Happy? Independence Day

Below are the words of a citizen of India on the occasion of India celebrating its 70th Independence Day. The words show what any person who is sensible enough to see things as they are feels about the issue that should be one keeping this nation awakein thought. (Warning: Long post and brutally honest. Reader discretion is advised)
​Today as India celebrates her 70th Independence Day, as everyone sings – अय मेरे वतन के लोगों, we all get emotional and express our gratitude to the freedom fighters; I along with the Freedom Fighters express my gratitude to our Security Forces – Officers and men in uniform who ensure India is and remains an Independent state!

As we continue to hear on News Channels about the unrest in J&K, few of my friends asked, if I know what the issue is all about. Up till this unrest in the valley, which has been continuing for around 40 days I was confident enough to answer this question in the affirmative but not any more. 

No, no, no, no…………… If you are thinking that I am ignorant of things which have happened since Pakistani Marauders (read Mujahideen led by Pakistan Army) attacked the Princely State of Jammu & Kashmir in September 1947 you are mistaken; what makes me wonder is our approach towards all the actors involved in this conflict.

I was always intrigued by the way Government of India in particular is dealing with this issue. Simla Agreement (Declaration signed by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Indira Gandhi held in 1972) states that all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan will be resolved bilaterally; still both countries try to take this issue to various International forums. India in particular keeps repeating this point. My question is, are we trying to say this to ourselves more than to others. We say this in SAARC Summits, in the UN, in ASEAN, almost everywhere. Every political party says, “we need to take a tough stand against Pakistan”, and that tough stand has always been, “we strongly condemn this cowardly act”. This leaves me exasperated every time. 

Since 1989, we have been hearing slogans of आज़ादी in the valley. What आज़ादी, or आज़ादी from whom or what, nobody in the Union Government dares to ask this question. Also, who do they ask this question to? More importantly, I don’t understand, why the people of Kashmir (especially South Kashmir) want आज़ादी and not the people of Jammu and Ladakh. If it were a political problem, why the people from Jammu and Ladakh don’t shout the slogans? Earlier, I thought the youth was misled because they had aspirations and no opportunities however after the killing of Hizb – ul Commander Burhan Wani and the demonstrations following it, I am forced to think again. 

What adds fuel to fire is the statement of Ex-Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who says, “these demonstrations, stone pelting is not because the state is lagging behind in development, education and opportunities, rather it is for political oppression of the youth”. Mr. Abdullah, you must be joking! Why on earth would any sensible person demonstrate violently because a terrorist was killed in an encounter? You don’t stop there, you go on to say that, every Friday, even in your neighboring mosque, slogans are heard for आज़ादी. My question to you Mr. Abdullah is what did you do when you heard these slogans? Was it not your duty as a Former CM, a sitting MLA, to immediately take action? Immediately go that mosque and address the gathering? Or, you too were thinking of आज़ादी, even at the time when you were asking people to vote for you, when you said to the people of J&K that, you will discharge your duties, “even if it means to be killed by terrorists”?  You wanted the Union Government to hold a dialogue with Hurriyat Conference(APHC), and in the same speech you said, “Hurriyat may think that they are driving it or the terrorists like Syed Salaudin may think that they are driving this demonstration, but they are just a cog in the wheel”. Oh come on, you can’t be dumb enough to say such contradictory things! Moreover, whom does Hurriyat Conference represent? Definitely not the people of J&K; they keep on boycotting the elections, don’t have a manifesto, don’t do anything constructive. I am not sure, if you meant the terrorists are the people whom they represent. They are the mouth piece of Hizb – ul – Mujahideen, JKLF etc. so they may be representatives of terrorists. 

We are hearing all sorts of non-sense from the MPs and MLAs. The Chief Minister says, “I was not aware that this operation is going to take place”, “Security Forces didn’t know that Burhan Vani is among the terrorists involved in the gun battle”, “Intelligence report was not shared with me”. A CPI(M) MLA says in the State Assembly that, “Security Forces should have caught Burhan alive and not killed him”, “If he would have been caught alive, there wouldn’t have been protests”. Ghulam Nabi Azad said in parliament, “Police has fired pallets at the demonstrators”

Are all you representatives of people in your senses? Ms Mufti, IB says, intelligence report was shared with the State Government 8 days earlier. Were you not interested to go through it? It is just not possible that in an operation which involved J&K police, State Government was not aware. Did you people expect the security forces to give Burhan Wani a bullet proof jacket and keep fighting others, so that, whenever Burhan was tired of firing at Security Forces, he could surrender and also not get killed in the gun battle? Mr. Azad, have you seen a pallet? It is used in air guns to burst balloons (needless to mention that, it doesn’t even kill sparrows). 

I take your statements as an act of insult to our security forces. Please, please, please don’t play your political games at the cost of the Security Forces. None of you were even bothered to visit the injured people of Security Forces in Srinagar Base Hospital. Needless to say, you don’t even talk of the 12 Security Personnel who were killed in this violence. Do you know, how many men in uniform this country has lost in Jammu & Kashmir? Or is it immaterial for the community of politicians?

Mob drowns a Police Inspector; you call it demonstration? Hand Grenade is hurled and bullets fired at Police Station in Yaripora, none of you even bother! We saw videos of security personnel being dragged out of armored vehicles and beaten to death on news channels. It was a shameful sight! Police pickets were burned with Policemen inside it, you all were busy rationalizing it! Did you all not feel for a moment, if you would be able to look in the eyes of your own bodyguards and the Commandos who provide you Z+ Security Cover. 

We also have Human Rights Activists, and the Presstitutes, who talk about the encounter as Extra Judicial Killings, Army Excesses etc. I do not blame them. I urge the Security Forces to forgive them, as they do not know what they are saying! Forgive them for deliberately not considering men in uniform to be Human, for turning a blind eye towards Kashmiri Pandits (the only community which is forced to become a refugee in their own country); I know the list is endless! 

It is shameful that we do not stand by the people who stand for our security. We do not have any consideration for them. May it be pay commissions, may it be OROP, may it be even freedom to operate. Irony is, rogues can use Freedom of Speech, and the Army can’t even have AFSPA! We all celebrate Freedom, but most fail to understand that Freedom is not Licentiousness! No wonder, the youth is not attracted to the Armed Forces as a career. Today, I saw a report in Tribune saying, “Spike in early retirement in armed forces”. Needless to mention, we are already short of men in uniform.

I urge Prime Minister Modi to deal with Terrorists and their safe heavens with iron fists. We have been backstabbed enough! It is time to learn from our mistakes. Even if it means to pay them back in the same coin. Just by saying, “PoK too is an integral part of India”, won’t change the position of LoC and LoAC. Why can’t we have Myanmar like offensive action in PoK?

I express my gratitude to our Men in Uniform, for all that they have been doing for ages and doing right now. For the standing guard at the most inhospitable locations, braving the enemy, the weather and of course Human Rights Activists and Presstitutes. We are inbebted to your families, who suffer the pain of separation along with you. Who unlike us, don’t have the privilege to call you every now and then. For whom no news is good news. You along with your family are graceful enough not to talk of / express pain (physical or emotional). May be, you are the only ones who know what pain is, what emotions are, any you live these emotions intensely enough to not talk about it. We take our perceived pain / sorrow to nonsensical levels even on social media; the most common being Heart-Break. You or your families don’t even lose grace when you take bullets on your heart! 

Thank you for your service to the country!

Those who have faded away (Soldiers do not die; they fade away) – Find peace!
Written by Mr. Partha Sarathy Baytha

Disrespecting love

A little less than 3 years ago I wrote a post named One Sided. I find the closing lines of this post fit to be quoted here before I move on to my actual post:

“We get sad, depressed, low etc when we find out that our emotions are only from our end. Now that we know that it isn’t actually of consequence for our emotion that how the other person feels, be happy and grateful that you got a chance to live in the emotion.

An emotion as positive as love, and we blemish it by sighting it as reason for our sadness……Ironical!!!”

 

The above post was written from an abstract view and now three years later there is much I wish to add to these last lines.

 

We’ve established that loving someone has little to do with the other person. Why then are we hurt when the feelings are not reciprocated, or even worse, no longer reciprocated? We give the other person the right and the respect to not be in love with us, and while that is very mature of us, why do we still hurt ourselves over it? It is one thing to relive memories and quite another to let them overwhelm us and cause us pain. At such moments why are we not in control of  our mind instead of our mind controlling us?

We’ve heard a million times that it is hard/ impossible to move on from something there was or could be. “Moving on” is the moment of realization that what was/ could be was/may have been beautiful but that isn’t the axis on which our mind revolves. Yes, that chocolate bar will remind us of them, so will the places we shared. Thus, moving on is all about, then, is relating these to the happy memories and not to the pain of loss.  Hurting over the loss will not cease it, letting go of the feelings of loss will.

Love is indeed one sided and it has indeed nothing to do with the person we are in love with. Thus, we do not need the other person when we fall in love with them and nor do we need them when we choose we are letting go. However hard it seems to accept this, it is US who decide when we give up the hurt. The “emotion” that is “uncontrollable” is stemming from us. Stop watering the plant of hurt and the same shall die a timely death. Why do we encourage hurt when encouraging memories. Are we too weak to disassociate the two?

I’ll leave you with one question to ponder over: Is hurt over the acts of another not a form of hate for that person? Believing that we are hurt by someone or the circumstances relating to someone is the same as disrespecting the beautiful memories we have had/ had imagined with that person. I am certain that isn’t our aim.

*TO PEACE*

A fauji brat’s reply to Mr. Chetan Bhagat

Respected Mr. Bhagat,

Till date, even though I am a Fauji brat and also I have visited Jantar Mantar more than twice during the OROP Rally, I do not feel that I have earned the qualification to write on OROP. The only people who can comment on OROP, “with the head” as you like to call it, are the representatives of GoI who have some background into the issue or the ex-servicemen themselves.  Thus, though I share extensively on the issue, I am yet to write on it.

Since yesterday, though, I have had this urge, that if Mr. Chetan Bhagat (of all people), can write on OROP, why not me! However, I realize the folly in my argument in such that one fool writing on something so grave does not grant me the necessary authority to do so as well.

Thus, I will refrain from talking of OROP and instead remind you of a small incident which was viewed by a few million people who either liked dancing or liked you, when a member of the Bollywood fraternity asked you to keep your views on dancing to the minimum, given that you could not dance yourself. I hope you do not need a reminder of the day. Even if staged and planned, it was aimed to remind you of your qualification in that expertise.

In the same light today, when ex-servicemen ask of you to see the folly in your article, the cry baby in you seems to have come out saying very conveniently that you seem to have touched a “raw nerve” and asking the persons responding to you to be “civil”. Mr. Bhagat, if you are so convinced of your argument and if you have at least something logical to say, then why not answer the questions being put to you or your article? Tweeting the article again and again is no answer.

Coming to being civil, please understand that it is the ex-servicemen being civil that has kept the protests peaceful even after repeated tries by the GoI and persons like you to give them enough reason to not stay so. The fortunate (or maybe even unfortunate as it now seems) part of this whole thing is that these men who are asking for their right, are Gentleman Soldiers first and foremost and it is this that gives the likes of you the courage to write utter nonsense in the knowledge that you will get away with it. Just as you have the democratic right of publishing whatever you feel like, the others have a democratic right to question you.

Regards,

Janhvi Pant (A Fauji Brat)

Words of a Commanding Officer of the Indian Army – REALITY CHECK for the nation

A CO in the Indian Army recently wrote:-

“This is not a post for the weak hearted and Adarsh Liberals so do not go any further if you are out of your comfort zone.
It really pains a soldier’s heart if the blood of his brethren is not adequate to galvanize a nation.

This nation is so ungrateful, the intelligentsia so spineless and intellectual class so bigoted that they will get mobilised by tragedies of Peshawar, Gaza or France. However, they are immune to our own suffering. Why? I will tell you why, because it is fashionable to get associated with a global cause, it makes you look cool, it is easier to talk about it sipping a single malt in a comfortable South Delhi mansion.

I do not condone any of the terror attacks happened anywhere in the world, not even in Pakistan. However, I shall be candid : a terror attack in Peshawar wherein brethren of one enemy is killed by another has very limited relevance for me. I am aware I would be lynched for this statement but I would hold my ground.
Ask anyone who has lifted the coffin of his brother, his comrade, how heavy is the load? It has the dreams of a young wife, it has the future of his children and hopes of his parents. My dear countrymen, it is far heavier than any coffin.

Few of you will also chide me by saying that soldiers are paid to die. No sir, you are entirely incorrect. Soldiers are paid to protect the integrity of the nation. If you want canon fodder, hire mercenaries. This soldier is even denied a decent last journey, his bullet riddled remains are kept in a dilapidated parking yard in Delhi Airport as the ‘designated place’ does not have the security clearance! The same place is opened every Thursday for devotees as there is a Peer Baba located there. Thank the Lord for small mercies that his comrades in OG, will go out of their way to give him a befitting final journey.

His kids and wife are then part of an archaic system where pay stops the next day and pension starts in minimum 4-5 months albeit with arrears. Somebody ask these intellectuals do they even bother to think about a household where there will be no salary for five months but the stomach won’t stop growling, the school fee won’t stop and the electricity bill is still required to be paid.

The average youth of the nation also disappoints here, he is more bothered about mounting losses on Nestle and the two minute gruel. No candlelight march for his soldier, no white cap for his protector. Somehow, misery of Gaza always outshines misery of his own country.

Coming to polity and bureaucracy, the less said the better. If initial reports are to be believed, they are contemplating de-induction of armed forces from the areas where the encounter took place. As a result, the brothers of the slain will be denied even a chance to seek retribution.

Last but certainly not the least, the most disappointing facet, the harbinger of moral compass, the fourth estate, the Media. Death of a soldier doesn’t sell, period. So why even bother.

A soldier is aware of the dangers involved in the life he has chosen. He also understands that every other profession is as important and everybody can not fight.
Just give him dignity when he is alive and mourn for him when he fades away. That’s it, nothing more, nothing less.
I would end this note with an anecdote :
Late Lieut Saurabh Kalia who was one of the earliest casualties of the Kargil War did not die of a gun shot wound. When his body was returned by Pakistan, his eyes had been gouged out, his ears and nose had been chopped, his entire body had cigarette and electric current burn marks, and his private parts had been cut and stuffed in his mouth and his mouth was sewn up. He was alive during the entire ordeal.
Try selling the idea of ‘Aman ki Asha’ to his parents who were not allowed to see their son for one last time, try selling it to his comrades who indeed saw the body.
Reconciliation comes easy in a comfortable home, not in an unforgiving bunker.”

Gender Equlaity

Note – Before I even begin to write what is on my mind, let me clarify that I am aware of and agree to the following, lest I be reminded of these later:

• Women were mistreated in all possible ways for many many years and still are in some segments
• The concept of women not being equal to men was never gladly accepted and is still not.
• Systems such as Dowry, Parda et all should never have existed and should not exist
• Female foeticide and infanticide are a deplorable reality

HAVING SAID ALL OF THIS, my focus in this post is on the middle class segment of the society which BY AND LARGE does not suffer from these ailments (or at least not in a violent way) – EXCEPTIONS ARE MANY I KNOW!

Today, I will be concentration on equality that needs to be provided to the MEN in our society. Most people must be agreeing with me, but never state the same given that it is completely against what SHOULD be said.

I want the females reading this to picture the following (the men are already a part of this so no need for them to imagine):

• A coach specifically reserved for the ladies in the Metro, and the right to travel in all other coaches as well – and then when in PEEK Rush Hour, some females decide to board the general coach, the expectation by them that all men will maintain one arm’s distance from them – and every time the same is not done (simply because it is not possible in that kind of crowd), the women cry hoarse over the issue subjecting the men to humiliation and shame. [I have seen this so many times in the last one month plus of travelling by metro that I pity the poor men]
• A woman can flirt with any man around her that she wishes to, and it is supposed to be taken as a compliment by the men – but the minute a man she doesn’t WANT attention from decides to flirt with her, all charges of molestation, eve-teasing etc. are rattled off on the guy. EITHER disallow the women also from flirting with the men THEY THINK FIT OR allow the men also to flirt with the women THEY THINK FIT.
• During a fight between two people, the woman may threaten to kill, destroy, harm the man and the man is supposed to understand that she is saying all these things in anger (even if she may have meant them), but the man as much as glares at the woman or as much as moves his hand (not hitting her), a case of Domestic Violence is slapped on to the guy.
• A woman decides to dress in absolutely see through clothes (I have seen a female – on a metro platform, dressed in a white see through skirt, to the extent that her inner garments were visible). Such woman expects to attract all the attention she WANTS and no UNWANTED attention. It’s simple – you don’t want men of all kinds staring at you – don’t wear such clothes at 9:30 in the night in a public place. Any man who as much as looks in the direction of such females  will be called names and questions will be raised on everything ranging from his character to his upbringing.
• The woman (wife) can decide to disrespect her in-laws, not even be courteous to them, take their son away (literally) from their home and lives and no-one bats an eyelid, but if a man as much as suggests that the girl’s family is too interfering, this amounts to CRUELTY on the woman.
• In any given field today, there is reservation for Lower Castes, Economically backward,….., Women – Where it leaves the general category men, I shudder to think.

At no point am I claiming that middle class females are not subject to atrocities. My sole contention is that, for the acts of a few, why is the whole community of men being held guilty. Why have we made it a habit to assume it is the man’s fault? Why is it that before we even know an iota of the story, we assume that somehow somewhere the man is wrong? If the woman is angry, it is the man;s fault, he must have caused the provocation; if the man feels angry, it is the man’s fault, he should not have given in to the provocation, “if at all” by the woman. EQUALITY???

The following video shows just what equality should mean (I INSIST EVERYONE WATCH IT ONCE) –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1JADWjEajg

 

Guest Post by Shirley – Thought can reveal the identity and ideas

I was pleasantly surprised the other day, to get a mail from this fabulous thinker and wrote, Shirley, who was interested in writing a guest post for my humble blog. How could I refuse! 

Though the article was over quiet some time back, it has been my absence of time, that it is being posted today. I hope you all like the thought expressed in the article because it is the thoughts that reveal the identity and ideas. Handing over from the next line to the actual article…..

 

                             Topic: Thought can reveal the identity and ideas.

Introduction:

Human thought processes are indeed unique and incomparable, very much like digital signatures or fingerprints, which may not be similar even for identical twins born from the same womb, perhaps at the same time. Essentially, our thoughts turn into logical and patterned thought process, which in turn gives rise to ideas, ideas to words, and finally words to print. The human thought process between germination of a thought and its final appearance on print is performed in just seconds, or even nano seconds but the process has taken months or even years to develop and perfect. Since people are unique species, our thought processes and the way thought traffic is handled is also inimitable and personable. Indeed our thoughts speak a great deal about our identity and also our ideas.

 

How do thoughts reveal identity:

Most of our thought process could be quantitatively analyzed and surmised since although our individual reactions to situations may be different, the thought process behind them is essentially similarly processed by our psyches and conscious minds. For instance, if somebody were to ask another man in order to test his thought process – Imagine that you are travelling alone in a dense forest and a roaring tiger jumps in front of you, what would you do?

There are three options to choose from:

1. Stare at the tiger straight at his eyes and make it slink back and vanish
2. Run back the way you came from
3. Wait for the hungry beast to devour you

Only a few of us would have the courage to answer it as answer 1. Most of us would not stare back at a tiger, even if it were safety ensconced in a zoo cage. So the minority which said that they would stare back are either lying, or are indeed intrepid and brave people who thrive on challenge and risks like meeting tigers during evening walks.

The second solution is where most humans would belong. In the choice between “Fight or Flight”, flight mode dominates. This shows an escapist attitude, an inability to take risks or thrive on challenges and. cannot be accepted for b-school acceptance since this candidate cannot be considered as management material.

Finally, coming to the third option, while it does denote patience and perseverance, spending time together with a living tiger, it also reveals a mindset of fatalism and acceptability without even the semblance of a fight. Such a person could best serve in a parish as church bell attendant?

How could our lives be improved ad exalted?

Essentially, human thoughts and attitudes could be seen to be of two kinds- those of us who are pro active and need to have needed to exercise command over people, circumstances and destiny and the second, who passively allow destiny to take charge of their lives. The former forces issues while the latter is forced down by issues. Indeed the thoughts and its ultimate actions do reveal the identity and personality of the thinker and doer.

Coming to ideas also, there is needed to ascribe two personality types – one who is able to get the best out of a bad bargain. These people hope for the best but also prepare for the worst situation. The other types of thinkers are those who allow circumstance to control and dictate terms to them. These are very evident from their thought process which is either filled with optimism, hope and brightness, seeing the goodness in every situation and making best use of them, or secondly, the brooders, pessimists and negative minded who only see the dark side of life and who are thus comsigned only to darkness throughout their lives through their own voluntary dark thinking processes.

 

Conclusion:

Indeed humans are the makers and creators of their own destinies and the use of positive, constructive and humane attitude and thought process would add happiness and dispel the darkness or vice versa.

 

Author Bio:

I am Shirley Burrill, involved with USA essay writing companies that provide the platform for students to improve and clarify their doubts about the descriptive essay writing ideas. I am always focused on creative thinking.

On my mind…

Today as I opened this site after months altogether, I realized how much I have missed it..not…

My notification bar tells me my blog turned 4 on the 12th of this month. I remember how till last year the birth-date of my blog used to be a huge deal for me… so what changed in the past one year:

1. I had less time as there were shorter semesters, tougher subjects and longer internships OR

2. I lost the knack to write as most topics I can think of are already being written about and mostly better than how I could write them OR

3. I JUST CHANGED…. NO EXCUSES ATTACHED

There was a time I used to think people who called blogging a “fad” or “a passing craze” were out of their minds. Now I realize how true they were…. at least in my case. I cannot speak for anyone else.

Anyhow, I am not here just to tell you why I stopped blogging. Am here to write on something that has been on my mind far too long, and regarding which, even though the whole world seems to be saying what I would in the post, I feel the need to write my views.

Our Hon’ble Supreme Court just il-legalized gay sex and in short being gay again. Four years of so called peace, atleast from the legal aspect to these people and now this.

A lot of people on the other side of the table from me say that it is unnatural and the more “progressive” ones say that even though it is natural and we are none to decide who can love and sleep with whom, Indian society is not yet ready for it. Well, dear friends, the apex Court seems to agree with you all.

What issue can I raise that has not already been raised throughout media, actual or virtual. Nothing.

And yet, at the cost of repetition I want to ask, WHO do we think we are, deciding for them what to do and what not.

Being gay or lesbian is not a disease, or a choice, they are born that way. If “Nature” made them that way, how by any stretch of imagination can it be “unnatural”…… Please someone explain this to me BY LOGIC.

Even if it is not supported by our culture (if at all) or by the protectors of our religions…… Is it not time we changed our views.

If that be the case, if YOU want to take up the offence/ defense of religion and culture, why has the same Hon’ble Court legalized live in relationships thus legalizing pre-marital sex; or divorce; or Widow remarriage et all.

The examples I just took may seem unrelated. I hear a few people say that these are basic rights, eg: a woman to remarry if her husband dies and not to lead a dead life. But trust you me, this much, if not more havoc was created when it was first mentioned of being legalized… How is this any different?

To all those seeking a “cure for this disease” or “a tag of illegality to continue on it”… I ask you, Then What? It is illegal and immoral for gay or lesbian couples to be together…. Next? They have to forcefully marry someone of the opposite gender… Next? They have to have sex with such spouse because isn’t that what all this was all about? Sex between opposite genders and not the same to be able to bear off-springs…. Next? Everyone ends up being frustrated, sad, dissatisfied……. Next? The person forced into the marriage on this end finds ways to hide and be himself/herself and has affairs with people of the same gender… while the spouse of sheer frustration, has affairs too……A HAPPILY EVER AFTER??? I just don’t see it.

As I finish writing I realize that this is far from my good posts… and is nearly a rant… but I had to say what I had to say….