Few days back I went to watch " My Name Is Khan " , though i do not carry much fetish for Shahrukh Khan , I was sure at one point that the film would certainly mark something relevant and messaging. During the film I heard him saying " My Name Is Khan and I am not a Terrorist ! " a number of times. In the theatre, I could see crowd rejoicing each time the protagonist utters this dialogue..they clapped, they shouted with zeal...and they left. But the film left me in a swirl state where I started asking my conscience as whether the extent to which the crowd applauded made them feel the essence of the movie ? Was that just a reflex to a dialogue being said by a superstar, or did they immensely hold the nerve of the movie ?
The movie tried hard and to a much extent proved effective in delivering the message it was intended to. I could remember a dialogue when SRK painfully presented the state of Muslims in US in the aftermath of 9/11---" Before there used to be two things marking the significance of Date..AD and BC, but after 9/11, there are three..AD,BC and 9/11 ! " . Unfortunately it is almost true when Muslims all over the world,particularly in the west are sneered with racial and ethnic discrimination, and to much extent,this community deplorably shares the blame for being allegedly involved,directly or indirectly in almost every terror attack.
In the aftermath of 9/11,the situation and the changes have been different for Muslims in the US. An exercise of discretion was targeted on Muslims not only at the moral level but affecting them through inexcusable legislative practices and transformations. A survey revealed that 26 % of Muslims had experienced racial and ethnic discrimination in the US,57 % know some of their friends and relatives who have experienced such indifference while at work, school or neighbourhood.Shockingly when public discourse was included, 22 % Americans agreed that citizens should be profiled on the basis of their being Muslim; 27 % suggested that Muslims should be required to register their whereabouts to the govt.;and 26 % believed that Mosques should be closely monitored by govt. security agencies. How pitiful is that admitting such a harsh public opinion dismissing entire moral values.
9/11 turned out to be the nadir which took an entire community into the vicinity of suspicion and discrimination, and which is entirely unjustifiable in regard to all those who had nothing to do with that, but still they paid heavy charges.
FBI,immediately after 9/11, initiated a massive investigation called PENTTBOM which sought to identify individuals involved in the attack. Within two months,it led to the detention of over 1,200 individuals nationwide,most of which were either US-Muslims or non-US Muslims residing in various parts of USA. The investigation detained them for an average of 80 days and a maximum of 244 days. Amidst the detention, they were subjected to all kinds of physical and verbal abuses.
Such practices targeting the entire group and placing them under suspicion had adverse on those people who condemned such attacks and were not the hard-liners. To a certain extent, such legal (better call it a disguised-legal) dogma infuses danger to the personal security undermining all loyalties to the nation a person held prior to the detention.
I am asking US authorities at their connivance when an earlier terrorist group The Jewish Defense League was attacking targets within the US seeking the excuse for protection of Judaism against its rivalries. Was that biased ?
Even if the chance of involvement of any Jew in these kinds of acts was 1 to 10000, it would have been totally unjustified to investigate all members of a population to find a tiny mark of dangerous individuals. If we talk in the context of Tamil Tigers, think had been it pragmatic to take entire pool of Tamils into suspicion and refraining them from all personal,social and ethical pursuits ?
Since the vast majority of Muslims pose no threat at all,there is no likely benefit from focusing discretionary preventive measures on them. Such discrimination should be rejected outright ! I should remind them that every religion stresses on peace and each have their faiths. It is not valid in any sense to place a community into sheer disrespect owing to the act of few sociopaths who do not even know what really is Practice of Religion and what their religion is aimed at ?
Undoubtedly, wrongs have been done and may be occuring still ! Have we learned anything from " My Name Is Khan " ?
I am asking this to all those who were present that day in the theatre !
Naxalites' activities have recently surged leaving the entire government machinery and the common man into such a blatant state where it has become difficult to carve out an effective solution. Carving out a solution to such a problem is indeed very challenging; and what makes it so challenging is the side we are on ! I have figured out two such sides -- (i) Government , and (ii) Naxalites .
I can find entire nation standing on these two sides....differing so much in their views, reasons and strategies.
Let's first talk about the Naxalites. Naxalites have always been considered as a group of leftist sociopaths who do not stand with the government and its machinery, and sought out for their own way to handle things. Their anti-government and anti-bourgeoisie radical views have created a great political and social turmoil and a consistent uproarious environment in the past, and now we are again facing the same. Ideological differences in the context relating to the interests of common man,especially of the lower class, have set grounds for such clashes.
Naxalites' movement was started in order to dilute the social and economical differences that had adverse in the upliftment of lower classes. In that time, lower classes were exploited from the uppers seeking for profits and social domination.
When Britishers withdrew, the society was driven by bourgeoisie(upper-class) and the government's plans were made in total agreement with them. This worsened the situation where a large part of profits were bagged by them ,leaving lower working class in a pitiful state. India at that time was in its attempt to get up from economic stagnation, and therefore a large number of plans and proposals were promoting economic profits over others goals. Considering economic-changes in USSR , parts of Europe and China; where Socialism and Communism, with the goal of serving each section of the society, had settled ground; there came an inspiration to them willing to change entire set-ups.This tragic melodrama continued and the it ultimately waved the anger within them. Having no option left to them they went aggressive and started targeting all such bodies which supported economic advancement at the cost of lower classes' interests.
I should now be talking about the government machinery being always an antagonist.
One cannot deny the fact that the time when India was merely an adolescent since independence , there was an urgent call for economic progress, failing on which might have brought danger to its integrity. During that time our economic plans were mostly pro-British (beside economic plans, we shared similarity with almost everything ) , and therefore it was conspicuous that they were not so beneficial to the lower classes of the society as compared to the extent they managed to help boost our economy ( For one instance think how fast a pro-capitalist economy advances as compared to a socialist or a communist economy ! ) .
Talking about the present scenario, I definitely criticise the bloodshed and the havoc created in those naxalite-affected zones turning fragile day-by-day. I call for an effective negotiation to be made foreseeing the political, economical and ideological consensus. After all it is an inside matter, and therefore it needs to be addressed with utmost concern if we are looking forward to a better India. I condemn the retaliatory action of State government agencies with the goal to exterminate them through "Operation Red" and "Operation Green-Hunt"...
As an intellect and as a pacifist, I do not see these decimating steps as a solution to it. Rather I would like to remind government agencies that no war have ever resolved any dispute, it only have smothered the anger within ..the anger which would again come out at some point of time..might be intensified ! Who knows ?
Pick the side you are on !
The conciliatory commitment we can notice here in the form of bilateral talks between two labeled rivalries- India and Pakistan is worth-discussing and apprehendable.
February 25 would be the day marked with the settlement of many unresolved disputes which have either remained unresolved owing to the silence maintained by either sides , or through some external means to thwart any such action whenever taken in the past. We can notice blend of voices, some disagreeing on the relevance of this talk and displaying their disbelief on the future implications, while some are welcoming this move with both hands. With no surprise, I find both such voices having their reasons to believe and act---a perfect democratic exposure. However, we cannot deny from the fact that both nations would try to promote their own interests over other's.
India has its primary concern over the growing terror in the region for which it accuses Pakistan's political and military condone. Talking about 2001 Parliament attack, 2008 Mumbai massacre and now the Pune blasts; investigations revealed Pakistani soil as the sole culprit. Abashedly, entire catch-ups, detentions, legal charges and actions and all those diplomatic talk-sharing landed nowhere in the vicinity of effective solution. Owing to the general speculation, India must be asking Pakistan to get a strong hold over unconsiderable movements linked with terror in the region, alongwith the demand to legally ban LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba) and Jamaat-Ud-Dawa----the prime suspects of Mumbai massacre and Pune blasts.
Pakistan has to attend these unfinished business if it is seeking for a healthier relation with us, failing on which would definitely once again drive the fate to an unpredictably abysmal path.
Talking about the Kashmir issue, I can only urge both sides as to reach a consensus where the welfare of the Kashmiris is of the paramount concern. It is their land, therefore let their pursuit counted first over entire egoistical dogma.
It is being said that India's role in the rehabilitation in Afghanistan is sneered from the Pakistan's side, and it is being claimed as an action to undercast Pakistan's image over the global platform. This can be an another tile on 25th feb talks. We all have seen drastic condition prevailing in Afghanistan over two decades. The extent to which people there in Afghanistan have suffered in all senses, whether it be societal, economic or personal; there should not be any space for such gibberish talks when it comes to resettle humanity in a region. Think we are all humans...mortals..!!
In continuation of all diplomatic moves to be carried forward to settle the unsettled issues, I feel the need for public involvement at a larger scale what we have seen in the contrast to the issues where Pakistani cricketers were excluded from bids in the IPL 2010. All that public commitments made in media when asked signal a friendly and trust-worthy futuristic aspect being awaited of from a long decade.
