Seen and Heard

After the Delhi blasts, the government was quite quick in rounding up terrorists in and around the capital. Elsewhere, similar operations dug out the main links from underground. That was too fast, wasn't it?
The blasts in the capital turned out to be the last straw, or did it? The main news in almost all Indian news channels (I am not talking of Aajtak where the lines between news and tabloid has already blurred, you can never make out whether you are watching news or a masala movie), all the blasts in major cities are solved and the channels flashed images of the terrorist masterminds, all caught red handed from a residential area, head dutifully covered in pink prayer shawls, how else to tell everyone that they are muslim terrorists?

But a few days back, the government was too slow even to react verbally on the blasts. It was the same words that came out time and again, "No need to panic, everything is under control". But we know for sure that nothing really was under control. The terrorist outfits have been fed and fattened in our own country even as all eyes were told to focus on our neighbours. The impoverished in our society were used cleverly by the groups to make cheap bombs and transport to different cities. Everyone seems to be 'aware' but no one really 'knows'...


Going back a few years, a state witnessed the murder of thousands of innocent people, in the streets. They were burned to death, women and even little girls were raped, pregnant women were not spared either. Their houses were burnt, occupants were driven out and butchered. And incidently they all belonged to one community. And the reason for the attack, retaliation.

If you can go back a few more years in the past and dust your memories, it was time of great turmoil. I was just a kid of 8 or 9 years when Indira Gandhi was assassinated. There was chaos in the capital. And a particular community was targeted by the whole nation. They were singled out, pulled out of trains, buses, homes and brutally killed. Reason, avenging the death of the Indian PM.

Coming back to present, elsewhere, houses are burned, people charred to death or beaten up, churches prayer halls destroyed, major roads leading to these locations are blocked leaving many christians homeless, starved and naked. They take refuge in forests and are still hunted. The government is almost inactive, silent spectator while the carnage continues...
As a repercussion, in two other states, Christians are again persecuted, churches and worship places vandalised, state government talk of aftermath of conversions, Central government can only look on and mouth threats...Again the reason here, retaliation over a death for which someone else is responsible.

An Indian state insists that people belonging to that state should be 'loyal'. A sort of regional patriotism is demanded so no body from their part of the country can contribute anywhere else but here. And talking of regionalism, it is reflected everywhere throughout our country and so south Indians cant stand north Indians, malayalees cannot stand telugus and tamils cannot stand kannadigas and viceversa. Gujaratis cluster together and so does Punjabis and Maharashtrians and among all, the North easters are kept at bay...

A movie star turns politician, launches a party with glitz and glamour, many jump parties, change policies, many still are sitting double minded and parties are waiting for the 'star' to reveal his policies and stance, to consider a coalition. The reel star, who wants to do things 'differently', eradicate poverty and corruption, still depends on his tinsel image and the vote bank of his religious caste!!

Welcome to the new face of India, where we speak of secularism, equal rights/opportunities, peace and democracy for the sake of it and do what we want. For power, anyone can be friends with anyone and even sell the nation as long as the votes keep flowing to bring them back to power. Ethics and morals are gone with the wind and all that remains is greed, the green-eyed monster. Thankfully, our nation was not named the United States of India!!!