A heinous crime was committed in Mumbai on July 11 and about 200 innocent civilians returning from work lost their lives. The tragedy and the Mumbai pride have been expressed very well by Amit, Gaurav and Uma. In addition to posting updates on their blogs, these three and some others, did a terrific job at Mumbai Help trying to get in touch with stranded folks in Mumbai and keeping their loved ones updated on the internet. Now, that is useful blogging and one of the best uses of the technology, that I have seen. Thankfully, the city of Mumbai returned to normal (as normal as possible) the next day and there was no follow-up violence. Violence can never be the answer to violence and it surely doesn't help reach a solution. What happened to Mumbai train passengers can be compared to what happened in New York City in 2001, but still the coverage in the world press has been minimal.
I have been to Mumbai only once and spent only a few days there, but still I was sad for what happened there on July 11 (and it is not 7/11 but 11/7, according to the Indian style of writing dates) and at the same time proud to read about so many humanitarian acts towards strangers. The folks at Mumbai Help stayed up till the wee hours of the morning giving hopes to the ones in different continents about their loved ones and trying to contact them quite frequently. It was a day/night when both the best and worst of humanity was exhibited. Unfortunately, the worst took a toll of several lives.
The one thing I keep wondering (whenever a terrorist attack takes place) is what message do the terrorists want to send by killing normal working class people. Are they trying to threaten that they have the capability to cause damage and more might follow? Or is it just a senseless act on their part that we can't reason out? Why don't they want to sit and talk, like humans are supposed to resolve conflicts? What purpose can they be serving that needs 200 lives? I just don't get it.
Bombings seem to be continually happening in Mumbai. The previous big one was in 1993 and the culprit on that one is still at large. So the first and foremost thing to do would be to identify the responsible set of people for this one and bring them to justice. Only then can the common person feel safe in Mumbai. One can only wish that politics and money don't influence this in anyway. And then, security measures will have to be beefed up in the train stations and other transportation areas. Also, intelligence measures will have to improved (a cabinet minister said that there was some intelligence information on some activity but he did not know when or where, which is ridiculous as even I can say that). Providing safety for its residents is one of the most important duties of a Government and no amount of economic progress can substitute for that.
In the meantime, this incident illustrates the fragility and transience of life. So enjoy every day and don't worry much about the past or the future. Try to be nice to people and if not, stay away from such people. If there is nothing good to say about somebody, don't say anything. Perform random acts of kindness and spend a lot of quality time with your loved ones. Don't bicker about who is better than whom, as in the end, everybody is treated the same. And let us hope the people who died on the 11th rest in peace. And let us hope for peace.
Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Monday, June 12, 2006
Cruelty in Sri Lanka
Last thursday, the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) brutally killed a family of 4 in the Sri Lankan town of Vankalai. The news item can be read in detail at TamilNet ( warning: there are some very graphic pictures from the massacre site here). Thanks to Selvaraj and Gilli for writing about this (both of them are Tamil blogs). There is no justification for this heinous act and this family could have done nothing to deserve this. This kind of incident makes me feel guilty for the innumerable pleasures and comforts I have in my life, but this is not about me.
There has been a struggle going on between Tamils and Sri Lankan government for a long time now. And there are the Tamil militants/terrorists/freedom fighters that are called LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam). But now the SLA (which is part of the democratically elected Sri Lankan government) is on a rampage and killing innocent folks. For a native perspective on this, check this blog.
There are a lot of questions that come to mind about this.
1. What kind of democratic government would resort to such killings? Why haven't the citizens of Sri Lanka done something about this? I saw an excellent movie called Judgment at Nuremberg recently in which quite a few Germans claim ignorance at all the atrocities committed by the Nazis. This makes me wonder if it is like that. Finally, one guy has the nerve to tell all those Germans not to pretend that way. Powerful stuff.
2. Why isn't India doing something about it? After all, India is the closest country geographically to Sri Lanka and the people being killed are Tamils, who are originally from India. Is this the kind of protection the largest democratic country provides its natives? Makes me very proud to be an Indian! And then, where are the international human rights watchdogs?
3. Why is the media not covering this in more detail? The mainstream media in India is not even bothering with this, and I am not sure what they are afraid of. The Indian blog world (other than a few Tamil blogs) is not paying attention to this either as they are busy with Rakhi Sawant and Mika's party kissing (which is interesting, by the way). I have to admit that I came across this only because I am Tamil and visit some of these blogs but still this is much more than a regional issue.
The international media and agencies know how things can get worse when nothing is done about such violent acts, as we just witnessed it in Darfur in Sudan. These kind of abonimable acts need to be curtailed as early as possible as they have the tendency to take way too many innocent lives. And nobody has the right to take somebody else's life.
Other than write about it, I don't know what else to do. So now I go back to my comfortable world while innocent people like Mary Medaline, Moorthy Martin, Ann Nilxon and Ann Luxica die. But they will be in my thoughts for a while.
There has been a struggle going on between Tamils and Sri Lankan government for a long time now. And there are the Tamil militants/terrorists/freedom fighters that are called LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam). But now the SLA (which is part of the democratically elected Sri Lankan government) is on a rampage and killing innocent folks. For a native perspective on this, check this blog.
There are a lot of questions that come to mind about this.
1. What kind of democratic government would resort to such killings? Why haven't the citizens of Sri Lanka done something about this? I saw an excellent movie called Judgment at Nuremberg recently in which quite a few Germans claim ignorance at all the atrocities committed by the Nazis. This makes me wonder if it is like that. Finally, one guy has the nerve to tell all those Germans not to pretend that way. Powerful stuff.
2. Why isn't India doing something about it? After all, India is the closest country geographically to Sri Lanka and the people being killed are Tamils, who are originally from India. Is this the kind of protection the largest democratic country provides its natives? Makes me very proud to be an Indian! And then, where are the international human rights watchdogs?
3. Why is the media not covering this in more detail? The mainstream media in India is not even bothering with this, and I am not sure what they are afraid of. The Indian blog world (other than a few Tamil blogs) is not paying attention to this either as they are busy with Rakhi Sawant and Mika's party kissing (which is interesting, by the way). I have to admit that I came across this only because I am Tamil and visit some of these blogs but still this is much more than a regional issue.
The international media and agencies know how things can get worse when nothing is done about such violent acts, as we just witnessed it in Darfur in Sudan. These kind of abonimable acts need to be curtailed as early as possible as they have the tendency to take way too many innocent lives. And nobody has the right to take somebody else's life.
Other than write about it, I don't know what else to do. So now I go back to my comfortable world while innocent people like Mary Medaline, Moorthy Martin, Ann Nilxon and Ann Luxica die. But they will be in my thoughts for a while.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Blank Noise Project
Blank Noise Project is an endeavor by a few people in India to recognize eve teasing as a sexual crime and make it unacceptable. It is a very laudable effort as this is not a topic that is discussed openly in India, let alone protested against.
Here are my two cents on sexual harassment in the Indian context.
Just like most girls growing up in Chennai, I have been subject to sexual harassment - the groping, the rubbing, the pressing etc., mainly in crowded buses, but also on the streets and inside some houses as well (curiously Blank Noise does not have a group in Chennai, which is one of the four biggest cities in India). In spite of these happening very long ago and my being more mature and open now, I am not ready to talk about the details for various reasons.
Here are some things that I think could be done to alleviate this issue.
1. Raise awareness among young girls that this is a common problem and that it is not their fault that they have to go through this. Encourage them to talk about it with anybody they feel comfortable with. Impress upon them to retaliate. I attended a self defense course a few years ago where they told me that the best offense against a guy is twist-grab-pull (you know what), and I wish I had thought of that then and had the guts to implement it (you got to give it to them where it hurts). At the least, raise a shout so that they would be too embarrassed and move away.
2. Introduce a sex education class in schools so that everybody is aware at a young age what it is all about so that they don't covet it secretly. Hopefully, this will also encourage open dialogue about sex and related matters. It is a normal thing and everybody is doing it, and so what is wrong in talking about it?
3. Make it a crime, as this hurts the woman - both emotionally and physically. Publish stories and photos in the media so that those guys know that they are being watched.
Yes, all of these are easier said than done, and much easier said online and from outside India. But for my part, when I go to India, I wear what I want to wear (in spite of the stares I get on the roads) and vocally admonish when some stranger touches me. However from now on, I will be more conscious of this around me, and raise a voice even when I see it happening to somebody else.
Here are my two cents on sexual harassment in the Indian context.
Just like most girls growing up in Chennai, I have been subject to sexual harassment - the groping, the rubbing, the pressing etc., mainly in crowded buses, but also on the streets and inside some houses as well (curiously Blank Noise does not have a group in Chennai, which is one of the four biggest cities in India). In spite of these happening very long ago and my being more mature and open now, I am not ready to talk about the details for various reasons.
Here are some things that I think could be done to alleviate this issue.
1. Raise awareness among young girls that this is a common problem and that it is not their fault that they have to go through this. Encourage them to talk about it with anybody they feel comfortable with. Impress upon them to retaliate. I attended a self defense course a few years ago where they told me that the best offense against a guy is twist-grab-pull (you know what), and I wish I had thought of that then and had the guts to implement it (you got to give it to them where it hurts). At the least, raise a shout so that they would be too embarrassed and move away.
2. Introduce a sex education class in schools so that everybody is aware at a young age what it is all about so that they don't covet it secretly. Hopefully, this will also encourage open dialogue about sex and related matters. It is a normal thing and everybody is doing it, and so what is wrong in talking about it?
3. Make it a crime, as this hurts the woman - both emotionally and physically. Publish stories and photos in the media so that those guys know that they are being watched.
Yes, all of these are easier said than done, and much easier said online and from outside India. But for my part, when I go to India, I wear what I want to wear (in spite of the stares I get on the roads) and vocally admonish when some stranger touches me. However from now on, I will be more conscious of this around me, and raise a voice even when I see it happening to somebody else.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Remembering Mahatma
Today was the day Mahatma Gandhi (fondly known as Bapu, meaning father) was killed fifty-eight years ago. There is an excellent article, Remembering Gandhi by Uma .This article is very moving and well written. All I can say is that I wish I had written it!
Having grown up in India, I used to hear about Gandhi a lot, especially at school. When I was in sixth grade, some organization sponsored a contest where we had to read the book “My Experiments with Truth” and then take a quiz. My school made it mandatory for us, and that in itself made the task laborious. Anyway, I read the book and did not really appreciate him much then. During the quiz, some of the students (including yours truly in a small manner) did not maintain high ethical standards (let us just say that we were too helpful to one another than we should have). This made our teachers very mad. One of the teachers (who was a big inspiration to me throughout my school life) was deeply saddened that we would do something like that in something related to Gandhi.
The one thing I remember vividly about the book is how one night he heard the animal making sounds inside his stomach, since he ate some meat, that he was not supposed to. I was not mature enough to understand the hidden meaning behind this. I also was not impressed then that he did not fight against the British but did fasting and marches.
As I grew up though, my understanding and admiration for Gandhi grew as well. Here is a guy who got freedom for a country as diverse as India without resorting to arms. To me, this statement by Gandhi (shamelessly stolen from Uma’s post) summarizes everything that is so great about him.
“I am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill”. Wow!
Just the words make it a profound statement but his following it up with actions all through his life makes it even greater.
Working out issues through peace seems like the best approach to me, which is not something people seem to be doing these days. It would do them good to remember Gandhi’s sayings and life. Violence begets violence (as we are seeing in a certain country right now) and there is no end to it. No cause justifies killing thousands of people. I will stop here, as this post is not about non-violence, although it goes hand in hand with Gandhi.
Let us all remember what this day is about – practicing what one preaches, patience and tolerance, and what this day is not about – world dominance, killing and wars.
Mahatma Gandhi ki jai (Victory to Mahatma Gandhi)!
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