Monday, April 4, 2016
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Friday, July 3, 2015
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Does India really exist as a nation?
Raj Thackrey‘s North Indian bashing has unleashed the biggest intellectual debate ever: “Does India really exist” if so, - where? If Mumbai is for Maharastrains, Delhi is for Punjabis, Kolkata is for Bengalis and Chennai is for Madarisis, than what is left for the Indians to claim?
Nation has just ended up its commemoration of 59th of its Republic Day anniversary with a lot of hype and hoopla. After all, it is newly invented confident nation, marching ahead in this radically changed globalised world. The cause of celebration assumed even greater significance in the backdrop of a radical change in the global perception of India as a booming economy with ever increasing malls, BPOs and software revolution and on top of it all: its vast pool of English educated manpower (a doubtless cause of envy for other lesser developed world economies). The evidence of India’s growing strength and recognition was adequately vindicated by the conspicuous gracing of the occasion by the French President Sarkozy. How the world perception of India being a nation of snake charmers and half-naked fakirs metamorphosed into that of a growing world power reasserting its authority to claim its rightful and legitimate place in the world affairs, within a decade or two, is itself a glowing tribute to the millions of middle-class youth who wanted to give India its long over due place in the committee of nations? But all these much trumpeted Indian achievements aside, the biggest question that current Raj Thackeray episode has unfolded is: Which India we talk about, the India that exist buried in the history and the pages of our constitution or the India that erupts in the cricketing ground in the midst of cricketing frenzy, or in the wake of Kargil war, or India which becomes the lofty terms for the politicians to whip the nation sentiments, or the India that lay buried with the corpses of all our freedom fighters who dreamed the concept of a nation-state?
How the nation with such tremendous amount of diversity could exist for more than five decades is itself a miracle for Westerners who prophesied that a nation-state like India with multiple inherent contradictions would collapse under its own heavy weight sooner than later? But still India survives at least in the eyes of the outsiders. But where does India exist for those residing within, once again brings to the fore the most burning issue which politicians of national status prefer to avoid or at best duck: Where does India exist and who are the Indians?
The biggest irony of the whole the episode is the inscrutable and enigmatic silence of our so called nation parties – Congress and the BJP which preferred to remain incommunicado when defining India ought to have been there prerogative. Where and to whom these poor creatures of BIMARU (Cow-belt Regions) would go to seek a direct answer as to what India is and where does it exist? They further ask that gala celebration 59th of its Republic anniversary glorifying India and the Indians meant for whom?
Do these innocent people from cow-belt regions, especially from Bihar and UP, having no sources of bread and butter in their home states, need to apply for the visas and work permits for working in the metropolises from M/s Thackeray and company, if so, where does the government of India exist? If the writ of the M/s Thackeray and company over rides that of government of India’s enforcement of rule of law, the immediate question mark is raised on the status and the ability of the government to govern.
The mood conclusive point all these argument is that the concept of Indian nation-state has been hurriedly conceived to claim independence from the foreign imperialistic rule and the truth is that India never existed as a nation-state in the past, neither does it exist at present and nor will it ever exist in the future. The loosely structured concept of nationhood as that of India which at best exist in the constitution, celebration of India’s victory in a cricketing ground or in the midst of Kargil frenzy and India’s resultant victory, cannot co-relate with a life of day-to-day struggle for the millions of North-Indians who lead a life of virtual refugees in their own country (The sobriquet of ‘Bihari denoting the inferior status is given to the toiling millions of people from North-India). Who will provide solace or reassurance to these struggling mass that India is not a product of cricketing frenzy and Kargil war drumbeats, but a day to day reality where they have every right to free movement within the sovereignty of India and no visa followed by the working permits are required from the THUGS like Thackeray and company?
Will the answer come from the prime minister – designate of BJP Mr. Advani who, in his grand endeavor to catapult BJP to power, invented Lord Rama as a unifying factor for the nation (tragically Kuranidhi has in his recent controversial outburst dubbed Lord Rama as North-Indian God) or whether Madam (Mrs.) Sonia Gandhi will provide answer to the millions of aggrieved North-Indians? But alias, nothing inspires our politicians more than political expediency and as such, Mr. Advani is compelled by his own coalition partner running amok and Madam (Mrs.) Sonia Gandhi remaining incommunicado because of the vote bank politics.
The crux of the whole issue boils down to this: if the nation’s destiny setter remains aloof from the biggest crisis engulfing the nation – its identity crisis – who will bail the nation from its biggest predicament engulfing it? In the past, we pooh-poohed Pakistan for being the most fragile nation surviving on anti-India stand, what about us Indians who survive on cricket and Kargil for our existence as a nation? At least, Pakistan has one unifying identity – Islam – but lamentably we have none. No doubt Raj Thackeray may be arrested and situation may calm down, but the Pandora Box that he has unleashed will have much wider ramifications for the future India. Raj Thackeray’s North-Indian bashing has opened up an unprecedented debate – “Does India really exist”, if so, - where? If Mumbai is for Maharastrains, Delhi is for Punjabis, Kolkata is for Bengalis and Chennai is for Madarisis, than what is left for the Indians to claim?
Nation has just ended up its commemoration of 59th of its Republic Day anniversary with a lot of hype and hoopla. After all, it is newly invented confident nation, marching ahead in this radically changed globalised world. The cause of celebration assumed even greater significance in the backdrop of a radical change in the global perception of India as a booming economy with ever increasing malls, BPOs and software revolution and on top of it all: its vast pool of English educated manpower (a doubtless cause of envy for other lesser developed world economies). The evidence of India’s growing strength and recognition was adequately vindicated by the conspicuous gracing of the occasion by the French President Sarkozy. How the world perception of India being a nation of snake charmers and half-naked fakirs metamorphosed into that of a growing world power reasserting its authority to claim its rightful and legitimate place in the world affairs, within a decade or two, is itself a glowing tribute to the millions of middle-class youth who wanted to give India its long over due place in the committee of nations? But all these much trumpeted Indian achievements aside, the biggest question that current Raj Thackeray episode has unfolded is: Which India we talk about, the India that exist buried in the history and the pages of our constitution or the India that erupts in the cricketing ground in the midst of cricketing frenzy, or in the wake of Kargil war, or India which becomes the lofty terms for the politicians to whip the nation sentiments, or the India that lay buried with the corpses of all our freedom fighters who dreamed the concept of a nation-state?
How the nation with such tremendous amount of diversity could exist for more than five decades is itself a miracle for Westerners who prophesied that a nation-state like India with multiple inherent contradictions would collapse under its own heavy weight sooner than later? But still India survives at least in the eyes of the outsiders. But where does India exist for those residing within, once again brings to the fore the most burning issue which politicians of national status prefer to avoid or at best duck: Where does India exist and who are the Indians?
The biggest irony of the whole the episode is the inscrutable and enigmatic silence of our so called nation parties – Congress and the BJP which preferred to remain incommunicado when defining India ought to have been there prerogative. Where and to whom these poor creatures of BIMARU (Cow-belt Regions) would go to seek a direct answer as to what India is and where does it exist? They further ask that gala celebration 59th of its Republic anniversary glorifying India and the Indians meant for whom?
Do these innocent people from cow-belt regions, especially from Bihar and UP, having no sources of bread and butter in their home states, need to apply for the visas and work permits for working in the metropolises from M/s Thackeray and company, if so, where does the government of India exist? If the writ of the M/s Thackeray and company over rides that of government of India’s enforcement of rule of law, the immediate question mark is raised on the status and the ability of the government to govern.
The mood conclusive point all these argument is that the concept of Indian nation-state has been hurriedly conceived to claim independence from the foreign imperialistic rule and the truth is that India never existed as a nation-state in the past, neither does it exist at present and nor will it ever exist in the future. The loosely structured concept of nationhood as that of India which at best exist in the constitution, celebration of India’s victory in a cricketing ground or in the midst of Kargil frenzy and India’s resultant victory, cannot co-relate with a life of day-to-day struggle for the millions of North-Indians who lead a life of virtual refugees in their own country (The sobriquet of ‘Bihari denoting the inferior status is given to the toiling millions of people from North-India). Who will provide solace or reassurance to these struggling mass that India is not a product of cricketing frenzy and Kargil war drumbeats, but a day to day reality where they have every right to free movement within the sovereignty of India and no visa followed by the working permits are required from the THUGS like Thackeray and company?
Will the answer come from the prime minister – designate of BJP Mr. Advani who, in his grand endeavor to catapult BJP to power, invented Lord Rama as a unifying factor for the nation (tragically Kuranidhi has in his recent controversial outburst dubbed Lord Rama as North-Indian God) or whether Madam (Mrs.) Sonia Gandhi will provide answer to the millions of aggrieved North-Indians? But alias, nothing inspires our politicians more than political expediency and as such, Mr. Advani is compelled by his own coalition partner running amok and Madam (Mrs.) Sonia Gandhi remaining incommunicado because of the vote bank politics.
The crux of the whole issue boils down to this: if the nation’s destiny setter remains aloof from the biggest crisis engulfing the nation – its identity crisis – who will bail the nation from its biggest predicament engulfing it? In the past, we pooh-poohed Pakistan for being the most fragile nation surviving on anti-India stand, what about us Indians who survive on cricket and Kargil for our existence as a nation? At least, Pakistan has one unifying identity – Islam – but lamentably we have none. No doubt Raj Thackeray may be arrested and situation may calm down, but the Pandora Box that he has unleashed will have much wider ramifications for the future India. Raj Thackeray’s North-Indian bashing has opened up an unprecedented debate – “Does India really exist”, if so, - where? If Mumbai is for Maharastrains, Delhi is for Punjabis, Kolkata is for Bengalis and Chennai is for Madarisis, than what is left for the Indians to claim?
Monday, October 20, 2008
Whose jehad is it, and against whom? (in memory of Ishtiyak Ahmed Ansari)
Some punishments never find justification. And some crimes can never be excused. Ishtiyak, one of my gregarious students got victimised in the Mehrauli Bomb Blast on 27th September 2008. Coming from a very humble background, as a bundle of hopes and dreams, of his own, family, and society, He had never expected he would be a prey to the so called JEHAD.
On his behalf i would like to raise a question, as he would have put in. His grieviances, as i could put on paper:-
I , Istiyak Mohd Ansari, battling against death in AIIMS, having become the victim of a Jehadi war against the “infidel state” would like to make the following submissions :
1. life was fantastic with Insaah Allah, having given me a privileged opportunity to study MBA in a B-School here in Mehrauli, New Delhi. Having got myself enrolled with the Integrated Management College, a new but promising B-School with vision and purpose. I was euphoric to the core of my heart………. my childhood dream, which I kept so close to heart all these years……. Was finally on its way to attaining its fulfillment. Alas, little did I know, that my dream would only remain a mere dream & would never translate into reality. My classes started on schedule, our teaching faculties dedicated themselves to the onerous task of elevating us to the standard of a genuine high class of B-school students. I enjoyed attending all my classes, despite having a genuine language problem. Coming all the way from Hindi medium background from Assam, it was a difficult task negotiating the management lecture actually being delivered in English, yet our teaching faculties benignly summarized the gist of contents in Hindi so that we(those from Hindi medium )do not miss the fundamentals. Life was pleasant, B-School experiences although hardly of four months, was yet exhilarating in diverse ways. Then, all of a sudden, the dark day Saturday, 27th of September, 08, my college was off, I, along with two of my beloved classmates, ventured out of our home to catch a fresh air & to make few purchases. My classmates, Satyajeet & Shyambahadur, from different parts of India & with the same level of aspirations as of mine & with the same childhood dreams, joined me for a stroll outside upto an adjacent flower market. Little did we realize then that the stroll of ours will prove to be as fatal for all of us. Euphoric as we were, sharing all our management dreams, we came to a flower market. Barely, had we entered inside, sudden flash & devastating sound & then the rest is -----------? I do not know I will survive to live upto my dream? I do not know what had happened to my beloved classmates? I only know that I had fallen victim to the jehadi’s jehad . In this month of Ramajan, when my parents were expecting me at home foe Id celebration , I am battling against death in the A.I.I.M.S with my well wishers waiting anxiously outside my operation theatre. Time & again , the question cris-crosses my mind , where did I go wrong? Which act of infidelity was I being accused of? What wrong did I do to the jehadis for being in the utter state of helplessness----possibly never to see the light of the day again? If the jehadi’s claim of being victimized by the misdeeds of the majority community, I was also from the same community they purportedly claim to represent? What right these jehadis had to cut my life short? How they will compensate my parents for their bereavement ---losing a promising B-School son?Do not jehadis need to ponder that in losing me ,they are also losing a promising youth from their own community? Who will give answers to these questions? Jehadis, the perverted ones? Ones, who are not waging a war against Hindus & the infidels, but are challenging Allah & His Creation. This war of Jehadies are not against the Hindus and the infidels ,but outrightly against Allah in whose name they are perpetrating the heinous crimes. How these fallen souls will ever face Allah when they have an opportunity of meeting Him &justifying teir evil satanic deeds? May Allah bestow his divine peace on all these misguided youth so that other Ansari’s, Satyajit’s &Shyambahadur’s no more fall victims to their demonic deeds.
On his behalf i would like to raise a question, as he would have put in. His grieviances, as i could put on paper:-
I , Istiyak Mohd Ansari, battling against death in AIIMS, having become the victim of a Jehadi war against the “infidel state” would like to make the following submissions :
1. life was fantastic with Insaah Allah, having given me a privileged opportunity to study MBA in a B-School here in Mehrauli, New Delhi. Having got myself enrolled with the Integrated Management College, a new but promising B-School with vision and purpose. I was euphoric to the core of my heart………. my childhood dream, which I kept so close to heart all these years……. Was finally on its way to attaining its fulfillment. Alas, little did I know, that my dream would only remain a mere dream & would never translate into reality. My classes started on schedule, our teaching faculties dedicated themselves to the onerous task of elevating us to the standard of a genuine high class of B-school students. I enjoyed attending all my classes, despite having a genuine language problem. Coming all the way from Hindi medium background from Assam, it was a difficult task negotiating the management lecture actually being delivered in English, yet our teaching faculties benignly summarized the gist of contents in Hindi so that we(those from Hindi medium )do not miss the fundamentals. Life was pleasant, B-School experiences although hardly of four months, was yet exhilarating in diverse ways. Then, all of a sudden, the dark day Saturday, 27th of September, 08, my college was off, I, along with two of my beloved classmates, ventured out of our home to catch a fresh air & to make few purchases. My classmates, Satyajeet & Shyambahadur, from different parts of India & with the same level of aspirations as of mine & with the same childhood dreams, joined me for a stroll outside upto an adjacent flower market. Little did we realize then that the stroll of ours will prove to be as fatal for all of us. Euphoric as we were, sharing all our management dreams, we came to a flower market. Barely, had we entered inside, sudden flash & devastating sound & then the rest is -----------? I do not know I will survive to live upto my dream? I do not know what had happened to my beloved classmates? I only know that I had fallen victim to the jehadi’s jehad . In this month of Ramajan, when my parents were expecting me at home foe Id celebration , I am battling against death in the A.I.I.M.S with my well wishers waiting anxiously outside my operation theatre. Time & again , the question cris-crosses my mind , where did I go wrong? Which act of infidelity was I being accused of? What wrong did I do to the jehadis for being in the utter state of helplessness----possibly never to see the light of the day again? If the jehadi’s claim of being victimized by the misdeeds of the majority community, I was also from the same community they purportedly claim to represent? What right these jehadis had to cut my life short? How they will compensate my parents for their bereavement ---losing a promising B-School son?Do not jehadis need to ponder that in losing me ,they are also losing a promising youth from their own community? Who will give answers to these questions? Jehadis, the perverted ones? Ones, who are not waging a war against Hindus & the infidels, but are challenging Allah & His Creation. This war of Jehadies are not against the Hindus and the infidels ,but outrightly against Allah in whose name they are perpetrating the heinous crimes. How these fallen souls will ever face Allah when they have an opportunity of meeting Him &justifying teir evil satanic deeds? May Allah bestow his divine peace on all these misguided youth so that other Ansari’s, Satyajit’s &Shyambahadur’s no more fall victims to their demonic deeds.
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