Shantaram is my favorite book!! I mean, like favorite among everything that I have ever read… The one prominent reason I loved it, was how appreciative the author was about India… His love for Bombay started from the moment he inhales the polluted air of the city… Instead of being the overbearing high-strung foreigner who cannot relate to anything Indian, he falls in love with the town. And trust me, you will fall in love with city too (and a Mumbaikar will look at his town with renewed love).
The recent attacks on the Taj, Leopold and Colaba made me want to go back to the book. Gregory Roberts found his friends, love at these popular joints. To be reading about it in his rich words, made you want to pack your bags and head there!!! The city and its landmarks were all I thought of for 3 whole months….
To see these monuments bruised and battered makes me angry beyond words!! The basic principle we were taught at school, at home, by our religion, by our culture, is not to hate!!! From Ahimsa taught by Buddha to Gandhigiri taught by Munna, we have been told to only love love love, and never hate!!!
All the anger we are expressing in the wake of these attacks is just hatred I feel… Hatred towards the politicians who gave the details of NSG operations on Live-TV… Hatred towards the media for airing it (commonsense you brainiacs!!!)… Hatred towards politicians for India being so soft on terrorism… Hatred of every militant organization that exists… Hatred because we lost our best policemen in the attacks…. Hatred of ourselves, because we are feeling helpless, while glued to internet and television… Hatred at everyone because we cannot elect leaders who can LEAD the country… Hatred of the general society which only thinks of celebrities and movies till something drastic happens… Hatred of ourselves: we went shopping just because it was Black Friday and every store had discounts, while our country burned…..
WE NEED ANSWERS!! Everyone does!! But from whom?? The same politicians who have never taken a step, in fear that their vote-bank will be affected?? (The same politicians who we voted for BTW!!!) Or from ourselves?? Who cannot do anything other than condole and codemn these attacks?? Does anyone at all think about the nation’s security till tragedy strikes again?? And why does patriotism come pouring forth when we are under attack??
What we need to be instilled patriotism… This means, to put an end to regionalism and look at India as INDIA… Indian ideal of pluralism: ethnic, cultural and religious identities can all exist under the umbrella of an Indian identity and everyone needs to remember that!!!
Like Tharoor says “"If America is a melting pot, then to me India is a thali -- a collection of sumptuous dishes in different bowls. Each may not mix with the next, but they combine on your palate to produce a satisfying repast."
We need to come together… for our country!!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
A prayer!!
ithnii shakti hamein de na daataa
mankaa vishvaas kamazor ho naa
ham chalein nek raaste pe hamase
bhuulakar bhii koI bhuul ho naa......
har taraf zulm hai bebasii hai
sahamaa-sahamaasaa har aadamii hai
paap kaa bojh baDhataa hii jaaye
jaane kaise ye dharatii thamii hai
bojh mamataa kaa tU ye uThaa le
terii rachanaa ka ye ant ho naa......
ham chale.........
duur aGYaan ke ho andhere
tU hamein GYaan kii raushanii de
har buraaii se bachake rahe.n ham
jitanii bhii de, bhalii zindagii de
bair ho naa kisIkaa kisiise
bhaavanaa man mein badale kii ho naa.......
ham chale.......
ham na sochein hamein kyaa milaa hai
ham ye sochein kiyaa kyaa hai arpaN
phuul khushiyoin ke baaTein sabhii ko
sabakaa jiivan hii ban jaaye madhuban
apanii karuNaa ko jab tU bahaa de
karade paavan har ik man kaa konaa.........
ham chale........
ham andhere mein haiin raushanii de,
kho naa de khud ko hii dushmanii se,
ham sazaa paaye apane kiye kii,
maut bhii ho to sah le khushii se,
kal jo guzaraa hai phirase naa guzare,
aanevaalaa vo kal aisaa ho naa........
ham chale nek raaste pe hamase,
bhulakar bhii koI bhuul ho naa........
ithnii shakti hame.n de naa daataa,
mankaa vishvaas kamazor ho naa........
(movie:Ankush)
mankaa vishvaas kamazor ho naa
ham chalein nek raaste pe hamase
bhuulakar bhii koI bhuul ho naa......
har taraf zulm hai bebasii hai
sahamaa-sahamaasaa har aadamii hai
paap kaa bojh baDhataa hii jaaye
jaane kaise ye dharatii thamii hai
bojh mamataa kaa tU ye uThaa le
terii rachanaa ka ye ant ho naa......
ham chale.........
duur aGYaan ke ho andhere
tU hamein GYaan kii raushanii de
har buraaii se bachake rahe.n ham
jitanii bhii de, bhalii zindagii de
bair ho naa kisIkaa kisiise
bhaavanaa man mein badale kii ho naa.......
ham chale.......
ham na sochein hamein kyaa milaa hai
ham ye sochein kiyaa kyaa hai arpaN
phuul khushiyoin ke baaTein sabhii ko
sabakaa jiivan hii ban jaaye madhuban
apanii karuNaa ko jab tU bahaa de
karade paavan har ik man kaa konaa.........
ham chale........
ham andhere mein haiin raushanii de,
kho naa de khud ko hii dushmanii se,
ham sazaa paaye apane kiye kii,
maut bhii ho to sah le khushii se,
kal jo guzaraa hai phirase naa guzare,
aanevaalaa vo kal aisaa ho naa........
ham chale nek raaste pe hamase,
bhulakar bhii koI bhuul ho naa........
ithnii shakti hame.n de naa daataa,
mankaa vishvaas kamazor ho naa........
(movie:Ankush)
Takin out my frustration!!! 1 blog at a time!!
Stupid morons!!! Stop talking about Bombay’s resilience!!! We all know the greatness of Bombay (sorry to everyone who prefers Mumbai)…!!!
It is a city like no other: always bustling with life, the city of movies and money, the city which attracts people by the thousands, a city with perhaps the most unique flavor in India!! I went there as a 10-yr old and it had the buzz that Bangalore has now!!! (needless to say, fell in love with it!)
Being the most sought after city, is making it a sift target for everyone who wants to disrupt peace in India… and the recent attack is one of many in the recent decade!! Every episode ended with a “Bombay will be resilient bla bla bla!”
Oh come on!! Think people, why are we taking this amazing capability of the city as a cover-up for the inefficiencies of our police, politicians and administration???
Just because we can get back on our feet in record-time does not mean we cannot take action against people who are out to terrorize our motherland!! It is high time the idiots who are ruling our country take some drastic measures (I know the common thinking is to annihilate a neighboring country of ours, and I did not mean that by drastic measures)…
Please please!! I am begging everyone who has the power to do something right for the country, to do so!!
WE NEED TO STOP TAKING SHIT and the sooner we do, the better!!!
It is a city like no other: always bustling with life, the city of movies and money, the city which attracts people by the thousands, a city with perhaps the most unique flavor in India!! I went there as a 10-yr old and it had the buzz that Bangalore has now!!! (needless to say, fell in love with it!)
Being the most sought after city, is making it a sift target for everyone who wants to disrupt peace in India… and the recent attack is one of many in the recent decade!! Every episode ended with a “Bombay will be resilient bla bla bla!”
Oh come on!! Think people, why are we taking this amazing capability of the city as a cover-up for the inefficiencies of our police, politicians and administration???
Just because we can get back on our feet in record-time does not mean we cannot take action against people who are out to terrorize our motherland!! It is high time the idiots who are ruling our country take some drastic measures (I know the common thinking is to annihilate a neighboring country of ours, and I did not mean that by drastic measures)…
Please please!! I am begging everyone who has the power to do something right for the country, to do so!!
WE NEED TO STOP TAKING SHIT and the sooner we do, the better!!!
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