What people had hoped and prayed for has come true - it is President Obama in the US! But is it mere symbolism like a woman President in India and a powerful woman Prime Minister could not change the low status of women in general, will Obama too be a mere symbol of the emancipation of coloured people in America- only time will tell. although Obama is said to be the 'best public speaker' that was seen in a long time, the speech that made me want to curl up and die in shame was the speech of McCain, accepting defeat. When we compare it with the attitude of the losers among Indian politicians. McCain made it clear that he would work with Obama for the country that "we both love". Here the country is greater than the party ideology greater than individual beliefs.
In our country all the opposition does is try to hurl accusations on the elected leader from day one. Remember when Sonia's PM ship was considered and there was a lot of mud slinging all around and debate on outsiders etc. Then even after Manmohan Singh became PM there was a lot of ridicule about him being a loyalist of the Gandhi family and a shadow of Sonia Gandhi. The one point program of the opposition is ti reinstate themselves in power from day one. There is no intention of working for the country together with the party that has won. I admit that there was a lot of mud slinging in the US elections too but the defeat speech brought forward what is the most important thing that this fight was about - America. This concern for the country above victory and defeat is what is lacking in our politicians.
My best wishes for Obama may is world view benifit all and bring peace and prosperity in our world.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Are We Like That Only?
Rohit and 2b's momma has got me thinking and the questions that come to my mind cannot be addressed in the comments section. Rohit you are right, how come these goon have so many supporters. It is very well to shrug off the responsibility from the ordinay Indian and blame the politicians but how come these same politicians win the elections? For every Maharashtrian who decries the violence there are ten who think that outsiders have to go. I remember a time when Bal Thackeray was at his peak and Amitabh Bachhan was shown bending down double to greet him! At that time I had felt a little uncomfortable to see that as I am a die hard Amitabh fan and I could not stand the Sena chief and what he stood for. These guys become so powerful and us Indians are to be blamed, how come their politics of hate attract so many votes? Are we Indians harbouring hate for each other while professing unity and nationalism? Are we then pitted against each other in reality?
That is the reason why it will be of no use to ban these organizations. That is why they hold us in ransom, that is why they and not our police and administration will 'let' us celebrate our festivals. After all this is a government of the people and by the people, instead of pointing fingers at the Congress and the Maharashtra Government we should turn it on ourselves, we, the people of India are responsible for this horrific characters who derive their powers from us. The college boys who pulled the labourer out of the train and lynched him were the marathi manoos whom Raj has targetted and there are enough of this variety around to make him win the elections. Will the sane Maharashrian please come out of their houses and make a decisive vote against these goons? Nope, I doubt it. Rohit, you are right we Indians are the pits.
2bs momma, the young in New Zealand are as restless as our youth but their destructive energies are channelised to only certain forms of protest. The problem in India is the size of this restless population which must be double the size of the entire population of that country! The people as a body have to play a greater role in curding this restlessness. If the govt is assured that if it puts its foot down it will actually win the elections then it will do so. In India's case the administration is not sure what the people want. Raj Thackeray should have had serious charges put against him but his supporters convinced the govt that the vote bank is behind him and therefore he was let off. If the administration would react as a rational human being and come to the public and justify its stand then Raj would have been vanquished. By acting in the way it did, the Maharashtra govt has jeopardized its own position and shown Raj T to be very powerful so much so that he is the one assuring the Bihari people that there will be no problem during the Chhat celebrations while the law and order system watches mutely. Clearly Raj and his goons are already running the city and the govt is not even ashamed of the fact.
That is the reason why it will be of no use to ban these organizations. That is why they hold us in ransom, that is why they and not our police and administration will 'let' us celebrate our festivals. After all this is a government of the people and by the people, instead of pointing fingers at the Congress and the Maharashtra Government we should turn it on ourselves, we, the people of India are responsible for this horrific characters who derive their powers from us. The college boys who pulled the labourer out of the train and lynched him were the marathi manoos whom Raj has targetted and there are enough of this variety around to make him win the elections. Will the sane Maharashrian please come out of their houses and make a decisive vote against these goons? Nope, I doubt it. Rohit, you are right we Indians are the pits.
2bs momma, the young in New Zealand are as restless as our youth but their destructive energies are channelised to only certain forms of protest. The problem in India is the size of this restless population which must be double the size of the entire population of that country! The people as a body have to play a greater role in curding this restlessness. If the govt is assured that if it puts its foot down it will actually win the elections then it will do so. In India's case the administration is not sure what the people want. Raj Thackeray should have had serious charges put against him but his supporters convinced the govt that the vote bank is behind him and therefore he was let off. If the administration would react as a rational human being and come to the public and justify its stand then Raj would have been vanquished. By acting in the way it did, the Maharashtra govt has jeopardized its own position and shown Raj T to be very powerful so much so that he is the one assuring the Bihari people that there will be no problem during the Chhat celebrations while the law and order system watches mutely. Clearly Raj and his goons are already running the city and the govt is not even ashamed of the fact.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
What Happened This Morning...
Ah, that was a ploy to arrest the reader, since my return no one seems to be paying me any attention. There I had the Goddess in all her finery adorning the top of the page and not so much as a 'welcome back' or a 'good show' in the comments section. I know it is mean of me to always call upon 2b's momma but my mind naturally flows to her and she has not updated her blog for long so must be busy. Well nothing much happened this morning other than the mite declaring "aamar school peyechhe" (difficult to translate but loosely, I am feeling like schhool, in the same manner as we say I am feeling hungry or I am feeling like going to the toilet!). That reinforces my diagnosis that school is in for him.
Have been following in horror the escapades of Raj Thackeray and his marauding hordes- and was amused to see the BJP spokesperson madam Swaraj condemn 'jatiatavaad' or some such big Hindi word that holds no meaning for the poor teeming millions. Madam your party is based upon the hatred of the 'other', she means to say that it is ok to hate the Muslims but it is inimical to the well being of her vote bank if a war breakes out between the Hindus of one state and the other. After all Raj's hordes were propped up to counter the hordes of the Shiv Sainiks who essentially serve the same purpose but have to limit their attack on alleged Bangladeshi refugees who are Muslims- Raj has a broader base his gang can bash up any non Marathi! Both groups are mentally ill as Lalu so rightly says. Mumbai is not the ancestral property of the Marathi manoos the city is what it is due to the combined effort of all those that call it home. Due to this unrest the city's peace and prospertity will be the only casualty (other than that of the hapless youth who died in the attack). Slowly but surely the prosperity of the city is bound to be affected and Raj might find himself in the position of poor Mamata Bannerji who has brought doom to industry in Bengal for the sake of her own political motives.
Another thing that troubles me and is a result of our colonial past is the use of public transportation to express personal angst! Why do the propestors have to vent their anger on trains and buses and in the process harm the interests of the common man whom they themselves represent? In colonial times the railways signified the domination of the alien government. Fecilitating the movement of troops and arms and British goods it was a symbol of domination so if the freedom fighters attacked it, it can still be justified. I am sorry to say that in the 60 years of independence we have failed to find an alternative means of protest! I remember that we had to travel for days in the biting cold on the University specials whose windows had been broken by those who claimed to oppose the Mandal commission. I bet political goons did that and did not spare a thought for the common student who will have to use those buses later! I supported the anti-Mandal commission battle but I would not go around breaking DTC buses, would I? Look at the havok the Gujjar's wreaked? Who suffered the most? The common man, whose trains were late or delayed or scrapped! Now the Biharis are setting fire to the country's trains and piling more injustice on an already unjust situation. Will burning trains keep Raj T in jail? Why can't they burn candles? burn agarbattis in a public place. Hold dharnas, and silent marches, stage street plays etc...do things that the people can suport and at the same time feel empathy with. This is crazy, they beat us so we will burn trains! Lalu, what do you have to say to that, huh?
Have been following in horror the escapades of Raj Thackeray and his marauding hordes- and was amused to see the BJP spokesperson madam Swaraj condemn 'jatiatavaad' or some such big Hindi word that holds no meaning for the poor teeming millions. Madam your party is based upon the hatred of the 'other', she means to say that it is ok to hate the Muslims but it is inimical to the well being of her vote bank if a war breakes out between the Hindus of one state and the other. After all Raj's hordes were propped up to counter the hordes of the Shiv Sainiks who essentially serve the same purpose but have to limit their attack on alleged Bangladeshi refugees who are Muslims- Raj has a broader base his gang can bash up any non Marathi! Both groups are mentally ill as Lalu so rightly says. Mumbai is not the ancestral property of the Marathi manoos the city is what it is due to the combined effort of all those that call it home. Due to this unrest the city's peace and prospertity will be the only casualty (other than that of the hapless youth who died in the attack). Slowly but surely the prosperity of the city is bound to be affected and Raj might find himself in the position of poor Mamata Bannerji who has brought doom to industry in Bengal for the sake of her own political motives.
Another thing that troubles me and is a result of our colonial past is the use of public transportation to express personal angst! Why do the propestors have to vent their anger on trains and buses and in the process harm the interests of the common man whom they themselves represent? In colonial times the railways signified the domination of the alien government. Fecilitating the movement of troops and arms and British goods it was a symbol of domination so if the freedom fighters attacked it, it can still be justified. I am sorry to say that in the 60 years of independence we have failed to find an alternative means of protest! I remember that we had to travel for days in the biting cold on the University specials whose windows had been broken by those who claimed to oppose the Mandal commission. I bet political goons did that and did not spare a thought for the common student who will have to use those buses later! I supported the anti-Mandal commission battle but I would not go around breaking DTC buses, would I? Look at the havok the Gujjar's wreaked? Who suffered the most? The common man, whose trains were late or delayed or scrapped! Now the Biharis are setting fire to the country's trains and piling more injustice on an already unjust situation. Will burning trains keep Raj T in jail? Why can't they burn candles? burn agarbattis in a public place. Hold dharnas, and silent marches, stage street plays etc...do things that the people can suport and at the same time feel empathy with. This is crazy, they beat us so we will burn trains! Lalu, what do you have to say to that, huh?
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Mite and Brat in School
I thought the mite would give some trouble while going to school after a long break but the little chap seems to be quite adjusted. He actually asks me "aami akhon school e jabo" (will I go to school now), the first time he asked I answered cautiously, " haan kintu ektu pore jabo aamra" (yes but we will go after sometime) . To which he said "naa, aamra akhoni jabo" (no, we will go now). He has taken to school so much that he actually reminds me about his home work! He has learnt to recognize the letters A-F . He is clearly having fun. The brats pre-school teacher Bindu madam did not give any homework, it seemed to me that the brat learnt miraculously. This time I have to sit with the mite so I am more aware of the amount off effort that goes in to make these toddlers learn and at the same time enjoy their experience at school.
The brat also does most of her homework herself, I just have to go on telling her to be quick , and at times switch off the TV, for she is in the habit of forgetting her homework when she is watching cartoon network or pogo! Her main problem is that she does not like to read on her own. At her age we were gobbling up Enid Blytons by the dozen! We have bought her many story books but none of them seem to have interested her. She likes to listen to stories when I read them out but she does not make the effort herself. I don't know how to get her into the habit. All my mother had to do was to get a noddy book from the library one day, that had me hooked but inspite of owning several noddy books my daughter never gave them a second glance!
I guess it is best to let the kids do their own thing, in her spare time the brat likes cutting paper and make a mess, she also likes drawing, so be it!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Hail to the Goddess Durga-Destroyer of Evil!
Am back folks! Missed blogging a lot. It was a hectic trip to Delhi with the agenda of looking for some documents which we had misplaced during the shifting and meeting friends and family. The brat enjoyed herself the most as she had her fill of going on the swings in the puja pandals and meeting her ex-classmates. I met a cousin after a long long time and also visited a few family friends and ofcourse Jamia! But most of all I was glad to set eyes on the most beautiful, the most awe inspiring and goose bump inducing Goddess Durga. If you are a Bengali then it is a given that the goddess will give rise to a feeling of joy, thumping heart, moist eyes and all. Inexplicably this flamboyant lady makes my Bengali heart skip a beat the moment I see her. From the time that my grandmother gave me her pictures from Pujo shonkhas (Magazines that come out during the pujas which are replete with her image and which are another part of the Bengali pujo ritual, must possess a pujo shonkha even if I do not read it!) and asked me to make her drawing on the first page of my drawing book. She is so beautiful and at the same time powerful and magical. Her slaying of the demon Mahishashur is much more dramatic and grand than the killing of Ravana by Rama. At the same time she is the mother of four who has come to visit her parent's place- so typical and commonplace yet juxtaposed with the supernatural the divine. She is so many things! I love and adore her and I wish I had ten hands like her to carry out the chores around the house. Surely, she is the invention of one such harassed mother who wanted to do everything- kill demons, raise children and visit her parents at regular intervals! Oh Goddess, please help us moms to be like you and tweak the evolution process so that women can be born with more hands to perform the various tasks that she has to perform. Amen!
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