Difficult to even think of Gandhi
You know what is really troubling? Not when someone says, “I hate you" and you don't care. The problem is when someone says, "I love you" and you just nod cursorily.
This blog now written by a well intentioned, weak willed individual for so long now takes a break for the holidays. This is true for all of cutting chai. There is plenty to read on the site and if someone should ask, "Why should you?" say, "I don't know."
In the ground, there lies a Phoenix. Lets get him up.
You know what is really troubling? Not when someone says, “I hate you" and you don't care. The problem is when someone says, "I love you" and you just nod cursorily.
This blog now written by a well intentioned, weak willed individual for so long now takes a break for the holidays. This is true for all of cutting chai. There is plenty to read on the site and if someone should ask, "Why should you?" say, "I don't know."
In the ground, there lies a Phoenix. Lets get him up.
A turning point
Is the entire world voting right? Today the BJP won the elections in Gujarat , thus proving that the label "right-wing Hindu" is not an oxymoron after all. The formula for victory has now been ascertained and could be applied all around the country. All the BJP has to do, this time at a national level is to engineer riots and provoke an anti-Muslim backlash.
Then Advani can move in rapidly to criticize the "pseudo secularists", while at the same time Vajpayee can utter some noises of sympathy and recite some poetry. Of course, every one can have a ball and blame Pakistan for the whole sordid mess that India is in.
Today's result is especially significant as it shows the mental state and opinion of the common man in India. The result was the manifestation of a true democratic vote with a high turnout. And how can one blame the common man in Gujarat? They have a history of hate and many families to this date have the baggage of previous conflicts. It is time for every Hindu to genuinely see that in the long run, responding with hate, however extreme the provocation is only going to extend the cycle of misery. There are no children with flowers in their hair circling merry-go-rounds in Palestine or Israel.
Advani, Joshi, Singhal all have water in their taps (hot and cold, one suspects) and electricity in their houses. What of the common man? It is unreasonable to expect these amenities in every home. But it is surely reasonable to demand these amenities from every home?
The right wing Hindus have never looked more dangerous, and in the absence of a responsible opposition, look ready to grow. Banning the right wing is not the answer. The expectations of the people in terms of living standards have to be increased. The media will a large role to play in this.
Currently most of the Indian media is obsessed with two stories:
1. Cheering when the US praises India
2. Cheering when any other country criticizes Pakistan.
I do not see the reason to be focused on either of the above. For reasons of varying natures, President Bush-unlike the American people-will not go down in history as the embodiment of tolerance (and I suspect it is more than a PR botch up). And the way things are currently, Pakistan is not the biggest problem that we have.
There is a three-headed monster dancing in India's courtyard. It does not sing, teach, build or laugh. It just keeps dancing. And people are paying to watch it dance, increasing the demand. Very soon, the tickets are going to be very expensive, or simply unaffordable.
Is the entire world voting right? Today the BJP won the elections in Gujarat , thus proving that the label "right-wing Hindu" is not an oxymoron after all. The formula for victory has now been ascertained and could be applied all around the country. All the BJP has to do, this time at a national level is to engineer riots and provoke an anti-Muslim backlash.
Then Advani can move in rapidly to criticize the "pseudo secularists", while at the same time Vajpayee can utter some noises of sympathy and recite some poetry. Of course, every one can have a ball and blame Pakistan for the whole sordid mess that India is in.
Today's result is especially significant as it shows the mental state and opinion of the common man in India. The result was the manifestation of a true democratic vote with a high turnout. And how can one blame the common man in Gujarat? They have a history of hate and many families to this date have the baggage of previous conflicts. It is time for every Hindu to genuinely see that in the long run, responding with hate, however extreme the provocation is only going to extend the cycle of misery. There are no children with flowers in their hair circling merry-go-rounds in Palestine or Israel.
Advani, Joshi, Singhal all have water in their taps (hot and cold, one suspects) and electricity in their houses. What of the common man? It is unreasonable to expect these amenities in every home. But it is surely reasonable to demand these amenities from every home?
The right wing Hindus have never looked more dangerous, and in the absence of a responsible opposition, look ready to grow. Banning the right wing is not the answer. The expectations of the people in terms of living standards have to be increased. The media will a large role to play in this.
Currently most of the Indian media is obsessed with two stories:
1. Cheering when the US praises India
2. Cheering when any other country criticizes Pakistan.
I do not see the reason to be focused on either of the above. For reasons of varying natures, President Bush-unlike the American people-will not go down in history as the embodiment of tolerance (and I suspect it is more than a PR botch up). And the way things are currently, Pakistan is not the biggest problem that we have.
There is a three-headed monster dancing in India's courtyard. It does not sing, teach, build or laugh. It just keeps dancing. And people are paying to watch it dance, increasing the demand. Very soon, the tickets are going to be very expensive, or simply unaffordable.
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