Remembering Bhagat Singh

It has been a huge huge gap of time since I last posted. There were engagements and some lethargy. Hopefully, it will be regular, again. And, what a date to resume. Today is 23rd of March, the date on which Bhagat Singh with two of his allies Sukhdev and Rajguru was hanged by the British at the tender age of 23 years.

Bhagat Singh is considered the revolutionary by the people in general as well as the intellectuals and scholars. Was he? Was he only a revolutionary of India's struggle for freedom? Probably not. Probably definitely not.

Bhagat Singh was a visionary. He was only 23 when he was hanged. Still he was not immature. Neither mentally, nor ideologically. He definitely was a freedom fighter. But, for him freedom of the nation was only a means rather than a goal. Most of the political leaders of the time, including even Gandhiji, of the Indian National Congress did not visualise India after independence. Jawahar Lal Nehru was one leader who, only later, came to terms in this regard.

Bhagat Singh was miles ahead of his contemporaries in his thoughts and vision. He did fight for India's freedom. But has he been labelled a revolutionary only because he was associated with Hindustan Repulican Army which he renamed Hindustan Socialist Repulican Army? He never wielde gun to kill any British (this does not mean the likes of Chandrashekhar Azad were killers) and even if he exploded bombs it had a design.

Bhagat Singh was more of a philosopher than a freedom fighter, a revolutionary. I bow before his greatness and remember him in great spirit on this day.

The Transexuals, and Transexuality

It has been a real long long absence from the blog. Much has happened in between one should have commented on. One such major issue is the so-called legalisation of the transsexual relationship in India. In fact s. 377 of the Indian Penal Code classifies homosexual relation as unnatural and therefore a crime, a cognisable offence. When some organisations and individuals fighting for gay rights went to the court, the Supreme Court decided that any physical relation between two adults of the same sex by consent shall not be treated as an offence because it is a natural insinct. In other words, homosexuality has not been legalised but only de-criminalised.

As it happens in India, much hue and cry has been made on this verdict. The Court felt that homosexuality was not quite unnatural, and this was the basis of construing it as a crime in the law books. What the Court failed to take cognisance of, and what even many of the verdict's critics fail to raise appropriately, was that law, and also justice, should not only follow what is natural and what is not. We are living in a civilised society. What is raw natural, should not rule our system. Sexual desire is very natural, and naturally one needs a partner to quell it. Just a partner -- may it be of opposite sex or of same sex. No other consideration -- age, relation etc matters.

Going by the logic SC used in deciding the case, will an extra marital relation, or even an incest by consent shall be decriminalised? And what about prostitution? It is already a relation between two adults, by consent, of opposite sex at that. Should it also be a non-crime?

Law does not have always to be based on our natural instincts. A civilised society is civilised just only because it puts restrains on many of our natural instincts. So, the Court should endeavour to make our society civilised rather than natural. It has many hazards.

It is Mothers' Day Today

It is Mothers' Day. I have missed my blogging for quite a long time. Part ue to ongoing University Exams and part due to illnesses at home that came one by one.

The Great Indian Election Drama

We are through so many days in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The first phase, that will cover my state Chhattisgarh, is sceduled on 16th this month. And the drama is on. No one knows who is saying what, to whom and why. One wonders if anyone takes our corrupted politicians seriously. Just a few minutes ago, I was watching Aaj Tak for Bol India Bol programme. At Ranchi most of the people did themselves for the political instability that the they at Jharkhand are facing.

However, classic, and probably most prickly sarcastic, was a real common man's comment when asked what he would do if becomes PM, "सब लोग लूटीये न रहा है? हम भी वही करेंगे, लूटेंगे।" (Every one is looting the people's funds. I will also do the same.) Wonder if any politician really felt the pinch, oe are they the new species of Pachyderms?

No one knows what Varun Gandhi exactly said. Media is also reporting only the he said something. But he is an issue all over. Election Commission itself created a ridiculous history in all dmocracies by advising his party not to make Varun a cadidate! What of Shahabuddins and Surajbhans and Paoppu Yadavs, Honourable Commission Sirs?

There are no issues for the politicians that would really affect the common man. It is all about blame game. One of the weakest ever Home Minister claims to become the strongest PM? A P.M. no one ever heard of speakin on political issues, and those who heard on other issues could not make out what he said, is made out to be the best PM! Tadpoles are trying to be Lions.

There would be more political drama after the elections with strangest of people becoming most vulgar bed fellows, instatntly kicking off there newly found amours.

Let there be peace. Politicians! Do you ever listen to the ground?

Are We Hurrying to End?

There is a genuine concern among the scientists of the world. They know that their experiments in the lab are indicating a clear cut harakiri by the mankind. The sea level has risen double fast, global warming is no more a theoretical problem. Ground water level is going down by the day.

The problem is, bigger players, like the industrialists, politicians and the rich in the richer (a.k.a. developed) states still think they can buy anything with their money. True, what Anartya Sen wrote is right, natural calamities affect the socially and economically backward people more. But, in case of death, there is no money involved. It may come sooner or later for a person but it has to. What industrialists will do with their smoke releasing factories if there is no buyer.

A major problem in fighting already badly damaged environment is that common man is still unaware of the danger. The scientists present the problem in such theoretical jargon that does not concern them. For example, what a farmer in remote Chhattisgarh or Himachal Pradesh is likely to feel about rising sea level?

There is a markable fall in food production, WARMING has started taking its toll, बेर, a common fruit in Indian villages, was not available this season. Weather has become unpredictable. It does not rain in Rainy season, and it is cold in March.

Such issues should be highlighted if something serious is intended to be done.

Pakistan: The Rogue or the Failed State?

The news that is coming out of Pakistan is chilling. For all practical purposes, it has fallen to the taliban. For long, Pakistan has nourished on hate-India policy. Not only for the power seekers but also for the common people, hating India has been the favourite nourishment. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had vowed that Pakistan would eat grass but would for sure make an Islamic bomb, to be used against India was implicit.

Now that they have made their Islamic bomb, they are nearly eating grass. Barack Obama has offered huge assistance to Pakistan to stand on its feet! How ridiculous. Someone who has kneeled down is supposed to stand up?!?!

The tragedy is that Pakistan has nuclear weapons, but no guts (and probably political will also) to protect its nuclear installations and knowledge from falling to hardliners including taliban. Zardari has already said of non-state players active in Pakistan who attacked Mumbai. SWAT has fallen, Karachi is under threat. Can the whole of Pakistan be far behid?

The problem that the world faces is, should Pakistan be let to succumb to its politico-religion based foolhardiness beautifully supplemented by the economic recession? To let open its nuclear installations to rogue hardliners, who are no less than dumbs cutting the branch of tree they are sitting on. Or, should Pakistan be helped out of recession as well as enabling it fight the hardliners? But, will Pakistan ever fight the hardliners? Seems impossible. They have already reached the point-of-no-return. Obama himself has stated that the money Pakistan gets in assistance is used against India. This is a catch 22 situation.

The remedy, one feels, is that a failed Pakistan is a security, nay survival, threat for the whole world. If Pakistan survives it will keep doing what it loves doing best -- hate India. It is better that an international conglomerate, that must include India, under the aegis of the Unitaed Nations should takeover the reigns in Pakistan and do the needfull. If need be, parts of Pakistan be broken merged into neighbouring states like India, Afghnistan, Iran and Russia.

One wonders why the story of Bhasmasur (भस्मासुर) not populaised among the political elite of the world. It tells that if you prop up a demon, it finally kills, or tres to kill, you. Indira and Rajiv Gandhi learnt it the hard way. Taliban (once raised by the US to fight Russia/USSR) is now enemy no. 1 o the US iself. So is happening with Pakistan.

Mr. Obama! Think something more proactive, and more effective. Don't follow the trodden bureaucratic line of solution. Or, just Watch Out.

Jai Ho !

Ultimately, Slumdog Millionaire was a millionaire at the Oscars also. It had to. And, Rahman, A. R. Rahman, bagged two of the Oscars! Pinky also smiled. In all nine Oscars mean a lot. Is it recognition of India's might in the film world? Is it the strength of Indian poverty on film that the world is relishing in highlighting? Is it a sadist award ceremony organised with such a hype?

We heard many disgruntled voices during the building up of Slumdog Millionaire story. It was reported that Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan had refused doing the role Anil Kapoor finally did. Then we heard Mr. Bachchan himself deriding that foreigners come and shoot the poverty of the country and highlight the negative image on films to serve to the sadist appetite of the world. We also had Ms. Shilpa Shetty, all with her megalomania, criticising the same thing in the same way. Ms. Shetty so much as decided to act in a foreign film that would highlight the positive side of India, the Shining India.

What great people. True prodigies of the country. But are they true at heart. I smell something burning somewhere when they open their mouth. Yesterday saw Mr. Bachchan praying for Rahman. What a volte face.

If one wishes to see something common in the two Indian films that won, the positivity is the answer. Slumdog is the story of a slum boy becoming millionaire through a TV show. He knows the answers through his experiences, both good and bad, both sweet and bitter.

Is it the story of deprivation? No way. I feel it is the story of struggle, of hope and perseverance, of denial of defeat, of learning by experience.

Ditto for Pinky Smiles. A small time village girl smiles after some people take up her case. Community living, and sense of oneness? Yes. And a big YESS.

There was some hullabaloo on the term Slumdog. It was not the address of the slum dwellers by the foreigner producers of the film, it is the attitude of our very own resident foreigners. The socio-economic higher strata of India recognises the lower strata by this name.

The nine Oscar Awards to Slumdog Millionaire and Pinky Smiles is the recognition of India's strength, and the strength of its people. We have been proverbial slumdogs and have overcome all odds to snatch from the world a place of honour, place of strength. It is the recognition of India's perseverance.

Jai Ho !