Need Answers From The Democracy

Sad, very sad. I am a very very disappointed citizen of this nation. The world’s largest democracy is facing a great setback and that’s its democracy itself. Resignation of the Union Home Minister, reshuffling of the central and state cabinets, opposition parties criticizing the government and mud slinging for vote bank politics; that’s the most this nation and its so called people’s government can react to 3 days of unprecedented terror in its heart of its financial hub? Hopeless and utterly disgusting.

I and a billion other unsafe and terrified Indians ask questions and as a part of this democracy we deserve answers, immediately.
1. The central/state government now accepts that there was information about the terrorists taking a possible sea route to Mumbai. Why did it not act immediately? It’s now being said that they warned the hotels and important establishments of the city. What, are you joking!!! Is warning the establishments their job or controlling the infiltration? Protect, don’t warn.

2. If the home ministry had prior information about possibilities of a terror strike and they didn’t take stringent measures to neutralize it then is a mere resignation of the home minister the solution to it? Isn’t he a criminal of the democracy? He didn’t abide by the oath that he had taken when he had sworn in as the minister. He should be taken captive and grilled in the court of law as to why he wasn’t responsible? How can they go scot-free?

3. Where is our president? You can lobby for votes from MPs to hold the highest position of this democratic state and then at the toughest hour of the nation not one step. Why can’t she show cause the Government? Why can’t she at the least issue a public statement. Why can’t she motivate the countrymen to unite and fight terror?

4. Where is the saviour of Mumbai and Maharashtra Mr. Raj Thackrey? Not one public appearance after the terror strikes is Mumbai. I guess he is not much interested as these horrific incidents were not carried out by his beloved North Indian Bhaiyyas or anyone from his honey-eyed Bachhan family.

There will be more questions and do let me know where I can find answers. Unite India, before these baby faced terrorists (read politicians) slow poison this nation to wholesome insecurity and terrified citizen life. Make these politicians answerable and credible and lets do that with all possible mediums.

We need a cure

As the voice of a reported terrorist engaged in Nariman House Mumbai echoed on a news channel I suddenly recollected memories of the Lord Dalhousie coined term “Divide and Rule”. The Indian political fraternity has taken the leaf from the British imperialists and used it as a tool to maximize vote bank politics in the nation. And what has that resulted in? The answers are pretty clear after the incidents in Mumbai. India is at the mercy of incompetent politicians who have sadly used bureaucratic authorities to cripple the internal security system. That has given rise to these militant religious outfits causing mayhem at their own will. We cant blame others when we ourselves give rise to these situations.

We need to rise above caste, religion, race and all other discriminating factors that have disunited the countrymen. Why do we need to have the so called ‘Minorities’? Why would a declared secular nation need to officially classify a group of people as under-privileged? The seeds of discrimination should be uprooted from this nation if we need to survive. The world is facing a difficult time. We don’t need to make it more difficult, do we?

Save the Nation

What the hell!! Where are we staying? Indians should be proud of what? Baby feeding the guerrilla terrorists with money and arms, ammunition, is that what we should be proud of? Man! Every god damn month, there is a new group of these freaking ‘mujahideens’ running havoc at their own will in any part of this nation. Unity in diversity is what we all foolishly brag about. If there was unity in this country then these idiotic uncivilized creatures couldn’t have been so reckless and fearless in carrying out these barbaric incidents. This is a horrific time for the nation, and we must all realise that.

Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Surat, Jaipur, Agartala, Delhi and now again Mumbai; folks our nation isn’t secure and no politically inclined selfish politician shows the least bit of interest in improving the situation. Our highly equipped and well paid intelligence bureau never has any clue about an incident of such magnitude before it occurs. Even if they get hold of any miscreants, years of trial render them with minimal punishment or they are acquitted scot free. This needs serious attention, why should a prospectively developing economy like ours be unnecessarily threatened by such activities of anarchism. We need to boycott votes and paying taxes, all of us. Bring on the presidents' rule and get rid of these hooligans once and for all. We might risk a lot of the so called human rights due to such an operation, but living, surviving and ensuring security for our near and dear ones is a more important human right than anything else I must say.

Its time to act not react. No country has been so laid back in curbing terrorism like us. It’s a shame on our democracy. We have been fighting over issues like regional bias and disoriented industrialization. Why the uproar we see in such occasions can’t be directed towards eradicating the roots of terrorism from this country. If a political party pays Rs.100 to a person to attend its rally then why cant the Government issue sumptuous rewards to people who can nab or inform authorities about a terrorist in his/her locality. If money is the language that people of this nation understands then let’s do that. Somehow and in someway, we the people of this nation have to show resilience against these odious ideologies of destroying civilian peace in this country. The terrorist outfits should be scared that every single citizen in this country is out hunting for their heads. They should be scared that any civilian could be a possible informer to the IB. The ones who are not affected should be more responsible to take up the duty of protecting the remaining folks. If we turn a blind eye now, we can be next.

How about a Desi Bond...

Well, since the Bond mania is running wild with the latest release Quantum of Solace, I thought it would be a nice time to envisage our own Bond. Yes, a desi bond. Sadly, to reach the masses our Bond though will have to compromise on a lot of aspects that keeps a Bond movie in a league of its own. Lets try and compare some familiar Bond scenes with a possible desi version of the same.

Scene 1: Bond is remanded and deserted by the MI6 but his passion for pursuit against crime makes him revolt against the orders and take help of an old friend.

Desi Bond: For our Bond to meet his friend there has to be a life saving sequence where Bond would save the life of his old pal. And after getting rid of the bad guys he will have an emotional reunion with his friend. Instantly the story will go back and have a flashback as to how Bond had met this friend of his and how they lost touch. Might as well be a song much like a “yeh dosti”. Finally after meeting up with everyone in his family and briefly romancing his friend’s sister Bond approaches his friend for the help that he needs.

Original Bond: He would just walk in to his friend and ignore all others in his family. Meet the guy, tell him his position and ask for exactly what he needs from him. If he agrees then he plans the next move with him else leaves hastily. Wishing a goodbye is a luxury that he cant afford.

Scene 2: While on his mission Bond meets a girl and quite likes her.

Desi Bond: A dream sequence where our very own Bond is having a tricky time having to handle the long dupatta of the heroine. There’s a song and dance, nice designer clothes for Bond and a rather skimpily clad woman somewhere in the middle of Antarctica. Then Bond hunts for an occasion when he can express his feelings to the lady. She plays hard to get and teases him. Finally when they both evoked their passions and try to get cosy our director fades the lenses and the view goes frosted. Another song follows where the lady seems apparently overjoyed having shed her virginity to the popularly unreliable British agent.

Original Bond: Upon meeting the girl he has a smirk in the corner of his lips and goes about his business. He plays hard to get and flaunts his attitude until the girl gives in, more with the intention of taming a wild creature on the run than herself having fun.

Scene 3: Bond faces a deceit from one of his acquaintances’ and is in the lookout to nail him down.

Desi Bond: Our desi Bond leaves his mission goals aside and goes hunting for his old friend turned foe. While on with his chase, there’s a flashback that haunts him and he tries to figure out solemnly what went wrong in their friendship. And finally after eliminating his friend Bond goes into a depressed mood and prays to the almighty seeking forgiveness for slaying his old friend.

Original Bond: Goes about his mission and if he comes across the person who had betrayed him, he has just two things to do. Shoot and smile. So long.

That’s what I think of our desi bond. Please add on more scenes contemplating a possible comparison between the original firang bond and a desi bond. The only two names that I find suitable if a serious effort of making a bond movie here is taken up, would be Amir Khan and Arjun Rampal.

By no means am I trying to degrade our movies. They are thorough entertainers and the guys from Hollywood would never be able to make such masala flicks. So if Bond has to come here he has to certainly bond with the best.

Dada The Indian Hero

When Indian cricket was maligned by the shadow of the match-fixing scandal at the wake of the millennium, Sourav Ganguly was appointed the Captain of the Indian team. The team had nothing more to lose. They were defamed by all the controversy surrounding the team, the team was losing almost all their matches and the rankings soared down, every player was treated with an eye of suspicion. Ganguly taught the guys to stand up tall and face any challenge on the field and he knew that with victories all this would be left behind. He taught the team that though cricket was a gentleman’s game, one can be gentle only when the other person is. Here was a captain who not only led the side with conviction but built a new breed of fighters who were willing to win at any cost. Eventually he ended up winning 21 of his 49 tests as captain and drawing 13 of them, a record not matched by any, in Indian cricket’s history. Why still the best Left Hander India has ever produced has always been criticized and made to stand near the guillotine all along his career?
Let’s put them in points: - and being a follower of cricket I would give this day for this conversation. I invite one and all to debate and prove me wrong.
1. Sourav Ganguly has scored more than 18000 international runs, and is amongst the seven top batsmen in One Day internationals to have scored more than 10,000 runs with 38 career hundreds.
2. He is supposed to be a choker and the one who shows his back to the opposition. His 144 at the Gabba in 2003 was a knock which laid the foundation for India’s success (Drawn Test Series) in the Tour Down Under.
3. His pulling out of Nagpur test in 2004 was highly criticized and why so? Coz Mr. Niranjan Shah the then President of the Vidharba Cricket Association and a staunch critic of Sourav for some political interests in the board, had laid off a green pitch helping the visiting side to fulfil his selfish desire and not national interest. If protesting that for the sake of the country is wrong then, he was.
4. When he was ousted from the team due to undemocratic practices and not cricketing reasons, he showed his grit and determination to come back strong and hard. At the age of 33 he went back to the grass root levels of domestic cricket and came back into the team only with his performance in the domestic leagues. Once back, the talisman in him showed what mettle he is made up of. He scored freely and handsomely and had an average of 54 after coming back in 2005.

Let me know your views. Why criticize this legend of Indian cricket unnecessarily.