United we stand

Its ironical that some people believe that in order to grieve about an unfortunate event, they need to carry out another one. The Indian Mujahideen (IM) , a banned terrorist group, claimed full responsibility for the bomb blast at Sheetla Ghat in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It attributed this blast as a 'tribute' to mark 6th December, the day Babri Masjid was demolished 18 years ago. Though the blast went off while the spiritual prayer was going on which had a gathering of around 4200 people, only one child lost his life.




Even though the Babri Masjid verdict sure did aim at satisfying both Hindus and Muslims, it seems like it didn't go well with some people round here. But it was nice to know that both Hindus and Muslims condemned the Varanasi blast and termed it as a conspiracy to sever cordial ties between both the communities and instigate communal feeling.

"We are worried over the blast in the religious city of Varanasi. Extremists are targeting the religious town to widen the gap between Hindus and Muslims... they want to demolish the communal harmony and Hindu-Muslim brotherhood to create an atmosphere of instability. We deeply condemn the inhuman act in Varanasi," said a Muslim to the PTI. 


So I'd say that whoever the IM tried to instigate by carrying out this attack, it looks like a failed attempt. Hindus and Muslims showed unity and its about time that terrorist groups stop trying to disrupt peace.

Politicians under the radar for involvement in the food grain scam

Digest this : Being tagged as "the mother of all scams", the food grain scam is estimated at around INR 35,000 crore. The food grain meant for the poorest people has been smuggled out of Uttar Pradesh into the open market and to neighboring countries like Nepal and Bangladesh.

 

Though the CBI registered nine cases in connection with the scam in 2008, it is only now that the investigating agency has been directed by the Allahabad High Court to proceed with further inquiry into the scam.
 

This scam obviously leaves the image of the political parties that ruled Uttar Pradesh in the past decade tainted. Its surprising to see politicians take the moral high-ground.

The political establishment cannot possibly escape the blame for this scam - Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natrajan.

We are dealing with the poorest of the poor and the very question of their livelihood. This is something very fundamental for which we do politics - BJP General Secretary Ravishankar Prasad.

 

This scam brings under limelight the hollowness of all those schemes which are formulated to help the poor. Antyodaya Scheme, Jawahar Rozgar Yojana and Mid-Day Meal Scheme look like nothing but fancy names wherein the poor barely get any kind of benefits. Its a shame.

Another 'anti national' label

In a recent post, I had talked abut people being branded as anti nationals because they expressed a view that did not go well with the majority. The latest to have labeled 'anti natinal' is a Congress leader and Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) minister for health and horticulture, Sham Lal Sharma.
 
  Sham Lal favoured statehood for J&K and a Union territory status for Ladakh.
“Kashmir should be granted freedom, Jammu should be made a separate state and Ladakh a Union territory. This is the only solution and can lead to progress and development of the state,” he said at a public rally in Jammu.




While the Congress tried to play safe by stating that Lal's statement was his "personal view" and has nothing to do with the Congress's standpoint on the issue, the BJP went to the extent of tagging him as an anti national.
“Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Sharma’s azadi (freedom) remark is unacceptable. We stand for the unity of Jammu and Kashmir, but want an end to Jammu’s discrimination.. Anyone who advocates disintegration of the country should be considered an anti-national.” - BJP state president SS Manhas.


This news just helps me strengthening my argument - We are intolerant and have little or no respect for each others opinions.

Some cyber security please!

India really needs to gear up its cyber security. The website of CBI, a premier investigating agency, was hacked by programmers identifying themselves as Pakistani Cyber Army.


The home page had a message from the 'Pakistani Cyber Army' warning the Indian Cyber Army not to attack their websites.

The CBI website is supposed to be one of the most secure websites and is connected to the command centre of world police organisation - Interpol - 24x7.


CBI should take warnings more seriously. Intelligence agencies are continually warning the government that proper cyber security was not ensured in government offices and that no security audit was being carried out.


The CBI needs to watch its guard as the Pakistani Cyber Army has also warned that it would carry out mass defacement of other websites.

A happy and gay day

There are instances when one finds it difficult to accept what life has to offer. But only a few accumulate the strength to even try and make a difference, to bring about a change and break the normal course of life. It was nice to see the streets of Connaught place in New Delhi filled with people who came out to support the gay rights. 

The Queer Pride Parade held on Sunday was attended by around 3500 people including family members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Fighting for the right to live with freedom and respect, the parade sent out a message against the discrimination faced by the LGBT community.

Some of the interesting slogans used were: 'Boys will be with boys', 'Out is in' and 'Have a gay day'.

"I feel proud to be here along with my grandson to support this cause. Main yahi kahungi ki jiyo aur azadi se jeene do. (I’ll just say live and let live)" said one of the oldest participant’s grandmother.

Though the Delhi high court passed a judgement to decriminalize homosexuality throughout India on 2 July, 2009, there are many who still consider homosexuality a taboo. It is parades like these that bring our attention to these respected communities. With an amazing support here at Delhi, I hope the parade is even more colorful in Mumbai on 29 January, 2011.

Our refusal to listen to another voice

I wonder what it means to be an anti national. There are times when people are tagged so because they expressed their opinions on an issue which did not go well with the majority. 

"India needs azadi (freedom) from Kashmir as much as Kashmir needs azadi from India": Arundhati Roy. This is what got the writer and social activist under the radar.

I am open to a discussion around whether or not Arundhati Roy should face sedition charges, keeping in mind that she is inflectional and her speeches can very well strike a chord with the people of Kashmir. But when one raises doubts if she is a proud national of India, I have a problem.

"What I say (about Kashmir) comes from love and pride," said Roy claiming that her views can’t take away the fact that she is a proud national of India.

An Indian court ruled that she could face prosecution for allegedly speaking out on the disputed region of Kashmir.

I wonder how this ruling reflects on one of our fundamental rights of freedom of expression. The right to disagree and hold a contrary view is a fundamental right of any democracy. In our democracy, this becomes even more important because so many of us simply don’t have a voice, take for instance the stone-throwing children of Kashmir.

It seems like any mention of the word “azadi” can get one tagged as an anti national. Whether or not I agree with Roy is a different case but I do recognise the right of every Indian to hold a point of view.

According to me what is anti-national is this: the refusal to listen to another voice.

A chance to lead a better life: For women who’re no longer working for the naxal movement

"The decision has come as a ray of hope for victims who can now look forward to a decent life," said Arti, a woman who had joined the naxals in 2002. She fell in love with one of the team members but, was abandoned by the party when the commander came to know about her pregnancy. Her parents refused to take her back and she was forced to leave the village. She is living with her child, working in a stone-crusher plant.

In one of my earlier posts, I’ve talked about a naxalite who finally decided to quit the red rangers and lead a normal life. What instigated her was the fact that she had been sexually abused by top naxal leaders. But then, I thought to myself if these women would ever get to lead normal lives which could give them respect and happiness. As it turns out, the UP government had decided to provide rehabilitation to such women, who’ve been abandoned or have abandoned the naxals because they were abused.

They will be trained under various welfare schemes and given jobs for self-sustenance. But again, they had to fight for it. The state came to this decision after the victims sought relief from the UP chief minister, Mayawati. They petitioned to her seeking her intervention for their rehabilitation. "These women can be trained and given jobs as mid-day meals cooks in primary schools, shikshak mitras, anganwadi workers, among other things," said Vinit, a social activist.