‘Shake’ off the indifference and ‘blast’ away the complacency…please

Yesterday was quite an eventful day in Delhi. If the bomb blast wasn’t terrible enough, the earthquake really ‘stirred’ things up in the evening. My thoughts go out to those affected by either, though the earthquake seems to have had a very limited impact. Would the bomb blast have an equally limited impact on how the Indian government views public security? I hope not.

In all fairness, I don’t think there are any easy solutions to either the Kashmir problem or the Naxal situation or even the north east crisis. I also concede that it is extremely difficult to stop such attacks from occurring in the madness of a Chandi Chowk or a Zaveri Bazaar. But how in the world can security provisions be so inadequate at the Delhi High Court? There is so much ambiguity about the security at the court; there is absolutely no clarity about the presence and condition of CCTVs, metal detectors or even an active, alert police force in adequate numbers. These should be part of standard security provisions at all governmental buildings, not just at the residences of cabinet ministers in the Lutyens Zone.

Also, I humbly request politicians of all backgrounds to stop playing ‘whoever-reaches-the-hospital-last-is-a-rotten-egg’. It is not a race. As much as I dislike my non-UPA options, I very much appreciate reports of Mr Rahul Gandhi being confronted by angry relatives and families of the victims. In situations such as these, the people want to know what the government can do about the situation, not what the situation can do for the government. It is not a PR exercise; don’t turn it into one because it is disrespectful.

A bomb blast in a crowded market is bad enough. But a blast in a law court is worse. Forget about the symbolic attack on India’s constitutional institutions, sovereignty, etc. The question the common man would be asking tonight is that if the government can’t even protect its own buildings, how would it ever be able to protect us? The people of India need a sense of security, and the complacent attitude of the government is not helping at all. 

Just one final point, dear politicians: burying your head in the sand does not necessarily save your head; but it always leaves your backside a lot more vulnerable.

Slipping on a ban‘anna’ peel

It is no longer significant that this year began as 2011. Henceforth, it would forever be known simply as 1 A.D. , the year of the historical anna divide. It signifies a period when, as an Indian, you just can’t be noncommittal; you have to take a stand, one way or the other. It has also been marked by the appearance of those gems of unparalleled brilliance, those rare twinkling spots of reason and logic in discussions on Indian politics on the otherwise dark cyberspace horizons of Facebook.

Of course, there are still your very predictable ‘Do you support corruption? If not, then support Anna Hazare!’ kind of people.  But then these are the same people who complain ‘why isn’t the government hanging Kasab?’ (for the last time, the judiciary passes judgements and is separate from the government…6^th grade political science, if you were paying attention). Honestly, let’s not allow them and their kind to keep us from celebrating the political awakening (from a kumbhkaranisque slumber) of the urban Indian middle class.

The great urban Indian middle class had the misfortune of missing out on supporting other fasts and movements (did someone say Irom who?). Even the Naxal explosions barely manage to interrupt its cosy dreams of iPads and penthouses in Gurgaon. But hey, even the media couldn’t care less at one point, so why pick on the middle class alone? But corruption, now that is a clincher. It’s a no-brainer. It doesn’t matter if you are left or right, left of the centre or left out of the centre, smack-bang in the middle of the centre or so left that you actually come out right, you cannot really support corruption. It’s a no-brainer (I can’t emphasis that enough).

It is the Lokpal Bill, in its various avatars, that has provided a people desperately trying to ignore a 4-0 whitewash a legitimate distraction. I understand that we would like to fast (no pun intended) track the dream of a corruption free India. But what about little details like the constitution and constitutional structures, and making a government elected by 1+ billion people subservient to an elite group who would be accountable to…who is it again? I thought it is actually this kind of power, in the absence of corresponding accountability, which corrupts, but then again, what do I know, I didn’t set up a model village, did I now?

Of course, it is infinitesimally easier to ban a poor villager from enjoying his favourite poison (and personally flogging him when he does) than to take on the collective might of Mallya sr., Mallya jr. and whoever it is that Mallya jr. might be dating these days. Would model cities place a ban on five star hotels serving liquor? And would it require the closure of Blues? Scary thought, makes me want to reach out for that vintage 12 year.

But then again, no one has been publicly flogged (yet) during this surprisingly peaceful movement. Fine, even if it is the middle-class, surely even they have the right to express themselves peacefully. This brings me to the greatest PR disaster in the last couple of months, the arrest of Anna Hazare. UPA government, please fire whoever suggested that move, because in case you didn’t notice, it failed miserably. Was there no one amongst you who could take on Anna Hazare on an intellectual level first (the PM’s speech came a little too late)? Or did your brains disappear somewhere, possibly to recuperate in the US?

On the other hand, no one likes a kid sitting in the middle of a supermarket aisle howling ‘I want THIS and I want it NOW’. It is quite an irritating experience.

The only difference is that you can reason with the kid.