THE BATTLE OF BOMBAY- 26/11

Everyone knows the face of Kasad- the only terrorist to be caught and alive. So much has been written that any more words would probably be lost in the sea of angst and tears.

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One of my friends commented that india is paying for its corruption.Spot on I say. The bulletproof vests were rejected and passed.Potbellied police are no match for these highly motivated terrorist commandoes. Make no mistake -outdated equipment and faulty protective gear has caused the the first few deaths of our brave.BUT THE REAL PROBLEM IS POLITICAL APATHY AND POOR INTELLIGENCE. The bulletproof jackets had been rejected earlier and the guns are still archaic.There was no transport waiting for the NSG guys when the aircraft landed in bombay. Precious minutes were lost (nearly an hour) before a BEST bus was scrambled to take our saviours to the battle area! 61 years of BABUGIRI had ensured that no one knew who was in control!

One thing haunts me though. We salute the brave once they are dead but dont look after them when they are alive.We curse the politicians and even made a CM resign but we will not turn out in large numbers to vote.We salute the brave sons who died but prod our sons who want to be brave to take the CAT instead.We will not tolerate people of a different language but we will tolerate the language of terror.

We need to change.We do not need to light candles or send smses to show our solidarity. We need to be brave enough to be less corrupt, educated enough to sink our religious and regional differences and enlightened enough to vote out the inept.

The time to stand for a minute in silence is over.It is time to walk the talk or walk the plank. The BATTLE OF BOMBAY is over but the WAR of preserving what the brave died for is still on.
We have lost the battle , it is time to prepare for war.NOW.

FLASHES OF 'FIREFLIES'

--THE GLOW-WORM WHILE EXPLORING THE DUST NEVER KNOWS THAT THE STARS ARE IN THE SKY.

THESE PAPERBOATS OF MINE ARE MEANT TO DANCE ON THE RIPPLES OF HOURS
AND NOT TO REACH ANY DESTINATION.

WHILE THE ROSE SAID TO THE SUN, "I SHALL EVER REMEMBER THEE," HER PETALS FELL TO THE DUST.

WHILE GOD WAITS FOR HIS TEMPLE TO BE BUILT OF LOVE,
MEN BRING STONES.

THE GREED FOR FRUIT MISSES THE FLOWER.

I LEAVE NO TRACE OF WINGS IN THE AIR, BUT I AM GLAD I HAVE HAD MY FLIGHT.

THE LAMP WAITS THROUGH THE LONG DAY OF NEGLECT
FOR THE FLAME'S KISS AT NIGHT.

"LET ME LIGHT MY LAMP," SAYS THE STAR
"AND NEVER DEBATE IF IT HELP TO REMOVE THE DARKNESS."

LET THE EVENING FORGIVE THE MISTAKES OF THE DAY
AND THUS WIN PEACE FOR ITSELF,

GOD IN HIS TEMPLE OF STARS WAITS FOR MAN TO BRING HIM HIS LAMP.

FEATHERS IN THE DUST LYING LAZILY CONTENT

HAVE FORGOTTEN THEIR SKY.

THREE EVENTS

THREE IMPORTANT EVENTS TOOK PLACE IN INDIA ON 21 OCT 08 SPILLING OVER TO THE WEE HOURS OF THE NEXT DAY.
CHANDRAYAAN-THE UNMANNED MISSION TO THE MOON.
AUSSIES WERE CRUSHED IN THE SECOND TEST MATCH AT MOHALI BY INDIA.
RAJ THACKERAY, A LOCAL POLITICIAN, WAS ARRESTED,FREED ON BAIL AND ARRESTED AGAIN.
OF THE THREE EVENTS ANY SANE NATION WOULD RATE THE EVENTS IN THE SAME ORDER AS ABOVE. AS I SURFED THE NEWS CHANNELS I REALISED THE REVERSE TO BE TRUE. RAJ WAS SPLATTERED ALL OVER , HIS FOLLOWERS BEING COVERED LIVE AS THEY WENT ON A RAMPAGE DESTROYING PUBLIC PROPERTY. THE NEWS CHANNELS WERE ADDING TO THE MAYHEM BY DISPLAYING THE ISOLATED INCIDENTS OCCURING AT DIFFERENT PLACES TOGETHER ON THE SCREEN IN A CONTINUOUS LOOP.
CRICKET WAS ALLOTTED A COUPLE OF MINUTES OF FOOTAGE AND CHANDRAYAAN WAS A MERE FOOTNOTE EXCEPT ON ONE CHANNEL. LOCALISED CHAUVINISTIC VIOLENCE GAINED PRECEDENCE OVER SPORT (EVEN CRICKET) AND SCIENCE. NATIONAL SHAME WAS MORE NEWSWORTHY THAN NATIONAL PRIDE!
5.2 DAYS TO CONQUER THE MOON. 61 YEARS AND STILL COUNTING TO GET OUR PRIORITIES RIGHT.

URBAN SPACE

" I NEED MY SPACE ..." IS AN OFT USED CLICHE IN THE CITIES THESE DAYS. WE ARE AFTERALL PROUD URBANITES AND NOT VILLAGE BUMPKINS.
WHAT IS RATHER STRIKINGLY IRONIC IS THAT WHILE THE URBANITE ZEALOUSLY GUARDS HIS/HER NEED FOR' SPACE' THEY BECOME LONELY DUE THIS VERY SPACE WHICH THEY CREATED AND THEN CRAVE FOR COMPANY !

WE SHUT OUT THE MUSIC OF THE MORNINGS AND LISTEN TO IPOD SHUFFLES INSTEAD WHILE JOGGING; WE HATE INTRUSIONS TO OUR PRIVACY BUT CARRY THE BIGGEST INTRUDER OF THEM ALL-THE MOBILE PHONE- EVERYWHERE AS IF OUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT. I SEE GROUPS OF TEENAGERS HANGING OUT TOGETHER EACH ONE ENGROSSED IN THEIR OWN MOBILES. MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE SPENDING QUALITY TIME WITH THEIR GADGETS THAN WITH EACH OTHER. MY WIFE MET A SCHOOLFRIEND AFTER TWO DECADES WHO GUSHED" LETS CATCH UP ON FACEBOOK". ALL THIS REMINDS ME OF A LADY WHO USED TO TAKE HER HUMONGOUS DOG FOR A WALK DAILY HANGING FOR LIFE AT ONE END OF THE LEASH GETTING DRAGGED THE ENTIRE ROUTE MAKING US WONDER AS TO WHO WAS TAKING WHOM FOR A WALK.I AM SURE THE DOG KNEW, I SUSPECT THE GADGETS KNOW.

THE OSTRICH,TURTLE AND MONKEY APPROCH

WHEN TROUBLE HITS US THESE ARE THREE DIFFERENT APPROACHES WHICH WE CAN TAKE.
THE OSTRICH HIDES ITS FACE IN THE SAND FOOLISHLY THINKING THE STORM WILL BLOW OVER LEAVING HIS WHOLE BODY EXPOSED.
THE TURTLE WITHDRAWS WITHIN ITSELF USING ITS SHELL TO BRAVE THE ELEMENTS. THIS IS WHAT THE WISE PEOPLE DO. YOU NEED UNLIMITED FAITH AND PATIENCE FOR THIS APPROACH.
THE FIDGETY BUT BRAVE MONKEY CLIMBS THE TALLEST TREE AND SURVEYS THE HORIZON, TRIES TO FATHOM THE PATH OF THE STORM AND SEEK A WAY OUT. BRAVE BUT RISKY. IF THE STORM HITS AT THE TIME WHEN HE IS STICKING HIS NECK OUT HE COULD BE SERIOUSLY INJURED. IF HE FINDS A WAY OUT BEFORE THIS HAPPENS HE MEETS SUCCESS LEAVING EVERYONE BEHIND.
WHICH OF THE THREE ARE WE? ALL THREE EXIST IN US.PANIC AND LACK OF KNOWLEDGE MAKES AN OSTRICH OF US. EXPERIENCE AND INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER BRINGS OUT THE TURTLE OR THE MONKEY IN US.

DEPRESSION 2009

We were in an upmarket pub last saturday. The stockmarkets had crashed on Friday the world over-India too. People kept pouring in like bad news to have a merry time well past midnight. The music 'rocked' louder and louder; birthdays were being celebrated while the crowd was getting wilder and wilder. It was as if no one here had seen the news and was blissfully unaware of the worlds mess. Or maybe the world is unaware of what is happening in india.
Just that morning our servant had asked us as to when the prices of vegetables would come down. Their schoolgoing children had not had veggies for the last month. Maybe we are all staying in different worlds.