Congress on Telangana

The agitation for a United Andhra is based on perversion of history, bias and it smacks of imperial hegemony, fuelled by a few groups(read castes). No leader of the United Andhra movement could give a single concrete, valid and acceptable reason for keeping a united AP. The strongest reason they give is the ‘Sacrifice of Potti Sriramulu’. This reason is just not acceptable, as historically, there is no link between the sacrifice of Sriramulu and the formation of the state of Andhra Pradesh. The other reason cited is the ‘Telugu jaati’ or the telugu stock. This is a purely sentimental feeling and to which the people of Telangana are not ready to bow down to, and hence not valid.

Any bilateral agreement is based on the willingness of the two parties. If either party is not willing, the agreement can not be forced.

The Congress is yet again doing what it does best: How not to handle the situation correctly. The same inaction of congress had created many serious problems to the nation in the past. The government at the Centre is inviting the violent ULFA for talks and the same government is not responding to the non-violent, Gandhian struggle taken up by KCR for the aspirations for 4 crore people in Telangana. Is it because the ULFA is fighting for secession from the Indian union that it is being given such respect? Is this not sending a wrong signal to the once separate sovereign State of Hyderabad.

The same writeup printed in Deccan Chronicle on Dec 7th 2009.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/dc-comment/violence-will-not-help-telangana-movement-504

The editorial on Telangana gives a brief and informative picture of the condition of the region. The write-up accepts the discrimination against the region, yet, it does not support a separate state-hood, because of similar demands of other regions. It is to be kept in mind that the struggle for the state of Telangana is more than four decades old. Equating the demands for Rayalaseema and other regions with the Telangana demand is grossly unjust. The demand for Rayalaseema is, but a tactic to scuttle the Telangana movement; since they never asked for it before, and they raise the issue at this eleventh hour of the decision on Telangana. Also, such editorials and views on the lack of development being the cause for state-hood demands are not new. Even after all the promises of development by ministers, the situation does not change. Hence, separation is the only practical solution to this long struggle running into half a century.

The same writeup printed in The Hindu on Dec 10th 2009.
http://beta.thehindu.com/opinion/letters/article62793.ece


అమ్మా తెలంగాణమా, ఆకలి కేకల గానమా
ఆమ్మా నీకు వందానలమ్మో, కమ్మనీ ప్రేమా నీదమ్మో

Song of my mother Telangana, is but a pang of hunger
Mother salutations to you, for sweet is your love

Shame - Shame Part II

The show off of emotion and solidarity is of little use. Lighting candles, holding hands, speaking of togetherness are but just media grabbing acts. Somebody in the ‘candle-group’ said, “If we are together no body can harm us”. I say: What way were we disunited before 26/11 that we got hit? How were we disunited that we have had umpteen number of terror attacks? What way are we more united now? One celebrity was saying “We are Indians first and everything after that. Everyone should feel that way”. I say: Can every one say that, considering the controversy we recently had on Vandemataram? Some pushed the envelope by being too philosophical and all forgiving and suggested anger is not the answer and an eye for an eye makes the world blind. (somebody please stop this nonsense)

These very Mumbaikars (in fact all Indians) lighting candles and speaking before the camera today could not step out and cast their votes to change the govt. So, what right do these people have to show this ‘solidarity’? Their very strong words on camera veil their innate defeatism and acceptance to die in terror attacks. Else, the voter turnout would not have been so low.

The govt is showing off its new procurements of weapons and vehicles which the public did not care for, because they know all this would not help when the terror occurs again. It’s only during such anniversaries the authorities get all charged up with the spirit of advanced policing, planning, tactics, training etc. Rest of the year would be the same old life of filth and corruption.

The nation does not need more weapons. It needs more integrity. Integrity among the police, the coast guards, the customs authorities, the intelligence and of course the common man. In today's corrupt India, all one needs in a $100 bill to get through any checkpoint. Be it the constabulary, the customs or the fisherman by the coast, all one needs is a $100 bill to buy them. When this changes, half the battle is won. When the state security personnel do not take up that job just because they could not find anything better, the nation would be on it's way to win this battle. Advanced weapons and slick uniforms do not necessarily make a better force; this could all be just the instruments but not the soul of the public security force. If at all we need to create a new force, it should be like the MOSSAD. A brute force which can eliminate anything/anyone against the interest of India. An unforgiving force which can strike deep into the enemy’s hideouts and eliminate them. They should be bred on patriotism and the zeal of saving the nation’s interest uncaring of life and other distractions. It should not be difficult to find such brave hearts in a nation of a billion. Such a force becomes so much more necessary in today’s world where going to war in the presence of nuclear weapons is not an easy option.

We speak of the US and how after 9/11, the US could protect itself form anymore terror strikes. We tend to compare India with the US. The fact is, India is just not comparable to the US. Our nation is far too divided to make such a comparison. The US had made the USA PATRIOT Act after 9/11 (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001)
The Act gives a free hand to the intelligence forces to ensure that they get the information they need to foil terror attempts. It’s no surprise then that the leads on David Headly and Rana, the latest catches were from the US. Our guys then went to Chicago and are planning to ask for extradition.

In the case of India, after 26/11, the Govt had made tall claims of making tough laws and creating a new authority called NIA. The truth of NIA is that it was initially supposed to be (and that’s what was told to the public) the National Intelligence Agency. What is finally created is the watered down version of the same NIA by making it the National Investigation Agency. Intelligence is pro-active, meant to foil an attack. Investigation is reactive, you wait for the attack to take its toll, wait for the people to die and start the investigation when sufficient loss has happened. Such is the iron fist attitude of the govt in handling terrorism. Most of the ‘candle-group’ wouldn’t know what exactly the created NIA is.

What a sly use of acronym NIA, the govt has made!! Cool.

We speak highly of how our forces handled the situation and how the police prevailed and won. Won!!!….won what? Could there be any more insulting defeat of the forces. Ten people holding out for 60 odd hours and the state had to bring in marcos and the NSG to fight them. The terrorist could not have won anything more. They had to be killed anyway and even if our forces killed them after say a month (highly unlikely though)..the nation would still have gone ga-ga over the winning of our forces. Did we expect the ten terrorists to kill a lakh people before we accept that we lost?
The state lost the battle the moment these terrorists could sneak into Mumbai.

All the patils and deshmukhs are back to business with better postings now. Does the aam aadmi care? Not a bit. We don’t vote, and even if we do, we elect the incapable. What better can India expect?

Shame Shame Part I http://aditya-rsw.blogspot.com/2008/11/shame-shame-puppy-shame.html

Oh Saint Bob...save us.

The mental obsession or insanity with the idea of belief in Sai Baba is spreading like fire.
Ive seen the same in the North of India and now in the south too.
I am up too early in the morning now. Today, my rights have been violated again(this time by a this new set of ppl) by a group of ladies, aunties, devouts of saint bob(sai baba; the shirdi one). This group goes around the locality early in the morning with loud dholaks and chants of the saint. And they do not one but multiple rounds around all the homes to ensure that everyone is thoroughly disturbed from sleep. No body seems to sense the mental illness of these housewives, nay, these midwives of religious rot.

The thing about these followers (or most of the believers who show off) is that all their show of ‘bhakti’ is a result of never ending wants. Be it a four wheeler, or their wards marriage, or a promotion, or lowering the EMI, or a health problem, Saint Bob does it all, and in a jiffy. The spread of this mental condition is also for the reason of simpler and flexible demands of Sai baba (they say so) in lieu of granting them their wishes. One need not fast, one need not quit meat etc. which the other popular saint-heads and deities ask for. Just join the group, make some friends who are mentally as ill as you are and go all out singing the hymns. With some extra show-off, with little things like sai accessories, you double your chances of your prayers being answered. You want more, no problem; just throw a party to the sai-stung crowd in the name of a bhajan session. Professional bhajan doers provide home service on call with their retinue of band baaja and sai paraphernalia. Don’t bother about the food for the party. Order out the lunch from this ‘Sai caterers’ which specializes in the Sai-compatible cuisine. That’s it, you are the flavour of the season, all these intellectually dense aunties/housewives (some uncles too) talk about you and your Sai ‘devotion’. You, at once become good, pious, spiritual, god fearing being. They would try to emulate you, or even out do your party with bigger bashes of bhajan at their homes.

India today needs a Kemal Attaturk who can push religion back into the private spheres from the public square. Its just too much of freedom being misused and rights abused in the name of religion. Religion or faith, should take humans to higher intellectual levels. But it is being degraded to bigotry, a vanity fair, untrue self, and show offs.

India is badly in need of Secularization and not Secularism.

Abu Azmi Vs MNS: Pull no punches!!! Just Knockout!

Hooliganism taken into the assembly to its highest pedestal. This is what happens when the lumpen elements of the society get the reins of democracy. Democracy being brought down to physical level is not the first time in this country. But slaps, punches and shoves are the new lows different from just hurling of mikes in the previous bouts.

May be all the parties are responsible for this situation by not setting appropriate standards and decorum. When in Rome one should be like a Roman. When Abu Azmi and other north Indians made Mumbai their home, they should also have learnt Marathi and shown equal respect to the languages of Maharashtra. Abu Azmi can make his life in the maratha land and can become peoples representative in the Maharashtra assembly but he is not ready to speak Marathi. This can not be overlooked in the name of respect to national language. By insisting on not speaking in the local language, he has certainly behaved in a way that discriminated against marathi.
So, the provocation is from the settler.

India migrants need to learn a lesson from the Parsi Community which has enriched the Indian society by integrating themselves into it (you know like ‘Milk and Sugar’), yet maintaining their identity. If such an attitude is nurtured, there would be no friction between the local and the settler.

What is their problem? Why can’t they just be normal?

The pseudo intellectuals and so called secularists tend to bring in the point of Durga as an objection to the acceptance of the song by the muslims. This is not valid as the version of the song we are speaking of is the truncated one with out those lines on Durga.
The next objection would be to the very words ‘Vande Mataram’ which translates to ‘Salute to Mother’. Even this is not acceptable to our spiritual muslim brothers, and the entire nation is expected to give them concessions again on this.

This shows how ossified the psyche of the community has become to the text of their religion. This shows that they are more passionate about the nitty gritty of religion than about bettering their community by taking to modern education and lifestyle. This attitude of muslims is encouraged by the visionless politicians who attach the tags of ‘sensitive issue’ and ‘religious sentiment’ to it and baulk from taking a tough stand. To cap it there are these writers who for the sake of appearing all ‘secular’, ‘intellectual’, ‘minority caring’ write to get printed in the biased section of the print media. All their ‘intellect’ and ‘secular thought’ is but a big nonsense. They blithely ignore what harm their nonsense can do to the future of this country.

The fatwas issued by the congregation are more in the talibanization trend than progressive. The real fatwas are covered in the most acceptable fatwa of “Call against terrorism”. Can anyone object to this call against terrorism and what significance does that have? What effect have such diktats issued in earlier congregations made? It just doesn’t mean anything, but acts as a sweet coating to all other abominable stances they clergy takes. These include ‘No tv and cinema’, ‘No womens education/reservation’ etc..

Such thoughts are the breeding ground for more radical and fundamental interpretations of the book and which would finally lead to the demand for the implementation of the Sharia in their regions.

The idea of Pakistan had received immense support from these ‘devout’ muslims of UP. Sixty years later, do we see something brewing here again?

Sorry!!! Reserved.

That women are downtrodden and need emancipation from the evils of repressive dominance is well accepted. But what is the right path to this liberation? Would tokenisms like electing a female President or a female Speaker help the women of India ?

It would be a grave miscalculation to assume that the women’s bill would be the ultimate solution to all gender based issues. Am I being an MCP? Of course not. In fact, I am speaking for those ever overlooked women of India . Those women covered in veil, kept in dark, away from education, entangled in institutions, destined to poverty and malnutrition. Would the women’s bill ensure their betterment?

Would not the reservation of seats in Lok sabha make the politically connected, educated, prosperous ladies even more powerful? The case where Ms. Rabdi devi was the CM instead of Lalu, showed how proxy rule could kill the essence of power given to women.

The bill in reality will give the male section of the parliament a clean chit on women’s issues. The male section in a sense would in no way be responsible for the betterment or worsening of the position of women after the bill is passed. The bill would not only

a) lead to a proxy rule controlled by the males,

b) give more power to the already powerful women, but also

c) leave the male MPs off the hook

All this for just getting a few seats reserved; by getting the bill passed as an act of condescension and not as conceding. Not a good deal.

If the parliament is serious about doing good to women then it should, as the first step as Sharad Yadav says, liberate women from the clutches of muslim personal law, which is keeping the muslim women of this country in tribal conditions and in a conditioned psyche. The congress which does this charade of development of women is squarely responsible for keeping the muslim women in such a repressive condition by passing the ‘Muslim women protection bill’ after the Shah Bano case.

If the govt is interested in womens’ development, let it start addressing real issues like these and not indulge in tokenism politics.

The Hijab question

Is hijab/burqa the only way to assert ones identity? Is there no better way of showing ones pride of being a muslim than to just become conspicuous in the veil? In the process of making a political statement, the muslim women should not end up being backward looking. Their identity is certainly needed but not necessarily in burqa. Excelling in their chosen fields and making the nation proud is one good way of asserting their identity.
A muslim woman without burqa should not be made out to be any lesser muslim.

Where is my 'Right to peaceful Sleep'

It’s the holy month of Ramzan and also the equally holy 11 days of Ganesh puja. This is that time of the year when the devotion of my faithful brothers surpasses their personal sphere into the privacies of others. As my fellow Muslim citizens prepare for their early morning prayers, I am being woken up by their practices every morning at 4 o’clock. This is by a fakir who goes around all the muslim houses singing aloud, playing a ‘dhapli’ waking people up for their early prayers, with no mercy what so every for those who need to sleep. A few minutes later, another instruction comes in the form of sirens from the mosques. A little later, its now time for the prayer itself, in the form of the ‘azaan’ blaring from the loud speakers at around 5 AM. And when there are multiple mosques in the same area, then the morning ‘azaan’ lasts for more than the usual time since they cannot coordinate it. And when all of them do pray together, it is even louder and more alarming to wake one up. An hour past these prayers, my Hindu brethren start with their bhajans; again in loud speakers at around 6 AM.

Can I ask why I am being woken up early in the morning at 4 AM, just so that my fellow citizens can do their religious rituals? Is it too much to demand from this secular state to have a peaceful night of sleep after all the stress from the office and the traffic?

Should Indian secularism always be interpreted in favor of the over-religious? The insanity of religious pomp does not seem to let up with the zealots on both the sides hijacking the serenity of our cities. The voices of sanity are stifled in the name of communal sensitivity of the issue.

I am not against any religion or anyone following any ritual. I understand that they need the mercy of god more than I do but I have every right to peaceful sleep as a law abiding and tax paying citizen of this country. No one has the right to violate my right to life which implicitly gives me many other minor rights and it should also include the ‘Right to peaceful sleep’ that I am asking/demanding/begging for.

Some of my posts to newpapers