan were never honest or even plausible ones to begin with, then why has so much of blood been shed over it? And its corollary - Is Kashmir even important and if yes, Why?

I am sure, there are many who will keep arguing on the above negated "principles" and "virtues" no end as the major issues in Kashmir, but it is quite obvious, given the actions and track record on the ground that they are akin to fleeting flirtings of schizophrenic administrations. No more defensible or believe-able than promises of love and faithfulness from a playboy Casanova, who pretends love and screws women because...well.. he can!!

The women who believe such playboys and jump into bed with them, usually keep bearing bastards and crying over their "bad fortune". I have little sympathy or serious concern for such blind idealists. That is why I want to move on to the real (as opposed to pretended) reasons for so much importance of Kashmir and let the lovers of political Cassanovas cry over bastardization of the most coveted principles and blame the "bad fortune" and villainous world for all that. Too bad.

Blood and money is generally spilled by "intelligent", though bluffing regimes, always because and if, that land provides "Net Benefits". When "Revenue" over a long time period is higher than the costs to sustain and hold that land. When the Net Return turned below the accepted "Investment threshold" for British, they quietly handed over the sub-continent to its impoverished residents and made it look as an act of greatness. That was political stage-craft... and victory of independence for the romantics!

A Nigerian friend recently made an interesting - and telling - remark (Nigeria was freed in 1960) "If the oil had been discovered in Nigeria before the Brits decided to leave our country, we would have been forever colonized. Our luck was their mis-fortune".

That is why Darfur is not as important as Iraq or two small provinces of Georgia are to the big powers of the world. Benefits outweigh the costs and the risks in those ventures, and Darfur, by contrast, is a net-net loss.

Kashmir has no oil. But it is a gateway. Yes, to Central Asia. But more importantly to the Himalayas - the ONLY consistent and bountiful source of water to the sub continent. For centuries, sub continent has seen its civilization been decided by that one element. While Saraswati enabled a flourishing civilization, its vanishing destroyed it. Neither Pakistan nor India can afford to lose that source.

While Pakistan's hurry is that before India assumes un-beatable dominance in the region, to cut its life-force itself. India has the same aim. It also has a large population that any semi-honest political administration would want to plan for.

Married and Gay

Harish C — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:22:11 EDT

If you are against gay marriage, don't have one! Why is it that this edict seems so hard for the detractors to digest. More so from the circles of religion; various sects who are at loggerheads for matters of faith seem to have a unanimous opinion regarding same-sex marriages: BAN THEM (or in an Indian context, KEEP THEM BANNED)

It is the opposition from religion (or leaders thereof) that seems to be most vehement. Their grounds is that marriage is an institution fostered and interlinked to religion. Therefore, they juxtapose that the various modalities of marriage should be under their purvey. To lower my stoic stance for a while; RUBBISH!

Marriage has never been and never will be the monopoly of religion and it is essentially a social extension of the ritual of mating which gained social and emotional status. It has predated verifiable history of religions world over. Indeed, it has been mentioned in various religious texts from Manusmriti to the Vedas. It is true that they do not condone it or encourage it but neither do they condemn it. If they had the generosity of spirit to do that then why can't the modern day apostles of religion?So it comes to pass that religion has no holds over same-sex marriage. Then why the ban? Especially in the Constitution.

The validity of the ban is shaky as it is the article in Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code which classifies it as illegal:

Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Clear enough, but what makes this lose its credibility is the fact that

a. It was passed in the 1860s by the British

b. England has long since given up its homophobic laws and have legalized same-sex marriages

Ultimately, it is the premise that marriage and its legalities are under the framework of the state. If the state decrees that it is legal, it is. It is heartening to note that no other than our health minister has taken the first step in proclaiming support for the same. Now its left to be seen how far this progresses before its derailed by the collective paranoia of the troika of religion-politics-bureaucracy.

Yes, let's open our minds a little and let marriage be what it is supposed to be: An agreement between two people to be loyal and faithful to each other for the rest of their lives.

Belles' Belly Balle

sufferingsocrates — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:43:09 EDT

For all cheerleader fans of the 20-20 IPL, there is good news. The Maharashtra Government has officially accepted belly moves by hot Ukraninan belles. If the Janmashtami celebrations organized by an NCP minister are to go by, cheerleaders at IPL events have found a new lease of life. Seems, they need not come for cricketing celebrations, but can come for traditional celebrations.

What an irony, of a Government which stepped in to ban cheerleaders from IPL matches, to them being entertained by Ukrainian belly dancers. If the belly dancers' balle balle is not objectionable, then why would cheerleaders for a match be ? Or is there an ulterior motive to poach the cheerleaders for belly dance performances by the same netas ?

Following up on my previous post about politics being a game of contradictions, this is another blatant example of this. While dancing in pubs has been banned, and pubs ordered to close by 11:30 p.m. day events for public viewing of belly dancing seems to be fine. Or are the netas trying to justify calling belly dancing an art form like Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi in India ?

With all due credit, and no offense intended, are the netas suggesting, that if the belly dancers, with the same costume did a Bharatanatyam number, they would appreciate it ? Won't that be tantamount to over exposure like the IPL cheerleaders or will they still defend the act by saying it is indeed an art form ? In fact, come to think of it, maybe the world should declare cheerleaders' dances as an art form. That would certainly open a new debate ! For now though, the netas might get away saying belly dancing is an art ! Well, it sure is, and there are workshops which specialise in giving classes for belly dancing !

Without trying to be too vulgar, weren't the cheerleaders exposing their bellies, just like the belly dancers very much have to ? Is that lost in thought by the netas ? Or, as I previously hinted, spotting the belly and the talent that comes with it is for the netas to decide. For an argument sake, the belly has always been a major attention point for the majority of the Indian public for years and years. Is that why belly dancing seems to be fine while cheerleaders are not ? Maybe the cheerleaders should resort to belly dancing at IPL, which would be more appreciated.

Politics - Thy Name is Contradiction

sufferingsocrates — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:30:12 EDT

Watching the headlines these days makes for sickening viewing. The past week has been even more so, with horror stricken stories. It was funny how the news channels were prioritizing the news stories. While one channel had debates running on the communal tension and violence in Orissa, another was covering the flood hit areas of Bihar. Another channel was busy broadcasting the protests and curfews in Jammu & Kashmir over the Amarnath land dispute. Of course, all these news items were subsequently covered by each of them. Not to mention the Singur land dispute which is making headlines everyday.

Up until last week, there was joy and jubilation with the Olympic heroes from India. All of a sudden, there is more of gloom and worry all around in India. A sense of insecurity which swept the nation with serial blasts seems to have gained momentum with acts of communal violence in Orissa, siege of the Tata Motors plant in Singur, gun firing in Jammu & Kashmir. Even nature seems to be against the nation today with floods lashing in Bihar.

What is more appalling is the level of contradiction in each of these major incidents. Demands of Azaadi in Kashmir came to the forefront with large masses of separatists leading the cause. What Azaadi meant in this context is unclear, atleas to me! Azaadi to carry out trade across the LOC? Azaadi from India? Azaadi from militants? Contradiction can't be more in the face, when those seeking Azaadi, have to be shielded by the same country who have been protecting them for the past 60 years. When militants open fire and hold them hostage, there doesn't seem to be demand for Azaadi.

As has been the case today, terrorists infiltrated across the LOC and have still held civilians hostage. Yesterday, Sajjad Lone made a point when he was asked by a TV anchor about the lives lost by the Indian Army men in protecting and shielding them. His counter argument was the lives lost by Kashmiris because of the recent firing over the economic blockade and Amarnath land transfer. So, as far as the separatists go, if they are killed by militants, it is an everyday affair. While if they are killed by firing at protesters who turn violent, it is a grave affair which demands justice and is the reason for Azaadi. Quite ridiculous and shocking, that the Indian Army has to now go and shield them from terrorists to protect them!

Another case of contradiction is the Singur land controversy. The poor old Left Government there is getting a real dose of its own medicine. Mamata is teaching what Left had been doing with the Central Government, fighting for the rights of the people and farmers in Singur. Incredibly, the West Bengal (WB) Government, is having to stick to its decision in order to send out the right message that WB is indeed a good state to invest in. It is a different matter that they will hold nationwide bandhs, if the fuel prices are raised even though LPG prices after the hike is still Rs. 350 subsidized. Left will continue to strike even if they know that fuel subsidies will dry out fuel from India sooner than later. I wonder, in that case where they will get the fuel for vehicles to send hoards of their supporters to disrupt normal life?

Politics, as they say, has no friends or foes. So, it does mean, those who stick to their word, are non-existent in politics. What is most saddening in all this, is the Kashmir crisis which is disheartening for the entire nation today. When India has been fighting on, and the world knows Pakistan's hand in infiltration bids and bombings, the separatists of Kashmir seek independence. Rather than showing a united stand and working with the Indian Government, they seem to be more inclined towards working with Pakistan. Isn't the infiltration at LOC proof enough of the reason why New Delhi is against trading across LOC ? This is no rocket science to understand. My heart goes out to India and all it's citizens who have loved Kashmir and wish it very well, everyday through out the year. I hope common sense prevails, and Kashmir remains peaceful and a sovereign, integral part of India forever. I can't imagine how Kashmir will be peaceful with a country like Pakistan which is not able to keep its own people under control.

Can Only Whites be Racist?

Dr Bhaskar Dasgupta — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:31:34 EDT

I talked about how Indians in South Africa can be seen to be racist. But here is something curious and not much has been discussed about this aspect. I quote some worrying findings. (More factoids from here and here)

Some 29 per cent of people surveyed think public sector workers discriminate against them in favour of other ethnic groups.
And many believe they have been passed over for promotion or a job because of the colour of their skin.
Seven per cent of white people questioned thought they had failed to win a promotion because of their race, up from three per cent in 2003.
And the study reveals that ethnic groups living in the UK feel stronger ties to the country than native whites.
Researchers found that whites also felt less able that other ethnic groups to influence decisions affecting the country or their local area. And many believe racial prejudice is on the rise, in stark contrast with other races.
The survey found that 29 per cent of white people expect to be treated worse than other groups by at least eight of the public services including police, prisons, courts, Crown Prosecution Service and local housing organisations.
One in six white Britons feel only a slight sense of belonging to the nation. Whites also now feel less able than other ethnic groups to influence decisions affecting their local area and the country as a whole.
Forty one per cent of black African, 36 per cent of Bangladeshi and 35 per cent of Indian people feel they have a say in decisions affecting Britain, compared to 19 per cent of white people.
The proportion of members of ethnic minority groups who expected to face discrimination from one of the eight bodies fell from 38 per cent in 2001 to 34 per cent. But it remains higher than for white people in many categories, particularly the police.
Whites identified council housing departments or housing associations as the most likely to discriminate against them.
Overall, 84 per cent of people felt they belonged strongly to the country, including 45 per cent who said they belonged very strongly. However, nine out of ten Pakistani and Indian people said they felt a strong sense of belonging, compared to 84 per cent of whites.

Each and every statistic is worrying. If the criterion was replaced, for example, white with black or brown, the headlines would be screaming. But in this case they are not. Curiously, this story was buried and not much discussion about it has happened. But I think that is wrong. The white population of this country is saying something to the grand political parties and senior intelligentsia and they are not listening. Read the comments on this site to see what some people are saying.

See the commonality? In the South African case, the Indian intelligentsia in charge of the schools wanted more cohesion and integration, but the parents do not want to integrate. However, nobody is screaming about racism to them. But here whites are complaining about reverse discrimination and again nobody is talking about it.

People are not talking about this and they are not considering why this is the case. Why are immigrants being given privileges that local citizens are not receiving ? And even if that is not the actual case, people do think so and perceive it as such. So there is a communications problem. Mind you, knowing the spectacular idiots who are in the government, I very much doubt that they will be able to do anything about this. Despite that silly minister Hazel Blears commissioning this survey, I very much doubt anything will come out of it. I mean, it is not even on her own site.

I find this deeply worrying. Perhaps more transparency in hiring, housing allocation and other aspects will help remove this deep seated fear amongst the " whites" of the country. The fear exists, it needs to be addressed quickly.

Technorati Tags: Affirmative Action,Racism,United Kingdom

Narendra Modi for Prime Minister

Desh — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:44:04 EDT

Since 2002, when the Gujarat riots broke up a lot of things have happened. The Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was a villain in my eyes as for others at that time. But over the years, pragmatism and realism have taken over.

I have had this firm realization now that words like Secularism and Communalism have NO meaning. They are bastardized words which people AGAIN use for their self interest...nothing more.

Here is why:

The Massacres

In the Gujarat riots, the break up of the killed was: Muslims - 790; Hindus: 254. 2548 people were injured and 223 are missing. This is as per figures given by the Union Minister of State for Home Shriprakash Jaiswal (Congress Party) in Parliament on 11 May 2005. Some NGOs put the figure close to 2000 but I have as much faith in Indian activist NGOs as I have in the used car salesmen in my city.

The figures in Delhi massacres in 1984 were: Sikhs: 2733 killed in Delhi alone. as per Ahuja Committee, which submitted the report in August 1987.

The barbarity that one saw in both the areas was the same in the ways people killed each other. So, I am taking a common factor to understand the scale and spread of the madness.

It is quite obvious, that the 1984 killings were the biggest in scale and intensity that one has seen in a long time. Mind you, the numbers given were ONLY from Delhi!

Dr. Manmohan Singh who found a new whipping boy in L K Advani in his last speech to the Indian Parliament, had installed JD Tytler, one of the masterminds of the Delhi massacre, as a Cabinet Minister. It finally took protests after the Nanavati Commission had pointed fingers at him to ease him out of the Government.

Of course there is Nandigram, where Muslims and lower caste people were specifically targetted and killed in a genocide as well. There is no number of how many were killed but the killings continue in trickles EVEN today!

Questions

So, obviously one wants to ask a question - How do you define "Religious Fundamentalism" and Secularism?

Is religious genocide when any ONE section of the society is targetted? Or is it when ONLY minorities are targetted?

Or is it when ONLY one minority is targetted? Or is it when THAT ONE minority is targetted by ONLY one party??

When does violence enter the realm of a religious fundamentalism??

These are important questions. But they have been rendered useless. The very Congress which targets BJP was the culprit in the worst killings of any minority! The CPM which points fingers at any one they can find in the 20 mile radius have been even worse at Nandigram!! So, WHO should throw the stones? And WHY?

When Best Bakery case victims change their statements it is a BIG deal. At the SAME time when the 1984 victims change their statements in Delhi, no one even cares for them!

When Rajiv Gandhi justifies the Sikh killings (Jab bada per girta hai.. ), that is a person laden with sorrow and a case of miscommunication. But when anyone who is remotely related to a particular party talks about the Godhra incident ALONG with the Gujarat killings, he is termed a saffronite and a fundamentalist!

Political Currency - Self Interest

So, I am sick and tired of this utter hypocrisy. I find anyone mouthing words like Secularism and Communalism a Hypocrite and a Scoundrel!

So, let's get these useless terms like Secularism, Communalism, Fundamentalism, Tolerance OUT OF THE WAY! Politics only works on Self Interest and I want to treat that as the only major currency of political interaction. Those who want to pretend otherwise, I dont want to join them in their "wonderland"... they are more than welcome to dance away the rest of their lives with Alice and her friends!

NOW, knowing there is only self interest - what would be the best way to choose the bad among the worse?

Terrorism and Economy

I believe those who at the very least take care of their administrative duties in the best possible manner, should be pushed up.

Today, India's biggest threat is Terrorism. Even bigger than the economy! And no, I am not a mere "Nationalist". I am more interested in economic development than anything else. But if anyone has cared to look, the terrorists have made it their goal to target India's economy and science & Technology strength!

If you remember the December 2005 attack in Indian Institute of Science - where in a failed attack, one died and 4 got injured. It was an attack calibrated against the scientific establishment of India.

In the recent attacks, techies were used very effectively. These techies not only distributed the material and helped planned, but also used the computer of a US employee of a MNC to hack and then send emails through it to the Indian agencies!!

Hence, even if the economy is one's PRIMARY concern, it will be torn by terrorists. So, to preserve the economy, taking care of terrorism is the first task!

Gujarat Case

In the last two years, many bomb blasts have occurred in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Jaipur. None of the cases were solved. Why? because there was NO political will to do so. The Chief Ministers were either busy in horse trading or filling up their coffers. They were not concerned of their state.

The only case that was solved is that of Gujarat. Why? Because Modi and his establishment took it up as a major endeavor and a challenge. They made sure no riots occured, and even if they would have, the order to the 11 investigation teams was to ignore it and keep working. He gave the the investigating teams complete authority and full support - they had money, resources, people and also a chartered plane to pursue whatever they wanted.

For almost 3 weeks the team members did not sleep. They worked round the clock to get to the bottom of the case.

More than 11 teams were formed within the first few hours of the blasts. One team was asked to handle the investigations into the material used in the bombs. Another team was asked to investigate the use of bicycles. Another team was formed to thoroughly check all the phone calls made in Ahmedabad from certain areas just before and after the blasts. Another team was set up to reach out to all the police informers and gather their opinions on and information of the blasts. One team followed the cyber crime aspect of the case. The overall investigation of the case was assigned to the crime branch of Ahmedabad where more than 100 people started following whatever little leads that were available, from the midnight of July 26

What has happened and what was uncovered is nothing short of amazing given those three weeks.

Yes, the administration failed the residents in not preventing the attacks, but thankfully this administration did not wallow and start finger-pointing in its aftermath. It went into action from get go. Also, and importantly, it prevented any reactions and went about their work professionally.

My Vote

In my view, this is what I expect from my country's administration!

Leaving the hypocrisy of such lofty words and "principles" as secularism and communalism aside and not indulging in make-believe.. let me state what I would NOT have some years back. My candidate for the Prime Minister of India would be Narendra Singh Modi.

There are many people in India who say with an air of self constructed self-righteousness that "I am ashamed" of Modi.

Well, I am at a point where I am ashamed of the shamelessness of those have made a career in being ashamed!!

And it's not that they are any better than these politicians - they THEMSELVES function ONLY on self interest!

Chiranjeevi Enters Politics, Promises Change

Aaman Lamba — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:16:52 EDT

The Obama spirit has many adherents. Telugu film star announced his much-awaited entry into politics on Sunday in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, promising change and that he would fill the power vacuum in state politics. He asserted he had no enemies in politics. His new party's agenda and name would be announced at a plenary meeting on the 26th of August in Tirupati. The date was chosen to coincide with Mother Teresa's birth anniversary.

Film stars in India have often chosen politics after attaining stardom, or rather, post their creative peak. Tamil Nadu is particularly prone to giving their celluloid heroes a chance at the political hustings, with M G Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa having garnered much political capital out of their earlier careers. The trend is more pronounced in the southern states, and Bollywood stars-turned-politicians have been perceived more as dilettantes in the political scene.

the other political groupings in Andhra Pradesh have been attempting to counter the potential threat in next year's elections from an expected shift towards Chiranjeevi's new party. While the Telugu Desam Party might claim the legacy of the late NT Rama Rao, they are covering their bases by inducting NTR's family members like Hari Krishna, Bala Krishna, and Taraka Ram - themselves film stars. The Congress (I) has enrolled Rajshekar and his wife, Jeevitha, who are film stars.

Chiranjeevi plans to include his own family members in his party. He is still active in films, although not as much as before. In his recent film, Stalin, he plays the eponymous Stalin, in this case an ex-army officer who wants to overcome the apathy prevalent in society by rendering unconditional support to any and all. He retains the adulation of a wide spectrum of fans, and received the Padma Bhushan award in 2006, following which Amitabh Bachchan termed him the 'King of Indian Cinema'. The role of fan clubs has long been recognized as a critical factor in the rise of film star-politicians. Political parties have also funded films that project their agendas and highlight favorable stars. It will be interesting to see if Chiranjeevi will be able to mediate his celebrity status to political success.

The Human DNA

Shantanu Dutta — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:48:48 EDT

As the violence in Jammu and Kashmir escalates beyond what bounces of our television screens, the vibrations are also cascading across our borders. Pakistan has of course reacted harshly to the “excessive use of force” to control the civil unrest there and in a typical knee jerk response, the Indian government has condemned the comments from the Pakistani Foreign Minister as an interference in India’s internal affairs.

There is this much to be said in that all countries in the sub continent are from the same genetic make up very literally and all can be blackened with the same brush. A lot can be perhaps said about Pakistan or any other country around making pious statements about human rights considering the overall record of every one here. But still the question begs to be asked – when do political boundaries blur and our human identity begins asserting itself?

When do we feel free and are given the freedom to express a genuine agony and anguish at the violence, broken and bereaved families that every unplanned funeral brings in its wake? This is not about fishing in troubled waters or scoring political brownie points at all. But I wonder - does it become treason to mourn the loss and grief of another because they live across a border that is not even a century old when cultural and ethnic bonds go back a thousand years or more?

When a lament from a neighboring country at the violence that is prevailing here and is flashing globally across television channels and internet news sites is understood to be interference, then the question arises for Indians as to what should they do. People with ethnic backgrounds and languages spoken in India live in all countries that surround us – Bengalis – even Bengali Hindus (for those whom this distinction matters) in Bangladesh, Tamils in Sri Lanka being the most prominent but by no means the only ones.

It seems easier to reach out across borders when natural disasters strike – like tsunamis or earthquakes or cyclones; but some how there is an insurmountable barrier when it comes to even making statements of empathy and condolence when the tragedy is manmade. Even a word can impute a motive when at least at the level of the common man or woman, none is intended,

Most of us are it the political establishment or those who are part of civil society will find it well nigh difficult to look the other way in the guise of non interference in the internal affairs of another country. If Tamils were to be in the midst of widely publicized media footage be subjected to violence or the Bengalis were, it would be politically inexpedient to sit back and do nothing.

If non interference in the affairs of others is the norm, then nobody in the international community should be speaking into what is happening in Zimbabwe, or Sudan, and India itself should not have moved resolutions in the United Nations when South Africa was still practicing racism. But it is good at times, indeed necessary for people to speak up, take note and make a point in the international communities and forums so that what would otherwise have gone unnoticed and remained hidden in shadows

Of course there is such a thing as undue interest in the affairs of another country; as perhaps best exemplified by the US invasion of Iraq. But there is also such a thing as too little of an interest in the affairs of the world. After all, it is only those who live in glass houses who are scared of stones and so they do not throw any. The world’s largest democracy should not be fighting shy of facing criticism when there are plenty within the country’s own borders who are concerned. Let us own up to the fact there is a common human DNA that makes us all speak up.