Forgive and don't remember
In 1994, fighting broke out between the Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda. 800,000 people died in the genocide. I had mentioned a story earlier about a school massacre. In a small town near D.R. Congo, a bunch of Hutu soldiers stormed a school. They ask the Hutu kids to point out their classmates of Tutsi descent. The children refused to do so and the end result was that they were all slaughtered.
This year, the government has decided to release more than 40,000 prisoners. This means that your neighbor might be the same person you saw killing your significant other, child or family member. Matters could lead to a boil, especially on hot nights.
However, the people of Rwanda are working together in small associations (such as the fishing and farming association), which are formed to included people of both ethnicities. Together, they are fostering economic development in Rwanda. They have seen the worst forms of violence imaginable and are hell bent on ensuring that the atrocities are not repeated. Many of them are convinced that forgiveness is the best option. It will not only erase fear (and suspicion), but also prevent Rwanda from going the Israel-Palestine route. Let us hope for the "Tibet of Africa" that this works out.
If 1994 Rwanda is a warning for the right wing Hindus in India, then 2003 Rwanda represents the easy way out.
In 1994, fighting broke out between the Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda. 800,000 people died in the genocide. I had mentioned a story earlier about a school massacre. In a small town near D.R. Congo, a bunch of Hutu soldiers stormed a school. They ask the Hutu kids to point out their classmates of Tutsi descent. The children refused to do so and the end result was that they were all slaughtered.
This year, the government has decided to release more than 40,000 prisoners. This means that your neighbor might be the same person you saw killing your significant other, child or family member. Matters could lead to a boil, especially on hot nights.
However, the people of Rwanda are working together in small associations (such as the fishing and farming association), which are formed to included people of both ethnicities. Together, they are fostering economic development in Rwanda. They have seen the worst forms of violence imaginable and are hell bent on ensuring that the atrocities are not repeated. Many of them are convinced that forgiveness is the best option. It will not only erase fear (and suspicion), but also prevent Rwanda from going the Israel-Palestine route. Let us hope for the "Tibet of Africa" that this works out.
If 1994 Rwanda is a warning for the right wing Hindus in India, then 2003 Rwanda represents the easy way out.
Snake Charmers
Snakes are different from security guards. This is a lesson that snake charmers are taught at childhood.
According to a news clip in the BBC today more than 200 snake charmers are caught in limbo between the Indian and Bangladeshi troops. If one were to go by the report, the fault lies with the Bangladeshi soldiers who are putting the lives of their countrymen and women at grave risk for purposes of "distracting attention". 200 people might appear to be a small number, but what is of greater importance is the number of illegal immigrants that India reportedly has staying within its borders: a staggering twenty million.
The last time around there was a clash, more than fourteen Indian soldiers died, and there were reports of soldiers being put to death by torture. The Indian government was accused of being soft and cowardly for not retaliating.
India is the larger country. It already has hostile neighbors in the form of a shaky Pakistan in the west and a no nonsense China in the north. The last thing it needs is more trouble along its borders.
It would behoove India to restrain itself and not take the easy way out. Tensions with Bangladesh are relatively new and can be nipped in the bud. The Bangladeshi government must ask itself as to whether it is functioning well enough if people from its borders flee to India of all places. And the Indian government must ask itself as to it is worthy of an immigrants desires. For after all, there is little point in showing military muscle, when more people are dying of the "cold" (zero to three degrees Celsius) than the bullets and unstamped visas.
The frying pan is indeed very deep.
On another note when Colin Powell spoke to the UN today, Picasso's anti-war masterpiece "Guernica" was covered over. The officials didn’t want conflicting messages to resonate throughout the world. There was more than one way to achieve this objective, which would have been to ask Powell not to speak at all.
Snakes are different from security guards. This is a lesson that snake charmers are taught at childhood.
According to a news clip in the BBC today more than 200 snake charmers are caught in limbo between the Indian and Bangladeshi troops. If one were to go by the report, the fault lies with the Bangladeshi soldiers who are putting the lives of their countrymen and women at grave risk for purposes of "distracting attention". 200 people might appear to be a small number, but what is of greater importance is the number of illegal immigrants that India reportedly has staying within its borders: a staggering twenty million.
The last time around there was a clash, more than fourteen Indian soldiers died, and there were reports of soldiers being put to death by torture. The Indian government was accused of being soft and cowardly for not retaliating.
India is the larger country. It already has hostile neighbors in the form of a shaky Pakistan in the west and a no nonsense China in the north. The last thing it needs is more trouble along its borders.
It would behoove India to restrain itself and not take the easy way out. Tensions with Bangladesh are relatively new and can be nipped in the bud. The Bangladeshi government must ask itself as to whether it is functioning well enough if people from its borders flee to India of all places. And the Indian government must ask itself as to it is worthy of an immigrants desires. For after all, there is little point in showing military muscle, when more people are dying of the "cold" (zero to three degrees Celsius) than the bullets and unstamped visas.
The frying pan is indeed very deep.
On another note when Colin Powell spoke to the UN today, Picasso's anti-war masterpiece "Guernica" was covered over. The officials didn’t want conflicting messages to resonate throughout the world. There was more than one way to achieve this objective, which would have been to ask Powell not to speak at all.
To bomb or not to bomb
Another day has gone past where I have spent some time during my working hours looking for another job. This is not only dishonest to my current employer, but also cowardly. I want to walk out, but the newspapers tell me that the economy is bad out there. Which opens a convenient gateway to indulge in some nationalistic issues. Who voted for Mr.Bush? The Iraqis or the Americans? As the leader of a democracy, Mr. Bush owes it to sort out the problems of his electorate first. So the order of philanthropic hierarchy, which he should follow to exercise his largesse should be: Florida, Rich white America, Rest of America and only then Iraq.
Yes, the world will be a better place without Saddam Hussein. However, this is provided that he is overthrown with minimum loss to civilian infrastructure- the oil wells will be safe, but somebody needs to account for the schools, hospitals, electricity and water supplies before and after the war. A new job description for Mr. Blix?
It will be highly unfortunate the common man in Iraq was to undergo further hardships on account of "precision" bombing. Just as a disillusioned man is unhappy in a bad job environment, so is a thirsty man dissatisfied in a democracy.
Another day has gone past where I have spent some time during my working hours looking for another job. This is not only dishonest to my current employer, but also cowardly. I want to walk out, but the newspapers tell me that the economy is bad out there. Which opens a convenient gateway to indulge in some nationalistic issues. Who voted for Mr.Bush? The Iraqis or the Americans? As the leader of a democracy, Mr. Bush owes it to sort out the problems of his electorate first. So the order of philanthropic hierarchy, which he should follow to exercise his largesse should be: Florida, Rich white America, Rest of America and only then Iraq.
Yes, the world will be a better place without Saddam Hussein. However, this is provided that he is overthrown with minimum loss to civilian infrastructure- the oil wells will be safe, but somebody needs to account for the schools, hospitals, electricity and water supplies before and after the war. A new job description for Mr. Blix?
It will be highly unfortunate the common man in Iraq was to undergo further hardships on account of "precision" bombing. Just as a disillusioned man is unhappy in a bad job environment, so is a thirsty man dissatisfied in a democracy.
Chinese New Year
Happy Chinese New Year. This year is the year of the ram. I woke up in the morning ready for church.
Chinese mothers are anxious to deliver babies (new born) before the year of the ram, as birth in this year could mean a life of tempestuousness. Tempestuous is one way to describe my state of mind that morning.
I was confused due to the different sides to Jesus' personality. On one hand we have a Jesus who advocates turning the other cheek. On the other side, we have a man who advocates "striking down foes" and who whips all and sundry in the temple. Which is the path to be followed? In fact, is there any way Jesus could have won over the moneylenders through non-violent means? Or was it all part of a grand scheme on the part of his Father, so that he could die on the cross and take humanity's sins along with him.
This was all very mind numbing. I took the easy way out. I went to the Chinese New Year parade and after that, went to the Buddhist temple instead.
Happy Chinese New Year. This year is the year of the ram. I woke up in the morning ready for church.
Chinese mothers are anxious to deliver babies (new born) before the year of the ram, as birth in this year could mean a life of tempestuousness. Tempestuous is one way to describe my state of mind that morning.
I was confused due to the different sides to Jesus' personality. On one hand we have a Jesus who advocates turning the other cheek. On the other side, we have a man who advocates "striking down foes" and who whips all and sundry in the temple. Which is the path to be followed? In fact, is there any way Jesus could have won over the moneylenders through non-violent means? Or was it all part of a grand scheme on the part of his Father, so that he could die on the cross and take humanity's sins along with him.
This was all very mind numbing. I took the easy way out. I went to the Chinese New Year parade and after that, went to the Buddhist temple instead.
Space and time
Each of the astronauts that died in the Columbia space shuttle tragedy have left a lasting message for all of us. In fact many lasting lessons. One is how they were so single minded in pursuing their goals. Being an astronaut is no easy business. You cannot wake up at noon, have a lunch, down a martini, go for a swim, attend an evening class at the New School and receive your ticket to fly to the moon in eight weeks. It calls for an intense focus arising out of a love for anything to do with space or a lack of it. As Gandhi would say, "You have to want to be the expert in your field". The other quality astronauts possess is the willingness to lay their lives down. The probability of an accident is 1 out of 100 (or even higher), but people are queuing up faster to fly shuttles than to receive handouts at the unemployment office. A love for a pure language, be it music, art, literature, math or physics often inspires such sentiments.
The Israeli and the Indian spoke of how being in space made them forget borders and national identities. A very noble sentiment, indeed. But incapable of emulation from the rest of us and I suspect that it is not only because of logistical limitations or boundaries of the imagination. It has something to do with innate nature. Imagine the day Bush is on Jupiter and Saddam is on Neptune. Also picture Saddam having a giant slingshot.
Is it fanciful to imagine headlines, where George accuses Saddam of using Pluto as a weapon of mass destruction?
Each of the astronauts that died in the Columbia space shuttle tragedy have left a lasting message for all of us. In fact many lasting lessons. One is how they were so single minded in pursuing their goals. Being an astronaut is no easy business. You cannot wake up at noon, have a lunch, down a martini, go for a swim, attend an evening class at the New School and receive your ticket to fly to the moon in eight weeks. It calls for an intense focus arising out of a love for anything to do with space or a lack of it. As Gandhi would say, "You have to want to be the expert in your field". The other quality astronauts possess is the willingness to lay their lives down. The probability of an accident is 1 out of 100 (or even higher), but people are queuing up faster to fly shuttles than to receive handouts at the unemployment office. A love for a pure language, be it music, art, literature, math or physics often inspires such sentiments.
The Israeli and the Indian spoke of how being in space made them forget borders and national identities. A very noble sentiment, indeed. But incapable of emulation from the rest of us and I suspect that it is not only because of logistical limitations or boundaries of the imagination. It has something to do with innate nature. Imagine the day Bush is on Jupiter and Saddam is on Neptune. Also picture Saddam having a giant slingshot.
Is it fanciful to imagine headlines, where George accuses Saddam of using Pluto as a weapon of mass destruction?
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