Will Desert Jasmine wilt away?

Just a couple of winters ago I was so thrilled to see the changes sweeping through the historically troubled and suppressed regions of the Middle East. Tunisia had just been unshackled from Ben Ali’s grip after a month-long largely peaceful protests; Egypt had erupted with large demonstrators congregating in Tahrir Square against the Hosni Mubarak’s iron grasp on governance; the scent of revolution had spread far and wide in the desert sub-continent- whether it was Bahrain or Syria or Libya or Yemen, people were out on streets protesting against their dictatorial regimes; they all wanted Tunisia like freedom – nothing less than regime change!

The mood overall was of fearlessness and cheerfulness. They had shattered the glass ceiling of suppression. And there was no stopping them.

Egyptians ensured that they got what they had wanted, even if the struggle had to be sustained somehow in the face of repression. But the sense of freedom was still faraway for public in other Middle Eastern nations. Bahraini Kingdom did not hesitate in brutal stamp-out of the demonstrations. Yemeni people couldn't hold long in front of the cruel control of their national administration. Yes, there were celebrations in Libya for ousting Muammar Qaddafi – actually capturing and killing him with the US help – after a long fight which had acquired a violent hue ultimately. The Syrian struggle is still on.

All along while the Desert Jasmine was witnessing changes in the surrounding landscapes, the hotbed of Middle East revolution Palestine-Israel borders were keeping relative cool, perhaps because of international attention being diverted to emerging revolting states. Both countries demand for control over their “claimed” territories had taken a back seat, sort of. Or maybe they too were busy watching the unprecedented level of changes taking place in their neighboring nations. However, it is not to discount Israel’s uneasiness over the calm in their disputed land as it was evident in their tries to instigate unrest.

And though I too understood that the lull was before a storm, but I was confident that this time the outcome could be different from all earlier attempts towards freedom in Palestine-Israel conflict. Jasmines will bloom in this holy land too, sometime soon! And I was happy :)

For me the meaning of life is in living, and living “where the mind is without fear and the head is held high”. For me the dignity of life is the most crucial dimension of one’s being. And that is the reason why I thank God for making me a citizen of a democratic country (though there are serious doubts emerging about the degree of real freedom in India as well). But the fact that I can write about it openly – hope no authority or party or person takes offence to any of my “personal” thoughts -  is testimony to the fact that India is an independent country now!

Thinking of and talking about the Middle East – and all such countries in other parts of the world – always left me perplexed. That why was the region perpetually in revolution mode and why no real freedom had been seen for ordinary people even in today’s modern age? This part of the world which was the crucible of civilizations and cultures should have continued to be role model for rest of the population globally. However, sadly and unfortunately, the significance and relevance of most of the things Middle-Eastern have got lost for a larger world. The oil of course remains the sole strongest magnet.

An honest reflection will tell the Middle Easterners that they themselves are primarily responsible for the deteriorating state of affairs in their land. They should have forged a stronger bond among themselves and could have shaped their own destiny much more beautifully. This, of course, does not imply that the life per se is not livable; in fact it is much better than many parts of the world. But, in all honesty, they deserve much better. Using their historic legacy and learning  the structure of governance and state of being could have been inspiration to the rest of the world. United they could have thwarted the attempts of the West – developed nations with insatiable hunger for oil – from venturing into dirty & dangerous oil diplomacy & politics and in the process propping and supporting dictators. More than the ordinary folks, it was the responsibility of various heads of nations to join together in their united pursuit towards geo-political dominance. However, as we know, that could not be a possibility.

Today Israel has provoked Palestine and has re-started almost a war in the Gaza strip. The devastation in the areas is depressing. On the strength of the “Iron Dome” pounding the “enemy’s” places with unrelenting bombing is quite distasteful. Killing hundreds of innocent Palestinians including women and children in name of God-knows-what is reprehensible. As expected, the West is unable to yet again contain the Israeli madness. But what is more unfortunate is the silence in the Middle Eastern states. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Iran and also Iraq besides the smaller ones could have stood up strongly in support of the Palestinians and could have put a brake in Israel’s insanity.

Israel should not forget that the stake on the 'occupied land' is historically with Palestine and only a "live and let live" attitude will result in permanent peace. 

Iran-Iraq, Iraq-Kuwait, Iraq-US, Jasmine revolution, continuing Arab Spring, and of course, the mother of all conflicts – the Palestine-Israel war. These are a few of the contemporary times warfare witnessed in the Middle East. Historically this largely desert land has been beset with battles – most of it among themselves. Elsewhere the world has progressed from a medieval mentality to a modern existence – well almost in certain terms – but this part of the world has remained warped in time. In spite of shared history and religion and culture, the divisions within states have remained glaring. And that is the reason why even in today’s times, the Middle East gets abused repeatedly by the West.

One of the fundamental existential flaws of the region has been its tendency to lean towards religious fundamentalism frequently. The progress which could have put the area on the world map as a dominating power has in fact been stalled consistently by the extremist tendencies of a certain dominant section of its conservative populace. Not to forget that even this situation could have been managed if the Middle East would have stood united. Now, standing united does not imply being governed as one nation state; a regional unity is what it lacks tremendously and to its own peril.

And that is the reason why we see the turmoil re-surging repeatedly in the region. If Tunisia, Egypt and Libya are all facing continuing unrest in spite of them now having democratically elected governments, they returning to crises once again don’t seem a remote possibility. Their first few steps towards democracy seem to be shaky at the moment.

The freshly erupted crisis in Egypt is testimony to trouble-ingrained nature of the Middle East politics. President Morsi’s plans to thwart democratic essence of governance and garner dictator-like powers for himself has to be put to an end by a combined diplomatic effort of rest of the Middle Eastern nations. Else, soon the great state of Egypt will slide into an irreversible downfall. Any negative change taking place in Egypt will augur very badly for the other democracy-aspiring countries of the region as it would set a bad precedent.

These newly minted democratic nations needed full support of the stable Middle Eastern states but we rather see these nations gradually treading the path of religious fundamentalism as was seen earlier in Iran. And if there would have been support, then that would have been ‘unprecedented’!

The contemporary world history is observer to the state of Palestine being abandoned by its powerful neighbors leading to decades of devastating consequences for proud Palestinians. I truly believe that if the Arab world had resisted, the illegally formed state of Israel would not have been able to garner legitimacy. And, even if they did not act then against the Israeli occupation, later with their honest approach they could have successfully implemented the peace accords and the two states solution in the disputed holy land. At the cost of sounding naive in matters of international politics and diplomacy, I simply state that with talks all conflicts can be resolved amicably to both parties satisfaction. Of course, in the process, they also needed to reign in the opposing factions.

The way the world has managed the Israeli-Palestine conflict so far, it seems to keep it going is in interest of many developed nation.

The recent UN upgrade of Palestine to a nonmember observer state is a major step. The resolution to the decades old Palestine-Israel conflict seems a possibility in near future now. Israel expectantly will oppose it tooth & nail and it has already started demonstrating its displeasure openly. However, a united rest of the world – minus the US – will be able to force Israel see the realities and relent.

As the world depends almost entirely for its fuel on the Middle East and for humanity’s sake, it is in the shared interest of the entire world to work towards stability and democracy in the region. The freshly bloomed Desert Jasmine should not be left to wilt away in the harsh desert sun. …  

                         

Bye, Schumi; will miss you ...

I do not exactly remember the first race I watched of Michael Schumacher’s. But I distinctly remember the first “serious” Formula 1 talk I had at home. It was the 1^st of May in 1994, the day the world lost Ayrton Senna in a fatal crash at the San Marino Grand Prix while driving for Williams. It was perhaps the most devastating incident in Formula 1 fans’ life as we lost the most beloved racer of all times but that was also the time when the ascent of Michael Schumacher had already begun. Alain Prost completed the triad with these two as the most famous drivers in F1.  

Watching Michael Schumacher drive for the last time in the history of Formula 1 today made me go through a roller-coaster of emotions. Today was not the day of Schumi’s final retirement alone but also brakes being put on one of the most beautiful chapters of my life. I have spent many evenings enjoying F1 races with family and friends, with the sole aim of watching Schumi race! For me F1 was Schumi and visa-versa! If F1 became my most favourite sport, the credit goes to Schumi!

Schumi’s Ferrari Red was my colour too! The fact that red was always the most attractive colour for me perhaps played its part partially in attaching me to the most vibrant and energetic colour and the F1 team of the world! For me, Red denoted Life and immense life Schumi infused on tracks!   

Ask a Formula 1 fan and he/she will tell you that F1 is not merely a sport; it is meditation. Yes, meditation! The roar of those high power sophisticated engines in unison put you in a trance! Mesmerized, you watch those cars fly by! In fact many a times watching F1 races I have enjoyed the most peaceful of my sleeps! Well, getting up soon enough to check for the current grid positions!

Watching a F1 race is like watching high tides crash onto your beach! The sound of the sea is akin to the thrilling sensation felt at hearing a racing car roar by! Both make you experience life’s calmest moments! Don’t believe it? Try sitting on a beach and putting on the TV on a Race-Day!

In 2006 when Michael Schumacher announced his retirement, I felt like I had lost a crucial part of my being. F1 without Schumi was simply not for me. My most favourite sport suddenly seemed charmless. And gradually I found myself missing out on many of the races – a rarity in Schumi-days! The F1 Diary which I kept also lost importance for me; I would fill it up only occasionally, updating the records reluctantly. I was a Reluctant F1 fan, now!

Came 2010 and Michael Schumacher started his second innings as a race driver! This time with Mercedes and his colour changed to white. And along with he brought one of his most ardent admirers – that’s me! – back on track! Of course, like Schumi himself, I too believed in his capabilities to become a champion again but unfortunately that did not happen. Though the second phase of his career did not see him having even a single podium finish, but his presence on the track made all the races worth watching!

I cannot thank God enough for giving me the opportunity to watch my Hero live in the 2012 Indian Grand Prix! Seeing him wave to race enthusiasts – including me! - while taking a lap around the track in a decorated open trailer along with all other drivers, I couldn’t believe my eyes! I was seeing my most favourite sport person in flesh and blood! Schumi looked as handsome as on television and in magazines! The radiance of his face and the brilliance of his brain all came through just the way he is! It was pure ecstasy! Hypnotized I was looking at him! It was Dream come true! Being at the same place where Schumi was made me tizzy! I was breathing the same air which he was! I couldn’t simply believe my own luck! I was watching The Great Michael Schumacher live! Wow!

Everything about Formula 1 was unfolding in front of my eyes like a breath-taking sequence! Everything that I had read and watched, I was experiencing in person! The excitement, the preparation, the involvement, the ceremonies, the grandstanding, the pit-stopping, the grid positions, the warm-up laps, the start-finish line, the 5 illuminating lights, the pole positions, the team crews, the grid girls, the television crews, the race cars, the safety car, the tyres, the tyre-warmers, the chequered flag, the yellow flag, the blue flag, the pit-boards, the marshals, the cranes, the screens, the laps, the circuit, the track, the sectors, the grand stand, the paddock, the pit-stop, the chicanes, the stadium itself, everything what I had ever known about F1 was all there laid out in front of me! I was a part of this amazing event on the earth! And I couldn't believe it! I was living one of the most beautiful experiences of my life! And I was thanking God for the blessings!    

And there was Michael Schumacher! And I was watching Schumi’s last venture into the Indian Grand Prix live! As the laps were reducing, my feeling of loss was increasing. I knew that soon the race would be over and I would never ever see Schumi race again – as if I had watched him live all my life!

Drivers had gone inside; crews had thinned; volunteers had also all gone; crowd had also almost disappeared but I waited for the place around to become quiet. F1 technicians had started to dismantle things around; the 5 illuminating lights were the first to be lowered. I was trying to absorb as much as possible. The Mercedes crew members were busy packing their things, leaving Schumi’s name plank at the top of his pit section to be removed last. For the team, they had already said good-bye to the beautiful Buddh International Circuit in India!

The most lasting memory of my Indian GP is of looking at Schumi’s pit for one last time before walking out of the grandstand. I wanted to take his memory within me.

Seeing Schumi race for the last time today kept bringing back beautiful memories from my life, realizing simultaneously with a heavy heart and teary eyes that this blessed moment will never ever come in my life again. All throughout the Brazilian Grand Prix today, my eyes kept trying to spot Schumi; I was almost oblivious to Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel’s record matching performance at Interlagos of becoming the third driver – and the youngest - in the history of F1 to win three Championships in a row! Congrats, Sebastian; and sorry.

F1 is an amazing sport; one of the most fantastic experiences in a human’s life! Nevertheless, I do not know if I will ever enjoy it the way I did while watching Michael Schumacher race. I know for sure that I will not see Schumi come for a third stint – and he should not – and that is the reason I am so sad today :(  

Schumi, Thanks for all those amazing F1 moments and memories; I will miss you …         

Ek Tha Tiger !

The one thing that fascinates me the most about a leader is his/her mass appeal! And today Balasaheb Thackeray emerged as the most popular political leader of India going by the throng of people – 2 million! – which converged at the Shivaji Park in Bombay for his funeral. The congruence of such a large gathering, walking alongside his carriage – hearse – in the procession was unprecedented! Watching his cortege move from his residence Matoshree to Sena Bhavan and then to the cremation site – Shivaji Park – alongwith a moving sea of mourners in an almost shutdown megapolis made this popular-powerful yet controversial politician seem larger than life, in his death!

Numerous mundane thoughts crossed my minds while watching his televised funeral. Firstly, that if Balasaheb was so loved by all in Bombay and Maharashtra, then why did the same public brought his party into power only once in its more than four decades of existence? Though Shiv Sena has been winning Mumbai Municipal elections consistently, why couldn’t Maharashtrians trust him with their fate when it came to state administration? And, how could he sustain his powers on Mumbai for so long? Also, if Bal Thackeray was such an immensely important political leader – which he was – then why was Media’s attention more on other mainstream national politicians than him, except for interviewing him once in a while whenever any controversy erupted due to his hard-line stance. The fact that he had receded into his den – where would a tiger live! – and secluded himself from active public life having handed over the party reins to his son Uddhav couldn’t be the case for Media’s limited interest in him. Recently, we had seen his nephew Raj hogging the Media limelight much more than both father and son combined.

Being blessed with a strongly fierce and proud personality, why did he restrict his patriotic pride primarily towards his own community – Marathi Manoos? I wonder if he realized that his brand of politics with a strong dose of nationalistic pride bordering on the verge of fundamentalism couldn’t succeed at the national level.   

This however doesn't say in least bit that Balasaheb’s influence over life and lives in Mumbai – for him Bombay was always Mumbai – had diminished, though it had dimmed lately no doubt. He remained as significant and relevant as ever. However, the junta of Bombay and Maharashtra appeared to have moved on from his divisive politics as they didn’t see it yielding anything for improving their livelihood. But perhaps he had stayed in their hearts and minds and souls too as it were reflected in the crying faces of millions across the city today.      

And also in the live coverage of his funeral procession by the Indian Media. Frankly, I was a bit surprised. To hear all participants including the television anchors wax eloquent about the great personality that Balasaheb was made me a bit uncomfortable. There was of course no doubt that for any political leader to have such a large followers base could only be a dream, still seeing journalists come together to eulogize him sounded deliberately biased – as if they had been given the duty to lionize him in his death! All of a sudden his fundamentalist politics and his controversial tenure as a strong regional politician became irrelevant. Everybody was singing praises of him; there were anecdotes and personal interactions and experiences being shared with the television viewers. Perhaps they wanted to stay connected with the current mood of the crowd and remain on the right side of the popular tide! Otherwise, except for mentioning it as a passing remark, not even a single person on various TV panels questioned Balasaheb’s admiration of Adolf Hitler. In no country on this Earth, certainly not in a functioning democracy, could a political leader – howsoever popular – could get away with his pro-Hitler remarks! And our esteemed Media chose to willfully ignore those oft repeated dangerously deep words of Bal Thackeray.

Watching Balasaheb’s body being consigned to flames and millions of his followers weeping inconsolably, I wished I had a chance to meet him in person – a desire which surfaced only today – and ask him: “Why do you admire Adolf Hitler? And what do you think of Hitler’s ethnic cleansing and killing of 6 million Jews?” … Now that he has left his earthly adobe and joined Hitler’s soul in God’s paradise, would he ask his Hero that “Why did he do what he did?”

There were many more thoughts clouding my mind: that witnessing millions converge and cry for him, how would he be feeling now? That would the other political leaders present at his funeral be feeling jealous of Balasaheb’s unmatched popularity? And, importantly, would they be learning a lesson of two from his life – and death - about mass politics? Most significantly, what would the people be feeling out there? Would they be able to sustain their feeling of loss for long? How long? Would the public support Uddhav in the same manner? Or will they prefer the firebrand Raj to the cooler cousin? Or will both the brothers join hands and make their political base stronger in absence of the towering presence of Balasaheb? Were all people in the crowd Marathis? Or were there South Indians and Muslims and Biharis who have been at the receiving end of Shiv Sena’s divisive politics at various stages of state’s politics? And if all twenty lakhs were Marathis – middle class Marathis – then how many were left at home to watch his last journey on TV? Could Biharis have come out in grief over Balasaheb’s death and with their great gesture won over the Shiv Sainiks forever? Will both the younger scions of Thackeray clan rethink their political philosophy and make it more inclusive and take all Mumbaikars along, irrespective of their state of birth and in turn start a new era for Shiv Sena in state politics? Would they be thinking of expanding their base to national level by cashing upon the massive support shown by the people of India towards Balasaheb in their hours of personal loss? Will the grieving youngest generation of Thackerays – Aditya included – take the lead in taking Shiv Sena beyond the boundaries of Maharashtra?

Well, my thoughts continued streaming in …     

Another aspect which fascinates me about a mass leader is his/her thought process: I wonder what could be going in his/her mind seeing the supporters surround in massive numbers? I am sure Balasaheb too would have felt overwhelmed seeing his followers follow him to his funeral pyre and cry for him. In fact, India as a whole felt the loss. Because it is not at all easy being a mass leader for long and Balasaheb seemed to thrash all possible theories about sustaining mass support today. May he rest in peace :)

Balasaheb Thackeray will live in stories of India as “Ek Tha Tiger”!         

Congratulations, Mr. President Barack Obama!

Watching you deliver your victory speech tonight I got transported to Grant Park in Chicago where exactly four years ago on the 4^th of November in 2008 you had mesmerized the whole world with your maiden victory speech! You had just created history by becoming the first “black” president of the United States of America and had gained entry into the otherwise forbidden walls of the White House!  

Tonight also it felt exactly the same. Seeing you come on the stage gave me goose bumps. And as you started speaking, my tears started rolling down. My tears were testimony to pure joy! Just like 2008, this year too I was absolutely confident about your chances for the second term. And then I realized how fast the last four years had flown by! I went down my memory lane.

Your journey towards the White House which started with you making a hypnotizing keynote speech at the Democratic Convention in Los Angeles in 2004 brought me into your Universe as an ardent admirer! And I have been a selfless companion ever since, just like billions of your fans all across the globe! Interestingly, and a bit unbelievably, an average Indian was not even aware of your existence back then; they woke up to your presence only in 2008.

Your 2008 nomination as the presidential candidate seemed just a formality from the beginning itself as you were far ahead in terms of qualities and capabilities than all other competing candidates. Nevertheless, as the campaigning progressed, the world along with America got to discover you better. It was almost like witnessing an evolution of Barack Obama, the future president of the United States of America which was going to govern this incredible country of yours for at least next eight years!

“Change You Want” and “Change you can believe in” became synonymous with you! And after a long time people believed in political slogans. They got to greet a genuine leader who was not a politician. The circle of your charisma was not limited to the boundaries of America; your fame had travelled far and wide. The congregation of millions at the Tiergarten in Berlin in July of 2008, waiting patiently for hours to hear you speak live was the proof of you graduating as a world leader. Never before in the history of humanity did any “foreign” political leader have your kind of inclusive influence on people in a faraway land! People’s response all across the globe was simply mindboggling! I and my entire family had eagerly awaited your speech since evening; sleep was the last thing on our mind – and in our eyes – though it was already night in India.             

I fell in irreversible love with you in March of 2008 while listening to your “Race in America” speech in Philadelphia! What a speech it was! Unbelievable! The impact of your words could still be heard reverberating in my heart! That day our bond got cemented forever!

I followed your presidential campaign like a shadow. I joined your mailing list, I read about you extensively on the Net and in your books; you seemed a part of my being; your family members felt like belonging to my family; in my heart and mind, there was no distinction because of geographical & geopolitical barriers. I was no less than a walking encyclopaedia on you!

I distinctly remember the early morning of 4^th November of 2008. I was sleeping when my sister called from Shanghai, accusing me of “still sleeping while your Obama is winning!” And soon my parents and other family members called to congratulate me on your victory! Yes, for them, it was my victory as well! It was as if everybody in my circle had accepted the fact that I had a shared fate with you – just like the billions all across the globe!        

Today also the sequence of events was exactly the same. My sister called me in the early morning to “wake me up” to the election results! My parents and friends congratulated me on your victory! And, today again I cried listening to your victory speech in Chicago!

And I remembered your Toots – your grandmother – who too would have felt exactly the same as she had four years ago – blessing you from up above the sky so high! Wish God had kept her alive for just two more days in ’08 so that she could herself witness the beautiful metamorphosis of her “black” grandson into the 44^th – and 1^st black – president of the United States of America!

And how could I not remember your amazing mother Anne who transferred her extraordinary genes into you and made you what you are today!

Now I wait for your inauguration in January of next year. In fact everything from your earlier inauguration is so fresh in my memory that four years seem just like yesterday. I await you inauguration speech just like I did before.  

“Barack” means “blessed” and blessed indeed is America, and so is the world, with you being there as the president of the United States of America! May God be with you, as always! And, hope to see you soon in India – this time with Shasha, Malia and Bo, besides the First Lady Michelle :) 

Congratulations, again, Mr. President Barack Obama!

Consenting rape victims

God created the stars and the moons and the planets and the solar systems and the galaxies and the black holes and the Universe and the birds and the animals and the insects and the microbes and the plants and the humans and the demons and the politicians and the Indian politicians… Beyond this the God lost the plot!

“Human Genome Project” could come to aid if we want to get insights into what all goes inside the mind of an Indian politician – well, most of them. We need to know how exactly the neurons “conceive” – to “perceive” is a human trait – a situation and transmit those signals to the world in form of bizarre statements! The intricate workings of this unique species’ weirdly wired existence have to be due to mutations in their DNA sequence. And I am sure that no CT Scan or MRI will be able to map this breed’s brain, howsoever advanced the equipment may be.

No evolution theory will be able to infer this kind of mutation in a creature!

A girl gets raped; there is a case of gang rape; a female toddler is sexually abused by neighbour and killed; a father-in-law exploits his son’s bride to satisfy his carnal desires; incestuous tendencies get reported; a teacher seduces his pupil; etc. etc. These are a few examples of heinous atrocities being perpetrated against the “better-half” of India’s population.

Take a slice from our honourable politicians responses: “girls wear small dresses inviting rape”; “girls should not be out of home after dark, else they will get raped”; “girls use mobile phone to be in touch with boys and thus get raped”; … but the blockbuster of the conclusion is when they say: “rape happens only when the girl is willing!”

Tell me, can your ordinary mind fathom the “meaning” behind this distinguished deduction?

In the examples enumerated above, I fail to see the ‘consent’ of the victim – here, a female in all the mentioned cases. Did the girl “invite” the boy to rape her? Did the female “seduce” the group of men to gang rape her? Did the baby child “motivate” the neighbour to molest and murder her? Did the woman make the “move” to have sex with her groom’s father? Did the daughter “throw” herself at her own father for “consensual” physical relationship? Did the girl student “inspire” her teacher to sexually abuse her? …

To apply the ‘rape-inviting’ reasoning of our illustrious politicians: was the rape committed due to the female protagonists in all these cases displaying any of the “taboo” characteristics - either wearing a short dress or staying out till late evening or using a mobile phone or because she was “willing”?

Has the world ever before heard of ‘consenting victim’ in any crime, including rape? Well, in India we have these theories doing the rounds, all because of the brilliant logic proffered by our equally brilliant politicians!

See, even you are left speechless and shell-shocked!

I try scratching my head to be able to comprehend the grand logic behind all what our politicians say about ‘consenting victims’ but fail comprehensively.

To add insult to injury of rape victims, yet another great argument is being offered by esteemed elders of some section of our society: “marry them off by 16 and prevent rape.”

Some even blamed the humble chowmein for all evils in the Indian society! (I am sure this story hasn’t yet reached the shores of China, else India could be fighting hard to deflect a diplomatic crisis and an international outrage in the UN!)

God save India.

Neither there is any sense nor any sensibility. I wonder when they rest their head on pillow at night and think about their day gone by, how do they get a sound sleep? And before that when they get back home to their grandmother-mother-sister-wife-daughter-granddaughter, how do they face them? If I had a father who was a politician and who made such atrocious announcements, I wouldn’t have been able to face the world out of shame; and, of course, I would be cursing God for making me inherit those obnoxious genes!

All these extraordinary things happen in a nation which is led by incredible women personalities in numerous social-economic-political fields; and a country which prides itself on having its divine pantheon dominated by female Goddesses!... In spite of the Indian society having ‘evolved’ to a significant extent, it is sad to see India still being considered the most dangerous place for females in the world.   

But what is the remedy to this widespread malaise in the Indian political - social spheres?

Public have to be active in raising voices and together in boycotting such public figures – or anybody for that matter – making such dangerous remarks; Media have to be vigilant in exposing and condemning such dodgy politicians – or anybody for that matter; and above all, laws should be put in place to nail such ‘mutated’ individuals, barring them and banning them from holding public offices – or any post for that matter – for life.

Hopefully, then the God will get the plot back!     

……………….

I realize that India is not alone in having such dubious distinctions; the US also is blessed. Recently one of its politicians drew an inference regarding rapes: “female body has a remarkable ability to shut out pregnancy in case of rape!” (To read the details and his exact statement, please google.)

                    

When God speaks

When God speaks, you don’t hear anything! You only see – magic!

And when God of Cricket speaks, well, you still see magic :)

It was pure magic to hear Sachin speak with Arnab, frankly! Every word an “inspiration”; every sentence a “quote”! It was incredibly enchanting to watch two of my favourites chat with each other, and, frankly :)

Watching Sachin answer to Arnab’s probing – sometimes provoking – questions, yet reverential and friendly, took me more than two decades back. I was in Bombay – yes, it was called Bombay then; not that i call it by any other name now; Sachin Tendulkar had become a big name by then; and it was in the grapevine that he had met his love of life, his future wife Anjali Mehta.

It was a Sunday afternoon and we were at the Dadar Club, enjoying snacks while enjoying a club level tennis match between Ashok Mankad’s son Harsh and his opponent (I don’t remember his name).Befitting a cricket crazy country, our talks veered towards cricket and soon it got concentrated on Sachin. Imagine: we were watching a tennis match and talking about cricket! A friend of ours, a born-&-brought up Mumbaikar, who happened to personally know various sportsmen including Sachin, seeing the group’s enthusiasm extended his “generosity” and promised to take us to meet him at his home; he only needed a couple of hours to fix up our meeting for the coming weekend.

Wow! We spent the seemingly never-ending week counting days! And came the day when we were to go and meet Sachin Tendulkar. Yes, the same Sachin Tendulkar, who today is referred to as the God of Cricket!

We gathered at the Dadar Club, got into our friend’s car and started towards Sachin’s home. Excitement was at its peak! Unbelievable! And indescribable! And then the disaster struck! A dear friend of ours who had suffered from heartbreak recently went into sudden depression and refused to go anywhere. In sympathy, we friends dropped the “idea” till next weekend, which, of course, never came.

I too did not try to cheer up my friend or insist upon rest of us going ahead to meet Sachin as I too had recently suffered a personal loss – assassination of my most beloved personality, Rajiv Gandhi uncle, and I too was in not so cheerful mood. Then there was the hope that there would always be a ‘next time’ – next week – with our Mumbaikar friend being around. Today, I cannot believe it myself! Not even my family, who rightly think that I have been the biggest fool to have ever walked the planet Earth!    

Soon our days in Bombay came to an end and it was time to go back to our campus – without meeting Sachin, of course. And as the fate would have it, within months we got the tragic news of the death of our Mumbaikar friend and the link to Sachin Tendulkar was lost, forever. May his soul rest in peace. We miss you, Kamlesh :(

Since then I haven’t been able to understand God’s design in not letting that meeting happen with Sachin. I have regretted the lost opportunity every time I see Sachin; and will continue to mourn it even post my death. Once up there I am going to ask the God that why He not let us meet the then future God of Cricket! Was the God himself feeling threatened about this “imminent” competition?!

The regret regressed little bit when I got the God sent opportunity to watch Sachin play live.

The day was 7^th February and the year was 1999. The venue was Feroz Shah Kotla ground in Delhi. The occasion was the second test between India and Pakistan. It was the 5^th day of the test match. Pakistan was batting in their 2^nd innings. The advantage was that India was fielding and thus all players were visible on the field! And, yes, it was then that I first saw Sachin Tendulkar live! In flesh and blood, from so near that I could touch him! Yes, the God of Cricket was in front of me, playing, and I simply could not believe my luck! That day too I rushed back to Bombay of 1991. The memories of that day are so vivid that I can narrate in all details even after 13 years!

It was indeed a special day in my life! Not only for the fact that it was my first meeting with Sachin Tendulkar in person but also for the fact that Anil Kumble single-handedly demolished Pakistan with his historical 10 wickets haul in an inning! What a match it was! And what a meeting it was with the God of Cricket! And, that day too, I regretted deeply for having missed out, yet again, on seeing Sachin for four more days during the first four days of the test match; believe it or not, i did not go for the first four days of the test match as i was so-called busy with routine office work whereas actually I was wasting my cricket passes and the God’ sent lifetime opportunity!

I wonder if Sachin would remember this fan of his in red pullover and blue jeans :)

Many years have passed since then. Cricket has evolved further in India. We are the world Champions for the second time! T20 is the most popular format today. IPL is a big brand globally. India has become the super power nation as far as this sport is concerned. We may not have remained the No.1 in various formats of the game for long but India surely dominates – and dictates - the world of cricket!

In today’s times of too much cricket, I do not watch matches always. Not even when my country and my favourite players – Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni – are playing. Watching cricket matches live has also reduced drastically for me. But watching Sachin speak about his “imminent” retirement and his doubts about his availability for the next world cup gave me goose bumps! Indian cricket without Sachin? NO! The thought itself is frightening! Watching Frankly Speaking I prayed to the God for letting the God of Cricket be a part of cricket as long as possible – always, actually. I am sure even the “cricket atheists” will join me in my prayers …

And, thanks Arnab, for your wonderful chat with Sachin! You could bring out so far unseen dimensions of his personality with your superb interviewing. I especially liked your introductory comments and your concluding remarks. I am sure even Sachin is going to remember this interview for ever, when he spoke Frankly :)     

  

Imagine a "Shut Up" World

Watching the 67^th session of the UN General Assembly come to a close with their promise of assembling again the next year for their annual talk fest, I wondered how the world would sound without humans having the ability to talk.  

We have the power of speech which we use the most amongst our humanly faculties but many a times we use it for no use. ‘What?’ ‘No!’ ‘Don’t believe this.”… could be some of the predicted responses of many a humans on this earth to this accusation but a peaceful analysis of our own habit will prove the same.

Take a look around. We find ourselves talking, almost always. Be it at home or in office or elsewhere. Seldom have we witnessed ourselves keeping quiet, sometime not even in sleep! Humans want to be surrounded by fellow humans not because they are scared of feeling lonely but because they feel that they will not have any one around to talk to. Being alone per se is not such a big deal in today’s era of mobile phones; access to people’s voice anywhere anytime has solved this problem to a large extent. It is a different matter altogether that mobiles have also separated actual beings in real life setting with both being busy most of the times on their respective handsets talking to people invisible in the surroundings but being oblivious to the person in the vicinity. 

Many people talk just because they have to talk; unfortunately we all been subjected to the merciless symptoms of verbal diarrhoea! Others sentiments and frame of mind are of no relevance when they are on a roll; so what if others around are feeling like fainting or punching the talker! These talkers are almost always suffering from i-know-all syndrome! Then there are free advisers; so what if they themselves lead a messed-up life! The regard for a balance in any conversation is hardly maintained; almost in every conversation there is a talker and there is a listener; talks between young friends are altogether a different proposition where everybody is talking and nobody is listening! Even scarcer is somebody walking his talk!   

So ‘talking’ is our prime hobby, undoubtedly!

However, a sincere appraisal of God’s gift of gab to us humans leaves me wondering. That how have we managed to remain aloof in a conversationalist world; that if historically we have been talking then how come the world is still so ignorant of everybody and everything else. Why even after living in a universally-connected world through the internet we humans have failed to connect with fellow humans all across the globe. Why is it that in spite of talking always we have sustained the mentality of “Us vs Them”?

We all have continued to survive in our cocoons since ages. We have created boundaries all around us. There are countries and communities and regions and religions and all other reasons to divide the world and humans repeatedly. Though we share the same DNA sequence as human beings but we have remained separated by our self-created shared beliefs in our own superiority over all others. It is quite amazing!

I am sure in a moment of honest reflection John Lennon must have composed his memorable ‘Imagine a world’ song!

Imagine, we keep talking all the time – in place of living, in place of work and everywhere else. Still we find people as parents and children not understanding each other; companions – husband-wife/girlfriend-boyfriend  -still being apart after years of living together; whether it be siblings or colleagues or neighbours, everyone is a stranger to everyone else around. Incredible, isn’t it?

Then why do we indulge into so much of talking? Are we scared of being alone and lonely? Do we don’t know anything else to do and, thus, as a time-pass, we do nothing else but talk aimlessly and foolishly? Well, I haven’t really understood the necessity of talking all the time when we cannot understand each other through our words and also gestures.

If conversations could help, there wouldn’t be so many humanitarian problems plaguing the world. If only like crumbling talks, we could witness crumbling boundaries! In today’s times also we see numerous crises continuing unabatedly. Millions of refugees scattered all around because of inter-nations conflicts; religious fundamentalism thriving and slicing the world; ambitious nations bombing other nations in order to expand their territorial boundaries but in effect narrowing human hearts and minds. We witness the world flare up with scant so-called provocation in terms of a film or a book or an art piece or an innocuous comment, contradicting the age-old beliefs on a particular subject – the most inflammable being the one of a religion. If millennia of existence with the power of speech haven’t been able to make humans know each other, then would the world have missed human talks if we were born without a tongue?

Imagine a tongue-less world!

Dag Hammarskjold, the second Secretary General of the United Nations once commented famously in defence of his organization that “It is better to Jaw-Jaw than to War-War!” And “Jaw-Jaw” was at its liberal display – like always - at the recently concluded UN General Assembly! Imagine a UN without endless political speeches! If only these speeches were a bit less hollow.

Similarly, imagine an India without its own share of political gabfest in the Parliament! (Talking with ‘forked tongue’ is still a tolerable trait in our ‘honourable’ politicians but talking with fists and chairs and tables and microphones and all that is ‘handy’ is … Well, I am sure you must have understood my words on ‘mute’ here :)

Well, in the same breath, if we imagine a world without being able to communicate, the scene is pretty scary. I see ourselves being silent always as animals, busy fending for ourselves and being with each other just like animals, wandering aimlessly. No sounds, no words, nothing to hear, nothing to say; no songs, no poems, no stories, no lullabies; no love talks, no quarrels, no gossips, no time-pass talks; no cinemas, no plays, no dances, no theatres; no lectures, no speeches, no debates, no arguments; no television, no radio; no sound of life, no sound of death; not even the sound of silence … 

Therefore, let us Keep Talking! However, while talking, let us also apply ourselves in understanding ‘others’.  Then only our tongues will serve its purpose and the world will be a better habitat.

No, today is not the World Day for Talking. I just felt like having this heart-to-heart chat with my fellow humans all across the earth, and beyond, if my words and voice could reach to the life blossoming in the outer spheres of our Universe … :)   

Mommy says don't talk to your own family members!

Ever since we became civilized, Mommy has been saying: don’t talk to strangers. However, she hasn’t realized that the times have changed. At least in India, more than any other country on this earth. If you are still wondering, then, perhaps, you missed out on the second episode of “Satyamev Jayate”.

After having missed the first episode of this highly talked about and watched television show of Aamir Khan, I had committed to myself to watch it every Sunday morning which, of course, I couldn’t keep. Just remembering the topic and the episode disturbs me immensely. I am sure my feelings are mutual with millions of my fellow country folks.

In his first episode, after having provoked our thoughts on the rampant female foeticide in the 21^st century India, Aamir brought nation’s attention to one of the most prevalent evils in our society but hidden apparently in hearts and minds of millions of its victims – young children who eventually grow up into victimized adults. He showed the real picture of how we treat and take care of our children. He shared some horrific facts about the percentages of children being abused sexually in hands of their near-dear ones, not strangers, as we may like to believe.

The statistics are shocking. Almost 50% of our children get sexually abused – at homes mostly. Thus, every second child – on an average – i.e. every second person we meet could have been tortured by their secret tormentor for sex. And the ratio of boys to girls is bigger at 53%. The dispersion of such children is even across all strata of our society.

The crime is so shocking that listening to the narratives of its unfortunate children, now adults, gave me goose bumps and tears in my eyes. They all had similar tales to tell: that the predators were the usual psychic criminals – without any remorse or repentance; the difference lied in the fact that they were almost always someone very close to the child and thus absolutely trustworthy by the family.  And they acted with utmost confidence and meticulous planning. Those psychics chose their target after having analyzed the child’s closeness to each member of the family and that how much he/she would be believed if his acts were exposed by the brutalized child. They did not of course forget to threaten the child from getting killed in case he/she dared.

One of the most shockingly bizarre aspects that came to light was the reluctance on part of child’s family – mother in particular to believe her own child’s accounts of sexual abuses. Firstly, and understandably, almost in all the cases the child is scared to talk; even if he/she gets the courage, he/she hardly gets any support from his/her own family – and this uniquely bizarre behavior is mostly manifested by the mother as the child speaks to her first. And this ‘disbelief’ leads to the child’s sexual torture being continued for years – mostly till he/she is almost about to embark on adulthood, when he/she finally musters the courage to stop the perpetrator’s advances with force. But by that time the scars go too deep.    

If our society boasts of 50% people having suffered from child sex abuse, and with no guarantee that the “other half” would not indulge into this heinous crime when grown up, it paints a scary picture!    

What kind of a society are we building around us? One cannot trust even somebody in the family! It is worst than a jungle! Our animal instinct stinks!

Now I have begun to understand human psychology and behavior a bit better, and the reason behind the fact that majority of people around us are meek and weak, who are either hugely scared or immensely insecure. Very few individuals come across as confident, courageous and happy in life. And no wonder we see people behave in the most inexplicable manner! But the scariest part is that a scarred psychology could lead to twisted idea about life per se. Now I realize why Indians have that “typical” approach towards something as beautiful as union of two people’s mind-body-soul, which in public language is termed as “sex”. After all, such a cold definition about something as sacred can stem in a scarred & scared mind-body-soul only!

Watching Aamir’s show I was wondering if every person I meet is either a child sex abuse victim or a perpetrator himself (almost entirely males)! And I thanked my stars – God and parents – for giving me a secure life, a sex-abuse free life! I said “thank you” to God for being kind to me and let me have a normal and happy childhood, in which all elder males in the family were equivalent to “father/brother” and “proved” to be so! I am thankful to God for letting my faith remain intact that as a female the ultimate trust could be reposed in these ‘male’ relationships – “I can trust “him” like my own father/brother” expression must have stemmed from this core belief! Thanks, God, again :)

My mummy taught me not to trust strangers; today’s mothers should teach their child to be wary of own family males. That danger lurks within the four walls of home and not beyond the boundary walls in the neighborhood. And this is the saddest part of our existence … By chance, if it still happens, then as a mother, she would be there to listen to her child and protect him/her and fight for him/her.

Need of the time is an exemplary strict law to deal with this prevalent criminal situation in almost every home. And also real education on changing people’s mindset on the meaning and value of life and everything related to life, including “sex”. This education has to start at home – where it is needed the most; mothers have to adapt revolutionary approach in bringing up their male child. Then only India will be free from all societal evils and every Indian – including innocent and helpless children – will live with dignity and peace and happiness.  

Finally, thank you, Aamir, for bringing India’s focus on this utterly disgusting yet hidden societal truth; hopefully, people will learn – to protect and protest against perpetrators of such inhuman atrocities.

Satyamev Jayate :)

Special General V.K. Singh!

I agree: all people are equal but some are Special. General VK Singh is that Special someone!

I take a look around and I see the stark difference; he is a face in a large crowd.

I think: how many people I know who are as courageous, as honest, with so much integrity, and are committed completely to our country. And very few faces flash by. General VK Singh’s is amongst them.

I don’t know many people – Army Chief in particular - who have had the courage to take on the entire Establishment in order to fight for one’s self-pride and honour.  It must have been very hard to fight the system which is infamous for being the most twisted and corrupt in the world. Though we humans are supposed to be born vertebrates but there are few who have the guts to stand on their spine. Otherwise, our world is inhabited by crawling invertebrates all around.

I haven’t heard of any Army Chief who made his mission to cleanse the Army of dubious deals and characters. And in turn become an eyesore – a big thorn in the murky ways of the corrupt system – and get targeted with frivolous things like age row. His detractors tried to malign him with motivated claims that he wanted an extension as the Army Chief, which was as true as Lord Ram’s wife Sita lying about her ‘days’ in Lanka!

I don’t know of any Army Chief who was strong enough to take the entire corrupt system head-on and did not deter from even taking the all powerful Government to courts after having tried his best to make government acknowledge its mistake and restore his honour and self-pride. And when the honourable courts asked him to “flow with the wind”, he regretted having gone to it for justice and with disgust he dropped his claims. But he never showed any bitterness and acted with utmost dignity.

If I am asked that I know of any Army Chief who would have continued with his crusade of exposing the corrupt deals within the Army and not succumb to the so-called pressures of “acting as per the dignity of his office” and thus not get into the depths of decay within, I will say, NO!

I cannot recall reading about any Army Chief having the strength to withstand the malicious campaigns against him which were so vindictive that his reputation could have been into tatters. “Coup”, “bugging defence minister’s office”, “lying about Rs. 14 cr. bribe offer”, “leaking his own letter with details of deficiencies in the Army’s preparedness for war”, “bringing Army secrets into the public thus endangering the nation”,  “damaging the relationship between civilian government and the army”, “vengeance at the core about his orders against erring officers”, … the charges are endless.

And, I haven’t heard of any Army Chief who was so close to his fellow country folks’ hearts!

India loves General VK Singh! And we are so proud of him! Hope the transformational changes initiated by him in the Army are carried forward by his successor. (Honestly, the possibility of this coming true is remote.) Honestly, I wish he could continue as our Army Chief forever!

And I hope General Singh does not retire from public life post his retirement as the Army Chief on the 31^st of May this year. I am sure he will continue to lead India towards greater dignity and integrity and thus respect in the global arena! And transform our country: from Invertebrate India to Incredible India!

I salute you, General Singh! You will forever remain India’s Special VK Singh, General! :) 

………………

“Badi mushkil se hota hai chaman mein koi deedawar paida …” --- nothing seems to be more apt than these legendary lines from Tuloo-e-Islam by Allama Iqbal about General VK Singh!

 

Mr. Buyer, please return Mahatma Gandhi's blood

At the outset, I thank you, Arnab, for bringing to our notice the most absurd auction to have ever taken place on this earth. Otherwise, our great country wouldn’t have come to know that today Mahatma Gandhi’s blood soaked soil along with a few blades of grass gathered from the site of his assassination by someone with ‘real foresight’ was bought over by a buyer with ‘equal futuristic vision’. As I had mentioned in my sms, it is the most undignified and an utterly greedy attempt to commoditize a great soul and in the process desecrate a Mahatma’s body.

India, as usual, could not prevent this most insensitive display of commercial sense in London.

I know that all things belonging to Gandhiji are immensely valuable because of the legacy attached; and because he did not possess many material things, thus, whatever little items he had on and around him, keep getting propped up at various high value auctions around the globe and sold to the highest bidder. But auctioning Mahatma’s blood soaked soil is so macabre and mindless that I took a couple of seconds to comprehend the entire issue.

The irony of the situation is that the anonymous buyer could own a piece – literally – of Mahatma Gandhi for less than 12,000 pounds! If only his intact body was preserved and now available for auction, I wonder what price the world would be ready to pay for his various body parts. Or, instead of getting a Hindu funeral by his body being consigned to fire, if Gandhiji were buried post his murder, I am sure that some “fellow with real foresight” would have dug his body out, pulled his skeleton out of his decaying muscles and hung it in a biology laboratory, and auctioned every possible piece of his body to a few enthusiastic buyers at the highest offered price! The buyers in turn could preserve their bought possessions for a few more years and get maximum returns on their thoughtful investments through auctions.

No wonder, Mahatma Gandhi is so valuable to the humanity!

But why is Mahatma Gandhi not so valuable to India? Why has India failed to preserve things related to the Mahatma? That too in spite of having legislated a law in this regard only a few years back. India for sure has adequate resources to bring back these treasures and respectfully preserve them for the future generations to see them, feel them and get inspired by them. It is time India started valuing its own heritage. Because then only the world will value India.

Gandhiji is universal in his appeal and relevance as is proven by the fact that he and his principles have inspired all the great world leaders of the contemporary times. But the same intensity of reverence is lacking amongst his own country folks and that is really unfortunate. This aspect got firmly established and exposed to the world when it took a Richard Attenborough to dedicate his film to Mahatma Gandhi; interestingly the former was a British against whose country’s rule Gandhiji had led a peaceful movement and got India its much due Independence.

A few crazy people have the argument that if we could not preserve Gandhiji and his principles in our hearts and life, what is the point lamenting the loss of his belongings including his blood in auctions. Well, to those people’s twisted sense of argument my counterpoint is that his blood cannot be grouped under his memorabilia. Why only Gandhiji’s blood, any person’s blood for that matter, or any part of the body post death has to be consecrated with full dignity and respect. In Mahatma’s case, as opined by his great granddaughter, the blood soaked soil should be bought back by the Government of India from the buyer by paying him his price – 12,000 pounds – and immersed either in an ocean or in a river.

Till then Gandhiji would keep wondering from up above the sky so high and saying in his heart, “Thanks, Arnab!” J …