The Idea that is India and those who will usurp it !

Arundhati Roy says Naxalites are "Gandhians with guns". She says many things that are meant to ignite and destroy and are a good payoff for herself. And it mostly just irritates, but this time I feel ignited that this Booker winning, celebrated with the Sydney Peace prize, Page 3 fashionably 'non conformist' writer with the illegal bunglow in Panchgani calls India "bhooka nanga Hindustan" on a terrorists sponsored public platform.

What could she possibly want to achieve ? And why didn't she stick to the language that she knows best ? Your guess is as good as mine. She got TRPs and invaded digital media opinion with a storm, strategically in advance of the American President's visit. Don't we know how to become eligible for the noble peace prize ! If only she could go to Jail.

And though I hate dissent, specially with the people I love, I am arguing bitterly with my dear friend Anna who feels that democracy urgently needs people like Ms. Roy. Reproducing an article she sent me to assuage my doubts about the object of her admiration. Maybe I have receded to intellectual infancy but she ignites me further !

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arundhati-roy

I am living the situation every day, of a rising tide of unreasonable, cocky and destructive ideology that if indulged will usurp the Idea that is India. In a more devastating way than corruption, hunger and inefficiency can.

Out of every 5 people in my immediate family (in laws) 4 openly represent the partisan ideology of the 'fire-breathing mullahs and the maniacs' who believe that Islam will, or should, rule the world. These are not as Arundhati Rao terms the 'the detritus of two Afghan wars". These are public school educated Indian citizens, brought up and indulged in this secular country. Such bigots are indulged by our middle class intelligentsia, the english speaking erudite, fair people who sympathize for every just cause. I was quite on that side till I had a close brush with reality in the last 2 decades. I hate religious bigotry. I would not stand out on a limb until I have genuine reason to do so.

I believe that each one of us should stand up for the idea that is India before we point fingers. We are too busy trying to criticise in order to be fair. Criticisim and name calling is OK too, but in the national context, it has to have an objective ? Specially in the case of individuals who have the voice which can have far reaching global impact.

In the case of Ms. Roy, her prose is brilliant. " The blood of "martyrs" irrigates terrorism. " !! Wah, love the brilliance of your words madam. Implications be damned. Its always a pleasure ( sometimes painful pleasure) to read her language but when has she ever, if by mistake, stood up for the idea that is India. This woman, born and indulged in this country has only used her prowess to accuse her country. That is is my grouse against her. And her accusations have caused no civil change except that it gets her personal gain - peace prizes et all.

And did she just realise that Kashmir needed her voice ? Or did she weigh the maximum impact possibilities before she chose her words and her stage to repeat what thousands have said before her !

If you will read her very well written article posted above, the gist is as following :

1. LTTE of Sri Lanka were trained by the Indian Army and we have no business to denounce terrorism.

2. India is seeking war with Pakistan to avoid facing up to the serious trouble building on our home front. Pakistan is a really spoilt brat and if you mess with it, its going to be very bad for India.

3. The cute 'boy terrorists' who attacked Mumbai in 2008 s got such excellent TRPs, its admirable.

4. MumbaI police, the elite National Security Guard, and the marine commandos of this silly country willingly let non- elite people be massacred at railways stations and hospitals because did not want to risk the lives of elite hostages inside the Taj.

4. Stupid Indians enjoyed prolonged live TV coverage of the event since it was even more exciting than the movie 'Die Hard 2'. She can't get over the TRPs all that got.

5. Sadly in Kashmir, there is not adequate TV coverage, so stupid Indian are less sensitive about hostages getting killed and surmount terrorists rather fast. Brainless duds don't realise the aspirations and rights of these hapless terrorists.

6. India is a Police State. The collective Indian Media has made it a Police State.

7. Police and the Army are glorified in India ( by the media ?) at the cost of the poor little underdog - the Politicians. Perhaps she may even accuse that the govt co funded Dabangg ?

8. For Arnab Goswami, anchorperson of Times Now television, to call Arundhati Roy 'Disgusting" on National TV should have cost him his Job and amounts to incitement, as well as threat. But for Arundhati Roy to call India "bhooke Nange" ( despicable beggars in parlance") is her right to free speech !! Arnab Goswami didnt get the Booker or the Sydney Peace Prize, that Loser !

9. India is a country with a shadowy history !

10. Americans are the most hated in the world. Indians are like the Americans. Bloody Indians. Is it clear by now that Arundhati Roy gave up her Indian nationality in disgust?

11. Anti-terrorism laws are not meant for terrorists !

After the trademark ranting she offers her final one line naive solution to the mammoth issues. She ordains that terrorism can be contained by only one way - giving JUSTICE to the terrorists.

Give me a a break Arundhati Roy. We think you are disgusting.

Checkmate

Two things happened this week, enough to make me wake up from blogging slumber !

The first - thanks to resourceful bureaucrat friends, I managed to catch CWG Athletics and Badminton. While in the car en route to a friend's office, Ruhi was struggling with the math of how the 5 tickets that we had were going to be utilised. I told her A, you and me make 3 girls and there are 2 boys going with us. She immediately replied " But you are not a girl Mamma" .

I decided to be funny " Oops Ruhi, but of course ! So there are 3 boys including me and 2 girls ". She looked at me earnestly and asked " are you serious ?"

"Of course Ruhi, didnt you know I am a man ?"

Ruhi looked confused and astonished. In my heart I was confused and astonished myself !

So I look like an Android to her ? How can a nearly 9 year old not establish human anatomy ? Was she being funny as well ? Unfortunately we arrived at our destination and the conversation was forgotten.

2 days later in our lazy hour at night, I reminded her of that conversation and asked if she genuinely thought I was a man.

She looked embarrassed "but mamma you sounded so sure.....I thought maybe you are a man with long hair....for a minute I thought you may be wearing a wig stuck with glue..."

I was roaring with laughter. She looked more embarrassed and sweetly said " but you could be a man..."

The second - after we finished laughing ourselves silly about the man thing, she said " now please don't write all this on your blog".

I cannot explain how I felt at that moment. I was shocked and felt so cheated that my privacy had been invaded upon by my little baby. My ears burning in indignation I felt a surge of concern - what had she read ? what could she have understood ? what about all my angst about mixed parentage. Pretending to sound casual I asked " Have you seen my blog ? Where ? " .

She had gone to spend a night at my brother's house and it seems my nephew googled her name and they landed at my blog !! He is 10 years old.

She saw the pic where Rayyan was doodling on my leg and she read the accompanying post where I had said that Ruhi was very jealous of his talent (to draw).

My heart broke when I saw her bravely trying to fight tears as she told me " I was very angry with you mamma".

She had not called me during that trip as she usually does. She had also said nothing for about a week that she had been back home. It was disturbing.

I instinctively picked up my laptop and took her through my blog. I showed her tens of posts about her, her pics on my blog. Read out some post to her. She was very pleased and said "not sad anymore, I never saw all this". We talked some more and she fell asleep.

Am stunned to say the least. I had not anticipated she would get here, she is not yet nine !! Just proves how little I know and how ill prepared I am for the future. I am also worried about internet access and what lies in store...

However the thought that bothers me the most is that its not going to be my personal blog anymore, but the blog of the mother of my children.