The stories which nobody wants to hear.........

Disclaimer: The events used in this story may have been historical but the persons referred to are purely imaginary and are used to put across a point of view. Any resemblance to any person living or dead maybe purely coincidental.


10-November-1984
"When an large tree is felled, the earth feels the shivers". The city of Delhi was still coming to terms about the assassination of the Prime Minister. There was a deathly silence about the state mourning observed and it was as if a lull before a storm. It is said, a lot about politics could be learned from the 'pan-wala' in Delhi and on one such occasion I overheard a guy warning his Sikh friend to shift out of Delhi to avoid any sort of back lash to the assassination. The Sikh guy was pretty cool about it and told his friend that he believes in the Government and they will be safe in Delhi. I smiled at this guy and said, "Am sorry to say, but I am impressed by your belief in the Government.. I would not risk my life, if I were you". I still remember his words "Hi.. you don't know me. I am Mr. Goldie Brar, I have lived my entire life in Delhi. This is my home. I would not leave my home just because some eccentric person assassinated the PM. I believe in India and will not leave Delhi" . I just smiled and left. I heard a few days later that Goldie was in the hospital nursing injuries. I thought I would pay a visit. I could not recognize the guy, it was clean shaven trim haired version of Goldie (Sikhs wear a turban and sport a beard). I said "kya hua?". He looked at me with stone cold eyes. After a few tense moments he spoke "Mohalle waale sagey nahi rahe.. unhone madat nahi ki. Meri biwi ka balatkaar hua and saalon ne usse kaat diya... koi aage nahi aaya bachane....saare chup chaap khade dekh rahe the..."



15-June-1990
"Kashmir void of pandits". The ethnic cleansing of the Kashmir valley has been complete. After series of violent deaths in the valley and eternal threat of militants, seeing no response by the state to protect them, the Kashmiri pandits have left the valley in millions and have settled in numerous refugee camps in Jammu and near the national capital. The pandits are so shattered by the experience that they do not intend to return. It is a sad narrative for our diverse country which was proud of its mixed heritage.



7- December -1992
I was traveling with a group of people from Lucknow to Delhi using the state transport bus. I remember I boarded the bus in a tense atmosphere. Almost everyone in the bus was secretly talking about what happened the evening before when a huge army of kar-sevaks demolished a 450 year old Babri masjid stoking fuel into the communal fire. Lucknow had been tense all day. The chief minister had resigned owing moral responsibility and the entire state was tense. Unable to continue my trip, I planned to return to Delhi. It was a quiet and chilly December night and almost everyone on the bus was awake and talking under their breath. After we crossed the city limits, the bus took a detour for a break for the drivers to have some tea. I remember it was 1:00 am and I was out of the bus to buy some cigarettes. All of a sudden, a police jeep arrived and 2 men wearing saffron head gear got off the jeep. They inquired about the people in the bus and picked out the 3 Muslim gentlemen sitting at the back of the bus. They literally dragged them out and put them in the jeep and drove away. None of us spoke or asked the men about their behavior. We just let a few of us be picked up based on religious profile and we moved on with our journey as if nothing happened. I remember the looks on the faces of these men. There was fear and surrender. As if they knew that they would not be alive and were the city fleeing to save their lives, but fate had caught up. I remember one guy was tugging onto my shirt as if to say "please save me...".. I stood there cold to the fact that I let it happen before my eyes and did not stop or protest. I read in the newspapers a few days later that "3 Muslim youth, Rizwan, Shafi and Noora were severely beaten up and left for dead on Lucknow - Delhi Highway. Police suspects hate crime"




10-January-1993
Today was just another day at work, yet it was very different. Everyone was talking in whispers and even though no one said it, it was very evident that entire city of Bombay was saying a silent prayer. It was almost a month ago that this city had seen a communal riot and today some politicians were planning to revive the communal sentiments by sharp and crude editorials in their political mouth piece. Everyone was worried about how the administration was going to stop violence this time. It was a theme in Bombay that was hard to miss. Every political party turned a blind eye and let the city burn the last time around; will it be repeated. The trains were running empty in the evening. I saw a mob chase a woman and her two young girls with sticks and swords. I shuddered but stayed quiet, it was not a moment for bravado but for survival instinct to kick in. Sometimes you need to be oblivious to your surroundings so that you can survive. The next morning several people were gathered around our building and were discussing something animatedly. Turns out, Dr. Khalid Ahmed of our locality was brutally thrashed and his wife and girls were massacred near the railway crossing. The mob had burned down his house and his clinic. We were all sad about the event that a very learned doctor and a philanthropist had to face this eventuality. He and his family (being well off) had always helped people in our locality and Dr. Ahmed was known for his free medical help to poor and needy. It was a cruel joke that at his hour of need, no one helped him out.




14-March-1993
"Blasts rock the financial capital Bombay". As many as 13 blasts occurred at various locations killing at least 200 people and injuring scores of them. So far no one seems to know who could have targeted the city in such a big way. Police sources say (anonymously) the blasts were an act of revenge for the communal riots that had gripped the city few months ago.



28-February-2002
News spread in Ahmadabad that a train carrying kar-sewaks was burned down at Godhra (few hundred kilometers from Ahmadabad) and several people had died in the tragedy. The news spread like wildfire in Gujarat and there was simultaneous out pour of agony and sympathy. Some right wing groups vowed revenge for the massacre. Two days later, I was travelling to Delhi from Ahmadabad on a train. The station was packed to the limit and many people were travelling without luggage. Most of them had a look of fear. Last night, a mob of right wing activists had burned down a large township near Ahmadabad and killed around 400 people. The mob was looking to kill minorities and assaulted to kill anyone who tried to protect them. I met several people whose near and dear ones were killed /maimed/ burned in front of them just because they were from minority community or had sought to aid them. Most people I met, vowed never to return to Ahmadabad........




26-May-2005
"Mumbai shook by twin blasts". Gateway of India and Zaveri bazaar rocked!! Police suspect communal harted to be the motive. So far 6 people have died and 20 injured.



12-July-2006
Serial blasts in the suburban train network killing almost 150 people with several hundreds injured. First class compartments were the target of the conspirators. Tiffin containers and office bags were used to plant the bombs in the trains. Police receive anonymous e-mail suggesting that the blasts were in retaliation of the Gujarat massacre few years ago.



Year 2008
Blasts have been a norm this year. The Union minister for home affairs faced a volley of tough questions today. First it was Samjautha express, then Mecca Masjid (Hyderabad); then Ajmer Sharif; then Bangalore (twin blasts) and lastly Ahmadabad (28 blasts). In all the cases several youths of minority community have been arrested and have been in the jail for almost six months. There has been no progress on any of these cases and the media reports suggest that most arrests made by the authorities have been eye wash to show some action has been taken. The minister facing flak for inaction has blamed fundamentalism for the latest surge in violent attacks.



For most of us, these are the news items over the past 25 years collected and chronicled, but for scores of us, these were life changing events. These were events during which we as a country have failed our citizen. We allowed the use of religion to stoke passions. We allowed the use of state force to torture and kill some of us. In some cases by active participation and in most cases by passive support, we have reduced a united India to look more and more divided with every passing day. Some political parties allowed the massacre to allow their foot soldiers vent their anger and the rest of us don't want to look like appeasing the minorities so we turned a blind eye and do not take up their cause. Event after event it has been more and more clear that lack of closure for the communal riots of the past have motivated the youths of this country to indulge in terrorism. Indians are not new to attacks by terrorists from the neighbourhood, but now Indians were attacking each other using terror as a platform. Instead of applying a soothing balm to old wounds by giving them legal recourse, political game of one upmanship and strong religious identity groups don't allow the normal course of justice. In most cases the investigation is stifled as it begins to lead to the doors of some high flying minister. Instead, we use these events to fester old wounds and create the atmosphere for the next terrorist attack. It is a vicious cycle and all of us are to blame for it. We use politics to shield the people who indulge in communalising the society and this in-turn allows fringe groups to attack our cities in the name of avenging the wrong doings. We are unknowingly doing this and every time there is a blast or an attack on our cities we wonder, "Why do these people not let us live in peace"... Instead, we must hang our head in shame that we have always failed our fellow citizen in the hour of need. Someone has to stop this cycle of violence and start the cycle of re-conciliation. We need a statesman.. now more than ever.



So long.......

If the Lord could speak.....

In the midst of all the politicking about black, white and grey monies, comes bolt out of the blue. A relatively unheard of temple in Kerala is coughing up $20 billion in gold coins and ornaments. The valuation does not include the antique pricing which might go upto 4 times this value. All of sudden, Sree Ananthapadhbanabha Swamy temple is the richest in India (maybe in the entire world). This had brought a sharp focus on the ways in which we donate to our temples and the way these funds are utilized.



I am taking into account the fact that any money saved by me for a rainy day comes under the wide ambit of tax laws. If I pledge that I have stashed away the funds for investment under various sections of tax laws that govern our country, I am allowed only after providing the tax authority of ample proof that I am indeed complying to my pledge. Even then, the proceeds of my investment (interest earned / capital gains ) are taxed as they are "income" generated from my funds. In short, if we are honest in declaring what we own, we end up paying more rather than being incentivised for honest compliance. In this context, if I choose not to earn any money; instead I invest in building say a temple / church / masjid / gurudwara etc. or become a patron of one, I have access to unending wealth and no tax :) A win - win situation to be in. I would like to state at the very beginning that I have high respect for the priests / pastors /maulavis / granthi who have make a meagre living in some place of worship in a remote area, I have a bone to pick with the very famous temples and other places of worship which are tourist attractions and have yearly turnovers which could shame many business houses around the world. I feel they live a life of plenty where they are expected to use the proceeds for charitable causes.



Add to this the presence of godmen in our country is more a bane than a boon. Anyone who is anyone makes a business of "belief in the Almighty" and mints money. Worse, they earn always in cash and its next to impossible to audit the proceeds that they generate. Refer to the Ramdev saga where an almost good for nothing person is making billions selling dreams to millions of people. Today this guy has the balls to give sermons to all of us on black money without considering the sham of yoga and ayurvedic medicine, under which he mints billions every year. Consider the press stories (which are being hushed up) of crores of rupees and almost 100 kg gold recovered from the chambers of the late Baba of Puttaparthi. In the case of baba, to be fair to him, he had built many hospitals and educational institutions in which education and health care was provided at low cost for everyone (irrespective of religion). So in a way, what he earned by being a Godman, he returned to society in his own ways. I only question the extent of mismanagement of funds now that he is no more. Is it fair to allow these men run amuck with looting the money people donated for charity and not even paying taxes on them. Why should certain good for nothing people become rich from the proceeds of charity and the poor man is still on the streets starving due to lack of food and dying because of lack of shelter and access to health care. How different are these godmen and religious trusts different from the politicians who loot the taxes that we contribute towards the expenses to be made for us.



Why should not there be an audit of funds by private firms ordered by the Government on the utilization of funds for the purpose of charity by these religious trusts Why should we let them have a free hand "in the name of God" so that they continue making money in his name and add on the black money generated in India. If the Lord Almighty could speak, am sure he would say "take care of my people and don't let any person die because of lack of means.. rather than build grand places of worship in gold and precious stones in my name" . I am sure honoring the life that he created would be better than studding his image with precious ornaments. In the end, bringing a smile on the faces of the have-nots should be termed higher than donating to these godmen because you maybe feeding a system that creates huge amount of black money. In the end...... the Travencore King can't wash his hands off the trust he heads by saying "It is God's money", as chief patrons its also his job to see that its being used for God's work.



So long.....