Tough choices

We are being constantly admonished that taking the bitter pill of tougher laws alone can eradicate the plague of terrorism while there is ample evidence to the contrary. Curtailing the rights endowed by the constitution in the guise of strengthening the existing laws is self-immolation. Whether our Prime Minister can walk the tight rope of justice and fair play while fending off the constant clamour for stringent measures remains to be seen.

What is alarming however is the success with which the Bharatiya Janata Party has indoctrinated the visual media leaving no stone unturned in beguiling the general public. Refusal to kowtow to its narrow vision immediately brings forth the charge of minority appeasement and/or being unpatriotic in a manner quite reminiscent of the American President’s terror tactics.

In addition to simple but effective preventive measures like beefing up the intelligence apparatus, identifying and choking the source of funding for terrorist groups, and addressing the combination of social, political, and economic grievances that feed terrorism, it is my opinion that greater sensitivity is required when dealing with informers and witnesses in order to instill confidence and encourage more of them to come forward. (The recent episode of the young boy witness being whisked away in an aggressive manner is still etched in our minds.)

If indeed the scourge of terrorism is to be vanquished, it should be tackled effectively at the grassroots level. There exists the need for parents to instill Ahimsa as a life-skill and encourage it aggressively by exemplifying it with their lives. In every scripture, there are verses that call for moderation and peaceful coexistence. The choice of forgiveness in the face of injustice is a difficult one and I am not even qualified to make such a lofty suggestion but in the face of the endless cycle of violence that will consume and taint all that is sacred in life, there is no other option. Forgiveness does not necessarily mean forgetting or conceding victory to the aggressor but it is the decision to wrest control of the power that our tormentor still exercises on us when we allow negative thoughts to assail our minds. When we decide not to be hurt, we will not be and when we decide to be happy, we will be. After all, thought is the precursor to words and action and when thoughts are purified, all will fall into place.

Much ado about nothing

There is a lot of righteous indignation in the wake of the bomb blasts which is of course understandable but definitely being taken too far. There is a great need for everyone to calm down. The TV channels are whipping up a frenzy that makes the bomb blasts appear like an unparalleled catastrophe that merits our sole attention. The opposition parties are moving in for the kill, demanding the head of the home minister and the resurrection of POTA. The media instead of remaining independent and objective is aiding them. The loss of life caused by the bomb blasts is indeed sad. Human life is undeniably precious. So indeed why are we categorizing only the bomb blasts as terrorism and forgetting the numerous other killings that are going on in our country? What about the casualties of Orissa, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat to name a few? Why is there hardly any interest in that? Is not that terrorism?

Terrorism by definition is the unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons. By this standard, the killings of Christians in Orissa, killings of Muslims in Gujarat are all terrorism. Why was not anyone held responsible then? Which minister resigned? Which new law was brought in to tackle it?

Is it that when a few masked men kill indiscriminately (victims are from all denomination), they are to be dreaded more than the thousands who take to the streets and choose their victims carefully according to religion and kill them one by one in an organized and precise manner? Nary a word is said about those who visibly aided and abetted them, the VHP, the Bajrang Dal, the BJP. Which TV channel is abuzz with the demand for their ban?

If SIMI is responsible for violent acts, it should be banned. No sane Muslim is going to oppose it. If the families of the victims of the parliament blasts want Afzal Guru hanged, no sensible Muslim is going to oppose their demand for life for a life. Who are spreading these lies about Muslims caring about these things? We care that justice be delivered. We do not want any favors (No more reservation based on caste and religion please, what we require is reservation based on economic status. Brahmins, if they are economically backward, should also be brought under reservation.), only that is ours by right; that is the right to live peacefully and fearlessly. We need to put things in perspective. We need to think about alleviating poverty and building the nation, not turning our country into a police state or bringing back a party that has blood on its hands. I do not want to be pushed to a corner and compartmentalized as “Muslim.” I wish India would start acting in a way that reminds me I am an Indian.

Senseless act

In the holy month of Ramzan, as Muslims all over the world abstain from food, anger, and all desires in a remarkable show of restraint, a little known terrorist group explodes bombs in Delhi in the name of defending Muslims. What for? So that we can weep in shame? Everywhere I turn to, ordinary Muslims comment, “How can they do this, that too in this month of peace and use Allah’s name to justify their evil intent?” If ever Muslims in India had an enemy, its name is Indian Mujahideen. Every single righteous Muslim even in his innermost thoughts will condemn this dastardly act and pray that Allah help the victims and save India from those who kill the innocent and soil Islam. When the rest of India mourn, Muslims grieve for not only the loss of lives but also for the fact that their religion is being misused by cruel men to justify their violence. As Orissa, Jammu & Kashmir and Gujarat have amply demonstrated, all religions have become convenient tools in the hands of the unscrupulous to torture and murder innocents and wrest power. A crime is most often than not committed by those who stand to gain the most from it. In this case however, even such logic stands defied! The need of the hour is for right-minded people of all religions to unite in condemning the hijacking of their faiths and thwart these self-appointed guardians of morality.

Role of media in a democracy

Media is assumed to be an independent and fair entity in a democratic state. In reality, to what extent is this basic belief in its objectivity justified?

Ideally media serves as a spotlight that shines on matters that have a significant bearing on society. Thus at its outset itself media is invariably linked to the society that it caters to. Any pluralistic society has within it, majorities and minorities whose aspirations and fears should be sufficiently reflected in the media but adequate representation actually ensures that the majority view is heard loudly and more clearly over that of the minorities because the nature of the society itself demands that. Giving equal space to all voices, when the societal makeup does not reflect such a situation leads to a skewed view. Thus an essential requirement for the proper functioning of the media is to mirror the diversity of the community it represents in proportionate amounts. The initial notion of an egalitarian and united agenda must be cast aside. This is true only of media that is accessible to all. National newspapers usually belong to this category.

In this age of specialization, the target audience of the media has shrunk. So we now have small groups sponsoring media to make sure their issues are given prominence. For example, the upper middle class with its nouveau IT-endowed riches dominates the airwaves and news items that exposes the stark poverty and suffering of the majority of the population of India escapes its attention. Even if some calamity manages to divert it from its inherently voyeuristic and self-gratifying agenda, when the initial shock abates, callousness kicks in ensuring that the coverage is always perfunctory and fleeting. Closely linked to these materialistic inclinations of the mass media that is prompted by the vested political and economic interests that controls them is the disdain for anything that threatens this moral stagnation. Having ingratiated itself with a West-aping NRI-desi amalgam of an audience, it attacks and demonizes anything that hovers beyond their sensibilities.

In spite of the aforementioned biases in its outlook, media is an indispensable unit of a democratic state. It is the single most powerful embodiment of free speech. It is looked up to and expected to act responsibly, to expose the shams and corruption that plague the government, to shed light on new scientific data, to entertain, to instruct as well as inspire.

Most people are well resigned to the failures of our inefficient bureaucracy. Inflation has ensured that to maintain the same lifestyle, the average Indian citizen has to work twice as hard. This leaves him little time to ponder about nation building or sympathize with the less fortunate. If all he is exposed to is escapist fare and an affluent lifestyle that invites mimicking and even more materialistic inclinations, he will live and die in a cocoon of ignorance. Like a compassionate but effective parent, the media must dole out reality in acceptable doses and nudge him gently to see a world beyond the mad rush for comfort, to take a quiet moment of contemplation and think about what he can contribute to the country.

Many technological marvels that we strive hard to possess are dispensable but the time that we waste in its pursuit is priceless. Perhaps, just perhaps if we cease to run on autopilot, we might be able to feel the emptiness that plagues our lives. In those vulnerable moments when you acknowledge that not even a new plasma TV or I-pod can offer you happiness, what do you do?

This is where the media can prove invaluable by giving direction and meaning to our lives. It can instill in us a sense of responsibility towards our fellow citizens by unveiling their plight, enlighten us as to the corrective measures that we can adopt to alleviate their suffering, build a national consensus on how best to tackle poverty, corruption, and violence. It can provide the tools to coordinate a task force dedicated to nation building and bless us with the knowledge that we can make a difference.

Secret Ingredient

What renders beauty to a faraway land? It is the fond remembrance of a loved one who resides there, far removed from our touch and immediate sight that makes it special.

Switzerland is one of the most stunning places in the world with excellent living conditions but its beauty for me is unreal and remote albeit awe-inspiring and admirable. On the other hand, if my best friend lives in the Sahara desert, then for me, the Sahara reverberates with the joy of our friendship and immediately becomes endearing. The love that binds me with my friend animates a hitherto unknown entity by sheer association. The land is evocative of our precious bond and thus every particle of sand is vibrant with the presence of a loved one. The belief that those sands house the object of my affection unconsciously stirs my imagination and evokes a subliminal response that establishes a relationship with an inanimate object like a desert and endows it with richness.

Perhaps this is how faith moves mountains and makes deserts fertile! True faith colors the landscape with vivid tones of love and is the secret fuel that energizes the body, the mind, and the soul. Without it, the world loses both meaning and beauty.

Food for thought: Faith satiates whereas materialism leaves you hungry for more.