MUMBAI BLASTS - Tracking Thoughts

So is this going to be one more day that most Indians will have to remember with regret, like so many other days? But of course !!

Sitting in Oxford, Ohio I feel helpless because I am unable to reach a journalist friend working in Mumbai. The phones lines are not working. I tried to call her from US and also got a relative to call her number from India. No response. A mail has been sent but her turn-around time has never been remarkable. I can just wait patiently.

The last time I was chatting with her was when she was in some cyber café in rural Maharashtra trying to send some JPEG file to the Indian Express office that was not going through. I am sure she is fine but i am just waiting to hear from her.

This blog however is neither on my friend nor on the blast so to speak. My concern is to report how the internet/news websites is just a much hyped media tool.

Some facts that I find shocking –
1.Telegraph and Statesman Websites DO NOT even report the blasts. (5 p.m. EST, 2:30 AM
India, 12 th June)
2.On NDTV's page they have a larger section on what PM or the Home Ministry
has to say about these blasts ( Mind it – the content is utterly unimportant, as I
will point out later ) than about the blasts temselves.
3.CNN-IBN got lucky because it had its journalist, Jency Jacob commuting in one of the trains
that faced the disastrous fate. However it does not mention anything about arrests that were
made immediately after the blasts in Delhi. CNN mentioned this arrest.
4.Patil mentions that the intelligence had 'some' information but not enough to prevent it. NONE
of the websites ask the question as to why was such information, however vague, not shared
with the public.
5. Times Of India is the only website that is still talking about the Lashkar e Taiba and SIMI as being responsible for these blasts. The fact that no other website writes about it strikes the reader as odd.

Some corrections that can possible make my criticism constructive ( This corresponds with the 5 facts mentioned above) ---

1. If CNN and BBC can cover the blasts why is it so difficult for Statesman and Telegraph to do the same?
2. NDTV could do without it. They have these glaring captions “BREAKING NEWS” and to read that news you have to scroll down so many times.
3. CNN-IBN is part of CNN and yet they did not have the news of the arrest. It might not mean anything but to the reader every piece of information should be provided.
4. Had the news about possible attack been shared with the public, a life or two could have been saved. I am just arguing that it is a possibility. An alert for Goa has been announced today. Why not one for Mumbai…a few days back?
5. The other websites could at best address the issue of the SIMI et al having master minded this attack. A mention of it would also be appreciated.

As disclaimer I would like to point out that I am not trying to prove, as is amply evident I hope, that one website is better than the other. I am just trying to present a general picture of how the internet as a media for news has a long way to go before it can call itself consider itself successful. The drawback had never bothered me so much as it does today. There are many like me who have no access to the television and are looking up internet sites to have some information on the blasts. There is a plethora of information available but there are some serious questions that can still be raised as to how the blasts have been covered.

What I find lacking most in all these reports about the blast, is a human face. Are we making any progress as far as media is concerned, in reporting these events? I do not see anything new. This is not the 1990's when there was no portable satellite or there was no instant connectivity.

So what is it exactly that irks me? I looked up many websites today, even the ones that I do not usually browse. I am just struck by the amount of importance that is given to what the dignitaries have to say about the blasts. They have nothing new to say. With the amount of mishaps that keep taking place in the country even the PM is running out of fresh condolence messages. "My heart reaches out to all those affected by these blasts". Well ! What else? Sonia Gandhi thinks that the event is 'dastardly'. Vilasrao has asked citizens to 'not venture out’ unless necessary but the Home Ministry feels that life should go on as usual and a national alarm is not required.

Is all this really important ??? I do not for once question the genuineness of these remarks by the politicians but does the need for the publicity of that emotion supercede the actual reporting of the event? NO.

I have raised more questions than I have bothered to answer but sometimes I think pertinent questions can prove to be very emphatic. I would like to end on the PM’s statement --

PM further points out with reference to Kashmir blasts that it was a 'cowardly attempt'.
--When have attempts by terrorists been BRAVE ?
-- There is fear in our hearts. The terrorists have succeeded in doing what they wished to do. It was no attempt.

It is time that the nation wakes up and makes the administration more responsible. It is time that the public breaks free from the shackles of media-controlled knowledge. The coverage of the Mumbai Blasts was a good indication that journalism ( internet ) after all is just another business.'Responsible journalism' is a mere dream.

Websites perused for this blog –
Indian Express, CNN, BBC, NDTV, CNN-IBN, Statesman, Telegraph and Times of India.

SWEETHEART


Yes, it has been very very long. It is not that I did not have thoughts to share but I did not find the words to express all of it. Maybe not here, but I have done some writing. Am working hard on my proposal, now that it is aided by a fresh volume of notes imported from the British Library.

I am sure I do not have to report happenings of my life or thoughts in a chronological fashion on this blog. This means I might talk about my London experience later on. This blog is about my new sweetheart.

I was definitely not in love with it the first time I saw it but I still brought it home with me. I wish the seat was higher. I wish the gears worked better. I wish I knew the combination for the lock, that is definitely not adding any ornamental value to my vehicle. In fact it makes it heavy.

But I am still beginning to fall in love with it. I love ‘not walking’ everywhere now. I love going downhill effortlessly. I love riding through the avenues. I love to see the patchwork the foliage creates on the cobbled road beneath. I sometimes look up at the sky while riding and I love to see the sun in the clear sky.

My bike is old. But she is a ‘sad oldie’. She has quite a sad history. She was never really used till she was handed over to me. The relationship between the rider and the bike is unique and she is beginning to feel the warmth of that relationship quite late. I hope I shall make up for all the gloomy days she spent in the garage. I am sure she loves to be woken up every morning and asked ‘how are you today..all set ?” She makes an effort to make my ride comfortable and I try to make sure that I avoid every stone on the road. I try to take a new route everyday so that she is able to see more of Oxford. I promised that I would take her to Hueston Woods but it is too far. I took her to Marcum Trail but the authorities did not want her. (Sigh !!! “No Bikes”)

I love her. I have not named her yet. She is the only one I am closest to, in Oxford. She keeps all my secrets to herself and in return all I have to do is ride her everyday. She listens to me patiently. Does not comment much. I had promised her a week back that I would write about ‘us’ in my blog but since I did not she developed a puncture as a mark of protest. So here is my blog dedicated to HER. Actually the day I made my promise was a special day. That was the first time when in the whole day I made no mistakes while riding. Smooth ride. It is not an easy task to chalk out a smooth route in Oxford. So after two weeks of trial and error I had decided on a route that had minimum amount of uphill rides. It was a day to rejoice.

Bye

SO BE IT !!!

Dho - This is a really busy time !!
O - So when are you not busy ? Stop bullshitting me ....
Dho - Ok..No excuses..Sorry
O - So what will this blog be about ?
Dho - Now don't tell me that I am trying to make blogging easier but this thought came to my mind while I was answering a response to my blog.
O - Unless you start treating it like thesis work, it will be easy and you shall enjoy it..whatever !! Shoot..
Dho - Do you know what utopia is ?
O - I know what it means but have not experienced it.
Dho - What does it mean ?
O - Perfection....hmmmm...yeah perfection..in any form,state et al..
Dho - So though we know it, we have not necessarily experienced it ...So the point I am making is --- would it not be fantastic if we could be less ambitious and less critical and then accord utopianism to certain moments or experiences ???
O - Pitfalls are many....Utopia will lose its place of pride...a dress on the mannequin looks better before purchase than after !!!
Dho - Yes i knew that bit but life is too short, at least when u look back at it !!! So when we die is it not better that we will know dying that we experienced it ??

The conversation can happen between anyone but I was seriously trying to apply this mindset to other things in life and it made me realize that in some cases we can improve the quality of our lives by believing that people and things are good !!! It is not that we do not meet good people but this blog is aimed at making us less critical in some cases.It will give us the satisfaction of knowing that we met good people and we experienced good things !!! It is all in the mind !!! This is my stupid recipe for a "beautiful mind".

Stupid ? A kind friend brought to my attention that many people do not have the guts to write their stupid thoughts on public domains such as blogs.So I am not only in possession of a "beautiful mind" but also a "brave heart". Yahoooo !!

What is 'NOT' in a SURNAME


This piece will be heavily lacking in rearched data and statistics. I had Dr Fahey's class today. It went off well as usual. The pressure is low in that class and i enjoy it more for that resaon. I can lie down and do my readings. I do not have to necessarily sit down in front of the computer. We started talking about his surname, FAHEY. He said, his name DAVID meant beloved but FAHEY meant nothing.

Now being the person I am, I give great priority to names. I am proud of my name and make an honest attempt to live up to it. It is not easy inculcating in one's self virtues such as sacrifice, pure love, unrelenting support et al, qualities that we are told Mother Earth embodies. But it is easier than living up to a name like 'Sundari'. I know one can argue very easily that one is talking about 'beauty skin deep' (I just wrote DIP..shit) but .....well you hopefully get my point !!!!

But the interesting question is , is it only our name that stands for our identity ? What about our surnames ? It is at this point I feel that some statistics would help. When asked your name, what do you say ? The First Name only or the Last Name too ? It will be different in different places I know. I mean in a job interview, one would say the entire name but what is the response in general ?

Considering that SURNAMES are still important to us....WHY DON'T THEY MEAN ANYTHING ?

Bhattacharjee ? Mukherjee ? Gupta ? Sharma ? Desai ? Patil ? Chaowdhury ? Selvi ? Rajagopal ? Some surnames that used to make me laugh a lot like bandukwala etc still make sense but compared to Urdu names like Muskaan, Zainab and Alifia do they stand a chance ? NO !!!

I can understand that a surname is not as unique as a name because the surname is shared by many but it still contributes towards how people are addressed, people are remembered and so it is but imperative that they mean something nice !!!!

Good question, but am I going to do anything about it ? NO.. As if I have all the time in the world !!

Disclaimer - I do not have an international audience for my blog but i still need to say that this blog was based on the Indian context.

America is taking me by surprise.


A nice and warm day after months of snow and chilly winds. A T Shirt- Jeans day after days of winter coats and snow boots. A very musical day after months of strict academic routine. A great day after many uncountable-uneventful-normal days that pass by without leaving a mark. A great day made even greater by around 120 American singers singing Zikr ( song from BOSE ) and Vande Mataram (Rehman) outside Presser Halls sitting on the lawns. They were preparing for the Rehman Concert. The enthusiasm, the dedication, the commitment and the energy with which they sang left an indelible impression on my mind.

Out here in Miami University, the last thing I expected was to hear these songs being sung by Americans (most of them singing from memory). It just touched me so much. This has been the place where people give you rides all the time. They just give away beds, tables, cupboards if they do not need it. They are always happy to hear about your accomplishments. They are always truthful.They are always polite. They give away flowers to anyone who says that their names starts with "X". The florists do not check ID cards. They are the people who trust you, even if you are a stranger.

I probably should not have been surprised. Miami has surprised me enough by always doing what is utopian. Singing Rehman songs with the standard that is bound to take Rehman by awe, should not surprise me at least. Way To Go !!!!!

Misunderstanding Can Be So Rewarding


As I attended the feminist theory class today I realized that I had been submitting some thing on a regular basis that was completely optional.I had killed myself to get those submissions in on time and now I see that it was just 'coooool' if I did not submit them. So I misunderstood. But it was so rewarding because now a part of my final paper is done. Actually I can just about not put in any more hours in it and it is still ready. But I am so excited that now I have ample time to play around with it a little bit. I can make it more challenging.

As I was walking past the Shriver Centre today I heard a familiar ringtone. My first reliance phone had that ring tone and within a fleeting moment memories raced up and down my mind, as if competing with each other for primary attention. None got it, but a collage of happy-sad-boring-too exciting-affluent-poor days in Munirka Village got framed in my mind !!! It just made me smile .....sounds and smells - little do they know what powers they have.

Heart VS Head : New Thoughts on an age old Debate.


In two days I have been told by 5 people that my blog is nice. I know it is just their love for me but well that is not bad. So instead of giving up on blog I think I shall continue.

I have an interesting thing to talk about. I was awtching Princess Diaries ( 2 ) and I hearJuliane Moore repeating the very cliched line to Anna Hathway " listen to you heart and not your head." Now- I have heard it in so many places. If one is an avid watcher of Hindi movies one has to hear this. Even Hollywood is not far behind in running these lines.

My question is " How does one know ?" I mean is it always possible to listen to one and distinguish it from the other. Is there some sort of an indication ? I really was confident about voices coming from my heart and those coming from my head a month back and suddenly I feel I cannot distinguish. What is even worse !! I do not recall how I used to make this distinction.

I recall vaguely a pang in the heart. But that is not indication enough. I shall use very different examples to illustrate my point and not those ones that usually are pefect situations for such dialogues to take place like calling your lover knowing fully well that the love is unreciprocated. The heart tells you to call and the head tells you that money can be wasted in better ways. My example is this one--Your heart gets tempted to take a double scoop of chocolate ice cream with more chocolate sauce when your head tells you that you are putting on way too much weight OR you do not have that extra 4 dollars. Whatever !!!

Whatever you decide to do in the end, you do it because ultimately it is your brain that sends out the request..bla bla bla....and either your hand reaches out for that second piece of heaven OR you keep eating that one scoop of ice cream. So even if the heart prompted the request, it has no powers of implementation. It is relying on its opponent fir such implementation.

So ..the point is there is nothing like " Dil ki sunna..." "Dil kabhi dhoka nahin deti "....What bakwaas !!!

If you think differently let me know...I am not an exhibitionist, so you do not have to necessarily comment here.It is delightful to hear that my blog is read. It does comes in bits and pieces.

PS - I did go to San Antonio. It did not rain. It was heavenly.