Friday, January 30, 2009

The real Talibans

The Ram Sene did exactly the opposite of what Lord Ram would approve of. Hooligans attacking women must be dealt with strongly. While it is right for the media to condemn ill treatment towards women, their conduct is hardly praiseworthy. Curiously, they recorded the Mangalore incident on tape while not making any attempt to stop the hooligans. They would be robbed of a sensational incident to report of they did. Besides, for them, TRPs are the prime concern. The fact that television cameras managed to get there ahead of time to record the happenings ‘live’ suggests that they had prior knowledge of what was about to transpire. Yet, there did not seem to be any attempt to alert the local police authorities, thus ensuring some ‘breaking news’ to report. Indeed, Superintendent of Police N. Satish Kumar has served notice to news agencies for not reporting the matter to the Police. The media in this case is clearly guilty of an accomplice to the crime.

Its own questionable conduct not withstanding, the media was quick to paint an entire community as villains.

This is how the ‘secular’ agencies reported the attack on Taslima Nasreen at Hyderabad (from B Shantanu’s blog) –

From NDTV:
Controversial writer Taslima Nasreen was attacked by an unruly crowd at the Hyderabad Press club on Thursday. Three MLAs of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen or MIM were among those who attacked her…The Bangladesh born writer was there for the release of the telugu version of her book Sokhe at the press club when some 30 activists first raised slogans against her for alleged anti-Muslim remarks and then got rough.
From DNA:
Controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen was on Thursday roughed up by MIM activists who stormed into a book release function, injuring a Telugu writer and a press photographer…A group of over 40 MIM workers, led by party MLAs Afsar Khan, Ahmed Pasha and Mouzam Khan, barged into the press club at Somajiguda when the function was about to end.
From Indian Express:
Noted Bangladeshi novelist Taslima Nasreen was roughed up by activists of Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) at a book release function on Thursday.
From TOI (Identical PTI story):
Noted Bangladeshi novelist Taslima Nasreen was roughed up by activists of Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) at a book release function on Thursday
From Rediff:
The police…booked a case against MIM MLAs and other activists under sections 147 and 18 (rioting with deadly weapons), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt)…

No mention or even an indication of the religion the attackers belonged to.

But, this is how the Mangalore incidence was reported (again from B Shantanu’s blog) -

From NDTV:
India has been shamed again. Goons of a right wing Hindu outfit Sri Ram Sena in Mangalore barged into a pub and beat up women over the weekend
From DNA:
In a case of moral policing, members of a right wing Hindu group allegedly assaulted boys and girls in a Magalore pub accusing them of behaving in an “obscene manner”.
From Rediff:
Activists of a right wing Hindu outfit under the banner of Sri Ram Sena raided a pub in Mangalore, Karnataka, on Sunday and beat up four women who were present there.
From Economic Times:
Meanwhile, cracking down on hooligans, police have arrested as many as 32 of the 40 alleged hooligans, including Sene state vice president Prasad Attavar.
From Sakaal Times:
Members of a right wing Hindu group allegedly assaulted boys and girls in a Mangalore pub accusing them of behaving in an “obscene manner”, prompting police to arrest 10 of the attackers.

Notice the how the attackers are qualified in all their communal glory. 'Activists' and 'workers' attacked Taslima Nasreen, but is 'goons', 'hooligans' and 'right wing Hindus' who went beserk in Mangalore. Objectivity? Fairness? Yeah right!

Every attempt is made to conceal the Muslim identity when similar incidences occur and paint them as victims, while the same ‘secular’ agencies go to town painting Hindus as the oppressors even at a hint of Hindu involvement.

Everything must be filtered through the ‘secular’ sieve and everything must pass the ‘secular’ test. And who are the judges, the same ‘secular’ agencies!

The outraged media was completely silent on other, equally deserving, occasions. Sample this.

Soumya Vishwanathan, a TV journalist, was shot dead in our nation’s capital. The CM, who too is a woman, says Soumya’s died because she was ‘adventurous’. But this did not generate much outrage.

An underage German girl was raped in Goa. When it was apparent that a minister’s son was involved, the media conveniently kept silent on the issue.

Ditto with the Scarlett Keeling case, another underage British girl, who, not only was raped but also murdered.

Taslima Nasreen was hounded and attacked at a press conference in Hyderabad. We have already seen above how diligent the media was in concealing the Muslim identity behind the attack.
And what about this incidence involving a Pakistani girl being assaulted by some burkha clad women in a Mumbai Mall. Renuka Chaudhary, who denounced the Mangalore incident as an attempt to ‘Talibanize’ India was silent on all these occasions.

There is one thing common in all these cases of silence, all the places happen to be Congress ruled. Wonder where all her fervor goes when similar incidences occur elsewhere. It must be secularism.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Manmohan Singh continues to be tentative

PM talks tough on terror, that probably is the oft repeated headline following each act of terror on Indian soil. Sadly though, it does not include the word 'acts'. In fact that has been true of Manmohan Singh throughout his tenure as the PM. He has failed to act on any matter of significance.
Talking at Parvasi Bharatiys Divas at Chennai, Singh had this to say -
‘‘We’ll continue to work with the international community to ensure there’re no safe havens and launching pads for terrorists,’’ the PM said while inaugurating Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2009 at the Chennai Trade Centre.
Repeated terror attacks, growing in frequency and intensity have only proven that India probably is as safe a haven for the terrorists, along with their overt and covert supporters, as Pakistan. With such as dismal record to show for himself, the PM's credibility is in tatters. But that does not stop him from pontificating the world on how terror must be dealt with.
Israel's response in Gaza is in sharp contrast to Manmohan Singh's response to Pakistan after it attacked in Mumbai. While Israel is committed to protecting it's citizens and sovereignty, Singh asks it to exercise 'restraint'. Much like he is being patient with the terrorists while our cities and citizens are being bombed away. Moreover, he goes on to condemn Israel when it clearly is acting to protect it's national interests. In his condemnation, he had this to say -
"It is our hope that the international community will come together to restore peace and normalcy," he said inaugurating the seventh edition of the three-day Pravasi Bhartiya Divas here.
However, this concern for peace and normalcy was lacking when bombs rained on Israeli soil. Singh did not seem to be bothered then. India can never dream of being superpower until it can protect it's citizens and interests. While war may or may not be the best option, lack of tough actions against Pakistan will only cast doubts on Singh's intentions. All this talk for being 'tough on terror' will be severely lacking in credibility until there actually is some action. There were a host of diplomatic measures that could be initiated against Pakistan. Recalling our High Commissioner, reviewing trade, denying access to Indian air space are some. Yet, over a month since the Mumbai attacks wrong signals continue to be sent by not exercising diplomatic retaliation. Experts and ex-officials have criticized this inaction.
Singh and the UPA continues to be timid, incoherent and spineless in guarding India's interests. The Indian electorate must take a lesson from Jharkhand voters and drive this alliance, that is hurting India, out of power.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Secular props

Kavita Karkare (widow of former ATS chief Hemant Karkare) is the latest to be propped up by our 'secular' media to drum up 'humanitarian' support for 'Mumbai's Butcher'. In an interview to NDTV, mrs. Karkare says -
'Initially, even I was angry, but now I think I am overcoming that anger. Because, every time anger and violence will not help solve this problem (of terrorism),'..
This sounds eerily similar to the secularspeak adopted by the editors of the same media house. Similar, if not exact, words were heard in television debates held after the Mumbai carnage in Nov 2008. Perhaps that is what we hear on television rather than her own voice.
It indeed is curious as to how the flag bearers of 'secularism' gang up supporting elements that ought to be condemned and brought to justice. Every incidence sees a repeat of the 'secular' interests being protected first, rather than the larger interests of the society and the nation. At every such instance the 'secularists' manage to cloud the public intellect with their secularspeak and hijack public discourse with their agenda. The Kashmir issue, the Amarnath land row, Babri Masjid, Gujarat, Kandahar, Islamic terror, Mumbai carnage etc. are all being undermined by bleeding hearts, not allowing an honest discussion, sincere and hard look at the reality facing us today or call spade a spade.
The Mumbai attack of Nov 2008 was an opportunity for the usual suspects -- and also the non-performers in the government -- to redeem themselves, yet what we have been seeing is the same 'secular' agenda being pushed again. And now attempts are underway to 'defend' Ajmal Kasab's 'Human Rights'.
While the 'secularists' will be what they are, the other side of the divide has also failed to effectively frame their argument. They continue to fail in calling the left and 'secular' bluff. They have failed to effectively and convincingly argue their point. Instead the 'oppressed minority' theory continues to be in vogue. In spite of actually being the victims and even with the facts on their side, they fail to articulate themselves. They fall for the 'secular' hit and run trap and expend all their energies on proving themselves innocent. In these 5-6 weeks since the Mumbai carnage, we haven't heard anyone make coherent, well articulated argument putting things in the right perspective. The 'secular' charade continues.