on modi

in India, we preserve what we should not and we destroy what we should. Some memories are best forgotten, like riots, disasters etc.. and a new start must be made. But we indulge in past and name calling.. meanwhile the offenders don't get punished, victims suffer.. in short nothing positive happens. 
Examples are aplenty. Consider Bhopal, the disaster that destroyed not only a city but many industries from starting up in India. Bhopal victims suffered.. the offender went away scot free, only some Indian hands were given punishment that too after 25 years, for RI of 2 years. 
India should have been better served  if, (after inability to catch the offender and him put to justice) victims were paid through the national exchequer taking care that new industries do not suffer and given license to work only after suitable safety criterion are fulfilled. Also legislating on these issues so that there should not be "next time"..

But instead we indulged in politics, offender never got caught.. victims never got compensation.. new industry suffered due to govt inability to provide them safety in charged environment.. and no one assured us that there will never be 'next time." 
Bhopal became a "fossil".
Similar was the case with 1984 Delhi riots.  
In 2002 riots.. again.. this whole thing was repeated. people suffered.. victims never got any compensation.. offenders were never arrested.. and politics went on as usual. but this time there was a significant difference.. that was mr. modi. he was different than others in many ways.. after coming to power.. he made sure that such incidents don't happen again.. people were given a better life.. roads were improved.. industry was improved.. and Gujarat grew at tremendous rate.. the recent summit is the example of that. even many reports, particularly Sachchar committee report had indicated that Muslims have better living standards in Gujarat than anywhere else in India.Local Muslims can't remain outside the govt for long.. they will also start supporting modi for they cant afford to be in opposition forever. No one wants to remain of defeated side forever.. the recent support of Modi by Vastanavi is the case in point. Sure.. he still opts for rhetorics.. that makes him unacceptable at all-India level.. but if he stops that.. I'm sure.. opposition will have a difficult job ahead for them. now.. when someone says 2002.. it just shows they don't have any new point to say.. and they go on defensive every time using 2002 as an example of modi's state. if you could not punish him then... probability is .. you can't never punish him. but modi's state have moved on.. it's time that others too move on.

khap..a concept

Today.. news came about khap panchayat banning women to wear jeans.

it was hilarious and ridiculous to many of us twitterati . But it's not just laughing stuff when they kill couples based on the concept of same gotra marriage.

Few months ago.. there was outcry over many such killings in parts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan.. Ironically media gave it the name "honour killings" when in fact how can there be any honour in killings? People were outraged over how can such ridiculous thing is still happening in modern India.. They were surprised and angered.

But this anger was manifested more in urban India.. on net.. in media houses.. the area where these killings occurred was surprisingly calm. no outrage was visible there.. in fact people were supportive of the killings in many snap polls conducted by media then. (that means when they stopped someone midway to his/her work and asked them their reaction. )
This was more surprising for urban educated masses where they could not believe such practices can have sanction of society.
That was nothing.. they discovered soon.. as even MPs from that area.. notably Navin Jindal , an educated leader also supported Khap Panchayat.

why this happened..? why people apparently behave like barbarians?

Hence some point are necessary to understand some basic issue.

the opposition to inter caste marriage is everywhere in india.. especially in landed classes.. this opposition takes different forms in different areas.. and in north.. this took the form of opposition to same gotra marriage.

the objection of khap panchayats to same gotra marriage is based on the belief that. a 'gotra' constitutes people who are from same lineage.. thus they are related to each other. thus the girl and boy from a gotra are nothing but brother and sister.. and the marriage thus becomes incestuous marriage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotra

but but this concept is wrong.
let us see how..


the gotras are basically named after brahmanas who did all the religious ceremonies for the king and lay people. the names such as
Vishvâmitra, Jamadagni, Bharadvâja, Gautama, Atri, Vasishtha, Kashyapa and Agastya indicates the names are that of ancient sages which performed the ceremonies.

thus .. strictly speaking, the gotra concept .. that is.. belonging to same lineage ..(even if it is true.. ) is valid only for brahmanas.

now.. one wonders how people from other varnas.. (4 varnas.. brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras ) get the gotra..?

the answer is..since pre-gupta times.... when people lived in villages.. a sort of closed economy.. where the all the religious ceremonies were the responsibility of group of brahmanas.. who had different gotra. they divided between them different parts of village.. sometime based on areas.. and sometime based on occupation .. and the religious ceremony was complete responsibility of that brahmana. this went on for centuries.. almost 7-8 centuries.. and people who were served by brahmana's lineage for generations.. acquired the gotra identity that of brahmanas who served them.
thus even the other varnas acquired the gotra .. in this case.. people from same gotra were not necessarily brothers and sisters.. and it's this fact that the current debates on gotra totally ignores.

thus khap panchayats.. who quote Hindu scripture for the kind of behavior they indulge in.. are in fact.. acting without any basis of scriptures.


but the urban middle class.. especially not from north.. must understand the reason of the support these khap panchayats enjoy..
in india.. where the legal system is notorious for indefinite delays.. and complex laws.. the khap gives the affordable, easy to understand, quick, and at the door redressal of grievances.. khap is invaluable for these people. and they will not move away from khap for anything.

hence my suggestion is two point formula.

• 1 make these people understand that the practice is against scripture.. and hence against hinduism. this is a powerful idea as religion is biggest motivator as well as biggest hindrance to any behaviour. clever use of religion will go a long way.. as everyone will think twice before acting against religion.
  

2 provide them with alternate redressal system.. which is based on principle of panchayts.. but not caste specific.. but village specific. (this is tricky as people in one village generally belong to one caste..) or any other type of local court.. which is final authority..

if we don't provide them with alternate redressal system that is also as accessible easy to understand and affordable as these panchayt proved to be.. then it will be impossible for govt to wean away these people from khap panchayats.


of course.. it's beyond my knowledge and expertise to give a solution to such complex question. but what i want is active interference of govt.. with a carrot and stick approach.. using all avenues at their disposal.

saffron terror.. a wholly different take

as i was watching the news today.. one news item in particular caught my eyes..

it was.. http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?706477

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article995789.ece



as it happened.. the news interested me in some different way..
here was allegations that an Indian- a Hindu.. was arrested in a terror plot..

what made this news interesting was an article by @acorn

http://acorn.nationalinterest.in/2010/12/28/gurukanth-desai-is-not-of-indian-origin/


now.. as you have noticed.. it was a pseudo-name that this person has assumed.. a Hindu name.. so that he gets away from suspicions.

in this respect i news in early stages on investigations of David headley was also significant.. where P. C. Chidambaram said that because of his name.. and nationality.. he was never suspected earlier when he visited India multiple times.

it made me curious ..

now.. in a seminar of police chiefs of states, chidambaram used the term saffron terror" .. to stress the point that in investigations they have to be vigilant as anyone .. even with a Hindu identity.. can be perpetrator terror. while suspecting someone.. his/her religious identity is not the determinant..

it was crucial point.. and should have taken in the right spirit by all.. but it got politicised.. and the real issue was lost on all those who criticised chidambaram for the term. instead of standing behind chidambaram.. bjp and allies sought to politicise the issue..
according to bjp and allies.. a hindu cannot be a part of terrorist activities.. and dangerously.. the same idea is being used by some terror groups..

apparently.. in order to avoid suspicion.. terrorists use every way possible.. assuming a different religious identity and name is one of the easiest. and going by the example of headley.. it almost succeeded.
(even giving those 26/11 perpetrators sacred threads to tied on the wrist was one such idea.. they could have lost in the crowd.. if they wanted to.. without anyone suspecting)

so.. bjp should wake up to their din of "a Hindu cannot be terrorist.. and should not politicise this policy issue.. which can help our security to streamline the security "

(i know.. even while writing this.. I'm assuming only those ppl with false hindu identity can be terrorists.. they are not Hindu per se.. but it's a no-brainer while suspecting someone.. or investigating someone. )