THE DIRTY WORLD OF ART!

The recent news of Rana Kapoor, the disgraced founder of Yes Bank buying paintings from Priyanka Gandhi has shaken the country.

It became an object of jokes and many questions, rightly so, ascribing most of it's trajectory to the age old practice of placating powerful politicians. In this case, a powerful family in the "business" of politics.

Is Priyanka Gandhi an artist? No. When did she become one? Or is she like Ms. Mamata Banerjee whose "work of art" sold for an astounding Rs. 6 crore. That "painting" when shown to The world, raised all goes and cries. Again, rightly so!

For that painting would have put even a 10 year old artist(read drawing/painting enthusiast) to shame.

Like wise, Mrs. A K Antony's painting sold in crores.

This is just one incident. I again feel, of an urge to Placate powerful people.

But is the world of art, really innocent. And here I mean the genuine work of art , be it Picasso or Salvador Dali or a Vincent Van Gogh or other great, if not greater names, of past.

The world of art galleries and these genuinely exquisite work of art Is a pleasure to the eyes of any common art lover BUT it is also a genuine pleasure for many devious objectives.

Paintings are a Currency!

Paintings, has emerged as a viable solid source of funds for many terror organisations, leaving aside others in drugs financing or Arms and guns.

Let me give an example. I am passionate about reading any and every material on terrorist organisations.

And couple of years ago, it came to light that how 'Islamic State, the most dangerous and we'll funded terror network in the world, used paintings As a source of funds.

Have you heard of "Geneva Free Port".  Geneva is a Swiss city and Switzerland has been known as the best place (apart from Cayman Islands, some banks in Hong Kong, Mauritious etc) for it's discreet banking system. It is a tax Haven and had been used for Hoarding black money.

But Swiss is actually a Haven for others too. In this case, paintings and other work of art. And herein comes Geneva Free Port. It is kinda bank, in Geneva, for keeping only work of art.

Few years back, stolen work of art, sourced from Syria, was found in Geneva Free Port. It lent more credence to the idea that world of art is a big source of funds.

Let's understand that, like a good real estate, a genuine, sought, loved and popular work of art never depreciates. Its value only increases. 

In fact, again few years back Beaufort Securities of Mauritius was investigated for buying paintings. These kinda agencies specialise in channeling I'll gotten and huge black money in the direct system, slowly. And paintings works. How? They buy at a price ( can be shown as an invetsment Or an expense). It is kept and later can be sold off. It has guaranteed returns.

More importantly, there are extremely rich people who are equally  extremely crazy about acquiring paintings or other works of art. It satisfied their ego

For all we know, many of them keep these paintings in their private collection, far away from prying eyes of media, investigative agencies and common people. It is an ego booster.

For God's sake, even a Rana Kapoor has been found with 62 costly paintings!

Money is paid for them, right? Assuming he paid 2 Crore for a Priyanka Gandhi painting, imagine how much he would have spent for other 61 paintings.

Even at RS. 2 Crore ( and it is very less) , it comes to approx RS. 125 crores.

I am not saying he picked them from any wrong source but look at the money.

Now let's go back To those wealthy genuine art lovers who can go to any limit to procure a painting.

And here come the Nexus. Often terrorist organizations, themselves can execute a campaign to steal paintings from renowned galleries across the world, esp in Europe and sell them for a huge Price.

Or professional art thieves can be hired to carry out the needful. Maybe the thieves don't even know who is the final buyer (not the rich collector, mind you but the terror/drugs/gunsl smugglers).

The art is stolen, and while exchanging through multiple hands, reach Final buyer, for millions of dollars.

Art is a secured solid source of funds for nefarious activities.

In November 2019,in a  famous art gallery in Dresden (a city in Germany), three most exquisite work of art was stolen. Experts said its value can not be fathomed .

Thieves don't keep these work of art for themselves . It is sold to someone. For millions and millions of dollars.

It is kept in places like Geneva Free Port!

A proper infrastructure is there, for it.

And there are "art restorers", people who restore damaged paintings or recreate paintings. In wake of a theft, sometimes they are hired by museums and galleries to recreate the stolen painting and kept at the same place. A common person, even after spending hours, cant make out the difference.

The world of art is sublimely beautiful. It encourages, it motivates us, the common people. It makes us dream.

But there are some who look at it as a source of funds.

Isn't it interesting?

FROM CHINA, WITH LOVE!

Life in the times of Covid 19

Remember the movie “Mars Attacks” and US president Jack Nicholson trying to fight the aliens. Maybe in the last two months, every day we have relived  the movie. Just that Mars has been replaced by a Virus.

At midnight of 31st December 2019 when we were busy wishing one and all a happy 2020, seldom did we know that this might turn out as the biggest irony of our lives. Within a gap of 60 days, the world faced a challenge, hitherto unknown. The challenge to survive!

While days turned into weeks and week into months, we could see the worst nightmare, the world could ever imagine , unravel in front of our own eyes. Glued to TV sets and news apps on our smart phone, we just saw countries and continents become victims of Novel Corona virus. Citadels of Renaissance like Italy crumbled while US found itself groping to survive. 

Maybe globalisation too assumed a new proportion when entire world globally and  collectively wanted to fight this menace. Social media was abuzz from calls of world leaders to common people , praying for the well being of all.

The world was united in its hope, in its valour , in its vigour and in its hatred for the virus and its source.

Whether it was because of abnormal eating practices in China or a human experiment that went horribly wrong in one of its biological laboratory in Wuhan, it was clear to all that communist China was the source of this deadly disease.

How was it possible that while world suffered, many economic hot spots of China remained unscathed. Or even while more than 10000 people died in Italy (not counting the other countries) in Wuhan it was only 2000. Unless China did what it does really well I.e. brushing news under the carpet.

With its global ‘agents’ like WHO working overtime to resurrect the global image of China, it is not a difficult task. Let’s not forget that human rights and human life really doesn’t matter much to the communist regime in China.

Barely three decades ago, it didn’t feel restrained to run tanks over its own people in Tianmen square, then it can, without batting an eyelid, can actually ensure that deaths of millions is never published.

And then Corona Virus came knocking at our own doors! 

We knew it will but when it did, it left us gasping! Collectively our Government led by Honourable Prime Minister and all states, officials embarked upon a humongous task to keep the virus and its spread, at a bay. The effort to ensure minimal spread and to break the “chain” was ‘initially successful’.

Our PM again let the world know why he is hailed as a statesman! 

He faced the challenge head on and led the counter measure, from the front.

Let us not forget the fact that since January, we have had a busy schedule. Initially with Trump coming to India, followed by the jihadi  Islamists indulging in mass rioting and killing in National Capital. While the islamist breakaway forces at Shaheen Bagh, added fuel to the fire.


Nevertheless, union government planned and carried out multiple steps to  obtain the virus. Be it thermal  checking in all international airports or getting Indians, from abroad, back home. Nothing was left to chance!

However, which government can ever predict human weakness. Many patients escaped from Quarantine. It was sheer efficiency of the officials, that most of these cases were immediately attended. But the vagary was already done! Virus started spreading.

 PM announced lockdown and it was the best time to announce and create isolation, in order to contain the virus. In such a time, almost all leaders, cutting across the party lines, came and supported our PM. While the respective implementation at state level has been different, with some states doing better than others.

Of course, we saw Leader of Congress party Mr. Rahul Gandhi, also doing what he does best (like China). He embarked upon a frustrating  campaign of immature criticism of the government in everything it did. Need was for him to unconditionally rally behind the PM but Mr. Gandhi being Mr. Gandhi, refrained from doing so.

Writer Arthur Basham had written a book called – The wonder that was India! He was right, for we are indeed a wonder. Often frustratingly so!

In fact despite the size of our country and its population, the initial numbers of positive corona cases were minimal so much so that many countries were at a loss. This speaks volumes about the proactive measures of our Government at centre.

But by the fag end of March (after Lockdown was announced) the challenge has increased manifold with News of an Islamist congregation called Jamaat Tablighi and its thousands of members, who despite requests from police and administration, went ahead with their religious meeting.

And now , it appears that many of them were positive cases of corona virus. It gets even worse, many of these people travelled to different states and now news of new cases of corona has come from those places.

As if it was not enough, from the day PM announced the lockdown, we saw migrant labourers willing to walk hundreds of kilometres to reach their villages! It was shocking. Media Gleefully covered the news, rather than convincing upon the migrant workforce to stay out.

What can a government do, in such a scenario?

The PM, had gone to the extent of making a request with folded hands. He shared case studies of notable success against corona virus and exhorted the country to self isolation. In my over 4 decades of existence on Earth, I have never seen any PM making such a strong and emotional appeal.

Adequate preparations were made but in face of such a manifestation of criminal intent as exhibited by Tablighi Jamaat, I wonder what can a Govt do. The damage has been done and the spreaders/carriers of this virus too have done their jobs. Had home ministry taken any tough measures,  assured the media and liberal ecosystem would have criticised the government.

From day one, there was a resistance amongst certain portion of the Muslim population towards lockdown. Perhaps because it was requested by Modi. Streams of tick tock videos asking Muslim youth to not follow lockdown/isolation rules, flooded the social media. Senior members of the community were almost adamant about their right to congregate in mosques.

In Maharashtra, state government decided that all Corona virus dead will be cream aged and not buried. Within 24 hours, Muslim leader of the alliance, Nawab Mali,, tweeted that this order will be withdrawn. Why should it be withdrawn?

Is religion more important than nation. For many Islamists, the answer is yes. Of course, the liberal intellectuals will be willing to oblige them even more.

The days ahead are going to be very tough. 1st April to 10th April shall show the trend. It is time to stay indoor, and pray. For we shall continue to have other Jamaat acting like a bunch of misguided missiles, but let’s support our government and respective state governments to prevail.

Or we are all doomed. We will reach a point of no return.

Thanks to a virus we got……from China, with love.

THE DAY WHEN IT STARTED FOR US!

“I have never advocated war except as a means of peace” – Ulysses S Grant

Illich Ramirez Sanchez a.k.a Carlos the Jackal  AND  Abu Nidal!

While growing up, I was always mesmerized with these  two  names. Mesmerized with utter disgust! For, these two names had always ‘shaken’ the world in the utmost destructive way. For the uninitiated, both were high level terrorists. While Carlos’ centre of activity was mainly Europe , for Abu Nidal , the founder of Fatah (The Militant Palestine group) it was both Middle-East and also Europe. Many terror attacks, were ascribed to them.

I always wondered what if Abu Nidal, the smuggler of terror (as I used to call him) brings his business here?

 But then I used to laugh it off, thinking as a mere figment of imagination. How could terror ever visit my country.

I was never so wrong…. A bloody Friday proved me so!

By the late afternoon of 12^th March 1993, I was proven wrong.

A normal day in Delhi! The winter was almost bidding us good bye and I remember, studying very hard, as my class 12^th boards were going on.  By late afternoon, the first whisper of rumour (as it was thought so initially) started coming in.

Unbelievable! How could this happen and more importantly, why should it happen? But in some time, it was confirmed.

The worst ever terror attack, planned and perpetrated by Islamists, had come home. I don’t think an attack of such magnitude had ever happened before in any country. The world had seen Munich massacre or London bombings (during IRA fights) or bombings in Italy or Israel BUT such magnitude.

Mumbai terror attacks, by the home grown Islamists, was a wakeup call. A rude one, at that! The financial capital of India and a major nodal centre of the globe, was attacked. More than 350 people killed. 12 serial blasts.

That was an era without any social media,  but by evening, the board exams were forgotten and all of us were just in front of TV to watch DD News unravelling the gory sights from Mumbai. 

There was nothing to say but everything to imagine and more to fear.

In some time, it was known that the mastermind behind the attacks was none other than Dawood Ibrahim. Now along with those two names at the top, this was a man who I used to follow, through newspapers, whenever and whatever was published.

Dawood Ibrahim, who was a fugitive already was a known name but this attacks elevated him to another level. Tiger Memon , hie lieutenant who carried out the operations meticulously (Please read the book –Black Friday by Hussain Zaidi to understand the operations).  Both Dawood and Tiger are still at large.

There was another factor! A man called Asad Durrani. The head of ISI in Pakistan. He had moved out by Feb 1993 but it was he who was equally responsible. Such an operation could not have happened without the blessings of ISI. It was ISI which managed to procure the RDX for Dawood. RDX was used in the attacks, brought in Mumbai through small adjoining ports.

The predecessor of Durrani was the ill famous, ruthless, bloody  and brilliant Hamid Gul, the man who planned, supported and blessed the Kashmir terror activities which  had started barely three years earlier. Both Gul and Durrani, and all others before them and after, with true belief in the ethos of ISI, always hated India to the core.

 The reason was ascribed to the Hindu muslim riots in Mumbai  after the demolition of an illegal mosque in Ayodhya called  Babri Masjid. Dawood, Tiger planned the revenge. Apparently, one key stirrer was when Hasina Parker (the dreaded sister of Dawood) sent him bangles after the riots.  

Larger question here is that did riots happen for the first time? In maximum riots in India, it is Hindus who bore the brunt but they never made bombs and killed their own countrymen. However, it is another topic of debate.

What is alarming is that the two main conspirators are still at large. Had it been Israel or US, by now they would have been in their graves. It speaks volumes about the muck that seeped in the politics of Congress. Sharad Pawar was the Chief Minister.  He tried to mislead the investigators saying there is another blast being planned. 13^th blast. There was no 13^th blast.

A recent remark by Mr. Sood, an ex Intelligence officer (published in Opindia) where he clearly mentioned that Sharad pawar had links with Dawood.  Again, this is topic for another debate

Where does it end? Mumbai blasts opened the floodgates to similar terror attacks. We became the hot favourite of Radical Islamists. Congress government never unleashed any counter attack on them. Thanks to such repulsive attitude of Congress, today it is very difficult to get Dawood. He is the most special guest of ISI, sitting in his huge bungalow in Defence Colony, Karachi. 

Had we had a government with intent, Dawood would have long ago been either arrested or terminated. both are welcome.

For the first time, under Mr. Modi, we can see a focused attack on the terror perpetrators. Like Grant said, we need to unleash a war to maintain peace.

War on terror, that is. Whatever it takes….and i am sure that it is just some time, before we get our hands on the biggest enemy of our nation. 

MERE BACHCHON SAMBHALKE!

In 50s, a Hindi film had released starring Abhi Bhattacharya as a school teacher. The movie was “Jagriti”. A brilliant and a must watch film (I can vouch for it having seen it twice), the movie revolved around a school teacher who sets a group of errant children on the right track.

In fact, I have often pleased my desi  patriotic pride with a child’s marvel that both the iconic book  “To Sir With Love” (by E R Braithwaite) and the iconic Hollywood movie of the same name, were inspired by “Jagriti”. As I said, a child’s imagination! 

Jagriti had a great song  - “Hum Layen Hain Tufaan Se Kashti Nikalke, Is desh Ko Rakhna Mere Bachchon Sambhalke”. Brilliant song by Rafi Saab.

On late night of December 20^th 2019, as I sat watching the snippets of our “democracy” on Twitter, I was reminded of this song and immediately, after ages,  set myself to write my thoughts.

I asked myself a Question that had the lyricist of this song (The great Kavi Pradeep in this case, who has adorned us with similar great songs replete with patriotic fervour) were alive then would he like to reconsider the lyrics of this song!

Toh kya bachchon ne desh sambhala?

From 1954 (When film was released) to 2019, the country has had journey of its own proportions. I will not go into the era without sufficing it to say that overall, it was “bachchas” of one family who called the shots on behalf of billions of other “bachchas” of the country.  However, politics aside, the socio cultural currents, or call it multi lateral dimensions, were similar. The value based foundation, of our country, was similar. Let’s say till the end of the last century!

However, today on 21^st December 2019, can we ask ourselves the same question? Is the foundation of the nation still same

Answer is a big emphatic NO.  

We learnt the art of questioning everything. While asking questions is a very healthy sign of a strong democracy, but when the questions are based on anything but logic and information, often these questions can also be the answers to how to destroy a civilization.

Since Sunday , the 15^th December 2019, India has been gripped by a fever! A fever which has brought millions on the street for what seems to be a never receding outpouring or protest. We have become a Protest country.  

The background to the protest was the passing and enactment of CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) by the current BJP led NDA Government under Prime minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

In contemporary times, I can think of two such massive people”s movement

           1) Lokpal Agitation by Anna Hazare later taken over by current CM of Delhi

2    2) Anti Mandal 

I was part of both! Very aggressively in case 2 above. I feel proud to say that I had received police lathi twice during the protest .

Now the question – Why did we protest and why do we still protest?

Is our protest empowered enough by proper information, facts, data.

During Lokpal, I could clearly see that many and more of the protestors did not a zilch about the proposed bill.  Even I did not, as much as I should have. So why protest? Because it was a ground for venting out our frustration on the govt.  (Considering the government of the time, it was well placed). Second reason was to have a talking point. Third reason was to satisfy our ego that see, I too was there!

But in Mandal Agitation, I feel there were two clear groups. Pro and Anti Mandal.  And in that case, at least the overall contours of the act were, more or less, known.

 Can we say the same for the current “Protest”.

The answer is staring on our face! It is NO. Again a Big NO!

The protestors can be divided into two distinct groups 

1) Lead protestors – Muslims

2) Support protestors  - Students, Intellectuals, Liberals, Jhola gang, Mombatti gang, badi bindi gang, goggles on the head and a frown on the forehead gang AND of course, the Lights, Camera Action gang (our Bollywood celebs)

And both the groups are ill Informed. Despite the Home Minster clarifying in the Parliament and following it up in a series of media organised events, the protestors still do not know and even worse, do not want to know. 

Add to this the tacit support by some in media and the opposition political parties. Both of them were not interested in helping with the proper information. Rather it became an outlet for all to direct their angst at two men. Men they hate and Men we love. Country was divided.

For the Support protestors, the reason was– I too was there. I  have a story to tell my friends family and future generation. I hate this Government.

 But the desire, to know about what they are protesting, was missing.

For the lead protestors , it is even worse. They are fighting on a self created fabricated malignant piece of malafide perception. Fanned by their community leaders, politicians and media. Their protest assumed the proportion of a religious war. A clarion call of Azaadi, amongst other things, from Hindus too! (This we will discuss in a different blog).

One aspect of this Protest has been the presence of Millennials (and I here I do not include life long students of JNU, Jamia and AMU). I mean millennials. The Bachchas!

They love their placards and how! They love to clap and sing impromptu protest songs and they love to carry a serious face. And they love their big ear rings and goggles.

But what they don’t love is to know about either the CAB or the reasons for its enactment into CAA.

Upon asked by independent groups , it was clear that their knowledge was zero. Of course, when led by “Thought Leaders” like Bollywood personality Farhan Akhtar and his team, it is a foregone conclusion.

How does this protest by millennials impact our country?

In a big way! Today’s millennials are just a few years away from becoming tax paying mainstream citizens. Citizens with opinion and thoughts!

We are living in an age (and considering today’s times of exposure through multi platforms) where blaming lack of data/facts, for having become uninformed, is the last acceptable thing.  And yet, there is no information. They have the desire to protest but do not have the desire r yearning to know!

Who is to be blamed?

I feel collectively all of us!  Parents, teachers, media, politics and societal changes…

None of the stake holders have made an attempt to have a meaningful dialogue with the kids. To inform them about the act, its provisions. And then let them decide!

Larger question is whether the stakeholders themselves are informed. I doubt it seeing so many professors, teachers, parents participating (with most of them again knowing nothing about the bill)

This is not healthy for a unique country like ours having more blends and trends and traditions than rest of the world combined. It needs to be addressed and now.

We can not let our future, become our influencers, mature a platform of lack of information.

So in retrospect, i am not very sure that were Kavi Pradeep were alive today and asked the question, he would have liked to continue with the same lyrics....

The saga of Shishupal in 2019 General Elections

In the last forty eight hours, the whole country was embroiled in a new debate when PM Narendra Modi, during one of his election rally, invoked the name of former Prime Minister Rajeev Gandhi in relation to corruption. In a taciturn of events, the country found itself questioning and answering this invocation. Of course, both the camps came up with their own ideas.

Now, before we go into the merits of this debate,  I find it imperative to invoke even an older saga- The death of Shishupal! This thought occurred suddenly to me in the “aftermath” of this debate.  Allow me to qualify.

For the uninitiated, in the epic tale of Mahabharata, Shishupal  was the King of Chedi and cousin of Lord Krishna from his paternal aunt’s side. 
Shishupal was born with a physical deformity with four hands. Upon his birth, there was a prophecy that the person, in whose touch shall the baby loose his deformity, will also be responsible for his death.
Well, as ubiquitous as it might sound, it fell upon Lord Krishna who while visiting his aunt at Chedi took Baby Shishupal in his lap and the deformity was gone. The entire royal household while celebrating the news was also lost in despair knowing the identity of the future killer of Shishupal.
To a depraved mother, thus Lord Krishan vowed that he shall pardon hundred mistakes (read abuses) from this child but the moment he utters his 101^st abuse, shall be his last moment on Earth! As the story progressed, Shishupal grew up to be extremely jealous and frustrated of Lord Krishna. SO much was his angst that during the royal coronation of  Prince Yuddhister in Indraprastha, he went on a verbal diatribe against Krishna. And he forgot he promise made by Krishna to his mother. And he died! Lord Krishan killed him with his Sudarshan Chakra the moment Shishupal uttered his Hundredth One abuse.  Let’s remember this saga!

The scorching summer of 2019 shall go down in the annals of history as having witnessed the toughest ever election campaign this country has perhaps seen.  The modern Mahabharat!  And in this new epic, the two key characters are PM Narendra Modi and leader of Congress Mr. Rahul Gandhi.

In the run down to the elections,  Mr. Gandhi went on a verbal diatribe against an elected PM of the nation. Leaving all the basic decency aside, he vehemently set himself on referring the elected PM with choicest of abjectives. His favourite choice of word to describe the PM was “Chor” meaning Thief. And soon, his entire party followed suit and started referring the PM as a chor. Was it a new phenomenon? NO, it was not! 

Long before Mr. Gandhi, his mother Ms. Sonia Gandhi had the dubious distinction of calling the current Pm and then CM of Gujarat as “Maut of Saudagar”. Please bear in mind that it was in reference to Gujarat riots- the favourite fall back cushion for Congress to counter Mr Modi.

While the tirade of calling a PM as “Chor” continued for a long time, suddenly out of blue the PM, in his inimitable style of calling a spade a spade, reminded Mr. Gandhi that his father the late PM Rajeev Gandhi was the 'chor'. He in fact challenged Congress to invoke the name of Mr. Rajeev Gandhi in their election campaign in Punjab and Delhi.

Post his remark, all hell broke loose in the power corridor of Lutyens Delhi with any and everyone in the ecosystem of Congress doing their best to carve a villain out of Mr. Modi. Of course the intellectuals and many in the media of the country joined this circus.

Their key points were:

     1) Rajeev Gandhi was an ex Prime Minister and now dead, so we should forget.

     2) The ex PM  was assassinated, so a martyr.

         

     3) He is a Bharat Ratna!

         

       Let's adress

1) Rajeev Gandhi was an ex Prime Minister and now dead.

So what? In which book is it written that an ex PM can not be called out. And let’s not forget that :

• He as PM was responsible for death of thousands of Sikhs killed by a pogrom hatched by his own party.
• He was the PM when Bhopal gas tragedy happened and more importantly, the key accused was allowed to fly abroad.
• He was the PM who didn’t allow millions of Muslim women their basic human rights. He was the PM who was directly responsible in Bofors scam and
• He was the PM whose disastrous foreign policy in Sri Lanka, amongst many things, was also the reason for his death. And...
• While not as the PM, he was the man who was responsible for bringing down an infant government of Chandrashekhar. So which great PM are we talking about?

And why should we forgive or forget the dead? Then millions of  Jews, Russians and chinese should forget Hitler, Stalin and Mao Zedong respectively. Likewise N. Koreans should forget the Kim Jong iL.

And the best part! These same champions of morality, about an Ex Prime Minister, never lost their sleep when an elected PM was continuously abused. But then the original Mahabharat had only one Shikandi  but in the modern Mahabharat, it seems Congress party has employed a team of Shikandis

2) He was assassinated

So was Raynard Haydrich the leader of Hitler SS squad in Prussia. At that time for many in Germans, Heydrich was a hero. But just because he was assassinated, should we forget his role as a perpetrator of human genocide? And here let me again remind you aboout the remark of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi referring to Modi as Maut ka Saudagar. Maybe she forgot that original Maut ka Producer, director, distributor and trader was the man who casually justified murder of thousands of Sikhs as "Earth shaking when banyan tree falls".  

In the recent past, Zia Ul Haq and  Benazir Bhutto were assassinated in Pakistan! Should we forget them even though the former was part of “cutting thousand wounds to India’ program and the latter was responsible for unleashing ISI and people like Hamid Gul bleeding  India. 

3) Bharat Ratna

Given by a government of his own party. Point closed.

And here we will again talk about Shishupal and Lord Krishna! For god’s sake, I am not even imagining to attempt at personifying these two in wake of current elections. My analogy is about the mindset and ideology.

Like Shishupal, the attitude and thought process of Rahul Gandhi drove him to start abusing an elected PM. For years, abuses were hurled at him but like the coronation of Yuddhisthir (where Shishupal was at his worst), now the abuses at PM was extreme. And Like Lord Krishna, the ideology Mr. Modi allowed him to face these abuses with unfailing patience. In fact he allowed Rahul some levity too. 

But like ultimately Lord Krishna killed Shishupal with his Sudarshan Chakra, Mr. Modi killed this vicious trait of abuses by invoking Mr. Rajeev Gandhi and rightly so! He has upped the ante and given a whole new meaning to the narrative. He has killed the immoral ideology and the thought process of a man who never seems shy of resorting to uncouth vilification.

In this kali yuga, the Shishupal of Mahabharat 2019 (read the vicious ideology of abusing an elected PM) is dead and buried now. It should be dead! 

And this episode shall set the course, just like the original version, for the road map of a just, friendly and prosperous NDA Government on May 23^rd 2019! 

THAT BLOODY DAY

The day has come back to haunt me  so many times in two decades with one question- What if  again??

It was an ordinary cold morning in Delhi on that day. Three years out of college and back home for a vacation during MBA, the day promised nothing new. Being a BJP Govt in time, we were discussing the birthday of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee next day and boom, it happened. With no social media, by late evening its was confirmed that our Indian Airlines was hijacked. We joined a global club of people attacked again by terrorists!

Despite a super cold evening, the atmosphere was charged up. People on the road  were in a hurry to go home and check the news.

Every face carried the same expression –of agony, anger, puzzlement and most of all, a strong sense of disbelief. How could it happen to us? What did we do to deserve this? Let’s consider the fact that  it was almost after a decade of end of terrorism in Punjab. So who could? Immediately after getting the news, not for once could we link it to people who , subsequently took the responsibility.

While growing up, I had often been told about two Air related incidents – 1982 crash of Air India Kanishka over Mid Atlantic which saw everyone aboard die within matter of minutes. In fact, Kanishka Crash went on to become a case study for aviation security worldwide.

The Second incident was the hijack of Pan Am Flight from Mumbai to US. The same flight where the young brave heart Neerja Bhanot gave her life to help people escape, thus giving her life in the process. This was carried out by Abu Nidal’s organization. For the uninitiated, Abu Nidal was a dreaded Palestine terrorist and founder of Fatah (not copying pasting from Wikipedia here )…I recall his name because he was a major feature on newspapers at regular interval in 90’s. Eventually, he was killed, I believe in Libya. That’s for another day.

So growing up on the anecdotal legacy of the above two incidents, it was natural to recall it again on that ghastly cold night of 24^th December 1999, a night India barely slept.

By next day, the whole country was embroiled in a major debate, be it at inner sanctums of home or at chai shop. What next? Disbelief of the previous day slowly paved way to a national debate at every nook n corner. Once the demands of hijackers were known, the debate was on the recourse of the government.

Our thoughts were every moment with the hostages? What are they eating? How are they sleeping. Are they being beaten? Even as crass it may sound, how are the toilet conditions. And, as if it was not enough, the whole country was greeted with the nerve wrecking sight of hijackers throwing the body of newly wed Rupin Katyal.  It was the last fodder to put fuel into fire. Suddenly, the country wanted to have back the hostages.

Some of us advocated the zero tolerance policy of US as a reference point but by and large, especially in Delhi, I could see a thought of reconciliation to the terrorists’ demands, peeving in. after all, we are the country, who showed the world the “value of humanity and spirit of universal brotherhood”.  Come few more days, a mood of desperation came over many people  with ‘ Leke deke Ktam karo yaar yeh drama. Bahut ho gaya’.

The channels were full of visuals of a tense government, an ‘empathizing’ opposition giving full support to Government and yet demanding release of hostages and livid public. And thus it went on for 7 long days for India and then the announcement came in intending to return the terrorists including Maulana Masood Azhar.

Was it a moment to heave a sigh of relief. Of course for many and especially for families of the hostages but at what cost? Didn’t we end up paying too heavy a price, as future will unravel for us.

The news brought in a feeling of deep agony and despair amongst lot of us, including me. Suddenly, we were very angry at the government but I feel what else could have the hapless government do?

A question that ought to have been asked that day and maybe for years later is – Did we as people stand firmly behind the Government? Had the Government not relented to the pressure of families of hostages and resolved NOT to release the terrorists, would we have completely supported it.

Unless, we can garner the emotional and mental strength to give unsolicited support to Government , in wake of such dastardly incidents, I feel it is a collective responsibility and the Onus lies on all of us.

Today on 9^th March with days to go for General Election 2019, Opposition leader Mr. Rahul Gandhi asked a question to Government to the effect of why did BJP Government of the time, release the terrorists.

I would urge whoever chooses to read this article to take the effort to read an article by eminent Journalist Mr. Kanchan Gupta, who was there that time.  It should be read. Like they, direct from horse's mouth...

http://kanchangupta.blogspot.com/2008/12/truth-behind-kandahar.html?m=1

While Plane hijack is a rare occurrence now , thanks to strict security rules, but these incidents can change its contours, its target. And hence, we need to answer the the question I posed at the beginning of the article – What if again? Wise men have said that History should never be repeated and maybe we should believe them. 

THE NEW TROJAN HORSE: SAGA OF DECEITFUL WAR

When Menelaus of Sparta attacked Troy, it was not a drive to only undo the wrong of Prince Paris, who had taken his wife.  He needed a reason to attack a nation otherwise known for its peaceful overtures! And Menelaus knew that to bend the mighty Trojans, he had to be industrious to think of a deceit. And thus was created the Trojan Horse. Make no mistake…Troy was not defeated by Sparta but by the Trojan Horse. Troy misplaced its faith, trust and sense of divine good. Rest is history.

In a flashback to contemporary times with recorded history, the Second World War would have continued for longer duration had it not been for the cunning of Eisenhower, Patton and Montogomery to lead the Nazis into a masterly crafted deceit , called Oparation Body Guard (and unbelievable efforts were undertaken to make it look real), singularly crafted to deceive the Germans into thinking that D-Day attacks will come at Pas De Calais at France which was over 200 mile from Normandy, where the actual attack, called Operation Overlord, happened. Hitler, Rommel, Von Rundsteadt, Keitel were all deceived. Again, a kind of Trojan Horse was created in this case Operation Body Guard to finisg the Germans.

The reason to share one anecdotal or mythological event and the other historically recorded event is to elaborate on the word Deceit through Trojan Horse.

India was attacked on 14^th February 2019 by terrorists, at the call of Pakistan and its infamous ISI, and Pulwama in Kashmir was the chosen spot for the attacks. It was not the first and it is definitely not the last in what shall be a continued series of such attacks in future. The cities will differ but the impact and intent of these attacks will remain the same.

We need to go back! When Pakistan could not win even an inch of land from us after three  direct wars  in 1947, 1971 and much recently in 1999,  they realised that they too needed to create a Trojan Horse. Full of deceit, vile and fury! And thus was created the model of Terror. In this modern war, Pakistan was the new Sparta and people like Gen. Zia Ul  Haq, Mirza Aslam Beg, Hamid Gul, Assad Durrani were the new Menelaus.

And, India was the new Troy. The first testing ground for the Trojan Horse was Punjab.  The method was to create a new eco sysytem – born and bred around terror. Hidden, shrouded in deceit and yet effective. Our Government woke up late but then acted swiftly. After years of this ‘new war’, we had won but remnants still remain till day. The terror has been replaced by drugs. But at least in Punjab, the war was directly between a nation and a group of terrorists. Well almost! But it was soon to change. Pakistan had learned its lesson.

The second step was Kashmir. Hamid Gul , Durrani and company unleashed a new , motivated, well prepared terror unto us. Modules and groups were confirmed. From Harkat to Let to Jem to Al Badr and from Bitta Karatte to Salauddin to Burhani Wani, the names kept changing or appearing but intent remained the same. Bleeding India to thousand cuts, as famously propounded by Gen.Zia.

But in Kashmir, a much larger strategy was envisioned and implemented. Leading a war from all fronts. Forcing Kashmiri Pundits, the original inhabitants to flee, Empowering  Hurriyat, creating a religious led mas spublic outcry and hysteria and of course, identifying and emboldening spokespersons (Read it as agents of treason, if you want).

Did Pakistan succeed? Yes, it did. And this happened because our government of the time and we the people were caught napping. Let’s all own up to this colossal decadal war. We paid a heavy price and sadly, continue to pay even today.

Pakistan succeeded in creating the Trojan Horse. In this case, it were the champions of Human Rights, Kashmiri Human Rights, Journalists, intellectuals and opinion leaders, all from within…within us.  A group of elitists who remained oblivious to the fate of our soldiers but were all charged up when a single terrorist was killed. This Trojan Horse is a master of narratives rather creating it.

Narratives through a well concerted PR exercise globally, in conjunction with nations and confederates like OIC has been attacking us every day. Yet, we remain the good principled nation still trusting ad placing our hopes that this new Trojan Horse is perhaps a figment of our horrid imagination and reality is more positive. But then how do we account for the likes of people like Arundhati Roy, and so many others.  They are the foot soldiers of Pakistan and its agents in Kashmir, comfortably fitted inside the Horse waiting for their opportunity to unleash their diatribe against us. Their new instrument is asking questions of our intent and proof of our implementation.

We know the enemy and its agents. So what next? Should we allow the Trojan Horse to continue to graze on our land and yet hurt us or as a nation we should resolve to put an end to it. While we can expect the current government to perhaps execute our own version of “Wrath of God” against the external enemies, we as a people need to think about the Trojan Horse within. We have to reveal their lies, we have to point out their sinister mischievous intent.

If history has given lessons, it will be wise to pick up the learnings and real fast…….