War is not an option

People have been expressing their anger about the incidents of Bombay on 26/11. We must be careful when we consider our options. War is always bad. Mumbaikars including people from all walks of life have been making radical suggestions which find a lot of active and dormant supporters across the nation. But we must not forget our military capability. We have still been following a model where we compensate the lack of sophisticated weaponry by number of men. This is not good. Count the number of American lives lost in combat after world war II, and compare it with what we saw in Kargill. Its very convenient to give in to an instinct of revenge, or express a strong passion, but we must know the cost that we pay for this are innocent human lives, whether Indian or Pakistani. We do not have any right to commit our or our fellow men's lives to a cause which has alternate options available as well. War should be the last option and not the first. Ask any mother or a family that has sent its son to the borders. A paltry salary and canteen facilities are no compensation which give us a right to join a crowd at Mumbai sea face and ask for a war. For during the war, what the majority will do will be to sip a cup of tea in winter mornings & ENJOY (!!!!!??????@#$@) the footage from the frontier. This is sick. No celebrity or any one has any right to demand a war. We must weigh all other options before we go to war.

Harness the ANGER

Events of last week have shaken all of us Indians. But it has also thrown up many pertinent questions:

• This is not the first time that an Indian City has been under attack. Why are the reactions visibly more impassioned now? Many more lives have been lost to Naxalite & Maoists perpetrated violence in Bihar, MP & Andhra. Even struggles have been longer lasting and lives of more people have been lost in many other situations, but why do we not recall any of those events? Current event has happened at a place and involves such people who have a voice that has to be heard.
• If this showdown had happened at a downmarket locality, would we have reacted the same way? We have little evidence of such empathy shown in the past. Even when Ahmedabad, Delhi or Jaipur was witnessing blasts, the people who matter in the system were "deeply shocked", but still partying. They were "disappointed" with politicians, but not really "angry".
• Unni's father has reacted as any father would. A family suffering a loss can be spared the agony of sniffer dogs routine, and uninvited guests are anyway called gate crashers.
• Politicians of all hue have been guffawing all over the place, because they have cultivated contempt for the masses. Politics just like Civil services has become the refuge of middle and lower middle classes. The class rift is a reality. Politicians feel talking of the interests of the masses means debasing a life style that is distant and alien. Comments regarding suit & lipstick reveal the rotten mindset. However, we must not miss the point that this uncouth politician was trying to make. He was saying that just a handful of protestors who are conscious enough to put their best attire at all times, are not really the voice of India. They should not assume unanimity of their criticism of politics and politicians.
• Perhaps the affluent mumbaikers need to assume a role of higher responsibility, just as they have reaped the benefits of commercial success. Will we witness a 100% voter turnout in the next election, at least in the upmarket localities which have always recorded a very low voting.

Blessing in disguise

All situations are controlled by destiny, and future is always brighter than the past. Every event has a purpose,and perhaps the events at Bombay will lead to better times, by leading to events that would ensure a better tomorrow. I think selection of Mr P chidambaram for the post of Home minister is an idea which would have got very few takers even one daya before the events took place. Ministry of Home Affairs has always been seen to be a place for a thoroughbred politician, because successive governments have thought that manipulation of situations to political adavantage in their favor is the sole objective of Home ministry. Now the shocking events have led these zombies in to identifying a performer. My worst fears would have come true, if the portfolio was actually offered to Sharad Pawar or Pranab Mukherjee. Chidambaram will definitely change the way we put a value on Indian lives, and hope that makes for a more secure India. Best of luck Mr Chidambaram.

Enough! Pigs must not be allowed to rule the farm anymore

 

Events of past three days spell out one thing with definitive finality – there is very little substance to claims of Indian intellectual superiority! What kind of a hostage drama have we witnessed? There were hostages- but no demands. There were terrorists who had no intentions of getting away. They were there to do a job, and merit of the job was of no concern to them as far as they believed in it. Even if they earned eyeballs globally, worth a fortune, their organization is still not there to cash upon it. However, the larger issue is – how long can we tolerate this. There are some pertinent questions

• What do we pay taxes for ? To subsidize the weight gain plans of some wretched babus and good for nothing cheapsters, who haul up a crowd of hungry, ignorant, on the edge citizens called masses, and walk into the place of power where they begin to determine our destiny.
• NSG did a great job. But why was it required to do a job of this kind? Do we now believe that army should be called in to carry out civilian duties? We definitely get a better efficiency, but we would be many steps closer to becoming the next Pakistan in the region. Our democracy is an achievement, although only a fraction of what it ought to have been.
• What are the Police and intelligence agencies doing ? Ask the insiders of intelligence machinery. The political stranglehold on the system makes all other interests subservient to political survival ! So one party hunts a particular variety of vulnerability while the other settles scores with extreme opposite.
• Whereas, people could have stayed under false identities in the area during the period of planning the assault, the supplies of the magnitude we witnessed could not have made their way without insider involvement. What is the diligence practised by local intelligence? Is there any professional approach to the issue? The police constable on the street, who we look up to as our saviour symbol, is graded as class four employee by the state machinery and is paid accordingly. The weapons he carries are of a vintage and state of maintenance which would make the inventors of those contraptions very proud today, in their graves!
• The best in class transport is what is provided to the law enforcement agencies in developed countries. Whereas our ruling elite match the paraphernalia of their western counterparts for themselves, there is absolutely no thinking for investing in infrastructure. Why else would they be travelling an empty road in bullet proof custom manufactured land rovers or mercs, whereas police is expected to pursue the criminals in a Mahindra workhorse. The netas move around with jammers, but the constables are not even equipped with mobile phones !

   

  What should be done ?

   

  • Withdraw all VIP security provided to government functionaries by virtue of their officer, except the president
  • All other securities sought for by individuals should be provided by a company under the central government and should be paid for at market rates.
  • The police system should be completely overhauled, starting from recruitment to training to career progression. This is the only method to attract good talent to these forces, and curtail corruption.
  • The concept of VIP should be thoroughly examined. Why do we pay taxes for providing security to criminals in office? Is Indian life cheaper than an American life ? It is perhaps so, that is the reason why public reaction to loss of life are so different in our two societies. We have not demanded as a community for the public service infrastructure to be upgraded. What ever has happened is only the result of collective greed of the society, which prompts investments. Public infrastructure like law and order machinery should be need driven and not prompted by profit potential alone.
  • Training of security personnel is also of extreme importance. A sociological profile of the lower level personnel who are the grinding wheel of the machinery are still sourced from villages, where agriculture is falling out of favour, because of shrinking size of land holdings. It is career of choice out of desperation, and the exposure thereafter still rivals what was afforded to bonded labor in zamindari system. The burra sahib gets burra share, and the change is spared for the level below. Life pulls on without passion for the job at hand. If you do not believe this please observe their body language if you are stopped for a checking on the road. The stereo typical image of a street vagabond as a criminal is what they are looking for. Sophistication gets the better of them. So whereas their training still equips them to handle petty thieves, crime has moved on in sophistication. Counter mechanism of this advancement by criminals has become a specialized skill within security machinery, and like all other specialization, its proliferation is guarded with a zeal only at the cost of general human life.
  • To effectively combat terrorism, use of technology and community participation is a must. I think not only criminals but all of us should be required to get our credentials verified every six months. Every police station must have a full database of all permanent residents of the area, and it should work on a white list, instead of a black one.
  • The cause of terrorist activities backed by religious fervour is never economic. Its almost always political. However, the fodder to this fire is earned from economically deprived communities. If any institutions of whatever religious leanings is seen to jeopardize community peace and security, it must be dealt with earnestly.
  • To begin with, withdrawing all security provided to political individuals or functionaries in government or judiciary will go a long way. Who knows such a step may lead to much needed amputation of the social gangrene! Remember, the fate of boxer and other animals in the legendary "Animal Farm". For as long as "All animals are equal" but "some animals are" allowed to be "more equal than others", the pigs will rule !