Month: June 2004

link via carthik

For the people who come to my site looking for ?praveen kumar killed wife?, please allow me to explain. I have not killed my wife, not yet. She is very much alive and can be found occasionally updating her blog here. And most probably, I am not the praveen kumar that you are looking for also. I haven?t got any dowry for marriage and I do condemn the system of dowry as I didn?t get any. Maybe you are looking for this.

Thanks for coming.

Recently I got a gmail account thanks to Ravikiran. Needless to say it went to my better half, and I am still looking out for another invite. We both were checking out the Gmail, when we came accross the nice feature, where you get all the replies to a mail grouped together. It was by accident that I discovered the Google Ads, that ran along the border. I had read that they were supposed to be related to the content of the mail, but the ads didnt make any sense to me.

Then I found out, why the plumbing ads were on the gmail site. Yes, click on the image and you too will find out. Yes, I am having a cold. 🙂

It was during a chat with a friend that the Gujarat Encounter issue came up. Police had killed 4 people, whom the police suspect to be Lashkar e taiba militants, who were planning to kill Gujarat Chief minister, Narendra modi. One of them was Ishrat Jahan, a college student hailing from Mumbra, near Mumbai. I had seen the report earlier in Star news, where the quality of the reporting was horrible enough. Instead of finding why Ishrat went to Gujarat, and what could be her connections to the slain suspected terrorists, the news team was asking local people her college attendance and how good she was at studies.

From whatever news I read on the web also, the impression was that Gujarat police had killed 4 innocents, just by accusing them to be associated with LeT. Now the media has broadcast this version all over. Now I dont underestimate the power of media, based on which several people form thier own opinions. But I found such sort of reporting a really bad example. My friend also held the same opinion under the media influence, which I wanted to counter. I didnt have the full data to counter him, so instead said that I will read through all the latest news and post it as a blog entry. Here is what I had found after reading through the news items.

These were the headlines that I saw in the reports.

Gujarat Encounter: Killed Girl Not Linked With Terrorist Outfit: CB
Gujarat police mum on Ahmedabad encounter
LeT ‘encounter’: Maharashtra govt orders probe
Gujarat encounter gets political twist as Cong steps in
M for Modi, M for murder plot
Gujarat encounter: Laloo demands Modi’s arrest
Tension in Mumbra after Ishrat’s burial
Ishrat Jahan was framed
Ishrat: IB backs police version
Javed hosted Pak national, confesses wife
Thane shutdown as Ishrat’s body is brought home
Israt was in love with LeT man: IB official
Ishrat buried amid tension
Javeed’s father believes ‘encounter’ was fake, seeks CBI probe

This is the synopsis of what I had found reading the news reports

Four people were killed in encounter at Ahmedabad, who were suspected to be terrorists linked to LeT. Out of the 4 people killed, 2 were pakistani nationals, and Gujarat police have contacted the Pakistani Embassy to claim their bodies. The other 1 male member killed was a person from kerala, who got converted to Islam after a love marriage 10 years back. The remaining lone female person who was also killed – Ishrat Jahan, was a teenage college student, who stayed in mumbra.

The initial reports suggested that Gujarat police might have killed innocents. Congress opposition leader in Gujarat didnt waste time accusing Narendra Modi of staging the event to create sympathy. Our own Laloo prasad yadav demanded Modi’s arrest, and media had made the public believe that it was all staged. One indian express article went to the extent to give their headlines as “M for Modi, M for murder plot”, even before they have verified the whole facts. Even Mumbai Crime branch reported to press that they didnt find any evidence linking Ishrat to the gang that was killed.

It was only later that IB reports came, that suggested that Isharat had links with LeT, and was on her first mission. IB had reported this immediately to the Mumbai as well as Gujarat police, and eventually the encounter took place. But the damage has been done, “Thane shutdown as Ishrat’s body is brought home” and “Thousands turn out to bid Ishrat farewell” told the journalists, further projecting the image that the police did a heinous crime, even before they could lay their hands on facts of the case. Media indeed wields a lot of power.

Since Godhra incident and the ensuing riots happened, media has ensured that any news item that is related from Gujarat is anti-muslim, anti-minority, and how Gujarat is becoming a fascist state. There has been no thought of verifying facts and analysing information without bias.

ps: To state the obvious, I do condemn what happened at Godhra and the ensuing riots in Gujarat. I do think that inquiry should be done as to why there was lawlessness and the responsible people should be brought to book. But I dont agree with the jaundice eyed bias against the Gujarat Government and Modi for all the incidents happening in Gujarat.

pps: There was one report, which I found later that deals with the same matter.

News: Activists smash up cinema after Bollywood breaks lesbian taboo.

I am outraged. I cannot understand why no person in India has responded, they should be out in the streets burning theaters, attacking multinationals and any other structure that does not resemble a Jhoppad patti. Just how could you excuse a filmmaker making a lesbian move, that too most probably a crappy one? Its outright offense to “Indian culture”. How can Karan Razdan make a movie about lesbians, when he cannot even be one (unless of-course he decides to to go under the surgical knife). I protest vehemently.

The Morality of Indian cinema has been on a decline over a period of time. We used to have a golden time, when we used to see two flowers in the screen as soon as in the movie, the hero and the heroine came together. During that time movies also made sure that they maintained the high standards of morality. They used to show atleast one song where Silk Smitha, Disco Shanti or some other b(h)eavyweight scantily clad dancing to some “uncultured” music. Then the audience could see for themselves, how culturally right the movie was compared to that song, which represented evil. How very culturally correct depiction of morality. From that to this is an outright display of moral denigration. Woe unto the makers of “Girlfriend” movie. May they go to netherworlds, and become gay and find only scantily clad belles all around them.

Though I was in UK, I also wanted to play a part in all these exciting and exalted cultured activities by shivsena activists. The best way to display my protest was by pelting some stones at the nearest theatre. I drove from my home to the theatre thinking that I will find some stones on the way by side of road. But I believe the Intelligence agencies here got a scent of my intentions many years ago, and made it impossible to find a stone in the road, footpath or the green patch that began from the end of the footpath. Frustrated i reached the theatre without stones, where I inquired with security as where to get the stones. He told me that the nearest place I can get stones is in a B&Q or Homebase store, who sold them in sacks starting from ?5 (Rs.400). Damn, I cannot even protest against an offense to Indian Culture properly. I am in a country where you have to buy even stones and soil from the superstores.

But I am thankful that Shivsena and others like minded party activists are taking corrective measures to counter the cultural imbalance infecting Indian cinema. I wish they could come to power as only they can prove that Kamasutra was written by some invader and imposed upon us and make us realize that the book never belonged to our culture. The sculptures at Ajanta and Ellora were also brought in by marauders coming from afghanistan and assembled in India. This is all a conspiracy, and these activists can prove that, by breaking theatres and buring books.

I am thinking that Shivsena and others should have branches all over the world. Eventhough AL-Keeda group operates underground, for shivsena there is no need to do that. They are afterall protecting the culture and are not into taking lives, just re-establishing the culture of the world as it should be. Maybe they can open a branch in china, where the western immoral people are culturally corrupting the panda’s by showing them x rated movies [yes, you can click the link safely from office]. Talk about degradation of our culture and westernisation of society.

I feel like a stranger to my blog/journal. There was a time, when I could just write anything in the blog, about my sambar adventure, my dieting resolutions, escapades with friends etc. Then slowly I started writing what I considered stories and poems and was impressed by few of them. But that was years back. Now I look into my blog and think what to write. Nothing seems to fit in here… There is a feeling of uneasiness, particularly when you write something to post and ponder over it. As a result it never get posted.

But then come to think of it, after all this is my place where I can indulge in verbal acrobatics. A piece of me, that others can have a look at. But writing has become more difficult. A difficult choice, if to write about trivial things that happen around, write about controversial topics (viz. Men and Women are not equal, they have equal rights), write political views and the like. A wide variety of new and old blogs have provided a lot of material to read, which also leaves less time to write. But then the urge to write does not go away and eventually you have to surrender to that urge. So its back to blogging again, I believe.

I did a political compass test, to see where I stand politically. The result is as below.

Economic Left/Right: 0.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.23

I am stuck in between. I am sure I wont make a good politician with that kind of score. A power politician has to be either more toward left or right economically and more up or down in the ideology scale or be a member of Gandhi family. (I couldnt resist that).

“Holy Sire, then why each and every desire of all human beings is not fulfilled instantly?” Rama asked.

Vasishtha replied “Because Rama, you can choose one at a time. When I ask you to stand up you stand. When I ask you to stand on your one leg, you stand on right leg. Now I say, stand on left leg, you can’t. You will fall down. But before you stood on right leg you had choice to not stand on right but on left. Same way, whatever you have chosen accordingly, the pattern of mind is made up. Next choice will definitely come but former choice had to be wiped out first.”

He continued “Whatever you chose, joy or suffering, love or hate, their impressions, tracks and roadways have been made. This will require your next desire to go all the way to the edge of the universe and come back, then you will be ready. Like when you touch a pond a wave circle goes on expanding up to the next bank of the pond. Likewise Rama, it is only in spring the forest blooms colossally. Only in spring of mind the forest of misery blooms. Therefore understand the seven stages of knowledge and by and by ascend from one after another.”

“Aapathey kim karaneeyam?”
“what needs to be done when faced with danger?”

Kakksasseri Bhattathiri knew why this question was posed to him. Reply came without any hesitation.

“smaraneeyam charanayugalamambaayam”
“remember the lotus feet of Amba – mother godess”

I was really surprised that I couldnt find much information about “Kakkasseri Bhattathiri” who was asked this question. A google search for Kakkassery, Kakkasseri, kakaseri, kakassery and different combinations only gave me spartan information. Luckily I had Aithihyamaala in malayalam, where I could dig up whole story about Kakkasseri bhattathiri. Aithihyamaala holds the treasure of legends and myths associated with the geographical part now known as Kerala.

The story of Kakkasseri Bhattathiri happens around 17th Century north kerala, where Samoothirippadu is the ruler. Every year there used to be a debate contest on Vedas, Shaastras and Puranas at samoothiri’s court. The subjects were divided into 108 topics and debates used to be conducted on each of them. The winners can claim the prize money, and the ensuing fame. All learned namboothiris from all over kerala used to assemble there for the debates. One year a tamil brahmin by name of Uddhanda Shaasthrikal comes to compete. He is renowned for his scorn for namboothiris, to the extent that, as soon as he enters kerala region, he says a couplet.

Palaayadhwam palaayadhwam, re re dushkavi kunjara
vedaanta vanasanchaaree, hyayaathyuddanda kesari.

run and hide run and hide, ye elephants of bad poetry
the roamer of vedanta forest, uddanda the lion is coming

Needless to say, he defeats the namboothiris in the debates and gets all the prizemoney for himself. The king becomes happy with him and appoints him as a chief courtier. This happens consecutively for few more years at which the namboothiris get upset. They think of ways to defeat uddanda shaasthrikal. Unfortunately, they are aware that no one in their midst can do that immediately. During that period they come to know that one namboothiri lady is pregnent. The prominent namboothiris assemble there and do the requsite incantations and prayers to beget a child who will be able to dislodge Uddanda shaastrikal.

In that illam, Bhattathiri is born. When he is three years old, his father dies. As part of the tradition he has to do one year of deeksha. One of the ceremonies for the departed involve making rice balls and invoking the deprated anscestores to feast on it. The belief is that the anscestors will take the form of crows and eat it. Normally the crows come down and eat the rice balls completing their part of the ritual. This is done for over a period of days, where the crows are invoked to have the rice balls. Its said that Bhattathiri used to identify each crow from other and could tell, which crow came the previous day and which didnt. Due to his remarkable power of observation, which became evident with identification crows, his name is kept as Kakkasseri, Kaakka meaning crow in malayalam.

As expected of him he becomes a pundit soon and he excels in all the fields. Legend is that he is trained by none other than the great Uddanda shastri himself. Eventually he is ready for the debate with Uddanda shaastrikal and defeats him in the debate. He is acknowledged by one and all including the King himself. There have been several debates later also between Uddanda shaastrikal and Kakkasseri, but Kakkasseri wins all of them. Most of the anecdotes relating to Kakkasseri are a bit on the vulgar side that even the author of Aithihyamala just mentions that and leaves it there.

During his life, Kakkasseri is unlike the practice of the day, crosses the rigid lines of casteism to the dismay of the namboothiris. He does not hesitate to dine with even the people of lowest caste. Namboothiris dislike the facts, but no one takes up the issue with Kakkasseri, as they know that they cannot win with him by arguments or by debate. Eventually they decide that they must take the advise of Kakkasseri who is the most knowledgeable. They approach him and ask,

“Aapathey kim karaneeyam?”
“what needs to be done when faced with danger?”

Kakksasseri Bhattathiri knew why this question was posed to him. Reply came without any hesitation.

“smaraneeyam charanayugalamambaayam”
“remember the lotus feet of Amba – mother godess”

Just to confirm, the namboothiris ask again,
“talsmaranam kim kurute?”
“what will happen by remembering so?”

Kakkasseri replies,
“brahmaadeenapi cha kinkareekuruthe”
“it will make brahma and other celestial beings your servants.”

The happy namboothiris take leave of him and do bhagavati seva to appease devi – the mother godess, along with incantations and prayers for the removal of danger. On the 41st day of the sacrifice, Kakkasseri comes there and asks for a glass of water, after drinking which he tells the namboothiris that he has become impure and takes leave. After that day Kakkasseri is not seen anywhere and becomes a legend himself.

namboothiri : kerala brahmin
samoothiri : title for the king in north kerala