Are These Your Thoughts Too?

I have lots to write about (don't I always? :) But I'm just out of a very hormonal weekend (PMS, what else) that's left me all over the place emotionally and groping for my bearings. To add to my woes, I'm swamped with work. So I'll get back to writing once I find my bearings again and the deluge of work subsides. Oh, I have so much to say!

In the meantime, I'm leaving you to read this article I recently read on Rediff. While I AM currently admiring SRK for his balls to not bow down to the Shiv Sena, unlike his chaddi buddy K Jo, I do agree with the point the author of this article is trying to make.

You may skip the first paragraph. I didn't understand most of it :)

The polemics emanating from the IPL affront to Pakistani cricketers again brings to the fore the confused morass that is the Indian psyche; a jumble of misplaced morality and mawkish sentimentalism that revels in sadomasochistic self doubt and translates into a gibberish that has no functional value. The net result is a floundering nation unsure of how to confront the inimical forces that confront it.

In simple terms, a country that is unable to make strong decisions and stick by it.

Rajasthan Royals' co-owner Shilpa Shetty unusually forthright response to the brouhaha that followed the non-selection of the Pakistani players was a breath of fresh air. She bluntly remarked: "People have to be a little more sensitive, a bit more mature. Let's not be hypocrites and let's not turn a blind eye to the already volatile situation. …you must look at it pragmatically and see that we have had these people who are constantly threatening."

"It's not something we hold against the Pakistani players. We completely understand the situation but as franchise owners are we willing to take that risk? If something happens to the Pakistani players, the onus lies on us and who is going to take responsibility for a situation like that? When we said 'availability', we wanted complete assurance that those players would be available in the country and that we were going to be able to provide security for them."

At the outset the near unanimity of action of the IPL was praiseworthy. It was grounded in reality, made good business sense, accounted for security concerns and above all resonated with the national sentiment prevalent in the nation post 26/11.

Although the IPL refuted the charge of a premeditated conspiracy there was no denying the undercurrent of patriotic fervour. It was strong decision but subtle and hurt the enemy where it hurt most. And for once India revealed a depth to its character, an ability to stand up for itself, a new found confidence that clearly said: 'Don't toy with us'. But alas the satisfaction was short lived.

Soon notes of dissent surfaced with our honorable home minister and a Bollywood icon mouthing a namby-pamby view that was in line with India's perpetual guilt complex.

There was no need to be apologetic about the IPL stance. Yet there was Shah Rukh Khan decrying the decision not with a logical counterpoint but by singing paeans to Pakistan and invoking personal ties. He remorsefully exclaimed: "It (Pakistan) is a great neighbour to have. We are great neighbours, They are good neighbours. Let us love each other. Let me be honest. My family is from Pakistan, my father was born there and his family is from there."

Two glaring inconsistencies stand out in this remark. One, if Pakistan is really a great neighbour then I am Albert Einstein. Without mincing words let me say that Pakistan is a deadbeat nation that is nothing more than a drag on India's progress. The less we have to do with this nation the better.

The second objection concerns the merging of private and public domains. I have no issue with Shah Rukh Khan's personal empathy for Pakistan borne out of familial affiliations even if it cuts across hostile boundaries. But can a national icon cite family ties to influence the professional decisions of an India based organisation or to sway public opinion?

The home minister's response too was unnecessarily defensive with an uncalled for dose of self reproach. He dubbed the non-inclusion of Pakistani cricketers as a 'disservice to cricket and contended that 'these players were coming as individuals, it was not a Pakistan team.'

Another misperception that stems from a lack of pragmatic thinking. A perusal of the following excerpt (Saba Naqvi. It's Not Cricket. Outlook, January 25) reveals that these Pakistani players are not isolated individuals but members of a larger hate India club that is Pakistan.'

Consider this conversation that took place in a TV show titled 'A morning with Farah' on ATV, a Pakistan channel. Sohail Tanvir, who helped the Rajasthan Royals win and got the highest number of wickets in the first IPL is being interviewed by another journalist while the glamorous hostess, Farah, looks on. Consider Tanvir's remark: 'Hinduon ki zahaniyat hi aisi hai (the Hindu nature is like that only)' the implication being that the Hindus have deliberately deceived and humiliated Pakistanis. The journalist responds with a remark about Indians being baniyas and says: 'bagal me chhuri/ muuh me Ram Ram' (they are ready to plunge a knife behind your back though they will keep saying Ram Ram). The gentleman with this shocking view of Indians in general and Hindus in particular then goes on about how India is tricking Pakistan out of hosting the World Cup next year.'

This vitriolic outpouring is shocking but what makes it even more despicable is the prime time prominence given to such Hindu/Indophobic venom. In comparison, it is hard to find such rabid talk from even the far right of the India's political spectrum and certainly not on national television. It is this stark difference between the two nations that needs to sink into the fuzzy minds of our peaceniks.

We, in India are quick to vilify those who propose a hard line approach to Pakistan that includes severing cricket ties by branding them as radical and uncivilised. We cannot mix cricket with politics is the oft quoted mantra. But what is so sacred about this dichotomy? Is it a directive derived from logic or common sense or an abstract feel good notion with no utility value? And has continued cricketing ties mitigated Pakistan's terror shenanigans?

I would like to look at in another way. This is not about cricket and politics but cricket and humanity. I am passionate about cricket and love the game. But that is the point. Cricket is merely a game and must take second place to humane concepts.

Is it not barbaric that we choose to continue playing cricket with a people whose compatriots routinely massacre our innocent civilians? I find it uncouth when we walk over the dead bodies of the carnage of 26/11 and extend a 'loving' hand to Pakistan and Pakistanis? This suggests that we care little for the lives of our citizens and more for our image and entertainment.

This train of terror cannot go on. We must draw the line somewhere and it is here and now even if it means no cricket.

*********

While I don't belong to the "let's carpet bomb Pakistan" camp, I do believe that we need to adopt a hard-line policy with them. We've put up with more than enough. There should be no friendly talks, no discussions, no cultural or sporting exchanges with Pakistan until they stop pumping terrorists into our country. And we need to hit them in a way that hurts any country the most - in financial terms. Not including Pakistani players in the IPL would have done just that.

Your opinion/reaction to this article is invited :)

I am with Bombay

It’s 1 year since the carnage today, and the entire country is getting into a state about it though not in the way that we should be. We’re organizing & attending candle vigils, walks, memorial services, tributes etc. The media has been doing documentary dramas, special features & panel discussions. But strangely, no one seems to be asking the questions that matter the most and demanding answers to them, given that an entire year has passed since 26/11/2008.

What has our government done to bolster our security in the past 1 year? Can we rest assured that such attacks will not take place in India again in the future?

For all the America-bashing that we, and the world, loves to do, LOOK AT THEM. There hasn’t been a single attack on America since 9/11/2001. They too were caught unaware when planes rammed into the twin towers, but they immediately got their act together. I am by no means justifying Afghanistan or Iraq. Or the racial & ethnic profiling that may have happened as a by-product of enhanced security at airports & other strategic points. But the bottom line is that America sent out a clear message to the world that it can’t be messed with, and no one has dared to do so since then.

So what WE need is not to carpet bomb Pakistan. But we need not be “talking” to them either. The Pakistani government, as of now, is clearly incapable of preventing terrorist attacks on its own soil. How can it be expected to help prevent attacks on us? You can’t expect help from a government that washes off its hand from its citizens killing people in another country by saying they were “non-state actors”, in the first place!!

In such a situation, we need to secure our own borders. We need to seek out the terrorists who are already within our borders, operating from our soil, planning attacks on us. We need to find them and bring them to book, rather than waiting for America to chance upon a David Headley.

Why is Kasab still in jail? He’s obviously thriving there, demanding biryanis!! And I read this morning in the papers that it’s taken the government Rs 31 crores to keep him alive till now!! 31 fucking crores of the tax payer’s money. The same tax payers who lost their family & friends at the hands of Kasab & his gang members are paying for Kasab’s security. Well, about time we stoped funding his security, don’t you think? And his biryanis too!!

My thoughts & prayers are with Bombay, the people who call it home (and those who have made it home), the people who demonstrated bravery in the face of terror, and those who lost their lives to a handful of deranged, misguided men. Today, and always, I am with Bombay.

9/11

I didn't realize today is 9/11 till I saw the American flag flying at half-mast at the US Embassy behind my office. We too will be marking one year to 26/11 in a couple of months from now. In between there was London and Madrid.

It's been 8 years since terrorism overtook our lives, and looking at the way things are, I think we'll have to live with it for a long time to come.

Let's salute the spirit of the people of these cities - people whose lives have been shaken by the roots, yet they continue to brave it out. Their governments too have taken care of them since the attacks. Unfortunately, we (Indians) may not be able to claim the same. Our government thinks dumping Rs 350 crores out in the sea is a better use of citizens' money than strengthening the security infrastructure of our country.

So what can we do for ourselves? Pray, what else. If you do believe there's a God, that is.

A Noble Initiative & On To Other Things...

Finally, India Inc. has come together to the aid of terror martyrs' families. One knows that any kind of financial compensation cannot make up for the loss of a loved one, but the harsh reality is that we need money to survive.

Some of Mumbai’s young industrialists have set up a fund of Rs 2 Crores for the families of the security personnel who died in combat. The families of 14 policemen, NSG commando Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan & Marine Commando Gajendra Singh will get Rs 25,000 per month for the next 5 years. They are also evaluating the option of giving out Rs 10,000-15,000 per month for a longer duration, as opposed to Rs 25,000 per month for 5 years. This aid, in my opinion, is much better than the measly one-time compensation the government gives to the families of the deceased, as it is drawn out over a period of time, and the amount is substantial.

Most of these industrialists have refused to divulge their identities, which is so refreshing to hear. I was touched by what one of them had to say on the issue: “This is only a gesture to try and give something back to those who laid down their lives for this city, this country. This is a salute to our security agencies and reassure them that if, God forbid, anything happens to them while they are performing their duty, the people of this country will look after their families."

In a separate initiative, Mr Ratan Tata is setting up a new trust solely to help the victims of the terror attack under the flagship of the Indian Hotels Company, the company that owns the Taj. This financial aid will not be restricted to the families of staff & guests who got injured or lost their lives inside the Taj but will be available to anyone affected by the attacks, be it at CST, Leopold, Cama Hospital or Trident Hotel. Such is the character of Mr Ratan Tata. The man makes us respect him all over again - again & again.

Rebuilding the Taj is being estimated to cost him Rs 500 Crore but he’s not being stingy about helping the victims of the attack. Would like to see a similar initiative coming out of the Oberoi-Trident, if not for everyone who got injured/lost their lives during the attack but at least for their staff & guests who were victims. Also waiting to see if the Ambani brothers come up with any such initiative. In my mind, they definitely should. But I haven’t heard any noise from that quarter.

I’ve decided that this is going to be my last post on the attack. Unless I have something very significant to say. I need to bury this issue now, with all my respect to those who lost their lives – guests & staff of the two hotels, residents of Nariman House, people who lost their lives at CST, Cama Hospital & Leopold – and prayers for their families. Just because I’m putting this issue to rest does not mean I’m going to forget it. Not anytime soon. Probably not ever. Even though the terror attack did not affect me directly, it did strike a city very close to my heart. But the gloom has lingered for quite a while now, and I just realized it’s only 15 days to Christmas – the time of the year I wait for all year (apart from my birthday, ofcourse :)

So I need some HAPPY & CHEER. It’s time for Christmas, everyone!!!

Arms & The Media

The media has been criticized for telecasting live the operations at the Taj, Oberoi & Nariman House. Barkha Dutt has responded by writing an extensive piece defending the role of media & applauding them on the way they gallantly covered the attack, the threat to their lives notwithstanding.

In addition, Rajdeep Sardesai has been quoted as saying, “I wouldn’t buy the logic that television coverage compromised security and the rescue operations. Everybody wanted to know how the events were unfolding. It was extremely tense. And, the security forces were dealing with fidayeens. They (fidayeens) wouldn’t time their actions by watching television. That’s a ridiculous thing to even suggest.”

While I do give credit to the media for reporting from the site of the siege with death staring them in the face, I think they should have acted more responsibly given what was going on. I agree terrorists would not have been watching television while inside the hotels, but anyone with even half a brain would know that people from their organization would have been following the news & would most probably be relaying it to the terrorists. As has now been proved, the terrorists were each carrying a cell phone & were in constant touch with both their Lashkar commanders in Pakistan & in India. And I am pretty sure they were constantly being updated on NSG’s moves!!

Had the media exercised some restraint, maybe - just maybe - the operation might have gotten over sooner & a few more lives would have been spared. After all, knowledge of the positions & plans of the NSG with the terrorists would definitely have put the NSG at a disadvantage, maybe even have cost them a few lives.

Rajdeep Sardesai’s reasoning above is demented at best. And Barkha Dutt’s piece is clearly an attempt to save her butt. Sample this : “In the 72 hours that we stood on reporting duty, not once were we asked to move further away. We often delayed live telecasting of images that we thought were sensitive so as to not compromise the ongoing operation. Not once, were we asked by anyone in authority, to switch our cameras off, or withhold images. When we did so, it was entirely our own assessment that perhaps it was safest to do so. Across the world, and as happened in the US after 9/11, there are daily, centralized briefings by officials to avoid any inadvertent confusion that media coverage may throw up. Not so in Mumbai. There was no central point of contact or information for journalists who were often left to their own devices to hunt down news that they felt had to be conveyed to their country. No do's and don'ts were provided by officials. While we understand that this situation was new for everyone involved, and so the government could not have been expected to have a full plan for media coverage, surely the same latitude should be shown to us?”

She further goes on to say, “Should there be an emergency code of dos and donts for the coverage of such crises? We in the media would welcome a framework for sensitive events and are happy to contribute to its construction. But it is important to understand that in the absence of any instructions on site and in the absence of any such framework we broke NO rules.”

I think her entire argument of “we broke NO rules because there were none” is simply an attempt to prevent any legal action against the media from any quarter. Our system isn’t even equipped to handle terror (after all, our police went to counter the terrorists who were armed with AK-47s & grenades with lathis!!) How can the government be expected to have a list of do’s & don’t’s for the media, and expected to brief the media on what they should & shouldn’t do on an everyday basis, given what was going on inside the hotels & Nariman House??

Secondly, guidelines or no guidelines, there is something called ‘morality’, ‘ethics’, ‘conscience’. Self-censorship is something which the media MUST exercise in situations like this, and especially when national security is at stake.

Barkha Dutt’s argument about delaying live telecasting of images is feeble as well. Very few will argue that a terrorist who has details of the offensive the forces are planning against him, the direction they are coming from etc., though delayed, is much better equipped to battle the forces than one who has no information whatsoever on the strategy of the forces or the direction of their approach!!

Halfway through the live telecast, the journalists also started saying things like "without giving away too much detail, we will tell you that…". But did they have to give away any detail at all to the terrorists?? Updates on the situation would have been enough. There was no need for the entire country to watch live what was going on at the Taj. I mean, we were in no way involved with the operations. There was no reason we needed to watch it live!

Talking of updates, the ticker at the bottom of the screen was often misleading. One instant, it would say ‘Operation over at the Taj. The other instant it would read, “2 terrorists still inside the Taj’. Or ‘No more hostages left inside the Taj’, followed by ’15 hostages still trapped inside Taj’. How ridiculous!!

The journalists, in the face of criticism, are going around saying “We showed live coverage because people wanted to know! The country wanted to know! The country has a right to know! You cannot deny them right to information!” etc. etc. To my mind, this is all crap. We are only too familiar with how journalists abuse the rights they enjoy in a democratic country. They use their ‘PRESS’ pass to gain access to anything & everything, where as the truth is they will go to any extent, break any barrier, just so they can grab more eyeballs & jack up their TRP ratings.

There is something called self-censorship which the media completely lacks today. Their favorite pastime is to invoke the ‘Freedom of the Press’ clause, which they are doing in this situation as well. But nothing – absolutely nothing – is more important than national security. I sincerely hope the courts in India understand & appreciate this, and issue a writ designating the IB Ministry to formulate a Code of Conduct for the media that they must abide by at all times.

Some more random (or not so random) thoughts

Simi Garewal needs to be yanked out of her Breach Candy illusion & plunged into reality. How can the woman make such blatantly ignorant & inflammable statements on national television, such as there being Pakistani flags everywhere in slums across Bombay & the idea of carpet-bombing Pakistan, at a time when the country is already on tenterhooks?

The Pakistani flags she referred to are religious flags of Muslims, and carpet-bombing an entire nation certainly isn’t the optimal solution a democracy should seek. I hope, on hindsight, she understands the gravity & enormity of what she callously uttered on ‘We the People’ on NDTV.

*****

I think politicians not only in India but even in Pakistan have lost it after the Mumbai attacks. Everyone’s running around making nonsensical statements. Take the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, for example. First he says that even if the terror attack was carried out by Pakistan-based terror organizations, they are non-state actors so the Government can't do much about it.

How can one make a statement like that?

Even if they are non-state actors, it is Pakistan’s responsibility to get rid of them for the simple reason that they are thriving on Pakistani soil. Other countries certainly can’t go rushing into Pakistan bombing them, can they? The crackdown has to come from the Pakistani government.

Then he insists he got a call from the Foreign Minister of India threatening military action again Pakistan. Jesus! Hasn’t he been in politics long enough to know that any call from a Government Official/Minister of one country to another follows a protocol, which includes activating the foreign affairs ministry & embassies of both countries? The Minister of a country does not randomly pick up his cell phone & dial the number of a Minister of another country! Definitely not to make calls to threaten military action against the other country for whatever reason! And this joker not only believes the call was genuine, he even mobilized his country’s militia to respond if an attack happens!! Isn’t that worrying?

Really…who makes such jokers the Prime Minister??!!!

*****

SRK was on NDTV saying that the scariest aspect of the terror strike was that the terrorists came through the sea & could simply disembark & enter Mumbai. Come to think of it, that is actually scary. Who would’ve thought they could come by boats into Bombay! SRK too lives by the sea, and the terrorists could very well have disembarked at Bandstand instead of Badhwar Park and bombed the daylights out of ‘Mannat’. That would’ve been a big enough story too! He’s lucky they had other plans!

*****

I can’t believe there was a debate going on between political parties in Maharashtra on whether a Dalit or a Maratha should become the next CM of the state. These @^%&*$# politicians can’t think beyond caste & ethnicity even in times of a national crisis!! Why don't terrorists annihilate them I wonder. Maybe because they too know no one will give a rat's ass in India if politicians die.

*****

Raj Thackerey finally emerged from his hideout to thank the security personnel who rescued Mumbai. I don’t even want to waste words on that man. But I read a funny poster held by one of the silent protestors at the Gateway of India which said “Missing : Raj Thackerey. Find him and win 5 Vada Paos!!” It’s befitting to him.

*****

In all the rage that engulfs us, we also need to be calm & rational. I see a lot of dangerous sentiments flying around. People are criticizing an entire community for the act of a handful of fanatics, and that is just so dangerous for our country. Communal violence within India is what the terrorists want; we can’t give it to them. People need to be careful of what they say. Everyone’s calling it Islamic terrorism. That’s the same as calling the demolition of the Babri Masjid Hindu Terrorism. How true is that? How many Hindus sympathized with & supported the demolition of the Babri Masjid? That was the action of a handful of Hindu fanatics, just like terrorism is today.

I Want

• I want accountability. I want the Government to stand up and take responsibility for what happened, and stop playing the blame game.
• I want the Government to take concrete steps to prevent such attacks from happening again on Indian soil. I want to see tangible results – such as uprooting of all terrorist training camps from Pakistan & all terrorists wanted by India being brought to book – and I want timelines for these.
• I want the Z-Class security cover of politicians to be taken away immediately.
• I want the army to take over the country until the entire system is cleaned up. Like what happened in Punjab. Yes I know we’re a democracy but desperate times call for desperate measures.
• I want Raj, Uddhav & Bal Thackerey put behind bars for good on a non-bailable warrant for playing divisive politics among the people of India.
• I don’t want my countrymen to die cheaply, in bomb blasts or floods or terror attacks.
• I want the Indian Government to stop all peace talks with Pakistan with immediate effect, until the Pakistan Government cooperates fully with India on the fight against terrorism – with tangible results.
• I want more patrolling of our borders, land and sea.
• I want tighter security measures at airports, railway stations, malls & theaters, and I want Indians to stop cribbing about standing in queues, getting their bags checked & getting frisked. We will have to give up some liberties to be safe, and that’s a choice we have to make.
• I want apparatus like CCTV & metal detectors that actually work at these places.
• I want the defense forces, the NSG & the police to be better equipped & better paid. I want our money – the taxpayer’s money – to go into bolstering these organizations & not to provide Z-Class security to useless rubbish piece of s*** politicians. The defense forces deserve much more than they have, and India deserves much better.
• I want to hear no talk, absolutely none, of the “spirit of Mumbai”. The Spirit is dead, gone. It is now time for you loathsome politicians to swing into action, to payback the people of India for all the facilities they provide to you.
• Let us not think that a change in Government will bring about an end to this mayhem. It is just the bad luck of the Congress party that it happens to be at the Center right now. The other governments have equally tarnished records with communal riots etc. to their name, and things would have been no different had another party been in power. The only way things will be different is if there are concrete steps taken to end terrorism against India.
• Let us be united in this hour of tragedy. Let us not think about who is a Mumbaikar and who is not. Who is a North Indian, who is a South Indian & who is a Maratha. Who is Hindu or Muslim or Christian or Parsi. This is an attack on India and not on Mumbai. It is a coincidence that Mumbai happens to be the financial capital of India & a city visited by many foreign tourists. The same thing could very well have happened in Delhi or Bangalore or Kolkata. Let us understand that we have been done in as a nation, and let us stand together with Mumbai.
• I want us not to go back to our daily lives pretending as if nothing happened. I want us to remember those 3 days of terror for a long long time. I want us to grieve for the people, both victims and security personnel who lost their lives. I want us to remember that our politicians have let us down like never before. I want us to remember and even respect the grit & determination of the terrorists, who were so convinced of their mission & so completely focused on their goal, however heinous it was, that they held hundreds of security personnel at bay for 3 whole days. Let us respect that, because if we don’t we will not be able to sustain our rage against the Government that has failed us. We will stop pressing for accountability from the Government. We will stop asking questions. We will stop demanding better homeland security. This furore will subside just as fast as it rose, and we will go back to being the lax, vulnerable people that we are.

Letter To Prime Minister

I got this forwarded letter in my mailbox from a Mumbai resident whose name I have withheld as I don't know if such a person exists, and if they do, I don't want them to be inundated with unwanted letters/mails/calls. The letter certainly drives a couple of points home...

Dear Mr. Prime Minister

I am a typical mouse from Mumbai. In the local train compartment which has a capacity of 100 persons, I travel with 500 more mice. Mice at least squeak but we don't even do that.
Today I heard your speech. In which you said 'NO BODY WOULD BE SPARED'. I would like to remind you that fourteen years have passed since the serial bomb blasts in Mumbai took place. Dawood was the main conspirator. Till today he is not caught. All our bolywood actors, our builders, our Gutka king meets him but your Government can not catch him. Reason is simple; all your ministers are hand in glove with him. If any attempt is made to catch him everybody will be exposed. Your statement 'NOBODY WOULD BE SPARED' is nothing but a cruel joke on the unfortunate people of India.

Enough is enough. After seeing the terrorist attack carried out by about a dozen young boys I realize that if the same thing continues, the day is not away when terrorists will attack by air, destroy our nuclear reactor and there will be one more Hiroshima.

We the people are left with only one mantra. Womb to Bomb to Tomb. You promised Mumbaikars a Shanghai; what you have given us is Jalianwala Baug.

Today only your home minister resigned. What took you so long to kick out this joker? Only reason was that he was loyal to the Gandhi family. Loyalty to Gandhi family is more important than blood of innocent people, isn't it?

I have been born and bought up in Mumbai for the last fifty eight years. Believe me corruption in Maharashtra is worse than that in Bihar. Look at all the politicians..Sharad Pawar, Chagan Bhujbal, Narayan Rane, Bal Thackray , Gopinath Munde, Raj Thackray, Vilasrao Deshmukh are all rolling in money. Vilasrao Deshmukh is one of the worst Chief Ministers I have seen. His only business is to increase the FSI every other day, make money and send it to Delhi so Congress can fight the next election. Now the clown has found a new way and will increase FSI for fisherman so they can build concrete houses right on the sea shore. Next time terrorists can comfortably live in those houses, enjoy the beauty of the sea and then attack Mumbai at their will.

Recently I had to purchase house in Mumbai. I met about two dozen builders. Everybody wanted about 30% in black. A common person like me knows this and with all your intelligence agencies & CBI you and your finance minister are not aware of it. Where does all the black money go? To the underworld isn't it? Our politicians take help of these goondas to vacate people by force. I myself was a victim of it. If you have time please come to me, I will tell you everything.

If this had been a land of fools, idiots, then I would not have ever cared to write this letter. Just see the tragedy..on one hand we are reaching the moon, people are so intelligent. And on the other side you politicians have converted nectar into deadly poison. I am everything.. Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Schedule caste, OBC, Muslim OBC, Christian Schedule caste, Creamy Schedule caste. Only what I am not is INDIAN. You politicians have raped every part of mother India by your policy of divide and rule.

Take the example of former president Abdul Kalam. Such an intelligent person, such a fine human being. You politicians didn't even spare him. Your party, along with opposition, joined hands, because politicians feels they are supreme and there is no place for good people.

Dear Mr Prime Minister you are one of the most intelligent people, most learned person. Just wake up, be a real SARDAR. First and foremost expose all selfish politicians. Ask Swiss banks to give names of all Indian account holders. Give reins of the CBI to an independent agency. Let them find the wolves among us. There will be political upheaval but that will be better than the dance of death which we are witnessing every day. Just give us an ambience where we can work honestly and without fear. Let there be rule of law. Everything else will be taken care of.

Choice is yours Mr. Prime Minister. Do you want to be led by one person or do you want to lead a nation of 100 Crore people?

The Abyss

I can't f****** believe these f****** politicians we have!

R R Patil is at it again with another insensitive, almost barbaric remark : "Woh 5000 maarne aaye the, humne 200 mein nipta liya".

Another one, Mukhtar Naqvi, BJP Vice President saying, "Lipstick powder lagane wali mahilaayen terrorism ke baare mein kya janengi jo woh politicians ko gaali de rahi hain", about women who turned up at Marine Drive for the candle-light vigil & were protesting against the politicians.

Vilasrao Deshmukh is defending his decision to take RGV along on an official tour of the Taj by saying that RGV is no terrorist or militant, and lots of people went to see the site of tragedy, and so did he. But Mr Deshmukh, "lots of people" did not go inside the Taj on a guided tour. Why should RGV?? Who the hell is he?? Is he a concerned official? No! A security personnel? No! An intelligence official? Definitely not. The media?? Or was there some circus or belly-dancing show happening inside the Taj??

Why the f*** should we not curse the good-for-nothing politicians? What are they doing for us? Their Z-Class security, which I learnt today consists of 100 NSG Commandoes per politician (can you believe that??) is paid for by us, the tax payers of this country. It is your f****** job to ensure our security, and if you can't do that, why should we pay for yours?

To say that my blood is boiling is an understatement.

The only shame is to have none

Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, went on an official tour of the Taj along with Ram Gopal Varma & Ritesh Deshmukh. Deputy Chief Minister said on national television that “In a big city, small incidents like this keep happening. One should not call it a failure of intelligence.” Obviously he thinks his job description is limited to moral policing of dance bars in Mumbai. Shivraj Patil was quoted as saying, “Thankfully, the terrorists did not kill too many foreigners.” Obviously, the death of 160 Indians (apart from the 22 tourists) was not enough to make his blood curdle. His insensitivity was evident even after the Delhi blasts in September, when he needed to go home & change his outfit before he could mobilize the armed forces because he is used to changing his outfits 4 times a day!!! Thank God he’s gone! L K Advani couldn’t attend the all-party meet called by Manmohan Singh on Saturday because he was busy campaigning for the elections in Rajasthan & it wouldn’t have been possible for him to leave midway, national security be damned!!

Let’s face it…we are being governed by a bunch of selfish idiots who are concerned only about their vote banks. They do not care for the lives of Indians as long as they have power.

On the other hand, IB & RAW claim to have issued repeated advisories to the Navy, warning them of the Indian seas being infiltrated by terrorists, the latest coming on Nov 18th stating that “a ship full of dangerous cargo has left Karachi & may be headed towards Gujarat”. Check this out as per NDTV’s reports :

“In March 2008, intelligence agencies had warned the Maharashtra government that the Gateway of India and Oberoi Trident hotel were potential targets. Sources said that it was revealed by Fahim Ansari who was arrested in Lucknow.

Later in August, intelligence agencies warned the crime branch that the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) was training 500 to 600 terrorists for attacks through sea. Agencies said that the terrorists would be disguised as fishermen. They also mentioned that two West Asians recced Goa and Mumbai for two whole months.

On August 21, the Fishermen Union complained to police that illegal permissions were issued to 800 Gujarati trawlers. Majority of the crewmen were Bangladeshis. The Union feared that RDX was being trafficked through those trawlers.

Then in September, the Maharashtra state police was again warned of potential attacks on the Taj and Oberoi Trident hotels. Agencies also mentioned that terrorists were doing recces of the targets. Following that, a month later, intelligence agencies warned of a sea-borne attack and said an Indian, unmarked vessel might be used.

Finally, on November 18, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) again issued a warning to the Coast Guard, Navy and Maharashtra Police that the Taj and Oberoi were potential targets.Naval intercepts revealed "chatter" on the sea and RAW said that the attack was being planned by the Lashkar-e-Toiba's naval wing”

Why were these warnings repeatedly ignored by the Government of Maharashtra & by India’s usually efficient and well-regarded Navy? The attacks cannot be called “unfortunate” or an intelligence failure. There was sufficient intelligence about it, alright. These attacks were a direct result of the Government’s negligence, callousness & apathy towards the plight of citizens in the face of terror. This Government should be charged for large-scale manslaughter & those accountable should be penalized as per the Constitution of India. Nothing less should suffice.

PS: By the way, I want to know where Raj Thackrey is now? Probably cowering inside his house somewhere. Whatever happened to his zeal to protect the interests of his "marathi manoos"? I am sure he has no answers...because he can only wreak havoc when he's dealing with a powerless enemy, like the North Indians in Mumbai...because most of the men from NSG who stepped up bravely to rescue the hostages in "his" Mumbai were non-Marathis. Imagine if they had refused to do so. I shudder to think of what would have happened in Bombay.

Speechless & Numb

It just got over. Mumbai bled while the nation watched agape in horror.

There have been myriad emotions within me over the past three days….anxiousness for the lives of hundreds of people who were taken hostage, immense grief for the brave policemen, NSG & MARCOS who lost their lives saving that of people they did not even know, and rage at the government for not acting on the intelligence they had about the Indian seas being infiltrated & the terrorists arriving to India by boat.

There’s a lot I want to write but I’m so exhausted from following the events over the course of the past three days, and from the rise & ebb of emotions that I’ve gone through along with the rest of the people in Mumbai, that I’ll make do with this bit for now:

I salute the commitment, the bravery & the courage of the police officers who lost their lives saving the people of Mumbai - ATS Chief Mr Hemant Karkare, Additional CP Ashok Kamte, Senior Inspector Vijay Salaskar & the 11 other policemen whose names we will never know. I cannot even beging to say how proud I am of the people of my country & of being a citizen of India. I get goosebumps and tears in my eyes thinking about their courage & the sacrifice these brave people made for their country, without worrying for their own lives even once. I’m proud of my uncle, a very very close friend’s dad who went in to the Oberoi after the terrorist attack started, to answer the call of duty. I am sure he did not hesitate once before going in, and knowing him, I never had a doubt that he would be one of the last people to leave the premises, only after ensuring safe passage of the guests at the hotel. So while I was in touch with my friend constantly about his return, I never once asked her why he wasn’t coming out when hostages were being rescued in groups.

I am appalled at the complete lack of political leadership throughout this entire event. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra is uncannily never in Mumbai whenever such attacks take place. He always “rushes” to Mumbai after the attack has taken place & hundreds of people have been killed. Even when he’s back in town, there’s no sound or sight of him. The leadership at the Center has also let all of us Indians down. The truth is clear & simple, and it’s out there for all to see: the Government of India is not serious about cracking down on terrorism. Indian lives are just not that important for them. The most they can do is make lame speeches about how “this has been the worst attack on India in many years”. Thank you very much Mr Pranab Mukherjee, we knew that without you having to tell us. Or narcissictic speeches such as that made by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who cannot complete one sentence without saying “I did this…& I did that…” Or a completely insipid one made by the Prime Minister of India. Really, men, are you even aware of what is happening in our country?? I agree with Shobha De all the way when she called the politicians a bunch of incompetent nincompoops, asked them to stay out of Bombay & suggested that their security covers should be withdrawn completely. After all, it is the people of India who pay for their Z-Category security, and if our own security within our own country isn’t guaranteed – which, by the way, is the f****** JOB of the Government – what the hell are we paying for??

I do not want to hear any politician or the Government of Maharashtra/India talking about the “spirit of Mumbai”. That is a convenient phrase they have found to absolve themselves of all responsibility.

Look at the efficiency with which the United States has handled terror since 9/11. There hasn’t been a single terror attack on American soil since then. US Intelligence has foiled a number of plans to attack the US & other sites across the world. What does our government do? They wait for the terrorists to strike, then they condemn the blasts, praise the “spirit of the people”, make some rubbish noise about how they will not bow down to terror & teach the terrorists a lesson & how the blasts make us even stronger (bleh!!), make hollow promises about cracking down on terrorism & go back to screwing each other & the country. Really, I’ve had it with their nonsense & so has the country!!!

I do not want the leadership of the incompetent, imbecile politicians who cannot guarantee our safety within our own country. Rather, give me the leadership of brave men like Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte & Vijay Salaskar. That way, atleast I can go to bed knowing I am in safe hands, and that when I wake up tomorrow morning, the people I know and love and care for, will still be there.

Takes Time to Heal A Wound

It’s been 7 years but the scars remain. Today is September 11th.

We used to read about the world before World War II & after World War II. After September 11th, people talk about the world before 9/11 & post 9/11.

Sympathizing with what Americans suffered on that dark day does not mean sympathizing with America. We know the whole world loves to hate America. Every country has its own reasons – Indians hate America because it is perceived to be a Pakistan ally more than an India ally; the Middle East hates America for religious reasons, the Europeans have their own reason to hate the Americans.

Sympathizing with the loss of the Americans is sympathizing with humanity. Because the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center was not only an attack on America, it was also a crime against humanity, where innocent civilians, who might not even have shared the government’s opinion towards Islamic countries, were killed for no fault of their own.

Terrorism is always about Us vs. Them. Let me clarify that by ‘them’ I’m not referring to people of any religion or community. I’m referring to people who think it’s OK, even justified, to take innocent lives to make their voices heard. What they don’t understand is that if the world isn’t listening to them, maybe they don’t have anything substantial to say!

War, in my opinion, can be justified under certain circumstances but terrorism cannot be justified under any. And as Indians, we cannot distance ourselves from what happened to America by saying “It happened to them, how does it matter to us?”

Of course, it matters to us! It SHOULD matter to us. Our country itself is a soft target for terrorism. There are blasts in some city or the other almost every other month. They claim lives but as a nation & as a people, we have become apathetic towards them because we have no value for human life. We condemn the blasts, watch the coverage on news channels for a couple of hours, then go back to worrying about what percentage salary hike we would be getting next year, whether our salary will be 50,000 more or less per year compared to a particular colleague etc. Only when the terrorist attack happens in the city we live in, like it happened in Mumbai on July 11th, 2006 that we get scared.

9/11 was probably one of the darkest days for humanity, the other being August 6th, 1945 when bombs were dropped over Hiroshima & Nagasaki. No country deserves to be attacked so brutally & its citizens punished for views that their government might harbor.