Am watching the happenings on CNN and Fox etc. The focus by these channels among other things is on looting. They are so pleased to show the scenes of looting and what the Govt is doing to control looting.
What the f$@% !!!!
This country is spending 100 billion $$ to fight a war in a distant land to ensure freedom and democracy there. And it cant evacuate half a million people from a city that is likely to be under water.
From Saturday night i have been watching the path of the hurricane. I was there in NewOrleans in '92. The I-I0 is not an evacuation route. It never was and now will never ever be.
Bloody hell, where were all those C130 jumbo frieghter jets !!!
Its replusive.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Monday, August 15, 2005
1984 Riots in Delhi
Oct 31st 1984 - Indira Gandhi is shot dead by her own bodyguards, and they happen to be Sikh. The guards are said to have avenged their misgivings about 'Operation Bluestar' ordered by Smt. Indira Gandhi. Many people say, on that day she also signed her own death warrant.
In my mind a Sardarji (Sikh) are and will always be the proud clan of people who will lay down their lives for the cause of the country. I may be wrong by the event on Oct 31st '84, but that action cannot be looked at in isolation. If Indira Gandhi, had the slightest bit of hate towards the Sikh, she would not have kept them as her personal body guards. To a large extent, she had no reason to fear, because she helped create Bhindranwale into the monster that he became later on. The war in Punjab which began as a political battle had gotten out of hand. She felt she could control it, tough as she was sometimes.
The fact that she reposed faith in her Sikh brethren to protect her, should have been enough proof that some Sikh's were terrorists but not all of them. Her brutal assassination by her own bodyguards should have been reason for an introspection of the policies followed until then.
Why then the brutal blood bath that followed ? Why then the massacre of innocent civilians ? Simply because the wore a turban and were a Sikh, and belonged to the same faith as Bhindranwale ? Or because a few celebrated when she was dead ? Was it enough to enrage people to take this out of hand ?
Well, what had happened had happened ? But it had taken the govt. of India 20 years to determine what and who did the wrong !!! And yet the wrong-doers are not punished. Today no one morns the dead, and it has become a stick to be used to fight your political opponent. What else can you say about the BJP's attempt to raise their voice against the report by the Nanavati Commission.
It has been 20 years, and we cant find culprits to a riot. We haven't learnt from lessons of the past, and we create a new ones each time. Delhi, Mumbai, Godhra and on.......
When will we stop this and move on to bigger and better things to fight about ? Lets fight about a better method of Governance, better civil necessities, poverty which stares us in the face, illiteracy which is still the bane of the country. Please let us focus our energies elsewhere.
Jai Hind
In my mind a Sardarji (Sikh) are and will always be the proud clan of people who will lay down their lives for the cause of the country. I may be wrong by the event on Oct 31st '84, but that action cannot be looked at in isolation. If Indira Gandhi, had the slightest bit of hate towards the Sikh, she would not have kept them as her personal body guards. To a large extent, she had no reason to fear, because she helped create Bhindranwale into the monster that he became later on. The war in Punjab which began as a political battle had gotten out of hand. She felt she could control it, tough as she was sometimes.
The fact that she reposed faith in her Sikh brethren to protect her, should have been enough proof that some Sikh's were terrorists but not all of them. Her brutal assassination by her own bodyguards should have been reason for an introspection of the policies followed until then.
Why then the brutal blood bath that followed ? Why then the massacre of innocent civilians ? Simply because the wore a turban and were a Sikh, and belonged to the same faith as Bhindranwale ? Or because a few celebrated when she was dead ? Was it enough to enrage people to take this out of hand ?
Well, what had happened had happened ? But it had taken the govt. of India 20 years to determine what and who did the wrong !!! And yet the wrong-doers are not punished. Today no one morns the dead, and it has become a stick to be used to fight your political opponent. What else can you say about the BJP's attempt to raise their voice against the report by the Nanavati Commission.
It has been 20 years, and we cant find culprits to a riot. We haven't learnt from lessons of the past, and we create a new ones each time. Delhi, Mumbai, Godhra and on.......
When will we stop this and move on to bigger and better things to fight about ? Lets fight about a better method of Governance, better civil necessities, poverty which stares us in the face, illiteracy which is still the bane of the country. Please let us focus our energies elsewhere.
Jai Hind
1857 Sepoy Mutiny
Last friday, 12th of August, i made it a point to see the movie 'Mangal Pandey'. Whether it was Amir Khan, that drove me to watch or was it my pursuit to witness stories that i have only heard, i dont know. But it was quite an impressive movie, but i did feel that there could have been several improvements. I dont know if it was because of an attempt to reach out to the 'phoren' world and hollywood, that the director and story teller, played down the impact of the East India Company on India.
But thanks to Mangal Pandey, the movie, i have spent quite a bit of time reading up on stuff available on the internet regarding the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny. What ever prompted these courageous men to revolt against their masters and whatever prompted them to revolt almost together all over the country, one may never know fully. Since the books of history are always written by the victor, stories of the mutiny are sprinkled with the gore and violence meted out by the mutineers on the english woman and children. But the victors of the 1857 war, could only view it as a revolt against their ideals and values and how man innocent english were butchered and killed.
The war of 1857 was not about killing the innocent and meek, but about driving a foreign force so far away from India, so that they never set foot into this land again. It was about redeeming the humiliation meted out by the white man for over a 100 years. It was about standing up and questioning the death of the 1000s of Indians from the time the East India Company set foot on the Indian soil. It was an attempt to take back what was rightfully ours from a Corporate body that had subjugated an entire race of people on the basis of pure profit.
Thank to Mangal Pandey and the 100s of sepoys who stood to up what was rightfully theirs. Thanks to them for giving up their lives in an vain attempt to gain freedom. Thanks to them the yolk of the Company was destroyed and the rule of Queen started, but it took only another 90 years throw them all out, once and for all.
But thanks to Mangal Pandey, the movie, i have spent quite a bit of time reading up on stuff available on the internet regarding the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny. What ever prompted these courageous men to revolt against their masters and whatever prompted them to revolt almost together all over the country, one may never know fully. Since the books of history are always written by the victor, stories of the mutiny are sprinkled with the gore and violence meted out by the mutineers on the english woman and children. But the victors of the 1857 war, could only view it as a revolt against their ideals and values and how man innocent english were butchered and killed.
The war of 1857 was not about killing the innocent and meek, but about driving a foreign force so far away from India, so that they never set foot into this land again. It was about redeeming the humiliation meted out by the white man for over a 100 years. It was about standing up and questioning the death of the 1000s of Indians from the time the East India Company set foot on the Indian soil. It was an attempt to take back what was rightfully ours from a Corporate body that had subjugated an entire race of people on the basis of pure profit.
Thank to Mangal Pandey and the 100s of sepoys who stood to up what was rightfully theirs. Thanks to them for giving up their lives in an vain attempt to gain freedom. Thanks to them the yolk of the Company was destroyed and the rule of Queen started, but it took only another 90 years throw them all out, once and for all.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
The 'illusion' of any military alliance
After touting it as the best thing that has happened to India after Independence, the Govt is every back pedalling from its stance.
The question is how did the Govt decide to enter into such an agreement, with out even a discussion in the Parliment ?
from The Hindu: No secret accord with U.S.
The question is how did the Govt decide to enter into such an agreement, with out even a discussion in the Parliment ?
from The Hindu: No secret accord with U.S.
About Turn
As always the US policy seems focused on short-term domination and gains and has to now play out its double talk effectively in the diplomatic circles.
from The Guardian: Why the US won't admit it was jilted
from The Guardian: Why the US won't admit it was jilted
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