SudJi. As a counterpoint to your posting, allow me to present my experiences. I have made rather frequent travels in US, specifically on the east coast and touched South, over the last 6 months but had to never undergo a body search. I have even made visits to Government buildings here in NY, and other "sensitive" places and again it was routine. Had to take off my belt and empty my pockets, but everyone was doing that.
Even during hightened security in the subways over previous alerts, not once was i stopped and my baggage checked.
Indeed i have observed regular "white" people being taken into enclosures and otherwise going thru "humiliating" scans.
So perhaps, for you being body-searched was a one off thing. Or maybe its something on the west coast - except that in my view west coast is more relaxed and open than the east coast; haven't ever been there, so can not be certain.
About the bomb blasts in Delhi. The images are always powerful and the lose to indian society is great. But then tragedies have a habit of occurring frequently: how about the loss of many more lives in the December Tsunami? or the hundreds that were affected by the train that got de-railed?
Jingoism is good for arousing the passions of a mob but the need of the hour is rational thinking with the objective of solving a problem. And blind rabble-rousing does not help that great cause. Natural disasters are a big enough headache we should not have to add man made disasters like a bomb attack to this list.
Again, weren't your comments about the Prime Ministers and other heads of the Indian Government racial profiling? India is a secular state, and for me Hinduism is a secular religion. For me, a hindu is a resident of the state of India, no matter what his religious faith. The so called Hindu faith for me are the so called sects, like Vaishnava and Shaiva. Everyone says there is one god, but yet we fight over the paths to god. Where is the rationality in that?
Finally, to answer your questions. Hindu des mein jayein. This is where the great culture of Hinduism was borne and here is where it will live.
!*~
Nitesh, profiling works on an airport to airport basis. So while you are welcome to your experiences, do not deny mine. And no need to put "humiliating" in quotes, it is humiliating when a guy decides to grope you groin cause the metal rivet on ur jeans set off the metal detector. (Ok, now I know who you are. Perhaps you not being stopped had something to do with the fact that you are several shades lighter than me ?).
>> About the bomb blasts in Delhi. The images are always powerful and the lose to indian society is great. But then tragedies have a habit of occurring frequently: how about the loss of many more lives in the December Tsunami? or the hundreds that were affected by the train that got de-railed?
There is a difference between a natural event or an accident and premeditated cold blooded murder. Please dont reduce this to a numbers game. Natural disasters dont cause ethnic cleansing and religious riots. In other words, natural disastes are equal opportunity offenders. The difference is the same as you slipping and falling down, and someone slapping you around.
>> Jingoism is good for arousing the passions of a mob but the need of the hour is rational thinking with the objective of solving a problem. And blind rabble-rousing does not help that great cause. Natural disasters are a big enough headache we should not have to add man made disasters like a bomb attack to this list.
Thanks but no thanks. (For the updesh, even though its a little incoherent). What I did in the post was to list a few dispassionate facts, along with a few pics to give others an appreciation of how I felt. If you have a problem with the way I feel, deal with it. If you can point out something incorrect in my factoids - point it out and I shall gladly correct them. Hey, I shall even give you credit.
>> Again, weren't your comments about the Prime Ministers and other heads of the Indian Government racial profiling?
No, I am just wondering whether their reactions would be different if they were hindu. If this is racial profiling, then the Indian state and different governments worldover profile people every single day: with officials chosen on the basis of their ethnic/lingual/religious backgrounds, to give their respective communities representation and a voice. I do not see such a voice for Hindus in the government dominated by people of other religions today. If these people indeed purport to represent hindus and hindu interests, then they should not hesitate to assuage hindu pain.
>> India is a secular state, and for me Hinduism is a secular religion.
huh.. you have me lost here. What exactly does a secular religion mean ? Ill leave this one for you to fathom. I am not interested. Please educate yourself a little bit more about hinduism, its history, and living culture before you come up with incoherent comments like that.
>> Finally, to answer your questions. Hindu des mein jayein. This is where the great culture of Hindui
>> Finally, to answer your questions. Hindu des mein jayein. This is where the great culture of Hinduism was borne and here is where it will live.
But can a Hindu live with security in his/her own country ? What exactly does ur rhetoric mean ? How is it different from the pious declarations of the puppet prime minister - "India shall not be defeated by terrorism" ? At least he is an honest man and doesnt say "India will defeat terrorism!". You also forget that in the same des, hindus have been ethnically cleansed out of a state, and several districts in West Bengal and the NE. What exactly does your rhetoric mean ? Doesnt it translate into more of the same old same old ?
This post is simply about the way I feel and the way I percieve things via a series of personal events, and events experienced vicariously through newspapers and websites. Its a blog version of an op-ed. I am surprised that you are taking up an argument where none was offered ! that too backed by ad-hominems about rabble rousing and comments that will offend any self respecting Hindu.
What do >b>ancient and long forgotten divisions between Vaishnavas and Shaivas got to do with anything I have said here ? What do you mean when you say "so called Hindu faith.." ? and who among the hindus is fighting whom ? Whats the stuff that youve been drinking boy ?
Nice Post Sudeep.
Although I do not totally appreciate identifying good honest men by the faiths they follow (Prime Minister Singh and President Dr.Kalam)
Sachin
Sachin,
I am not identifying good honest men by the faiths they follow. It has long been argued that opressed communities need some representation in corridors of power, to have a say in the affairs that govern them. This is the justification pushed forward for affirmative action, reservation etc.
Today, the people in power are not hindus, and I am merely speculating, whether they feel the hindus' pain as I do, or not ? Judging purely by their reactions, I think not.
Surely some of the victims were Sikhs - at least there were some pics on TV, nd PM is a Sikh (from Assam). Must be a callous fellow (since he`s not a Hindu).
perhaps.. perhaps not. What is definite is, that your sarcasm is wasted on me. I am too thick skinned an animal 
As for him being callous or not, callous is as callous does. What action are we seeing from his government after this heinous act, except pious words that rang hollow a eons ago ? What action did we see from his government when the Ram temple at Ayodhya was attacked ? What action did we see when two hindu families were slaughtered - with their throats slit like animals - in the aftermath of the Earthquake ? http://www.flonnet.com/fl2222/
st...04003902000.htm
The Islamist ethnic cleansing in Jammu-Kashmir is an ongoing project, and so are terrorist attacks in the Indian heartland, planned and executed to kill the maximum number of hindus possible. Nothing in what I am saying is new, or news.
Yet, all we hindus get is the "assurance" that the peace process with Pakistan will not be allowed to falter. Aise peace, or aisi process inhe hi mubarak..
All this begs the question, what if Dr Singh was a hindu, not the self alienated kind, but someone who identified himself as such ?
-
btw Dr Singh is not from Assam, he only eablished residence there to get "elected" to the Rajya Sabha.
sudeep, hope your edgy posts are getting you the Google rank you so desire.
huh.. ?? I am stumped.. Is it a crime to try to tell people the way you really feel ? And what posts are you talking about ? This is the first one in over half an year !!
What will a google page rank get me ? I have enough real life achievements in my life that I can be proud of.
Its not as if this controversial post is winning me any popularity contest !!
Its purpose will be served if more people understand, that there are Indians who identify themselves as hindus, and are hurt not only by the Islamist terrorist atrocities but also the inaction and the impotence of the present government towards stopping or even taking cognizance any of these acts.
If Bajrang dal people killed 10 muslims, would not the home minister of India visit the affected town/city ? Would it not be a 32pt headline news in all newspapers ? Yet, 10 hindus were killed with impunity in Kashmir (see above comment), who provided solace to them ? Why was it treated as yet another number that comes periodically out of Kashmir ?
I am tired of these double standards in our public life. And I fear for the safety of my religion and my nation. Why should I not put up these "edgy posts" ?
reading ur Hindu Kahan Jayen...
no words, just the deepest sympathy to all the souls who lost their lives... i was in india on vacation at that time, and yeah i live in close vicinity of the bombing grounds...
its a shame...
where is the religious morality?
anyways, good to read interesting blogs and realize people still care.
cheers,
neha
sitting in your couch and passing comments is the most easy thing one can rely on. Do you really ever make any effort to ensure you are doing some good for society or you just making a killing in blogs and money??
So some home work and stop posting non-sensical things on blog
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