25.11.09

Justice?

I am not terribly enthused about the 1,000 page report by Justice M S Liberhan. It says what has been said so many times these past so many years. It was obvious that it was a conspiracy by the BJP, Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and VHP...

to not just demolish the Babri Masjid but bring the country “to the brink of communal discord”.


To the brink? It was a communal carnage, dammit.

Some of us have called Atal Behari Vajpayee a “pseudo-moderate’’ and worse.

Bal Thackeray is saying what he has said often:

“My brave soldiers were on the forefront in this battle. Some of them even laid down their lives for the cause.”


Amar Singh’s secular stunts do not even count.

Tell us who is going to be put behind bars and when will those who have not yet got justice get it.

Do we know? Are there records?

- - -

We seem to know more about our neighbour. Take this from General Deepak Kapoor:

“There are estimated 42 terrorist training camps in Pakistan as per intelligence reports. The total number of militants staged in these camps is roughly between 2,000 and 2,500, and they are ready to infiltrate to this side.”


The Army is, of course, prepared:

“We are ready to deal with them to ensure safety and security of the people of J&K.”


Jammu and Kashmir is not all of India, Sir. If we have all this information, how come we did not know anything about the handful who landed in Mumbai?

- - -

Vaishali Ombale may not meet Sonia Gandhi, but she is doing her bit. The daughter of assistant sub-inspector Tukaram Ombale, who was killed in the 26/11 attack, has declined any monetary aid without making a fuss over it.

She has asked the organisations to use it for needy children; she also handed over a cheque of Rs 1 lakh to Rukhsana, the Kashmiri girl who killed a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist when militants barged into their house. (Seen in the picture with Vaishali on the left.)

Explaining her stand, she said:

“Had the money, which is being donated to us by many, been used to purchase modern arms and ammunitions, lives of a few policemen could have been saved today.”

End quote:

“God bless you for saying that!” cried Miss Harrison. “If we keep our courage and our patience the truth must come out.”

– Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Naval Treaty

9 comments:

  1. Farzana ,
    when you define BJP and all its allies as enemy of the state it reduces the debate to name calling. They call you and other islamic organizations as enemy of state and prove each others points.
    May be you do not believe in the state institutions and are at times ambiguous about their fairness.The way congress party has politicised and exploited muslim votes it has diminished its secular character.

    When i criticise Hindu atrocities i bring credibility to the discussion and when i praise the good deeds in Pakistan it is real praise.It does not mean that i have no right to comment on anything relating to hindus.I as a memeber of the human race am human before being anything political or religous.That is my ethos.

    Hope you are kinder to yourself .

    Oh it was nice to see Singh and Obama at the white house both members of the minorities and ruling the largest democracies.

    How well any nation treats its minority is a way to judge the state of human rights of any nation.America and India are examples of minorities doing well in both nations.Compare them to any other nation for minority rights, places of worship, population and other parameters .For sure its not perfect .Not giving credit when it is due makes all equal and creates a sense of injustice.

    If it is all a guft goo then please consider that i am only taking part in it.

    peace
    kul bhushan
    rxri.blogspot.com

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  2. “Had the money, which is being donated to us by many, been used to purchase modern arms and ammunitions, lives of a few policemen could have been saved today.”

    Oh yes, I'm sure the declined money will be saving few cops in future. God is in heaven and he will ensure that every penny righteously refused will find its rightful pocket.

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  3. While Ms. Ombale piously refuses compensation from the state for her loss, our comically inefficient judicial and administrative machinery spends Rs 85 lacs a day to keep the killer of her father alive!

    http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Cost-of-keeping-Kasab-alive-Rs-31-crore-and-counting/articleshow/5270203.cms

    Justice?

    ReplyDelete
  4. fv
    your comment and question posed to Genral Deepak Kapoor reflects a little lack of understanding...
    as chief of army staff gaining and updating information about actual or potential enemies ..so as to remain better prepared is the nature of warfare ...
    He mentions about safety of people of j & k because his troops are deployed there and as their chief he is promising that his organisation is prepared for the task entrusted to it...is there any thing wrong in that..
    He can not be asked about mumbai because internal security and security of the country during periods other than war ..lies with ministry of home and police force..unless Army has been specifically requisitioned by Union of India.

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  5. Kul Bhushan:

    In this post I have not called the BJP the enemy of the state. I am surprised you cannot see what is going on, and a political party being so called does not amount to name calling. I do not see how I as an individual who you know precious little about can be clubbed with Islamic organisations. I don't like it.

    Re. your other points about being human and all that, we see it in ways around us as sound bytes all the time. It si the easiest thing to mouth. Amd human rights of minorities? In India? Who are you comparing it with? Do you know the figures we are talking about? And do we need to compare?

    I would like to state in no uncertain terms that when one is discussing serious issues, never mind the tone used (and here ti was straightforward), it is not guftgu and banter.

    Eklavya:

    There will be a slip between the cup and the lip. I applaud her intent, that's all.

    And, yes, it is comical the amount of money being spent on Kasab while they are still wondering what to do about Hafiz Saeed and sending dossiers. I have said it before...no one wants this trial to end.

    Mash:

    When the General provides this information, and the current backdrop is something happening in Mumbai, including how Taliban is at our doorstep, and terrorists usually find their way from the J&K area, then one aks this question about the preparedness to prevent those people from infiltrating.

    It is about information and not asking the Indian Army to solider the city.

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  6. fv
    your comment was definitely not about information, it sounded like holding him accountable for mumbai carnage...
    failure of intelligence agencies though deplorable also needs understanding the odds of finding and intercepting few brainwashed men who can strike any place at anytime...
    Is our civil society ready for loss of liberties to counter the terrorism at the same scale as done in America?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Mash,
    American civil liberties have been reduced some what,but average person has much higher protections under the law than average Indian enjoys.No preventive detention. There may be exception as internment of Japanis americans during secod world war.Even after 9/11 though process of travel has become cumbersome it is still much more open than India is.If India is able to develop decentralised system as well as America with due respect for human dignity even Today it would be improvement. After 8 years many of the rules are being challenged where people (AMERICANS)have been harassed without sufficient cause. The foreign enemy combatants do not get same protections as americans do .

    Looks like KSM will get a civilian trial in New York with all protections of complex american legal system as well as presumption of innocence till proven guilty.

    You might have also seen some american muslims in front of New York mosque trampling on american flag as protest against american militarism .As their right to protest.In the words(first hand)of Dr Hussaine india's former ambassador to US he said on hearing us supreme court declaring burning of american national flag as legal form of protest "I admire this nations supreme court for allowing burning of the national flag as a protest but i do not understand it."Inspite of its flaws US continues to be beacon of individual freedom.

    Seems like i am token American Indian voice on the Farzana's blog.

    Thanks

    kul bhushan
    rxri.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Mash:

    your comment was definitely not about information, it sounded like holding him accountable for mumbai carnage...

    Does this sound like holding him accountable? (excuse the typos that were there)

    >When the General provides this information, and the current backdrop is something happening in Mumbai, including how Taliban is at our doorstep, and terrorists usually find their way from the J&K area, then one aks this question about the preparedness to prevent those people from infiltrating.

    It is about information and not asking the Indian Army to solider the city.

    -
    Is our civil society ready for loss of liberties to counter the terrorism at the same scale as done in America?

    Civil society is not asked. These decisions are taken politically as you know. America can afford to attack nations and bomb civilians and we watch.

    Kul Bhushan:

    Your post is addressed to Mash...but just wanted to say you are not the only token American Indian voice in this blog. There have been a few...some have run away :)

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  9. Thanks Farzana,

    I donot feel that lonely now.

    kul bhushan

    ReplyDelete

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