If there is anyone out there who still doubts that India is a civilization where impossible things happen; who still wonders if the dreams of the great men, who once wandered on this land are alive in our times; who still question the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It’s the answer told by people waiting for dozens of minutes on their computer screens, watching the timer, to cast their online vote; by people who touched the computer screens for first time in their lives in order to vote; by people who spent their pre-paid balances to cast their vote, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

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Most of you would know who Adnan is, if you have been watching TV around this days.

Here is his profile, incase you wish to put in your condolences: http://www.orkut.com/Profile.aspx?uid=14160249575654797975

A community dedicated to him

http://www.orkut.com/CommMembers.aspx?cmm=38032969&tab=0&na=3&nst=16&nid=0

But I am not going to talk about Adnan here. I was instigated to write this when I was watching this show Face the Nation hosted by Sagarika Ghose on CNN-IBN (one of the better news channels in India). The discussion of course started of with the host quoting some random blog post titled that “Orkut killed Adnan”. Duh!!! When I heard things spoken by the host during the discussion like “Should Orkut be banned?”, I felt outrageous, annoyed and eventually laughed out at shallow insight that some of our well groomed journos have about the Internet. They also listed down some other crimes like a Dope Party in Pune being organised on Orkut. The “Hate India” community on Orkut got much more popularity in newspapers then it ever had on Orkut users.

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The SC verdict on OBC quota issue on delaying it is a strong populist action taken by the court. Dear CJI, we salute your passion to uphold the value of equality enshrined in our constitution.

One of the most impressive comments on the subject is from a guy, who claims to be an OBC yet opposed to the reservation bill. His comments on a Rediff Discussion Board, in a way showcases the fact that the caste politics is not supported by any castes.

.. that with over 90% of Hindus being called ‘Backward’, we still play by the rules set 1000s of years ago on a different context. It’s a free world, U don’t like caste system, then start a new religious belief or reform Hinduism by litigation! If u don’t like Hinduism at all, convert to a religion of ur choice or call urself an atheist! No business (except politicians) asks u which religion/ caste u r from (I have been in business for a fair amount of time). I frankly, don’t see how reservation will help root out 1000 of years of ’social inequalities’. It’s plain crap! It has to come internally and it applies from Brahmins and other FCs to SCs and STs including the OBCs…

I belong to an ‘Other backward caste’ and I have many FC friends, including many Brahmins. Knowing them, I can tell u many of the ‘Brahmins’ I know are nearly atheistic and I am more religious then them! For a fact, they never asked my caste before forming deep friendship with me. One of them has married a girl from a caste which even my parents would scoff at! And yes, none of this came about by reservation or governmental involvement. It was just plain education (friendship at school level btw!, so dont bring the crap of reservation in higher studies)

Anyways, future is’nt promising with such backwards thoughts running all through!

Luv
Inflamed Backward guy

Bravo…..Fight up people and serve the cause of eternal truth of equality and unification

The movie is primarily about Afghanistan. As you know, it is a country devasted by wars from end of 70’s still struggling to get back to normal. The movie is also about the relationship shared by individuals of antagonizing nations namely India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and America.

Now to get back a brief idea of Afghanistan of yesteryears, you can briefly also look at previous hollywood and bollywood movies. Khuda Gawah, though a fiction, was based on a time, when that country was shifting from the old ways to the new, roughly around 50s -60s. Rambo 3 displays an Afghanistan ravaged by war, but high in spirits to drive out the Soviet Occupiers.
Afghanistan has been independent largely, but has been part of various civilizations including the Ancient Indian & Persian civilization. In modern times, everyone from British India, Soviets and eventually Pakistan & the Americans have made a lot of incursions into the Afghani World. Notably, never has the country succumbed to foreign rulers for a long time. This is a tribe of brave people, who have always been warlike moreso because of the geographical focal point they are. Yes, just look at the map an you will find that Afghanistan is a crossroad that connects the Central Asian, Persian, South Asian (Indian) & Chinese Civilizations to each other. The economies of all these 4 regions is boosting upwards after the end of cold war. It only adds to the fact, how important Afghanistan is for the future of Asia and the world.

The characters here come from different backgrounds, have different political thoughts, but they all end up as equal human beings. That is where bollywood certainly rules. We certainly have the ability to show the human side of our enemy in our movies. The concluding song of J.P.Dutta’s Border also acknowledged that those Pakistanis Soldiers, who died fought out of duty and had no evil intensions. The characters here fight it out over who is the best cricket all-rounder, who started the Afghan War, what are the actual intensions of America and so on. At the end though, all of them wanted to save their lives and ofcourse enjoy Bollywood.

Now the character, Imran Khan Afridi. I am not sure, whether any of the Talibanis fancied Madhuri Dixit. But this Pakistani Soldier did. Asked by his nation’s government to join the Taliban, Imran did not approve of was the celebrated victim-hero of the movie. The western media and even the Indian one have never given any human dimension to a Taliban Fighter post 9/11. This movie certainly breaks that chord. No it does not approve either of Talibani Ideas or their methods to enforce law. All it simply says is that those Talibanis are/were human beings too. They were no devils descended from hell. They can/could also feel the smaller human emotions of seperation from their loved ones. They could laugh and crack jokes, sing songs, smoke cigarettes (that too Indian) and enjoy Indian movies. Talibanis certainly are/were evil as an organisation. But would the individual foot soldiers be equally poisoned with the theocratic idiotism like their spiritual guides or were they simply doing their duty and earning a bread for their family. His cold-blooded murder by his fellow Pakistani armymen tells us about the divisions our loved neighbour is facing within itself. Though, it looks like the movie is one more Pakistan-Bashing bollywood flick, but nevertheless the world knows that what is shown here of Pakistan is a reality.

The movie had hints of a lonely journey styled travelogue. Cinematography is great mainly because of the locations, and is 90% authentic. The vast tracts of open mountainous lands, snow clas peaks in distant backgrounds, grand buildings of yesteryears shattered bye decades of wars. colonies of mud structures resembling newly found ancient civilisation, bursted tanks in middle of nowhere, groovy caves with a water body inside, all present a change in bollywood screens from European Greens and American cities.

Critically, the movie hasn’t found a good voice. I read through the reviews of some westerners. Most of their complaints about the movie are familiar. They don’t understand, how difficult it is for Kabir Khan to make a movie that caters to the art-starved international audiences, yet make is simple enough for average Indian to understand it. Though, I do agree that the actors performed bad. John was wasted.

The movie had a few touching scenes:

1) When John asks a nearby seated young boy to join him for some push-ups, the boy reveals his lost leg (For starters, Afghanistan is filled with a lot of landmines allover, where children playing in fields can loose their legs by stepping over an unused landmine)

2) The roadside killings of two Talibs by local Afghanis.

3) The meeting between the Talib Father and his daughter and his cry following his departure.

4) The killing of Imran Khan Afridi by his own troops against their own will, just to protect their country’s name in the “War on Terror”.

“Don’t Kill me Mom-Dad, please I am your small little daughter“, cries a baby, who has not yet seen daylight.

Sometime in middle of 2006, a shocking and devastating news came out about the discovery of a deep pit in punjab, which contained dead female foeticides, right behind a maternity clinic. No surprise, that the state has one of the poorest male:female ratio. Media did a good job of exposing the racket.

A child is child, irrespective of whether it is he or she. Infact, when you see a puppy, kitten, a cub, baby lizard, you always get the same feeling of CUTE. I fail to understand what runs inside those men and women , who can do such acts of murder? How cold-hearted would they be or how deeply rooted are their beliefs in indian medieval ages? Why do they kill their own daughters, when they can adore about Aishwarya Rai, praise Sania Mirza or vote for Sonia Gandhi. Why is there still a PREFERENCE for the boy child? Why can’t people simply accept that the family name can run with a girl child as well?

I have seen this idiotic mentality with people in my extended family. They are not against having a girl child, but they desperately want a boy child as well. I belong to Gujarat, though. It somehow has been deep-rooted in the psyche of the earlier generations who coupled a girl child’s birth with additional dowry load and no addition to the family income. The thought should have withered away in 21st century, yet it seems, our people are not going to learn so easily. The government on its part has not been successful in educating the masses. Somehow, the government is also unable to properly enforce the law banning sex-detection tests.

A journalist infact titles an article on the issue as “Female foeticide or genocide?”.

The child sex ratio, which was 945 girls in 1991, is reduced to to 927 in 2001. The situation is worst in North India, especially in Punjab and Delhi. Gujarat and Tamil Nadu are as well not in a good shape.

But positive steps have started both at the government and social level

1)Newly wed couples in Gujarat are taking vows that they will never commit female foeticide.

2)Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, thought largely infamous on secular grounds, has infact been a leading a mission to educate the girl children of the state. A step in the right direction.

3)Government is modifying the laws to make the enforcement more transparent and responsible. “SAVE THE GIRL CHILD” is a govt. campaign that is working.

4)2006 has been a year, when the mainstream media has taken up the cause of girl child.

5)Loads of NGO’s are becoming active on this front.

6)Finally, we bloggers have taken note of this and shouting on high-pitch to the enlightened urban youth to do something about it.

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I am not against abortion as a result of unsafe sex or unplanned child, but definitely yes I am against sex-selective abortion.

“Population Control is necessary, and within that population balance between the gender is equally important.”

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Folks, SAVE THE GIRL CHILD, save our sons from regretting the death of their sisters.