Mumbai

HI friends, Thanks to those who waited and thanks to those even who did not wait for my next post. The last month has been historical as we did actually get rid of Mr Tip Top but the cost was very dear. It took over 180 eyes to shut before he was actually thrown out (wish I could think of a better word for thrown). Last month I have spent virtually in Mumbai for one reason or the other. My this post is in memory of Indian journalism, which received the most indecent burial on Marine at Mumbai. Are we a nation of one billion and do we actually stand united against terror? Is the new boom of Indian media (electronic journalism) helping or causing a dent to the image of India. I have seen 9/11 (US) and 7/7 (London) terror strikes but I am stressing on whether I saw even one body being shot by the over zealous camera persons. Anyways, this debate is long and dont wish to continue but would like to highlight our great electronic media and their role -- to which I am an eyewitness. These names -- rather big names -- who have shot to fame by doing theatrics either at Kargil, Kashmir or communal violence of Gujarat have been awarded Padamshrees and Padam Bushan's. Do they actually deserve it. I saw one of them pushing a fireman towards her camera even while we was trying to douse the fire. Can we put them in jail once and for all so that the country breathes in peace....

ITBP -- A kiss with death

Hello readers, for last 10 days, I have been trying to reach you but stuck with one thing or the other. Again, my laptop has been open for last four hours and I am trying to pen down my thoughts --- right, its Mr Tip Top yet again at his best. My dear Tip Top is not only inefficient but also a scared man. Four days back, Mr Tip Top took a ride from Safdurjung airfield to Jamia ground (seven minutes as the crow flies). Ah! He had to attend the raising day of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) but very few people must be knowing that having his disgraced presence at the function cost government exchequer nearly Rs two lakh...just to take him there. And see the guts of the man, he is preaching life and death to Jawans of this brave force, who kiss death everyday at the heights of Himalayas. After hearing his sermons on death, one did wonder what made him to fly this small distance...whom was he scared off -- May be three things -- terrorists, BRT Corridor or the fear of being lynched by the crowd, if recognised. I guess the third one has more chances as terrorists would not kill him because an inefficient person at the helm of affairs is a blessing in disguise for them. Congress will have to pay through their nose for having him. His performance alone may cost them nearly 80 Lok Sabha seats. God save this country and let us pray to Almighty not see him again. Amen

A Tribute....

Hi everyone there! This write up may be seen as a tribute from an unknown journalist to one of his (never known) fellow scribe Soumya Vishwanathan, a producer working with Headlines Today. I have never met her in my entire life but she is the one who again rattled my old wounds --- A life of a journalist. Often we journalists are the centre point for criticism from general public for we try an create sensations where there are none. No, its not right. We also want to report about the better things but where are the readers. Sex, crime, sensation...This is all today's reader wants to know. Oops! I think I am going bit philosophical...So I better shut up and concentrate on what I have in my mind. It was a usual evening for me till one of my friend's called me from an outstation assignment saying that Soumya was shot dead. Eh! Who Soumya...was my prompt answer but only to be cut short that the deceased was a producer in the TV channel where my friend worked. "SHE HAS BEEN SHOT DEAD...." Shot dead...the first instinct in me is handling the mouse of my computer to check whether that story has gone or not (I know its inhuman). The friend was weeping inconsolably and it took me few seconds to realise that I have to console her. After exchanging few words of comfort, which were definitely straight from the heart, I switched the TV channel to Headlines Today and saw its reporters covering the incident. Now the question is whether these reporters wanted to work at that time. Where they in a frame of mind to report about the incident about their colleague who was with them barely 24 hours back. The answer is NO because no one wants to do it but still we have to do it.

A chilly winter evening of January 31 while I was talking with my boss in Delhi, I got a call from one of my colleague in Kashmir saying that Parvaz Mohammad Sultan had been killed by terrorists. Parvaz, whom I had met few years before his death, was a loving person. Over the period of years, our friendship had bloomed into a bonding to an extent that we would never sleep without calling each other. I stood like an ice-man when my Kashmir colleague was giving me the shocking news. As I tried to find more about the incident, I was praying in my heart that the information may come wrong or he survives the gun shot wounds. But no, terrorists had fired so many bullets that he had lost the battle to death in his home only. Moreover, the terrorists had come looking for "someone else" and had decided to finish him as he was the best friend of their target. I did not get time to mourn his death properly and my fingers were typing the best of my stories -- A tribute to him while my eyes were wet. I still mourn his . But thanks to Jammu and Kashmir Police and central security agencies, his killers were brought to justice within two months of this incident.

Another such incident was that of Major Pramod Purushottam, the darling of media in terror-struck Kashmir valley. No one had struck that rapo with the media there. It was again an evening of November four of 1999 when I was bust preparing to celebrate the first birthday of niece, a call from my office made me go numb and I could not believe what I was being conveyed. Purushottam's proximity with me was an open secret. So my friends also knew that I will be a shattered one. Forgot the celebrations and here was I driving back to office -- only to be in thick and thin -- A tribute to this brave soldier of Indian Army, who won hearts with his talks and not by bullets. Again no time to mourn...A busy day of a journalist comes to an end...

Mr Tip Top

The country is facing terror threat -- Indo-US Nuclear deal hai na...The Congress Government in our great country started with the agenda of Indo-US nuclear deal and continued with grit and determination till they achieved this goal. No No, I am not cynical about the nuclear deal like the bunch of Left wing party (anyways they are now LEFT over now). After all we have over come the nuclear isolation in the world and I bow my head in respect to this government. But excuse me, a much bigger problem is dancing on our head. Terrorism..Wonder who is going to solve this issue -- George Bush. Suddenly this question popped out and my attention was drawn towards Home Ministry and Home Minister and now I have a chill running down my spine and I pull the quilt over me and want to be like other fellow countrymen (Saanu Kyi). Some of my readers (though very few) have asked me one should talk about solutions rather than problems. Well, today's country's political scene is like "Santa Singh or Banta Singh, one and the same thing". Oops! The reason why brought the great Indo-US nuclear deal in this small blog of mine is because that it seems that the entire Government was working for this only. Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Foreign Secretary, Shyam Saran (Special Envoy on Deal) -- TILL HERE IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE -- Now here after the entire foreign ministry, National Security Advisor (wonder whether this was in his charter)..With no one to look after the functioning of rest of the country. Our Mr Tip Top has been virtually on a paid holiday for last four and a half years. Indians are awake and Mr Tip Top is sleeping in his cosy bed -- Ready to apply Brylcream in his head to keep it glued and slippery -- so that no criticism sticks on him

Mr Tip Top

Hello, there's another blast. Who is responsible for this now? A series of masterminds are either dead or behind bars. Now who has done it? A near-tragedy was averted when mikes again hovered around the face of Mr Tip Top but a last minute luck pushed him inside the car as 'Pranab Da' was waiting for him. But poor Tip Top must be criticising his luck as according to Hindu calender "Pitrapaksh" (Shrads), a religious ceremony in memory of those dead in the family. This fortnight is termed as most inauspicious. Well, I don't believe in this but now I think its true as the fortnight has proved the most inauspicious for Mr Tip Top. Two blasts, one encounter (already under public scrutiny). What else does he need? A failed MP, a failed Home Minister and a failed human too. I feel like nominating him to wonder's of world. After all he is an ORTHOPEDIC WONDER. A person without a spine. Thankfully he did not open his mouth today nor his other aides, who must be busy gaining experience out of this blast too....

confusion

I am confused..Who is the mastermind? Mastermind of the serial blasts. Should we believe Gujarat Police, Delhi Police or now Mumbai Police. Every second day, one police force or the other is holding a press conference and claiming that they have cracked one case or the other. The hero of Gujarat Police was Abu Bashar, who may have been modelling for the hunger struck Somalian nationals before being picked up. The entire wheel revolved around Abu Bashar. Suddenly TV reporters even dug out his great grandfather from the grave least to mention his dangerous links. A mere look of Abu Bashar may question one's own power of thinking that can he be the mastermind. He planned this, he did that, he lived here, he took shower here, he was married here....blah blah blah went on the TV channels (Thank God they did not show where and how he took his daily bath). The Gujarat Police said SIMI and Indian Mujahideen (IM) were one and the same thing. And the drama continued for sometime till the unfortunate blasts in the national capital that shook the base of the Centre. Suddenly I am remembered of a mythological character from Ramayana -- Kumbhkaran -- Our Government also woke up in a similar fashion and started looking for results. Till a week later, a puzzle came with a sudden encounter in crowded Jamia Nagar in which two militants were killed and a poor Inspector of Special Cell (God Bless his soul) Mohan Chand Sharma lost his life. The dead included Atif...ATIF....and suddenly Atif was responsible for everything. Delhi, UP, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and God knows what all. The age was on his side otherwise there were some previous unresolved blasts of 1990's could have been attributed to him too. Anyways Atif has been ruling the terror network after his death. Only God, Atif and Delhi Police know truth. Oops! I forgot to mention that the "Indian Mujahideen dish" had now new ingredients -- SIMI, IM and Lashker-e-Taiba -- well this theory even left the great strategist within the Intelligence agencies zapped as they never knew this. It was all along believed that Indian Mujahideen was nothing but a shadow name of a combine of Lashker and SIMI. Oh God, I forgot about Mohammed Usman Qureshi alias Tauqeer... Tauqeer.. While the dust was settling around, Mumbai Police had a surprise.. Surprise surprise, Indian Mujahideen has born finally and to shut every one's mouth, the Indian Mujahideen has born across the border -- somewhere in Karachi with some Amir Raza.... Amir Raza... yes now, this is the new mastermind? Wonder why there's no coordination within our own police forces to have a common reply. These efforts only highlight one fact...Lack of coordination in fight against terror within our own forces. We are the same people who saw a wonderful investigations into the IC-814 Hijacking, Parliament attack case...Then why are we time and again failing nowadays. Whats going wrong??? Has there been a brain drain among the intelligence gathering apparatus? These questions can be termed as a figment of imagination but may be tomorrow these questions will attain some priority and have some answers.

lunch

Trying hard to over come the controversy of being a serial dress changer, Mr Tip Top finds himself in yet another controversy. Its Mr Modi, who has spilled the beans this time when he went public with the details of a one-to-one meeting he had with him prior to Delhi blasts. A baffled Modi, whose credentials as an administrator remain undoubtedly high, could not hold himself back in making public his conversation with Mr Tip Top. On a serious note, he was apprising him intelligence inputs but Mr Tip Top was getting late for LUNCH.
Wonder how he feels hungry after seeing so much of devastation. His jokers next day came out with a strong denial that he had never said anything about lunch butone only wonders why should Modi lie. At least for the first time the we Indians do believe that Modi is saying the truth. Because this can always be expected from Mr Tip Top. I hope he is sleeping peacefully in his cozy bed waiting to waste another day at his office tomorrow.

We shall over come...

Dear readers, this week has been turbulent for Indians when terror groups have exhibited that they can strike at their will as and whenever they feel and the more bad news was that Mr Tip Top was continuing despite opposition from within the ruling government. A systematic decay of the office of Home Minister has been seen. I was talking to an old man whose words shook me from within. "I at times wonder whether this was the same office where Sardar Patel used to work...," he said and left me speechless. Over the years there has been a constant decay oxidization of the iron (left by iron man of India) and finally it has gained so much of rust that it needs to be changed. Wonder whether Mr Tip Top can sleep properly after knowing that he has been a big a disaster in all spheres. Bureaucrats attending his meetings, those I know personally, virtually come out disgusted. Through this blog I pay tribute to all those Indian's whose wishes and aspirations for change of Mr Tip Top did not come true. Oops! Mr Tip Top loves to talk in percentages and I know 99.9 per cent wished that he should go. But dont loose heart my fellow countrymen, we shall overcome one day, deep in my heart, I do believe....that we shall over come one day...

diplomacy at its best

One of my friend's shared this mail with me and I thought of sharing with my readers because not only it was hilarious but also en eye-opener. Wonder if this is true and it has actually happened, this diplomat or speech maker is entitled for an award.
"An ingenious example of speech and politics occurred recently in the United -- Nations Assembly that made the world community smile.
A representative from India began: 'Before beginning my talk I want to tell you something about Rishi Kashyap of Kashmir, after whom Kashmir is named . When he struck a rock and it brought forth water, he thought, 'What a good opportunity to have a bath."
He removed his clothes, put them aside on the rock and entered the water. When he got out and wanted to dress, his clothes had vanished. A Pakistani had stolen them.'
The Pakistani representative jumped up furiously and shouted, 'What are you talking about? The Pakistanis weren't there then.'
The Indian representative smiled and said, 'And now that we have made that clear, I will begin my speech.'
And they say Kashmir belongs to them..."
Indeed this was an eye-opener where diplomacy can be termed at its best.

Changing colours....

Hi, everyone. My friend Tip Top seems to be in some problem eventually. After all it took three serial blasts in less than two months to make the UPA government to wake up. Poor Lalu Ji, who generally is seen as a patient man, was virtually seen today tearing off his clothes. After all he must not have seen inefficiency to this extent even when he was Chief Minister of Indian state of Bihar. Answers for question are being sought by 100 crore population of this country and our Tip Top is leaving no occasion to put to shame bollywood stars. As my boss says that a picture can speak 1000 words, i am attaching some of his photographs.. changing colours. One needs to think, actually what our Home Minister is interested in. Showing off his wardrobe collection or understanding the situation (I mean the internal situation of the country. I had a chance of meeting this Honourable Minister lately (though after that I have cursed myself so many times). Sitting in his chair, with files around, walks an aide of Mr Tip Top with a video camera. Well, well, what is he upto. And within no time, my curiosity was put to rest by him when he said that he would be recording the conversation. Okie, thats wonderful. And I began my first question, followed by second and when I began to mumble my third question, I was told that I am not supposed to ask uncomfortable questions. Then what is the country's Home Minister interested in answering? If not about the internal situation, Kashmir, left-wing extremism, attacks on Christians - then - may be about the unusual monsoon, how to stitch clothes, how to keep the hair glued, dress sense or 10 ways to become inefficient. One can see that appeals on the faces of one billion population -- Mr Patil, please retire.

Muftis and Ramayana

It seems that Muftis -- Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and his daughter Mehboba -- have taken out a leaf from Ramayana and decided to follow what "Kaikeyi" did after King Dasaratha had not taken hints on making Bharata King of Ayodhya. Kaikeyi had a "Kop-Bhavan" (sulking palace) but Poor Mehbooba and her father had no place to go other than the official accommodation other than that provided by UPA Government. According to a crow having his nest at Papaji's residence, poor father-daughter duo were trying hard to overcome the humiliation met by Mufti Saheb during his meeting with Papaji, Bong Bandhu Pranab dada, Mr Tip Top. Poor dada had to do the dirty work of of making Mufti Saheb realise that he could no longer play politics over innocent blood of poor people of Jammu and Kashmir. Sans asking Mufti to pay for his lunch served at Papaji's residence, everything else was conveyed. After all poor dada and other members of UPA curry team had been bursting after the chair of Chief Ministership was taken away from Mufti Saheb's bums. The Muftis tried hard to meet Sonia next day to seek a face saving but could not manage as Congress President's Advisers advised her rightly for the first time. So the next course of action --- Got themselves locked up in the house (Kop Bhavan) and started sulking till neighbours started complaining of pungent smell. This was followed by usual anti-India rhetoric and trying to project themselves as true Kashmiris. But I believe that Kashmiris have understood their game plan and are not falling the trap. So what next Mufti Saheb and Mohtarma Mehbooba ji -- What about taking a leaf out of Jim Carry-starer, Chuck Russell's movie "The Mask" or may be the Hijjab may turn into a Burkha (veil) now....

Mr Tip Top

My bones have already started shivering...na na...its not out of fear but because of the Mr Tip Top will meet some people including me and my colleague this evening. What am I going to ask is not that is worrying me but how many Saridon and Combiflam I need to carry is my biggest worry. If I survive the ordeal, I will come back and post a blog but if I am no more, all of my readers know what happened. This has again pushed me into memory lane when I had met him for the first time, I nearly survived a heart attack as to whether I was meeting a Union Minister or a constable of local police. This time, I have to undergo the torture again because one of colleague seems to be intrigued that can anyone be this inefficient. So its better to show him and let him have a first hand experience rather than believe what people say. Also because I want him to narrate a story to his grandchildren one day that "Humare Pyare Mantri ji". Ever wondered that Mr Tip Top can put to shame even cine star Jitendra because of his dressing sense.

Old is Gold

And guess who had papaji today at his residence last night. Kashmiri dish again served and this time the guest of honour were Abdullah's -- the father-son duo -- Farooq and Omar. After all the Centre had to open its eyes and believe that Old is Gold and New are Few. With Sayeed's (Hey! talking about Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and his daughter Mehbooba) again trying play politics over the Kashmir issue and present land row on Amarnath, poor Pranab had to virtually ask him to shut up...It was time to look for dependable...One may feel that National Conference has again tried to steal the limelight but one needs to carryout a self-introspection whether this party had anything else to do other than thinking not only of people of Kashmir but also of Jammu. A move which comes at a time when UPA's own Congress party in Jammu is shitting in their pants whereas its estranged ally PDP is trying hard to find some face saver to cross Jawahar Tunnel. What the unholy alliance in the state did from April to July did, is being undone none other than National Conference. Today when Leela Karan Sharma, who like a parrot had been narrating anti-Omar rhetoric, signed the agreement with the state government, he will have all the reasons to feel ashamed. Now when the dust is settling down, one needs to find why did this fire erupt at the first place. While my study of last 50 days, I found Omar's trust vote speech at Lok Sabha, which not only made national but also international headlines, was also trumpeted by Samiti people as a reason. So an advise to all those, please go back and read what he spoke on the floor of lower house of Parliament. Oh God! This post seems to be written by someone who is Omar's fan and I do not wish to be remotely associated with him. After all I hate politics but wonder whether he is politician. At this point my memory goes back 10 years when this 28-year-old Abdullah sibling was sitting in his easy chair as I climbed the stairs of his house located at Gupkar road. After all I was also three years old in journalism and he, hmmm...well two days old in politics after he had been elected to Lok Sabha from Srinagar. And this lad was talking about computers and other modern electronic gadgets, I wondered whether he will be able to translate his actions into words. Encounters, near encounters, have been taking place with the Young Abdullah, whose eyes have a dream of making the state of Jammu and Kashmir actually modern, where investors could come and set up their business, where latest technology would have been the order of the day, where....uff! the wish list of this Abdullah dynasty torch-bearer was long. To me he sounded less like a politician and more as a human. When his nose turned red in 2002 elections, I found him growing more mature. A terrible loss for the party that too at a time when he had been made the President of National Conference. "We lost the election but not the enthusiasm to fight back and come to power," he said and avoided from poaching MLAs from other parties. He also did not lock up himself after the defeat as is the general trend among politicians. (A secret: Mufti Saheb and his daughter have locked themselves up in Shahjahan Road after they were snubbed by the central leaders). As somebody has said (never mind, if no one has said, I am saying) A person who looses sportingly, can enjoy the victory. So may be Kashmir may see a new era through modern eye. Amen

Ministry of Home(LY) Affairs

And when one of my colleagues came rushing to me with today's cartoon's in one of the national newspaper, all I did was to murmur a few curses to myself as to how I could have missed an award winning cartoon like this. Ninan definitely deserves to be complimented for using a mere brush and little bit of his imagination to portray the feelings of 100 crore (minus his family members and some of his friends). A quick reminder of his famous utterances after the infamous terror strike at Malegaon "Jo Mare woh apne bhai thay, jinhune mara who bhi humare bhai thay (The killed as well as the killers are our brothers). last time heard was that even his own party men ask him to "SHUT UP" but in a diplomatic tone. But one must appreciate his grit and determination to remain glued to the chair despite so much of criticism. One of his able cabinet colleague, hailing from Eastern India, generally pronounces "SIT" as "SHIT". Guess what would happen in cabinet meetings when this able minister would ask our 'able' Mr TIP TOP minister. "S(H)IT HERE" and no wonder he has been continuously doing for over four years on the Chair...SHITTING

Kashmir -- Dish

Whats Cooking today!!! Poor Papaji, who is not getting time to pack his bag for the United States, has to use his time in placating Kashmiri leaders to find a resolution to Amarnath land row...Please tell them that the next Yatra will only be held next year when the government in Centre as well as the state will have changed. So it was again, Kashmir being served on a platter at the country's finest address seven-Race Course road. So went Mufti Saheb, perceived to be having an eccentric attitude, entered the house, a wish that had come true after long struggle and explanations about his party PDP's plea to various pseudo
intellectuals.
Hey! guess what..Mufti Saheb has to brave the company of Mr Tip Top along with Bangla Roshgulla and the icing is Mamu...What transpired inside was known to these people and the God but Mufti Saheb walked with his collar up...and why not as Central leaders had again remained clueless about the issue -- what is Kashmir, why in Kashmir and who in Kashmir --
As they were breaking their empty heads over the issue, they are now trying to ascertain WHAT JAMMU, WHERE IN JAMMU AND WHO IN JAMMU....Why are people in Jammu protesting... as one bureaucrat rightly pointed out "TAKE SAMITI PEOPLE AND SEPARATIST LEADERS TO THE PIECE OF LAND AND ASK THEM TO NEGOTIATE ON GROUND ZERO AND THAT TOO IN DECEMBER OR JANUARY".What I fail to understand is that who is responsible for the present situation in Kashmir.
Are those fighting on the streets of Jammu Indians or someone else. Waving National Flag in front of Police may be a stunt picked up from some bollywood movie, but one only wonders whether the protesters actually know the meaning of the Tri-colour. Our Ministry of Home(ly) Affairs is meanwhile trying to give more and more security to new found friend -- Samajwadi party leaders...Wonder who's bothered about Kashmir...may be me because I have lost hope in everything. The situation leaves me in a thinking mode as to who is governing this country -- UPA, USA, ISI or SIMI

Kashmir on a platter

This is straight from the Ministry of Home(ly) Affairs. The pot is boiling with a fresh aroma of tea filling the air as the security personnel with their automatic guns guarding country's most insensitive, uneducated (as per the portfolio) but smart and up to mark with a crease quite similar to butcher's knife used in slaughter houses of Gazipur...Trust me nothing is left to guess. So today Mr Tip top had a brain storming session and guess what was platter -- K A S H M I R -- and the present situation. The storming session left everyone hair standing but not of MrTIP TOP...excess of Parachute Coconut oil keep it virtually glued together. Finally Mr Tip Top had a date with Papaji in the evening and the full course of Kashmir was served with two Chefs -- serving and a retired -- overlooking (Grrrr! for scoring browny points). Interesting is that our Homely affairs feels at home and has the cheek to say that Jammu is more volatile the Kashmir. Wonder when our intellectuals would understand that bringing in Kashmir on the mainstream has seen tones of blood flowing through river Jehlum. Wonder when politicians will understand that everything is not politics...wonder when religion will not prove to be a wedge between people....Hey! folks, I think i am going bit philosophical because I do not know what papaji and Mr Tip Top have cooked up

Kashmir today

So were are we heading when it comes to the question of Jammu and Kashmir.. The and between the two regions seems to be living to its meaning. Today we have seen Jammu and Kashmir actually two regions within an entity and who is responsible for this. Oops! The question of responsibility makes itself eligible for "Sawal Dus Crore Ka" as everyone seems to be chickening out -- politicians, followed by bureaucrats, police.....common man. I over a period in the the profession of journalism have an opportunity to rub my shoulders with some of the bureaucrats -- senior, junior till I came to a conclusion that the road to Kashmir is totally choked.