Delhi

Delhi,13.09.08,6:13 PM: Noise.Noise.Colossal Noise. Silence. Blank Noise. Connaught Place saw a bomb explode. Within half an hour, Delhi saw six other bombs take off. Gaffar Market and GK-1, M-Block Market, places excessively crowded on a Saturday evening,were targetted.Again it leads us to question ourselves and the system: What is terrorism?? Why is it?? What can we do??
Terrorism, as I see and define it, is a mere political weapon. Its efficacy and immorality far exceed all other methods of destabilising a regime. At the risk of sounding a superficial reader, I quote Dan Brown on this: "Remove the facade of infallibility of a Government,and you remove its people's faith". That is precisely what this attack has done. As a resident of Delhi, I shall never again feel safe in a DTC bus. The end objective of terrorism is not to kill and cite retribution as a reason, but to achieve a political end. We had a recent debate in class(With extremely juvenile views on terrorism being expressed) over this and it was astounding that no one saw terrorism the way I did.Enough said.Moving on to generality-

I shall land in Delhi on the night between the 1st and 2nd of October. I can't predict what I'd do once I land. Once the gravity of it hits me. Being back in the city I've lived my entire life in. Too much in love with it to appreciate any other, almost prejudical in my ignorance of them. Reading about the Sultanate period, I realise how much that city has to offer culturally. There's a separate pride in me when I count myself as one from Delhi. The smell of her land, the people, the manner of speaking and the courtesy, the tiffs in the DTC buses, the perpetually under-construction bridges, the lanes of Vasant Vihar, the times in Kaushambi, the last ride through Delhi. Magical city of mine, Je t'aime beaucoup.

The times they are-a-changing

Pakistan has a new President: Asif Ali Zardari. I am unable to understand the psyche of the people of Pakistan(DISCLAIMER: I do not believe in the typical Indian sentiment towards Pakistanis). They have,albeit in an undemocratic manner, elevated to the post of President, a man whom they once jokingly termed "Mr. 10%"(a reference to the amount of commission he used to demand for his facilitation of a mercantile transaction, in the capacity of the PM's husband).
Asif Zardari is the son of Hakim Zardari, an industrialist and the leader of the Zardari clan(Originally Baloch Jats). His marriage to Benazir Bhutto led him to be one of the most important men in South Asia. He is alleged to have abetted the death of Mir Murtuza Bhutto, his brother-in-law and a potential threat to his '10%' activities.
I do not question the political knowledge of the Pakistani people. What I don't realise is why they don't ever express dissent towards blatant misuse of power and for that matter, unworthy people usurping power. I believe this silent repression is a direct consequence of the feudal structure present in the states of Pakistan, from pre-partition times.
Whatever the case may be, I believe this decision is one that Pakistan will regret.
In a lighter vein, a mention of Pakistan makes me want to watch Dhoop Kinare and listen to Nayyara Noor.