Looking Back at the last month

Exam season had its casualty in me!I was away from the virtual world for a long time.Almost three weeks. During these three weeks a lot happened. We all witnessed those events,had our opinions.i know you all must have already blogged about it or tweeted it! I kept a tab on my urges and waited till this day to unleash the surge of emotions inside me.

W.B. MUNICIPAL POLLS : The Farce called MAHAJOT

West Bengal goes to polls.Elections in this state are special.For 34 long years we have not seen any change in power equations here and kind of reconciled to the misdeeds of the inept government ruling us. But since 2007 the protesting voices got a platform. Under the leadership of Mamata Bannerjee people again started believing that change of guard at the Writers’ Building is not a “aleek kolpona”. Specially the startling victory of the TMC-Congress alliance in the parliamentary elections last year rekindled hopes in people that yes the red citadel can be breached too. But sadly the alliance fell flat this year for the municipal polls. No seat sharing formula could be agreed upon. Both parties allege and accuse each other of breaking the alliance. And in all this confusion somewhere i feel the voices of dissent are lost! For us those who wanted the CPI(M) to go at any cost feel cheated. Not by Congress,neither by TMC. But by petty politics. Mamata who emerged as a public leader in the period 2006-2009 has now transformed into the party supremo of TMC. Congress has no hopes beyond Malda,Murshidabad and Jalpaiguri. So, shall we have to suffer for five more years because the opposition could not be united? Time will tell. The silver lining is TMC is emerging as a single largest party in Bengal. But this trend is also dangerous. Because we are already witnessing the  CPIM-isation of TMC.

NAXALS — WHAT IS THE REMEDY?

Another major tragedy that occurred in the last week was the naxal attack on civilians in Dantewada. I always failed to understand these men, How can some people justify murder and carnage in the name of class struggle? A life lost is a shame for humanity. But does that mean we launch an out and out offensive on the red militants? I guess that will be more of a bane than boon! The reds know their jungle better than the army. And we all know “rajai rajai juddho hoi ulu khagrar pran jai (in a battle of kings the commoners lose)”. The root cause of the rise in Naxal power has been their support base in the tribals. Abject poverty forced the first rebellion in Naxalbari (although the ideology is lost now). The shitty conditions that the tribals live in should make us hang our heads in shame,but we hardly care. Our indifference adds to their anger against us and sympathies for naxals. Had the naxals adopted a non violent method of protest they would have found their first supporter in me but alas i do not believe bullets can win battles. Even if they are truly fighting the cause of tribals,their resort to violence trivializes the issue. The Maoists should first come into the folds of democracy and work for strengthening India and not wrecking it from within. As of now a consensus should first be built among parties to tackle them. It is not the responsibility of only the government to contain the menace. The civil society should extend its support instead of engaging in criticism of the government.

KASAB VERDICT 

This is a follow up of my post in the past 26/11 Past and Future When that post was published Kasab was merely found guilty and not sentenced, we all know what happened next.And all those follow me(@Aagan86) on twitter know very well what my take is on the verdict. Kasab is a criminal par excellence. And deserves the harshest punishment. But that punishment is not death. I have always made it clear that the state has no authority to take life. Even in the rarest of rare crimes the life of the perpetrator should be spared. Kasab will never show remorse. But killing him would not bring any change in any Indian’s life except satisfy that animal within us that seeks revenge. Rather keeping him alive and making him to undergo hard labour(the money of which could be spent in memory of the martyrs of 26/11) would have been a much better idea. Moreover death for someone who had come to India wishilng to die is a mockery of death sentence itself. And if someone really believes this will deter the LeT from sending more terrorists to India,please go get your sanity checked. Apart from that what really disturbed me were the visuals of the mass celebrations on the streets on India. While the victims wept on TV screens in news studios,the mob celebrated the verdict in diwali spirit! Had Gandhi been alive today he would have died his second death.

150 YEARS OF TAGORE

Gurudev as we call him lovingly,Robi Thakur would have been 149 years old had he been living today. We are in a lucky era. Rabindra Sardho Satoborsho has begun. Celebrations galore everywhere. Words fail to describe the respect and adoration i have for this man. I take inspiration from him in my life. His works(whatever little i have read thus far) have shaped my ideals. Gandhi and Tagore have always been the two pillars of my ideologies. In fact as i write this blog i am listening to “Tomaro Ashime”. Songs,poems,novels,short stories,plays…..what has he not written? He even made paintings out of the words he struck off while writing something new!!! Less said about him the better. His works are a heritage that resides in our hearts and never will any Kalapahar be able to destroy them!(i think its the kalapahar…..if i am wrong feel free to rectify my mistake).

I will not stretch the post further. Its already too long! I myself don’t like reading long posts 🙂 So more in my next update!