It’s a matter of mere 5-6 years that almost all India has started celebrating this Valentine’s Day festival. This is a recent phenomenon in India but it has caught the fancy of people to a great level that people have started celebrating it with full pomp and show. Day 14 of February month signifies as a day of Love for the young people of our nation.

Euphoria of Valentine's Day festival can be experienced weeks before the festival. Television, Radio and Print media start creating hype about the festival by covering all facets of it. Gift marketers and card companies launch a rigorous campaign to lure the youngsters. Card and gift shops are interestingly decorated with symbols of Valentine's Day including roses, cupid and heart shaped balloons. Shopping malls in metropolitan cities organize fun-filled competitions and distribute discount coupons to lure the consumers says stvalentine’sday.org.

It’s a day to celebrate love so let them love. Why are we torturing them and causing unnecessary hue and cry over it. There are other major issues India is facing from politics to terror, why aren’t we marching for them? Why aren’t we protesting what we are supposed to do and we are not doing for our nation and family? There are numerous issues and things to be discussed and those are put across to the politicians to handle, for you are implicated in this.

There are so called and self-proclaimed culture protectors, call themselves Moral Police, who have taken the job to get India rid of the western influence (On V’Day only). The Hindu Right Wings of Karnataka identify Valentine’s Day celebration as an instance of Western sexual license corrupting Hindu women.

Wendy Doniger has said it correctly” People marking V’ Day as the license to corrupt Indian women is just one of the examples of  a problematic Hindu male attitude to women and sexuality that we can trace back to a fork in the road in the Upanishads, perhaps as early as the 6^th century BCE”. There we find the remains of positive Rig Vedic attitudes toward fertility and sexuality, such as passages that offer mantras to make a man's wife love him or to keep her from becoming pregnant, or to destroy the virility of her lover (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 6.4.9-11); or that respect even a woman of blatant promiscuity (Chandogya Upanishad 4.4). Both fertility and eroticism have continued to play a central role throughout Indian history. The exuberant sexuality found in Indian poetry, painting, and sculpture provides evidence of the celebration of women both as mothers and as lovers, in art, religion, and, sometimes, real life. This clearly shows the intentions of these so called groups and Dals that they want to encash the situation. I have seen on India TV that in Jalandhar an SP was beating a girl by dragging her hair. She was crying like anything and the remorseless SP was showing to people. You will be shocked to know why they have beaten the Boy and the Girl mercilessly. The Boy and girl went to call at one of their friends. The friend went out to manage stuff for their guests and the hooligan neighbor saw them enter the room. They locked the door and called the police.

Why are they called Moral Police when they become the cause of someone’s death. We have seen the girl in Mangalore’s case committed suicide after being humiliated by them. She could stand the humiliation. How ugly does it look when some groups are ready to vandalize and go on sabotaging the public properties or punishing the couple caught anywhere be it a Park or secluded place or friends house and on the other hand there are groups who are ready to protect them from being humiliated? The All India Confederation of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes and the Northeast Support Centre are some of the other organizations protesting moral policing and celebrating the day symbolically at various locations in Delhi.  Several other groups like the Earth Saviours Foundation and the the Delhi unit of the National Panthers Party are ready to "rescue" any hapless couple harassed by the moral vigilant.

Women are harassed everyday in busses and roads. Why and how have these groups mushroomed overnight? Why is not Shiv Sena doing anything for women’s status and for their protection. Its not their job. The government is educated enough to handle such issues, though its not an issue at all. We already have borrowed half of the western culture and imbibed that in our day to day life. This is the time of globalization. We are exchanging culture, thoughts, style, modus operendi and God know what not then why are they asking to put a FULL STOP on it.  Saurabh Verma and Sumi

Mumbai bleeds again… 

Just a few days back, as Mumbai was combating its fiercest battle ever,  I was going through an article written by Suketu Mehta, celebrated author of `Maximum city: Bombay lost and found’ and his words `my city was attacked because it has wealth’ itched in my mind, perhaps forever. He has summed up the intention behind the mindless attacks very correctly. 

Can not forget another passing comment when I heard a colleague of mine saying `Mumbai was always referred as safest metropolitan in the country. `Nazar’ lag gayi is shehar ko..”, how true I thought once again. 

In the unique kind of terrorist attack that made Mumbai bleed and rest of the nation shudder in anguish and shock, what has been exposed is the fact that how vulnerable as a nation we are. Ten determined jihadist come armed with tons of sophisticated arms and ammunitions, get off shore at the most happening city in India, target most famous landmarks of commercial hub of the country and kill hundreds of unaware, innocent people in one of the cruelest attacks recorded in the history. Bravo… but how do we react in turn is that we send our trained guards to confront assailants and while they are fighting without caring for their lives our shameless politicians and policy makers are busy playing dirtiest of politics and their favorite-blame game. `Shame’, this is the word that would come in your mind when you think of the present status. 

Hotels Tajmahal Palace and Oberoi Trident, housing complex Nariman House, CST station and a taxi were badly hit by terrorists in a brutal series of attack killing hundreds and injuring even more number of people. But it were not only those who actually died faced the tragedy of death, as they say `death is not a tragedy for those who die, it’s a tragedy for those who are left behind and doomed to suffer.’  

While one can not stop shaking and marveling at the same time at the well executed, chilling and mind-numbing multiple attacks that were carried by Pakistan-based terrorists, even more painful feeling is the fact that it has ruthlessly exposed our vulnerability and lackluster policy or rather lack of it. 

In times when even biggest of disasters fail to move many as immunity to terror and tragedy is on an all time high, these kind of incidences make one sit back and wonder the basic philosophies of life- death can struck you even when you are dining with your wife in choicest of your restaurant or when you are waiting for a train to reach back home to your waiting kids.. Worse still this death is gifted to you by those animals who are doing it without any reason, just because innocent blood quenches their insatiable thirst. Maybe!  

But no Indian is ready to take this anymore I am sure neither is this soft stand going to work. Those in power should curse themselves when they see their bloody faces in mirror every morning because as it was rated – this attack was not intelligence failure. This was political failure and was caused because the spineless leaders sitting in parliament can not decide how to combat terrorism and tackle the situation.

If they can not take a tough stand this time, they have no right to be in chair. 

In the meantime, it will take a long time for the country in general and Mumbai in particular to get over the trauma. Even if the injuries go, scars will remain….

Saurabh and Sumi Verma (Manul)

www.saurabhs.com

CAPITAL IN SHAMBLES

It was a sense of déjà vu for Delhites, but a horrendous one as five bombs ripped through busy shopping areas of India’s capital within minutes of each other, killing at least 30 people.

The modus operandi of most of the blasts — orchestrated in public spaces, especially market places — indicates that there is a covert plan to strike at the root of India’s economy.

The explosions, which also injured about 90 people, are not thought to have been very powerful but happened in crowded areas. Four unexploded bombs were also found and defused. 

More than 400 people have died since October 2005 in bomb attacks on Indian cities such as Ahmedabad and Bangalore. CNN-IBN, a TV news channel, said it had received an e-mail before the blasts from a group calling itself the “Indian Mujahideen”. “Do whatever you can. Stop us if you can,” the e-mail reportedly said. Now that is called `in your face’ terror!!

For at least an hour after the blasts, phone lines were jammed and traffic slowed to a crawl as people rushed home to safety. WhileTwo bombs were  planted in dustbins metres away from each other in the central shopping district of Connaught Place and police believe that at least three other devices were planted at busy markets in the Karol Bagh area, on the Barakhamba Road and in the Greater Kailash area.

Although this is not the first time that Delhi has been targeted by Islamic terrorist organizations during the festive season (on Oct. 29, 2005, 68 shoppers were killed on pre-Diwali and pre-Id bombings in Delhi) the intensity and the meticulous precision with which the blasts were carried out perhaps proves one thing: that most major cities in India, even high security zones such as Delhi, are not safe from terror strikes.

While  Delhi and Mumbai have been placed on high alert, there is still a palpable sense of panic in the capital.   

A chronology of the bombings this year will reveal that the nature of most of the blasts was similar. The first occurred on May 13, in Jaipur, where almost 70 people died. On July 25, nine blasts in Bangalore, India’s IT city, killed 2 people and injured 20 others. On July 26 in Ahmedabad, 56 people were killed and 200 injured. For Delhi on Sept. 13, so far 21 people (15 men, 6 women) are officially confirmed as dead and 72 more are battling for their lives in the hospital.

The group claiming responsibility, the Indian Mujahideen, is suspected to be an amalgamation of home-grown and Pakistan-based terror outfits that profess to seek revenge for the purported injustices and atrocities against the country’s Muslim minority. In addition to the Ahmedabad and Bangalore blasts, Indian Mujahideen has claimed to have been behind blasts in the northwestern city of Jaipur in May, as well as serial blasts the northern cities of Varanasi, Faizabad and Lucknow in November 2007. 

These blasts Saturday’s serial explosions in the national capital, Delhi and the subsequent developments are another reminder of the unpreparedness of the political class to tackle the menace of terrorism head-on. They are the fourth major terrorist strike in the country in the last six months, and come close on the heels of the Bangalore and Ahmedabad blasts.

 Perhaps it is time for the think tanks in the country to wake up and realize that the police force has to be made more efficient to tackle terrorism and insurgency in the country, and that it cannot be done with the army or paramilitary and at the cost of the human rights of ordinary and innocent residents of the country. But the question which needs to be answered is that whether it is terror or vendetta or a deadly combination of both?

Saurabh Verma
http://manulverma.wordpress.com/

When tsunami hit eastern and southern coast of India at the dawn of year 2004, it was seen as a massive natural calamity in many-many years and rightly so. For impact of the natural fury was so much that lacs got affected. Whole nation stood up and extended helping hands towards affected states. Every year, there happens situation similar to Tsunami in Bihar, but has anyone bothered to take that seriously ever? It is a question every Bihari has in their mind.

It happens year after year without failing. This year, on 18^th August, 2008, catastrophe hit the state and many lives were literally marooned and doomed to strive for survival. Entire north Bihar region got badly affected by the worst floods in the history of Bihar caused by several kilometers long breaches in the embankments of Kosi river near Indo-Nepal border. Fifteen districts of Bihar have been hit by the impact of one of the worst floods in recent memory with the worst hit being Araria, Supaul, Madhepura and Saharsa. 

And while relief measures and funds have been going on but the quantum of the severity of this flood of furry is yet to completely seep in, even though the overflowing Kosi—the sorrow of Bihar—has been sinking most of the human habitat that has come on the way of its new, changed course has been victimized.

A close look at the history of this North Bihar river, and one realizes that the worst is yet not over. Like many other rivers of North Bihar, Kosi gathers water from Himalayas in Nepal. However, it is a trans-boundary river and flows between Nepal and India.

Kosi is also one of the largest tributaries of Ganga and after flowing through nearly 70,000 sq kilometers confluences into Ganga near Kursaila in Katihar district of Bihar.
In Nepal, this river lies to the west of Himalayan peak, the Kanchanjangha and has seven major tributaries namely Sun Kosi, Tama Kosi, Dhudh Kosi, Indravati, Likhu, Arun and Tamar. That is why it is known as 'Sapta Kosi' in Nepal.
This river has earned notoriety since time immemorial due to its unruly, turbulent and unpredictable behavior.

On an average, it carries 70-80 million tons of silt every year and it is perhaps due to this feature, it tends to change its course after a definite period of time. This is also one of the most important differences between Himalayan rivers and rivers of Europe or America.

The speed and velocity of the river's flow is also very high, causing devastation that is most often unthinkable. As the river is relatively new, experts suggest that it has not matured enough to settle a definite course.

The impact of this catastrophe is also manifold—the pace of development of Bihar is certainly going to come to a grinding halt, or may even get reversed.

Many would agree that history is going to repeat itself. The irony is that the international community is sitting quite and except for few announcements there has been no initiative as such to help the nation and the state tide over the disaster that is fast turning severe than the recent Tsunami.

The magnitude of devastation and destruction is such that no government will be able to tackle it single handedly. The job is enormous and response so far has been cold.

This is the time to fight back; Bihar is looking for help from all corners, all agencies and many nations. And while Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the entire state machinery are struggling hard, so are the denizens of entire North Bihar.

Let helping hands come out and take Bihar out of this 'national calamity'.

When tsunami hit southern coast of India on BIHAR is devastated either by water or the lack of it. Presently the entire State has been flooded and according to official reports, over 600 people have perished in the current floods, with more and more casualties being reported. Nearly 20.5 million people continue to reel under the impact of the floods in 20 districts of the State. 

Approximately six lakh people have been evacuated but still 25 lakh people remain to be trapped. Running water is the only breather that people have from this flood, because it keeps epidemic diseases off the bank. But, once water starts receding, an epidemic is only inevitable. Administration had better start thinking about this aspect of Bihar flood as well.

A Crow and the nightingale : Be in your Aukat

It’s my suggestion to all the broken hearts,

Love to the depth, as to Love is the art;

But maintain the distance, secrecy be intact,

No one knows, what happens when…

Knowing ur weaknesses…

One may say, “Be in your Aukat”

Telling you a story Of love and fury.

A crow loved a nightingale;

Here begins the fine tale,

He used to see her, from the nest,

Spent the days, spent the night,

Thinking of her as flying to the height.

One day she proposed to him,

When he was at the rim

Of losing his heart, love is a game,

To love is the art.

They sat, ate, wandered together,

Time spent, days spent,

Like a little breather.

They started to behave as they are married,

They were all set for the rituals to be carried.

Overwhelmed by the love, the crow became

Over possessive, taming the wildest game;

Started feeling the pride of his existence,

She was so humble that she always compromised

Her own desires and wishes, How long would it go?

On every little thing started skirmishes,

Having had enough of that, losing the heart;

She finally said, “Be in your Aukat”.

Felt as if, it started thundering and Helpless,

As if he was stripped off the living space.

Began to live astray and aloof,

No food and no water, drying on the roof;

Still had the wait for his angel,

Sometimes looked at the sky,

She might pass by, Looked at the leaves;

Where they used to love,

One day dies of the heaves……

The decomposed body lied on the roof,

When she felt aloof, she decided to patch.

Came on the roof, saw the body feast of the incest.

She grieved over the lost and said

” told you my World, my HEART”.

BE IN YOUR AUKAT….be in your Aukat….

As I told, Love is a Game and Love is the Art.

The moral of the story,

LOVE, but first know

Your limit and then GO.

This is poem is dedicated to my Girl friend Sumi.

Saurabh Verma (Manul Verma)

25 Aug, 2008 Time: 03:23 AM