Combating Maoist Thuggery By Political Posturing

It seems that the Left and double standards are synonymous with each other. Following the Maoist attack on Lalgargh, the Left argued that proscription would increase their appeal amongst the sections of society they represent. It is baffling that they believe the same ideology cannot be extended to right-wing organizations. One would reckon that the danger these forces represent to the state are far too serious for political parties to play politics, but our politicians always baffle and confound us with their ever decreasing sense of ethos.

Nobody in their right mind would believe that force alone would work against the Maoists. The fact that the Maoist cadre consists of the most vulnerable section of society is an indication of how we, as a nation, have failed in our promise to make growth equitable. We must first accept that we have made grave errors in our treatment of the sections that are ensnared by Maoist ideology. We must convince them that the ideology they believe in will not achieve what they seek. Then, we must work towards providing development to the weakest, and simultaneously fight the Maoists politically and militarily.

The Maoists are thugs who use pretensions of championing pro-people causes. If they were truly for the masses, why don’t they lay down their arms and join the political mainstream? They blow up cell phone towers and other infrastructure which provide so many benefits to the people whose cause they claim to fight for.

We would do well to remember that communism, even socialism will not deliver our people from poverty; our pre-1991 economic statistics are proof of this. We must contain Naxalism by providing the basic amenities of our people. For that, our political class needs to be united. Looking for vote banks and playing politics in situations which threaten internal security is dangerous;and it is not only the Left which is guilty. It seems our politicians have still not learnt the lessons of 26/11. They must act fast lest they need another reminder.

Dear Mr Sarkozy

Dear Mr Sarkozy,

This is in reference to your statement that burqas will not be welcome in France. Whilst I agree that the burqa is a sign of subservience, you should have left it at that. Saying that you would look at enforcing a ban is taking things a bit too far.

Issues such as this should be left for the community to deal with. Whilst the burqa is not mandatory, it is believed to be. Assumption often clouds reason.

Bans or similar action run against the beliefs that your republic holds dearest. A burqa has an ideological significance and it must be fought. Such an approach would make it an issue of Muslim identity and become as big as a controversy as the Danish cartoons.

Forcing something down one’s throat will lead to resistance. Combat through reason will serve the purpose.

Thanking You,

An Indian

Colleges And Their Virtuous Bans

I don’t know what it is with colleges and their infinite wisdom with regard to protecting the virtue of their female students. Four colleges in Kanpur have banned T-Shirts and jeans. They are not the only ones. My Alma mater, Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Viswa Mahavidyalaya University, enforced the ban, as did Anna University and a host of other colleges. Bapuji Dental College, where my sister has taken admission for BDS apparently has the ban in place as well. Gender neutrality is a concept either lost in our colleges or forgotten.

In some cases, the ban is applicable to both male and female students (my college is an example, though admittedly not a good one, seeing that there are a host of rules with regard to the female student population which are regressive) on the grounds on professionalism and preparing the student to the work environment. Yes, one has to adhere to a certain dress code in the work environment, but what is the need for preparation, given that the transition will be natural? Colleges are not only about academics and preparation for the big, bad world, but also a coming of age; an experience that shapes an individual. Professionalism is not only about the clothes; in fact if it were only about the clothes, it would not be a quality that prospective employers search for.

Even more out of touch with reality is the assertion that jeans and T-Shirts are provocative and invite some form of abuse. This stems out of a patriarchal belief that clothes are a cause for attacks on women, that victims “deserved it”. Numerous studies have proved that clothes, provocative or otherwise, are not a reason for attacks on women. The mindset that a woman is somehow inferior to a man is behind many of these attacks. Men must learn to respect boundaries. I wonder how much divinity we posses when everyday, there are reports of sexual abuse of women.

One cannot decide what an individual has to wear, irrespective of the individual’s gender. If an individual has a right to vote, then he/she must have the right to decide what he/she wears. College goers must be treated like the adults they are.

What must be fought is sexual abuse as a whole. Provocation is not a defence. It is a fact that institutions as well as a large part of our population, male and female must understand. I must have the freedom to wear what I want, be it T-Shirts, jeans, cargos or a simple shirt and trousers. Denial of this freedom is akin to denial of basic human rights.

This Ain't The End

These are not good days for Manchester United fans. Ever since the champions league final, fans have had to face an onslaught of bad news. What should have been a time of celebration and jubilation has turned into concern and dare we say it, fear.

Football fans point to the champions league final and say that Manchester United was all hype and no substance; that Barcelona proved that claims of United being the best in the world were far-fetched. My answer is simple. There can be no denying that Barca were the better team in Rome, just as there can be no denying that United played magnificently to retain the premier league, win the club world cup and almost become the first team to retain the European Cup. Some United fans will offer excuses and say, it would have been different had United taken at least one of the many chances they had in the first ten minutes. However, ifs and buts do not win trophies. There is no shame in losing to a quality team.

There have been suggestions that a huge overhaul is needed, but one bad game does not diminish the achievement of the players. Great teams bounce back from disappointments, and United will show next season why we are one of the best in the world.

That noble ambition has suffered a setback by the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. I can see Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and even Man City fans jumping in glee every time speculation rises of another high profile departure from Old Trafford. Ronaldo and Tevez will be sorely missed; and it will be difficult for us to replace them. However, this situation provides an opportunity to the youngsters such as Nani, Tosic, Ljajic, Wellbeck, Macheda and Gibson. There are rumours that Karim Benzema and Douglas Costa are being approached by the club, but newspaper stories are often proved wrong, and hence cannot be trusted. As a lifelong fan, I recognise that the departures of Tevez and Ronaldo will affect the performance of the team. However, the advantage is that there will no longer be speculation around the future of the high profile players. This will lead to a better dressing room environment, a prerequisite for success. The manager would have prepared for such an eventuality, and I am sure he has replacements in mind, via the transfer market from within the squad. Rivals may be laughing at us now, saying nobody wants to stay or come to the club, but we will be the ones laughing come May 2010. Of that, I am sure.

The club’s debt has been a topic of much debate, but I think Man United is too big a club to do the Leeds way. Rival fans might be hoping for this to happen, but we are talking about one of the biggest sport brands in the world. The debt will be settled in time. I just hope that the money will be available for Sir Alex to make the changes he wants to see. The debt should not affect Sir Alex signing the players he believes are worthy of putting on the Manchester United jersey.

In Fergie We Trust.

This club has gone through a lot, and still rose from the ashes. Something as trivial as a couple of players, no matter how good they may be, cannot sound the death knell for the club, as some suggest.

Pea Brained Buchanan

We have seen some supremely ridiculous ideas being mooted by coaches and officials in sport through the years. John Buchanan's four captain idea is a new low(or is it a high??).


It is tragic when sport gets mingled with politics. Ultimately, politics might be what all this is about. How else would you justify such a stupid concept?Do we have multiple Presidents?Multiple Prime Ministers, army chiefs,etc? Twenty20 might be a new concept;and yes, you have to come up with out of the box solutions. But this is just daft. The basics remain the same in every form of the game. Too many cooks truly spoil the broth.


If Buchanan was so convinced this was the way forward, why didn't he do this with the Australian national team. Had Buchanan done so, i am convinced Ponting would have told him to stick his head in some very unpleasant places. Why should Dada be any different?


My belief is that Buchanan came up with this idea because he had an issue with Ganguly, just like Guru Greg did. Dada was out of form then, he lacks match practice now. Besides, is IPL, with all the money that is involved, the time for experiments such as this? Indian cricket has had enough of these experiments, thank you very much. It is yet another i-told-you-so-moment for Shane Warne.


There is a limit to what technology and all out of the box ideas can do. I am sure Irfan Pathan will agree. Thanks to a so-called bio mechanics expert, he lost his swing. This pea brained idea should be consigned to the dustbins, where it belongs.

It's Now Official...A Full-Scale Title Wobble

I can't deny it anymore. It looks like the quest for the 18th league trophy will have to wait for a year. Manchester United's 2-0 loss to Fulham has meant the lead is now down to a point. Had United beaten Liverpool, we would have been 10 points ahead with a game in hand. The game in hand remains, but i dunno if United are going to respond to this double whammy.


What bothers me more is the manner in which we lost to Fulham. They had 62% possession at the end of the first half. We also ended the game with nine men, which means we will now be without Vidic, Scholes and Rooney for the crucial game against Aston Villa. We will be going into the match two points BEHIND Liverpool and without three of our best players. Yes, United have blown it. The March 14 affect? In 1998, we lost to Arsenal and blew a 12 point lead and last year, we lost to Manchester City on the same day. Aston Villa got thrashed 4-0 by us last season; we won the league. Liverpool have now beaten Villa 5-0. Omens against us?


Villa is going to be a huge test. Yes, they got thrashed at the hands of Liverpool, but let's be honest, so did United. They have some great players like Barry, Carew, Agbonlahor and Young while three of our best are suspended for the game. We need to win every game now, but the display against Fulham hasn't left me convinced that we can pull it off. Here's hoping i am wrong.

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Ronaldo has been getting a lot of stick lately, from so called fans who want Sir Alex to sell him to Madrid in the summer. Last season was phenomenal for him. There have been many instances this season where he missed by inches. The same would have resulted in a goal last year. I think his team game as improved. He will still end up with a minimum of 25 goals at the end of the season. Very good for a winger. Yes, he has his faults. And yes, he will at some point of time go to Madrid. That is his decision to make. if he thinks Madrid are better than United all he needs to do is watch a footage of their game against Liverpool. As fans, we must take his word and Sir Alex's word at face value and get on with it. We must support the team(that obviously includes Ronaldo) even when the going is a bit tough. Like right now. If Ronaldo wishes to move on, we must respect his decision and remember all the good times he gave us. This drama must end. If Ronaldo leaves, good luck to him. The club was the best before him, and will be the best long after he is gone.

Apathy Must End

I was 6 years old when I won first prize in elocution for reciting Pandit Nehru’s “A Tryst With Destiny” speech. I was 10 years old when I was taught the ideals on which India was built. As I grew older, I learnt about our struggle for freedom, learnt the Preamble to the Constitution by rote, and more importantly, understood what these ideals stood for. Today, 60 years after Nehru declared that India would end poverty and inequality of opportunity, the promises remain unfulfilled. The prosperous, democratic and progressive nation, which will ensure justice and fullness of life to every man and woman, remain elusive.


The politicians of the era that won us our freedom took great pride in dedicating themselves to binding themselves to the service of India. The politicians of today throw furniture at each other and invent new means of cheating the people. Politics today is seen as a dirty business, a perfect vocation for the biggest swindler in town. Corruption is widely prevalent, to the extent that it is not looked down upon anymore; just a reality of life. The speaker of the outgoing Lok Sabha, Somnath Chatterjee, declared in a fit of anger that MP’s do not deserve a single paisa. Though he later retracted his statement, it is no doubt an assertion shared by many in the country. India today is still home to the world’s poorest, 27% of the world’s hungriest are Indians. These remain untold in the stories of Rising India that we take so much pride on.


Images of Godhra still remain in my mind. Though there have been many communal riots in the country prior to independence, Godhra is more horrific to me at a personal level as my family lived(and still does)in Ahmedabad at the time. Religious intolerance is on the rise. Who can forget the destruction of churches in Karnataka and Orissa or the impunity with which fundamentalists impose their rabid ideology on others? Gender equality remains a pipe dream, and moral policing is on the rise. Caste clashes still exist as do evils like dowry. The progressive nation Nehru dreamed of remains regressive in form and outlook.


However, it is time we stopped moaning and start acting. Years of neglect and indifference have yielded the India we see today. Yes, there is progress, but of what good is this if we fail to free or poor from the shackles of poverty and hunger? We must build a new culture, akin to the one that was prevalent when we gained independence under the stewardship of Gandhiji. We can start by realizing that every individual holds a stake in what happens around us; the culture of indifference and apathy must end.