One year....and dead.

A year has passed running this blog. It was an experiment and the experiment was a great success. Lets see...

1) My writing has improved.
2) I have found many friends.
3) I have acquired a reputation. See what all would be well qualified to describ me.
a) Funny
b) Communist, left of center and leftist.
c) Anti-American
d) Totally nutcase.

Feel free to add more.

Let me tell you all have been compliments. Neetha my dear psycho friend would tell me that I am an attention seeking provocative guy. Which is in a way true.

But I am curious. Curious to find out what happens to me without a blog ?

It has been a good experiment so far and its time to experiment on new things.

But all good things should come to an end.

Officially I declare this blog "Dead" (as loftily as declaring the olympic games closed)

I have made a decision not to blog here. My other blog needs some attention. Johna's way had been lost in the woods for some time now. I may blog in a secret identity somewhere else.

All life is nothing but an experiment conducted with utmost sinciereity. No duplicity, no negativity and no bad intentions and definitely no baggage. This experiment is done and I have learnt a lot through it.

Its time to move on.

RIP.

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Mumbai 711 - lifting of the veil: Puppeteer and his Puppet

Disclaimer: Any mention of the word "America" pertains to the government of America outside of American borders. Similarly any mention of the word "American" and its plural form "Americans" refers to the people running the government of America. More specifically this is indicative of the White house administration, state department, Intelligence agencies (CIA, FBI, NSA) and US armed forces (army, navy, airforce, marines) outside of the USA. Further this does in no way refer to any single individual or individuals from the civil population of the united states. Nor does this refer to "America" as an issue of anyone's identity.

Richard Boucher's statemnt :

Source: We Need To Be Led By The Evidence

I know there's a lot of speculation out there now. That happens in these cases. But I think we need to be led by the evidence before we start trying to draw conclusions and make policy pronouncements on it

'The terrorists that we're fighting against have been fighting against Afghanistan, been fighting against Pakistan, been fighting against the United States, been fighting against Europeans and maybe some of them fighting against India as well.'

These two were the statements made by Richard Boucher in a recent press conference. His statements and position reflect that of the American Government.

now look at the pakistani president's statement yesterdday on Pakistani national television. "Give us the evidence, We will help". Its ironical if you see how both the American state department and Pakistani president's statement.

We know the who pulls the strings. The Puppeteer ofcourse..







On the puppeteer and the puppet

In the after math of 911 within just a few hours after WTC tower one was hit by an airliner. US state departmental officials, the media, the government and everyone cried out "TERRORISTS", "AL-QAEDA", "OSAMA-BIN-LADEN".

The networks were buzz with Al-Qaeeda news, taliban footage and images of Osama bin laden.

Anyone who questioned this statement was branded as a terrorist and if he happened to be an American a traitor. The average Joe turned around asked the average "Alien" (immigrants who are brown or wore a turban) "You people, leave my country".

What surprises me is the double standards the same American government employes while talking about the mumbai blasts. Hours after the WTC tower 1,2 and pentagon was hit, was there evidence of Al-Qaeeda ? Apparently the explaination given was there was a lot of intelligence "chatter".

The Indian government has been tracking the designs of LeT (an organization America reluctantly banned post 911 after thousands were killed by LeT) for a long time. The LeT itself has claimed responsibility of the attack on the Indian Parliament. Somehow for the Americans a terrorist strike in India needs to be backed by a smoking gun, but on an attack on their own people mere chatter would do. This is where the veil lifts off. Double standards of America stands exposed.

Whenever any American has the gall to ask for evidence, I would remind him of the veracity of their evidence in Iraq. "Show me the WMDs ?". Their principle premise that evidence pointing to pakistan as claimed by India is false, should be contrasted with the evidence presented by colin powell (quiet theatrically) to the UN. Its ironical such people question the integrity of Indian claims that "Pakistan is behind the attack".

Its totally condemnable and insulting the deaths of the 200 people in mumbai that such a question is put up.

Check this out. If not for the monumental tragedy in the blasts, this would make me roll down with laughter.

'The terrorists that we're fighting against have been fighting against Afghanistan, been fighting against Pakistan, been fighting against the United States, been fighting against Europeans and maybe some of them fighting against India as well.'

That dumbass Boucher doesent understand when American government was having foreplay with Osama bin laden, taliban and pakistani ISI, we were losing lives in India. The cockiness of America is clearly displayed in its full bloom.

Ofcourse the inetp political system in India. The beuruecrats whose brothers, sisters, daughters are all based in America singing "God bless America". Here we are silently singing "God bless America, instead let him fuck India"

Somehow American war on terror does not include Indian war on terror. Somehow America will bomb whoever it wants if its people die in terror attacks. They will manufacture evidence, hoodwink the world and make us all suckers to achieve what they want. Yet at the same time they will stand on the high pedestal of morality and advise us restraint.

They will have the gall to ask for evidence. The evidence is everywhere. The problem is for a biased, predetermined American government no amount of evidence is enough evidence.

The veil is off my friend. Americans are the puppeteers, the Pakistanis are the puppets. The Indians did you ask ?. We are the suckers. You me and every Indian who thinks that America really is our friend. I doubt very much that India and America have any shared interests atall. While on the one hand the Indian government bends over backwards to pacify America, insult is repeatedly added to injury by America.

I would say Israel has been a better friend of us than America. For all the shabbiness we have treated israel with, here is one country which understands what it means to live under the fear of terror. They understand what it means to lose innocent people in clubs, bars, shopping malls. The difference between us and israelis. The israelis have balls of steel and take no shit. India is a soft country.

Meanwhile the Bush administration is pushing the congress to ratify a 5.1 Billion USD to sell F16s and other lethal weapons to pakistan. This despite opposition in the congress for this deal. George W Bush possesses the power to veto any congress and senate opposition to the deal and is expected to do so. A reward to Pakistan for having been such a good ally in the war on terror. Never mind AQ Khan the dubious Dr. Evil who smuggled nukes from pakistan to iran. Never mind the Pakistani Army and ISI who are even now in cohoots with terrorists of all kinds. Never mind the tens and thousands of madrasas breeding millions of terrorists just waiting for an opportunity to strike. Never mind the thousands who died in kashmir, mumbai, delhi, varanasi, Ayodhya in the last one year alone. Never mind. Let India bleed.

Senator Frank Palone says :

"This material is not being used against Al Qaeda. It isn't. The potential is that it would be used in a war against India"

source: 'Pak will use F-16s against India'

Ladies and gentlemen, lets forget what happened and look the other way. Afterall when an F16 streaks across mumbai and a bunker buster falttens colaba, we can all sit and listen to the Americans asking us "Where is the evidence ?".

Afterall there is no conclusive way to prove that American arms would be used against India. They need to see captured American arms and ammunition to believe Indians.

Seeing is believing isnt it ?

Update

Here is a startling piece of document linking Lashkar-E-Tayiba firmly with Al-Qaeeda global terror network.

The piece of document is unclassified document titled "Civil Action No. 04-CV-0828 (CKK). According to this document Khalid Bin Abdullah Mishal Thamer Al Hameydani has been examined for review of his status as an enemy combatant by the Combatant status review tribunal. This document is dated and signed 12th October 2004.

Khalid has been determined as an enemy combatant because

1) The detainee worked for Al wafaa, an al qaeeda organisation.
2) Detainee name and phone number are known to al qaeeda leaders
3) Detainee received training at Lashkar e-Taiba.

Further the document goes on to illustrate the LT organisation. The dreaded Abu Zubeyda was captured by Pakistani army from a known LT hide out.

The linkage of LT to Pakistan has been firmly established by America's own admission. Pakistani soil has been used repeatedly to launch attacks into India.

America might think otherwise, but as far as India is concerned Pakistan is the epicenter of world terrorism. We have been saying this for the last 20 years and America has been turning a blind eye to this.

Yet nothing has been done to rein in the Lashkar in pakistan. Pakistan claims it has banned the outfit and LT no longer exists. Yet in the last one year 4 deadly bomb attacks in India have killed more than 300.

Why does America protect pakistan ? That is the key question here. America stood gautentee for Musharraf's statement in 2002 when India and pakistan were almost at war. Why is it that Pakistan hasnt kept its word ?


Click here for complete PDF document


UPDATE 2

In devil's advocate - an interview with Karan Thapar, the pakistani forsign minister was quoted as saying

"Haffeze Muhammad Sayyed the leader of LeT and now patron of Jamahat-Ud-Dawa is a changed man"

To a novice nitwit like me, Its like saying "Al-Qaeeda" leader "Osama bin-Laden" is a changed man. Is that possible ? Would US let him go for the crimes he commited ?

I dont even think that maggot sayyed is changed. He just changed the name of the organisation and America's close ally and friend saudi arabia is funding his activities. Its all happening in a new name.

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711 Mumbai - What India should do - Terrorise the terrorist

How do you deal with terrorists ? As a nation, we are all stung deep more so because of our new found status and prosperity and the newly formed world scenario. We are woken up from the deep slumber of fatality (not ignorance). We have long endured bomb blasts and terrorist attacks in kashmir, Delhi, Mumbai, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Calcutta and everywhere else.

Terrorism has no boundries and almost all major countries are affected by it. Europe is engulfed by it, so is a large part of asia. America has seen the monster which it helped create and the ausies had felt its heat in bali. The thing about terrorism that totally stuns people is the absense of sense, ideology and rationale. Mindless violence or killing of innocents is no the feature that defines terrorism.

Mindless violence exists in war. Mindless violence is what when a US marine sprays a magazine onto an iraqi family having dinner.

Innocents die in all kind of battles not just terrorism. Innocents died when napalm was dropped in vietnam. Innocents were killed when bunker busters were dropped in iraq and innocents die when american armed forces entered cities and randamly killed people.

But all these is not terrorism. The core of terrorism is in its inspiration and goal. There is no land to fight for, there is no ideology to assert and there is no wealth to be grabbed. The very act of killing is the motive. That is why no one except the terrorists could become suicide bombers. Killing is not a means, but an end in itself. There is really no way to negotiate with terrorist and no reason to believe any amelioration of grievances would lead them to abandon the terrorism.

Till the late 90s the sheer fearlessness of terrorists have been used by many countries to achieve real ends. Japanese used kamakazee trained pilots to hit american warrior ships. Americans used terrorists to subvert Iran and later to drive out the soviets.

Terrorists are therefore usefull. Surely I am not suggesting lets have our own terrorists. Thats not a good idea because terrorists can turn around very similar to the way Osama bin laden turned around and bit his own master (Americans) just a decade later. The only answer to fight the terrorist is through terror.

Terrorism is a situation of advance violence and an unsavoury one at that. There is just one way to return back to normalcy. Escalate the situation and terrorise the terrorist. Repel them and defeat them convincingly on the ground. Only then can a reversal of this situation be attempted.

Terror makes people scared. Terror after terror after terror can really destroy the spirit. This is the nature of the beast. Its a psychological weapon more than just a physical weapon. Death is physical and the individual is the target. Terrorism is psychological and the target is not just the individual who died but those of us who live. Why not use this as a tool to fight the terrorists.

This post is about that. Read on to find out what India should do.



1) Develop a highly trained, motivated, effective assasination squad.
2) Infiltrate the enemy.
3) Monitor the enemy extremely closely using technology, human intelligence.
4) The enemy is not just one identified group like IRA. There are a 100 groups. This they think is their strength. Turn it around and make it our strength. Fomment mistrust, animosity amongst them. Creae mistrust between the enemy groups.
5) You will get some of those groups snitch for you. It always happens like that.
6) Quietly assasinate the kingpins. Planners and key players first need not necessarily be the leaders.
7) Kill the finances. If its organised finance, go tot he source and get accounts blocked. If its hawala finance, kill the financer.
8) Kidnap a few, use medical technolgy (pentathol) truth serum and other methodologies to get to the mind of the terrorist.
9) Have a crack team of specialists back home who would not only provide technology support but also help crack the mind of the terrorist.
10) Keep killing the enemy as a way of demoralising the flock. Identify those who are the most charismatic and brutally assasinate them when they least expect it.
Remember all terrorists have reconciled themselves to death. They are not afraid of death. Let their deaths be a statement of deterrance than a statement of martyrdom.
11) Erode the base of terrorist by getting into some of the philanthropic institutions they run.
12) Bribe, threaten, seduce, cajole these institution runners and keep a tab on their functioning.
13) Make sure that all terrorist movement are continueously kept tab off.
14) Once in a while switch on the heat.
15) Ensure the enemy head of state is influenced by you.
16) Peace can be a weapon. Its effective only if its a weapon. Peace is romantic and calming but only if both sides realise that peace is benificial for them. Continue the peace talks and let people-people interraction happen. Not just as a media thamasha but also as an alternative to terrorism. The people we talk to should realise that peace is the only alternative. For this, they should realise that those who perpetrate terrorism dont live long. Its no use cutting the legs leaving the head. These monsters grow other legs. Kill some of the top beurucrats, administrators of the enemy who are inimical to the idea of peace.

Let all this happen quietly and silently. History's course can be changed by those who are systematic, focussed and go about their jobs quietly. Within no time, you will find that a terrorist's lifespan reduced to just 2 or 3 years once he takes it up. Donot let any mid level generals to grow. Finish them off in one stroke and dont rest. I am not saying "dont rest untill the goal is reached". I am saying "Dont rest ever".

These are nothing new to Indians. When RAW was formed, it was based on the model propounded by Kautilya.

It will take us another 15 years to do this. But unless a multipronged conerted effort is launched, we will not reach the goal.

For this the victims should accept assasination as a measure of justice. India's legal framework is too cumbersome and people can easily get out. The ultimate justice is dismantelling the hydra piece by piece. The ultimate justice is to get back to our normal state of mind. The ultimate justice is the collective compassion, people of mumbai and India should exhibit towards the victims and their families.
The ultimate justice in seeing 3-4 generations down the line India changing the world around us. To peg our hopes on the legal justice system of India would be futile. Assasinations are quicker, and help people achieve closure and move on with their lives.

For this, the people of India should be determined and steadfast. The politicians unwavering in their goal and keeping intelligence and anti-terrorism as "no politics zone". There is no other way in safegaurding India than doing all of these things

For this the intelligence agencies should work quietly, silently honestly and with complete anonymity. They should work with the determination of not just finding out who the culprits of mumbai blasts 711 are, but also with a determination of dismantelling the complete aparatus.

We should protect our intelligence systems. We should make the betrayer a greater enemy than the enemy himself. Traitors should have their balls cut off with a rusted hack saw. We should not let our friends (so-called friends) take us for granted. If an Indian sells secrets to other countries (not-necessarily our enemies) the action should be swift. We should also watch out for our own interest and dont fight wars on behalf of others. Let the west fight its own battles and lets fight ours.

Betraying our country's secrets to America should become the worst crimes in this country and should be prosecuted with great ferocity. The supreme court should directly take it up and the prosecution should be outside of police juristriction.

Watch out for your enemies because they are dangerous. Watch out for your friends because they are duplicitous.

Lets not categorise terrorist by their relegion or nationality. Lets get each and every one of them weather it might be dawood ibrahim or Warren anderson (Bhopal gas tragedy).

Why ? Mumbai is India and India is mumbai. They are simply synonymous.

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Mumbai 7/11 How much more do we have to endure ?

Mumbai has always seen scenes of dastardly terrorist acts. Its not new. And mumbai has always bounced back. Thats not new either.

But like an old friend once said "Zindagi, jeene ka hai. kya karen, paapi pet ka sawal hai". Life has to be lived, what to do. Afterall its a question of survival.

Thats what keeps this mega machine moving all the time like clockwork. Does it mean we should forget what happened on 7/11 ?

Lets get those bastards. Those who executed it, those who planned it, those who supported it and those who spurred it.

Lets get those bastards. Those who profited from it, those who sneer and smile at it.

Its time India sponsored its own assasination squads, like the israelis, like the Americans.

Its time we hunted every single motherfucking asshole to his last goddam cave and eliminate them.

Its time we broke all international laws and norms and persue just our national interests.

Its time we stop sucking up to the west and be scared of their super snotty attitudes.

Its time we ruthlessly eliminate every perpetrator of every terrorist attack.

Its time we junked the law book as far as terrorists are concerned and flush the courts down the toilet hole.

Lets just go get them.

None of those who died that day, deserved that kind of wretched death.

Lets make them proud. Lets get every motherfucking traitor in this country and publically lynch him to death.

Like it or not we are a soft nation and till we get those bastards we all just have to be happy thumping our chest about the spirit of mumbai. At the end of the day its just "paapi pet ka mamla".

Lets act like the power we are and hunt those guys till the end of the world even if it means blowing out all the jihadi groups.

Would the prime minister ever listen to the people ? or just go about licking Sonia jee's behind ?

The key question is how much more do we have to endure ? and meanwhile lets not forget what happened.

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Confessions Of An Economic Hitman - A review.

The first time I saw or heard of this book was during an election interview of Budhadheb Bhattacharya. The campaigning had been called off and it was a personal peek into the life of this marxist poltician.

Newscaster: "What are you doing today ?"
Budha: "Nothing, just catching up on reading"

Saying this, Budha brandishes a copy of this book. Time went by and one day I found myself within the higginbothom's stall in Chennai central railway station. I had an instant recall and made an instant purchase. Obviously I live an instant life :).



Summary
Authored by John Perkins , Confessions of an economic hitman is a story of the insider turned whistle blower.

This book talks of how corporations benifit from American imperialism. The things that they do, the lies they tell and how they leverage economic institutions like IMF, World bank, USAID to promote the economic interests of American corporations.

It begins with John perkins childhood, about his insecurity of having poor parents in an affluent school and his converting these inadequacies into a source of strength. He goes on to lay the foundation of the inner conflict which would dogg him for years to come.

John joins the peace corps to avoid getting drafted into the vietnam war and proceeds to work with Ecuador. He is guided by the uncle of his girlfriend/wife who works in the NSA. The NSA does an extensive testing of John's motivations in life and declares him as an ideal candidate to be an EHM (Economic hit man). NSA further advises him to join the peace corps and develop his skills and contacts.

While in ecuador John gets recruited by MAIN one of the biggest contracting companies then in the USA which appoints him as an economic analyst. John's worldwide sojourn starts. He is trained by Claudia on the techniques of economic manipulation, econometrics and high growth projection of statistics. According to john the procedure was simple. American consulting firms like his would be deputed to countries on statistical and economic assignments. These firms would depute their EHM trained executives ( just a few of them who are trained in liason with NSA and other US govt. agencies) to conduct econmic and statistical analysis and project growth based on cooked up numbers. These numbers would be based as reasons for extending large loans to the countries.

Developemental works like power projects, electrification etc would then be contracted to American companies most notably Bechtel, Haliburton etc. These projects would ensure that the loans granted would be immediately ploughed back into American companies. As time goes by the growth projections (sometimes as high as 20%) would not be achieved in a sustained fashion and the countries would bear high interest burden for the loan repayments (sometimes as high as 50% of national budgets).

The threat of this is used by American governments both democratic and republican to
leverage for votes, oil drilling rights, access to these countries resources etc.

John claims that the role of the economic hitman is to project cooked up statistics and economic growth and enslave the rulers of the nation using, kickbacks, sex and other western gizmos.

This in his opinion would ensure American domination across the world. He proceeds to add, "not of the common man but of a few corporates who are closely tied to the government". Bush Sr, Bush Jr, Rumsfield, Ford, Shultz, Cheney are all examples of this. He calls this "Corporatocracy". John proceeds to argue that the general American population are clue less of what America does to the world and elicits that as the reason why many are surprised of the backlash America receives.

Further EHM's are part of a larger 3 stage process of American corporotocracy.
Joh says, "If EHM's fail, The jackals step in.". By "Jackals", john means the assasination squad of the American government CIA. Panama's Richard Torrjos and Ecuador's president killed in quick succession of each other is given as failure of EHMs and success of Jackals. Both died mysteriously in plane crashes and had vowed to fight American Imperialism

The third stage is all too familiar to the world. John calls it thus. "When the jackal's fail, young men and women from rural america are sent to die in foreign lands". Iraq and Panama (under Manual Noriega) are given as examples of failure of jackals.

John calls all these a coordinated set of events and rips the masks surrounding US governmental AID to countries. He asks this questions "If so many people are against American Aid in the world ? and are so ungreatful of America, why is America so eager to promote AID ?, because it is profitable and it helps America". How ? was my first question as I sat confused ?.

towards the end of the book he explains. "American dollar is today the currency of the world. The currency of transactions between countries. Only America is allowed to print these dollars and the confidence and strength of American economy is what makes the world invest in America. America has printed billions of dollars and funded reconstruction and developement projects in many countries. This funding is unproductive and inflationairy. At the end of the day the american economy pays for it with high public debt (6 trillion USD). Some day if China calls for its loans back or if saudi arabia switches to euro's instead of America, this ghost will come back to roost".

He ends that book with a warning of what will happen to the world if we dream it and build it the American way. Amazonian jungle tracks in Ecuador are lost forever because of texaco oil company. The indegeneous Shaur's are displaced in their own land and their way of lives lost forever.

This book is a tremendous eye opener and illustrates beautifully the politics of middle east, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia.

Iran

1953 Mossadeg a democratically elected ruler in Iran was overthrown by American propoganda machinery who stirred up the oil companies, businessmen and labour unions. The Shah was propped up as the ruler.

Verdict : EHM - failiure, Jackals - success.

Saudi Arabia (Hose of Saud)

The house of saud was coopted using money, Sex, status, to clean up saudi arabia and build palaces, electrification projects, construction, defence and the whole gamut of stuff we call as developement.

Verdict : EHM - resounding success.

Iraq

Saddam propped up by USA for its opposition to Iran and vast oil resources (next only to saudi arabia). Sold billions of dollars of weapons and help build WMDs. Fomented a war against Iran which went for a decade. WMDs which America helped to build was used to gas kurds, shias and other minorities.

Saddam nationalised oil companies and attacked Kuwait. War declared on iraq.

verdict - EHM failure, Jackal failure, young men and women sent to die.

teritorial war did not gaurentee them oil access as UN took over oil management in iraq. War declared again and occupation of iraq was launched.

Verdict - Young men and women sent to die. This time, they did die.

Meanwhile Haliburton, Bechtel and the American oil companies are benifiting from the spoils.

The american corporatocracy interest in Saudi arabia forced them to turn a blind eye to the extreme relegious fanatism the House of Saud was promoting. The house of Saud pumped billions of oil dollars into Hamas, Pakistan, Mujahideen and ismalic jihad.
These islamic relegious orgainsations was the foundation for taliban and Alqaeda. The most virulent of all.

Finally the shit hits the fan september 11 happens.

The cycle is long. Too long for common public memory, but according to john the connections are unmistakable.

My take on this book

1) Absolutely authentic in terms of facts and events.

2) Poorly constructed in terms of the narration.

3)I think this book is another case of profiteering and lacks genuineness from the
author. e.g. john claims to be morally torn about his choices all through his life
about the work he is doing and yet continues to do it for 20 long years.
After quitting from this, he goes on to form a alternative power company called
IPS and sells it off to an oil company. His explaination of threat and fear rings
hollow. Looks to me that he played with the big guys all along and snitched for a
lucritive book deal.

4) Some of the later events which John claims to be not involved with appears
sketchy and dubious. Some thrash this as conspiracy theory.

Vasu's Recommendation : Buy it. Good read and perfectly plausible. If its true that John did work for MAIN, I would even say a lot of the things he says is credible. But I am not the one to buy he was a noble soul.

I dont need to, at the end of the day I still credit John Perkins for having told this story however badly written or with illdisguised intentions it might be

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Being Sardar

When I was a kid, I used to love Laxmi Kara's geography class. Geography was the closest thing to travel which I later figured out was my source of energy in life.
Kara herself was stately in her appearencce. With silver white hair she had a perfect face. She must have been atleast 60. She had that sense of calm and clarity in her face. Very very similar to Nafisa Ali in looks.

Laxmi Kara single handedly made me dream about being a pigmy. I loved the fact that one can climb trees, live in the forest, be free of homework, school and uniforms, eat all the exotic foods. This image stayed on till quiet late in life. The whole idea of living without any possessions as a tribal does is extremely appealing. Especially sleeping on a treetop some 250 feet above ground. Watchng a clear starry sky, black as ink studded with a zillion diamonds.

Ofcourse all this lasted till I saw that episode on pigmys by NatGeo. Their exisstence and livelyhood in the 20th century. It was stark, devoid of myths and quiet literally showed them as "as humans as anyone else".

Even then the whole image of a pigmy remained etched in mind. No amount of realism could erase those.

To dream of being a pigmy when I was 12 turned to dream of being a sardar. If you think of any section of people in the world who have embraced life as whole heartedly as possible, they are the Sardars. Sikhs is the politically correct term, but thats just a relegious identity. To be a sardar is something else.

Firstly it is super human. Its dildhar (all embracing). Its filled with fun and goodness (as good as the lassi) and most importantly it is about the laughs, throaty, gutteral and at times self-deprecating. No one can dispute the fact that no one can say a sardar joke as well as a sardar.

The word sardar has come to mean dumb, stupid, loser. But one look at this world would say that there is very little truth in that stereotype. The only source of reasoning is because of the hordes of sardar jokes.

We had one pappe sardar in our team. Every morning we would ask him "Bhupi, Kuki ki ondhi ?". Every morning he would say in his trademark smiling style "Madrasi, it doesent mean anything". Well, in those days I would have taken grave offence and sprung in defence of anyone making fun of tamil iconography. Be it curd-rice, or Rajnikanth or silk smitha. How can these north indians do that ? But then as I lived more in north india (I still believe mumbai to be more north than south), I realised that the hindi speaking community especialyl the sardars dont have such a bipolar view of India as we think. Its more multi polar. The bumbling bong is as much a curiosity as a touchy tamilian or the mystic mallu or the shrewed gujaratis. That way Identity played its true intended role. To identify.

This identity pride thing is a mechanism to psyche a community to strive harder to overcome imaginary enemies. Something similar to the drummers on a dragon boat in kerala. The drum beat of identity, pride is more to get the group of boatman to act in synchrony to the drum beat. Idnetity icons are similar in nature. Gujarati Asmita, Tamilian pride etc.

I am not saying there isnt gujarati asmita and tamilian pride. There is infact a sense of commonality. But we make those commonality too much a centerstage phenomena than necessary. Its got its benifits, but the key question is are we over stretching it ?

Harpreet my senior in coimbatore is a sardar with a difference. Ask him where his native is ? he would say salem. Though thats not what people want to know. With time people started accepting Harpreet from salem as a plausibility although with a slight bit of suspicion. The funny thing was the look on people's face when harpreet spoke tamil. Some of us (including me), were taken aback when harpreet spoke flawless tamil (you know the beat, otha.. koodhi etc.)

Well it said more about the rest of us than about harpreet. Identity is real but its not always as stereotypical as we define it to be. Mahmood's padosan cast the death knell for many tamilians. kamalahasan's ek dujhe ke liye personally robbed me of anonymity at my workplace and made life difficult. Vasu meant Vasu-sapna as if sapna happened to be my surname(For more on this Read Morarjee Files - Parallel Run ). It dint help, I dint have sapna. But it helped to ease out tense situations, throw in some laughs and make people open. But how this identity issue will pan out is no gaurentee. All that matters is do we have the mindset to take something like that and make it positive ? or are we going to be confused, filled with angst and stressed out as the ABCD identity (American born confused desi). Are we going to make our identity the epicenter of our existstance ? Are we going to judge everything in the world through those lenses ?

Deep questions, but thats as deep as I can go today. Anyways I cant forget this one incident.

Andy was sitting down to play a game of Dave. Its 2.00 a.m. in the morning. Bhupi is impatiently waiting behind him for his turn to play. We had finished our shift and had 2 hours to kill before the first train came into lower parel. What do we do, but play Dave. Slowly it was becoming participative. "Left jao, right maro" rang the rarified morning air. Andy's reflexes were taking a beating at two and as everyone would say "old age was catching up". Andy got shot, by the revolving fireball. Immediately there was a loud laugh from behind Andy. It was bhupi, who was soaking himself in the situation andy was in. Andy sat there embaressed and fumin.

"Kya sardar bangaya yaar ?", managed bhupi amidst the laughs. Everyone joined in. Andy retorted. "Abhe, thu already sardar hai..". Bhupi was in form that day. "Haa par thera jaisa nahin.." And the laughter went on for a long time to come.

The ability to laugh at one's identity and not feel any less proud about it is sardardom in my definition.

I now dream of being a sardar as much as I once dreamt of being a pigmy. As for being a tamil, I already am one. Dyed in the wool. Unabashed. I can be both cant I ?

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Media tamasha in India - Anti Reservation.

For a long time, I had my horses reined. But now they have decided to break free, purely because the pro-reservationist voices have been deliberately and conciously drubbed. I know it doesent make much of a difference but I think its time the tides changed. The power to distort the truth in today's world belongs to just two people

1) The Upper class (read as caste) Elite and
2) Media.

It is further compounded by the fact that the media consists of Upperclass elites. So in essense if I say upper caste elites, it means media too.

Worse is the fact that both these categories of bourgeoise Indian class distort the truth in the name of truth. There is nothing more despicable than that.

The issue is Reservations for OBCs in central institutions (I will give my detailed opinion on this on a different post. This one is mainly reserved for exposing the duplicity of the anti-reservationist).

Prime example of this castist attitude is my dear friend sumankumar Who is actually an intelligent guy. But nowadays he is turning out smart. He has learnt the rudimentary art of name calling when someone disagrees with him. I only smile at such naivity which is displayed in all its grandeur Read this .

What is on display is the arrogance and intolerance to the opinions of the majority. What is on display is the basic anti-democratic streak that runs as a common thread among the "merit-mongers". Basically a super-bloated sense of right to every resource this nation generates. India Shining!!! Globalisation!!!

This is castism in its worst display. Especially when so called educated people like Suman mouth impotent statements such as "OBC's dont have merit". A study done by Vani Barooha, Amaresh Dubey and Sriya Iyer in their research paper, they call this phenomena as 'statistical discrimination', defining it as a belief that people from reserved categories as 'inferior workers'.

When I read that piece, my mind just popped all those who clamoured for the falling standards. No one bothers about falling standards in school. Do they ? When they sit along with other people from other castes. Well, then they are children. But when they grow up, they get into the castist mould. Then all notions of "Falling standards" fall from the heaven.

Its just the old wine of caste cast in a new bottle - "merit". Merit means castism.

This tendancy is not universally in all uppercastes. It is primarily restricted to a few of the uppercastes, namely the brahmins. If you track their names, you can figure out that a mishra is a brahmin and so is a iyer. You dont need a PhD to figure this out. Every professor, question paper setter, beureucrat, bank official, evaluator knows this. PhD positions in the north are mostly brahmins because the professors are brahmins. Not in the south where govt enforces 69% reservation in all institutions. I have personally known people from severely oppressed castes go on to do PhD and fight on equal terms with anyone in the world.

One can never hide the caste. Take my name for e.g. Vasudevan Srinivasan. Srinivasan is a typical brahmin name and that too an iyengar name. Its a fact undeniable and its mark is indelible. So much so some of my friends in mumbai were astonished how I spoke such good hindi. Did I grow up in chembur ?

In this kind of a situation the decision makers in every step (as mentioned above) have the power of influence to give out doles just by seeing a name. Gone where the days when the caste battle was about rights of temple and right to vote. Now it is hard core developemental. Right to water, right to electricity and right to jobs. Right to education is just a logical step for these oppressed classes to raise up. Right to the 8% growth.

Someone (I think its suman) asked me this. "You are a brahmin right ? Why are you talking like this ?". That was a revelation for me that day. This anti-reservation battle is nothing but a caste battle. As a thinking citizen, it offends me terribly to have a castist debate on such a critical issue. Caste based debate is inevitable. But we can avoid castist thinking. The difference is obvious. Caste is a big reality in India. While refering to citizen groups based on caste, we should avoid making value judgements about those castes as groups. The social conditions of dalits are more or less the same. To talk about dalit issues is not castist. But to say, "dalits dont have brains" is castist. Well to understand fine differences one needs to have a broad based understanding of the India we live in.

About the media ? Here is an article written by "The hindu". A very well respected broadsheet in India whose opinions are always balanced and admired by the best in the world for its editorial quality. The article Taking sides beautifully sums up what many of us feel seeing the anti-reservation debate play out on the english t.v. news.

It bothers us that how come an elite urban audience can forget the other India ? It also reveals the barely concealed nexus between the elite upper castes and the media. By all mentions of media, I mean the nationally telivised english news media.

Its easy if you want to get your face splashed on national t.v. Speak impeccable English, Have a contact in one of the channels.

My friend suman might say. "Thats not something easy. Its not easy to get a contact inside the news channels and its not easy to speak impeccable english."

In a way that is true and maybe that is what he means that you need merit. In essense if the english news channels spot you, your merit increases. Your political ideas and opinions and its merit thereof depends on weather you know english and weather you have an inside contact in the news channels.

Some in today's upperclass, elite, urban, chic and what I would call as "Rang De Basanti" Crowd would like to fool themselves (that I am not so sure off but anyway) amd the rest of the world that what Rajdeep Sardesai, Pranoy Roy and Barkha Dutt say are the golden truth and ultimate truth. All that is good to have candle light morchas and sit in dharnas. The imagination of jessica lal murder case, Rang de basanti and the Narmada bachao andholan has captivated these masses, thanks to the media. But there needs to be some grain of truth behind your morchas. Some cause, some greater purpose. What you see is plain and simple fight for selfish interests. Each person fighting for his own seat and later on fighting with each other.

Its improtant to ask, why is it that medicos in tamil nadu never participated. In TN nearly 69% is reserved higher than even what was mandated in supreme court. That too for the last 20 years. Well is it just coincidental that Rajasthan with a total uppercaste percentage of 15% has Sati and child marriage, grinding poverty, caste struggles, dalit oppression while TN has taken giant strides in health, rural developement, industrial output. How does such a horrible mediocrity supporting law, spawn all the good things of life. Maybe what did you say suman ??. There is corelation between social justice and economic growth, if we implement the social justice consistently and genuinely. Maharashtra, Gujarat, TN, Karnataka, Kerala.. All these are examples. The BIMARU states are the ones with just 22% reservations. The uppercaste students study in the BIMARU states, fly off to US or Bangalore or Mumbai. As a result no entreprenuership comes by.

Well, what can I say. I am not so easily moved. Even in the Jesica lal murder case, CNN-IBN published evidence of a confession letter claiming it to be exclusive and the work done to be by that of an undercover agent. Its common knowledge in the media that such a document was known to exist and was even published way back in 1999. Such blatant gluttony for TRP ratings are what t.v. channels are made off.

Times NOW came out with an expose of how a couple of their reporters took Abu Salem's interview in portugal. They went on a 15 day holiday and came back with a tape. Times NOW released it with all fanfare. Two days later the mumbai police claimed the tape to be part of its crucial evidence in court and airing of the tape to be a severe breach of proceedings. The tapes were recorded in mumbai and both the reporters basically had a jolly good time in egypt, dubai and europe. Now times now is guilty of peddling judicial evidence without verification.

These are well chronicled transgressions of the t.v. news media. And to peddle a few minutes of arclight fame as some kind of holy truth is plain pukish and revolting.

A few more weeks arclights would shift, the glory will fade and life will turn back to normal. A media infused hype is like alcohol. All you get the next day morning is a nasty hangover.

Its surprising to see many of my friends to be so jumpy and energised by all these media glare. These are "media's children"

Lastly I want to chronicle the technique of the anti-reservationist while debating this issue.

1) Half truths
2) Lies
3) Innuendos
4) Diversions

1) Half truths are peddled to gain legitimacy. The undecided, the fence sitters evaluate the good part of the half truth and swallo the bad part without questioning. Similar to how we go to one shop and find rice is cheaper than everywhere around. We assume that everything is cheaper there and end up paying mroe for everything else. Beware of half truths. Always take time in analysing every bit of argument you see. Including mine. Ask for documentry proof.

2) Once you prove your credentials, you are above questioniing. Then you can peddle all kinds of rumours and lies. Like how "xyz" doctor died. 13 doctors admitted to hospital. These are plain pure unadultrated lies spread by the doctors themselves to create temporary histeria.

3) Innuendos. In case you encounter some kid who calls your favourite emperor naked, you can abuse him and his intelligence. Call him nutcase. Basically character assasinate something which you cant debate, deride something which you cant digest. Worst is call it illogical by defining the contours of logic. So you can change rules easily and make any argument illogical anytime you want. Logic fits into your grand scheme of merit. So logic is the best weapon. You can debate pro-reservation on basis of logic, but never the argument how logical are 12th class marks ?

4) Diversions - This is a simple, but effective technique. You sacrifice lives (I mean doctor's lives as sacrifice. A sick patient is anyway a dieing lowercaste.. what the hell let him die). You turn the argument emotional. On the one hand you picket govt. offices, public places and on the other hand you cry for sympathy.

a.k.a "Sagarika Ghose, pathetically pleading to D.Raja - Dont you have any sympathy for the doctor's on hunger strike ?".

my friend Karuppan would say.. wa aatukari vachi kudkukren.. iyeru sapudiviya.. (I will give you fine lamb curry.. Iyer, will you eat ?).

Long gone were the days where such gimmicks and diversions could keep the uppercaste in power. Politicians are the only saving grace for the teeming masses to lead a better life and not one of servitude.

One question I would love to ask Suman (who called me a communist. Remember step 3, innuendos ??). Isnt striking work a communist step ??

Maybe not, afterall by calling it civil disobedience it became "gandhian". Well... thats step 4..

Everytime I hear an anti-reservationist rant their guts out, I just read an argument and go .. "Thats a 3..", "thats a 2.."

More about my own views of reservation soon.. Meanwhile I would love to remind Suman that we live in a democracy and as a meritorious person, he should know that means the majority view gets carry forwarded. He (because of his supreme merit) has the same political rights as anyone else.

Try respecting that for a change.

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