thumb_up 0

COMMENTS

Thanks for starting this, because let me admit, I didn't have the guts to start one such thread myself. Past few days, it seems like certain liberties are under attack. Orissa, Karnataka, The bomb blasts have religious color on them. Other similar events may not have religious color. But one thing in common is that the notion that law and order has to be above all else is growing weak.

• A CEO getting lynched to death by a mob is crime. Whether there was justification or provocation or not doesn't matter.
• A nun getting gang raped in Orissa is perhaps a crime worst than murder. Provocations don't matter.
• Vandalising churches is goondagiri, forced conversions may too be branded as polished goondagiri. But tit for tat is not the way to deal with things in civilized setups.
• Blasts killing innocents are just that, crimes of worst order. If any past events were provocations, those too were crimes. Step a notch down from all these events.

Take the religious cover off for a moment and read some other experiences I can share.

• A grocery shop-keeper decides to sell milk one day. The 'self professed' authorized milk dealer of the area doesn't like that and beats the shop's attendants black and blue.
• A friend calls BBMP to complain about an illegal structure coming up on a main road without any provision for parking. Forget privacy and all, goons show up next day to remind that one should only mind his own business.
• Owner of a property refuses to sell out to a builder who wants to build a private layout in the area. He then gets slapped with frivolous notices after notices, gets his water and electricity connections cut on regular basis. All this, till he relents and sells out.
• A sundry traffic cop beats up a young well-meaning guy for he could't lodge his complaint in kannada, and then locks him up. And that young guy's father has no help, nowhere to go to complain.
• A new shop shows up with a lot of glass to show, and the owner is not a native kannadiga. Folks show up asking for money or .... Next day, a red/gold flag shows up on the commercial building's front facade, and its business as usual.

The basic fabric of law and order has grown too weak. And since a majority of us don't get to deal with all this (except small business owners) on daily basis, we have been living in ignorance.

Police reforms are long pending. The 'last mile' setup of our law and order infrastructure (eyes and ears of police) are just too weak and inefficient. Everything I refer to above (blasts to riot to goondagiri), at some level or other is a result of that. However, we get to see the symptoms in religious or regional fundamentalist or whatever colors.

Its time. Its long pending, and something that just needs to be done, and needs to be done now. Law has to rule and rule firm, everything else comes later.

• thumb_up Like
• · login or register to post comments

Every group seems to want to show that they are in control.Goes back to our animal links, where Lions protect tier territory! and we can oursleves civilized!!! Violence most definately is on the rise, both - trivial issues and organized terror crimes. Its time for us to really see what the root of these causes are, and address where dialog is possible and force where needed. I think we have let this go too far. from Local Goonda's to other religious political motivated groups. They have too much power and too much vested interests to stop and be reasoned with - they just wont listen! How do we solve this issue? I have no idea. To me this is more embarrasing to the country than any other issue. What if we used Gandhigiri? Silent protests (in large nos.) for tiny attrocities? Try to educate the next generation not to follow the same paths - face it sooner or later goonda's have to retire, we can stop a successor taking his place!

• thumb_up Like
• · login or register to post comments

Usually nations progresses in the civilization, thought process and human good. But its a Tragedy in India and other countries, instead of progressing, we are digressing in the basic human relationships. If early 20th century gave the gift of nationalism and a cause for standing upto foreign rulers, late 20th century seems to have lost this battle for ethnicity based on religion, regionalism and language. The fear of marginalization has taken the journey from complaining of high handedness to assertion of their rights. Mixed with political and power, this assertion has taken the form of arms aggression and even justifying the killing of few thousands. All in the name of religious doctrines or spontaneous reaction (newtons law). If one has to closely analyze this, this is nothing but COMPETITIVE VICTIMHOOD. All these pseudo-nationalist/Pseudo-Fundamentalist are competing with each other in proving that one is more victim than the other. Otherwise how do you explain people becoming refugees in their own land. Unless people stop looking for murderous revenge and ideology of hate, India will continue to witness riots, assaults and killings. For the serenity to prevail, a total 180 degree shift in attitude is required. From everybody. Majority and Minority. Majority should shed the fear that minority would ascend to the throne. Majority should stop worrying about minority's progress in economic and social stature. On the same token minorities should stop projecting themselves as oppressed and victims. A lot of water has flown into Ganges, Kaveri, Krishna and Godavari. Instead of asking for alms and charity (special treatments), should learn to earn their share by competing with majority. For that Education is the key. Basically, we all need to shed this cloak of majority and minority for real progress and betterment in life. Instead of asking for individual favors lets fight for others rights. Lets fight for education to all, health care for all, fight for affordable living, fight for just police and judicial system, fight for better political parties and leaders. This is not an impossible task. Take the example of recent J C Nagar mosque incident. Local youth and citizens stood ground to see that not a single untoward incident takes place. Things were normal in few hours without any major incidents.

• thumb_up Like
• · login or register to post comments

Hindu Fundamentalism, according to Sir V S Naipaul, is a "corrective force" in the current Hindu/Indian society. It is like how Japan was transformed during the Meiji Era. Like it or not, Hindutva economics is what is driving Gujarat's Industrial progress. See for yourself how "secular" Waste Bengal is doing. Hindutva is a counter force to the sinister forces of Islamic fundamentalism (which has already claimed large parts of our country), Western Christian Imperialsm - which is supporting and propping up terrorists in Nagaland and other NE areas. We also have to contend with Marx putras and Mao putras among us. So as long as the mountains and rivers continue to exit, so long will dharma exist. As long as enemies of dharma exist, protectors to it will exist.

• thumb_up Like
• · login or register to post comments

"Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and the creation of an egalitarian society." from Wikipedia. Since you insist on bashing Nehru here is some food for thought "There is reliable evidence that Nehru did not impose state control , Indian industrialists wanted it. The Bombay Plan, issued in 1944, not by the government of India or the constituent assembly, but by a group of leading “capitalists” of the country, insisted that “the State should exercise, in the interests of the community, a considerable measure of intervention and control”. They called out energy, infrastructure, and transport as requiring state monopoly! The plan also prescribed “an enlargement of the positive as well as preventative functions of the state” as “essential” to large-scale economic planning. There was also the question of India’s recent painful brush with imperialism, which it associated, quite reasonably at that time, with capitalism. It wasn’t surprising, given the prevailing mood, that the framers of the Indian constitution included directive principles to ensure that “the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are so distributed so as to best serve the common good”, etc." See more here http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/09/07/stories/2004090700010800.htm I agree with you on his daughter who institutionalized corruption in India. The other thing with the RSS philosophy is that someone else is always the cause of problems - either Muslims or Christians or Marxists or Nehru or Gandhi. When it is convenient Scheduled Castes become part of this great and glorious Hindu nation with a great and glorious past. When not they are treated like dirt. Srivathsa

• thumb_up Like
• · login or register to post comments