A response to the news of Abu-Dhabi crown prince betraying India

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan

One of the Indian poodles of the U.A.E. with AbuDhabi crown prince

 

The late Sheikh Zayed bin Al-Nahyan, the former Abu-dhabi ruler, is considered to be the father of United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). The seven emirates namely Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, Sharjah, Ras-al-khaimah, Ajman and Umm-al-Qaiwain were struggling under poverty till the 70’s until oil was discovered in AbuDhabi. Sheikh Zayed was the person who brought the seven Emirates together to form a federation called U.A.E. in 1971-72 and strived for its development. Although he was a kind of a statesman, his major Achilles' heel seems to be the number of Marriages he had with women across the globe. Nobody has a clear idea on the number of times he had married. However, most of us know that one of his wives was a Pakistani. As the Wikileaks exposed the prejudice of the crown prince of Abudhabi (son of Sheikh Zayed) Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, towards India and his Betrayel of India on matters related to the latter’s security, one wonders whether his political thoughts had been influenced by his Mother’s nationality.

The crown prince of Abudhabi should look back to his country’s history, which will tell him that his ancestors, a few of them simple merchants, were depending on India to engage in various businesses. As none of the seven Emirates had the currency of their own, the money that was transacted there until the 70’s was the Indian Rupee. UAE was so much under developed those days that many of the present day Sheikhs and their ancestors made their livelihood by plundering the ships that passed through the Arabian Sea. It is no wonder that the sea bandits  turned emperors are showing their true colours.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan allegedly lobbied the U.S. for supplying more F-16 to Pakistan to counter India’s might. He also seems to have played a role to keep India away from the “Turkey meet” concerning Afghanistan. He and his co- sheikhs are just poodles of the U.S. and should understand that today’s political alliance may not stay tomorrow. Just imagine if Abudhabi’s oil reserves were exhausted and no sooner America will show its Bum to the prejudiced Sheikh and his likes. On the other hand, if the savage in Ahmedenijad wakes up and decide to expand his boundary one morning, the first country he would pick up is the U.A.E. Therefore, with or without oil U.A.E. is the most vulnerable country to aggressions from their insane neighbour. The morons from the U.A.E. should also understand that Pakistan, almost a banana republic with a puppet ruler like Zardari and being in the danger of a Taliban conquest, might also not help them in the end. If the sheikh has some brain in his clay-filled cranium, he should set aside his Pakistani prejudice (from his Mother) and recognize the power of a strong and stable democratic country like India.

Karkare conspiracy theory

A.R.Anthulay  had been sidelined by Congress  like an old  lame horse   withdrawn from the race owing to its worthlessness.
Anthulay, rejected from all forms of political activity by his party, reduced to a low portfolio of a minority affairs Minister was trying to get into the limelight for long. We have many examples from the past of many politicians who were dumped by the people, completely lose their sorts and try some kind of gimmick that is of controversial by nature to get back into the limelight. Anthulay too, who had irreversibly ended his ambitions of a high portfolio ministry tried a trick, which fortunately for him had some takers including the people across the border. However, that trick boomeranged and he fell flat because there were no takers of his theory in his own party.

Anthulay alleged that ATS chief Hemant Karkare was shot by the people who were responsible for Malegaon blast, during the 26/11 terror strike. Where did he get this theory  still remains a mystery. He doesn't head any investigation agency nor he heads the home ministry. The Karkare conspiracy theory was first bruited by a Pakistani TV channel well before Anthulay had blurted it out. Anthulay could have borowed a leaf from that channel or may be he had said that at the behest of the ISI. It is still unknown who had inspired the garrulous old crank. One can understand the desperation of the Pakistani establishments to protect the terrorist bred by them, but what was Anthulay’s interest in this matter? Any ways Anthulay did not have any sympathizers even within his party and he lost his job. Later he tried to evade from the whole issue saying that his statements were just categorical and in TV.

The times of India wrote the next day- Quote” The "Karakare conspiracy" has been articulated by some Urdu newspapers and clerics like the Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid. This is despite the exhaustive account of Ajmal Kasab, who along with slain terrorist Ismail, shot Karkare, additional commissioner Ashok Kamte and encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar. Also, a Mumbai police constable Jadhav, who actually survived the shooting by lying at the back of the qualis commandeered by Kasab and Ismail has given his account of the shooting as well.” Unquote.

Some Urdu newspapers and Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid with the Pakistani establishment wanted to nullify the dreaded attack by the Pakistani terrorists on the people of Mumbai. Anthulay was trying two birds with one stone, instead of the birds he  himself fell. These forces will again come and justify their dirty deeds. It is for us, the citizen’s of India to defeat these propaganda of glorifying terrorism and protecting the terrorists by people close to Pakistan.

Picture courtesy: headlinesindia.mapsofindia.com

Modi, Mao and Rahul Baba

After a whole lot of comparisons in the past, Narendra Modi is now being compared to Mao Tse-Tung, the former Chinese ruler. This new revelation comes from the Indian media’s favourite political Guru, Rahul Gandhi, at an NSU meeting. According to Pandit Rahulji, Mao Tse-Tung has done enough for the development of China, at the same time his agenda was wholly destructive. What should one read into it? Is the Congress general secretary accepting the fact that Narendra Modi Government has made Gujarat the numero uno state in India in terms of economic growth through their development process? Remember, the Congress officially had been saying all these days that the claims of high-speed development going in Gujarat were a farce. Now, Rahulji disproves his party’s theory by his new revelations. The acknowledgment  from the top brass Congress man will definitely give the Gujarat government an extra mileage, although Modi might think that the last thing his government want would be the certificate of appreciation from a politically naive Rahul Gandhi. 

Rahul baba has also said that Modi was destructive like Mao Tse Tung. If Modi was destructive why was the UPA Government at the centre (who has CBI and other agencies at its servile order) not even moving a finger against him. The allegation against Modi was that he delayed action against the communal thugs who were on a destructive rampage killing hundreds of people. If that was true, Modi should have been brought under the law. Eight years have passed since that incident and the UPA government is just talking and not taking up any concrete steps to nail Modi. Allegations cannot make any one culpable, unless and until it is proved by the court of law. The Congress is playing a dubious game by verbally attacking Narendra Modi all the time and shying away from the real action, and thereby cheating the people of India. Rahul Gandhi should come out openly and say that what the Central Government did to punish Narendra Modi. They have done enough and more to nail Amit Shah, but why are they shying away from Modi if they believe that Modi was a culprit of the 2002 carnage. If the Congress was so particular about giving retribution to people who instigate communal violence and inturn help the killers, why did they sabotage the demand for a CBI enquiry, at the behest of Kunhalikutty’s Muslim league on the second “Marad” riots in Kerala? The poster boy of the Congress party should answer all these questions rather than aimlessly talk about Modi and his destructive agenda.

The highly vocal Congress spokes person Manish Tiwari had commented, a few days ago on the Bihar fiasco thus- “Mr. Rahul Gandhi had shown courage to take the bull by it horns.” He should have also said this- that in return the bull took Rahul Gandhi by its horn and strangled him to the greatest defeat in Bihar. In the same way, unruly comments against Narendra Modi can only bring trouble to Mr.Gandhi, as he had known that, his verbal diarrhoea also have contributed a great deal to Modi’s thumping victories election after election.

Picture courtesy: connect.in.com

THE SPINELESS

 

                      Few days back the American President backed India’s claim for a permanent seat in the U.N. Security council. As the saying goes, there are no free luncheons when it comes from to the US. Obama obviously wanted something in return for his generous offer; he wanted India to shed its age-old stance of the so-called Non-aligned Movement character and become a staunch ally of the U.S. in all its activities. Elsewhere, in Nepal the Maoist of that country are bruiting hatred message against India and surreptitiously planning attack on the Indian installations at the border. Within India, the Indian version of the Maoists is jeopardizing the lives of people in Bihar, Bengal, Chattisgarh and so on without much of an intricacy. The splittist from Kashmir are freely moving around the cities of India and questioning the very existence of India.

All these incidents are happening when the UPA is governing the country and none of us would believe this to be some kind of a coincidence. The US contemplates that, this as an ideal time to acquiesce India to be one of its servile allies. The government led by the Indian National Congress seems to be nodding in agreement with whatever the US says and Obama is clever enough to understand that. The government has become soft and spineless living with a ‘be my guest” attitude, and this is one reason why even meager organizations like the Maoists of Nepal pick up the guts to challenge a big country like India. The story isn’t different when it comes to the domestic Maoists and the separatists from Kashmir. People like Arundhati Roy are having fun at the expense of this weak government and are continuing to instigate sedition. This Government marred by scams and continuous failures in the elections is bending its back in obeisance to every Tom, Dick and Harry to save itself from falling flat. In addition, Rahul Gandhi’s cheap gimmicks to match, this country has gone to dogs.

Pic courtesy:new.outlookindia.com,online.wsj.com, 

Pakistan superior to India?

The following is an article by Mr.Irfan Husain, a Pakistani journalist that was recommended by Mr.Shashi Tharoor in Twitter. After reading it , I thought that I should reply.

LETTER FROM LONDON: Demons from the past —Irfan Husain

Whether we like it or not, neither geography nor history can be changed. While both countries have engaged in rewriting the past to suit their respective agendas, the facts cannot be erased. Both Muslims and Hindus have to live together as neighbours, and in India, as citizens

In a tranquil place like St Andrews, there are not many distractions, so I have been reading lots of history and trying to reflect on its lessons. For some time now, I have been interested in the dynamics of Hindu-Muslim relations, and the impact of ancient enmities and grievances on current Indo-Pak relations.

We have forgotten much of our past, but it nonetheless affects our daily lives.

For instance, when we now think of the Afghan city of Kandahar, we equate it with the Taliban. But its original name was Gandhara, and it was a part of the ancient Buddhist civilisation with its capital city in Taxila. Swat, Peshawar and the Kabul Valley were all included in this thriving, peaceful community that had absorbed Mediterranean culture brought to the subcontinent by Alexander, and before him, by Greek mercenaries and traders.

While it was no utopia, it was a stable, prosperous civilisation that threatened none of its neighbours, and has bequeathed us a wealth of artefacts that attest to its high level of cultural development.

The reason I mention this period of history is to try and understand the bitterness that must exist in many Hindu minds over the Muslim conquest of their country. In his Story of Civilisation, Will Durant writes: “The Mohammedan conquest of India is probably the bloodiest in history”. While historical events should be judged in the context of their times, it cannot be denied that even in that bloody period of history, no mercy was shown to the Hindus unfortunate enouh to be in the path of either the Arab conquerors of Sindh and south Punjab, or the Central Asians who swept in from Afghanistan.

The Muslim heroes who figure larger than life in our history books committed some dreadful crimes. Mahmud of Ghazni, Qutb-ud-Din Aibak, Balban, Mohammed bin Qasim, and Sultan Mohammad Tughlak, all have blood-stained hands that the passage of years has not cleansed. Indeed, the presence of Muslim historians on their various campaigns has ensured that the memory of their deeds will live long after they were buried.

Seen through Hindu eyes, the Muslim invasion of their homeland was an unmitigated disaster. Their temples were razed, their idols smashed, their women raped, their men killed or taken slaves. When Mahmud of Ghazni entered Somnath on one of his annual raids, he slaughtered all 50,000 inhabitants. Aibak killed and enslaved hundreds of thousands. The list of horrors is long and painful.

These conquerors justified their deeds by claiming it was their religious duty to smite non-believers. Cloaking themselves in the banner of Islam, they claimed they were fighting for their faith when, in reality, they were indulging in straightforward slaughter and pillage. When these warriors settled in India, they ruled as absolute despots over a cowed Hindu populace. For generations, their descendants took their martial superiority over their subjects for granted. When the British exposed the decadence of the Moghuls and seized power, the Muslims — especially the aristocracy — tried to cut deals with the new rulers to ensure that they would be treated differently from the Hindus.

It has been argued by some historians that Pakistan was really created to ensure that the Muslim ruling class would not be subject to Hindu rule in an undivided India. But having created Pakistan, the ruling elites promptly started lording it over the Bengalis of East Pakistan. What, after all, is the point of being descendants of Tughlak, Aibak and Mahmud if there is no under-class to persecute and exploit?

This, then, is the Hindu perspective of the Muslim invasion of their country. After centuries of first Muslim and then British rule, they are finally in charge of their destiny. For the first time in modern history, Indians feel that they can play a role on the world stage in keeping with their numbers and the size of their country.

Pakistan, especially its establishment and military, is smarting from successive military defeats and the steady diminishing of its international image. Due to their long domination of much of India, the Muslim elite in Pakistan feels it has some kind of divine right to be treated on a par with India.

With this psychological and historical baggage, both sides are unable to engage constructively with each other. Many Hindus feel they have centuries of humiliation to avenge. And a substantial number of Pakistani Muslims are secretly convinced that they are inherently superior to the Hindus.

One irony, of course, is that contrary to their wishful thinking, the vast majority of Muslims in the subcontinent have more Hindu blood in their veins than there is Arab, Afghan, Turkish or Persian blood. Many of the invaders took Hindu wives and concubines. And many Hindus converted to Islam to further their military or civil service careers. As a result of this intermingling, despite proud boasts of pure bloodlines, most Pakistanis have many Hindu ancestors.

This reality makes the Hindu-Muslim divide all the more bitter, for it pits brother against brother. And as students of Moghul history are aware, this is perhaps the bloodiest kind of conflict. By ties of consanguinity, culture, geography, and history, there is far more that unites than divides Indian Hindus and Muslims. But the politics of self-interest, too often garbed in the banner of faith, has pushed them far apart.

Why resurrect these ghosts from history? Because until we have confronted the demons from our past, we cannot understand the dynamics of contemporary events. As India and Pakistan go through the intricate steps of peace talks, each side needs to know what makes the other tick.

Whether we like it or not, neither geography nor history can be changed. While both countries have engaged in rewriting the past to suit their respective agendas, the facts cannot be erased. Both Muslims and Hindus have to live together as neighbours, and in India, as citizens.

A study and understanding of the past will promote better understanding between the two communities. It is important that Hindus grasp the central fact that their Muslim neighbours cannot now be held responsible for the persecution of their ancestors, and Muslims must face the fact that they are not the political heirs of the emperors Babar and Akbar.

My reply:-

Mr. Irfan Husain has rightly pointed out the holocaust of Muslim invasion in India, which the history text books of India and Pakistan shies away to admit. At the first instance, this article by Irfan Husain would look like to be an effort to bring India and Pakistan to live together setting aside the bitterness of the past.  The bottleneck for a peaceful co-existence according to Mr.Husain is, the Hindu’s hangover of the atrocities committed by the Muslim rulers on them in the past and Pakistan’s superiority complex of being the rulers of Hindus for a long time.

However, I could sense the ultra motive behind this article when Mr.Husain says, “It has been argued by some historians that Pakistan was really created to ensure that the Muslim ruling class would not be subject to Hindu rule in an undivided India.” His intention is clear; he wants to cement the belief that Pakistanis are the descendants of Muslim ruling class and consider themselves superior to the Hindus, who were essentially the subjects during the Muslim rule in India.. I am afraid; Mr.Husain has gone wrong terribly and off the mark by miles. 
                                  The Maratha Kingdom

                                      Ashoka's empire

First of all the Mughal (Muslim) kingdom did not spread its area of governance to the whole of India. At that time, the rest of India was under the rule of Kings who were essentially Hindus except for Mysore and Hyderabad. So calling Muslims as the only ruling class and Hindus, their subject is nothing less than absurdity. Indians are not aliens in managing large kingdoms either. Ancient India had powerful emperors like Ashoka, Chandra Gupta Maurya, Raja Raja Chola and a host of others, whose kingdoms spread beyond the boundaries of India. Shivaji of Maratha clan, contemporary of the Mughals was also a powerful ruler. Apart from that, Indians can boast of many things that can make them superior to any country.  Indians are the pioneers in the field of Mathematics and astronomy. The Hindus created the first university of the world- Taxila. In ancient times, India was the most developed nation. Only after the holocausts of Muslim invasion and subsequent plundering of its wealth, India lost its glory and slipped into poverty.

Secondly, I have had the opportunity to meet and converse with many Pakistanis in Dubai and Australia and they think in the reverse. They regret the fact that people in Pakistan are less educated than the Indians and most of them in abroad are doing lowly jobs compared to the Indians. In UAE, every second Pakistani is either a Coolie or a cab Driver. I have never seen a Pakistani speak as if they were superior to Indians; it is just a perception of Mr.Husain. Pakistan has shown development largely in the field of amassing mass destructive weapons and arsenals (which incidentally is facilitated by the US to keep the South Asian interests in their control) and nothing else.. Pakistan is just a pawn in American hands and it would be greatly puerility to claim that Pakistan is superior to its neighbour.

The Seashore Rain

I had nothing in my mind, so tried this...you could call it a  poetry from a novice.

The sea shore rain

----------------------------

Yesterday we freed our minds in the sea shore rain

A lot was assuaged within, the agony and pain.

The waves were ferocious yet wonderful

Just like our hearts bountiful

I clasped your supple palm

Allowing my confused mind to become calm

The rain drops washed your fair skin

Making you look like an ebony figurine

Oh ! you are the sweetest of all

No wonder I, to your grace did fall.

Funny Policing!!

Kerala Police are a funny bunch of people whose antics bring a relief to the otherwise strenous life of an avarege Malayali. The otherday we heard that the police is on a searching spree- trying to find out the clandestine bomb manufacturing units in a village called Nadapuram. It seems that the police were waiting for few guys to get injured  by the bombs they were working on. Kerala police is searching in and out relentlessly for the past 24 hours for bomb manufacturing units as if they never knew that  such units existed in Kerala before.

Bangladeshis now can easily stay in India in places like Kerala, where they can veil themselves under the crowd of Bengali immigrant workers. Police in Kochi were dormant until they were tipped off by someone that many people who posed as workers from the state of west Bengal were carrying forged election ID cards. When they were questioned, the police found that they knew nothing about West Bengal. You know what happened to Mumbai, many other cities were Bangladeshis, and Pakistanis sneaked in posing as labourers. 

The major activity of Kerala police these days is a program called helmet hunting - they hide like carnivorous animals somewhere on the roads where they cant be quickly noticed, for their hapless victims. When a helmet-less mo-bike rider try to pass the hiding animals, they pounce upon him voraciously. The more the helmet-less, the more they are happy. They impose a fine of Rs.100 to the lawbreaker and let him go. These puerile acts of the police haven’t helped in bringing down the urge of the people to ride without a helmet, instead the number is on the rise to the delight of the police. What the police need to do is to educate people on the importance of wearing helmets and adopt stringent measures so that  people feel the importance of wearing it.

Picture Courtesy: zonkerala.com

Roots of Terrorism in Kerala

Kerala always had a unique record in India for the harmonious coexistence of diverse religions like Hindus, Christians and Muslims... however...

2010: Kerala has apparently become an ideal harbour for the people who nurtured fundamentalism and terrorism in the name of religion. Many organizations popped up with the idea of fighting against the perceived oppressors of their religion. Were there been any kind of atrocities against a particular religion in Kerala and was it that brought about the terrorist forces into a growth mode is a matter well known. If not, what are the reasons for this sudden surge of dark forces in a relatively peaceful and literate state?

Terrorist elements gained ground in this tiny state of Kerala, well before an Al-Qaeda or a Taliban came into existence elsewhere in the world, but the size was insignificant; and hence it wasn’t telling on Kerala’s socio political economic situation. Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) have been clandestinely operating since the 70’s, however, the end product was limited to just  few periodical hand outs to like minded people, of some kind of revolution to convert India to an Islamic state or writing on compound walls with slogans saying,” India’s well being  through Islam”. This little spark of fundamentalism was obviously seen by elements across the border who was looking for an opportunity to destabilize India in whatever way they could. Funds started to flow in through by means of Havala from Pakistan and some Arab countries and the whole movement got a strong momentum. More and more misled youths were mobilized into the movement and it became a huge menace that perpetuated danger across the state until it was banned by the central Government in 2002, one wonders what was the Governments in power in Kerala doing during the period of fundamentalism took to the peak. There were Governments of Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) ruling the state alternatively every 5 years. They were dormant on intelligence information time to time; they lend a deaf ear everything pertaining to religious fundamentalism because of the misconception of the fact that it would affect their support from that particular religion. Political observers call it by the term-Vote bank politics. If states like Bihar and Tamilnadu harped on caste politics, Kerala’s political lords played the game of minority appeasing.

 Although SIMI was banned, quite before that,simultaneously, elements similar to the former were gradually building up. They too gained strength as the Governments in Kerala committed grotesque errors consciously, with the regards to nailing the fundamentalists in the past decade. The money flow from India’s enemies has also driven the growth of these kinds of organizations. Exorbitant amounts were pumped into India, to mislead ignorant youth to terrorism and related activities. The governments, whether it is the Congress led or the CPI-M led, should be more responsible and should not repeat things the way they (LDF) handled Thadiayanvida Nazir’s case and the way they (UDF) sabotaged the cases of 2^nd Marad violence.

Muslims constitute  24.7 % of Kerala’s population; a whopping 95% of them are under below poverty line in rural areas and unemployment is also high. Although there is a job reservation of 12% for the Muslims in the Public Service Commission (Kerala Government), it is not benefiting the poorer of poor in that religion. The elements, who urge Muslims to indulge in violence and misdeeds, should rather go and see the circumstances they live in the coastal areas and other economically backward areas and work for the welfare of them in eradicating poverty and illiteracy.

God's own country - a minefield for Bloggers

The blog Kerala: a minefield for bloggers? has evoked many responses and thanks to everyone. One of the response was thus:-

Anonymous said...
i think it's off the mark.has kerala got a different cyber law?what are these many cases?the only case where authorities seemed to be directly involved is that of pinarayis case and it is easy for anyone to see that it was a case of blatant misinformation campaign perhaps with vested interests.

November 13, 2010 1:48 PM

My reply was thus:-

Kerala doesn’t have a different cyber law! It is good that the cyber laws are stringent to help in preventing atrocities such as sexual harassment towards woman through internet. The laws, I presume, are not constituted in detail that the same is being misused by certain quarters. There have been cases of people hacking into Kerala Government’s official site and making fun of leaders of the stature of Achuthanandan and Vaikom Vishwan, however the police have been dormant on the same and seem to be keener in protecting certain people who call shots of the entire Government

November 15, 2010 11:24 AM

Further to it I would like to add...

The cyberlaws are not of Kerala alone, these laws are applicable all over India. Fortunately, it hasn’t been used against people who criticized a political leader or a party through emails or blogs anywhere in India except Kerala. There were 2500 cases of different nature registered with the cyber cell department in Kerala after its formation. Of those 2500 cases, the cell has been able to successfully act upon almost 1000 cases most of them dealing with atrocities on woman through internet and crimes that involved money rackets from Africa. There were 10 cases taken up those were related to CPI(M) or its leaders. Out of that ,only 2 cases were swiftly acted upon by the cyber police and that 2 cases incidentally was in connection with a particular political personality. The cyber police, was dormant in the case of finding out the culprit who hacked the Government of Kerala’s website. My point is simple; the cyber laws are made in a way that it addresses the crime against women and internet frauds in a stringent way, fair enough. However, the authorities are bending these laws for nailing people who as a part of a diversion satirize certain politician’s idiotic statements. This is absurd. Let the readers decide whether I was off the mark or not!

The Success of China

It is apparent that, in China, the gap between the Haves and Have-nots is widening. Communism in China seems to be operating under a capitalist system. The ideology of socialism, they dissemble of, seems to be not the one they are aiming for. Funnily enough, for the past decade, the kind of methodology they are following, makes us feel that the Americans seems to be more socialist and the Chinese are of more in the capitalist mold. All these thoughts arise when the Asian games is played in the city of Guangzhou, a city that was relatively lesser known than Beijing or Shanghai. However, the enormous high-rises and the business establishments in the city makes one to take note in awe. If you had thought the Communist party or the Government owned the infrastructure, then you are utterly wrong; on the other hand, private parties own every building or business establishment there. The Government has always welcomed a foreign establishment wholeheartedly to invest in China and that has yielded a great deal in China’s enormous economic growth. China, remember, is the biggest Economy and only a few days ago, the Chinese president Hu Jintao displaced the American President as the most powerful person in the universe in the Forbe’s list.

Everything in China manifest that even the communists are inclined to capitalism and if China is gaining by that, it is well and good. However, the worrying factor in China is the human rights issues and the divide between the rich and the poor.

Vision- Right Angle: My Novel

Vision- Right Angle: My Novel: "

My Novel

I started writing this blog to take a break from the strenuous task of writing a novel. I invited all my acquaintances in twitter, face-book to read my blog and requested a few through mail. Although, I never claimed this to be of high standards, I was contented when people started hitting the site instantly. However, there were bad patches too for me, as few guys in twitter asked me not to spam, though politely. I had a heavy heart the entire day. They were right, even I get exasperated at the spams that I confront in my mails. Again, there was more to worry about, one of my friends from South Africa was quick to point out some mistakes too. I acknowledged her and corrected the mistakes cursing my laxity. Thanks to all who have appreciated my effort, corrected my mistakes and who, let me my follies known (that I was spamming).

Even though I had a passion for writing from a tender age of seven, the writing bug bit me severely exactly three years ago, when I was sitting in a room in Sharjah beguiling away my time watching the busy street from the window. Everyday in the morning and evening I looked through the window from the fourth floor watching hordes of vehicles moving incessantly through the busy street in front of the Abu Shagara Park. The whole aura of the place had a peculiar emotion which I , till this day, fail to explain. I took my diary, which was presented to me by a person called Sahani in Kochi, and started writing my observations about the busy street and about the Abu Shagara Park that lay adjacent to it. When I started reading the things I wrote, I could smell the odor of the vehicles that ranged from the majestic four-wheel drives, driven by the Arab fat cats and the humble petite used cars driven by an Indian merchant or a Pakistani cab driver. I could hear the cacophonous sounds of the vehicles and people in the street, erupting from my words.  From then on writing was a favourite pastime for me. I wrote my first novel in my room at my home in Trivandrum, the pages of it still lying in the draw of my table, the way I left three years ago. Then I wrote few screenplays for short films for the project work at our film academy and I am proud to say that, our teacher and my mates there considered me one of the best writers at the academy.

These are the days when I have started writing my third novel and I feel the stress of aspiring to write something good and sensible. My friend from South Africa  read a couple of chapters and lauded my effort. Moreover, she volunteered to edit the stuff for me. That gave me some confident to move on. Thank you. I know I have a long way to go…

Picture  courtesy: thingsontop.com

Soap Operas aka Mega Serials

The mega serials are soaps that are popular among the television viewers in Kerala (in other parts of India as well). Predominantly, as in any part of India, the audience is women, especially homemakers. The themes of the serials are reprisal, hatred or extra marital affairs, or all the three together. The villain and the hero, for a change, are usually females. The story elongates perpetually and every scene is accompanied with an ear deafening noise of heavy BGM. A dazzling dialogue is followed by an irritating raucous music and few special effects that either roll the actor all over the screen or make him/her shudder with flashes. These melodramas will go on eternally and the characters continue to live in the same age as they were created at  first. The audience gets the access to cry, sulk, laugh, rejoice, tremble vengefully and gratify their inner desires briefly in a period of half an hour.

I believe that the mediocrity in the story, the making and the performance  in the serials are directly proportional to the mediocre thought processes  and outlook of the viewers. The creators of these crappy forms of art give an average viewer what she wants. The fanatical devotion with which a viewer sees her heroine is a matter that reflects the degradation of sensibleness in the present society.  An actress , who normally enacts a vampish role, happens to step into a public place, has been always in the danger of being intimidated by a random crazy lady viewer on the street, making us aware of the enormity of ignorance and mediocrity that exist in an average Malayali woman. Kerala should be ashamed of the large number of people, a good chunk of them, ladies, who have been regularly watching this second-rated trash and wasting their valuable time. The ill effects from this phenomenon is slowly creeping into the entire dimensions of the society in different forms and helping in deteriorating the moral values and rational thinking. Ladies wake up!

Picture courtesy: stills4u.com

Kerala- a minefield for Bloggers?

Bloggers are having a hard time wherever intolerant and domineering regimes exist. A ranking with regards to intolerance towards bloggers among the countries of world was discussed in CNN a few days ago. The first seven countries are as follows with Myanmar topping the list=>

1.    Myanmar

2.    Iran

3.    Syria

4.    Cuba

5. Saudi Arabia

6. Turkey

7. China

I thought if the CNN had added Kerala (state in south India, at present ruled by the Communists) among the first 10, it would have been better than fair. Offlate Kerala has become a minefield for bloggers and creative people in the web. The authorities have gone bananas on trifling issues on net. There have been many cases of people being arrested, last year and this year on the basis of cyber crime laws for trivial instances of critics pulling the legs of the ruling party of the state and its top brass, by the way of jokes or  funnily written stories. The irony is that the same ideas, if created in Television or print media, do not invite any attention from the authorities. One can only say that the cyber laws formed in the state, concerning trivial issues like cartooning political leaders are unrealistic and demonizing, that in turn is being misused to their convenience by certain people- you know who!

There must be a revision of the present cyber laws that seems to be prehistoric and aboriginal. Democracy does not mean that accepting all the shit. India is a democratic country and not an autocracy like China/ Iran /Myanmar / Cuba. Freedom of expression is the right of every citizen! Here the people decide the fate of the political parties and the politicians unlike China, Iran or Cuba…so beware! 

     Picture courtesy: thecanadiansentinel.blogspot.com

Communist Party of Bengal and Kerala (Marxist)

When I was in Bangalore (Benguluru) sometime back, a friend from Kerala came to see me. Infact he had come to Bangalore with some other purpose and since I was there, he decided to meet me. He was bowled over by the aura of Bangalore and was inadvertently vituperating the authorities of our home state (Kerala) for the sad state of the affairs. As we were having tea from a restaurant near my home, I asked him the purpose of his visit.

He looked around and said in a low voice,” Our local committee secretary back home had asked me to study the political climate of Karnataka and submit a report to him when I get back”

Political climate of Karanataka! I was confused at first and then realized that the guy sitting in front of me was an active worker of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala. I have seen him, on a number of occassions shouting slogans in red-flagged processions and a few times sitting on the dais of the party meetings. I wondered as to how was it going to benefit the party by taking stock of the political situation in Karnataka; I haven’t seen even a single flag of the CPI (M)  in the entire Karnataka let alone the presence of the party in the state.

I felt embarrassed on the fact that I knew very less on the activities of the communists and admired the kind of intellect they have in their party cadres. I suppressed the silly doubts, looming in my head, within me and looked at him expectantly. He moved his face closer to mine and said almost whispering,” Our secretary is so much worried about the mass support for the party being restricted to Bengal and Kerala and if this continues, he fears that the Election Commission might rename the party as Communist Party of Bengal & Kerala (Marxist). Hence, this idea, of sending one cadre each to every state where CPI (M) has no roots, took off. What an idea sirji, I told myself!

As we reached home I asked him,” So what are your finds on the political situation of Karanataka”

He smiled and said,” The political situation in Karanataka…,”

He paused for a second and  said,” the political situation of, not only  Karnataka, but of every state, tells that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is going to remain as the Communist Party of Bengal and Kerala (Marxist) for a long time to come.”

As he bid adieu, I was wondering on the ease with which he said his last words! Long live the revolution!

  

Picture courtesy: The conservative monster.com

What Iran wants - Progression or Oppression?

I was in Iran a few years back and had the occasion to closely watch the young and old there. I also had the opportunity to interact with quite a number of people at that time. My first and lasting impression of the people of Iran was that the people looked intelligent, progressive, rational and was not reticent of asking questions; religion was deeply embedded in their life and at the same time it was so personal. They looked very different from the reckless Pathans who drove cabs in the streets of Abudhabi or Sharajah or the naïve fundamentals from Yemen or Iraq.  The films they make, the number of writers, intellects and poets they have, showcases the excellence of Iran. The people of Iran, I thought, aspires a change from the domineering, absolute and autocratic rule forced upon them by a minority in the name of religion. I envisage a revolution to take place there eventually, that will topple the senseless oppressive religious regime and a more practical system of Governance other than based on religious doctrines, will come into reckoning,. Iranians deserve better things and cannot subjugate themselves under the orders of few fundamentalists.

Other two states that are close to the character of Iran are Egypt and Bangladesh. Thirty years of Autocracy by Hosni Mubarak has alienated the learned and the level headed from the Government. People want a change and from the opinions pouring from different quarters, one can understand that people there want a change, a clear-cut democratic system of Government. On the other hand, Bangladesh is already on the right path. The fundamentalist were incessantly voicing in favour of an establishment that works under religious law and Governance.  The fundamentalist elements were busted and the democratically elected Government under Sheikh Haseena brought the situation of insurrection under control in a short time. Bangladeshis can be proud of themselves that they are finally on a progressive path.

Cartoon courtesy: slate.com

Exporting Terrorism

The famous novelist Frederick Forsyth had mentioned in his novel “The Afghan” published in 2006 about Malabar exporting Muslim Terrorists to the Caribbean.  One of the well-known Malayali Journalist, in a national weekly  rebuffed the same and said that the Keralites were not amused by Forsyth’s account. Whether  Keralites were amused or not, Forsyth’s tale became a reality; Kerala became the hub for nurturing radicals and religious fundamentalists in the last few years and as far as we know, a few of them were even exported to Jammu & Kashmir to fight the Indian Government. Although those Malayali fundamentalists died in a military action, the curse of being a terrorism exporter fell on, once known to be the moderate region, the tiny state of Kerala  of the Indian union. How could such  militant groups, including the latest one ( that was repressed partially  by the state Government recently) which went to the extent of amputating a Christian professor's hand, gained strength in Kerala, where the society, in its all dimensions, was supposed to be closely attached to each other and where the density of population does not facilitate any kind of practical clandestine acts. Was it the intelligence that failed or was it the Marxist led Government in Kerala, who refused to heed to the former’s warnings? Whatever may be the reason, it will be a herculean task for the present Government and the subsequent Governments to keep a check on these Taliban kinds of outfits from gaining strength and jeopardizing the nation. 

Picture courtesy: Sulekha.com

The Right Angled Vision: Afghanistan- a step forward and many steps backwar...

The Right Angled Vision: Afghanistan- a step forward and many steps backwar...: " Two contrasting news items from Afghanistan attracted my attention yesterday, which in a way was concerned with the women of tha..."

Afghanistan- a step forward and many steps backward

            Two contrasting news items from Afghanistan attracted my attention yesterday, which in a way was concerned with the women of that country. A country where the women were restricted to being a creature whose part was just to live in seclusion, oppression and in servility to the men in all walks life, the first of the two news items looked significant.  A large number of widows who had been struggling to the confines of their homes, compromising with whatever available in their vicinity to look after their family, gets a new life. “Cash for work” is a program funded by the Americans by which these widows are able to earn and take care of their families. These women are given the charge of renovating buildings entirely on their own, thereby enabling them to earn not less than $9 a day, which sumptuously take care of their family’s needs. The women are very happy and say that this particular scheme has instilled a new life in them.

     If the above event was a positive step forward in the lives of women of Afghanistan, the second news item takes the country many centuries backward. The fundamentalist are the desperadoes here, who burn down a girl’s school!  What in the world would make these ignorant religious fundamentalist understand that education is the thing that lead a society to prosperity. These radicals should also understand that girl's education is very important in bringing down one of the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the world. Every levelheaded citizens of the world can only hope that Afghanistan’s political control will never go into the hands of these retards.

Life and Death

My life has become a mess. It is like a house that has been junked with unwashed utensils, under-brushed furniture, broken walls and floors, cobwebbed corners of the walls and unwashed mountain of linen lying carelessly.  I look into myself and wonder what should be done first, to set things right; wash the linen or clean the utensils or brush the furniture…? Too many drudgery standing like demons and smiling despicably at me. My mind is in dilemma and is dangling in a confused state. Just one thing, I think, is easy to accomplish, that is to kill myself..it is relatively an easy job in terms of execution. It  doesn’t test the amount of mental lethargy in you; once and for all, all your quandaries go to oblivion. But where is the courage to carry out even that. People say that it is the cowards who commit suicide but what I understand  is that a person who is committing suicide will have  at-least a minuscule of courage in him. I swear, I  the  biggest coward of all living beings,  lack that too. I wish someone had deliberately broken my head into pieces, I would have been obliged. I feel that the hind part of my head is carrying some heavy burden and as usual, not my obnoxious heart. What should I do? I took a two rupee coin and tossed between the options of death and life. The coin fell, showing its tail...telling me that I have to live.

The Cricket Stadium at Trivandrum

T.C.Mathew and the tainted Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) have cheated the people of Trivandrum and inturn cheated the Kerala Cricket by Hijaking the proposed cricket stadium from Trivandrum. The KCA bought (not sure whether it was bought or occupied ) a swamp of 34 acres at Edakochi, half of it, backwaters  for some exorbitant amount of 30-45 crores (all fudged figures to enable corruption with real estate mafia of Kochi), inspite of the Kerala Government offering land at Kudappanakunnu and Kazhakootam(free of cost) at Trivadrum. 

I doubt T.C.Mathew did not know that there is someone above all of us known as GOD! And he may realize that now as the ministry of forest and environment has asked the KCA to stop all construction work pertaining to the stadium at the coastal swamp at Edakochi. The swamp on which the stadium is to be built comes under the Coastal law 1, and for constructing the stadium, mangroves have been destroyed in a large scale. On that basis, the Coastal management authority has asked the KCA to stop the construction work and submit an explanation regarding the whole issue. The KCA as usual was a pack of lies. They replied to the authority saying that there were no mangroves on the swamp and the construction has not begun yet. Knowing the KCA’s history of lies and corruption, and the satellite pictures showing JCB on work, Coastal Management Authority refused to believe the impostors and inturn the ministry of forest and environment has decided to send a high-level delegation to the site to take stock of the situation. If everything goes in a fair way, T.C.Mathew and his mafia will be charged with yet another case, this time for destroying plants and illegal construction on a land that comes under Coastal law 1. T.C.Mathew should be ashamed of himself for showing regional bias, for indulging in looting and swindling Government’s money, indulging in corruption in liaison with the real estate mafia and for raping the nature. T.C.Mathew, your time has arrived to step down from the post of Secretary KCA and BCCI Co-ordinator for southzone and to face the law.

This is the time the sports ministry of Kerala has to act and force the KCA to reinstate the proposed cricket stadium at Trivadrum