I find it hilarious that Pope Benedict makes a statement that creates a ruckus in the Islamic world. Refer http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/09/15/pope.islam/index.html?section=cnn_topstories for more details. It is certainly out of place for a religious leader to comment on a religion other than his own. But what is hilarious is that Muslims by their rather belligerent response have proven that his statements are not off the mark.
There were rather violent protests in the Kashmir, Turkey and elsewhere when the channel Comedy Central decided to portray the prophet Mohammed as a human in their cartoon South Park. Who can forget the protests that shook Kashmir when the Danish cartoons hit the press.
What I do not find hilarious is when Muslims in India go on the rampage and destroy India’s property, when India has had nothing to fuel any of these controversies. I hope we stop tolerating this violence in the name of religion and clamp down hard on religious bigots. As for the Pope, wonder what he thinks of Judaism? Or does he deny Christ was a Jew?

Whenever it’s my birthday, I don’t feel any different. My family and friends greet me. It reminds me of a landmark, but nothing else. I don’t physically or emotionally feel younger or older. The concept of time is extremely relative with respect to the mind. With the body, it is absolute and there is no escaping it.
I am very sure, everyone in this world would have a certain particular age in mind, at which they’d want to freeze time. What if I could be 18 forever? Or better still 22? There would be some who’d want to be children for life and escape the mundane responsibilities of life. But time marches on.
A birthday is like a hyphen, an exclamation mark even, in the sentence of life. It comes just once a year (unless you are Morarji Desai, who was born on Feb 29 !!). But also remember that every single date of the year also comes just once a year. And again in the absolute sense, every single moment only comes once in a lifetime. Hate cliches, but this one’s good.
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.

Cheers

Browsing to rediff.com is a ritual to me like several desis abroad. It’s my only real view to home. But of late, rediff seems to have lost a great deal of its bite. Where are the Varsha Bhosles, Arvindraos, Gautiers and Srinivasans?
Of the various people named, all except Bhosle seem to make sporadic appearances. But I miss Varsha the most. You may agree with her or not (I found no reason to disagree ever), she provokes thought. I may sound extremely right wing in this post, but I promise my heart lies in the well-being of India and a provocative press is no hindrance to the same.
So wherever you are Varsha, do drop by and lacerate the press once more with hard truth. And believe it or not, like your mom Asha - you too have left a mark.

It has been 5 years since the tragedy that befell altered everyone’s lives one way or another. Yet lessons have yet to be learnt. Culprits are still to be brought to justice. Wounds have yet to heal.
The greatest tragedy in our world is inane, unimaginative leadership as opposed to that in the terrorists’ domain. The need of the hour is to identify that the war on terror is indeed global and has to be tackled as such.
Old schisms in our world have to give way to fresh thinking. Above all, we must choose our allies in this war with discretion. It defeats the purpose of the war, when the major perpetrators of this surreptitious, proxy war themselves are hailed as major allies.
It further alienates the world, when the protagonist of this war and its cronies attack the wrong nation and pound it creating new terrorists. We owe it to the victims of this disaster, first and foremost to pursue and destroy the organization that perpetrated this attack. Unless the terrorists are not terrorized, they will not stop.
It seems painfully obvious that no government is inclined to stamp out terrorism, wherefrom it thrives. Pakistan is the epicentre of Muslim fascism. Saudi Arabia is its financer. But hold on - these are America’s principal allies. It’s quite distressing that just before the anniversary of 9/11, Pakistan signs a deal with the Taliban that it will not chase any ‘foreigners’ on its soil and the US just looks the other way.
‘Wahabism’ is a cult that has turned the world on its head. The sooner the world learns to tame it - the better. Else, we will be fighting against these ghouls long after bin Laden has been buried.

       I have been reading off and on the brouhaha over recitation of the national song Vande Mataram. Frankly, I don’t understand what the fuss is about. Our inane politicians have nothing better to do than divide the masses. I proudly recite the song myself on every permissible occasion taking utmost care not to insult the song and the nation through my croak of a voice. But, I do not apply the yardstick of patriotism to someone’s willingness to sing the song.
      Taking the point of divisiveness further, I challenge the entire parliament - Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha included to name a single member, who has openly come out against the proposed reservation system in the AIIMS in a single stroke of divine wisdom by Arjun Singh, who himself will fly abroad for treatment, if he needs to.
      If these esteemed representatives so care about national pride, what have they done to bring to justice perpretators of the bomb blasts in Mumbai. Leave the 2006 blasts, I am talking about the 1992 blasts, when some TADA judge delayed judgement for inexplicable causes. 
      I also have nothing but contempt for the remark made by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee asking Sikhs not to sing Vande Mataram. (Pls refer http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1963529.cms). The most dignified response to stupidity is to ignore it, and not fan more loathing. We are nothing but a nation led by people with totally misplaced priorities. Our leaders have no self-respect and portray a dismal picture of India to the outside world.
      This blog is a humble plea to the nation’s leaders to engage the nation in more meaningful issues - such as national security, literacy and eradication of poverty. And yes, if you really expect people to believe that you care, pls. turn up in person, when we are in trouble. And not hide like Govinda did, when Mumbai sank last year.
       Vande Mataram!!!