Result of conspiracies of a different kind!
If I can be late in posting my write ups, I can be early too. This one comes earlier then the scheduled date. Well moving towards the end of Conspiracies of a Different Kind I would like to put this question forward "Ever wondered why is there a divide between Hindus and Muslims?" Is it for money, power, property, business and other list of stuff? I don’t even see an identity crisis too. Well everybody has their own individual domain. There is no such particular reason that I could possibly think of why are there clashes between both the religions. I guess this leads back to the year 1947. Before that particular year both of them were fighting for one cause “Freedom”. Someone thought it isn’t good for few of them that both are together. Something happened and they started fighting amongst each other (I guess I do not need to mention history in so much detail when it is so evident). Can one ever imagine that something that happened around 60 years back has separated these communities to a level where one could not bring together? They live with each other today, do business with each other but somewhere (minus a few exceptional cases) there is this thin line which always provokes doubt. Every few years this divide is broadened by many incidents like Godhra, Ayodhya, so on and so forth. Not because it is happening naturally but it is intentionally to remind people that they are not supposed to live in harmony, to remind them of that thin line. Those carrying out such activities get answers by bomb blasts (According to so called people who take responsibility of them. But then again we all know that terrorism is something that is in itself a different case altogether & terrorists as mentioned in my first blog play with God’s name. But then again that’s what other extremists too are doing). They do it because they have to (may be its their bread and butter), but we who live in peace in harmony get carried away and start doubting our fellow citizens. If someone would want to know how let me explain by a story.
Recently a friend of mine was in a dilemma of whether to give a job to Muslim boy from Jaipur where before a few months it was rocked by bomb blasts. Doubting why this guy from Jaipur has come to Gujarat? Well let’s call this guy “Human”. Human is a driver cum mechanic. He was removed from his earlier job in Jaipur immediately after the blasts. He couldn’t get a job anywhere. So since Gujarat is lucrative enough he came to Gujarat in search of a job. But to his hard luck there were bomb blasts in Gujarat too and he remained jobless. Since he had no job no money he had to stay with a maulvi (priest) in a mosque. My friend when approached by Human didn’t know what to do. According to him he was ok with giving him a driver’s job since he was in need but if something happens then? Wouldn’t the police harass him? And many other similar questions. Finally after a lot of internal deliberations, Human was kept on the job. Second situation - Human is in search of a place to stay because he doesn’t like to stay in a mosque with a maulvi. So my friend approached few known muslims and guess what they had to tell him. They told “Aapko Gujarat se koi nahi mila. Aapne ye Jaipur wale ko naukari pe rakha? (Didnt you find anybody from Gujarat that you had to keep this guy from Jaipur on job?) We would not be keeping somebody from outside as tenants specially a Muslim person, what if something happens tomorrow we would be unnecessarily harassed by the police.” So while I am writing this, Human still does not have a place to stay and is staying in a mosque.
What is happening here is that the Muslims who live in poverty are further pushed down by such events. One internal riots where either they or their belongings are burnt and they are left with nothing and second the bomb blasts which hits human psychology so much that nobody offers them work. In both cases the common innocent Muslim (I would say human first) is worst hit. Those perpetuators both the rioters and terrorists do not think about this. Even Muslims are not trusting Muslims. Those who live earning daily wages are the worst hit, since people stop offering them labour. How are they supposed to survive, along with their family? While I am writing this, I just spoke to my mother who told me about yet another blast in Delhi and the attacks on Christians by the same extremist groups (“ch..ch..ch Mervyn only God knows when this people are going to stop. What enjoyment would they be getting in blasting and burning people alive” words of my mother). These attacks on Christians are based on false issue of religious conversions. I don’t understand who gives one right to kill, burn and rape. Most of the people instead of looking at a person as human being have started to look at his/her religion.
Coming back to the point, the divide between both these religions through such gory incidents keeps increasing. Such incidents destroy a person’s existence both internal and external. Instead of an effort to bridge the divide there is a constant effort in deeds and words to gain maximum momentum of one majority and pushing down the minority and vice-versa, thus widening the divide. On top of it when people go in search of justice in front of such commissions what they get in return is only salt on their wounds. Wouldn’t lack of justice create another set of anger of those who have seen their families burnt alive, sisters paraded nude and raped, poor old disabled man harassed without reason? But then it is on the people who have power to decide whether to fuel such fire or help in subsiding it. But then it could be a conspiracy of a different kind in which one is meant to divide.
While I come to the end of Conspiracies of a different kind, I am firm that I will make my own efforts to look at a person as a human first and not his religion. We are all humans and have different circumstances (along with religion) but that does not mean that since a person is from a particular religion he could be a possible suspect. We those who are reading this are fortunate ones. I have friends who have been misguided by such thoughts and I constantly make an effort to make them realise the ‘being of human’. If those who are educated shall be consumed by such hatred propagated by fanatic mind, then I fear to imagine where it will all lead. I believe we the fortunate kinds would make efforts to bridge the gap and not give rise to such conspiracies of a different kind.
I would appreciate your views and comments on the series - conspiracies of a different kind! Please vote below and leave your comments too! Thank you and keep visiting!
Short Stories!
I have been late in posting this second piece of the thread. There has been immense work pressure and paucity of time. There have been good conversations that I have had over the first piece and assumptions about these stories. Well I would rather say that these stories are something that each of us at some point or the other would have thought of and discussed. I am trying to bring it together and put it in one set so that a relation could be established. I have not detailed it out nor given any conclusions. Conclusions are for the readers to bring out as per their views. I am presenting here with some stories which are based on thought processes that have taken place with friends and colleagues of how conspiracies of a different kind are given a good ground.
Please try and individualise these stories. What is more important than reading these stories is to have a realisation and understanding of different situations.
Story no.1
A young chap poor –no job, not enough money to feed a family of five but wants to set himself free of poverty and hunger and has a lot of aspirations. One fine day, this chap has visitors offering him big sum of money or higher to commit a crime. This chap does it although knowing the consequences since he thinks it would atleast help his family set out of poverty.
Now the question arises is whether he would do it out of religious commitments or poverty? But things are given a different turn. Religions are brought into picture and other political motives are given leverage, I believe it happens in most cases of riots. I guess the need of those in extreme poverty is manipulated for the benefit of vested interests of few. And conspiracies of different kinds are effectively implemented. Just a thought process!
Story no.2
A person is taken into custody as suspect for some carnage. His son, 16 years of age works as a mechanic in a small time garage. Has hardly any money to feed his family. Suspected person runs his small entrepreneurial venture of selling incense sticks (agarbattis). His son has to spend huge amount of money to bail his father out. Where would he find such money and even if he does how would he repay with the kind of job. The suspect has no feet and sells incense sticks on wheel chair. How would it affect the human psyche of the family more importantly the growing son? Things such as these have also happened.
“Practically all the accused in anti-minority bloodbath till date have been released on bail. In contrast, all accused in Godhra accident case including a blind man, an old man and those having congenital diseases have been jailed for the last six years.” - Mr. R. B. Sreekumar, former State Intelligence Chief
Story no.3
A person is trapped into a building with his family. Rioters hit the building pull the family out kill the parents, parade his sister nude and then rape her not one not two but around 10 times in front of all other rioters and then burn her alive.
Now another person comes to meet this guy and knowing his tale, reminds him his agony taunting him for not taking revenge. Tells him I’ll offer you money to kill those people who did this and vent out your revenge? Do you think that this guy would do it? This guy who has seen his innocent happy family killed and sister raped again and again in front of the whole mob. I guess he would. For him it wouldn’t matter who the rioters were whether one religion or the other what would matter is his own family. I believe he would even be ready enough to harm the near and dear ones of those people. I would say more than it being a religious affair its more to deal with human psyche. In cases such as this certain extremists who would want to take advantage of the situation would instigate the feelings of those affected and satisfy their motives. That is how may be internal terrorism is being bred. This could also be a conspiracy of a different kind.
If I can put it in the words of Mr. Sreekumar “Internationaly, militant groups that have enough resourses and committed loyalists, will present such instances of subversions of criminal justice system by the state government and harassement and persecution of minority to bolster their case and get more support. As a practicing Hindu I am scared of the repercussions of this kind of discrimination in delivery of justice. Who will be responsible for creating a new breed of terrorists in the long run with such action?”
Somebody killed in some part of the world and one kills someone innocent in another part of the world is not fair. I believe when Godhra Carnage happened and what followed was something similar. Somebody might have killed someone in Godhra and one starts rioting to kill others in the whole state without any reason isn’t justified. And then we have investigative reports such as this would only show that it’s a mockery of the whole system making it a conspiracy in itself.
These stories presented above though conceptualised are not plain stories, this is what we as a nation are going through. Somewhere somebody is taking advantage of the situation. What we are fighting here is not terrorism, but situations. How then do we change situations is a bigger question with many possibilities and dimensions. A transperant judicial system is the need of the hour so that people’s faith in it is reinstated. Poverty is a big terror for India and I guess with poverty and aspirations together what we need to imbibe is achievement of aspirations through basic moral values and that can only come through positive education and environment. While working in the area of behaviour change I have realised that the person is always victimised but what plays a major role for the actions of a person is its upbringing, behaviour and most important of all the environment. What needs to be changed here is the environment and only a change in mindset can bring about this positive change.
The last and the third part is already scheduled and will be up on October 12, 2008. I would appreciate your views and comments.
Let’s see some incidents:
February 27, 2002, a fight occurred on the railway platform in Godhra, a moving train was halted and the coach (S6) in which the karsevaks were travelling was burnt down. What happened at that time was gory and it is necessary that the guilty is/are punished. Such actions are not acceptable and proper justice is required for those affected. It could be a conspiracy. But what followed was even much worse and could have been easily stopped. It couldn’t have been initiated at all about hurting the feelings and such other provocative speeches which inculcates feelings of hatred within people. But then again as the title goes it could have been “conspiracy of a different kind.”
A little bit of my analysis regarding the train burning and other incidents that followed:
Usually when fights occur with shopkeepers it ends with the issue being the centre of focus not religion. Many of us at one point or other would have been involved in a fight with a shopkeeper I guess and you would have experienced it yourself. But here it went forward, religion was brought in focus. Also that the train was halted in between and it is unbelieving that a moving train also stopped to some stone pelting. Usually trains don’t stop when they notice something like a riot is going to happen or some stone pelting, it moves faster instead of stopping. Only one coach was targeted and only one coach caught fire. The train stopped only for the time the coach caught fire and then leaving the coach behind, it moved ahead. All this sounds quite unusual to me, first the train stopping when it had already gained momentum (Did somebody pull the chain from inside?) and only one coach on fire. Well let’s say a conspiracy, but conspiracy by whom? Is it by some people with vested interest or by people of a particular religion? Just a thought process looking at a conspiracy of a different kind.
Immediately after the Godhra Carnage i.e. February 27, 2002 ‘Gujarat Bandh’ was announced by certain extremist organisations. Next day when these same extremist groups started the riots (according to media reports) and it hit the cities across Gujarat, every Muslim household, shop, restaurant, etc. was under fire. Where I stay in Ahmedabad, is the western region, I have never witnessed riots in this region. This was my first time. Every Muslim owned/partnered shop was burnt down. Western region is usually calm as it is cosmopolitan or should I say Hindu dominated. I have stayed here for years and never knew which shop belonged to a Muslim, a Hindu, a Parsi, a Jain, a Sikh or whatever religion. For that matter even the neighbourhood shop owners didn’t know whether these shops belonged to Muslims as they were rented by Hindus. One could either think of it as only a sheer co-incidence or meticulous planning! How would one get data of whole Ahmedabad city or Gujarat within a night’s time of what shop, household or other property belonged to a Muslim. But it could be a conspiracy of a different kind that has gone unnoticed!
While I wonder as to where within just a matter of 12 hours (of night) one could gather such weapons for mass destruction and a workforce that spreads across Gujarat and carries out work of destruction and devastation with such effectiveness? Not understanding that they have not only harmed its people but also Gujarat’s dignity, integrity, unity, love within each-other and harmony. These incidents as per the report are not linked. Ok! Say I buy what the report says, then let’s see this: While this happened it was seen as a repercussion to what happened in Godhra and not much could be done; as the anger of the majority was being released and needed to be satisfied. For long the majority has suffered (Suffered with what was never specified). This incident (of Godhra) was made a USP for electoral speeches during December 2002. If it was a conspiracy and an event of shame why make it a USP? Do we make bomb blasts or rapes or thefts as USPs of electoral speeches? But maybe this would be a conspiracy of a different kind and hence it was taken into references for speeches.
As per media reports a number of affidavits and witnesses were brought to bring things to conclusion. As per Mr. R. B. Sreekumar, State Intelligence Chief (2002), he himself has submitted statements which are enough to bring the guilty of post Godhra riots to justice. If we read it in his words regarding the report “The Nanavati Commission report is highly motivated and politically influenced. The report is incomplete as it is in parts. It is a smokescreen, convenient enough for wriggling out of difficult situation. The report is premature, incomplete and discriminatory as it is presented in a compartmentalised form. There was no evidence to support the version that Godhra was a conspiracy and I had refused to do so. I was cajoled, persuaded and threatened with dire consequences if I don’t follow the lines. Mr. Sreekumar also said that “Practically all the accused in anti-minority bloodbath till date have been released on bail. In contrast, all accused in Godhra accident case including a blind man, an old man and those having congenital diseases have been jailed for the last six years.” (Excerpt taken from media reports) But I guess that wouldn’t be enough since it might be a conspiracy of a different kind. Well to my understanding I would say the report isn’t justified. But that again is my viewpoint.
My viewpoints are completely based on different media reports and incidents witnessed by me. Whatever written here are my views and thought processes regarding certain incidents that took place and regarding what the report has brought out. Conspiracies of a different kind (CODK) have three parts; the next two parts of this story would be posted one by one within a span of two-three days. Part two are a bunch of stories conceptualised to have an understanding of different situations and human psyche that can possibly give rise to CODK and part three will look into what different kinds of results could arise due to such CODK. I hope that you will be here again to read them and share my views and also give your opinions.
Everywhere the talk is about inflation. I found out this article by Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar that appeared in the Times of India and his articles are one of my favourite reads, I thought this would be very interesting for everyone to read as its on the latest talk of the world and talks about many factors that help inflation to rise. In a very short but comprehensive manner he has explained about rising food prices, the panic stricken governments’ behaviour and the ultimate result – INFLATION and the answer to the question – When is it coming down? Check the article below it really provides good insight. Happy reading!
"Government panic stokes inflation"
When inflation accelerates, as is the case today, governments across the globe tend to panic and rush out with anti inflationary packages. The trouble is that governmental panic itself has become a new cause of further inflation. That is why inflation in India and in other developing countries is not going to fall anytime soon.
Inflation comes in many varieties. The worst variety, from the view point of politicians, is food led inflation. In a poor country like India, where half or more of family spending is on food, rising food prices spell electoral doom.
The government is panic-stricken today because food prices are going through the roof. Overall, wholesale price inflation has accelerated from 4.5% in January to almost 7% today, and looks headed for double digits. Consumer prices are rising even faster because of consumer panic. The consumer price index is available only with a lag of two months, but newspaper reports suggest that in some cities the consumer price of rice is up 20%, edible oils 40%, dairy products 12% and some pulses 20%.
The government had already banned the export of wheat last year, and has now banned the export of maize and pulses. It has raised the minimum export price of rice to $1000/tonne, at which price only luxury basmati variety can be exported economically. Import duties on edible oil and grain have been abolished. This means that the government’s focus has suddenly shifted from protecting Indian farmers against cheap imports to protecting the consumer by cheapening imports.
Will the anti-inflation package work? I doubt it. Prices are not shooting up in India because of drought or production shortfall. Indeed, the harvest this year may be among the highest ever. The problem is that world prices have skyrocketed. And we live in an era of internet-savvy farmers who know exactly what food prices are in Chicago and London, and adjust their own actions accordingly. The government hopes that by banning exports, it can keep Indian food prices well below world prices.
This may be possible temporarily for wheat, since wheat harvesting is in full wing right now. But wheat farmers know well that world prices are 40% higher than in India. So many farmers, especially the bigger ones, will hold back their crop during the coming procurement season, hoping to sell at much higher prices in later months. That in turn will mean lower wheat arrivals in the procurement season – may be only 12 million tonnes instead of the expected 15 million tonnes. And that shortfall will further spur inflationary expectations. The problem is being compounded by global panic. Two successive droughts in Australia, plus the diversion of one-third of the US maize crop to ethanol, have led to shortfalls in world production and low food stocks.
Many food-deficit countries have sought to import more. In consequence the world price of rice in the last six months has shot up 60%, wheat by 40% and soybean oil by 40%. Exporting countries were initially happy with rising export prices. But as world demand pushed their domestic prices to alarming levels, exporting governments began imposing curbs on exports to tame local prices. But this reduced supplies to the world market, and sent world prices spiralling even higher. Thus, panicky efforts to curb food prices through export bans have, unwittingly, exacerbated inflation.
Ukraine, one of the biggest wheat exporters in the world has curbed exports. So have Russia and Kazakhstan. Argentina has levied high export taxes on soybean and beef exports. India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia have curbed rice exports. So too has Thailand, traditionally the world’s biggest rice exporter. This has created panic in Thai markets. Far from falling, the price of rice jumped up by $ 75/tonne in Thailand last week, since its export curbs sent world prices up further, and had a knock-on effect on local prices.
The lesson is clear. Curbing exports is a form of national hoarding. If every country tries to hoard food, food prices will naturally rise. Governments would like to believe that hoarding by traders is terrible, whereas hoarding by governments promotes public interest. But the impact on prices is exactly the same in both cases. Indeed, when governments start to hoard food out of panic, the panic itself stokes further inflationary fears.
That is why I am not optimistic about the Indian government’s anti-inflation package. The government thinks it is improving domestic supplies and hence bringing down prices. In fact the government is adding to the global hoarding problem, and stoking panic too. So, expect food inflation to keep rising in coming months.
When and how will it end? The roots of today’s inflation are global and cannot be tackled by the Indian government in isolation. Inflation will come down only when world food production rises and world prices fall. That cannot happen immediately.
But the prospects for 2009 are no bad. After two draughts in a row the chances are that Australia will have a good crop this year. Today’s high prices ought to induce farmers across the globe to grow more. The resultant bumper harvest could cool prices by early 2009, just in time for the next general election. That, rather than the anti inflationary package, may save the government’s bacon.
khuda k naam se,khelo naa (Do not play with God's name)
khuda k liyey,khuda k liyey (For God's sake, For God's sake)
khuda mera bhi hai,cheeno naa (God is also mine, do not steal (him)
khuda k liyey,khuda k liyey (For God's sake, For God's sake)
khuda to azeem hai,raheem bhi kareem bhi
main kaisey maan loon,k bascha paar hai (How should i believe that,..)
khuda ko saan hai,samjho naa (God has wisdom, please understand)
khuda k liyey,khuda k liyey (For God's sake, For God's sake)
khuda to haseen hai (God is beautiful)
jameel bhi mateen bhi
yeh dil nahin manta,k bas kahaar hai (This heart doesnt believe that there is mayhem)
khuda rehmaan hai,maano naa
khuda k liyey,khuda k liyey (For God's sake, For God's sake)
khuda k naam se,khelo naa (Do not play with God's name)
khuda k liyey,khuda k liyey (For God's sake, For God's sake)
khuda mera bhi hai,jeelo naa (God is also mine, do not steal (him)
khuda k liyey,khuda k liyey (For God's sake, For God's sake)
(Help in translating certain words would be really appreciated.)
Mervyn
