Wish Russians had met my Grandfather ...

One of the fondest memories of my grandfather is he asking me to recite the Bhagavad Gita when we visited him and Naniji during our summer holidays. He would smilingly listen to me struggling as a kid to read those amazing verses from the book most of which I hardly understood. It was only at a later stage in life that I developed the necessary mental capabilities to appreciate the Gita. And, perhaps that is the reason why I find the Gita to be one of the most fundamental thoughts on Art of Living and Life per se!

The Gita is so comprehensive and profound that one marvels at the deep intellect of the civilization which formulated it many thousands of years before the rest of the world could crawl out of the caves! One has to read it to grasp it and it is not complicated at all. The Gita talks in a very simple language to the humanity. The ideology is complete; the belief is universal. And a look at all other philosophies of the world makes one realize that every worldly thought stemmed out of the Gita itself – besides the other immensely intense scriptures on philosophy – and religion - which were incidentally penned down during the thriving era of the Indus Valley civilization and which was the foundation of the later period – now modern - Hinduism.

Therefore to call the Gita a militant book with mercenary motives and thus initiating its ban in Russia seemed hugely novice. Thanks to the timely action by the minister of external affairs and the wise intervention of the Russian prime minister that the bizarre move by one of the courts in the erstwhile USSR could be halted. (Coincidentally, the Indian minister is the Gita’s chief protagonist’s namesake – Krishna!) … Well, Thank you, Mr. Putin; it has saved your country from renouncing a knowledge treasure in absence of adequate exposure to the Gita.

This brings me to the fundamental of the issue: why is the world so ignorant about most of the things it possesses? Why in spite of the so-called shrinking of the planet earth and the boundaries becoming so-called irrelevant in today’s inter-connected world that we still seem to know almost nothing about anything belonging to the so-called “others”? Why has the world remained so myopic in views in spite of being inhabited by the more evolved of the species called the Homo sapiens?

In making humans more civilized gradually, one of the major contributions has been of the various world religions. (I am no proponent of any form of organized/structured religion; nevertheless I firmly believe in the oneness of the creator and It being at the helm of the Life.) And that is the reason why we see religion being at the core of evolution of all human civilizations since the beginning of the time. (I also appreciate the contrary: that the various religions were at the core of destruction of all human civilizations and continue to be the main reason for most of the deaths and defeats in today’s world.) One has to know the religion being followed by a particular human race to understand its behavior and beliefs. Moreover, knowledge of the numerous world religions opens one’s eyes and widens one’s mental horizons. Because then you realize that essentially all religions are the same with a similar central theme and therefore all humans are same. And that it is immensely foolish to fight over narrow ideologies like creed, caste, or colour. And the ways of the world look so absurdly limited that it makes you wonder if we can really qualify to label ourselves as “civilized” claiming to have broader views and basic intellect when compared to the lesser mortals i.e. animals.

Coming back to the principal issue of the proposed Gita ban throws some challenges to us Indians. In spite of Hinduism being the first of the evolved religions of the world, we Indians have not been able to take it to the world. It is high time India took progressive steps to make the world understand the nuances of this great religion. (I also accept its flawed interpretation and practice by many.) Once aware, no one would ever propagate banning and branding of the Gita as violent. (I actually feel like LOL!) Instead, in increasing fractured world, the knowledge of the Gita would show all humans the way to a real Life.

Here I also like to LOL at the fellow Indians. Because howsoever high ground we might have taken upon the news of the pending ban on the Gita and would have felt hurt and betrayed and would have laughed and wondered at the limited general knowledge of the related Russians in the case, we wouldn’t have looked withinwith the realization that we too hardly understand the Gita. In fact when it is discussed – and its verses get quoted routinely – I feel like cringing with horror at the lack of awareness amongst the Indians. Every body has his or her own interpretation of the text and most of them are absolutely faulty and twisted to suit one’s selfish interests. For most of the Indians the Gita is a “religious book” to be “worshipped” but not “practiced” as the former is sufficient to cleanse one of his or her sins. We are famous for meting out the same “revered” treatment to all other supremely authored ancient religious books – whether it is the Ramayana or the Mahabharata or the Upnishads or the Puranas or others. Same is the scene with people following other religions. (And seeing people behave in all other parts of the world as well in the name of religion, I am sure the same is being practiced elsewhere also.)

WOW! Then why blame the Russians alone? They are yet to read the Gita and understand the idea. And that is the reason why I wish all the ignorants of the world – including the Indians and the Russians – had met my grandfather …

Happy reading the Gita J

Nargis, Welcome to this Big, Bad World! ...

Hello, Nargis! Congratulations for being heralded as the 7th Billion Baby on this Earth!

And, sorry for spoiling your 1^st day on this planet by presenting the facts of our world as being ‘Big & Bad”.

I know you are too small to understand the irony of this “distinct status” but I still thought of not being untruthful to you on your first day in life. Actually, I could not summon enough courage to tell you anything other than the truths. But whatever I am going to reveal to you are relevant from the Indian perspective only. If you were born in a more developed part of the world, your could grow to be a true Destiny Child! Not in India, unfortunately.

Nargis baby, let me introduce us Indians to you. We Indians are amongst the most hypocritical of the lot and, therefore, we behave in a manner which could be best described as “unique”. We love to believe that we worship female form of God’s creation by pretending to be worshiping Goddesses – and we have plenty of them, all described and presented as the most powerful & feared ones! But in total contrast we indulge into meting out some of the most despicable treatments possible to a human being i.e. to our women folk – spanning the entire stages of life.

On birth of a girl child we mourn. This is when the female foetus could survive. Else, we finish the root cause of our misery in its inception stage itself and we feel no remorse in practicing female foeticide. And that is the reason India’s sex ratio is pathetically skewed towards males (1000:835 approx.). But this is what we are made to believe based on the internationally established benchmark; for us, a male child is a divine blessing! And, vice-versa for a female baby – needless to repeat.

Then, if a girl child survives in spite of the harshest of the conditions being ensured around her birth, she is ignored completely and allowed to grow on her own. The mother’s contribution is not much besides feeding her with her own milk in the initial few months and then leaving her to survive on a mal-nourished diet comprising of “leftovers” – a diet which is going to stay with her as a “habit” for her lifetime, till whatever time she manages to be alive.

Barely she learns to walk that she is made to do household chores like sweeping, cleaning utensils, washing clothes, graduating to cooking while still a child and contributing to rearing of her male siblings, if the mother is blessed thereafter! (The scene in an educated household is a bit better in terms of facilities and treatment but at the core the disdain is almost the same. Mind you, the female foeticide cases are more in urban areas in comparison to the uneducated rural settings.)

Education for a female child, if undertaken, is taken with great difficulty and is still viewed as a necessary formality. Many of the females still get left out from the ambit of formal education. Even in today’s modern 21^st era, interestingly, education is considered to be an “investment” towards getting a better groom at a lower cost!

Yes, a female – irrespective of her family’s social and financial background – is “sold out” at a pre-fixed price to the prospective groom which is otherwise termed in the Indian society as “dowry”. If the dowry amount is not satisfactory, the bride is burnt without mercy!

And in between her life from being a baby to being a bride and beyond, she is expected to play only “roles” – of a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a mother-in-law, a grand mother. Never she gets to live her own life as “She”. She is always somebody’s something!

This is the simple part of growing up as a female in India as far as that “somebody” is your “own” family. The complexities arise when the “others” start to exercise their “rights” on you just because of your gender. You will understand it fully when you grow up and try to walk the streets outside the walls of your home. Nargis, you would be utterly disgusted to see the other half of the population – males – behave in the most gutterly (gutter-like) fashion! They will ogle at you, pass vulgar remarks at you, try to touch you in public, harass you, physically abuse you and if the “opportunity” presents – or not – many would not even blink before deciding to molest you. And when you protest, you could get killed. And, if you survive, and decide to get the culprit punished, the honourable courts proceedings will make your life so miserable that you would either commit suicide or would end up as a mental wreck forever. You know, Nargis, in India, the onus is on the raped girl to prove her innocence!

Baby Nargis, you would have understood the value of a female life – and body – in our esteemed country which so hypocritically prides itself on being female Goddesses’ worshipers!

And that is the reason I wondered at the hype being created upon your birth as the 7^th billion baby on this earth! Firstly, because Indi as already over burdened with 1.2 billion people and secondly, but most unfortunately, you being a baby girl in India! (Again, mind you, an average Indian male’s life is also nothing to aspire for, but on this later …)

Therefore, Nargis, I wish you were born in a more developed parts of the world where your birth could be “welcome” in the most authentic manner and not as a mere “symbolism” – for what, I am yet to figure out! Where you could get an equal respect and opportunity towards everything in life – from life to life partner(s)! Where you were “you” and not somebody’s something merely.

Anyways, I wish you All The Best and Welcome you again in this Big and Bad World which is India! May God be with you always, baby Nargis … J

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The irony of the name Nargis is not lost on me: Nargis means a flower symbolizing life per se; Nargis was also the name given to the deadly cyclone which devastated Burma in 2008! Hope this baby Nargis always keeps growing like a flower J

Body is Maya ...

“Maya” is “Illusion” in English.

“Body is Maya, then why do we obsess about it?” said MF Hussein matter-of-factly in a private conversation with somebody – I am not revealing his name here – who was close to him and is also known to me. The context was the crazy brouhaha over some of his controversial paintings and his leaving his beloved country – India – and taking up a residence in Dubai.

Watching Mayawati unveil her own statues today in a place touted as her “Dream Park” made me recall Hussein Saheb’s words. I wondered, as always, “Why does Mayawati obsess about her own self – her body – so much that she decided to splurge into an extravagant indulgence by installing her own statues?” Own statues!

Own statues!!?

I am not a fan of Mayawati but I admire her for having risen to her current position of becoming the chief minister of the largest state of India and being hailed as one of the most powerful women on this earth. It is anybody’s guess that Mayawati’s political journey must have been immensely challenging. Not only because she is a woman – India is a staunchly patriarchal society – but predominantly because she belonged to a poor Dalit family. (Dalits, the lowest castes - are rarely rich in a deeply caste-biased divided Indian society.) Therefore, to see her repeatedly squander her chances of “doing something” for her folks – I’m talking about the historically oppressed dalits here – even after acquiring a very powerful political position many times and, in the process, also “doing something” for herself about which she is, as evident, clearly obsessed, is hugely disappointing.

It is also not difficult to understand her anatomy as a politician and as an administrator. She must have seen a lot in her life while growing up as a dalit woman. Life must have been pretty difficult, that’s for sure. Thus, now that she has the power - political power is the maximum level of power anybody can attain at least in India - she thinks – in her own insecure way – that she will take “revenge” – revenge from “manuwadis” – non-dalits – by showing to them that she is their boss now! That she cannot be treated like a dalit anymore. Period.

But this is only one side – and the non-acknowledged core – of Mayawati. The other side of her personality – and that is quite glaring – is her behavior like a typical politician. We all know the side-effects of “absolute power”!

The reason Mayawati has been repeatedly voted into power in the otherwise “backward” state of Uttar Pradesh is because its big dalit populace wanted to have somebody of their “own” who would listen to their voice and “do something” for them ultimately, which they so otherwise deserved as humans. To put it simplistically: Mayawati is the manifestation of dalits’ desire to have their share in the state’s polity. But what the dalits of U.P. have got back in the bargain is for everybody to see.

If I were Mayawati, I would have built schools – and hospitals – and would have given them the so deserved quality education opportunities and would have helped my “folks” – by virtue of being their chief minister - become competent enough for the big-bad world! Because, whosoever anybody is today in this world is primarily due to his/her education – leaving aside the very few God-blessed talented ones. In my opinion this is the only way to uplift any oppressed strata of society. The process could have been a bit time consuming but I would have become the catalyst for change. I, as Mayawati, wouldn’t have been required to repeatedly resort to political rhetorics and exorbitantly built Dream Parks. My people would have ensured that my legacy lives on.

I, as Mayawati, would have simultaneously carried along with the “manuwadis” – the non-dalits – and would have cemented my position in the political landscape of my country. I would have ensured that my state became one of the most progressive and I would have felt extremely proud of my achievements. And, by fulfilling my roles and responsibilities as the chief minister of a highly gifted state, I would have paved my road towards the highest political seat of my country. India, with its elaborate spectrum of caste system, would have felt immensely proud of seeing me become the prime minister!

Honestly, if I were in Mayawati’s shoes (I get reminded of Julian Assange!) , I would have readily seized the immense opportunities – political power – bestowed upon me by my people and I would have ensured that “I did” enough to ensure that I were not required to erect my own statues myself; instead, my people would have happily and respectfully felt the need to remember me – after I was done and gone, of course! – by installing my statues…

Ms. Mayawati, if Hussein Saheb were alive today, he would have told you that “Body is Maya; why do you obsess about it?”…

Hang Kasab, Afzal and Rajiv’s assassins’ pictures in parliament!

Invitation

You are cordially invited to witness

The Hanging of Ajmal Kasab, Afzal Guru & Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins’ pictures in the Parliament of India.

Venue: Central Hall, Parliament of India

Date: 15^th August

Time: 12 noon

Please be seated 15 minutes before the start of the function.

RSVP: India.

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Yes, hang Kasab, Afzal and Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins’ pictures in parliament! If we are so hesitant to hang these proven assassins and murderers and killers, at least hang their pictures in the parliament. India would, in effect, then – technically at least – be seen doing something. Status quo cannot be sustained for long – like in all things in the world. By this we would – as desired so desperately – be demonstrating to the world that India upholds a human’s right to live at all cost! So what if these so-called humans in question are terrorists? So what if Ajmal Kasab’s madness as a mass murderer was caught on CCTV cameras and broadcast live to all corners of the world?! So what if Afzal Guru, a self-confessed once-upon-a-time-active-terrorist-but-now-a-passive-terrorist orchestrated the deadly attack on the Parliament of India – the prime institution which epitomizes what our country stands for: a sovereign and a democratic nation?! So what if the LTTE mercenaries assassinated the former prime minister of India – Rajiv Gandhi – for sending peace-keeping forces in Sri Lanka?! So what if scores of people’s lives – people around these named victims - got extinguished and their families’ lives getting massively impacted, changing the definition of life for them forever because of the dastardly deeds of these so-called humans, the lives of whom we are now so desperately trying to protect?!

I say: why waste precious time debating whether “to hang or not to hang”? Simply hang these killers’ pictures in the parliament of India! The End.

Now, why only these high profile terrorists should get this privilege of not going to gallows? Let us extend this opportunity of avoiding punishment to all criminals of our great country! This way we will be able to showcase to the world once again our great criminal justice system. “Justice-for-criminals” system! After all, with the craving for a pat from the world – our self-created notion solely, not the prevalent worldview – we have so diligently guarded Kasab and kept him safe at the cost - a few million dollars only so far! And have kept Afzal Guru safely away from the hangman! And in case of our prime minister’s assassins we have set a record of safeguarding their existence for more than two decades now! Wow!

Soon the world is going to see our esteemed proponents of “justice-for-criminals” being elected to the high offices of the International Criminal Courts and all criminal courts of the world. And our esteemed “justice-for-criminals” system is going to get included in the syllabus of the courses on the subject throughout the globe. After all, India has set unprecedented examples in the “justice-for-criminals” field. Whether other countries emulate this Indian “justice-for-criminals” system or not is anybody’s guess!

Well, now that the whole argument is hinged on two facets: that “capital-punishment-is-not-a-deterrent” and that even the “state-does-not-have-the-right-to-take-life-of-a-killer” – the privilege lies with the God solely! – let us overhaul the whole criminal justice system. Let us dismantle the entire judicial infrastructure and demolish the prisons. Let us retire all judges and lawyers and do away with the police. Why waste valuable time and money and efforts on something as wasteful as maintaining the functioning of this interconnected mechanism when the “ultimate outcome” is not going to be achieved?

Yes, why waste time and energy on something which is so fundamental and a manifestation of Nature’s Design? God’ s creation! Let nature take its course. “Natural Selection”! Charles Darwin so assiduously tried to teach all of us that the world works on the principles of “Natural Selection” and “Struggle for Survival”. “Survival of the Fittest”! Therefore, let people who are “fittest survive”; others can perish in former’s hands. Why frown? If criminals and rapists and robbers and murderers and killers and cheaters and fraudsters and kidnappers and scamsters are “fitter” then let them “thrive”; the rest of us from the lesser fitter gene stock can be eternally thankful for being let to “simply survive”. Moreover, one should not try to alter the “Natural Biodiversity”. The earth remains worth living only because of this biodiversity in which all survive together – humans and these so-called humans. As per Mr. Darwin, if we do not “adapt” to the ever altering ecosystem and embrace “biodiversity” – humans & in-humans included – we will become “extinct”. In addition, this will disturb the delicately balanced global ecosystem – the food chain in which we – the lesser fitter kinds – often fall prey to the predatory instincts of the “fittest” kinds. Natural Selection and Natural Justice, I say!

Again coming back to Kasab, Afzal and Rajiv’s assassins’ saga, by not hanging them India will get recognized as the beacon of human rights on this earth. So what if these so-called humans are the same set of humans who so meticulously plotted and executed other humans? (Cannot blame them; in the “Origin of Species” & the “Descent of Human”, they simply got left out a bit in the process of “evolution”.) Hey, haven’t we heard so many times that “all is fair in love and war”! And these so-called humans were in “war” – by their own definition – so let us be “fair” to them. Let us pardon them all, en masse. Period. The End of the Debate. We, the people of an Incredible India, let’s Enjoy Life till it lasts J …

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Lest you forget: Please be seated 15 minutes before the start of the function. India is going to hang Kasab, Afzal and Rajiv’s assassins’ pictures in the parliament. For details see the “Invite”. See you all there …

I am Anna !

Standing there at Ramlila Ground, seeing him sit straight on the stage with his trademark Anna topi, looking lovingly into the massive crowd gathered there, a thought stayed with me: how would he be feeling “being Anna”? …

It had been weighing on my conscience since Aug 16 for not being able to make it to the Ramlila Ground and pledge my support to Anna in person; I had this strong feeling of guilt that in spite of being a proponent of anti-corruption movement, I had not contributed to it in real terms. The reasons were numerous but though none being an “excuse’, I decided to do my bit. Therefore, today – 27^th Aug – I went to Ramlila Ground in the afternoon.

The moment I made the decision, a strange feeling engulfed me; I found myself very uncomfortable with the thought of being amidst that huge crowd. Even my parents were uneasy. They advised me to strictly maintain my cool unless provoked to “that” extent. I assured them that I would as I didn’t want to become a “breaking news” in front of the Indian media fraternity!

There were people all around. Getting inside the Ground took almost 20 minutes. But the security personnel were managing the queues well. People were of all age groups, with males obviously hugely dominating in numbers. There was a separate allocated space for females. People were in groups, with family members including aged parents and children, singles - from all classes and strata of society. The energy of the gathered public was amazing! Chants of Anna were being heard all over, in fact from a couple of kilometers away. Loudspeakers were blaring speeches and songs. ‘Main Anna Hoon’ – I am Anna – caps and badges were seen on almost everybody; many wearing tri-colored wrist bands and waving Indian Tri-color in numerous sizes. The mood was of extreme eagerness but of absolute hope at the same time. The reverence for Anna was palpable. The Ground resembled a place of pilgrimage!

After having stood in the “mixed” queue for almost 20 minutes, I gained entry into the Ground. My first instinct was to look for Anna! He was sitting on a raised podium at a distance. Automatically I started walking in that direction but keeping myself away from the crowd –walking at the periphery of the gathering. However, barely I had covered a few meters that suddenly I got caught in a huge sea of people, all having come inside “suddenly” – that is what it seemed then! – crushing me virtually from all sides. The scene resembled an impending stampede! And I got alert and concerned about my physical safety. But to my surprise, people – all male crowd – behaved extremely decently! No even a single person tried to show his ‘basic instincts’. And, perhaps, for the first time in my life I felt proud of my countrymen who otherwise exhibit such pathetic attitude towards women that you cannot help but hate them. To me it seemed to be the reflection of Anna in every male present there!

Another distinct feature of the Ground was the presence of media. Never before I had seen such a huge congregation of press for any event! The OB vans were parked all around the ground; television cameras and other broadcast paraphernalia were mounted inside the ground. Television channel reporters were busy reporting. I watched them work – and work hard non-stop! – with high amount of respect. If Anna could drive home his point in otherwise not-so-courageous Indian hearts, a great degree of credit goes to the Indian media which stood by him throughout and ensured that Anna’s people’s movement became stronger with every passing day. In this one name which stands out is of Arnab Goswami and his team at Times Now – Team Arnab! - they set a record of non-stop coverage of close to 300 hours (13 days) and made sure that all relevant points regarding the Jan Lokpal Bill – including doubts, concerns raised by genuine people as well as detractors – were debated with utmost sincerity and honesty with the sole purpose of putting the truth before public. And if many felt he could be rechristened as Arnab Hazare or Anna Goswami, I think that says it all! Continue your crusade, Bengali Babu Moshai J … (as called by parliamentarians!).

Parliamentary discussions were on; India’s elected representatives were meeting and debating the ‘3’ points put forth by Anna for inclusion in the Jan Lokpal Bill draft for discussion. The passing of parliamentary resolution was awaited anxiously as Anna had entered his 12^th Day of fasting. Everyone shared a deep concern for his falling health; everyone wanted the government to relent so that Anna could break his fast.

However, what was incredible was Anna’s energy level! He looked strong enough sitting there and lovingly staring into the crowd, considering the length of his non-stop fast. I tried to take a few pictures of him, and did so as well, but the sheer distance between him and me ensured I did not get any “good” photograph. However, I could get myself clicked with Anna on stage and people all around in the background and guaranteed that I had a souvenir!

I called up my parents and gave them a running commentary of the happenings at the Ground till it was announced that the parliament had passed the resolution as per Anna’s demands on the pending Jan Lokpal Bill. And the crowd erupted with ecstasy! What a moment it was! I felt blessed being a part of the history being made! My regret of not being born in the times of Mahatma Gandhi felt like regressing to a large extent! I was witnessing a watershed!

Anna with support of his team member got up and waved happily to the crowd which was now loudly cheering and chanting his name! It was a victory and it was unprecedented! Never before since the time of India’s independence, people’s power had been acknowledged in the arrogant corridors of political power! The democracy in all its essence was on display! And it was an extremely proud moment for India!

Anna proved to the world once again that Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals of peaceful protests were alive and relevant even in today’s 21^st century! And he showed to the people that collectively they could bring about desired changes in society and polity of the nation! Indians looked transformed!

Words fail me to describe the event in its entirety. It was an experience of my lifetime! I kept watching the happenings both on and off the stage for some more time, soaking in the fervor and festivity! There was hope floating all around coupled with confidence about a corruption free future for all! This was in fact the “game changing” moment in Anna’s crusade against corruption! And I was simply happy to be a part of this soon-to-be-seen change!

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28-08-11: Anna has broken his fast today. After a couple of days in hospital (Thanks, Dr. Naresh Trehan, for looking after Anna’s health for past 13 days; please continue to take care of him even beyond his discharge from your Medanta Medicity!) he would be again on his mission for a strong Jan Lokapl Bill. As he said: the battle is only 50% won! To think that the task towards achieving the other 50% would be smooth now, as the political class has “woken up” to the reality that India needs change, is a bit naïve. Anna will have to continue his protest and sustain his self-led India Against Corruption fight along with his esteemed Team Anna and his millions of supporters – Annas! - all over the country and abroad. But one thing is clear: This time India will ensure that the Change comes - and fast! Else, Anna will fast again! ;)

I don’t have to be Paul The Octopus to predict this: if Indian politicians still fail to see the change in public mood towards them, they are going to become irrelevant soon. The foolishly arrogant attitude that they demonstrated so shamelessly for so long will have to be shed. Hubris will not take them far anymore. If they do not embrace the desired Change, then they would get changed. But the process of Change will not stop; in fact the Catalyst for Change has just got activated …

Anna, Gandhiji is smiling up there J

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India's Tryst with Destiny

On this day when India turns 65 being an Independent country, it is suggested to every Indian to go through our first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's magnificent speech made in the Constituent Assembly (now Parliament) and ponder if we are worthy of this hard fought freedom and if we still need to put in a lot to not only protect it but improve upon India's position as an independent and Democratic country:

"Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially.

At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.

It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.

At the dawn of history India started on her unending quest, and trackless centuries are filled with her striving and the grandeur of her success and her failures. Through good and ill fortune alike she has never lost sight of that quest or forgotten the ideals which gave her strength. We end today a period of ill fortune and India discovers herself again.

The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?

Freedom and power bring responsibility. The responsibility rests upon this assembly, a sovereign body representing the sovereign people of India. Before the birth of freedom we have endured all the pains of labour and our hearts are heavy with the memory of this sorrow. Some of those pains continue even now. Nevertheless, the past is over and it is the future that beckons to us now.

That future is not one of ease or resting but of incessant striving so that we may fulfil the pledges we have so often taken and the one we shall take today. The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity.

The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us, but as long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over.

And so we have to labour and to work, and work hard, to give reality to our dreams. Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the nations and peoples are too closely knit together today for anyone of them to imagine that it can live apart.

Peace has been said to be indivisible; so is freedom, so is prosperity now, and so also is disaster in this one world that can no longer be split into isolated fragments.

To the people of India, whose representatives we are, we make an appeal to join us with faith and confidence in this great adventure. This is no time for petty and destructive criticism, no time for ill will or blaming others. We have to build the noble mansion of free India where all her children may dwell.

The appointed day has come - the day appointed by destiny - and India stands forth again, after long slumber and struggle, awake, vital, free and independent. The past clings on to us still in some measure and we have to do much before we redeem the pledges we have so often taken. Yet the turning point is past, and history begins anew for us, the history which we shall live and act and others will write about.

It is a fateful moment for us in India, for all Asia and for the world. A new star rises, the star of freedom in the east, a new hope comes into being, a vision long cherished materialises. May the star never set and that hope never be betrayed!

We rejoice in that freedom, even though clouds surround us, and many of our people are sorrow-stricken and difficult problems encompass us. But freedom brings responsibilities and burdens and we have to face them in the spirit of a free and disciplined people.

On this day our first thoughts go to the architect of this freedom, the father of our nation, who, embodying the old spirit of India, held aloft the torch of freedom and lighted up the darkness that surrounded us.

We have often been unworthy followers of his and have strayed from his message, but not only we but succeeding generations will remember this message and bear the imprint in their hearts of this great son of India, magnificent in his faith and strength and courage and humility. We shall never allow that torch of freedom to be blown out, however high the wind or stormy the tempest.

Our next thoughts must be of the unknown volunteers and soldiers of freedom who, without praise or reward, have served India even unto death.

We think also of our brothers and sisters who have been cut off from us by political boundaries and who unhappily cannot share at present in the freedom that has come. They are of us and will remain of us whatever may happen, and we shall be sharers in their good and ill fortune alike.

The future beckons to us. Whither do we go and what shall be our endeavour? To bring freedom and opportunity to the common man, to the peasants and workers of India; to fight and end poverty and ignorance and disease; to build up a prosperous, democratic and progressive nation, and to create social, economic and political institutions which will ensure justice and fullness of life to every man and woman.

We have hard work ahead. There is no resting for any one of us till we redeem our pledge in full, till we make all the people of India what destiny intended them to be.

We are citizens of a great country, on the verge of bold advance, and we have to live up to that high standard. All of us, to whatever religion we may belong, are equally the children of India with equal rights, privileges and obligations. We cannot encourage communalism or narrow-mindedness, for no nation can be great whose people are narrow in thought or in action.

To the nations and peoples of the world we send greetings and pledge ourselves to cooperate with them in furthering peace, freedom and democracy.

And to India, our much-loved motherland, the ancient, the eternal and the ever-new, we pay our reverent homage and we bind ourselves afresh to her service. Jai Hind ! :)"

Happy Independence Day to all Indians :)

India, simply shun Aarakshun!

It is frustrating to see politicians once again trying to create divide between people and shockingly these are the same politicians who claim to be social guardian of “their” people, the same set of people who unfortunately still live with the stigma of belonging to the most cruelly and crudely defined strata of society called as “lower castes”. This drama of banning a film without even watching it and all being done to further solidify their claim to be the representatives – self proclaimed, of course – is a gross exploitation of still unformed emotions of perhaps the most underprivileged section of the society.

I wonder why people fail to understand the design of these self-focused myopic politicians. Why don’t these underprivileged people instead demand from their so-called representatives to provide them with equal opportunities to education so that they too could compete at similar levels on merits with all others in a flat field? Why do they get carried away by shameless stoking of their fragile sentiments by mean political creatures? Why don’t they ask the governments to build adequate and quality schools and colleges instead of crying for reservations?

Because by doing so they let the governments go scot free and give them an easy escape route from their responsibilities towards providing for basic infrastructure for supporting fundamental things, education being of the utmost importance. We all know that whatever anybody is today in this world is because of his/her education primarily. And I truly believe that education is the only way by which not only we can eradicate this millennia old ailment from Indian society but also build a progressive society with dignity for all living being irrespective of one’s so called family of birth.

I simply say: India has to shun Aarakshun! ...

India's Starved Sensibilities

That India is a country of people with starved sensibilities got established once again during Hina Rabbani Khar’s recent visit. Turning this crucial Pakistan foreign minister’s visit into a spectacle for frivolous fashion talks clearly tells a lot about the Indian mindset in dealing with females. Her youth, her intelligence, her capabilities, her intentions, all got blurred in the background and what remained in the never-flickering focus were her good looks, her Birkins, her Roberto Cavallis, her pearls, her dresses, her style sense, etc. etc. i.e. every thing that could define her feminity. For every Indian – effectively captured and presented to satisfy the Indian palate by the equally swayed Indian media – she was a female first and nothing beyond that. The sexist attitude of India towards her got more deplorable when many demented Indian minds resorted to describing her as Pakistan’s ploy, sent as a WMD – Woman of Mass Distraction! - to deflect from real political-foreign policies issues. As it is a well know fact about the infamous Indian mindset being the core of The Great Indian Hypocrisy, this malaise manifests in every aspect – facet – of life, in every corner of this great country of ours which prides itself on being worshipper of female Gods i.e. Goddesses.

You have to be a woman to understand it fully – “experience” is the operative term here. Ask any man – a male, I mean; India cannot boast of many “real” men – and he will flatly deny the existence of any such basal trait in “their half” of the population. If you too have any doubts about India’s sufferings, just take a walk around in any public place in any city/town of our so-called cultured country and the happenings will hit you full on.

It is a pretty common scene in any public place in India: lots of people, from all social backgrounds, with varied upbringings, with unequal levels of literacy – education still eludes many – and different economic status, lots of chaos, filth in equal proportion all around, extremely noisy and smelly. There would be more men than women, men again of all types but the “typical” ones dominating the space. By “typical ones” I mean those with “vacant look”, getting accentuated by yellowness of their eyes and brownness of their skin tone, their very ordinary faces bordering on ugliness with hairy skin making them seem absolutely avoidable, smelly body which you could almost “see”, wandering aimlessly till they spot a female – an average, decently dressed one, and not the “inviting” ones – the most self-suited explanation invented by human beings! You witness an instant transformation in their personality: from looking bored and depressed - from “empty eyes” to “hungry eyes” - they start smiling - that lecherous smile which makes you wish death for them. Then they start following her like a dog - their salivating pariah dog like appearance is so pathetic that if law was on your side you could shoot them pointblank. With their now all-active senses they start passing lewd remarks at her and loudly. If words fail them, they take help of film songs, the same songs which have been composed to celebrate something as crude as “eve-teasing” – India’s gift to the world culture! … And not even a single person – I told you in the beginning itself that India is severely deficient in real men – objects to this obscene harassment by men with leech-like attitude and avoids that situation with utter muteness and acquired blindness. The girl tries to run away from the place as fast as she could. And this is not an isolated incident; at the same place at any given point of time, almost all females present there would be facing the same humiliation.

Picture is almost same everywhere; from ordinary places to so called high places. The attitude is same in males representing the entire spectrum of India – well, exception are there but they are in “minority”; gentlemen are a “rarity” in India.

To tell you something interesting: a female wearing sunglasses is a “sight” for Indian males as for them it is a thing of “style” and not for “protection of eyes against harsh sunrays” and for some strange reason they feel extremely excited about it. And believe me, from a person on bitumen – roads – to a male in a BMW, they all behave the same!

But, ask any Indian male and he will deny it flatly. His argument will be – is always – that if India was so bad or unsafe, you wouldn’t be seeing females walking around unescorted. To all such males I have to say only one thing: go home and ask your mother, sister, wife, daughter, whosoever who have in family and you will know the truth. Because being the cynosure of your own mother’s hypocritical vision while growing up, you may have failed to notice that females are not seen around in any place after sunset in order protect herself from predatory behavior of ubiquitously present nocturnal creatures with deep animal instincts. And this has got confirmed by the shameless distinction of India getting rated as the 4^th most dangerous place for women in the world!

Ok, I agree that behavior will vary in degrees depending on a male’s background, but essentially almost all of them remain mentally glued to females around in their environment. The fact that an average Indian male cannot think beyond females is evident from their sex-laced talks; politics and sports come much later if time permits to think “beyond”! It is a different matter that in their entire quest for becoming “attracted to opposite sex”, they have not at all worked on improving their own “attractiveness quotient”. Almost the entire population of Indian males remains as undesirable as ever. I always wonder: how can the “male ego” permit such bizarre behavior that you spend your entire life ogling at female brigade and never ever get to enjoy even a chance glance from the so desired opposite sex? No hurt ego, guys?

This uniquely Indian male behavior stems from the societal belief in male’s superiority in the existential ladder. India wouldn’t be suffering the grossly skewed male:female ratio otherwise. An average Indian doesn’t feel any pain or a sense of sin by indulging into brutal female foeticide. And, even in this 21^st century, India is yet to legislate a criminal penal code for this all-prevalent heinous act.

This belief in male supremacy gets manifested in Indian males’ behavior. It is so deeply entrenched that irrespective of their own living status, they exercise “equality” in their “right to entertainment” through their “object of desire” i.e. females always. He could be a beggar but he will not deny himself his “birth-right” to seriously fantasize about a Bollywood female star!

Nothing can be more ugly than a lecherous Indian male’s face, and more dirty than his mind! And you get to witness these things even while abroad. Their excitement on seeing you, a fellow Indian female, is so palpable that it borders on obnoxiousness. Even in a foreign land you do not feel safe sighting an Indian male. Because for him an Indian female becomes an outlet for connecting to “familiar” and an outpouring for his frustrations of being treated like a “non-entity” by the “superior” whites – foreigners. Their indecent proposals are all visible in their otherwise blank expressions!

Ask any female tourist post her India visit and she will narrate horrifying tales of her harassments, with a “promise” never to return to our great land ever! (Indian Government’s “Atithi Devo Bhavo” ads reflect the same nauseating Indian males’ mindset; I doubt if Aamir Khan has been able to drive home his point in even a single unashamed Indian male’s mind.)

I repeat: all you average Indian males, if you so desire the opposite sex’s attention, first work upon yourself to become “desirable”; otherwise your despicably offensive behavior will keep you in the “unwanted” section forever – and you “appreciating beauty” – yes, Indian females are considered beautiful by all unlike their male counterparts! - with starved sensibilities evident all over your face and in your being!

I wish my fellow Indian males could understand that the cycle of life completes when both man and woman complement each other equally…

Tumhara naam kya hai, Kalmadi?

Tumhara naam kya hai, Kalmadi?

Don’t laugh! This is no Sholay hangover. How else do I call a person who decides to suffer from “dementia”? But I believe him when he proclaims his illness. Now does this mean that from now on he will start behaving in a certain manner befitting his state of mind – brain, I mean?

Will Suresh Kalmadi – I remember his name! – forget that he is a human being? And start behaving like an animal? Will he start using all his four limbs for locomotion? Will he start eating – carnivorous or omnivorous or a vegetarian? – and drinking – will depend on the species he chooses for himself – and sleeping like a lesser evolved creature of the animal kingdom? Also, will he wear only his integument from now on? Clothes may not find any use on him hereafter.

Should Suresh Kalmadi be kept out of his home in his present state of being? Tell me, how can humans cohabit with a non-human? How will he remember his relationships? What if he starts behaving with animal instincts? Can anybody be safe with him around? And, will not putting him within the walls of a home amount to cruelty to animal? Who is going to be ready to bear the brunt ofManeka Gandhi’s ire?

What will he do if he manages to set himself free from Tihar? Which work will be deemed suitable for him? Forget about IOA’s office, even the Parliamentdoesn’t allow any animal inside. Then, can you trust him with a cart, howsoever bullish his attitude may seem to be? Zoo? Not a bad idea! India’s future children may have the fortune to examine an extinct species from such close quarters. He will also be harmful being behind the barbs.

I have another fear. What if he forgets that he had promised to sue Times Nowfor exposing his misdeeds in organizing Common Wealth Games? And decides to hug Arnab Goswami? (Sorry, Arnab; but according to me there is a strong possibility of this happening looking into his current state of existence. So, take care.)

Now, tell me, Mr. Kalmadi, did you too have these thoughts and thus you decided to forget all about your self-inflicted selective-at-will dementia? Try some other trick next time to stay out of Tihar jail.

Wait a minute; I hear him singing loud:

“What’s my name? What’s my name? … My name is Kalmadi, Kalmadi ki jubani …”

May God Bless his soul for entertaining India’s starved sensibilities … :)

My brother Rahul,

My brother Rahul,

You may not know but my sister is a great fan of yours! To me, you are my brother by virtue of being Rajiv uncle’s son. And, therefore, both of us – like millions all across the country, and the world – wish a lot for you! And, expect a lot from you – and rightly so.

Thus, when my sister made a comment on my previous piece “Why is India incredibly helpless, always?” on the recent Bombay serial blasts and in reference to your reaction in same regard that “Rahul should know better what that 1% failure of the government means in tackling terrorism as he has himself suffered a lot because of this 1% lapse in security by losing his father”, I thought you must pay attention to her and amend the things required to be at your end at the earliest.

Rahul, you are destined to become the next prime minister of the country if the Congress / UPA manages to retain power at the Center, which it will in all likelihood. And prime ministership, as you too know well – is not a position; it is a responsibility – lots of that, in fact! Those monumental responsibilities – coupled with accountability – will be towards the country and its citizens and also towards your own party and coalition. As you know, Prime Minister is The Leader of a country, and the “buck stops with him/her”.

Now, Rahul, imagine that you have become the prime minister and are faced with a similar – may be worse – situation of terror attacks on India. (No one believes that 13/7 was the last in sequence of attempts of terrorists.) Even then will you try to defend intelligence failure by making such remarks? And will that not amount to admitting the failure of your government in utilizing the mammoth infrastructure built to deal with all such eventualities? Moreover, do you believe that only admittance will suffice and exonerate you of your accountability towards maintaining peace and security in the nation? And, will the world not wonder at you and your government’s credibility to govern?

On the contrary, Rahul, I am sure that you will beforehand itself ensure that an effective anti-terror mechanism is functional and India is safe and secure and peaceful. Because, you very well realize that tackling terror is a “zero-error” and zero-tolerance” business.

So, Rahul, would you now care to “clarify” your statement in the press and let people know that you did not mean to disrespect the victims and their families and certainly did not try to defend the indefensible intelligence and administrative failure of the government in preventing the always-anticipated terror attacks?... Do it; you will benefit immensely in the long run by regaining whatever respect you have lost in public eyes, and hearts.

Rahul, as I said, India has lot of expectations from you – and rightly so. You have the fortune of inheriting the political gene pool of Nehru-Gandhi families and are all set to become the next prime minister of the country, as important in the global arena as India. But for this almost certain dream to come true, you will have to demonstrate to the nation and the world that you truly deserve the top post. Not that you have not already done so; however, you need to do more – much more.

You should start, Rahul, by strengthening Congress’ foundation in the political field and regaining its national party identity. Congress’ national base has got eroded badly. Reclaiming it would be a huge challenge. To make it happen you have to have dedicated politicians with high degree of integrity and support at state headquarters who would in turn work at the grassroots level and organize the party and make it strong enough to stand – and win – on its own. Congress cannot claim to be a national party by walking on coalition crutches – and being in coalition clutches, therefore! “Coalition compulsions” will otherwise keep pulling down the Congress and it will never be able to reclaim its foothold in the national political landscape.

Rahul, for this huge task, you need credible and able people – politicians. Politicians who are young, educated, clean, and have a dream and ambition for India – and not for their own self. As you too know, India is at the cusp of great things in the world. Being touted as one of the major powers of the world is a great responsibility as well as we will be required to live upto that image. By being seen as an utterly corrupt and chaotic country, a country which lacks courage to defend itself is going to be hugely detrimental in the progress of our country, both economically and politically. India will never be regarded as a “developed” and powerful nation – forget about the global leadership role that it envisages for itself - in the foreseeable future and that would be a big setback to all our global aspirations.

At the micro-level, Rahul, i.e., at the public level, the single most important expectation from any government at the helm is good governance. A government which is capable of delivering on its promises and needs of the people and society. A government which is courageous enough to maintain country’s dignity and security amidst growing fundamentalism and extremism. A government which will reverse India’s impression of being a “soft target” and will showcase to the evil elements that India will not tolerate any breach in its safety, security and peace and will not suffer losing even a single life to terrorism. A government which will exhibit “zero-tolerance” towards sinister plans of terror forces and will ensure a “zero-error” anti-terror mechanism to prevent even that 1% attack chance.

Rahul, I don’t have to tell you the obvious things that you are in a position even without being the prime minister today to actualize all the necessary things – for the Congress and the country, and in the process, enhance you worthiness as the future prime ministerial candidate of the country.

India is a young country and a young prime minister like you, Rahul, will do wonders, about which I do not have even 1% doubt! But you need to prepare yourself, sincerely and seriously…Rajiv uncle, and Sonia aunty & Priyanka, of course, besides my sister and I would be very proud of you J

Why is India incredibly helpless, always?

Terror has struck India again, Bombay to be precise. (Bal Thackeray would want to impose his diktat even today that I say Mumbai instead of Bombay!) And the spectacle in India is absolutely on the expected lines: serial blasts, people killed, chaos all around, victims shifted to hospitals, media frenzy, 24x7 coverage, news headlines screaming “Resilient Mumbai” / “Life goes on in Mumbai” / “Mumbai back at work” / “Indomitable Spirit of Mumbai lives on” / etc. etc., condolences expressed by political leaders in the same words as used post every such previous terror attacks, candle light homage by people, anger and frustration of population – Bombayiites in the current case, again – aired on news channels non-stop, press briefing by security agencies, PM’s “stern” statement that “perpetrators of terror should (?!) be brought to justice”, international condemnation – especially by the US and the UN, visit to hospitals and blast sites by top political leaders, criticism of Pakistan and our own country’s Pak-policy by the Opposition, … and the life will go on, as always, till yet another terror attack strikes Bombay or any other part of India…

This is India. Incredible, isn’t it?

The sequence of events post a terror strike is almost same in any other nation on this earth. The difference, however, lies in the fact that elsewhere such attacks is followed by actions by the government - unlike in India.

In India, on the contrary, crores of taxpayers’ money is being spent to protect the biggest terrorist caught on the Indian soil so far. That is Ajmal Kasab for the world, the terrorist whose remorseless acts of massacres on the night of 26/11 in 2008 is still fresh in mind of public, but our esteem judiciary fails to get convinced that the evidence caught on close circuit cameras are adequate to fast track his verdict and his hanging. It is shocking to see that instead of punishing the perpetrator, our country is hell bent on showcasing its “top of the world” criminal justice system to the world by protecting a terrorist! So what if in the process India has managed to throw away its responsibilities towards protection of its citizens and delivering justice to victims’ families? So what if in the process India has succeeded in sending a strong signal to terrorists all across the world the it is okay to target the country at will because our nation lacks courage to safeguard itself?

This is India. Incredible, isn’t it?

What perplexes me the most is India’s utter helplessness in all such situations!

Why cannot we act tough? Why cannot we tell the terrorists that “enough is enough” and that they stay clear of India? Why cannot we crackdown on terror outfits, within our boundaries and beyond if need be? Why cannot we let our neighbors – Pakistan and other surrounding nations - know that they “behave”? Why cannot we bolster our intelligence systems further? Why cannot we use “actionable” intelligence to fend off any probable attack? Why cannot we work in a coordinated manner to safeguard India? Why cannot we put a functional anti-terror mechanism in place? Why cannot we put adequate pressure on the US to stop supporting – using - Pakistan to suit its narrow global aspirations and in turn turn almost a blind eye to its terror activities? Why cannot we tell the US to stop funding Pakistan till it aborts its terror exports? Why cannot we relook at our foreign policies and forge strong alliances with other important nations and take their support on issues concerning global terrorism, affecting India the most? Why cannot we use the UN platform to put our case strongly in front of the world? Why …???

The swiftness we exhibit in naming all such attack dates as 26/11, 13/7 now – obviously inspired by 9/11 – and then conveniently forgetting about it a few days later to everybody’s bliss is the most disgusting aspect of our dealing with terror attacks.

There are numerous “whys” but before we get answers to all these and more, we will have to demonstrate to the world – and terrorists in particular – that we value an Indian’s life! That we will not tolerate loss of even a single life in hands of a terrorist! That if any terrorist tries to act funny, we will crush the entire terror infrastructure! That we will not permit any breach of our security and safety and peace and that anybody indulging into it will face severe consequences!

But most importantly, we will have to show to the world – and the terrorists in particular – that we will not hide behind the “resilience” curtains anymore! That we will act and act tough!

Ok, all these sound pretty politically patriotic rhetoric; and that is precisely what we have to avoid. We have to act!

By the way, what are all these talks of “resilience” and “spirit of Mumbai”? What do we expect the Mumbaikars to do the day after? Sit at home and watch endless coverage on television? For how long? Is there any other option than going to work the next day? Wouldn’t all of us if caught in a similar situation do the same? Have we not witnessed a similar response in other Indian cities as well? Or, seen people reacting in similar fashion in terror-struck international cities for that matter?

Let us stop indulging into such mindless discussions and even thoughts of “resilience” and “spirit”.

Let us not act victim anymore; instead, let us show courage and act tough against terrorism.

Let us start by hanging Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru immediately. I am sure that if the government is trying to play minority appeasement political card here by putting both of these hardcore terrorists in death “row” - and that is what the GOI is doing exactly - then the Supreme Court should intervene. It is high time. India needs to see justice delivered; and, a closure to 26/11.

I hate seeing India act “helpless” …

Baba Ramdev and his 5-star Satyagraha!

The setting was perfect: Ramlila Ground, therefore, it had to be high drama by the protagonist along with his protesters! …

The desire for a pie in the Anti-Corruption Movement was so intense inBaba Ramdev that no sooner Anna Hazare wound up at Jantar Mantar, the politically ambitious Baba Ramdev announced his “fast-unto-death” campaign against black money. It was bound to be interesting to see theYoga guru add another chapter to India’s crusade against corruption. There was never any doubt about his ability to mobilize his supporters - he has them in abundance - to force the Indian government to enact laws to bring back the massive amount of ill gotten money stashed away in foreign banks and tax havens abroad. Like Anna, he too was bound to get relentless media coverage. Interesting, however, was also the probable response of the Indian public to a new episode of Dharna-in-Delhi; also important was to see the handling capabilities of the government. (The issue, nevertheless, is that a stubbornly arrogant Indian government does not relent till it is forced to do so – like Anna did.) And the outcome of Baba’s so-called fast turned out to be exactly what I had envisaged!

With great difficulty Anna Hazare had succeeded in waking up the perennially sleeping Indians to stand up for their country; in my living memory it was for the first time that Indians had come out in full force to fight against corruption. It was heartening to see an average Indian - who has been otherwise quite comfortable with his/her corruption surrounded existence – adopt the word“crusade” in his/her vocabulary of daily living.

Then came Baba with a clear mission to hijack people’s platform in order to further his political aspirations – though he vehemently denies this charge. And thus the country witnessed a new look crusade being staged in an air-conditioned ambiance – all with public money snatched forcibly by Baba’s menin name of providing comforts to the congregating protesters in a “hot” Delhi!

More bizarre was the manner in which the government of India attempted to tackle it. First it tried to woo Baba by rushing senior ministers – including the finance minister! - as soon he alighted from his private jet at the Delhi airport. It seemed of be greatly wary of the sheer number of his followers. When the placating policy failed, it tried to strike a secret deal with him in the setting of a plush 5-star hotel and succeeded in getting a hand written assurance from him to stop his agitation. Baba, not satisfied with the attention he had got so far, tried to garner as much political mileage out of the event as possible and thus took au-turn on his words and decided to continue his protest. In response, when the government tried to convince the country of the patch-up by waving his letter in a press conference, Baba levied charges on the government and called it a “liar”which, as we all know by now, did not go down too well with it. Police was sent to chase away the protesters with a midnight crackdown. The scene became hugely chaotic with Media broadcasting live the mayhem. Sleeping people were forcefully evicted and even Baba was forced to flee the ground in disguise. The political theater, famously called the Theatre of the Absurds, was at it best!

By using force on peaceful protesters – though no one was injured with mild lathi-charge and tear gas shells – the government with its highly unimaginative move has inadvertently relinquished its grace and moral rights to be a proponent of aam-aadmi, and has allowed Baba to seize the opportunity to garner unwarranted credence for his campaign. And the scene of drama has shifted to Haridwar for now, with his followers openly supporting “the person” and not “the cause”. In addition, the saffron brigade hooking onto the bandwagon and trying to give it a communal hue is the most disturbing aspect. If left unchecked, it has the potential to scuttle Anna’s movement and provide chances to unscrupulous to gain undue advantages by exploiting gullible population’s sentiments.

Though in a country where corruption had long back ceased to make any“news” till Team Anna shook them up from their siesta, a hugely popular figure like Baba Ramdev taking up the cause of corruption could have strengthened civil society’s crusade, if only his intentions were genuine. On the contrary, Baba’s 5-star campaign has in fact rendered the term impotent, though temporarily. The legitimacy of the agitation has become doubtful. The seriousness of the purpose which is always the driving force behind all such movements looks to have got diluted in Baba’s case completely.

To say the least, I am happy at the developments.

I was never comfortable with Baba Ramdev’s foray into the “movement” area because his credibility as a serious campaigner for country’s cause was always a big question mark. To me he seemed to be an opportunist who wanted to ride the wave of public support and garner a footing in the political landscape of the country. I never believed him when ever he tried to proclaim his so-called detachment to politics in spite of floating a political party, his so-called philanthropic effort to cleanse the country of corruption. His claim to the cause as a co-crusader seemed illegitimate as he is known to have amassed massive wealth the sources of which are still unknown. And then his attempt at redefining the way to conduct a campaign: 5-star Satyagraha! I am sure Mahatma Gandhi must be amused up there!

The contrast between Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev could not have been starker!

Though I do not believe in public display of sentiments, nevertheless, I pledge my full support to Team Anna and promise to be on fast in solidarity – at home and in office due to professional compulsions – the next time they embark on their fast protest for the Lokpal Bill. …

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P.S.: Let’s not forget that in today’s times of crusades, the one entity which deserves the maximum credit for initializing it in India is the Media, especiallyArnab Goswami at Times Now who with his courageous campaigns against corruption forced the government to relent and act and inspired the activists like Anna Hazare! …