The alternative.

"A nation trampled by despotism, degraded, forced into the role of an object, seeks shelter."
"But a whole nation cannot emigrate, so it undertakes a migration in time rather than in space. In the face of circling afflictions and of reality, it goes back to the past that seems a lost paradise. The old acquires a new sense, a new and provocative meaning."

This was Ryszard Kapuscinski, a journalist commenting on the ascent of the Ayatollah in Iran.

In the context of Pakistan today, one wonders what will emerge.

It's Modi Gras again!

People, we are back.
Cheerleaders, celebrities in the stands, shorter boundaries, free hits, the-length-of-the-six-graphic, maybe SRK, maybe even Shilpa Skinny, funny pitch reports, maybe even Danny Morrison, silk banners, business tycoons, maybe even Vijay Mallya with his delighful friends, mascots, drums, musicians, placards, wags (where, oh where is Greame Smith?), DJs, clips after every ball, smoke in the air, multi-coloured pajamas, colourful umpires, unfamiliar and exotic names, ear-ring spotting commentary, masala reports in TOI (3 pages? 4 pages?), prime-time extravaganza....
And oh, some cricket as well.

Some think rather highly of themselves.

I found him on the Mumbai - Bangalore flight,
the original Mr. Smartypants.

A little too late.

Well, all of us have heard this.
Of the cops turning up a little late,
at the scene of the crime.

A couple of thousand years, I guess,
takes the cake.
(Pic: The Hindu)

Church vs. State

Whose dictate is an Indian Catholic to follow?
Church or State?
No, not in Renaissance England.
But right here in Kerala.

The State spends millions on population control.
An effort that has seen excesses.
But an effort that’s needed.

So how are we to take what follows?
(For this, is an official stand.)

I read this recently. (In Open, Sept. ’09 issue.)
In Church-run hospitals, tubectomy reversal is now subsidized!
Rs. 40, 000 for ordinary mortals.
Rs. 10,000 for Catholic women!
Why? So that we can go forth and multiply.

[Let me clarify here.
This is not because the Vatican opposes contraception.
Because if that was the case, then they shouldn’t be promoting tubectomy in Church-run hospitals, right?]

Here then, is the stated purpose.
‘To add to Kerala’s Catholic population that is diminished by migration.’

Isn’t this directly opposed to the government’s (ham-handed, though) efforts?
How can the Church defy the government?
How can the government allow such defiance?

And in a state that called a hartal when Saddam Hussien was hanged, why has no one even raised this issue?
Where is the traditional Church-fighting Marxist?
(Opiate for the masses has just become sex for the masse!)

The Church, cannot be a law unto itself.
And any such aspiration, should be nipped.

This stand prompts several questions.
1. Who is the Catholic to obey? Church or State?
2. If a woman of any other faith were to come for the same procedure, what would she be charged?
10k? Or 40k?
If the answer is 40k, does this mean that the Church’s Catholic Multiplication Programme resists the same in other faiths?
3. If every faith were to embark on a similar programme, what would be the fate of the nation?

Now let’s look at another perspective.
Who does this effort serve?
The State? Definitely not.
The laity? Definitely not for they will just be burdened by the demands of larger families.

But hey, the Church adds to its numbers!
And soon will have more to fleece at baptisms, communions, confirmations, weddings, assorted blessings, funerals etc.

The only purpose to me, seems to be to add to the coffers.
Of the Church, that is.
And to increase its clout in vote-bank politics.
(Don’t tell me that that clout buys protection. Get a life!)

The Church had a similar problem, in 16th century Europe, the Reformation.
Diminishing numbers, due to migration to Protestant churches.
The strategy the Church used to counter it then, was to concentrate on healthcare and education.
(The Jesuits, for example.)
Which as we know, paid considerable dividends.

Today, it subsidizes tubectomy reversal.
Are we to understand then, that the Church has intellectually regressed in the past 4 centuries?

I can understand the odd priest exhorting me from the pulpit.
Exhorting me to procreate and fulfill my Christian duty.
I can ignore that as a rant.

But this is unforgivable.
This, is the Catholic Church deciding that it is a law unto itself.

That Someone Else!

We believe a bit too much in Someone Else's abilities.

We clean our homes and chuck the trash onto the road.
And Someone Else gets abused because the city is not clean.

We get hassled if a security guard checks our bags.
And Someone Else gets abused for not having proper security measures.

We never vote.
And Someone Else gets abused for voting in Deve Gowda.

We will never bother about whether our maid's children are getting an education.
And Someone Else gets abused for the millions of illiterates in India.

We will turn the other way if the maid is marrying off her 14-year-old daughter.
And Someone Else gets abused for not stopping child marriages.

We will point the driver to the General Hospital.
And Someone Else gets abused for lack of healthcare for the poor.

We will burn candles.
And Someone Else gets abused for not taking effective action.

We will jump lights.
And Someone Else gets abused for not giving the cops more authority and protection.

We will stay glued to the television in morbid fascination.
And Someone Else gets abused for exploiting the Mumbai attacks.

We won't touch the stock market with a pole.
And Someone Else gets abused for a stagnant market.

We will never check what our exhausts are spewing out.
And Someone Else gets abused for the pollution in our cities.

We will cut forward through any lane available.
And Someone Else gets abused for bad traffic management.

I am really tired of this guy.
I am done with him.
He is not getting anything done.
Maybe I should see what I can do.

Racial profiling starts young.

Look at what I find on the net.
A new addition to the Lego family.

I sincerely hope this is a scam.




Can you friggin' believe this?
With optional headdress, that too!
[Remember, they had to knock off Mr. Golly a few years ago.]
Now just tell me what kids are going to name this character.

Children can be cruel.
A friend told me that kids were already playing 'NSG and terrorists' in his apartment.
Guess which are the kids that will be forced to become the terrorists in school.
[Remember Hashim Amla being referred to as 'terrorist' by Dean Jones?]

I feel rotten.
Everyone keeps saying this:
That we should not blame the community for the actions of a few.
I believe in that.
And I try.

But, honestly.
When the first news of the Mumbai attacks came in, what was the reaction?
Before the evidence started trickling in, ie.
'There go the Pakis.'
Which we equate with terrorism. And with Islam.

It's sad. And it gets worse.
There's a section that asserts they are patriotic and do not need to wear India on their sleeve.
While a new set claims that these are uncertain times and it's better to display your patriotism.
I am with the latter.
These are sad, uncertain times.