The New Breed...

The recent attack on Srinagar has once again brought the Kashmir issue to the forefront. And this was one of the main objectives of the terrorists and their handlers across the borders. In a chilling encore reminiscent of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, two terrorists opened fire at Lal Chowk and then hid themselves in a three storied hotel. They were killed after a 22 hour operation. One policeman and nine civilians lost their lives. While the vast majority may be quick to dismiss this as another common incident in the troubled valley, they would be very wrong to do so.
This was not just a random attack by religious fanatics. This was a coordinated and well planned mission against India with specific objectives in mind. The objectives being:
A. To stir up the Kashmir pot again in order to take away focus from Pakistan’s internal problems and war on terror. This would also provoke India to take steps against Pakistan which can then be used as justification to move forces away from the Afghan border.
B. To cause increased discontent and distrust in the capabilities of the Indian security forces among the common public.
C. To inflict massive financial damage to the state and the country.
And by the looks of it, they have succeeded in their goals. For further proof, here are some excerpts of the conversations between the terrorists and their handlers.

Chief: Allah ka karam. Khair aap sunao..kaise soorte haal hai ? ( By God's grace, all is well. How are you?)

Terrorist: Ladh rahe hain dushman ke saath.(We are fighting the enemy)

Chief: Allah taala aapko istaqamat de. (May Allah give you strength)

Terrorist: Aameen, Aameen, Aameen.

Chief: Goya ji, aapne murde ghoron mein dobara jaan daal di. (You have revived an old and dead issue)

Terrorist: Insha-Allah, Insha-AllahChief: Inshallah aapki qurbaani se, is mehnat se, nayee tareekh-e-Kashmir par achcha asar padega. (Your efforts and sacrifice will help revive the fight for Kashmir. It would be good for the cause.)

Terrorist: Ameen.Chief: Kashmir ke tareekh, Insha-Allah dobara apne usi tarz par aayegi. Bada Achcha asar padh raha hai iska. (Your efforts are proving to be good for the Kashmir cause)Terrorist: Saare saathiyon se kehna hamaare liye dua karein. (Tell our brothers to pray for us.)Chief: Insha-Allah sab yehi dua kar rahe hain ki. (Everyone is praying)

Terrorist: Baaki koyi nayi taazi. (Anything new?)

Chief: Koi nahin. Allah ka kaam hai, saathiyon ko himmat de..jitne der chala sakte ho, utni der chalayein. (May Allah give you strength. Prolong it as long as you can.)

Terrorist: Insha-Allah. Jab tak hamare paas hai, ladenge inke saath. (Till they are with us, we will continue to fight)

Chief: Ehtiyaat ke saath..ek ek do do karke mashroof rakho. Inka zyaada se zyaada kharcha aayega. Dabav padega inpar. (Fire intermittently and carefully. It will cost them more and put pressure on them)

Terrorist: Lakhon ke hisaab se inka kharcha hua hai. Kal ek baje se shuru kui hhai fight..puri raat chalti rahi hai. (They have already spent lakhs. It started at 1:00 yesterday, and it continued overnight.

This is the new face of terrorism. Fanatic misguided youth used as precision weapons to achieve set goals by their controllers across the borders. And this is way more terrifying than the random bomb blast. This means there is a deliberate attempt to systematically erode the foundations of our society and economy. An attempt which is aided by the ineptitude of those that govern us. In the face of this we as citizens must do our best to help alleviate the situation.
I request all my fellow countrymen to be alert and on guard. Help the security apparatus keep you and your loved one safe. The next time you complain about a long wait at any security checkpoint always weigh the loss of those few moments of time against the loss of the rest of your life. Take pride in following laws and not breaking them. Let the police and other security forces concentrate on what their real job is. Keeping us safe from the enemy. So far all they manage to do is try and keep us safe from ourselves.

Source: Bharat-Rakshak

India - Security - Part I

Nowadays, national security seems to be a buzzword people throw around arbitrarily. However in reality it is not at all a laughing matter. For a large and diverse country like ours, it is of paramount significance that we make our country secure for the welfare and growth of our people and our economy. Without that, all our aspirations towards superpower status will come up against an unassailable wall.
To begin with, let’s consider the unique situation faced by India. We have Pakistan and China as our primary neighbours. And even someone living under a rock in the desert would have heard by now that we don’t really make a happy family. We are constantly at war with both, mostly covert but at times overt too. Then there’s Bangladesh, who owes its creation to us, but seems to take pleasure in humiliating us at every foreseeable opportunity. We have an ambiguous relationship with Nepal, Bhutan and Burma whose details I do not quite understand. On the southern side we have the water and Sri Lanka where we have bloodied our nose once. So it is fair to conclude that we are not exactly living in the Sea of Tranquillity as far as the external factors go.
Now let’s look inwards. Things get even more interesting here. The North is highlighted by the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir which is probably one thing about us the whole world has heard of. Then we travel to the North East where even Google maps recently had Indian Territory with names in Chinese script. Wonder why that might be. The word ‘disputed’ comes to mind again. And then we of course have a plethora of states with different languages, cultures, food habits and lifestyles. I have lost count of how many as we keep adding a few every so often. If that were not enough diversity, we have multiple religions and castes. In short we have segregated our people in as many ways as possible. And it is amidst this diversity that we seek our democracy and unity. One does not need an analyst to tell you that it is not a very simple problem to deal with.
So it is this complex situation that needs to be addressed when one talks about national security. To start, let’s break it up into slightly more manageable pieces.

To be continued…

India - The Middle Class

It is one of the most ubiquitous words used in common parlance in many Indian conversations today. The Indian ‘middle class’. That widely spread out group of people in every Indian town and city. I came from a middle class family, as did most of my relatives and friends. And all through childhood we heard mention of this group of people. The news media, films and television also apparently pandered to the tastes of this group. But who are these people who make up this middle class?
About 2 decades back India was still not liberalised. The market had not opened up. Ambassadors and Premier Padminis dominated the street. The tiny Maruti 800 was just making its presence felt. ‘IT’ did not exist as anything but a pronoun. People saved rather than spent. The working class in a city were broadly divided into those working in ‘private firms’ and ‘government servants’. Students studied aspiring to become either doctors or engineers. Arranged marriages were the norm. Doordarshan on the idiot box was the one and only form of visual stimulation. In the interim years some changes happened that turned that world on its head.
The Indian middle class is today stuck in one of the most difficult times a generation has to face. It is the classic devil and deep sea conundrum. The Information Technology and outsourcing boom has meant the middle class suddenly has a lot of expendable income. It also means that the spending power on luxuries has multiplied. The fact that most of the children have grown up in an increasingly cosmopolitan environment has meant a greater influx of Western culture in the household. Attire, appliances, language and media has changed to reflect this influx.
This influx has been accepted in varied levels by our families. But what is creating the biggest conflict is the influence of the so called western culture into the middle class lifestyle. Western culture cannot simply be explained away by any one particular factor. It is more of a lifestyle choice. A choice that more people are adopting every day. And while its very easy to start going with the flow, along the way one starts realising how far it takes one from the basic lifestyle of the earlier middle class. Some examples are as follows. Students today have the option of getting ready money by working at a call centre. This also means that they don’t need to study beyond their high school levels. And commercialism has reached stupefying levels where its money and only money that seems to make the mare and all her relatives go.
But hold on, is this not the lifestyle that we associate with a capitalistic society like say, the US of A. And the main reason they are facing a shortage of skilled and educated workers today is because they chose to make quick money at the cost of their education. By spending money and shunning savings. And today the US firms are facing some very hard times as they cannot afford to employ their own people and have to rely on foreigners or outsourcing. There are not enough qualified Americans to take the place of all the Asians in the US. And that is why they have to wait for another generation to grow up and study in the more classical sense of the word, before they can reclaim what’s their own. As a country, India has not reached the level of prosperity that the US had before the recession hit. And yet in blindly aping them we have already imbibed a lot of the traits that led to their current situation. I am not predicting that the same fate awaits India. But the trend seems to be there.
This brings me back to the Middle Class. Since these are the people who make up most of the educated and qualified workforce of India, they will make or break us. This is a huge force we have which needs to be channelled in the right direction if India is to reach the superpower levels we claim. And these are the very people who need to start thinking of the consequences of their actions on the country as a whole.

My India...

In my brief hiatus from blogging, I have been thinking a lot about India. No, I'm not homesick. More on the lines of the various factors that make up India. In the next few posts I will put forth these ideas into words.

Vijay Divas - The Arihant Arrives...

It is a fitting tribute to the valiant soldiers who gave their lives for our country. Today the Indian Navy formally inducted its first indeginous nuclear submarine. Christened the INS Arihant, Sanskrit for 'Destroyer of enemies', it means India is now part of the elite 5 nations who have their own nuclear sub. These new submarines will complete the nuclear triad for India.

While we are quick to lament our countries failures, we rarely celebrate our successes. Lets salute the brave men of our armed forces today. And lets celebrate our scientific prowess that helps us build one of the most complex naval vessels known to man. Jai Hind!

They Shall Live On...

It has been almost a decade since we fought the Kargil war. As is the norm, we have moved on with our lives and forgotten the 600 men who laid down their lives for our country. But I recently came across an article about those men. And every time I read it, I end up with a fair sized lump in my throat. Please take some time off your schedules and spend a few quiet minutes with them. I think every Indian owes them that much.

Link: The Glorious Dead

Why We Cannot...

The recent offensive launched by Israel against Hamas has again started raising questions in people’s minds. The Israelis launched an all out war to retaliate against the rocket attacks that appear to have been more of a nuisance than a serious threat and certainly have caused much less damage and loss of life than the Mumbai attacks in November. Then why haven’t we taken any action so far on the well known and established terrorist camps in POK and Pakistan even after losing so much? I have given it some thought and come up with a few reasons as to why the situation is not exactly the same. This is based purely on my reasoning and conclusions I have drawn.
Israel has the staunch support of the United States, the last and only superpower. The US was quick to side with Israel in blaming Hamas for the recent spate of violence. However, in spite of the current attacks on Mumbai, the US continues to tell India to show restraint. Which is an indication that when it comes to Pakistan, they are not really ready to play ball. And like it or not. We do need their support. Since the world tags along with what the US believes in. The global media reporting of the India attacks v/s the Gaza conflict clearly demonstrates this. Most of the world has just recently woken up to terrorism in India. So they have a very faint idea of how serious this is for us. We need to rally a much bigger global support base before we can think of such operations.
Our politicians need to display collective will in order to go ahead with the option of military action. Israel has been firm in continuing its operation in spite of the growing voices against it. However we have a large number of detractors within our own government who would be the first ones to cry out against us. And then the human rights groups would join in on how the people of POK suffer due to India. And how they should be let into Pakistan, like that’s the best option someone could choose. But to cut a long story short, we need to have the political will to go ahead with something like this, which I seriously doubt we have.
The Gaza strip is the part of Palestine controlled by the Hamas. The Hamas is a powerful group backed by Iran and has been declared as a terrorist group by Israel. However it does not have the infrastructure to wage an all out conventional war against Israel. This scenario is considerably different from the situation faced by India today. Any offensive India launches against Pakistan/POK can easily escalate into an all out war. And that would prove to be expensive for us. While our armed forces are modernising, we are not yet there. We are in the process of changing, upgrading and acquiring a number of weapons and systems which would make us a force to be reckoned with in the coming years. However if we went to war today, we would not be able to inflict disproportionate damage like the Israelis have. (For a loss of less than 20 lives they have inflicted close to 1000 casualties.) Hence, a limited two week conflict will cause us as much damage as it would cause Pakistan, financially as well as in terms of lives lost. In the current economic times nothing could be worse for a growing economy like ours.
Pakistan is a nuclear power. However, whose hands that power is in today is a big uncertainty. And that is the biggest reason to not risk a misadventure. The last time we launched Operation Parakram and mobilised all our troops, they did the same. However it brought them on the verge of bankruptcy. Today their economy is even worse than it was in those days. And hence they have nothing to lose. So far, they have based their existence on the anti-India rhetoric. And even if they lose everything, they will consider it a victory if they can cause us to bleed. And that is precisely what a nuclear strike on an Indian city will do. Ten terrorists brought the country to a standstill. Can you imagine what a nuke on Mumbai would do? There are a lot of people in Pakistan who share the belief that all is lost for Pakistan as far as being a prosperous developing nation goes. They know their country is on the brink of disaster from external as well as internal factors. And if they do go down, they would love to take us down with them.
And if Pakistan dissolves in chaos, their nukes could easily end up in the hands of those who promise Islamic supremacy. The so called ‘Islamic bomb’ in the hands of a few fanatics is not that far away from reality. And if that happens, we are among the top few in the hit-list. And hence we will have to continuously look over our shoulders in case someone slips a ‘dirty bomb, into our metros. With the current security apparatus, that is not a very difficult task to accomplish. So while they have nothing to lose, we have everything to lose unless we tread very carefully.

Misguided Loyalties?

People in New Delhi are out protesting against Israel’s attacks on Palestine. Initially I thought it was just an anti war protest. However on viewing the pictures, I see they are just protesting the attacks on Hamas. What about the attacks by Hamas? Don’t those need to be protested against? And if you have such an anti-war spirit in you, what about protesting against Pakistan for the terrorism in India? The country whose capital city you live in. For that matter, what about doing something so that the Mumbai attacks are not forgotten. Or is fighting for ones own country not in vogue anymore? We are ready to embrace the problems of other people; what about resolving our own first?

The Ones We missed...

Everyone is aware of the role played by the NSG, Marcos and the ATS in fighting the terrorists who attacked Mumbai. However the role of the Mumbai Police seems to have escaped the public eye. It was baton weilding policemen who led to the capture of the lone live terrorist. And please find time to watch this CCTV footage captured during the initial stages of the terrorists occupying the Taj. The police on the second floor were told to hold the terrorists at bay on the fifth floor. Though armed with handguns and World War I vintage 0.303 rifles against AK 47 assault rifles and and grenades, they put up a brave front. To point out the enormity of their task, consider the fact that the .303 is a bolt action rifle which has to be manually loaded after firing each round. Compare this to the 600 rounds per minute rate of fire of the Kalashnikov, which is widely rated among the top two assault rifles in the world. And then the terrorists lobbed a few grenades to add to the horror.

In the face of such insurmountable odds, listen to the calm conversation between the policemen. I quote, "We will not allow them to come down, though we die. That we will do sir. Over sir"

This is courage. These are real life heroes. I am speechless.

Messages...

To the ATS, NSG and MARCOS:
Our heartfelt thanks to you once again. Once again you have proved your bravery and your patriotism for this ungrateful nation. Once again you have overcome all hurdles and won. Once again you have smiled and just done “your duty” knowing fully well that you will be forgotten as soon as the newspaper headlines change. Once again you have displayed that real heroes are humble and not brash like our politicians. Once again you have shown that you are one of the rare institutions in this country that one can still look up to with pride.

To Mr. Unnikrishnan (Father of martyred NSG Major Sandeep):
I hope more fathers are like you. I hope more fathers are ready to dedicate their offspring’s sacrifice to the country and not to the scum that runs it. And I hope more of us have the courage in us to kick these scum out of our houses, our lives and our parliaments.

To the Defence Planners:
The NSG, our highly trained special forces, had to travel to the scene in BEST buses and that too after waiting for a while. In comparison a city police SWAT team in the USA has their own armoured vehicle for insertions. The NSG lacked night vision devices and could not see the terrorists in the dark. And they actually had to carry walkie-talkies around? Occupying one hand out of 2 is not such a great advantage now is it? If they are risking their lives for us, isn’t it time we gave them the best equipment they require.

To my fellow Indians:
How much is enough? And how much more will we tolerate? When will we stop just being resilient and absorbing these crimes? And when will we start respecting our real heroes? We worship movie stars. We worship our cricketing heroes each time they play a tough game and win. And yet we will forget these heroes who fought for days without food so that we could sleep in peace. Just because our cricketers play many matches all year round and are always in the news. But our soldiers get just one match. And if they lose there is no second chance. But is that reason enough to forget the few who made the ultimate sacrifice?

To the US Media:
This is not just about the Americans who died. So do not go about crying for them and treating them like heroes. There were hundreds of other people who suffered and lost their lives. They were not Americans. They were brown skinned third world people. But they had lives too. They had families too. And they did not deserve this either. So a little respect for these people please. When 9/11 happened the Indian media didn’t just report on the Indians who lost their lives. And you know why? Because we have been living with this for years. And we know much better than you how it feels. Where were you when the earlier blasts happened? It did not matter then right? Since no American died there. You had just one attack on your soil and you act like a bunch of paranoid sheep. And do not criticize our defence forces. You had the largest Air Force in the world and you could not stop 5 planes from wreaking havoc in your country. And your terrorist actually comes with a face that is completely unlike your countrymen. So try finding a terrorist in a billion people who look alike. Try living with terror. And till you do that, don’t comment on the people of a country that you know next to nothing about. Till you understand what India faces everyday, just shut up.

To the Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan:
Thank you for vindicating our stand when we say our politicians are a bunch of inhuman scum. Thank you for being honest and showing your true colours. For letting us know that the last thing you care about is the lives and the respect of the people you represent.

To Raj Thakre and his cohorts:
Did you guys ensure that all the Special Forces operating there were Maharashtrians? Guess not. How did this NSG Major from Kerala manage to sacrifice his life for Maharashtra? Or for that matter the other NSG commando from Bihar? Will you not burn a few shops to ensure only Marathi people are allowed to fight terrorists in Mumbai? And this was a direct attack on your beloved Mumbai. I’m sure your brave workers were out there at the forefront supporting the armed forces and saving the pride of your Marathi Capital? Maj. Sandeep’s father dedicated his life to India. Not to Kerala or Bangalore or to the Malyali speaking people. But to the country. That’s what true Indians do. But you would not understand. You must be feeling great considering how insignificant your asinine agenda seems in front of the real issues the country faces.

To Mr. Terrorist:
I will never tire of saying that you and all your friends and supporters are the most cowardly bunch of bastards the world has seen. The skewed version of faith you claim to defend must have one squeamish little powerless god. Since he only directs you to attack unarmed civilians and then cry like a baby for your own life when captured. Beyond that all I hope for is that you die in the worst and the most humiliating manner possible and never attain the promises of heaven you were given.

Compare, Contrast and Shame...

I recently read this article and I was touched. Not just by the pathos of the situation but also by the reaction of the nation towards its fallen warriors. This is a nation that fought tooth and nail for the bodies of two soldiers captured 2 years back. This is a nation which is still fighting for the third soldier who was captured about two years ago. This is a nation that respects and loves the people who fight for the country. This is a nation that spares no effort to ensure its soldiers and their families feel every bit like the heroes they are. This is a nation that does not trade precious lives for petty political gain. This is a nation that we have a lot to learn from and emulate. Especially considering this is how we treat those who lay down their lives for us.

The Sky is no Limit!

Kudos to ISRO as PSLV-C9 places a record 10 satellites with a total payload of 824Kg perfectly into orbit. This is even greater than what the Russians managed. (who happen to be pioneers in space) It instills a sense of pride when a country beleagured with problems and perceived as a 'Third World' nation competes on equal terms with the so called 'First World'. Slowly but surely we are proving our point. Way to go!

To the Chinese School

Karnataka state legislators have developed a sense of wanderlust. This week, 180 of them are leaving for a 14 day ‘study tour’ to China. Yes, 180!
The number would have been larger except for the fact that some morally upright ministers opted out citing the excuse of having already visited the country. (Now if it was Switzerland it would probably be a different story…) A lot of the ministers do not even have passports and have left that to the state to procure for them.
The trip will cost the state exchequer about Rs.1.64 lakh per head. That’s approximately 3 crores! This is fine because apparently they are allotted about 2 lakh per year for such expenses and also claim to have saved a lot of money for the state. However the state faces severe droughts and floods (yes, at the same time!) and apparently funds have been requested from the central Government. I wonder whether the few crores could have brought some relief to the affected. But I am making a mistake here. It’s a study tour and we Indians know that education is the cure for the countries maladies.
Of course, China being such a large country with such a huge population, we surely need to send a large contingent there to represent our teeming billions and to let them know that in that one race, we have them beat. While they can boast of manufacturing everything sold all over the world, we can surely beat them with the number of babies we produce and then export abroad. After all babies are the true face of God, but then what would those atheists know. Besides 10 people can’t be expected to learn everything, right? These are ministers and we must be fair in considering their diminished intelligence quotients.

And while the ‘common man’ would gladly set half the country ablaze if someone threw a slipper at a dusty, neglected, bird dropping covered statue, they are fine with their ministers romping around using their money while they go hungry. At least the Chinese will be diverted from their plans of global conquest into thinking how they would pronounce the names of these folks! So, to our elected representatives… bon voyage!

Not Our Cup of Tea

So we have done it. We have proved to the world that we are second to none in sending SMSs and our Orkut skills are legendary. And while doing that, we have managed to get the Taj into being one of the newly elected wonders of the world. Rejoice India! We have done it!
But have we? Does this mean the approach road to the Taj will be cleared out of the mass of humanity trying to lighten your pockets? Will the river bed be cleaned to somewhere close to its pristine form? Will the chemical factories causing the beautiful white marble to turn black be told to mend their ways? Will today’s youth, (the ‘I can’t build a Taj so let me use the one that’s there’ types) stop defacing the monument with their mushy tripe? Will we be able to retain the magnificent yet tragic purity of this 'tear drop on the cheek of time'?
The answer is a resounding ‘No!’ We will continue to neglect it and take it for granted as we have done before. And soon it will be relegated to being an advertisement for a brand of tea.
But till then… Arey huzoor, Wah Taj Boliye!

India Shining?

I was going to write a long post about my five weeks in India, specifically Pune. However when I sat down to write, an incident came to mind. And it is something that I still see as clearly as a picture because I remember missing my camera at that moment.
I was heading home along one of Pune’s main roads. I noticed this man standing by the roadside next to his gleaming new car. He was animatedly chatting away on a flashy cell-phone and at the same time emptying his bladder on the wall bordering the road. At that moment I felt that there couldn’t have been a more apt depiction of ‘modern’ India. We have moved towards the future and incorporated a lot of good, as well as bad ‘western’ influences into our daily lives. However there are some things about our ‘rustic’ past that we refuse to let go of. We just want it all, the convenience of the future while we stick to the idiosyncrasies of the past.
Just like a Bollywood flick released a while ago put it, "Ek per past mein… ek per future mein… isiliye to present pe muth rahe hain!" (One foot in the past… the other in the future… that’s why we are peeing on our present!)… Touche!