Let them build a Mosque

In most of the countries building a new Islamic center four blocks away from the site of carnage of Islamic Terrorism would be unthinkable. In America there is a debate happening currently whether a Mosque should be built couple of blocks away from the “Ground Zero”. When this debate hit the news channel, I  thought it is blasphemous to  build such a center. Building would make mockery of the pain of the  families who lost someone on that day in those buildings . It would be like a “Victory Monument” for those terrorist.I was so wrong….

An Islamic center few blocks away from the “Ground Zero” would be a defeat for the terrorist and victory for the democracy.If we stop  this construction, we would exactly become like them.Our values of freedom of speech and  right to practise any religion should be fiercly guarded

Last Few Days

Not sure whether the title should be last few days or few last days.

Things have changed a lot from the last time I wrote here.
I am married. I am going to leave Yahoo and join MSFT.I am planning to travel to India to checkup on Dad.I moved from Mountain view to Sunnyvale. Shared an apartment with a Chinese and an American.Moved to a different place n Sunnyvale two months back and to a new room mate, my wife.Marriage was fun, Had its good moments and bad moments like everything in life has.

There is a big flood in Pakistan and millions have been impacted. I share a special relationship with Pakistan. I hate the institution which is Pakistan but somehow feel more related to them compared to any other foreign country.
I asked B last night if India should support Pakistan to overcome this calamity , lend a helping hand or should we ignore.According to her, Pakistanis are inconsiderate and selfish.She is right, there have been innumerable instances when they conveniently forgot. I read this book “Reluctant Fundamentalist” . The implementation was different , protagonist talks to an listener who we never hear from.The author thought Indians staged the attack on the parliament. How low could this guy go?
I told B that I would like to become a strategic foreign policy analyst. She ignored me completely.She thinks she got married to a dumbo.

Afghans are crazy

Heard this long long time ago “GOD save me from the bite of Tiger, Venom is Cobra and Vengeance of the Afghan”  but I guess poor Marzan never heard of it.

One fighter climbed into his enclosure but was immediately killed by Marjan, the Kabul zoo’s most famous inhabitant. The man’s brother returned the next day and lobbed a hand grenade at the lion leaving him toothless and blind….

And I go back to college

I am sitting here in a classroom surrounded by people half my age; teacher is talking about how “College success is up to student” and how we should be committed about doing our homework. On the third row I see some more experienced people who are probably returning back to college like me …I am yawning half the time or asking questions or wondering what the hell am I doing here. I am studying accounting and economics three days a week for three hours. I initially wanted to take Economics and Philosophy but there were no evening classes for phili and no evening classes for Spanish…so here I am…I don’t know how long I would be able to do this and finally how many classes I would end up bunking.. I think I will be more serious this time than the last time in college.. Things have changed …..but I am still sitting on the last bench in the room. When I asked my first doubt I literally choked and suddenly felt my heart racing fast to the level where I felt everyone could hear it.

I love mommy :)

My Mom is so cute, she joined computer classes today after I got angry with her.Last night I reached home at around 12am  after a gruelling monday.Mom called up and made me  write down some 10-15 email id’s.My patience ran out in the ninth one and I commented on the fact that even after having a laptop and internet connection they were not able to send me data on my email.She apparently realised that I was angry and we hung up.

Today when I got up in the morning I get these 3-4 emails from mom 🙂

//There are plenty of grammar and spelling mistakes 🙂

I have enclosed some below:-

1>

DEAR SUNEEL i am testing how to use the computer .I learn how to use the computer and how to check the mail so that y will not be worried about the same  .tomorrow I willsend y the email idea of the different parrents so that y can send them the bio data and takini so y dont b worried of the same

2>

Dear suneel I have joined the computer class for 7 days  so I will not disturb y in future to morrow I will send y many email idea so that y can contact them .how are y going .take care of your health be happy God will do better for us I have much faith on ALMIGHT Y. THANKS MUM

3>

am learning how to use the computer so must not be worried what rubbish i am writting y.

4>r u in good health we are busy in indu ,.how is weather there I think there will be cold ,to day we went to chandni chock in the car which we enjoyed very much and blessed with heart .God bless u and will give  u happieness . What about ur job R u happy now in office

 Yeah I have no right to be angry now 🙂

Abort

The best way to understand a situation is to play the part/act, getting into the shoes of the person undergoing that trauma. The role of Haresh Mehta, husband of Nikita Mehta has been rolling around in my head. Nikita Mehta is the pregnant mother of a 24 week old foetus which the doctors say may have a congenital heart defect. The Court ruled that a predicted disability is no ground for abortion this rejecting the couple’s request.

I believe the decision to go for abortion is a parental jurisdiction. The hospitals/courts  just need to make sure that parents intent of late abortion (anything after 20 weeks) is only done in cases that would result in a child born with a congenital disorder that would be fatal or associated with significant morbidity; The responsibility lies with the parents. If they think they are incapable financially or would not be able to endure the trauma   of supporting a child with deformities, government has no right to force them in having the children. Parents being the primary care giver would be responsible for the upbringing.

“We may ignore the terrorism, but terrorism won’t ignore you”

Two days of consecutive blasts have left me rattled. I ignored the first one but the second one scared me. The news that Surat was going to be attacked on the third day brought back fears in my mind reminiscent of childhood in Kashmir. There have been usual speeches and condemnations from the people in the higher echelons of government.
There was a strong outburst from some of my friends who have now lived in US for years, have observed the high value this country places on a life of a single individual. They suggested something called quote “proportional response”, “India showing some balls” and “fucking them in their backyard”. All this rhetoric is necessary and suggested action surely required but   nuking some terrorist’s camps is like a story in “Durga Saptashati” where one of the incarnations of “Shakti” kills a demon but when the drop of his blood falls on earth one more demon is recreated.

Terrorism is like prostitution. Condemnations and powerful speeches won’t stop it. The solution is not only to round up everyone who practices it. The solution should also contain something which stops people from both availing and providing this service.

The problem lies within us rather than across the Indus. As Indians we have grown up in a culture which  considers loss of life to be a small affair where the price of life is too low and losing a life is a trivial matter probably that’s the reason, we lose maximum lives to terrorism and stand 2nd in this list only after Iraq.(source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India_loses_maximum_lives_to_terror/articleshow/2312796.cms ); the first  part of the solution definitely lies in increasing the price tag we put on a life of an individual Indian. As written  by Ajay Sahni in Outlook quote “The gravest threat to India’s security is not Pakistan, not the ISI, not terrorism, but the limitless acts of omission, the venality and the ineptitude of the political and administrative executive, and the complete absence of accountability in the top echelons of government” (http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20080728&fname=ajai&sid=1).
We the people of this country and our government  have to be more accountable  for each and every life that is lost due to unnatural reasons.

Second part of the solution needs to concentrate on prevention and tackling the problem at its root. We all need to understand terrorism in India is just not due to religious reasons but as proved by Naxal’s, Bodo and Prepak in north-eastern regions it has also originated due to socio-economic conditions. We have to make sure that polices being designed in the power corridors of Delhi are actually being implemented in the villages and towns of India. People who commit crime (murder and rape) in the name of the God are tried and justice is served that’s the only way we can make the minorities believe in the Indian dream. As I watch this video I am ashamed that this man is walking free and am sure what is being depicted in this video would surely accelerate the process of a Muslim youth becoming a terrorist. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfnTl_Fwvbo)
 
I would like to classify the above two solutions as the part of the internal approach ,  the external approach as we all know of consists of letting  world know that India has the  ability and courage to strike back and strike hard….

The Call

I spoke to someone who had meant a lot to me long long time ago…….

Upon talking to her I felt nothing, not even a shred of emotion.

We talked for couple of minutes, she seemed to be more inquisitive about my life than me about hers.

I congratulated  her on her wedding and wished her a happy married life.

We said our goodbye’s  and  disconnected the phone.

I looked up to the sky and smiled coz  I was the better of us two..

She:- My first girlfriend …..

Sweet

Sunnyvale Hindu temple has an evening aarti at 8:30pm.As the devotees are mixed and from different parts of India, the priest usually guides us through the protocol. Usually while chanting mantras priest would ask us to repeat after him. There is this young boy (probably 5-7 years old) who comes to temple with his father and chants mantras in unison. After chanting mantras priest moves to “Jaikaras”. After the priest has said the first “Jaikara” the whole crowd jumps to shout “Jai”. At this time this young fellow waits a second or a two so that all other “Jai” cries have died down and then he shouts his “Jai” raising his right hand as if he is ready for battle, somehow the priest also waits for him to finish jai before he starts with the next phrase. The grown ups are reserved in voicing “Jai” but his jai comes up with so much passion and innocence that everyone turns, notices and smiles …It just a sweet sight and sound seeing him delay intentionally or unintentionally and then shout “Jai”.

He brings a smile to everyone’s face and I am sure Gods also find it sweet and smile.

P.S:- I can’t explain the scene in words but even when I think about him doing his stuff, it brings a smile.

Brahmins

1>In 1931 (the last Indian census to record caste), Brahmins accounted for 4.32% of the total population. Brahmins even in Uttar Pradesh, where they were most numerous, constituted just 9% of the recorded population. In Tamil Nadu they formed less than 3% and in Andhra Pradesh, less than 2%.[7] In Kerala, Nambudiri Brahmins make up 0.7% of the population. Source wikipedia

 2>In 2006  the per capita income of various communities as stated by the Karnataka finance minister in the state assembly: Christians Rs 1,562, Vokkaligas Rs 914, Muslims Rs 794, Scheduled castes Rs 680, Scheduled Tribes Rs 577 and Brahmins Rs 537. Source:- rediffnews

 3>The Union Government is paying salaries for about 500,000 Imams of the Muslim faith. How can a secular Government pay for Muslim clergy and that too only to them and not to the clergy of other religions?  Source:-newstodaynet.com

 4>400,000 Brahmins of the Kashmir valley, the once respected Kashmiri Pandits, now live as refugees in their own country, sometimes in refugee camps in Jammu and Delhi in appalling conditions