It's "Fast" Becoming A Trend

I wouldn't be surprised if a child suddenly tells his mother that if he doesn't get the next super-hero action figure he'll fast unto death. Somehow, everyone that has a problem and the resources and patience to take it to the media ends up fasting for the "cause". What I don't understand, among many things, is why the fast? All the time that one wastes sitting on a platform vowing not to drink or eat till one's conditions are agreed to, can be invested in strategy making, investigation, gathering proof, besides other things, like actually staying alive to fight the battle.
 Anna Hazare decides that he's going to fast for the Lokpal Bill. Do the majority of people supporting such causes in rallies, public protest marches etc, even know what they're rallying for? The spirit of rebellion is infectious yes. But it's also extremely useless if the rebellion is a one night stand.
  It's very credible, what Anna Hazare did and the number of people he reached out to. But just because one man decides he's had enough, it suddenly becomes a trend for potential protesters. Our very own Saffron-clad Baba Ramdev decides to go international with his "jump-aasan" being telecast across the globe [whether for the lack of better news or for sheer entertainment, I do not know].
  The point I'm trying to make here is, it is foolishness to point fingers at the Congress and the BJP and saying to one that it is corrupt. Merely saying "the government is corrupt" yields nothing. The government is not made up of only Congress men and women. Yes we have an atrociously inefficient, inconsiderate and complacent government, and yes this is the worst it has ever been for several existing generations, but if the last bunch of elected candidates wasn't enough to give us an idea, how will we learn from this bunch that these people are up there because the citizens are equally complacent?
  Why do we still think that the person standing behind us in line at the voting centre will make a responsible choice while we can afford to "play safe"? Why are we still so scared of responsibility? Why are terrorists who bombed our cities, killed our people, living smugly in a high security prison with first class facilities? Why is the government spending crores on keeping Kasab alive when that money could easily be utilized for renewable energy, food and shelter for the homeless, education for the poor, employment opportunities? Why do we outgrow scams that would make us hang our heads in shame? Why do we make India look so helpless, so weak?
   A hero died. A hero fasting for keeping the river Ganga clean, lay in the same hospital as Ramdev and yet, the saffron-swami got away with all the glory. 9days without food or water, and Ramdev suddenly became saviour. But pitch that against a 115 day-long fast for withdrawal of mining companies from the Ganges' banks, and it barely qualifies as a joke. Politically inclined or not, Ramdev has had media focus for so long now that it's getting nauseating.
  I genuinely hope that someday soon, sense will prevail and this "fast" trend will go slow. With rampant corruption in all leading political parties, and their off-shoots as well, I hardly think pointing fingers at ONE party is going to help the situation. 

Emer-gen-see

A country that was declared independent in 1947, is in quite a classic mess today. India, the world's example for a functioning democracy, is today a country whose policemen storm a peaceful public gathering and tear gas scores of people from the ramlila maidan. Irrespective of whether Ramdev's rally or gathering is or isn't politically linked/influenced, I find it crazily overboard to lathi charge women, children and innocent followers of Ramdev. The Baba himself leaped off stage trying to evade arrest but a government that first "seduces" Ramdev, then negotiates with him and stages a midnight arrest of sorts seems to me, like a very confused government.
 A government that cannot even successfully hide the levels of corruption within it is now leading the world's largest democracy. It's much more then just disheartening to watch reporters live from ramlila maidan accounting sights of women being beaten up and men being forcefully evacuated. Now Journos are probably not trained to be superhuman but really how much humanity should be compromised and for what, is a question only people with a functioning conscience can answer.
 For someone who has always thought the Congress' views were for the best of the country, I'm rather disappointed to have to admit that they seem to be doing quite the opposite for the last couple of years. A PM who apparently likes his image to be that of a leader whose strongest virtue is his silence . A President who I genuinely doubt is a capable one.
 Do we not understand the full responsibility of being a democracy or do we think it's a cake-walk? We chose these leaders. These guys who're up there, literally selling our country to parasites.
  From the Maharashtra State Government's sudden idea to extend the legal age for alcohol consumption to 25 from 21, to this whole fiasco with Baba Ramdev - the general idea that comes across from all of this is that our government has nothing better to do, nothing that can possibly be more important than these things. If you can get married, elect a government, drive a car, have children at the age of 18, it's a tad bit stupid to impose a ban on serving drink to those under 25. It's not like they can't just go and buy their own drinks. Flabbergasted people like myself probably went into a roller-coaster of a laugh when they read that bit of news. Our government can't fund sterilization of stray dogs to keep children safe, they can't ensure vaccines and education for their safety but they can definitely push the drinking age up by 4 years.
  In a country whose traditions illustrate respectful treatment of women, those very women were beaten with lathis yesterday. I don't see that as a measure that was necessary to implement in a gathering that was peaceful. However political the stint may have been, it is no reason to smack your women and kids around in public places with lathis and force.
  I don't quite understand why the BJP would compare this situation to the Emergency declared by the Late Mrs. Indira Gandhi in her days as the PM, but what I do understand, is that this IS an emergency of sorts. It's urgent that the citizens of India see through the façade that the Congress government has been putting up for ages now unless of course we want to continue to be taken for a really long ride.
 Out of sheer disgust for the way things are going in this country, I am of the opinion that this much said, is enough said. God help us [and I'm an atheist]! 

Osama's Insurance - Pakistan

News channels are still reporting the mysteries buried in Osama bin Laden's "mansion" while I sit and wonder, "How is it even remotely possible that people still believe Pakistan is an innocently aloof country?"

 A terrorist who dyes his beard, watches himself on TV, has rich and famous Arabs and Army personnel visiting him at his "home" for 5 years, was basically living in a town without anyone knowing! Even the most ignorant people know the faces of their neighbours! It's a little difficult to accept that someone that probably perfected genetic cloning before people knew about it, is dead.

  A man who was responsible for the deaths of an appalling number of innocent people, was living comfortably, not luxuriously, in Abbottabad, Pakistan without the Pakistan Army and/or the ISI having even a whiff of his presence within their boundaries.

 News readers are putting up questions that so many of us have probably thought of, even if just for a minute. I find it incredibly hard to believe that Osama bin Laden, is dead. And if their whole fiasco is to be believed, it's even weirder that for five years, Pakistan's Army, political heads, ISI folks, didn't feel it necessary to put across to the USA that the chap was living peacefully in a house that was probably 8 times larger than any of the houses around it. In a garrison town, it's but common sense to ask around and find out who is occupying a premises that stands out.

  Something I read today that was utterly disturbing was Pasha's comment/threat to India wherein he said that if India took any "action" or attacked, they were prepared to fight back. Apparently, rehearsals had been done, targets identified, and forces prepared. So for nearly a decade, when India has been saying that the toppers of the "Most Wanted" list are hiding out in Pakistan, the world should have just trusted us, considering we're basically joined to Pakistan at the shoulder, whether we like it or not. Undermining intel can be a huge mistake. The CIA and other US intelligence agencies maybe outstandingly efficient but the truth remains that when India firmly stated that Osama bin Laden was hiding and living in Pakistan, it wasn't just a hunch.

  Why the USA suddenly decided to raid the house and kill Osama is beyond me, but why there was an absolute urgency to blow the matter beyond recognition and then not even provide bin Laden's body for indentification is too fishy to just believe. I don't think the man deserved such respect that he had to buried at sea ever so immediately. The only people who have probably seen what really happened are the people in the secret Congress meetings. They're probably the only ones who are not being shown Photoshop-ed images of the assassinated Osama bin Laden.

  Honestly, I believe Osama wasn't even half the problem to begin with. He was important no doubt. But his "death" in no way ends the trauma that terrorism inflicts upon our daily lives.

  If ever, there were to be a revelation of a list which had the names of all the people that directly and in-directly, actively and passively, support terrorism, the world would be at its wits end. It would turn out to be a heart-breaking list of Army generals, politicians, bureaucrats, diplomats, foreign nationals, government employees, brainwashed college students.. the works!

 I believe the issue here is, how frequently and foolishly will Pakistan get off scot-free? Why does the world continue to believe that Pakistan really was as aloof as humanly imaginable about this scenario? A 4 year old could tell the truth apart here. Why are people allowed to directly, unabashedly, shamelessly allowed to make threats to India and her people? Why does India, in all of this, always maintain such an obviously blind stand? Why would our leaders portray us to be a weak willed, highly-tolerant-of-criminal-activities sort of country to the world?

   Every time something happens, we sit, watch, let it pass, and then print headlines that ask the victims and the cities to "move on". A false hope inducing headline yields nothing. Why do we continue to lie to ourselves? Why do we believe that even at this stage, things will change? There is a time and place for Gandhi-giri. This, is not one of those times. Why is it so hard for us to maintain and stick to a strict stand on such matters than affect not only national security but everything related therein? We're emotional people who jump at the first sign of violence and start hurling stones at buses, set fire to offices and vehicles. But we never take action that is actually productive. We need to understand that simply getting our point across is not going to solve anything. We need to want something more than just to be heard. We get affected easily but we don't let the cause affect us till we reach a breaking point at which we have to stand unshakable and see the solution through.

  We shouldn't be turning the page over and reaching for the Entertainment or Sports section of the paper. We should be aghast at the fact that this man actually publicly threatened to attack India.

  Terrorism isn't just about brainwashing people into believing violence will redeem them. It's practically a profession by now. And like any other profession, it's funded. Well enough to exist globally and continually. We need to stop chopping branches and leaves off. We need to uproot the plant.

   Cut off the supply of sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to a plant, and it'll shrivel up in no time and become weak. Cut off the funds that sponsor terrorism globally, and the whole institution is wobbly. What's a better time to uproot a plant than when it's got no strength to fight back against your efforts to end its harmful effects?