Anna Hazare, India Against Corruption, and the Political System: A New Beginning

Image: BBC

Finally, it has happened. The most eagerly awaited, the most dreaded and the most unexpected, have all happened in a flash. It was just when nothing remained but a glimmer of hope, when all was forgotten but a few annual rituals and public holidays, when the constitutional system, the reckless youth and the rotting middle class were all written off, when the status quo came to be taken as the perpetual reality, and when democracy verged on the anarchy, the history of non-violence and the culture of Satyagraha that were relegated to museums and history books, were brought back to life by a movement in all its prowess, in a show of strength of dimensions beyond imagination.

It was a long forgotten folklore that the Parliament existed for its people. It was as if the systems invented to serve the humans, developed their own 'Artificial Intelligence' and started enslaving their masters. And the masters were beaten to believe that they were the slaves, and that the machines were designed to rule over them. It was the stuff that Matrix and the Terminator are made of. The political class assumed supremacy, and the citizens became their subservient servants. While the ruling class enjoyed their lives, the people were kept in the dark, blind-folded. And the bureaucrats were able to get away with it all. The machines made the rules in their own favour - and broke them at their own will. And it became the way of life, and the way things worked in here. And, as is typical, the youth were reckless, the elite were careless, and the middle class, hopeless. When corruption began to rule, the people were left searching for a leader. As corruption spread far, deep and wide from within, the system was left with a hollow core - and the vacuum was felt all around. People knew Mahatma Gandhi was History - and accepted that the modern age was all about frustration and desperation. 

APJ Abdul Kalam was a ray of hope in a dark cloud with no silver lining. But he was in a system that showed no mercy to the exceptional. When Mumbai came under attack, it was as if the nerves had transmitted a weak signal in a monster in deep slumber. Some sparks here and there, and a few days later, it was business as usual. When Anna Hazare was in the news initially, the news channels found it an opportunity to flash something short of a sensation. And no pundit, back then, would have predicted him, an ageing, worthless man with nothing to lose, to become a brand to reckon with, and to weave a dream in every Indian's eyes. But what has transpired when a simple man put himself on the line and threatened to give his life - virtually his only possession - away, for a cause that he believed in, was unbelievable. The Parliament was forced to do its duty. The law makers were forced to draft the rules. The politicians were forced to go to work. Every bureaucrat was forced to turn back, sit up and take notice - with alarming concern, noting that this time, people were putting him under the scanner. For the first time in a long while, corruption started seeming to be a dirty word!

There are many signals that the unprecedented event in Free India has sent across to all quarters of the social and political scheme. And every actor in the play would be taking home their own lessons from the famed Ramlila Maidan, or Ramlila grounds, which the poor patriot, Anna Hazare, had made his home of late. And he did have more than his share of visitors to his new home. Hectic parleys, discussions and debates, heated altercations, arguments, accusations, they all had to give way when a protest turned into a movement like never before. 

Some may call it revolutionary, some may baulk at it as setting a dangerous precedent in arm-twisting the big brother into action, and some may hate Anna Hazare with all of their lives' assets and properties. This is the success of an impeccable person with his heart full of willpower and literally nothing to lose in life, and of branding a campaign and coordinating it to precision, aimed at making the system take notice and respond. However, there is virtually anything that Team Anna could make of what is nothing but its initial break through. The nation may be filled with Euphoria, celebrating what they may see as their victory over the oppressors. But what the team makes out of the very beginnings of a movement, is entirely up to the team that made this happen. With Anna mentioning of Electoral Reforms even as the Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, had just initiated the debate on Lokpal Bill, the bureaucrats may have a hard time going to sleep peacefully, for the first time in a long while. 

The reality, however, is that the problem has just got its share of attention. And the problem runs much deeper than what it may ever seem from the outside. The celebrations mark the beginning of a new phase in the Indian political history, but change is still at a distant horizon. It would be naive to think that what flew out of the Pandora's box would creep back grudgingly into it with the stroke of a legislation or with the coming of age of an apolitical system called the civil society. The common man, about whom this has all been about, is still out there in the fields and along the vast country side, reading about and discussing Anna Hazare, and counting his hard earned daily wages, as he gets ready to cast his vote to the political party that would pay him the most or would gift him the goodies. To him or her, New Delhi is a different world, and Anna Hazare could well end up to be someone who adamantly refused to eat for two weeks while sitting in the open grounds. Without the last citizen in the queue educated, informed and empowered to deal with their life on their own terms, the political machinery, with its artificial intelligence that it has now got used to, would take every opportunity to strike back - with vengeance.

Related Posts: 
Corruption in India, Lokpal Bill and Mahatma Gandhi 
Anna Hazare: Lokpal Bill and Beyond
Anna Hazare, Indians and the Political Class: A Reality Check

Mumbai Blasts

"We will get to the bottom of this
 This was a pre-meditated terrorist attack
 We will not tolerate this kind of violence
 This is a terrorist attack and cold-blooded murder
 Mumbaikars have always stood up to this kind of attack
 We strongly condemn the attacks
 I am proud of the people of Mumbai
 I appeal to the people of Mumbai to remain calm and united
 I have asked the Home Minister to provide all possible assistance to the State
 The perpetrators of this horrendous attack will be brought to book"

Anna Hazare - Lokpal Bill and Beyond



Image: Ummid.com



Is the Centre capitulating under pressure or is it trying out tactics that would see the pressure on Lokpal Bill rescind?

Hope was all but lost. Then came along Anna Hazare! For a nation that has shown the world, the way forward with Non-violence, Anna Hazare was just the face that the youth were searching for. In a country where rampant corruption has been spreading its tentacles far, wide and deep, where the toiling section at the bottom of the hierarchy, grumbling middle class and the indifferent elite would get together only when Mumbai is bombed, the Taj is held to ransom or when Team India lifts the World Cup, it is moving to find people uniting for a common cause, under a leader who dares the bad guys with virtually nothing to lose!

Whenever the Lokpal Bill has been discussed, it has been shoved under the carpet under one pretext or the other for decades together. So, when the Jan Lokpal Bill was crafted by the civil society that has been growing increasingly impatient with the status quo tainted with corruption in various facets of public life, it was path breaking in its own right. It's as good as tossing the question straight in legislature's face: If you could not enact a bill for four decades in the face of burgeoning corruption that has taken giant proportions over the years since Independence, why shouldn't we draft one for you without charging a penny for our services?

The ruling class and the bureaucrats can only be expected to get jittery with the voice that has started resonating across India. And the reverberating force of the newly unified voice has already taken its first casualty, with Sharad Pawar deciding to go into oblivion with regard to GoM on Lokpal bill, rather than face the music and have his stained image tarnished further. That is more than convincing an evidence that when people speak as one, the public servants have to listen.



Image: Deccan Chronicle



With the Nation having sensed its lost identity, the question is, how far should the United Front of Anna Hazare, staunchly supported by other prominent faces like Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal, Shanti Bhushan and Santosh Hegde, push this forward? The Government has been striking notes of conciliation, indicating the grave concern and the urgency underlying the thinking in the corridors of power. Is this a movement that has reached a critical mass, rocking the foundations and the core of the nerve centre of the politics of corruption? Is the Centre capitulating under pressure or is it trying out tactics that would see the pressure on Lokpal Bill rescind?

What this agitation would have reminded those who have been clinging to their chairs by their sheer lust for power than anything else, is that they are, ultimately, accountable for their actions. But there is more to this issue than what meets the naked eye. The breed that we have let grow all over the country is not something that can be corrected or eradicated with the stroke of a single bill or legislation. All said and done, they are the system, and they are the ones who would have to enact and enforce a draft of any kind that is legislated. What Anna Hazare has achieved with his agitation is something to reckon with, and the Government would not risk its stakes in such a tricky situation. However, let us be reminded that it takes strategy, than sheer force, to leverage the situation and engage the government in dialogue with the civil society. Anna Hazare and his team would have to use this opportunity to make the Government get into discussion mode with the people. Threat of action is more powerful than action itself. And tactical pressure has to be maintained over a period, constantly reminding the bureaucrats and the politicians that they have been elected by the people to serve the people. This is the time, not to go full throttle and all out for the jugular, but to check the pace and cruise along with measured control.

As has been rightly pointed out by Anna Hazare, he has to stay out of any position of responsibility and should remain a strategist, a consultant, and more importantly, a figurehead who would be perceived as a constant threat to those who are willing to cross the line. We have not reached the critical mass yet. But we do have sufficient force to start nudging the system in the right direction.

Related Posts:
Corruption in India, Lokpal Bill and Mahatma Gandhi
Anna Hazare, India against Corruption and the Political System: A New Beginning
Anna Hazare, Indians and the Political Class: A Reality Check

Corruption in India, Lok Pal Bill and Mahatma Gandhi

When currency notes are traded by our multi-faceted leaders, why should it be Mahatma Gandhi who goes on sale?

This topic needs no introduction. With the Cricket World Cup fever settling down after India won the World Cup 2011 in style, now is the time for some earnest stock-taking, not in sports but in other, more important, walks of life. The Lok Pal Bill has been living on the edge for decades now, bouncing from the walls of the Parliament back to the drawing board like a tennis ball - this is one place in India where tennis is preferred over cricket - as the cricket ball would wear down when made to bounce off the walls as many times as the Lok Pal bill has been made to. The Bill that was first introduced in 1969 has been walking back and forth along the corridors of power for over 40 years now, but has still not seen the light of the day. 

It should come as no surprise to those who are in the know, that politicians are still found debating the bill that could have serious implications for their own breed. Voices from the civil society, led from the front by Anna Hazare and other prominent faces like Santosh Hegde and Kiran Bedi, are out to make a difference to the way things are handled by those in power, calling for a strict (caustic?) version of the Bill rather than the watered-down version that is preferred, and currently being proposed by the Government of India. They also demand that members of the civil society be made part of the anti-corruption panel. Another issue is the proposed inclusion of people in the panel, who have had tarnished images. Anna Hazare has been vocal and direct in his attack on Sharad Pawar, the Union Minister of Agriculture, whom the Government has proposed to lead the Panel against corruption. The irony is stark, says Anna Hazare - how could we have the corrupt leading the panel against the corrupt?

Image Courtesy: Rediff.com

Anna Hazare has entered the second day of his fast unto death if the bill is not accepted in the form as drafted by 'India against Corruption', the movement by the Civil Society that has come up with terms of the draft that really matter. It remains to be seen as to what effect the 'Gandhian style' fast would have on politicians, in these days of high-flying corruption, where millions and billions in kick-backs are the order of the day. Talking of Mahatma Gandhi and the way the Indian currency is losing its value, both monetarily and morally, the issue should be sparking another debate off, if Mahatma Gandhi should still feature in the Indian Rupee note, which has increasingly become the "symbol of corruption". When currency notes are traded by our multi-faceted leaders, why should it be Mahatma Gandhi who goes on sale? Anna Hazare should perhaps be starting off with his demand to either eliminate corruption from the country, or replace Mahatma Gandhi with someone else's face on the Indian Rupee. And given the mood of agitation that he is in right now, he may even nominate Sharad Pawar as the 'Figurehead' for the role.

Related Posts:
Anna Hazare: Lokpal Bill and Beyond
Anna Hazare, India Against Corruption and the Political System: A New Beginning
Anna Hazare, Indians and the Political Class: A Reality Check

Burning the Koran, Pastor Terry Jones and Barack Obama: Time to Act Tough

Image Courtesy: Daily Mail, UK

Ever since Pastor Terry Jones first announced his outrageous intention to burn the Koran, in a bonfire coinciding with 9/11 anniversary, religious intolerance seems to be hitting a new low with every passing day. Tension has always been in the air, all around the world, where such incendiary action is only expected to lead to widespread demonstrations, protests and inevitable violence. And when he finally made good on his intentions and burnt the Koran after a mock trial, there were outbursts of anger and emotions in places that have anyway been sensitive spots with a fragile state of affairs, finally culminating in the slaughter of UN officials at Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan.

While such violent reactions were predicted as a direct result of burning of Quran, there can be no justification of either action. The difference between the despicable act of burning a sacred religious text and a savage reaction to the act in Afghanistan lies not in the scale of hatred involved, but only in accountability for the actions. Pastor Terry Jones is responsible for spreading hatred through incendiary remarks and deeds, while none can be held responsible for mob action of violence. What both the incidents do achieve, is to widen the gap and increase the divide between two communities. Each one could blame the other and hold the each other responsible for the violence that ensued, resulting in meaningless loss of lives and fuelling growing enmity, forming further grounds for fresh negative acts. But, where does the cycle end?

To quote an old adage, 'With great power comes great responsibility'; there can not be many doubts as to where the power in this equation lies. If the US considers it its duty to get involved in international affairs, as it did in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, and if it wants to enforce global peace, the responsibility for the current unrest lies squarely with the United States of America. It is never easy to run a democracy, and there would always be conflicting elements that stoke hatred among religions and communities that form the very basis of democracy. However, such provocative actions as the one done by Terry Jones need to be condemned and controlled with utmost urgency, to send a message that would be in line with the signals that the US wants to send across the world, to the international community. With its forces still at work in the Middle East, and with the region being more fragile than ever, given the scale of social uprising that the monarchs of the regions are having to deal with, there is more than ethical and moral responsibility that should make the US take decisive measures to stop the likes of Pastor Terry Jones and his Dove World Outreach Centre. There are practical reasons for the US to take the initiative and make such people pay for, and realise the gravity of their deeds. 

President Obama has tried to bring in the much desired 'Change' and is seeking re-election in 2012. One important facet of the 'Change' has to be the way the US is perceived around the world. If someone can do it, Obama can do it. If it has to be done, now is the time!

India Wins World Cup 2011 - "We Are The Champions!"

This is the first time, in almost 6 years of existence of Clearway, that I have felt compelled to write three consecutive posts on Cricket. So, at the outset, let me emphasise that this is not a Cricket Blog. But, the occasion is such that 2nd April 2011 is to be etched in Indian minds forever! India winning the World Cup was never a serious prospect, perhaps, till a few weeks back. And I, personally, did not pay focussed attention to World Cup 2011, even as the Flagship event of world cricket kicked off in February. And now, here is the Indian team, beaming across the world with the prestigious Trophy in its hand, pride and joy writ all over its face! 

People of my generation have grown up listening to stories of the Indian Cricket team winning its first ever prized treasure, way back in 1983. And given the swift pace of the modern world, 1983 would have semblances of the pre-historic era, especially to the cricket-loving current generation of the country. "Cricket-loving" is an under-statement. In a buzzing nation coloured with splashes of boisterous celebrations and emotional festivities, cricket has occupied unrivalled centre-stage, not just in the sporting arena, but in the entire gamut of entertainment and beyond. Cricket is an inevitable part of life for the hundreds of millions, who have grown up listening intensely to radio commentaries, watching matches in black-and white television sets, and playing the game in its numerous forms at schools, in the neighbourhood playgrounds, along roadsides and by the beaches and street corners. For those of us who have vague memories associated with India winning the 1983 World Cup, the ultimate possession that we could dream of, as a nation, is the symbol of unrivalled global superiority in the world of cricket, in an event that is celebrated once in four years. And last night was, by no means, just another night. It was History! A day that, going by the records, happens only once in 28 years! 

What MS Dhoni and his team have achieved, by that standard, is phenomenal! They have not just won a competition. It's not just about emerging victorious in a tournament. It is not a matter of achieving the first place in international rankings. The deal is not about India beating Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka on the trot. Team India have pierced the senses, made their way through innumerable Indian minds and have filled a void that has constantly existed in the subconscious. They have made the zealous followers of the sport, who have had cricket ingrained in their elements, realise themselves and their burning desire for something intangible and unexplainable - "Yes, this is what we have wanted all the while!" The fanatics of Indian cricket may well take a few days to realise the depths of what occurred at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on a Saturday that they have been waiting for in what seems an eternity. It's the feeling of parched land, riddled with self-doubts and inconsistencies, and only powered by a faint ray of hope for some divine mercy, suddenly being flooded with a torrent of celestial bliss by the Gods. And those who grace this religion that cuts across human divides, reign supreme as Demigods! 

Immense in his stature as portrayed by mortals like us, stands tall a man, clad in blue, his heart buoyant with child-like enthusiasm, his face bubbling with charm, his name radiating the charisma of his personality and worshipped by his followers as the supreme among the Demigods. Still, a mortal that he in reality is, he has been part of as many as six of the teams that have set out on a hunt to bring the famed cup back to the country, ever since it slipped out of the Nation in 1987. The 2nd of April, 2011 was, again, destined to be the day that his thirst for the one recognition has remained elusive for more than two decades of his dominance of Indian, and world cricket, was finally quenched. Today, the dream of Sachin Tendulkar, a sportsman with an astounding array of records, with a deep passion for the sport and a quest for the ultimate prize, stands fulfilled. It was a fitting tribute paid by the next generation in the squad to the Little Master, the young battalion who would have grown up motivated by, watching and learning from him on Television and in person, to carry him around the stadium on their shoulders and parading their pride and devotion to their Living legend.

What Dhoni, guided by Gary Kirsten, has infused in the team is immense confidence in their ability to perform as one unit. That new-born self-belief would make them question history - why should it be an event that happens only once in 28 years? Is that an unwritten rule, or have they been deprived of the World Cup for almost three decades by their own oblivious disorientation? Well, that is something that the Indian cricket team would work out in the coming days. For now, they have treated their followers and fans like never before. The next few days would be spent by the common man in hazed disbelief of the intensity of what has just hit him unannounced, before unabashed pride kicks in, and he declares to the world: "We are the Champions!"  

Sachin Tendulkar - Grumbling Detractors, Dropped Catches and the Crowning Glory

Sachin Tendulkar has always played like a King, growing from a gifted prodigy to a seasoned run-machine, deciding the pace of countless games with a master’s touch and adapting seamlessly to changing situations. 

Apart from the remarkable victory that India scored against arch rivals Pakistan at the World Cup Semi-finals, marked by jubilant celebrations all over the country (which has already been discussed threadbare and analysed to its elements at numerous news reports and blog posts), a significant aspect of the match was that Sachin Tendulkar, the Superman of Indian cricket, stopped short of marking his one-hundredth Century in cricket. And this is significant in more ways than one. For one, it was a burning desire by the legions of cricket fans in the country, that India outplay Pakistan in the all-important Semi-final match and cruise along to the Finals, to meet Sri Lanka at Mumbai on Saturday. More than the lure of the World Cup was the lust for victory against India’s neighbour with a long, shared history of international relations that blew hot and cold. Then, there is the nagging accusation, which people have hurled at the Master while drawing a rather sadistic pleasure, that Sachin fails invariably to perform in high-pressure games and crisis situations – it eludes logic if he is expected to cease being a mere mortal and start brandishing celestial powers, if he has not done so yet on his opponents, to be able to silence his relentless critics – and he doesn’t have many records left to break anyway! Further, there is this superstitious belief in the canons of India’s national religion that the team would somehow fail at the expense of Tendulkar’s ton – “whenever Sachin has scored a century, India has struggled or lost the game”!

Leaving the host of projections of the human mind indulging in an endless streak of analytical adventures aside, perhaps the most significant aspect about the way Sachin left the creases without disturbing the record books yesterday at Mohali, is in his not creating history punctuated with a dubious record. There has never been such a miracle in the History of the game that someone has been so ruthless and dealt so many opponents mercilessly, to score a hundred hundreds! And it is only once that Sachin Tendulkar would be crowned with such a glory in the arena of International Cricket, with a record that had not even been fancied by anyone before he steadily approached the daunting landmark, never slogging but crafting his path with strokes of elegance and grace. Given the grandeur of the occasion that the entire world would not have an option but to stop and applaud, why would he want to strain his own record books, by creating history with as many as four dropped catches and a couple of referrals (which were not lives anyway)? Tendulkar’s “lives” are already among the most talked about topics since yesterday, something that the Master Blaster has seldom been associated with. And his detractors would have already smelt blood, even as the Pakistani team was busy, inexplicably spilling rather straight forward catches at regular intervals.  The commentators would refuse to admit that they had misread the wicket even as the much-awaited (and media-hyped) game began, calling it a batsman’s paradise, as the ball kept crawling inches above the ground and stopping in its track, falling well short of the keeper's gloves on many an occasion, as if the leather had been drenched and soaked in a tank full of water. As batsmen of both the teams fell helplessly, without a clue, deceived by the wily nature of a deceptively lifeless track, the wise men with microphones would rather blame the travails on pressure and the situation, shovelling it all under the convenient label of “nerves”, sticking to their guns rather than acknowledging the appalling nature of the cricket pitch.

And it is not just in such difficult terrain as in the semi-final match alone that Sachin has topped the scorecard, and eventually making the difference between an Indian victory and defeat. Sachin has always played like a King, growing from a gifted prodigy to a seasoned run-machine, deciding the pace of countless games with a master’s touch and adapting seamlessly to changing situations. The crowning jewel in his collection of records deserves to be sublime, free from the strains of dropped catches and revoked decisions. For someone who has made India proud with his sparkling class, we could all wait for his moment of virtually insurmountable glory!

   

India-Pakistan World Cup Semi-finals: The Buzz on Twitter is only Growing Louder

Looks like it's Wednesday Fever this week, all over the media. There is expectation in the air - along with anxiety, excitement, and even a thirst for each other's blood! Well, that's what is being made of the India-Pakistan Semi-finals of Cricket World Cup 2011, at the "encounter" at Mohali. Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai of CNN-IBN tweets: "after watching most of our news channels, feel we want to make it out to be world war 3. jingoism 'sells'. sad.". And Rediff.com features a story that reads: "Nothing is more important than Ind-Pak"!

Yes, this is Big - no doubting that. Anything associated with cricket is Big in India, and anything that has to do

with Pakistan triggers an odd combination of hormones spontaneously in the general public. And this is World Cup Semi-finals, featuring arch rivals India and Pakistan! As another prominent journalist, Barkha Dutt, has tweeted: "India & Pakistan are dysfunctionally fixated with each other. As Bono would say, Cant live with or without you". Now, with the Pakistan Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani having been formally invited by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the India-Pakistan Semi-finals, there is pressure mounting on not just the players and people of India and Pakistan, but even those involved in organising the event and the security forces, who would be geared up for "World War 3"! 

Chill folks, this is a match. This is definitely THE match, but still, it is just a match. There was a commentator who said on Radio, "Lose the Finals, boys, but Win THIS one"! If you are not from India or Pakistan, you may not be able to actually feel it - but the mood is very much that of two nations all set for War! "India-Pakistan", "Mohali" and "Gilani" are three among the top ten trending topics in India on Twitter. Ever imagined "Gilani" being among top tweets in India? So, how would, or rather, why would people on either side of the border settle for the "this is just a match" theory? 

One has got to admit - this is NOT just another match, going by the popular sentiment that is fed liberally by the media fuel. There was a Tweet by a user: "News networks already going bonkers building up the India/Pakistan match. How can either team afford to lose?". That was, at the time of writing, a "Top Tweet", already Retweeted 12 times! It's getting HOT - and the "war" is still two days away! 

Rajdeep Sardesai tried to put things in perspective: "Pak manager intikhab alam bang on: says its a do or die match for both teams, but it aint war, and no one will be killed.". Well, hopefully so! In any case, Twitter is bound to be abuzz with live updates and do its bit to build it up beyond boiling point. It's not all in the game any more! 

New Feature - "Clearway Theme"

Starting today, a new Section is introduced - "Clearway Theme", at the Top-right portion of this Blog. It would feature a series of links associated with a chosen theme. It could be a series of blog posts from this blog, it could be a list of web-sites associated with the theme, or it could be any on-line link in line with the chosen theme. 

There are no rules as to how long the theme will stay at Clearway, or how long the list would be. Themes would be chosen arbitrarily and randomly. And the themes would keep changing. For more information, why not check out "Clearway Theme"? 

Terrorism and the Power of Positive Change

What if, let's say, terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Tayiba, had opted for a Positive route instead, to attain their objectives?

Terrorism needs no introduction to mankind, and more so to the current generation of the species that has seen some of the bloodiest exhibitions of the phenomenon all around the world. While records are available for numerous trails of destruction, paved in history and drenched in blood, the latest threat is reported to be a Fidayeen Attack, targeting the most popular event in the world of Cricket, the Finals of Cricket World Cup 2011. 

It's unfortunate that Sports has always been caught in the firing line, either in the political twisters or in terror threats. But, irrespective of whether the stage set for terrorist attacks is a Sports event, the Parliament House, Mumbai or the World Trade Centre, irrespective of whether these are successful attacks, failed attempts, small-scale damage or large-scale destruction, ultimately, they all reflect the frustration, hatred and pent-up negative emotions in the human mind. Failed aspirations or incidents of perceived injustices faced in an imperfect world result in the almost inevitable and immediately available outlet to the skewed human mind - the negative channel. And there are always people and groups who want to exploit the angry, the ignorant, the deprived and the misled. Ideologies are misinterpreted, youth are misguided, and the confused are plain brain-washed. The results are armed people trained in mindless cruelty and savage brutality, ready to throw away their priceless lives with the sole intention of bringing misery and destruction to members of their own species.  

Terrorism has been on for ages, but the only results of the negative force have always been negative. The fact is, that there can never be a positive result out of a negative force. If the objective is to bring about positive change, it can never be achieved using negative means. However, despite abundant evidence through the ages, there are organisations, like Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jamaat-e-Ahle-Sunnat, as reported in this particular terrorist threat to the World Cup Cricket Finals, that spill vital human energy into negative channels. What if, let's say, a terrorist organisation like Lashkar-e-Tayiba, had opted for a positive route instead, to attain whatever its objective is? Japan was mutilated in Hiroshima and Nagasaki with permanent marks and scars of massive destruction. What good would it have meant, if Japan had sought to rebuild its capacities and capabilities with the goal of striking back with vengeance? It did re-build, but what was at play was abundant positive energy. And this positive force made the difference that no negativity could have ever made to a nation that was virtually turned to rubble and ash. It is this resilience that springs out of positive force, which gives its people the courage and the determination to stand up to and overcome the current unprecedented contingency of Earthquake, Tsunami and the nasty nuclear leak that nature has imposed on it. 

That a Nation that has repeatedly borne the brunt of devastation has risen and will keep rebuilding its capabilities by the sheer force of positive energy, is sufficient evidence for an entire community of people, suffering from the pathetic disease of self-pity, deprivation and hatred, to renounce their path of self-destruction and channelise their mind powers into positive forces. If Jamaat-e-Ahle-Sunnat does comprise of scholars and people of religious knowledge, why would it want to be relegated to mere providing justifications for self-defeating violence, rather than lead and team up with other organisations with similar motives, and bring about the very positive change that it is elusively searching for, rather than through destructive means that are meant to be doomed by the very definition of Terrorism? 

It is the destiny of the human mind that the first, natural course that it takes when faced with resistance, is predominantly negative. The mind lacks the strength to resist and make its way through inevitable obstructions. But those who have a culture of channelising their energies positively and creating value from what was destroyed ruthlessly, like the Japanese, have reaped rewards time and again. Success becomes a winning habit and a positive culture thrives amidst the gravest adversity. Will the terrorist organisations learn from the likes of Japan to organise themselves positively? Positive change lies right behind them, but would they turn back and recognise change?      

Allies Pound Libya: War and Objective - Who's in Control?

In over 6 years of talking of current affairs and in discussing matters that matter in India and, occasionally, around the world, this is the 150th Blog Post at Clearway. From its first post in October 2005, Clearway has travelled a while, and there is a possibility that it might have evolved over the years as well! Over time, with 150 discussions and commentaries, this blog has increasingly embraced an international tone, while the focus remained on India. And that, I believe, would be the way Clearway would continue to express itself, appreciating the good, reprimanding the bad, and cruising along at its own leisurely pace. 

Incidentally, this blog post does have an international flavour to it, where the world is watching Libya unfold, with Muammar Gaddafi in spotlight. It is international, given the host of nations that have been firing cruise missiles into locations that are considered strategic in Libya. And it is international, because this "war", unlike the War on Iraq, has its official stamp of recognition from the United Nations with the UN Resolution 1973. However, being international has its own problems, especially given the broad scope of the UN Resolution in this case.

The allies are free to take all necessary measures to protect civilians in Libya from the grotesque forces and measures taken by the Libyan Leader, Muammar Gaddafi, to bomb and massacre his own people. The problem in this case, has to do with the objective. What do the measures encompass? What is the ultimate motive? Going to war with the idea of protecting civilians looks noble, but how is the motive to be achieved? Is Gaddafi himself a legitimate target? How would the allies know that the war has ended? Would it be brought to end with the overthrowing of Gaddafi, or does he have to be prosecuted or plain eliminated? Obama has stated that ground troops would not be deployed, and all attacks would be coordinated from the air and sea. So, how accurate are the targets that are being fired upon? There are reports that people out there in Libya themselves are not clear as to who the Loyalists are and who the Rebels are! How would the coalition know who is to be targeted? Reports show a clear division among Libyan people as pro-Gaddadfi supporters and the opponents. With a cohort of allies firing from the air and from sub-marines at targets that may not be clear-cut in the first place, is Libya heading towards a perennial Civil War, in yet another long drawn campaign by the West in Middle East Asia? How many civilian casualties are to be expected out of the attacks, and how many would be within "tolerable limits"? And who is to blame for collateral damage? 

The Wikileaks video "Collateral Murder" was a graphic portrayal of how civilians could fall prey, caught in the cross-fire and being wrongly identified as terrorists by impatient snipers on the prowl. Where does the accountability in an attack by a coalition lie? Who is in control, when the US says it would transfer authority to NATO after an initial phase of attacks? And how would the allies know that the mission has been accomplished, when there is confusion with regard to the very mission that has been under way rather swiftly, immediately after the UN Resolution was passed?

There may not be much room for illegitimacy in the allies' decision to act, given the gravity of the situation that has been depicted of in Libya. But the issue lies with the execution of a rather hazy objective that even people in responsible positions involved in the execution do not seem to be very clear about. Firing thousands of missiles from hundreds of miles away with no back-up on the ground to do reconnaissance activities and guide them on to the right targets doesn't sound like sound strategy from the outset. And given the state of the economy that the West find themselves in now, winding up in Iraq, re-building Afghanistan and starting afresh in Libya is bound to be a strain, even if the nations involved are among the most affluent in the world. The BBC report, titled "Each Missile Costs a Million" may not be happy reading for the Exchequer, when the missiles keep cruising without knowing whom they're going to kiss! 

The questions are definitely not exhaustive. And clearly, given the ambiguous scope of the exercise, the wider repercussions for the entire region, the uncertainty and the risks involved in the operations, and given the budget commitments for the Western economies that are still limping back from recession, there are enormous  costs involved, both in terms of finances and collateral damage. Still, action had to be taken - and it's war again!

Altar of Human Rights - Crisis in Libya

Human Rights is supposed to be fundamental to every member of the species. However, there has been a history of rights denied to different people at different points in time. This time, the breach is happening in Libya. The concept of Revolution takes the shape of the side that you watch it from - and you become a Freedom Fighter or a Terrorist depending on which side of the border that you find yourself in.

We do not have a George Bush now, and there is no Saddam Hussein. But that doesn't take away reality from its realms of existence, or hidden agendas from the pages of conspiracy theories. Leaving the covert agenda aside, the reality remains that Libya is in trouble, Gaddafi has long been in power, media has been barred from painting a clear picture, and news has a tendency to find its way, trickling through the gaps in the electronic era. 

While the Libyan Leader has been exhorting his people to sing and dance and rejoice, the sky has also been raining bullets elsewhere in the same country. The United States has announced sanctions and the world community is deliberating, as lives are being lost and the lucky ones are fleeing. The altar for human rights, right now, is in Libya. 

Food for Thought - Justice in a Rotten System

One only has to pay a casual visit to India's commercial capital, the City of Mumbai, to see what disparity lies in this land of great diversity. You find skyscrapers built over slums and you find footpath dwellers soaking in non-stop rains, overlooking tall and imposing structures housing corporate Head Quarters. It is a harsh irony that hits you hard - when millions starve below poverty line, there are thousands who showcase their flamboyance. That's life - and life is in display in all its colours in India.


While not much can be done by the political class that is handicapped by its desperation to survive and by the systemic flaws that grace the society, there is good news - the Supreme Court has, time and again, proven to be one sensitive and sensible institution that doesn't flinch from muscling its prowess and converting political inertia into action. But for the interference from the Supreme Court that pronounced its "Order" over media remarks of food grains rotting in the open, directing the Government to distribute the grains to the poor rather than letting them being fed to rats, the Union Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar, would probably have been busy encashing his IPL links.


It is perplexing even to normal intelligence as to why it is that the Government hasn't provided for adequate storage of foodgrains, in a nation that prides on its agricultural produce. Have we been too busy laying highways and building IT parks to process outsourced orders, to earmark some resources to store the foodgrains that farmers struggle to produce? Would it be a sustainable system to have a section of the society reeling in exuberance while millions of poor go to sleep with stomach full of hunger? Is it fair for a Minister in-charge to label a Supreme Court directive as "impractical", when he has failed in his responsibility to make sure the hard-earned produce is at least, stored properly for distribution?


How is the order to be implemented? There are those who emphasise the impracticality of the solution, those who accuse the Court of playing the populist tune to the gallery. If the courts are to implement policy issues too, if courts are to chalk out plans of action as well, what are Governments there for? It's a question of putting the horse before the cart - deciding what needs to be done leads the way to the "How" part of the equation. We may never have a perfect solution - but there would be at least some headway in the right direction!


Life was never fair - nor would it ever be. It is only hope that would take us forward in this struggle to mitigate the relentless disparity between the towering surplus and the abysmal deficit - hope, that such few institutions as the Apex Court, have enough teeth to have its say over rotting foodgrains, and push the rotten system into action.

Air India Plane Crash - Where is the System?

So, it has happened again. It is natural, it cannot be predicted, it can never be prevented, and it just happens. Accidents are just those things – accidents, nothing more, nothing less. And it is humanly impossible to stop accidents from happening, when people are doomed to die, tied to their fates and find themselves in the wrong places at the wrong time.


That’s why such accidents as the one involving Air India Express Flight IX-812, where all fingers seem to point out towards the Pilot who overshot the runway by about 2000 feet, is almost deemed to be at par with a natural disaster, with no one else to blame at all. Could it be that there can be no one to blame in such a fatal crash that consumed 159 lives? The Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Praful Patel, is prompt to point out that there have been innumerable flights landing and taking off from the same airport at Mangalore. Does that make it just another accident, a bad twist of fate?


In such a simplistic view of an accident as an isolated incident, the role of the system is forgotten – and conveniently ignored. A mistake is a symptom, an indication of something bigger that needs to be fixed in the system. In a country like India where contingencies, off-hand approaches and impromptu actions in accordance with lobbying and political wish lists take precedence over strict adherence to systems and standards, an accident stays in the news for a week, becomes less audible in the course of a month and then, is archived forever. Then, the system goes back into hibernation – till it gets jolted by another incident that grabs eyeballs and becomes breaking news.


There are some uncomfortable questions though, which the authorities would wash down the drain resorting to their usual political rhetoric.

- How many Indian Airports adhere rigorously to standards prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Authority?

- What are the contingency measures put in place, in case a pilot overshoots the runway, as has been in this case of Air India Accident?

- Talking specifically of the Mangalore Airport, television channels and News reports have been labeling it as a “Tricky Runway”. If it is indeed a tricky runway, why have flights been allowed to operate from something “tricky” in the first place? Civil Aviation is not a gimmick or an adventure game to play with, when hundreds of lives are at stake!

- How does it justify waiting for an accident to happen before analyzing why things went wrong? Why do we always wait for something to happen, rather than making sure standards are met with and that the system is fool proof?


Things can be left to fate, when the system is set to function. But, loopholes in the system are not to be tolerated. Well after 159 lives have been sacrificed, can the Government swear that every airport in the country is compliant with International Standards? Can the Prime Minister testify that the system is in place to meet contingencies? Will those airports that have “Tricky Runways” be closed for good, till they are branded as “Safe”? Can passengers know for sure that the system actually works so that where they land does not become their Final Destination?

Mayawati Interview - See it First on Clearway!

Following the news about Mayawati's Multi-Crore Garland, Clearway, as usual, sent its Reporter to have an Exclusive Interview with the Iron Lady of India, Ms Mayawati. Since any news about Mayawati's Garland means a lot of currency, Clearway wanted to be the first website to publish an Interview with the "Queen of Garlands", the simple woman who fights for India's freedom from corruption and ignorance. The excerpts from the interview are presented here.

Reporter: Hello Mayawati ji, first of all, we wish you a very Happy Birthday.

Maya: But today is not my Birthday. Why do you ask wrong questions?

RP: But they presented you a garland made of money in the stage. So, I thought it was your Birthday.

Maya: Arrey, they give me money garlands daily. That was just one more occasion.

RP: Oh, sorry about that. But Mayawati ji, I have heard that you love your garlands so much?

Maya: Yes, this is just a way to make our workers work and at the same time, make their work easy. Two garlands in one neck!

RP: How is that?

Maya: You see, I give them targets for number of currency notes. So, they should first collect the amount. Then, whatever is short, they will print. And then, they have to make garland with money. So, this is work for party workers.

RP: Oh, ok. But how do you make their work easy?

Maya: Normally, workers have to go to the market to buy garland with money. Now, with money garland, they don’t have to waste time buying garland, they can simply make garland with money!

RP: Oh, Alright. But, you said your workers also print the money, is that true?

Maya: Ah! When did I say that? It was printing mistake . . . er, spelling mistake . . . whatever, slip of the tongue. And how dare you print what I never said? I never said workers print money. Don’t print wrong news about me!

RP: I’m sorry, Mayawati ji. I won’t print again . . . I mean, I won’t say that again. How did you collect all that money?

Maya: Good question. But a silly one that! See, we have supporters all over India. And our symbol is elephant. We erect elephant statues in all places, and people drop their donations in the elephant's mouth. Mostly, our party followers are villagers and they donate generously. So, we get donations and make garlands.

RP: But, during election, you said you would give good life for your voters. Now you say your voters give you money. How is that?

Maya: This is just a gift. How can I not accept gifts from villagers who give with so much of love?

RP: But what did you give them in return?

Maya: They give me love. Love is priceless. How can I give them something in return? It would be insult to love.

RP: There are many cases of amassing wealth in your name.

Maya: See, you can give only if you have it. Just now you asked me, what I have given them in return for love. How can I give them if I do not have it? That is why I amass wealth, so that I can give them.

RP: Where is that money garland now?

Maya: That is safe in a safe. I will use it for public welfare.

RP: When will you use it for public welfare?

Maya: I will use the money for fighting the next elections. When I get elected again, I will use the money for public welfare.

RP: But, why don’t you use it now?

Maya: I told you I have already used it. I bought a new safe with the money to keep the next money garland. So, both the garlands will be safe. The first one will be the safe, and the second one will be safe.

RP: Okay, got it. Why do you like elephants and have it as your symbol?

Maya: See, elephants have large mouths. Big mouths are good for elephants and for people. With large mouths, elephants eat whatever is available very fast. And with large mouths, people can keep talking. Big mouths eat and talk. So, I like elephants.

RP: Are you the next prime ministerial candidate?

Maya: Yes, of course. The elephant has already started walking towards New Delhi. And this time, I have ordered a medium size garland for Sonia ji also.

RP: Are you not afraid to take such big money garlands in public?

Maya: I am never afraid to serve the society. And if someone objects, I will send them a garland.

RP: One last question. That was a very expensive garland, may be a few Crores of rupees. How will you explain to the Income Tax people?

Maya: Simple. I earned the money and purchased the garland. Whatever money I had, I invested in the garland, because it was a very expensive garland – you yourself said that now. After I spend so much money in buying the garland, I have no money now. And the garland is safe, because, as I said, the garland is the safe. I bought the garland with the money, and then, I bought the safe with the garland. Now, the safe is safe, but I have no money. Without money, why should I be afraid of income tax people? And I have the next garland ready for Sonia Ji. So, I invest only in garlands. And it is not my money at all. I accept donations, but I donate garlands. Do you understand?

RP: Well, I think I have understood one thing. I will definitely vote for elephants in the next elections.

Maya: Good, So, why don’t you donate a thousand rupee note for my next garland? You can also write your name in the note so that I will always remember you, and serve you when I become elected again.

The Reporter Disappears!

Update: Read the second "Mayawati Interview" on the WikiLeaks / Julian Assange Revelations here 

Terrorism, Zero-Tolerance and the Iron Hand

I was confused to begin with, then, as I grew up listening to it, I got used to it. Nowadays, I find it rather funny. What exactly is this “Dealing Terrorism with an Iron Hand” or “Having Zero-tolerance for Terrorism”?

I was confused because I did not know, when I was young, what terrorism exactly was, except that it was bad and we should not tolerate. I got used to it later, because I found these statements following every terror attack in the country – the next time terror strikes, I used to think, I would hear this statement from the President or the Prime Minister of India. Now, I find it plain funny. What I would feel about it in the future? Irritating? Disgusting? Or would I find it too commonplace that I stop giving terrorism a damn thing?

A present, however, it is funny because it carries no meaning in the first place – I normally laugh when someone says anything that doesn’t mean anything at all! Then, the people who say this do not actually mean it – they just read it out of a written script. I find it funny because the script-writers have run out of imagination and creativity that they repeat the same words after every terrorist strike. Then, I find it funny, as everyone seems to say the same thing – that they have zero tolerance for terror. The Prime Minister, the president, the Home Minister, the Quasi-Prime Minister, and every other politician in this holy country of non-violence, make it abundantly clear that they will never tolerate terrorism, but they keep tolerating it, just as the buffalo would tolerate the vultures that feed on its wounds. Well, not that I compare anyone with buffaloes here, anyway – that was just an analogy that came to my mind.

But then, to think of it, what should the Government actually do, if its policy really is zero-tolerance to terrorism? It should beef up security, make its border security fool proof, be ultra-smart in intelligence gathering and sharing, never acknowledge anyone who Indulges in terrorist acts, and refuse to negotiate with any organization or institution or country that abets terrorism, as part of its overt or covert agenda. And a country that has zero-tolerance for terrorism should be prepared to face the consequences of terrorism with a brave heart and a drawn out sword, willing to sacrifice for what it believes in, without flinching or stepping back from what it stands for.

Terrorism is war declared by the terrorists on a nation – and when it is war, there will be pain. A country that has no backbone to bear the pains will never be able to deal with terrorism with an iron hand. And a country that has zero-tolerance for terrorism would not have let terrorists walk out of a hijacked airplane that was landed at Kandahar! If terrorists hijacked the plane, an uncompromising nation would have ordered blowing up of the plane along with all the innocent lives, whose fates were badly intertwined with that of the doomed terrorists. If terrorists want to negotiate holding a bunch of ill-fated passengers for ransom, the Government should refuse to acknowledge the terrorists – and challenge them to blow the plane into pieces themselves, or offer to do it for them!

Now, that would be dealing with terrorism with an iron hand; that would be zero-tolerance for terrorism. And if the Government had done that, there would not have been a 26/11 master-mind, who merely shifted the battleground – and its cannon fodder – from one place to the other, from Indian Airlines flight IC 814 to the Taj at Mumbai.

Terrorism cannot be fought against with zero casualties. When we have a dangerous neighbour, there is something better than living in fear – and that is to be ready to die with courage. Somehow, there has not been a single Government at power in the Centre in all these years of Indian Independence, which has shown the courage and the conviction to deal with terrorism with an iron hand, to have zero-tolerance for terrorism. And even as I write this piece, I find that it is not funny anymore – it is only pathetic. It is a pity that of all the people in power, over all these years, of the thousands of people who have only grown fat in politics, there has not been a single man who had the balls to deal with terrorism with an iron hand!

So, my dear terrorist, you may feel free to bomb the living daylights out of our country. Our politicians have all the tolerance you may expect from them for your terrorist deeds – and they would only deal with you with a feather touch, never with an iron hand.

Carlton Tower Tragedy - We Need No Terrorists!

The Carlton Towers tragedy demonstrates the level of preparedness that our emergency response services are in. If fire services are ill-equipped in a city like Bangalore, that states enough of the state of affairs! - Facebook

To

The Home Minister

We hear politicians talking of deterrents against terrorism. Mr P Chidambaram, Honorable Home Minister, you say India is only as vulnerable as any other nation in the world! Sounds good to hear, Sir, but to think that our emergency services are planning to bring in state of the art equipment only after a group of people jumped to their deaths from atop a multi-storied building in the IT City of Bangalore doesn't talk of vulnerability in the system. This is a gaping hole that is broadly termed complacence, where we are not yet ready to meet a contingency that may arise in the heart of the city.

There is a problem with the basics, at a very fundamental level where things are taken for granted. So, you may not yet pat your own back for having averted terror strikes, citing the number of bombs that did no go off. The fact is that there are no bombs needed to kill people en masse' in India. All it takes is a short circuit in a high rise building, and our emergency crew would turn into mute spectators with no proper equipment at their disposal to watch people drop dead, live and exclusive!

We need an overhaul, a shake up of the system and we need our politicians and bureaucrats to wake up from their slumberous delusions. Mr Chidambaram, could you please make that happen?

A Different Format - One More Step

I am guilty as charged - I have not been regular at my blogs. But then, what do I state of a country that is buried deep in a mess of its own creation? And what's the point in lamenting on and on, if we have nothing to do about it? Is blogging going to change the world?

Nevertheless, since these are questions that should have been asked before I decided to blog, let me not ask them now, a good few years since I posted my views at Clearway.

Clearway was not meant to be stopped - so, it shall go on. But there would be changes. Since everyone talks of social media these days, Clearway would heed to the trend that rocks the cyberspace hard! Clearway would, from now on, feature what I have to say about what I see around me, in two other places on the World Wide Web - Twitter and Facebook.

In effects, there may be posts as per the regular standards that Clearway has featured till date, but the majority of the posts in here would be extracts from my Twitter account and from my Facebook page. Why so? Well, it basically is much easier to be on Twitter and Facebook - and I feel there is much more to be done to the state of affairs than just posting on blogs and boasting of verbal skills (is there anything more to blogs than words?)

Well, as someone said, "Words are worthless - because, actions speak, anyway!". But if words can bring about some action in the long run, may be, words are not all that worthless after all!

Welcome to the first post of the New Year on Clearway - and there will be more!

Vande Mataram, Fatwa and the Power of Positivism

There is a power in positivism. Life is progress, life is growth. The human mind loves anything positive. It has more to do with the sense of the self, the ego. Since ego is born along with the person, whatever the person looks at is being filtered through the ego. The dominance that Ego exerts over the human mind is what puts the self over everything else. And that is why a baby would want to grow, be the first and crave for attention and importance.

This natural urge to be positive about life gets subdued by external influences so much, that the mind gets entrapped into its negative groove. With time, negativity tends to suppress the natural affinity towards positivism. It would then take deliberate, conscious effort to undo the damage done by the mind and impose positive thinking over mind's influence. This "Unlearning" to return to positive thinking takes time and maturity.

There is an anecdote about Mother Teresa that she was once approached by activists to auspice the occasion of a protest march that was planned against War and Destruction. And Mother Teresa declined the invitation. When questioned, her response was this: "March FOR Peace, not AGAINST war. When you do that, I would happily preside over."

The Fatwa issued by Darul Uloom against the singing of Vande Mataram, claiming that the National Song of India is "Unislamic" has raised quite a few eyebrows, including some from the Islamic community. There is this English Daily from Pakistan, for instance, the Daily Mail, that questions the motives behind the Fatwa, the decree, that has been ratified and upheld by Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, after all these decades of silence. Predictably, the resolution has raised reactions of the extreme sorts from expected sectors in India.

Getting back to the issue that we were talking about, Positivism, the strength of being positive is that it begets positivism. When the mind is positive, thoughts are positive. Positive thoughts lead to positive actions. Consistent positive action leads to positive habits, which, over time, results in positive behaviour and a positive personality. What starts positive and stays positive has the strength to spread positivity all over. Does the power of a simple smile need explanations?

Why, then, does the Muslim body, be it the Darul Uloom or the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, have to resort to negative actions? Why should any Fatwa be negative at all? Islam, with its deep culture and long history, could not have survived if it were not positive in its outlook. Why do Islamic bodies have to be negative then in their decrees? If the blame is passed over to the BJP or the RSS or any other body that embraces Hindutva, for having created the situation in the first place, where Muslims were "forced" to recite the National Song, still, do Islamic organisations and institutions have to "react" rather than "respond"? If this is really a "response", it had all the reasons in the world to be Positive.

Being Negative is not going to serve any purpose other than create negativity in people's minds, be they Muslims or Hindus or of any religion. This is a land that has proven evidence of Non-Violence and Peaceful means being the most powerful weapons against the mightiest of forces. No religion resorts to negativism - all that religions do is to help people evolve, physically, mentally, spiritually. All religions are Positive. Why should Fatwas be Negative then?

Public bodies that take up causes of the common man and stand for social causes need to exemplify the spirit of positivism in whatever they do. It is the responsibility of intellectual bodies and groups to stay positive and spread the bliss of positivism. For a change, let the influential religious bodies of Islam issue positive Fatwas and see their influences by themselves. After all, India has been blessed with one more legend, Mother Teresa, as testimony for the effectiveness of Positive Energy. Nothing needs to be discovered afresh - all we need to do is to take the right lessons and follow the proven path.

It Was Midnight Alright - But Was it Freedom?

When The Taj was taken control of, besieged by militants who fought round the clock slaughtering civilians, when there was bloody carnage at CST where passengers commuting and waiting for trains were shot down like flies and trampled upon like worms, left to soak in their own blood on the platforms, as those armed men fired at random and at will at anyone who was destined to stray in their paths, all we could do, the majority of Indians who were shell shocked as we stayed glued to our television sets, was to watch. Then, our shock gave way to grief and anger – anger that was directed towards our elected representatives who had left us all crying and dying, as they stay protected in the safety of tight security.

There was outrage, there were public outcries that questioned leaders in their faces, celebrities hit out at the administration and the government and people gathered at city centres, at the marine drive, at clubs and associations to discuss and debate what had just hit them out of nowhere. There were commentaries that India had awakened yet again, this time from parliamentary squabbles and dirty politics and cross border terrorisms that had come to be its lullabies.

All of that, is now history. And it’s business as usual again. The status quo stays where it always stood. While everything in the world is supposed to change every moment, some things never seem to change at all. Such things, as the nonchalant chores of the middleclass Indian, as the television channels that are as busy as ever making reality shows, as filmmakers who keep up their entertainment values, as writers who advocate everything under the sun, as scamsters who are busy inventing new ways to mint money, as cricketers who are never tired of defeats and endorsements, as businessmen who are always on the move, strategising, and as politicians who pay their ritualistic homage to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the lawyer who set us all free.

Or, are we free yet?