Chahe Yeh Mano ..CHahe Woh Mano

I heard a nice Qawali from the movie DHARAMPUTRA (1961), I think this rendition should be made available to all our fellow Indians in the state of Jammu and Kashmir so that they could remember Kashmiriyat which is stabbed badly after the recent events in the state.

I pay my tribute to the great poet Sahir Ludhyianvi who in 1961 was mature and forward looking to give right words to secularism. In todays india where we cant solve simple issues related to religion and accuse each other of secularism, psedo-secularism, atheism and what not, i think his words are immortal. We should be ashamed of the fact that we have become a regressive society.

The song by Sahir is as below:( link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p5KiazJH9c)

Kabe mein raho ya kashi mein..
nisbat to usiki daat se hi..
tum Ram kaho ke Rahim kaho..
matlab to usiki baat se hai..

yeh Masjid hi woh Butkhana
chahe ye mano chahe woh mano
bhai maqsad to hi Dil to samjhana
chahe ye mano chahe woh mano

yeh shaikho bhraman ke jhagde
sab nasamjhi ki baatein hi
humne to hi bas itna jaana
chahe ye mano chahe woh mano

agar jasbe mohabbat sabiq ho
har dar se murade milti hi
mandir se murade milti
masjid se murade milti hi
kashi se murade milti hi kaabe se murade milti hai
har ghar hai usika kashana
chahe yeh mano chahe woh mano

A tribute to secularism in INDIA and poetry of Sahir....

A Tribue to the Great Field Marshall and a legacy - The Indian Army

I have been trying to pen my thoughts on the Indian Army and offer my tributes to the Late Field Marshall Manekshaw who passed away recently. India lost a real Hero, and thankfully we didnt have riots like we have when a famous south Indian film start passed away, Sam Bahadur sure wouldn't have liked it and I really don't mind if people of India and its elite dignatories didnt get time to attend his state funeral as reported by newspapers, atleast thankfully they didnt disrespect him by rioting :) But well he was no Film Star...he was a REAL HERO.

So much for the people, but Sam was extraordinary, he liberated Bangladesh, had 93000 strong Pakistani Army surrender in Dhaka, walked up almost to Karachi and still, pulled back when his Primeminister wanted. Thats valour, thats courage, to leave all you have gained without a wince, to be apolitical and not let your ego overtake you. I respect Sam Bahadur for that, and I think India is indebted to him for creating such a legacy with the armed forces.

I am proud of the Indian Army, not because it has won 4 wars against Pakistan, not because it is the world's second largest Army but solely for the fact that it has remained largely apolitical. In Asia, with most countries which have been at a similar time and sense as India, Army has always taken over while a country was growing up, experimenting with democracy and values. Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand, Srilanka, China, Bangladesh, Malaysia all i think have bouts of coups and Millirary dominated rules more or less. But the Indian Army has stood out for its professionalism. Inspite of the morass of Indian politics, the largely currupt and inept political class, the various stages if instability, emergency, war, riots, kashmir and other host of issues, the INDIAN ARMY thankfully has always been apolitical. It has done its job fairly, without any bias at any stage. I think as an institution its is probably still the most respected in India.

And if the Indian army has shown such restraint and patience with the politicians, allowed democracy to nurture, grow and supported the teenage pranks of indian politcial class, it owes it to people like Sam,Sundarji and Thimmiah. We as a nation we owe these Soldiers a lot.

I bet Sam must have felt bad, when the myopic Indian political establishment took a toll on his best Soldier during the Operation Blue Star and Indian Army had to kill had to kill its best soldier , the one India awarded "PVSM" for his valiant efforts in the Bangladesh war. Thats the tragedy of India, and whenever some of friends who are frusrtated with the dirty politics in india say we need a Military Rule, I tell them, We are lucky ....Our Army never even thinks of taking over.....if it can show restraint, ask its men to take bullets till the enemy has run out of bullets in Kargil, If it can see its politcians selling thier morals to scam and make profits for coffins bought for the countries Martyrs and still is professional.....we should take a leaf...show restraint, salute them, and thank God for giving India such a professional and Disciplined force.

I salute Sam Bahadur for his bravery, for his legacy, for his love for India.

Of Iran, Israel and Inventories!

The question this Summer should be How to deal with Iran? At the moment it seems most of the world is either busy fighting inflation ,oil prices and economic recession or is worried about natural calamities and climate change. Add to it the fact that most democracies go to polls.... which impedes the will to act strongly on any issue. So where are we heading, will we live with a Shia bomb apart from a Sunni Bomb already with Pakistan? We had a capitalist Bomb, a communist Bomb, a Zionist Bomb , strangely i haven't heard any one call the Indian one a Hindu Bomb ... I wonder why ;)

• You can accuse President George Bush of many things, but you have to give credit to the fact that he acted on what he believed. He acted on his decisions, its one thing to talk peace and liberalism, and another to actually negotiate with a country like Iran or Afghanistan or even Iraq. Most people now think Obama will be the change at Whitehouse, he says he ll proactively engage and use diplomatic and economic options, all of which to me sound sweet, but well, Iran cares a damn about economic sanctions and diplomacy will be used by it only to buy some time, nothing else. Either Obama thinks the world can live with a Shia Bomb, or he is too naive. For once, i think, the world has to take the initiave, the USA is too weak at the moment and Obama is expected to be nice a la Jimmy Carter...and thats it...he is lovable but probably act ..he wont!

• India is one country which surprises everyone everyday, and the Indian stand on Iran defies all possible reason. Here is the only in country in the world, which is already sorrounded by two nuclear armed neighbours and it doesnt seriously try to deter the third one???? Any one is south block listening?? We still stand by Iran and trust it to develop "Peaceful" Nuclear power Plants....This is probably similar to Mrs Gandhis "Implosion" Vs "Explosion" Statement after Pokhran one. The point is weather a nuclear Iran is in India's interest, and the answer seems to be a BIG NO. Will india do anything?? Well if any country could be rewarded for underestimating its own clout and undermining its own strength, India would take honours, thanks to its left, right, centre, cenrte left, centre right, far left, far right, liberal, semi liberal, pseudo liberal , Secular, Pseudo Secular intelligentsia..ahhh ..am tired of typing names of so called REAL DEMOCRACY :)
• What about Russia, will it act? Doesnt seem so, as its only obsessed about regaining its lost glory, and this it believes will be won by opposing America on everything.
• Israel is the only country which seems to be serious on tackling this issue, and I hope the will. From a neutral prespective, Israel, it seems to me that,understands that Iran is buying time with its flip flops, now agressive, now soft stands. My bet is Israel would go ahead on it own, how and when well i am not sure, but its not wrong to destroy to save yourself. I hope we dont reach that point, and some one saves the day for the world.
• Will Oil be more costly? May be yes, Iran is anyway minting money and it will continue to gain by keeping the whole world hostage to this situation.
  

Lets see if we want "All is well" or "Oil is well" at the end of it. Meanwhile, Good luck to Iran and God save the world :):)