Miscellanea [01 July 2016 – 30 Sept. 2016]
FRIENDSHIP UNSTOPPABLE
No day is unsuitable for making, finding, fostering friendship. And no true friend can be bound to labels. But, alas, ‘friendships’ these days come cheap, and go cheaper, still.
Yet, friendship remains the most satisfying, abiding and sustainable, and the least cumbersome relationship. Amongst those that don’t take undeserved liberties, nor harbour unrealistic expectations, this particular type of connection works better.
To my friends who have wished me well, irrespective of whether I fully measured up to their esteem and affections, I reaffirm my commitment and offer my thanks and good wishes. They make my times worth living, and my work worth persevering for.
I hope to be able to keep their trust, and continue to earn their considerations.
RAPE OF A BUD
At Hapur a girl, so tiny as four years, has bee #raped.
Are we waiting for the rapists to rape the embryo?
Let us publicly shame the rapists, castrate them and imprison them for some time.
After all, punishment must serve two objectives: it should deter the potential rapists, and it should isolate the rapist from society to put people out of his harm.
Equally, we must meticulously distinguish the heinous crime of rape from the much less serious offences of unpaid sex and most certainly from consented sex. False and motivated accusations by blackmailing women must be punished equally swiftly. Only then will rape punishment truly shame the rapist.
PRETTY FACES
A ‘friend’ taunted that there aren’t many #pretty faces on my page.
I haven’t counted but I accept friend invites by reading their profiles – and not by seeing their picture [only!].
– Clearly, this ‘friend’ fails to see grace, intellect and caliber as #beautiful!
– Notwithstanding his definition of ‘prettiness’ I wonder if I have irked Pakistanis!
– And, to be fair, pretty people choose pretty profiles!
CRUSADE FOR TRUTH AND FAIRNESS
This responds to a comment by a friend Neha Khimi Thakur
More often I am one helpless, powerless, ineffective crusader and have done far lesser than I wished to do, in many situations. Often my coming from a Muslim background works against me.
When Kashmir was burning earlier, I wrote to Vajpayee [and to Brajesh Mishra] offering to go work for peace through Development, given that I had spent three successful years there. Not much progress from the PMO, though, dampened my spirits.
When Akshardham firing was on by two Jihadis I urged the Gujarat Police to allow me to negotiate, even serve as a bait.
On other occasions I succeeded. Such as in healing the wounds of 2002 a little, hopefully dissuading potential counter-terrorists, through my Nai Subh campaign of harmony across the nook and corner of Gujarat, addressing thousands of Muslims through dozens of meetings.
But overall I fail more often than I succeed. But try I do. I must. All of us should.
WANTED COURAGEOUS JIHADIS
WILLING TO SACRIFICE THEIR LIVES FOR MUSLIMS
[Ok, Sacrifice for Islam – such that it benefits Muslims.]
Jihad [struggle for just causes] is a cardinal tenet of Islam. And we know that there is no dearth of courageous Muslims who can even sacrifice their lives for causes dear to them.
Boko Haram have completely unjustly captured a few hundred totally innocent little Christian girls and are holding them for ransom. Nothing has hurt the image of Muslims – and, therefore, of Islam – more than this barbaric act. And nothing can be better than undoing this damage.
What we need now is a band of dare-devils, true Jihadis, Muslim heroes, who can infiltrate the Haramis and rescue these hapless girls. If this happens the image of Muslims as terrorists will change significantly. This will be one of the greatest services to Muslims, to these hapless girls and their suffering parents, and to the entire humanity.
If such a band of dedicated Muslim heroes dares to embark upon this extra-ordinary mission I shall try to mobilize necessary monetary resources for their crusade after due diligence, and for deserving credit, after the feat.
Nikal Ke Sehra Se Jisne Rooma Ki Saltanat Ko Ulat Diya Tha;
Suna Hai Ye Qudsiyon Se Maine Wo Sher Phir Hoshiyar Hoga.
[The one coming from deserts had overturned the Roman Empire; I have heard from the Qudsis that the same Lion will be re-awakened].
May be that metaphorical desert and its proverbial lions could be us.
SAD, BUT PERHAPS NECESSARY
Averse to all violence, all bloodshed, generally, I am obviously sad at the turn of events in Indo-Pak relations.
But in all honesty, even the adversaries of BJP must concede that our Govt did show sufficient restraint, and that Pak invited this upon itself.
Pak took too many liberties, unrealistically, was complacent – if not outright complicit – to the misdeeds of its non-state actors, for far too long, and ignored our democratic compulsions and patriotic angst.
The only sane advice friends of Pak should give it is to let the matters rest here, diffuse the situation honourably, and allow the environment to cool down.
Looks unrealistic at this time, but one fondly hopes and wishes that both the nations return to negotiation table to address the real problems afflicting our societies.
