Saturday, July 25, 2009
Away for a while
Friends, I have been away for a while and have resumed work today. Will try to be regular from now on with new postings
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Sambhar - For bachelors
Ingredients
2 – 3 drumsticks
50 grams toor dal
50 grams masoor dal
One large onion
3 green chillies
One inch ginger
2 medium sized tomatoes
20 – 25 curry leaves
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
3-4 teaspoons sambhar powder
1 teaspoon Rasam powder
Half teaspoon bafat masala powder*
One table spoon oil
Salt to taste
Vinegar – 1 teaspoon
Half bunch coriander leaves, chopped fine ( optional)
Method :
Wash the toor and masoor dal, add two cups of water and pressure cook for 5 minutes ( after the first whistle).
Clean and cut the drumsticks into one inch pieces and keep aside
Finely slice the onions, slit the green chillies and finely cut the ginger and keep aside
Cut the tomatoes into large pieces and keep aside.
In a vessel heat the oil on medium fire and add the mustard seeds. Once the seeds start sputtering add the curry leaves, then the sliced onions, ginger and green chillies and fry for one minute. Next add the drumsticks, sambhar powder, rasam powder and the bafat masala powder and cook for 2 minutes. Stir all the while so that the masala does not catch the bottom and burn. Then add the pressure cooked dal, 3 cups of water, salt to taste and vinegar. Cook for about 20 minutes until the drumsticks become soft. You may keep adding water if required or leave it as it is if you want the sambhar to be thick.. Once the drum sticks are cooked add the tomatoes and cook for 2- 3 more minutes. You may now add the chopped coriander leaves, but this is optional. Check the salt and vinegar and add more to suit your taste if required.
Enjoy the sambhar.
* Bafat powder is popular with the Mangalorean community. This gives the sambhar a better taste. If not available where you are, you may do without it.
2 – 3 drumsticks
50 grams toor dal
50 grams masoor dal
One large onion
3 green chillies
One inch ginger
2 medium sized tomatoes
20 – 25 curry leaves
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
3-4 teaspoons sambhar powder
1 teaspoon Rasam powder
Half teaspoon bafat masala powder*
One table spoon oil
Salt to taste
Vinegar – 1 teaspoon
Half bunch coriander leaves, chopped fine ( optional)
Method :
Wash the toor and masoor dal, add two cups of water and pressure cook for 5 minutes ( after the first whistle).
Clean and cut the drumsticks into one inch pieces and keep aside
Finely slice the onions, slit the green chillies and finely cut the ginger and keep aside
Cut the tomatoes into large pieces and keep aside.
In a vessel heat the oil on medium fire and add the mustard seeds. Once the seeds start sputtering add the curry leaves, then the sliced onions, ginger and green chillies and fry for one minute. Next add the drumsticks, sambhar powder, rasam powder and the bafat masala powder and cook for 2 minutes. Stir all the while so that the masala does not catch the bottom and burn. Then add the pressure cooked dal, 3 cups of water, salt to taste and vinegar. Cook for about 20 minutes until the drumsticks become soft. You may keep adding water if required or leave it as it is if you want the sambhar to be thick.. Once the drum sticks are cooked add the tomatoes and cook for 2- 3 more minutes. You may now add the chopped coriander leaves, but this is optional. Check the salt and vinegar and add more to suit your taste if required.
Enjoy the sambhar.
* Bafat powder is popular with the Mangalorean community. This gives the sambhar a better taste. If not available where you are, you may do without it.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Grilled chicken
Ingredients
a) 6 – 8 whole chicken legs or 10-12 chicken drumsticks
b) One and a half teaspoon whole black pepper
c) 1 teaspoon cumin powder
d) 8-10 cloves
e) One inch cinnamon stick
f) Pinch of turmeric powder
g) juice of 4 small limes
h) 4 green chillies
i) One small onion
j) half bunch coriander leaves
k) 12 mint leaves
m) half inch ginger
n) 6 flakes of garlic
o) salt to taste
p) two tablespoons butter ( melted)
Method
Pull out the skin of the chicken, wash apply a few cuts with a knife and keep aside.
Grinding :
Powder items B to F in a mixer / grinder
Add items from G to O and grind them all together into a thick paste. Add water while grinding only if required. Apply this paste well to the chicken legs / drumsticks and keep the vessel inside a refrigerator for marinating for about 6 – 8 hours.
Grilling :
Before beginning the grilling process in your electric or gas grill, please microwave the chicken for 2 minutes (This is required because during grilling the meat on the outside of the chicken tends to get cooked, while the meat close to the bones remains uncooked and raw. Microwaving for 2 minutes before grilling ensures that the chicken is evenly cooked).
Once the gas/electric oven is hot, place the chicken legs / drumsticks evenly on the grilling tray, and apply the melted butter on to the chicken with a brush and begin grilling. Keep turning sides and keep brushing the chicken with butter.
Depending upon the oven the grilling process will take up to 20 minutes. Keep watch so that you don’t burn the chicken. Remove once done and serve. You may squeeze some limes juice if required while serving
a) 6 – 8 whole chicken legs or 10-12 chicken drumsticks
b) One and a half teaspoon whole black pepper
c) 1 teaspoon cumin powder
d) 8-10 cloves
e) One inch cinnamon stick
f) Pinch of turmeric powder
g) juice of 4 small limes
h) 4 green chillies
i) One small onion
j) half bunch coriander leaves
k) 12 mint leaves
m) half inch ginger
n) 6 flakes of garlic
o) salt to taste
p) two tablespoons butter ( melted)
Method
Pull out the skin of the chicken, wash apply a few cuts with a knife and keep aside.
Grinding :
Powder items B to F in a mixer / grinder
Add items from G to O and grind them all together into a thick paste. Add water while grinding only if required. Apply this paste well to the chicken legs / drumsticks and keep the vessel inside a refrigerator for marinating for about 6 – 8 hours.
Grilling :
Before beginning the grilling process in your electric or gas grill, please microwave the chicken for 2 minutes (This is required because during grilling the meat on the outside of the chicken tends to get cooked, while the meat close to the bones remains uncooked and raw. Microwaving for 2 minutes before grilling ensures that the chicken is evenly cooked).
Once the gas/electric oven is hot, place the chicken legs / drumsticks evenly on the grilling tray, and apply the melted butter on to the chicken with a brush and begin grilling. Keep turning sides and keep brushing the chicken with butter.
Depending upon the oven the grilling process will take up to 20 minutes. Keep watch so that you don’t burn the chicken. Remove once done and serve. You may squeeze some limes juice if required while serving
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Why Pillar of Hercules?
Many of my friends have been asking me about the name Pillar of Hercules. No specific meaning or reason should be attached here. As i was growing up i had taken a liking for Greek and Roman mythologies and would always look for stories to read on these two great mythologies. Later on in college i opted for English literature as my major, and had to study the Iliad and Odyssey as my major subjects. Hercules / Heracles was my first hero while i was a kid and that is why i opted for this name for the blog.
The two mountains at the entrance of modern day Gibraltar are named as the Pillars of Hercules and they were created by Hercules to guard the straits of Gibraltar from the monsters who would have otherwise entered the Mediteranean. These pillars were also used to indicate the entrance to the rest of the world by the Spanish, as a gateway to the new Spanish overseas colonies in the Americas. It seems that the Spanish coat of arms also bore the images of the Pillars of Hercules. Additionally the cover page of Sir Francis Bacon's Instauratio Magna ( Great renewal) bears the image of the Pillars of Hercules and the motto at the bottom of the page when translated into english means MANY WILL PASS THROUGH, AND KNOWLEDGE WILL BE THE GREATER.
Pillars of Hercules denotes both the entrance and the exit..........Therefore what i write here could be an entry for new thoughts, or an exit for old and outdated ones.........You readers and visitors please decide and let me know through your comments.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
My beautiful Mangalore
A few years ago, while in college a friend of mine told me this story relating to Mangalore. He went on to tell me that according to Hindu mythology after the great sage Parashuram had nearly annihilated the kshatriyas and satiated his anger, had arrived at the mainland near modern day Mangalore and flung his great axe into the sea. It seems an island was formed on the spot where the axe landed and gradually over a period of time, this island joined the mainland. He described that this very island was modern day Dakshina Kannada and that is why it is described as Parashuram Shristi or creation of Parashuram. This therefore was and would always remain a land of peace and tranquillity. I am not an expert in Hindu scriptures and mythology, but as I grew up I really believed this story.
That was so until recently, but today I am not sure at all. The recent incidents in Mangalore have been so shocking and it is hard to imagine if this is the same Mangalore that I grew up in. While we were school kids any kind of communal tension was completely alien to us. I studied in a catholic institution until my pre-university days. Right from the beginning we would have students from all communities and backgrounds studying with us. We had a Hindu majority in each class, followed by Christians, Muslims and Jains. We had a few students from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra and here and there a few North Indians as well. We would joke and poke fun at each other, but none of these jokes were taken seriously. Any religious festivity like Diwali, Dasara, Christmas, Easter or Eid was an occasion to be celebrated by all. Students belonging to other communities would treat us with sweets or some goodies whenever they celebrated a religious event at home. In our neighbourhood we had Hindus, Christians and Muslims all living together in peace and harmony. During our school vacations we would all be seen playing together in playgrounds or at a friend’s place eating food and having fun together. Religion, caste, creed and languages were simply not part of any discussions. During the famous Car festival, Sri Krishna Jayanti processions or the Dasara processions people belonging to all faiths would join in the processions and mingle with friends. Mangalore indeed was the greatest place to be on earth then.
Today the Mangalore of my school days seems to have suddenly vanished from the face of the earth. It has become a city without a soul and a heart. People who have lived together in peace and harmony for decades suddenly have become strangers to each other. There is suspicion, animosity and mistrust everywhere. Even cracking any silly joke on a person from another community has the potential of creating a riot. We have better roads, more modern buildings, better infrastructure, yet when the whole country is moving forward, we Mangaloreans have taken definite steps backwards. Areas of the city are becoming enclaves where only communities of one faith live. In short each community is beginning to form its own enclave and trying to isolate itself from the rest.
How and when did this change take place? The recent unfortunate incidents are not the beginning but only a culmination of the rot that must have been brewing for some time now. Nobody noticed it to take timely measures before it began to fester. We do have this habit of blaming politicians and the communal agenda that they adopt. To a large extent this is true, but how did a city of intelligent and educated people let themselves be led and brainwashed this way? We have some of the best educational institutions in Mangalore, We are considered the cradle of Indian banking. Mangaloreans are spread far and wide across the seven seas distinguishing themselves in each and every field and they have been our idols and source of encouragement. Yet we find ourselves in this pathetic situation today.
Every other day in the National media we hear news about Mangalore. Most of them are not good or pleasant to hear. Crime and murders, underworld, moral policing, attacks and destruction of religious places, Communal tensions, beating up of women on the streets are all the news that we get to see and hear. We are the subject of discussions and debates on several national channels frequently. Any incident taking place elsewhere is being described as the repeat or example of the Mangalore incidents. On a sarcastic note I could say that today probably the whole of India and most people from overseas are familiar with Mangalore. We are a famous city today, but for all the wrong reasons. Parents from far away who were looking forward to send their kids to our colleges have begun looking elsewhere. They no longer find it safe to send their children here.
Not so long ago, we Mangaloreans were considered to be highly educated, ultra modern, secular and fun loving. But, today we find ourselves in a situation where we are ashamed to reveal our Mangalorean identity to outsiders. When questioned about the recent events we try to avoid giving answers as we have none to offer.
The recent political events too have taken a serious toll. We today belong to one of the two camps or parties. One describes the other as fundamentalist party and the other reciprocates by calling the opposite as a minority appeasement party. We have totally lost our identity as peace loving and patriotic Mangaloreans who were proud of our roots and our culture and our city.
Where then does the solution lie? I am not really sure. Nobody is trying to make the first move in trying to rebuild the broken bridges. Each one is waiting for the perceived party, to render an apology, and make amends. Each one irrespective of his religion thinks that he is the victim who has been wronged, and is waiting for the other side to right this wrong. Our community and religious leaders have no solutions to offer. Our political leaders are extremely happy with the situation. We have easily fallen into the trap that they had set for us. While we are crying today they are laughing and reaping the benefits created by our division. The Law enforcement agencies are the most mistrusted of the lot. They are trusted by nobody.
We therefore have to look at solutions within ourselves as no help will come from outside. This disease from which all of us are suffering is only self curable. Each one of us needs to introspect very deeply, and to come out of this trance that we are caught up in, to understand that we are one irrespective of our religious affiliations. We need to understand that religion is a private matter and does not belong to the public domain. Religion is not an instrument to be misused and mutilated at will. We need to understand our neighbour his religion, his culture, his habits and respect him. In today’s world you don’t impose your will on others, but learn to live together in mutual respect.
I am sure that wisdom will dawn upon each of us sooner than later, and that the most beautiful place on earth Mangalore will regain its past glory as the friendliest and most welcome place on earth. It will once again transform itself into an abode of peace and tranquillity, The real Parashuram Shristi as my friend once described it to me.
That was so until recently, but today I am not sure at all. The recent incidents in Mangalore have been so shocking and it is hard to imagine if this is the same Mangalore that I grew up in. While we were school kids any kind of communal tension was completely alien to us. I studied in a catholic institution until my pre-university days. Right from the beginning we would have students from all communities and backgrounds studying with us. We had a Hindu majority in each class, followed by Christians, Muslims and Jains. We had a few students from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra and here and there a few North Indians as well. We would joke and poke fun at each other, but none of these jokes were taken seriously. Any religious festivity like Diwali, Dasara, Christmas, Easter or Eid was an occasion to be celebrated by all. Students belonging to other communities would treat us with sweets or some goodies whenever they celebrated a religious event at home. In our neighbourhood we had Hindus, Christians and Muslims all living together in peace and harmony. During our school vacations we would all be seen playing together in playgrounds or at a friend’s place eating food and having fun together. Religion, caste, creed and languages were simply not part of any discussions. During the famous Car festival, Sri Krishna Jayanti processions or the Dasara processions people belonging to all faiths would join in the processions and mingle with friends. Mangalore indeed was the greatest place to be on earth then.
Today the Mangalore of my school days seems to have suddenly vanished from the face of the earth. It has become a city without a soul and a heart. People who have lived together in peace and harmony for decades suddenly have become strangers to each other. There is suspicion, animosity and mistrust everywhere. Even cracking any silly joke on a person from another community has the potential of creating a riot. We have better roads, more modern buildings, better infrastructure, yet when the whole country is moving forward, we Mangaloreans have taken definite steps backwards. Areas of the city are becoming enclaves where only communities of one faith live. In short each community is beginning to form its own enclave and trying to isolate itself from the rest.
How and when did this change take place? The recent unfortunate incidents are not the beginning but only a culmination of the rot that must have been brewing for some time now. Nobody noticed it to take timely measures before it began to fester. We do have this habit of blaming politicians and the communal agenda that they adopt. To a large extent this is true, but how did a city of intelligent and educated people let themselves be led and brainwashed this way? We have some of the best educational institutions in Mangalore, We are considered the cradle of Indian banking. Mangaloreans are spread far and wide across the seven seas distinguishing themselves in each and every field and they have been our idols and source of encouragement. Yet we find ourselves in this pathetic situation today.
Every other day in the National media we hear news about Mangalore. Most of them are not good or pleasant to hear. Crime and murders, underworld, moral policing, attacks and destruction of religious places, Communal tensions, beating up of women on the streets are all the news that we get to see and hear. We are the subject of discussions and debates on several national channels frequently. Any incident taking place elsewhere is being described as the repeat or example of the Mangalore incidents. On a sarcastic note I could say that today probably the whole of India and most people from overseas are familiar with Mangalore. We are a famous city today, but for all the wrong reasons. Parents from far away who were looking forward to send their kids to our colleges have begun looking elsewhere. They no longer find it safe to send their children here.
Not so long ago, we Mangaloreans were considered to be highly educated, ultra modern, secular and fun loving. But, today we find ourselves in a situation where we are ashamed to reveal our Mangalorean identity to outsiders. When questioned about the recent events we try to avoid giving answers as we have none to offer.
The recent political events too have taken a serious toll. We today belong to one of the two camps or parties. One describes the other as fundamentalist party and the other reciprocates by calling the opposite as a minority appeasement party. We have totally lost our identity as peace loving and patriotic Mangaloreans who were proud of our roots and our culture and our city.
Where then does the solution lie? I am not really sure. Nobody is trying to make the first move in trying to rebuild the broken bridges. Each one is waiting for the perceived party, to render an apology, and make amends. Each one irrespective of his religion thinks that he is the victim who has been wronged, and is waiting for the other side to right this wrong. Our community and religious leaders have no solutions to offer. Our political leaders are extremely happy with the situation. We have easily fallen into the trap that they had set for us. While we are crying today they are laughing and reaping the benefits created by our division. The Law enforcement agencies are the most mistrusted of the lot. They are trusted by nobody.
We therefore have to look at solutions within ourselves as no help will come from outside. This disease from which all of us are suffering is only self curable. Each one of us needs to introspect very deeply, and to come out of this trance that we are caught up in, to understand that we are one irrespective of our religious affiliations. We need to understand that religion is a private matter and does not belong to the public domain. Religion is not an instrument to be misused and mutilated at will. We need to understand our neighbour his religion, his culture, his habits and respect him. In today’s world you don’t impose your will on others, but learn to live together in mutual respect.
I am sure that wisdom will dawn upon each of us sooner than later, and that the most beautiful place on earth Mangalore will regain its past glory as the friendliest and most welcome place on earth. It will once again transform itself into an abode of peace and tranquillity, The real Parashuram Shristi as my friend once described it to me.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Mackerel Salad
One of my hobbies is cooking and i indulge in it whenever i am free and or during weekends. I try out new things each time. Some of the dishes come out well and some flop miserably. I was told that the one below is good, which is why i decided to publish it. More will follow in the comming weeks.
Ingredients
2 Large Mackerels
Pinch of turmeric powder
Half teaspoon pepper powder
2 Medium sized onions
One medium sized tomato
Half inch ginger
Three green chillies ( Two if you want it less spicy)
One teaspoon vinegar
Salt to taste.
Method
One : Clean and wash the mackerels and cut them into three pieces. In a small vessel add water and boil. In the boiling water add the mackerels and the turmeric powder and cook the mackerels for some time.
Two :Once the mackerels are cooked drain out the water. Scrape out the meat from the mackerels and discard all bones. Shred the mackerel meat and keep aside.
Three : Chop finely the onions, ginger and green chillies. Pour this chopped masala in a small vessel and add the mackerel meat. Next add the pepper powder, vinegar and salt. After mixing well keep aside for some time ( preferably in a refrigerator) and serve.
Pork Salad :
The same method can be used for pork salad as well. The pork ( boneless) should be cut into small pieces and cooked in water with a little salt & turmeric powder for about forty minutes. Once cooked drain out the water and floating fat and shred the meat. All other procedures remain the same.
Ingredients
2 Large Mackerels
Pinch of turmeric powder
Half teaspoon pepper powder
2 Medium sized onions
One medium sized tomato
Half inch ginger
Three green chillies ( Two if you want it less spicy)
One teaspoon vinegar
Salt to taste.
Method
One : Clean and wash the mackerels and cut them into three pieces. In a small vessel add water and boil. In the boiling water add the mackerels and the turmeric powder and cook the mackerels for some time.
Two :Once the mackerels are cooked drain out the water. Scrape out the meat from the mackerels and discard all bones. Shred the mackerel meat and keep aside.
Three : Chop finely the onions, ginger and green chillies. Pour this chopped masala in a small vessel and add the mackerel meat. Next add the pepper powder, vinegar and salt. After mixing well keep aside for some time ( preferably in a refrigerator) and serve.
Pork Salad :
The same method can be used for pork salad as well. The pork ( boneless) should be cut into small pieces and cooked in water with a little salt & turmeric powder for about forty minutes. Once cooked drain out the water and floating fat and shred the meat. All other procedures remain the same.
Democracy
India recently completed a mammoth exercise, the general elections to elect representatives for the 15th Lok Sabha. People around the world followed in sheer amazement the five phases of our elections, voting, counting and the final announcement of results. In the end the elections this time passed off peacefully with hardly any violence or instances of foul play. India remains an enigma to so many foreigners, who are simply unable to understand how our democracy functions so smoothly in spite of so many regions, cultures and languages. They are not able to comprehend our unity. We are so divided and yet so united. Our government institutions the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary function so independently. We have an alert and responsible press. From the top everything looks so good and promising, but deep underneath there are problems.
After the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, people of Mumbai came out into the streets and castigated our politicians and our security agencies for this huge security lapse where an entire city was held at ransom for two days, by a bunch of terrorists. The entire failure was squarely blamed on our government and our politicians. It looked as if finally the people had woken up and that we would henceforth have a very responsible citizenry who would take the destiny of our country in their own hands. The message from the public to the government was very clear ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
Surprisingly just 6 months later when it came to participating in the elections two of the biggest cities Mumbai and Bangalore had the lowest turnout. People planned picnics and holidays on elections day and to over 50% of the voters in these cities the elections hardly mattered. We had some interesting, young and qualified candidates contesting from these two cities. Yet for the people it hardly mattered and all good candidates lost. The very same people, who spend hours at a stretch cursing the government, politicians, police etc, could be seen picnicking in parks and holiday resorts with their families.
Where had all the anger and frustrations of November 2008 gone suddenly? What happened to the politician bashing? All this proves that we are arm chair democrats only. The affairs of the country mean nothing to us. At the tiniest of excuses we demonstrate in the streets, call for strikes and bundhs, destroy public property for which we ourselves have paid, beat up our own countrymen who disagree with our views and then sit back and gloat, at how responsible and alert we are. We are a free country today, so who cares. The sweat and blood of our forefathers which earned us this freedom and this democracy means nothing. We know only to complain and find fault with everything around us, but we simply run away from our responsibilities. Yet, we want freedom to act as we please and do as we please. To sum up,we are just a nation of extremely selfish and self centred people.
Ask the people of Zimbabwe, Burma, Iran and North Korea just to name a few countries the meaning of democracy. They will tell you what it means to them. To them democracy is only a word mentioned in a dictionary. Ask them to explain about their lives. Do we even spare some time to read about what is going on in so many countries around the world ruled by dictators, criminals and military juntas, where people simply disappear if they dare to open their mouths and complain? Where the smallest of dissent is suppressed with an iron fist. Hundreds and thousands of innocents are rotting in prisons, just because they dared to question. Look at Aung San Sui Kyi in Burma. A frail woman locked up by the junta. Did anyone follow the recent post elections violence in Iran?. Does anyone follow the incidents in Gaza? Ask all these people and only then probably we will realise how blessed, how lucky and how free we are.
If we do not discharge our responsibilities properly, we do not have the right to blame our leaders in the first place. If we look upon them as good for nothing then we must also understand that we, the good for nothing citizens have put them there in the first place. Good for nothing citizens deserve good for nothing politicians and a good for nothing government. We need to blame ourselves before we blame our leaders.
Let us therefore accept our faults and our responsibilities. Let us admit that we have failed our forefathers and that through our continued ignorance and taking for granted attitude we are also badly letting down not only ourselves but also the generations to follow.
After the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, people of Mumbai came out into the streets and castigated our politicians and our security agencies for this huge security lapse where an entire city was held at ransom for two days, by a bunch of terrorists. The entire failure was squarely blamed on our government and our politicians. It looked as if finally the people had woken up and that we would henceforth have a very responsible citizenry who would take the destiny of our country in their own hands. The message from the public to the government was very clear ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
Surprisingly just 6 months later when it came to participating in the elections two of the biggest cities Mumbai and Bangalore had the lowest turnout. People planned picnics and holidays on elections day and to over 50% of the voters in these cities the elections hardly mattered. We had some interesting, young and qualified candidates contesting from these two cities. Yet for the people it hardly mattered and all good candidates lost. The very same people, who spend hours at a stretch cursing the government, politicians, police etc, could be seen picnicking in parks and holiday resorts with their families.
Where had all the anger and frustrations of November 2008 gone suddenly? What happened to the politician bashing? All this proves that we are arm chair democrats only. The affairs of the country mean nothing to us. At the tiniest of excuses we demonstrate in the streets, call for strikes and bundhs, destroy public property for which we ourselves have paid, beat up our own countrymen who disagree with our views and then sit back and gloat, at how responsible and alert we are. We are a free country today, so who cares. The sweat and blood of our forefathers which earned us this freedom and this democracy means nothing. We know only to complain and find fault with everything around us, but we simply run away from our responsibilities. Yet, we want freedom to act as we please and do as we please. To sum up,we are just a nation of extremely selfish and self centred people.
Ask the people of Zimbabwe, Burma, Iran and North Korea just to name a few countries the meaning of democracy. They will tell you what it means to them. To them democracy is only a word mentioned in a dictionary. Ask them to explain about their lives. Do we even spare some time to read about what is going on in so many countries around the world ruled by dictators, criminals and military juntas, where people simply disappear if they dare to open their mouths and complain? Where the smallest of dissent is suppressed with an iron fist. Hundreds and thousands of innocents are rotting in prisons, just because they dared to question. Look at Aung San Sui Kyi in Burma. A frail woman locked up by the junta. Did anyone follow the recent post elections violence in Iran?. Does anyone follow the incidents in Gaza? Ask all these people and only then probably we will realise how blessed, how lucky and how free we are.
If we do not discharge our responsibilities properly, we do not have the right to blame our leaders in the first place. If we look upon them as good for nothing then we must also understand that we, the good for nothing citizens have put them there in the first place. Good for nothing citizens deserve good for nothing politicians and a good for nothing government. We need to blame ourselves before we blame our leaders.
Let us therefore accept our faults and our responsibilities. Let us admit that we have failed our forefathers and that through our continued ignorance and taking for granted attitude we are also badly letting down not only ourselves but also the generations to follow.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
My thoughts on terrorism
I had penned these thoughts immediately after the Mumbai attacks in November 2008.
In February last year the nature of my work took me to Karachi in Pakistan. This is one trip which I had been avoiding for years. The reason for not opting to go there in the past was a fear of the unknown, and lots of advice from friends and family to simply keep away from that dangerous country. In the end I simply had to make that trip due to pressure from my superiors. As I was on that flight to Karachi, I was a nervous wreck, ahead of me I could visualize a long stay at the airport, intense questioning by the police and customs, thorough baggage check and indirect threats asking me to simply leave as soon as possible.
Having steeled myself to these thoughts, I landed in Karachi. At the airport I sheepishly approached a uniformed official and asked him about the procedures for entry. I had the visit visa which was issued to me by the Pakistan consulate in Dubai. He asked me from which part of India I was, then warmly welcomed me and accompanied me to the counter issuing entry forms, explained to me all the necessary details to be filled, all the while waiting for me to complete the forms and then guided me to the immigration counter. Here again the ladies manning the counter welcomed me assisted me with the formalities, and on my way out nobody bothered to even look at my baggage. Once outside the airport, the hotel car was waiting for me and again the driver was very warm. The drive from the airport to the Marriott hotel in Karachi took about 45 minutes and all through the driver was extremely talkative. I was on the other hand extremely nervous glancing all around expecting gunmen to jump into the car and whisk me away any moment. I imagined the driver to be the member of some kidnap gang who was trying to extract information from me for future ransom claims and was extremely tight lipped answering his questions only in mono syllables.
Finally, we arrived at the hotel, and here again I was accorded a warm welcome, and only once I was inside my room did I feel relieved. As I sat in my room I could not help myself, going through the events of the past 2 -3 hours and wondering if this was the same country that I had been so scared to visit all along.
On the second day our business partners in Pakistan took me around the market, where we met a lot of dealers and each and every one was literally begging me to extend my stay in Karachi by a few days, inviting me to visit their homes for lunch or dinner, enquiring about India, people, cricket, government, food and almost any and every subject which came to their minds. I particularly remember one dealer who told me that he had brought his child over to Bangalore to be operated upon for a heart disease. It seems his baby was operated at Dr. Devi Shetty’s hospital. As he was explaining to me he had tears in his eyes as he spoke about the kindness of the nurses and hospital staff, and the humility of Dr Devi Shetty. To him Dr. Shetty was nothing less than a god.
Exactly two years ago in December 2006, I had also visited Kabul in Afghanistan, another supposedly dangerous place, but I will reserve that story for some other time.
The reason I thought of penning my experience and thoughts this time is the horrific assault on Mumbai by Pakistani based terrorists on 26th November which took away almost 200 lives of innocent citizens, children, foreigners and some of the bravest officers from our police and security agencies.
Everywhere I see today, listen to people or watch TV channels I can only see anger, a burning rage and shock at what has happened. There is no doubt that each of the terrorist attacks on Indian soil have been masterminded and planned in Pakistan. The foot soldiers are brainwashed Pakistani nationals or misguided Indian muslims who conduct these activities with backing from Pakistani terrorist groups.
Yet in spite of all this carnage, I do feel for the innocent citizens of Pakistan. Most have seen the futility of 3 wars. Many of them still have relatives living in India and are yearning for peace, free travel between two countries and trade. Unfortunately they are held ransom by an establishment which is controlled by the Pakistan army. The army in Pakistan has steered the course of that country since its independence and has simply quashed any civilian government that has tried to curtail its power. The army fully understands that the source of its power is in maintaining hostility with India. Whenever it has felt threatened it has gone into an India bashing mode to generate internal support from the fundamentalist elements by playing either the Kashmiri card or spreading falsehood about the conditions of Indian Muslims. The intelligence wing ISI works independently and the entire world today knows that one rogue element within the ISI is totally out of control. A few days ago there was an article about the ISI which stated that one part of the ISI was busy planning and organizing terrorist strikes within Pakistan (and India) and the other section was busy fighting these very acts of terrorism.
Under pressure from the United States a large portion of the Pakistan army is today positioned on the western borders of Pakistan squeezing the Taliban, Al Qaida and other terrorist organisations which have taken shelter there. The Americans at the same time are hitting them hard both in Afghanistan and with drones inside Pakistan. One feels that this is therefore a desperate attempt by the terrorist organizations within Pakistan with the help of the rogue elements in the ISI to loosen this tightening noose. They feel that creating mayhem in India would force the Indian government to bring its army to its borders with Pakistan, and this in turn will force the Pakistan government to withdraw its forces at the Afghan border and redeploy them near the Indian border.
Therefore, if the anger of the people of India and the pressure on its government to act decisively is well justified and understood, it is up to the Pakistan government to display statesmanship and see that it extends all support to India in bringing the people who are behind these attacks to book. It needs to understand that these terrorists are enemies of Pakistan as well as India. Handing over people from the list provided by the Indian government would be a major step which would dramatically bring down tensions and prove that this time the Pakistan government means business. Additionally closing down of all training camps could be the next step. These decisive acts would convey a strong message to the terrorist groups that their time is up and at the same time win the appreciation of the government and people of India and the world community.
But all these seem to be far fetched dreams. Does the government of Pakistan have the will to take on its army top brass? I am not sure because so far one can only hear denials from Pakistan. On the one hand they talk of co-operating and the next moment deny or refuse to accept the proof provided by the Indian agencies.
One of the saddest moments was when Pakistan refused to accept the bodies or acknowledge that its soldiers killed in Kargil were Pakistani citizens. These were men, sent to war by their government and leaders, and who laid down their lives by simply following orders. Can there be a worse tragedy for the families of those men, to see their sons, brothers and husbands resting in unmarked graves, totally forgotten. On the other hand each and every fallen Indian warrior has been accorded a funeral befitting a martyr and a hero and the entire nation has bowed down in gratitude for the sacrifice made by each man. Today Pakistan is once again denying that these terrorists are Pakistani nationals, even though proof is available on the contrary. It therefore needs to change course quickly, as the anger in India is building up and escalated tensions can only bring in more misery to the people of both the countries who are victims today held at ransom by a few fundamentalists. But the question is: Does the government of Pakistan realise that?
In February last year the nature of my work took me to Karachi in Pakistan. This is one trip which I had been avoiding for years. The reason for not opting to go there in the past was a fear of the unknown, and lots of advice from friends and family to simply keep away from that dangerous country. In the end I simply had to make that trip due to pressure from my superiors. As I was on that flight to Karachi, I was a nervous wreck, ahead of me I could visualize a long stay at the airport, intense questioning by the police and customs, thorough baggage check and indirect threats asking me to simply leave as soon as possible.
Having steeled myself to these thoughts, I landed in Karachi. At the airport I sheepishly approached a uniformed official and asked him about the procedures for entry. I had the visit visa which was issued to me by the Pakistan consulate in Dubai. He asked me from which part of India I was, then warmly welcomed me and accompanied me to the counter issuing entry forms, explained to me all the necessary details to be filled, all the while waiting for me to complete the forms and then guided me to the immigration counter. Here again the ladies manning the counter welcomed me assisted me with the formalities, and on my way out nobody bothered to even look at my baggage. Once outside the airport, the hotel car was waiting for me and again the driver was very warm. The drive from the airport to the Marriott hotel in Karachi took about 45 minutes and all through the driver was extremely talkative. I was on the other hand extremely nervous glancing all around expecting gunmen to jump into the car and whisk me away any moment. I imagined the driver to be the member of some kidnap gang who was trying to extract information from me for future ransom claims and was extremely tight lipped answering his questions only in mono syllables.
Finally, we arrived at the hotel, and here again I was accorded a warm welcome, and only once I was inside my room did I feel relieved. As I sat in my room I could not help myself, going through the events of the past 2 -3 hours and wondering if this was the same country that I had been so scared to visit all along.
On the second day our business partners in Pakistan took me around the market, where we met a lot of dealers and each and every one was literally begging me to extend my stay in Karachi by a few days, inviting me to visit their homes for lunch or dinner, enquiring about India, people, cricket, government, food and almost any and every subject which came to their minds. I particularly remember one dealer who told me that he had brought his child over to Bangalore to be operated upon for a heart disease. It seems his baby was operated at Dr. Devi Shetty’s hospital. As he was explaining to me he had tears in his eyes as he spoke about the kindness of the nurses and hospital staff, and the humility of Dr Devi Shetty. To him Dr. Shetty was nothing less than a god.
Exactly two years ago in December 2006, I had also visited Kabul in Afghanistan, another supposedly dangerous place, but I will reserve that story for some other time.
The reason I thought of penning my experience and thoughts this time is the horrific assault on Mumbai by Pakistani based terrorists on 26th November which took away almost 200 lives of innocent citizens, children, foreigners and some of the bravest officers from our police and security agencies.
Everywhere I see today, listen to people or watch TV channels I can only see anger, a burning rage and shock at what has happened. There is no doubt that each of the terrorist attacks on Indian soil have been masterminded and planned in Pakistan. The foot soldiers are brainwashed Pakistani nationals or misguided Indian muslims who conduct these activities with backing from Pakistani terrorist groups.
Yet in spite of all this carnage, I do feel for the innocent citizens of Pakistan. Most have seen the futility of 3 wars. Many of them still have relatives living in India and are yearning for peace, free travel between two countries and trade. Unfortunately they are held ransom by an establishment which is controlled by the Pakistan army. The army in Pakistan has steered the course of that country since its independence and has simply quashed any civilian government that has tried to curtail its power. The army fully understands that the source of its power is in maintaining hostility with India. Whenever it has felt threatened it has gone into an India bashing mode to generate internal support from the fundamentalist elements by playing either the Kashmiri card or spreading falsehood about the conditions of Indian Muslims. The intelligence wing ISI works independently and the entire world today knows that one rogue element within the ISI is totally out of control. A few days ago there was an article about the ISI which stated that one part of the ISI was busy planning and organizing terrorist strikes within Pakistan (and India) and the other section was busy fighting these very acts of terrorism.
Under pressure from the United States a large portion of the Pakistan army is today positioned on the western borders of Pakistan squeezing the Taliban, Al Qaida and other terrorist organisations which have taken shelter there. The Americans at the same time are hitting them hard both in Afghanistan and with drones inside Pakistan. One feels that this is therefore a desperate attempt by the terrorist organizations within Pakistan with the help of the rogue elements in the ISI to loosen this tightening noose. They feel that creating mayhem in India would force the Indian government to bring its army to its borders with Pakistan, and this in turn will force the Pakistan government to withdraw its forces at the Afghan border and redeploy them near the Indian border.
Therefore, if the anger of the people of India and the pressure on its government to act decisively is well justified and understood, it is up to the Pakistan government to display statesmanship and see that it extends all support to India in bringing the people who are behind these attacks to book. It needs to understand that these terrorists are enemies of Pakistan as well as India. Handing over people from the list provided by the Indian government would be a major step which would dramatically bring down tensions and prove that this time the Pakistan government means business. Additionally closing down of all training camps could be the next step. These decisive acts would convey a strong message to the terrorist groups that their time is up and at the same time win the appreciation of the government and people of India and the world community.
But all these seem to be far fetched dreams. Does the government of Pakistan have the will to take on its army top brass? I am not sure because so far one can only hear denials from Pakistan. On the one hand they talk of co-operating and the next moment deny or refuse to accept the proof provided by the Indian agencies.
One of the saddest moments was when Pakistan refused to accept the bodies or acknowledge that its soldiers killed in Kargil were Pakistani citizens. These were men, sent to war by their government and leaders, and who laid down their lives by simply following orders. Can there be a worse tragedy for the families of those men, to see their sons, brothers and husbands resting in unmarked graves, totally forgotten. On the other hand each and every fallen Indian warrior has been accorded a funeral befitting a martyr and a hero and the entire nation has bowed down in gratitude for the sacrifice made by each man. Today Pakistan is once again denying that these terrorists are Pakistani nationals, even though proof is available on the contrary. It therefore needs to change course quickly, as the anger in India is building up and escalated tensions can only bring in more misery to the people of both the countries who are victims today held at ransom by a few fundamentalists. But the question is: Does the government of Pakistan realise that?
Introduction
This is something new to me. after a lot of persuasion from friends and family, i finally decided to creat my own blogspot today. Let us see how it goes.
Over the years the nature of my work has taken me a few places and i have had the good fortune of meeting a lot of interesting people and many in my family have told me that i have a flair for writing and that i was wasting my talents, by not taking up writing seriously. My sister Suchitha when she was alive would constantly nag me on this issue. I was very close to her, and her sudden and untimely death could be one of the reasons for my late awakening. I dedicate this blogspot to her and see this as a small way of repaying the huge debt that i owe her. I am sure that from up there she will continue to guide and inspire me.
Over the years the nature of my work has taken me a few places and i have had the good fortune of meeting a lot of interesting people and many in my family have told me that i have a flair for writing and that i was wasting my talents, by not taking up writing seriously. My sister Suchitha when she was alive would constantly nag me on this issue. I was very close to her, and her sudden and untimely death could be one of the reasons for my late awakening. I dedicate this blogspot to her and see this as a small way of repaying the huge debt that i owe her. I am sure that from up there she will continue to guide and inspire me.
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