Heard the term ‘Nero fiddles while Rome burns’ ? Well, replace Nero with the Indian Politicians and Rome with an India that is descending into chaos. While the Indian politicians play games with the lives of the people and horse trade between themselves to somehow, anyhow, at any cost, keep themselves in power. This year Jaipur, then Bangalore and now Ahmedabad.. I heard the Home minister Shivraj Patil say something strange on TV like ” this is not time to blame the police, or the government.” Excuse me sir ! But when you lose your loved ones, who are you going to blame ? Who is in charge here ? Someone must teach the politicians that with power comes RESPONSIBILITY. Well, I guess for our politicians power means not responsibility, but cash. OK, lets hear everyone’s voices here – who do YOU blame ?
I blame the terrorists.
Hi Shekhar- It is sad to hear about bomb blasts in India again and again. J. Krishnamurti once said, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is so true of all politicians, especially our Indian politicians -corrupt to the core. Their greed for power, their passing the blame and not taking responsibility for their position and enormous laziness except to fill their personal coffers, well, the buck starts from the top. Grab, grab and grab, wherever possible and whenever possible, has been their mantra. And, it is the grassroot level who are courted in order for politicians to get their seats only to be forgotten thereafter. Well, soon, the fat ministers will visit the tragic locations, take their pictures and dust their hands off. Despite having the intelligence, ability, resources and manpower, our country is suffering because imaan, dharam are mere words relegated to the books. I wonder what would make the politicians to act with honesty -loss of their loved ones in such tragedies?
Disclaimer: At the deepest level, there is no one to blame. Each gets a piece of the pie. Having said that, on a more elementary level..
As far as India is concerned, the passive nature of Indians especially that of the pseudo-secularists has added to the paralysis of the national security and infrastructure, while the UPA has proven itself to be the equivalent of a proactive ally of these terrorists by disabling the anti-terrorist laws passed by the NDA and publicly displaying their corrupted souls which are secular in a way that they can be bought by any body without religious discrimination. Such a weak, corrupted, fragmented administration in India is a terrorist’s boon.
India is a country with a considerable Hindu majority. The problem before when the Mughals, etc. attacked was that there wasn’t a united India that could tackle them. But now it is a single country which is developing rapidly, though in its infancy with the majority of the leaders still being Hindus, and as such, these foolish acts are only going to polarise the situation to undesirable extents for the minority especially when these acts start affecting the livelihood of the secularists and pseudo-secularists.
So in the larger picture, a strong nationalist party has to come in and secure the country for stability else the short-sighted secularism is surely going to destabilize India.
Shekar,
We the people have the power to vote and no matter how responsibly you use this power, 90% of the time you end up with irresponsible politicians. Now, if this is the fate of power used responsibly. What can you expect from the politicians who have Power but have no clue what the word “Responsibility” means.
Rajesh.
It is our system I guess the democratic system ,and it is not working for one good reason that mankind is evolving towards more greed, more power seeking ,humanity seems to have taken a back step in this materially evolving world .
Ancient monarchy seems to be a better option where the chances of going wrong depends solely to one and if by chance found diseased can be operated on! But here in present scenario the whole body is infected any treatment looks to be Herculean and a clueless task. What a bull shit trade of ministers we witnessed recently can we think those pimps (one of my friend call them so, and I call them bin painde ke lote )can be trusted for loyalty and commitment whence it expected the most looking into seat or place they occupy ?
‘Coalition government’ my foot! Don’t know how when and to whom the idea strike
we aren’t mature enough to be of a democratic ruled nation.
politicians are to blame of course. had it not been for them, India wouldn’t be facing such problems for so many decades! The problem has always existed. It’s just ‘exploding’ into our daily lives now. They make a mockery of the political system and then ask you to vote.How do you pick the better of two thieves when you know you’re going to be stripped off everything anyway?! It’s all so ridiculous. Death has become so easy and random even civilians get desensitized becoz it’s on every news channel. Human life has no regard. It’s a game where every life is nothing more than a pawn that has no say. It’s a game of numbers. Bigger the number of people killed, greater the unrest, more the controversy, better a chance to point fingers and topple the government. Oh and yes they all “strongly condemn these cowardly acts”. Duh! It’s strange to hear such feeble words when almost over 500 people have died in different blasts over the past 6 years (this i heard on one of the news channels yesterday). But the numbers definitely go beyond 500. Because with each life that has been extingushed there are ten each among loved ones that have perished.
Sir,
Indian Mindset is to be blamed. The biases and the communal and the reservation policies are to be blamed. The politics is to be blamed. The population explosion is to be blamed. The poor people are to be blamed. The media is to be blamed for their reach.
The idea of being better than your immediate neighbour or kith and kin is to be blamed.
The idea of coming out and thinking big is to be blamed.
The idea of being a Global Player is to be blamed.
The Blasts make noises and caused deaths, injuries and media attention.
The silent deaths of farmers, the road accidents, victims of wrong medical advices, murders of revenge in love and greed, infanticides, death by negligences all acounted will be far greater than the deaths caused by the Blasts.
Blasts are scary because they warn you of the changing mindset of people. Their frustrations and wants unfulfilled.
Blaming 543 people only in a population of more than 1200 crores will be giving too much importance to their intelligence.
Where are our Nation keepers the system generators the IAS? The Secretaries of all departments and association. They are in lakhs and they have trained intelligence too. They have contacts with the system they run the country.
Nexus between the newly elected politician whose tenure can be days to ride on the heads of these learned qualified people is to be blamed.
If Mr.Karat can sack Mr. Somnath from the party for not fulfilling his party’s aspirations who is to blame. We need good people in politics all the time but what about the good ones who are already there. How do we keep them above party politics and work for the nation?
Cash on Tv was a joke? There are thousand ways to trade horses much unknown to media and common man.
Fisrt time small town parliamentarian may be lured for small temptation to look after his immediate family.
Most of the politicians are rich and well supported by regional Business houses.
When corporates’s use the nations judiciary and time and attention of the system to settle their differences and gain from contracts who is to blame?
The (ill)legitimate right to bring down the WTC and the Iraq war is to be blamed?
Vinod Agarwal – Jab Jab Maine Sar Uthaya, Sar chaukhat se Takraya..!!
Blame is such a debilitating act. What does it matter who is to blame.What is important is what do we do about what has happened. I am sitting in the comfort of my home on a sunday morning, just reading the news and shrugging it off like just another day. Whether it is Jaipur, Bangalore or Ahmedabad – I just don’t seem concerned. All that is important to me is that immediate question – hope all those i know are fine. When I am like this, who am i to blame the politicians of our country. You can say perhaps its their job and they didn’t do their job right and hence they are to blame. But am i doing my job right – fine, i am just a small individual ekeing out my living, in my little area. what is my responsibility in all this? where is my humanness? Where is the care and compassion that i need to show to my fellow humans and my society? If any one is to blame Shekhar it is me. For my selfishness, for my total lack of concern of what happens around me as long as it doesn’t personally affect me, my lack of civic consciousness and even perhaps for my electing a government that cannot deliver. And the next question is am i just a microcosm of what ails our whole society or am I alone in this?
Hi Sekhar,…pretty apparent that some cheap political game’s on here what with blasts in Bangalore as well as Ahmedabad…sometimes me thinks there’s no terror group that’s behind these but have been named/made the scapegoat of such allegations to cover up for some dirty games by politicians
I put the blame squarely on the WEAK Indian government led by WEAK leaders. I have been repeatedly saying that the cheapest commodity in India is a human life. And it will remain so as long as our leaders keep counting their horse-trading crores sitting in their plush state-funded bungalows. Do they care if blood is spilling on the streets of India? No, they don’t! As long it is someone else’s family member who dies, they are ok with it. They don’t care because they have their Z category protection with a dozen AK-47 totting commandos to protect their worthless lives. These skilled commandos who are guarding so called VIPs like the Amar Singhs, Mayawatis and the ABs of India should be guarding the ‘common’ citizens. This complete misuse of state-powers and funds is going to put this country into a state of anarchy and chaos sooner than later, unless it is checked right now.
Cheers!
Naturally to those who got punished…
If it is the weak leadership THEY elected it;
If it is the terrorists THEIR lack of awareness allowed them to plant bombs or allowed the bombs to remain undetected;
If it is the evolutionary scheme of things of the universe it is for THEM for it is only through suffering that they can be pushed to higher awareness/stage of evolution;
And so on….
In the ultimate analysis it is always the sufferer who is to blame if at all. God or The Perfect Evolutionary Scheme of Things of the Universe is not foolish to make the blame of one become a cause of suffering of an other.
you wanna play blame game………..? come, lets play………
but, whose side are you on…….?
coz, all that are like us……..are WE
while the rest of them……..are THEY………
isnt that where the whole trouble starts ??
When 9/11 occured, Mr. Bush presented a strong outlook, and told the American citizens how he’d trace the criminals and how he’s with the public.
When an incident occurs, our impotent politicians try to blame each other, and say we’re trying to do something unknown and might be able to catch a few innocent people in an unknown period of time.
While we can’t blame the politicians or the public for these blasts, we can certainly blame our institutions and politicians for not being concerted, and having a lack-a-disal approach towards a disaster for the country.
We can also blame many of our politicians for not even trying to cull panic and instill confidance among the indian public, but instead, simply bickering about party policies as an answer to a terroristic attack on our country.
i don’t think this is the time to indulge in blame games – the ‘leaders’ have started doing it. let’s not jump on to the bandwagon
Mr.Shekar ,
why should somebody be blamed.the bombings are collecively faced by Indians ,no matter if they are P.M ,President or Opposition.Its a wound to the whole nation and its citizens,and we are moving forward bravely facing every bomb and attack and making the world realise the way we cope up and live with tragedies every day.Its shameful to see you writing like careless Indian.Why didnt you be in Intelligence Department or Police or Politics to avoid these things,or why didnt you stop your work and do the prevention of the attacks.There are(Highly Superior ,Intelligence & Police Department) people to work on such things and are well trained and much more potent than you, to protect country,they too are indians ,sweating,hurdling 24×7 to protect Every centiimeter of India at any situation .If you are far superior to Intelligence and Police department then you can blame,you are not even eligible to take their name,when you job is so much dislocated from such kind of activited ,where you are selfish about your proffesion.Never Have you ever looked or scanned every inch of the street you live on 24×7.Then if something bad happens then you are responsible.But how can you predict that some X will place bombs here and there.How can you prevent somebody doing these things,you dont know what is in everybodys mind,Its highly impossible if thats the case every inch of india should be searched ,scanned, spyed(we indians havent fallen so much to spy on our own fellow citizens[its U.S.A,which spies on its citizen] as we dont create terrorists),do you have a solution for that Mr.Shekar ?You may be having security to yourself but why should you have,why cant you secure yourself,while doing your job or sleeping.its damaging how irresponsibly you are talking about blaming,ok if that is the case you are the one to be blamed,why didnt you stop this from happening,you are also an indian you should answer? why didnt you raise the voice to people or address the nation that ‘Everybody should be carefull about surroundings and inform the police if anything looks suscicious’ ,when blasts and attacks happened in Banglore , Hyderabad and Jaipur.You cant motivate people, to prevent anti-social incidents to take place ,but you want somebody to be blamed?Stupidity and irresponsible attitude and carelessness towards your fellow indians and nation has subjected you to ask such demeaning and disgusting questions,why dont you help everybody and lend a hand to the government and police, in finding what has happenned and what will happen,and how to prevent? will you? i know you will answer being dumb. Please dont ever be a leader to any part of india except your personal owned home and assets.
I sure hope the celebrities of Bollywood and other influential people take upon themselves the responsiblity of spreading awareness of this virus of islamic fundamentalism that is plaguing India which is exponentially worse than the AIDS virus.
We have to just keep hoping that Modi will take over the reigns or another Bal Thackeray will rise to protect the Hindus..however, the moderate indian muslims also belong there but they should be made to remove all separatist fanatic crap from their religious teachings..religions have to be heavily monitored in india and forced conversions have to be dealt with in the most strict manner and anyone who preaches violence against another for not believing their crap needs to be put behind bars.
It is disheartening to see such a defunct country as India which has failed to protect its majority..it really is in God’s hands (through some vessels) to put this blessed land back in its glory.
i really don’t know whome to blame in ahmedabad i know its all old ahmedabad mixed population. my family is in ahmedabad and they blame muslims for that and i argue from u.s.a its politicians to be blamed and the currupt and non functional police and justice system. i was there for 2003 riots and worked with effected families and they blamed each other and naraind modi. i blame nariand modi the most currupt and shrud politician.
citizen can’t keep vigilance on where bombs are placed and who is plotting attact its a job of government and justice system. i blmae narendra modu for gujarat
Well, I blame ISLAM
I Blame Reservations
I Blame Muslims
I Blame Nehru
I Blame MK Gandhi
dear bloke, it seems to me that you are suggesting vigilante groups that are ordinary citizens ! It was such vigilante groups that left a million dead during the partition of India. That is the worst thing that could happen.
Shekhar
shekhar, this blog somehow did not seem like coming from your consciousness……or atleast my perception of you ( cannot say any more coz i do not know you beyond your blog,do i ? )
nothing deeper than ” who do you blame ? ” pat on the next day of the tragedy ??
meditate my dear man……….do not stray from your core so much !
Hi Shekhar ,
The person to be blamed is “me” … each of us ….who call ourselves Indians and are interested in associating ourselves with the country and love our country.Bcoz, we are simply not doing our own duty towards choosing the right people to power, we do not allow ourselves to feel more towards our own neighbours.We nourish the feeling that — oh OK, call up our own relatives and friends and check if they are fine … then are stoik enough to relax and say .. oh it was someone else who got bombed, not our family !. This is why we are where we are today … the thought behind religious tolerance was never what India has turned out to be today.
After knowing that we ourselves are to be blamed
… the question comes how to improve things around us ?
How to take more responsibility about things around us
…how to NOT ignore things that dont feel right and ensure we are involved to make the necessary changes
Our independence came with a lot of mass awareness, many tried many kinds of resistance, their styles differed …. now if we want to make a difference again to stop such acts of terrorism .. we have to again rise as a mass … be responsible as a mass, ensure we rise to the occassion and start NOT by expecting “others” to do anything.. but doing it ourselves in whichever small way we can .
If we want to see our country stop rolling into the pits … if we want to see a different future for India than what Afghanistan is today . Then we need all of us to take more upon ourselves on an individual level and take things in our hands. We avoid taking reponsibility hence we shrug it off on electing weak politians and incompetant leaders who we know even before we elect have no backbone to resist, confront or ignore terrorist groups.
Its time to a revolution.. its time to put a stop to India’s doom.
of course no body can be blamed. india doesnt have the resources to fight terror. after the bombings all major cities were put on high alert. I m a hyderabad right now and i dont see any increased vigil anywhre. but i dont blame anyone. what all places are u going to guard. that is almost impossible in india.
but that doesnt mean the politicians can shirk responsibility. the least the politicians can do is to accept responsibility and give some condolence to those who have lost their near ones. now everybody is getting a feeling that nobody cares. even the vote of confidence drama suggets that either the politicinas think we indians are stupid or may b they dont care what we think.
It is such a shame that we are witnessing such inhuman random killings done by a bunch of frustrated, disoriented and probably fanatic bunch of hooligans. And if you ask me, who should be blamed — it has to be the politicians topping the list. Followed by the state machinery, the terrorists themselves and us.
Yesterday I was discussing about the blast with a friend in UK, and during the talk, I actually said that there is no surety that the blasts were not supported or funded or masterminded by the state themselves. I for once cant completely trust my leaders — most of our leaders are people with horrific histories — with enormous unaccounted wealth, with numerous criminal records and no education. How can we be sure that Indian Mujahideen is not a brain child of a political plan? Maybe this time it is not (I totally believe Godhra was, for that matter even Babri Masjid Mess was to an extent..), but who can vouch that our government is for working for us? With a population like ours — which has diverse belief systems, how can we be fair democratic nation?? When we pay heed to 51% vote (considering that to be a majority) and ignore the views of the rest 49%? We are pseudo democratic and also pseudo secular. You and I may not be discriminating on the basis of religion – but look at the majority and you will sadly see that you are wrong. Sometimes I feel, maybe India would have done better if it was under dictatorship of a learned and authoritative person. Anyway, looking at the trend, the blasts are being targeted in BJP states — Jaipur, Bangalore, Ahmedabad .. So the next in line is MP. I hope it doesn’t happen .. But I would like everyone to be careful .. The least we can do is spread the message of love and peace — of genuine love — that can be the only savior.
I am surprised to see that people don’t have an opinion. Saying something like ‘I blame NO ONE’ shows that one cares less — is unaware — thinks that he/she is living in the Utopian world.. If one has to be a responsible citizen, he or she should first be aware and develop an opinion — a sound opinion. A majority of the comments here say ‘I blame none’.. How is that possible?? If you hold no one accountable/responsible, how will you take steps to ensure it doesn’t repeat? If the people of this nation say, ‘I blame no one’, then the future of the country is also as ambiguous as the the ‘no-ones’. Truly sad — especially in this era of information.. Like I think quite often, availability of information is doing no good..
People with antisocial ideologies hijack unemployed youth of our country.
Why were they unemployed? May be because education was not a priority in their families. May be these individuals were the most ignored children out of many of their parents. May be their parents didn’t have the financial power to make them well behaved and educated men.
Shekhar, I feel, that’s where the governments come into the picture. It’s their responsibility to provide quality education to those who can’t afford it. They should have programs that would attract the downtrodden and underprivileged towards education and its benefits.
Securing our country from naxalites / terrorists and other antisocial elements, is the responsibility of our intelligence / police and our government. They can’t do that with sticks and mikes in hand. They have to go beyond that.
Yes, I blame all those three.
Well Shekar, you have media power unlike me now, why not use a bit of it for an anti-terrorism campaign, I’ll be glad to tell my ideas if there are eyes to read or ears to listen.
Hello Sir,
I am disappointed by YOU and I second kochuthresiamma P J’s thought. Its not right to start a blame game. Especially when its a personality like you. It is even dangerous cause its a very fickle minded question that you are posting forward to the readers of your blog.
I don’t know how this is “Sharing creativity Sharing Vision”!! Seriously be serious Mr Kapur. Cause its innocent lives that has gone. And by your blame game vision, it is not going to bring those back. So prudent before judging others, especially when its someone as intelligent as you.
Cheers
Jojo from France
I seriously think that people who got enough time to rant about nothing useful are to be blamed. Do you have any idea how long your so called blog entry would be read? At times like these it is “Wat is to be done?” question asked rather than “Let’s have people think and come up with something which would be amusing to read and forget!”. I guess everyone has their own word abt everything happening around us. So, there is no point in citing individual thoughts and reading them over and over. Please write something which can inject thoughts about collective action into everyone’s mind. Last but not least, don’t misuse an effective medium like internet to send out ripples of your anxiety to know “what people think”.
A very pertinent question to be asked..but at a very pertinent time? I don’t know about that..What I mean by that is – if mankind had asked this question to itself, day in day out, at every crisis that it dealt with, along every point in time and made a very serious attempt to answer it, had not gone so lazy in thinking, had not taken the shorter version of life (that of blaming others), had not cherished what the heart celebrated as emotions but had the courage to look beyond and deal with its own mind – the world would have been a better place – may be.
Some smart (and i do not mean this in a sarcastic way at all) human beings at varying points in their lifes, wrote varying codes of conduct, for the society to follow and when found that the stuff that they made up is not seriously taken..added magic, Gods with multiple limbs, crucification, formlessness and such ridiculuos ideas to their code – and the ones that stood the stand of time became RELIGIONS. All in good intention and all went well until people started knowing people from other religions…Matters of heart like Jealousy, Hatred, Ego played their part in the killings that made their beginning centuries ago…And mankind just forgot one thing..Love is a matter of heart too..the highest and the most purest of them all..and the only non-destructive one so to speak..This is what happens when Heart takes over mind because Jealousy, Hatred, Ego takes over Love (love is noting but mind informed – dont you think)
So who is to be blamed – everybody who has ever existed on the face of this planet – their belief system (which time and again proves to be wrong) no one thing mankind has thought up is perfect, has become perfect or will ever become perfect..
All it takes for peaceful existence (peaceful with ourselves and with others) is Awareness and Acceptance i guess..Be aware and accept..how do we get Six Billion people to do this…
Hey, guys chill out. There is enough bashings happening already, must we bash each other on the blog? When somebody expresses an opinion and invites participation –you have a choice, either to do or not to do. From the emails, it is apparent that all of us do feel genuinely for the victims and expressed anger and frustration. It is a forum. I am sure every one wrote spontaneously, outpouring their grief and, of course, pointing fingers. MIA CULPA. We are all responsible. Yes, change has to happen and right now –with all of us, both for ourselves and for others we live with. Those of us, who have the ability, and resources to make positive changes in the society, please do so and let us know. It does not have to be Shekhar because he posed the question. Please, don’t shoot the messenger. There is already an obscure militant organization that has taken the responsibility. Things are happening, albeit slowly, but they are. I love you guys. Through your replies, it was energizing to read and experience your collective feeling for our people, our country.-Vanmala
Why, Shekharji, why on earth did you want to trigger one more round of name-calling and venom-spitting on this blog? From all those posts so far, you should have noticed that not all your readers are mature enough to deal with sensitive topics like this.
After all, why do we want to indulge in blame games when so many people in this country are grieving the loss of their near and dear ones in bastardly acts by some blockheads? Why did you want the people to hazard guesses, ill-informed and uninformed most of the times, and further add to the yawning chasm between different communities? Whoever did it, for whatever little we know, all that they wanted was to further divide this society. And, here you are giving the fanatics a forum to further their agenda.
Common sense should have told those perpetrators of terror that it is a lose-lose situation. Nobody gains. Nobody wins.
Nobody has taken up responsibility for the blasts in Bangalore; responsibility for Ahamedabad blasts are reportedly claimed by a Muslim outfit. Within minutes of the Bangalore blast, the official response came, in the familiar lines, putting the needle of suspicion on Muslim terrorist organizations. Ad nauseam, we have been hearing this SIMI, LeT story. And, what have our intelligence agencies and Government done to stop them, or to preempt these strikes except for blanket warnings like terrorists are targeting this city and that?
If it was indeed done by an Islamist organization, someone someday should tell them that their acts are further alienating their community from the mainstream. People are too happy to generalize; to create the Others. All muslims are terrorists, pakistan agents, traitors, our people generalize, shamelessly and insensitively; they discuss on the streets, trains, buses, in the cafes, office canteens, everywhere. And we know how the act of a handful of goons spoil the image of one community, already on the verge of being ostracized, and push them further out of the mainstream and into the ghettos.
And, then was it indeed done by Muslim outfits? Well, who knows. will we ever get to know the truth? I doubt. We have heard the story behind 13th December; we have heard other stories of encounter killings; we have seen enough to be skeptical. No, this is no attempt to whitewash any terrorist. But just letting you know how frustrated I’m to see what’s happening around us, how someone is digging his own grave, and how the others are waiting with their share of dirt to fill in the grave. Sad.
Mr.Shekar,
this is my comment on the remark “Vigilant groups that left one million dead during partition of india” which you have made.Its good to bring this point for a clear view .
Fundamental Muslims demaded British Empire for a seperate province between 1920-30s and British Government were irritated with the new problem ,they took steps to embed communal coflicts, which catalysed the Muslim community to be united against Other communities ,and strongly demand a secular state;British Government wanted to divert and weaken the “Indian Independence” struggle,as it was coping up with World War I&II and it was in great need of resources which India is capable so they dont want to loose India and dont want any headaches from India while fighting the world wars so continued the communal conflicts to prosper and multiply,they were succesful.These Communal Riots didnt stop Independence Struggle.But British Empire gave Independence with Partition.Which Brought Migration of People from two geographies and Communal riots engulfed till the pratition period ended.Majority and Minorites were formed in both India and Pakistaan.Even before the Partition of India (and Independence) there were communal riots and conflicts but not Terrorist activites; this is the clear picture and vivid vision of what is what. Now after Partition(& Independence) the Islamic extremists came from Pakistan and attacked the Indian soil.Now these Islamic Extremists are the subsets of same people who participated in Communal riots of Undivided India(i.e, before Independence)but are Aliens of Divided India.If you can get the Point that they were “citizens of India” before 1947 august 14 and “Islamic Extermists” from Pakistan after 1947 August 14.so your remark “it seems to me that you are suggesting vigilante groups that are ordinary citizens ! It was such vigilante groups that left a million dead during the partition of India.”is not valid as ,but here the Vigilant groups which you were refering are mainly from two communal groups (not just one);the one million dead were mainly muslims & hindus from both Parts of undivided India;
But things that are happening presently (and also after Independence),are due to Palistan’s Islamic extremists (which are supported by their Governments and Governing bodies of Pakistan)who are Enemies to India and its Citizens .
Vigilant Groups (of 1947)that you are saying are set of Citizens of India and Pakistan.yes you are refering people of two nations and two communities who participated in Partition of India .They are different ,these Islamic Extremists are different,thats what i conclude.
Deepshikha,
You mind has been screwed up by over-indulgence in intellectualism. Get a sense of balance please. State sponsored? We have a clear enemy in the ISI and their stray islamic militant dogs whom they have learnt to fatally control through madrasas and such.
This across-the-border filth only wants to turn the Indian muslims into a ready-made army against Hindus and India as a whole. Godhra, hindu-sikh divisions, all these blasts, even instances of anti-indian sentiment in nepal is being spread by these ISI dogs.
Wake up and see it for what it is instead of indulging in brain-dead conspiracy theories at such a time.
I for one, respect Shekharji’s honest expression in an atmosphere of utter cowardice shown by celebrities and media disguised as tolerance. Indians cannot afford to water this down and sweep it under the mat like they have done for ages. Islamic militants will not stop at anything. Besides, this has also become a growing means of livelihood for them which makes this even more dangerous.
We can go on indluging in philosophy and crap as to how we are all to blame and stuff, but the bottom line is..this virus is not going to stop and join you in self-analysis. If no stern actions are taken, this pattern will get worse as it has in the past few years. It is a sad but true fact that Indians will have to fight back to ensure a good future for their children.
dear abhi, i completely agree with you that it is the time to grieve for the loss of so many innocent lives. But when such acts of terrorism become a pattern, it is time to take action, don’t you think ? Do we really want to allow India turn into a country where you are uncertain that your child will return safe from school ?
My blog is not meant to be anti-Islamic. I am surprised some of our community have interpreted it as one. It is a blog expressing deep frustration at a government that is completely mindless of the chaos that India is descending into. A political system that thrives on the seeding of divisive social discontent, be it between religions or between caste. A political system that thrives on unrest and therefore disharmony. A political system that refuses to throw up national leaders that have any respect left or we can look up to.
I believe that much of the terrorism all over the world comes from such discontent – Shekhar
Let us not play the blame game. We all are a part of the system. Spare a thought for those who lost their near and dear once and there will be many injured people who will live their lives with handicaps.
Xactly shekhar….the system is to be blamed. that is bcos just as u so rightly said this system thrives on divisive politics. gud politics cannot be sustained by this system. we will have to look at major changes in the system. many political research organisations have concluded the same but the problem is that the system has to be changed from being within the system and that is the paradox.
Dear Shekhar,
After redaing the comments above the only think I really want to think about is how to avert them in the future. I think it can only be done by a far stronger intelligence infrastructure and much stronger and visible police force – even army if required for a short while. This article “India: The Terrorists Within” appeared in TIME day before yesterday and I am posting two relevant paragraphs. The whole article is available at:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1826950,00.html?imw=Y
“While the credibility of the e-mail has yet to be established, the recent bombings have forced the Indian authorities to face some very uncomfortable facts. First, terrorist groups now have the wherewithal to strike at will and inflict significant damage. The targeting of Bangalore, one of the pivots of India’s nascent economy, shows an ability to strategize. Second, recent efforts to spruce up intelligence-gathering and policing have been entirely inadequate. Despite the security threats festering across the country — there have been 11 major Islamist bombings in the past three years and over a dozen in the insurgency-ridden northeast this year alone — India’s police stand at just 126 officers per 100,000 people. The United Nations norm is 222. The Intelligence Bureau, responsible for internal intelligence-gathering, has a sum total of 3,500 field operatives — for a country of 1.1 billion. Finally, the security establishment cannot go on blaming a “foreign hand” for these attacks. The profusion of such attacks within a short time frame cannot have been possible without local recruits. India must now face up to a brood of homegrown Islamist terrorists feeding off popular and growing Muslim resentment toward the purported injustices and atrocities of the Hindu majority. Indeed, the past three terror attacks have been in states ruled by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party — the Hindu right-wing party.
But parties across the political spectrum have contributed to the situation. Some play on the insecurities of the minority Muslim community to maintain an electoral base; others fan anti-Muslim sentiment for similar reasons. At the receiving end of decades of such politicking and social bias, the Muslim community — which forms 13.4% of India’s population — remains impoverished and is increasingly alienated. A commission instituted by the ruling Congress Party–led government found Muslims underrepresented in government jobs and faring badly in social indicators like household income and literacy. “When you have a community that has been brutalized, it is inevitable that there will be a pool of ready recruits,” says political commentator Manoj Joshi, noting the anti-Muslim riots in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) in 1993 and similar ones in Gujarat in 2002. “It is a very serious situation, which has arisen because our government has failed to accept the ground reality,” says security analyst B. Raman, former head of the counterterrorism division of the Research and Analysis Wing, India’s external intelligence agency. “A growing percentage of India’s Muslim population is getting alienated. They are increasingly acquiring their own expertise, and they continue to get funding and equipment from across the borders.”
I think besides better intelligence and stronger policing the real issue is to address the problem at the national level where the main task should be to unite the country – to create more jobs for everyone and continue our 10% growth. It is indeed the task of the govt. to cultivate communal harmony and opportunities for all. Although it may seem hollow in the face of such attacks I feel there is no other permanent solution.
Best Regards,
Himanshu
I have been reading all the comments, word by word, alphabets after alphabets.
So we have noone to blame is it? i was watching Krantiveer day before yesterday and one dialog from Nana struck me – “We are used to being ruled, first by mughals, then by the English and now by the dirty politicians” I actually want to add one more bit to this dialog – “We are used to being ruled, first by mughals, then by the English and now by the dirty politicians… AND NOW BY THESE INHUMANE ISLAMIC MILITANTS”
that is all…
Chethan
No, I didn’t say your blog was anti-Islamic. I said there are people who are immature enough to use this forum for dialogue to spread communal hatred. probably, that’s a reflection of our times when being proud to be a Hindu or Muslim is more fashionable than just being proud to be an Indian.
Yes, much of the terrorism across the globe comes from discontent. People when they are unhappy with something, look for means to change that situation. In a democracy like ours, the majority bank on democratic means to try and change the situation; we elect and oust governments; we write letters to editors, join protests and agitations. It’s all democratic as long as we respect the right of others to have different views and still coexist and participate in democracy and dialogues.
In an ideal situation, this blog and the comments should form part of a healthy democratic dialogue. But unfortunately our blogosphere is controlled by a middle class that is kind of disconnected from the Indian realities, and this medium is used for propoganda against minorities, backward classes, and all those things that the middle class does not like. Our media, including the blogs, do not have proper participation of people from different sections of the socierty. It’s an exclusive group of people with access to the Net and knowledge of English.
And the problem with most of these people are that they are over-obsessed with development. They think all that they want is development, at whatever cost it takes. And now, we have this safety and securty thing. People will sure become paranoid about terrorist strikes. Like you mentioned, people would start wondering whether we want to allow India turn into a country where you are uncertain that your child will return safe from school. And our communal elements will make the most out of this fear psychosis. I do not know where to place the blame. The terrorists, the governent, external factors, media, people…I know not everything is in black and white. But I know some of my concerns will get addressed when the awareness of people grow, when they realise about the politics of terror.
Our democracy and any discussion on development will become meaningful only when a sizeable number of people are able to participate in it. Our opinion leaders and agenda setters have their agendas that are not in line with the aspirations and requirements of a majority of people in the country. People think development will bring in the trickle down effect, and help everybody else grow. Unfortunately in a country like us, the trickle down will remain trickle forever. And, there will always be discontented people. Instead of wishing them away or blaming them for their misfortune (i’m sure you would have seen the ant and grasshopper story doing the rounds everytime there is a discussion on reservations), we need a society that is understanding and accommodating. If that does not happen, those discontented people will fall out with the democratic process and turn to other means to make their voices heard. I’m sure we do not want to get into that situation. We do not want to live in feel-good bubbles when we know all that it takes to burst the bubble is a pin prick by someone who is forever kept outside the bubbles to suffer in silence.
Man with his limited knowledge tries to punish the blamee. How come God with his unlimited knowledge will not do so?
All those who will be directly or indirectly punished/suffer were to be blamed.
Aloha shekhar
John Cusack did a movie War Inc., I haven’t seen the movie as yet. But I did see Magic Child. If you haven’t seen it, you might check it out. Movies have the gift to take you to other places, and this one does. I am sure War Inc. is about the issues you and everyone are sharing about, but Magic Child puts it in a different perspective. It is to be like a child and be open minded and teachable for we all matter in a holographic universe of colors/emotions that we have never even thought were possible. love patty
Dear Shekhar,
Somehow what got my attention is the vision of a little girl’s claim “Daddy we all Gods dream” …
who to blame???
ah…
the ignorance of men… trapped in the polarities of human nature … blaming that we fail to see in ourselves …
the beauty and the beast …
as I ponder …
How can we ever experience unity and peace unless we are willing to claim the core of darkness in ourselves???
ah…
the power of the innocence of a child’s eyes … “Daddy we are all Gods dream” …
a powerful message and yet how can we embody it ???
this universal yearning .. looking for itself …
as I recall my trip to India – a defining experience calling me home …
watching a bomb exploding in front of me, bodies being shattered … hero’s standing up and moving forward …in resignation … looking lost … to the awareness of Gods dream running in their veins …
how many bombs need to explode, how much brutality do we need to witness for the power of Gods dream in all of us is resurrected… not as a concept … but in the alignment of our thoughts, deeds and actions???
I returned to the place where the bomb exploded 2 weeks later…to witness the healing vibration of a puja ceremony next to the hole opened by the bomb … while eagles glided high above … as companions…
one eagle visited me at 5 in the morning , right next to my shattered window while I broke down on impact … hearing her sounds … as if whispering … what I was not ready to hear…
later next to the Himalayas I again encountered the Eagles flight … as a director filmed a movie of sorts … to hear Gods voice “ Look beyond the visible and find me in the majesty of your dreams .. melted ….by spiritual alchemy ” ..
a choice I decided to live by …
in a society consumed by extreme violence and greediness …
to watch the miracles ..
like golden drops…
of Gods tears …
Whenever I think about Gandhiji and his non-violence, i immediately get the counter-thought of Arjuna in the battlefield being forced by Krishna to perform his ordained duty of annihilating the treachery of the other side.
Lord Krishna was definitely higher up on the realization path than Gandhiji. And every situation cannot be stereotyped with the same reaction. The Pandavas suffered all kinds of humiliation before they woke up..India is in a similiar situation collectively.
These people like Abhi and Deepshikha here are slaves to their self-serving deluded sense of do-goodership and confused minds..it is very easy for them to sit and type away half-baked crap while women and children are being blown to pieces. India needs to crackdown on these terrorists and ISI dogs with fierce force.
Brahmastra, cracking down on terrorists and preempting the strikes are one thing, and labeling an entire community as terrorists is something else. The problem starts when someone says an entire community should pay for the deeds of a handful of people.
Most of the debates on terrorism in India revolve around Islamic terrorism, and tend to overlook the fact that three of the most significant political assassinations in this country were carried out by Hindus (Mahatma Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi) and Sikhs (Indira Gandhi).
We forget that at the peak of insurgency in Punjab, innocents were getting killed almost everyday. Same is happening in the North East even today. And the groups there including ULFA are founded and led by Hindus. What about the Maosists and Naxalites? What about Ranbir Sena and caste killings?
Until 1987, that notoriously rigged election, Kashmiri militants did not have much support from the people in the Valley. Like I said, when all other doors close before them, people tend to go for the violent ways. Most of the time our strategies do not address the root cause; we try and treat the symptoms. If I were to use the analogy of Pandavas from Mahabharatha, I would have used that to say how much these people have suffered before they finally turned to guns.
Crack down on terrorists. Fine, do that. But you cannot target an entire community and hound them out of their motherland, kashmir, manipur, gujarat, or anywhere because some of them used violence as a means to protest. And no sensible person can generalize and attack a group of people forgetting the state-sponsored terrorism happening in many parts of the country, which is in fact adding fuel to the fire. The life and honour of people have the same value irrespective of their faith and place of birth. You cannot let the army and cops shoot at will.
We have heard enough about encounter killings, about missing people in Kashmir, about the Army excesses in the North East (don’t you remember those women screaming “Indian Army Rape Us”?). And the simple logic is that the more you try to suppress, the more strength these people gain. Try to understand ther problems, try to address the concerns of the communities, and single out and crack down on those anti-social elements who anyway are not interested in dialogue. But, please do not talk about this crackdown crap when we all know what our men in uniform have been doing in the name of cracking down. Please.
hi shekhar yr interview on ndtv good times with ayesha was awesome…..u sounded tooo drawn to philosophy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
feel the smack of firm government
Linger by the flyposter, for a fight
It’s the same story every day & nite
Dear Shekhar jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii,
It was nice again meeting you @ Mumbai….
you never cease to surprise with your smile, and simplicity……..
Hope to meet you again in near future…. from
KOIZEN
Sometimes I wonder, are we collectively trying to fight and conceal the obvious?
It is human to be ‘violent’.Centuries of indoctrination of goodwill,religion,social conditioning,simply can’t take away man’s ‘need’ to express his inner violence.Violence is part of us,our nature,we perpetuate it by fearing it,loathing it,indulging in it.
We condemn it here, but every breath of condemnation on this blog echoes of violence again.
Its human to fear death.This simple posting draws up so much emotion and angst,simply because it deals with loosing life.Everyone senses some threat to their safe cocoons.
Shekhar,In trying to say ‘who is to blame’, you have either presented your first instinctive reaction,or have chosen to stir up a conscious debate.The answers for this question are irrelevant as the question in my opinion.
Most of us will retire to our safe cocoons once the news looses heat,taking back with us affirmations of ever present danger ‘out’ there.Knowing some of us have been visited by ‘Yama’,reminding the others on their eventuality.We’ll recede back into those cocoons we’ve built for ourselves,choosing to ignore for a while,only until another blast,another quake.Only to start questioning,blaming,hopelessly evading what we fear.
In my opinion a pertinent question,answers for which elude me,is – ‘why are we violent?’
-Deepak
Its an eternal fight between RAM and RAVAN .And if at all we need to blame anyone.. It has to be RAVAN .. thats how our social setup works. BAD is BAD and GOOD is GOOD ..isnt it? All we can do is, take a side. Might sound escapist , but that’s how it is.
Politicians in our age are the real trouble maker indeed ,whether here( INDIA) or in West (its more institutionalized there)
But deep down its all about morality. A fight between what is right and what is wrong. Its all about being responsible and accountable to what we are doing.Breaking a traffic signal or a decision taken by a government personal or anyone for certain personal interest or planting a bomb by a terrorist. For me all are equally wrong though they might effect normal mass in diferent way.
Everything boils down to one’s morality and his/her accountablity towards this society and to himself too.