Well, I have been away from blogging for a long time. To be honest, to motivate myself to write a long essay is seriously bonecrunching (and to add to my woes, I hardly seem to attract any traffic). Now, with Twitter, it is much easier to tweet than to blog.

Though I must admit there has been no dearth of issues to write, what with Central Govt delaying Koda's arrest (in the fear some big names might have to do some serious answering), Raja's misdemeanours in 3G allocation, Vande Mataram controversy, Liberhan report, et al, I simply did not feel like writing anything and was quite content taking in news.

Then why I am here today suddenly? Well something just stuck a chord in me and that is why. I had a volunteer visiting me from one of the voluntary organisation which focusses on underprivileged kids. He detailed to me how the funds collected are put to good use for education, healthcare of these children. Being myself a father of an almost 4 yr old, somehow I believe it is grossly unfair to deprieve a child its basic rights as food, shelter, education, etc just becos it is the progeny of a poorman (or woman, if you like it that way). And I think it is our moral duty to help in whatever little way to alleviate the poverty that little child is faced with. Towards this, I decided to contribute my bit (actually a very small inconsequential bit) and started filling up the forms. The form asked me details about my address, tel nr, e-mail, blah blah. But right in the end, it also asked me to mention my religion. Now that set me thinking. I wonder what relevance my religion would have in the larger scheme of things, which is sponsoring a well-deserved child. My only concern is the money (howsoever small it is) that I give is not misused and I really do not care if it goes to any kid of any ethnicity/religion/caste/colour, etc. My only concern is, just like my own kid, the other kid in question also needs to be fed/loved/nurtured.

While in this age, when we are fighting religious fundamentalism (am not even getting into the argument of naming any particular religion), I only hope all secular organisations which champion the cause of destitute women, street-kids, abandoned seniors, etc only focus on the issue (which is providing relief) and not bother about antecedents of the donor. I think that way we would have made a small beginning in ensuring that we live in a society, devoid of religious divides. With this small step, I hope, perhaps, over a few thousand years later, the rapid strides we make as a society, brings benefit to one & all, irrespective of our religious identity. I think only then, we can claim to have become a truly secular society.

By-Election

Despite the rout in LS polls earlier this year, the BJP has done well in the By-Election in both Gujarat & MP.

Modi has won 5 out of the 7 seats. And 6 of them has been held by Cong for the last 10 years.

And Shivraj Singh in MP has once again proved he is a consumate, unassuming politician by doing well.

Does these by-elections results say anything? I for one believe it is a commentary on the BJP Central Leadership. While the State leadership continues to deliver, the central leadership flounders. With Rajnath at the helm, you can not expect anything else.

I think the time has come to consider State Leadership of BJP as independent Profit Centres and integrate them at the national level to mount a serious challenge on the Congress. At the end of the day, the ordinary voter is interested in what the Govt has to offer and does not really care about what the ideological beliefs, etc. If ideology is going to sway voters, the Dravidan movement in TN would not be ruling the State since 1967.

I think it is hightime BJP gets into brasstacks and develop strong local leadership, who are honest, sincere, educated, committed (a la Parrikar) and let them lead.

Austerity

The UPA Govt is talking abt Austerity in these times of severe drought, job losses & economic meltdown. It sounds to me like lip-service and total hyprocrisy. If the Govt is serious about cost cutting, they must start with downsizing the Ministry. Any intelligent man will fail to understand why we must have 2 ministers for almost all portfolios (one with Cabinet rank and another Mos). While the Cabinet Minister goes around globe-trotting, the MoS has to be content with ribbon cutting in inconsequential public functions and delivering guest lectures in bogus universities. And why should it apply only to Ministers? What about the Bureaucrats, who escape the spotlight. Are they not equally culpable?

But in this whole drama, one thing that really amused me was the balls shown by Mr Tharoor. He says he can't live in Kerala House becos it does not have a Gym. Oh really? How about taking a membership in some swanky gyms in New Delhi? And he goes on to justify it by saying he is not using tax payers money but settles his bills from his hard-earned money, as a formel Diplomat.

I find both the Govt as well as Mr Tharoor's stand as extreme.

Internal Democracy

Yeah, I am talking about BJP in Rajasthan.

While all the 4 MPs and a majority of the State MLAs are committing their support to Raje, how on earth the Party central leadership can ask her to quit. I was always told that in a democracy, you choose your own leader. With that being the case, I think Rajnath is making a fool of himself by asking her to relinquish her LoO in the State Legislature. And what is LKA doing in all this? Ofcourse, he lost his chance to being the PM of India. But does not he have a moral responsibility in atleast playing a mentoring role to the younger colleagues, in a party which he has helped build from the scratch. Like Tavleen Singh said in a column in Indian Express, BJP is not dead yet but committing slow suicide in full public glare.

And one wonder what purpose is the Chintan Baithak going to do in Shimla later this weekend? They have effectively killed all those dissenting voices of Sinha, Shourie, etc so that they only have a coterie which will act as if nothing is wrong with the party and continue to live with their heads immersed in the mud.

There is a big vacuum in the Indian political scene and BJP can effectively play a future role as the Right of Centre party, only if they choose to. Othewise they are better off abandoning their political career as well.

For this, they must redefine Hindutva in the lines of Cultural Nationalism and rid themselves off bigots like Bajrang Dal, etc. That way, they can atleast count educated, middle class youth as their loyal voterbase in the years to come.

The need of the hour is for the party to show effective leadership and dynamism and not resort to blame game like in Rajasthan now and Uttaranchal (remember Khanduri) earlier.

Is anyone in BJP listening?

Quotable Quote

When I was a young, I read this from Kipling and somehow it stuck a chord in me.

Just yesterday, while reading a book before bedtime, I read the quote again in the book and I am putting it here for posterity:-

If:

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or, walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

I think Kipling is talking about equanimity here. I may never reach upto the high benchmark he is talking about. But, from now, atleast I shall die trying....

Section 377

First of all, I do not know if I should write anything about the recent Delhi HC ruling on this subject.

I have this dilemma becos after almost few days of reading so much in the newspapers and watching news channels, I still do not have a definitive opinion on this issue.

While on the one hand, I welcome this ruling becos the majority (which I presume to be straight) can not castigate GLBT becos they happen to be a fringe minority. Moreover what happens between two adults, if it is not coerced, is none of the 3rd persons business. If being a Gay is a crime, so is adultery. Why no discussions on that? Also, I do not see any reason for us to follow some old archic laws which were thrust upon us by the British. And remember, Britain has already found it irrelevant and moved far far ahead.

Having said that, I do have some reservations on this. While the court have only decriminalised it, so that a fringe minority can live without fear, I do not think we need to go gaga over this judgement, because at the end of the day, it is still against human nature. Some pro-activists quote from ancient texts that mention about homosexuality to bolster their case. I do not understand this point of referring to ancient texts only to suit ones purpose and abhor it at all other times. Also, we need to bear in mind homosexuality is also found to be an effective carrier of AIDS & HIV, to control which the Govt is spending huge resources in terms of finance and education.

Also, to think that society will start looking at Gays differently becos of this one single judgement seems a little too far fetched to me. In the best scenario, this has only released them from the clutches of a draconian law and India still has a long way to go before socieities start looking at them without a jaundiced eye.

That brings to my mind, the constant stories we hear about honour killings becos the bride and the groom are from different castes & communities. I am waiting to see how we react to same sex marriages, in future.

The die has been cast.

Shiney Ahuja

The name sucks...

While he seems to have the balls the same can not be said about his brains.

Now, the entire Bollywood will be up in his arms saying becos he is a celebrity he is being targetted and we must not brand him as a rapist without a fair trial, blah blah blah.

My sympathies are entirely with his wife and kid, who must be ashamed to have a blacksheep in the family, though his wife seem to be putting up a bravefront for the cameras.

Men like them need to be punished, no matter who they are so that it acts as a deterrent for future generations.

What a shame it must be for this guy whose kid instead of looking up to him, will have to go through the horror of having to put up with it.

And his wife. May God give her the courage of walking out on him. It is simply not worth it I guess.