The White Tiger, Ranvir Sena and Casteism

I particularly liked The White Tiger by Aravinda Adiga owing to the darkly humourous tone the author employed in describing the dynamics of caste in Bihar (which he refers to as 'the darkness'). There were parts of it which described the failure of the Indian state to provide for a semblance of human rights to its most repressed people, especially in terms of participation in the democratic process. As the protagonist said, "I've voted in every election like a good citizen; and I've never stepped foot in a polling booth". Haha.
In the real world, when the state woke from its stupor and attempted to extend a threadbare conception of rights to the people, the upper castes of Bihar felt their existence as the holders of hegemony threatened. They chose to resort to a measure they were best at: repressive violence. Thus was begotten the Ranvir Sena. The Sena is essentially a militant conglomerate of landlords and political mafiosi, that strives to defy any form of restructuring of inter-caste relations, and attempts to do so through conspicous killing, and insidious politicking. The deputy CM, S.K. Modi, is a member of the Sena, and no less proud of it. So, the timeline looks crudely like this: Oppression, persistent oppression, Some semblance of hope, more oppression. It's a sorry state of affairs, which merits the attention of the state considering the fact that dalit-hunting is the favourite passtime of the Sena.
Yesterday, a Patna Court sentenced 16 members of the Ranvir Sena to death for the brutal massacre of 58 dalits in Laxmipur Bathe village in 1997. The victims were inclusive of women and children, killed for 50 acres of land. 'Justice delayed is justice denied' couldn't have been more accurate, considering that the victims' families, already languishing in penury, have had to take on a political force in order to secure justice. Beyond evoking melancholy sentiments, the purpose of highlighting this incident is to exhibit as to how even with its supposed 'growing' tag, the state of Bihar still survives in the social paradigms of the previous century. Casteism has been the most compelling factor for this, possibly second to government apathy.
The concretisation of casteism as a potent political tool, while not unique to Bihar, is extremely problematic in the social milieu of Bihar. UP has seen the growth of Kanshi Ram and Mayawati into the most potent political voice in UP. Such a shift in bases of power seems very optimistic, if considered in the perspective of Bihar. Caste relations and caste opportunities are too hegemonized by the wielders of power that the idea of dalits finding themselves in an assertive position, while not unprecedented, is rare.
To put it crudely, mighty fucked up situation. Ahshit.

Kanu Sanyal RIP (1932-2010)

(This article has been taken from http://news.rediff.com/report/2010/mar/23/life-and-times-of-kanu-sanyal-rebel-with-a-cause.htm)

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Kanu Sanyal, one of the founders of the Naxal movement in India, committed suicide at his residence at Seftullajote village in north Bengal on Tuesday.

Rediff.com takes a look at the life and time of the veteran leader, who changed the course of Communist politics in India.

Who was Kanu Sanyal?

Kanu Sanyal was one of the founder members of the Naxal movement. Sanyal, along with fellow Communist revolutionary Charu Majumdar, started the Naxalbari movement in West Bengal [ May 25, 1967. Though the movement was brutally crushed by the police within a few months, Naxalism as an ideology managed to survive and has evolved into the Maoist insurgency, considered to be the biggest threat to internal security in India today.

Sanyal was born in 1932 at Kurseong in Darjeeling. While working as a revenue clerk at the Siliguri court, Sanyal was arrested for waving a black flag at then West Bengal chief minister Bidhan Chandra Roy, to protest the Centre's ban on the Communist Party of India.

He was lodged at the Jalpaiguri jail, where he met then CPI district secretariat member and future comrade-in-arms Charu Majumdar. Influenced heavily by Majumdar's ideology, Sanyal joined the CPI after his release, and later sided with the CPI-M the party split over the Indo-China war.

Sanyal soon became known for his firebrand politics, and in 1967, he famously led the armed peasant's movement in Naxalbari village in north Bengal. The movement marked the beginning of armed Communist struggle against the government, which later spread to other states and assumed virulent proportions in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.

What happened at Naxalbari?

In May 1967, an armed peasant uprising against the oppression of landlords broke out in Naxalbari village in Darjeeling district.

Led actively by Sanyal and Majumdar, the movement was envisaged as an 'agrarian revolution to eliminate the feudal order'. Both Sanyal and Majumdar defended the use of arms and violence to fight back against the landlords. However, the state police, led by then chief minister Siddharth Shankar Roy, brutally suppressed the movement within a few months.

But the discontent and anger of the marginalised and the underprivileged sections of society continued to simmer in Bengal, which witnessed an intense surge in Naxal violence in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

What was Sanyal's next step towards a Communist revolution?

Sanyal and Majumdar founded the Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist in 1969. The duo aimed for an 'Indian revolution' via a sustained arms struggle, to establish 'liberated zones' across the country that would eventually be merged into a single vast unit completely under Naxal control.

Sanyal publicly sought help from China to further the arms struggle, and reportedly even visited Beijing, via Kathmandu, Nepal, in September 1967. However, it is not clear whether China offered any moral, financial or logistical support to the Naxal movement raging in Bengal.

What were the activities of the CPI-ML?

The CPI-ML believed in capturing power by violent means and carried out political assassinations by targeting the 'enemies of the proletariat'. They also conducted raids on banks and armouries to build up their resources.

Was Sanyal arrested for the group's activities?

Sanyal, who had gone underground, was arrested in August 1970. He was convicted in the Parvatipuram case (an organised uprising against landlords in Andhra Prdesh and Orissa), often dubbed as the biggest conspiracy case in history, and imprisoned for seven years at a jail in Visakhapatnam.

In July 1972, Majumdar was arrested from his hide-out, and he died in police custody at a Kolkata jail a fortnight later.

By 1977, West Bengal had heralded in a Communist government and then chief minister Jyoti Basu intervened to ensure Sanyal's release.

Was Sanyal involved in politics even after his release?

Though Sanyal had renounced armed struggle, he formed the Organising Committee of Communist Revolutionaries after his release. He later merged the OCCR with the Communist Organisation of India-Marxist-Leninist.

Sanyal later became the general secretary of the revamped CPI-ML, which was formed when several like-minded groups coalesced to form a Left-wing organisation.

On January 18, 2006, Sanyal was arrested with fellow agitators for disrupting a Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express train at the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station in Siliguri, while protesting against closures of tea gardens in the region.

Sanyal was a vocal critic of the land acquisition methods adopted by the state government in Singur and Nandigram. He slammed the CPI-M-led government, calling it capitalist, and hailed the popular uprisings in the two regions. Sanyal believed that led by selfless and strong leadership, the protests in Nandigram had the potential to surpass even the Naxalbari movement.

What were Sanyal's views about the Maoist insurgency?

Ironically, Sanyal often spoke out against the Maoist movement, even though he is considered to be one of its founding fathers. He was disillusioned by the relentless violence perpetrated by the Maoists, and the indiscriminate victimisation of poor farmers and tribals.

Readily admitting the mistakes made by his CPI-ML in its hey days, Sanyal often declared that acts of terror could not bring change; they only hurt popular movements and alienated the masses.

It's a sad time when you don't have much to write. In the middle of midsems, with much to read, I chose to write. (All my posts in 2009-10 have been laments of some sort; Law school does make you sad).

Recently, I read Brave New World once again. Beyond its Dystopian overtones and its idea of hope and its subsequent extinguishment, what I find really appealing in the book is the manner in which society is shaped. An extremely communal form of life, with privacy a shred of the embarassing past, the notion of family long forgotten, the notions of commitment and monogamy buried. The idea of humanity reverting to its most primitive form of existence, albeit with modern technology ensuring it, and its manifestation in the manner described, is rather disconcerting to anyone who espouses morality of a strict kind.
The idea of morality, in the sense of the permissible and the impermissible, is a very impragmatic idea. Human nature is of greed and indulgence and any fetters on it will only result in an organized facaded chaos, as is happening today. To quote Khuda Kay Liye, 'log haraam kaam ke baad halal ghosht ki dukaan dhoondte phirenge'. Every religion dictates that one should follow a certain path, and that the path is one that shall lead you to eternal salvation. If you divert, eternal damnation. The inherent paradox of the Abrahamanic religions is evident, in terms of having a vengeful yet merciful God. Religion, or any other form of collective morality, fails to take into account an individual's degree of resistance, or an individual's propensity to indulge. This ignorance, as many beef-eating Hindus and wine-gushing Muslims would propose, will lead to the subversion of religion, and its ultimate disappearance from civil society.

Break done. Shall continue. As stated 1.5 years back, this blog stands resurrected.

"Saade dil te, saade dil te, saade dil te, chooriyan chalayian
Saanu kateya (hoye!), saanu kateya (hoye!)"

Deep, profound shit.

As profound as shit comes.

I'm bored. With a capital R. BoRed.

Dil Dil Pakistan

The following is a newspaper article from a Pakistani daily. Beyond humour, it provides the reader with an accurate idea of the average Pakistani's perspective on 26/11 and other incidences of Islamic terrorism in India. Also, the bit on the genesis of the Godhra carnage is of Gunda-esque standards

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The so-called lone survivor accused of last years deadly attacks in India’s financial capital, Mumbai Ajmal Kasab( or Kassaab) is set to get a court verdict today, Thursday. The Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Mr. Shashi Tharoor has already announced that Indian government was in no hurry to punish the accused as to the Indian government, the accused was a fountain of information regard Pakistan related matters. Tharoor also took this opportunity to reaffirm New Delhi’s stubborn stand that it would not resume the dialogue process with Islamabad until Pakistan does not take action against those, responsible for Mumbai attacks. The Indian government has also handed over a dossier to Pakistan government, claiming that the dossier was an ocean of evidences and knowledge about those who were responsible for Mumbai terror attacks. The main source of information in the Indian dossier however remained the alleged arrested accused Ajmal Kasab who has already retracted from his earlier statements, saying that he was forced and tortured to make those statements by his captors.

It is surprising that the Indian government is constantly insisting that Pakistan must act upon the information that is more than 90 % based upon the statement of the accused that he made under the custody on February 21,2009 before lady Magistrate R V Sawant Waghule. Interestingly Kasab, later, just after a few days and upon his maiden formal appearance in a court retracted his confession and gave a completely different version of events before judge M L Tahaliyani. This development, according to Indian law as well international judicial norms, made his earlier statement null and void and made that inadmissible in any court of law as it was a statement in custody and not in a court. However, the Indian government, without keeping in view the new development, continued and still continues upon the Pakistan government to act in line with accused Ajmal’s custodial statement that has already become invalid.

The Daily Mail’s investigations into the matter reveal that that there were enormous lacunas in the Indian dossier, based on Kasab’s custodial statement. The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that the Indian dossier was nothing more than just a wish list of Indian Intelligence agency RAW. These investigations reveal that the 900 plus pages dossier including accused Ajmal’s statement, that was handed over to Pakistan government was ironically written in a regional Indian language Marathi and there was no English version of the same provided to Pakistan. The Daily mail’s findings indicate that New Delhi was bound under UN Model Convention Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) to provide Pakistan with officially authenticated English version of each and every paper that it gave to Pakistan as the UN laws clearly restrict the for the same. However, upon repeated requests of Islamabad New Delhi finally acted but to everyone’s dismay, Pakistan was given only a 2-page English translation out of the 900-page floppy dossier and these 2pages were those of accused Ajmal’s custodial statement while English translation of no other documents has even so far been given to Pakistan as if rest of the documents of the dossier were either irrelevant or of no importance at all for India. This is not the end of the non-serious attitude of New Delhi as in yet another blunder; New Delhi sent DNA samples of same person with 2 different names to Islamabad and upon Islamabad’s pointing out, the Indian government termed it merely a typographical mistake, irrespective of the highly sensitive nature of the issue.

The Daily Mail’s investigations reveal that whatever the Indian government’s Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affair have been doing and saying has been scripted by RAW with very faulty, sandy and easily challengeable evidences, based upon accused Ajmal’s custodial statement. These investigations indicate that RAW, with the connivance of Mumbai Police and Crimes Branch acted in some acute haste to frame a Pakistani who has now emerged as a pre-arrested accused.

The Daily Mail’s investigations further reveal that in the trial of Ajmal Kasab case, the prosecution has far earned nothing but just complete embarrassment and shame. These investigations reveal that in the beginning of the trail, just ten days after a witness testified regarding the participation of India’s “National Security Guard Captain R.K. Sharma” in the operation against terrorists at Hotel Oberoi Trident during the 26/11 terror attack, the director of the elite commando force intimated the Mumbai police that the NSG does not have any officer by that name. On September 24, 2009, Rajesh Kadam, an assistant chief security officer at Hotel Oberoi Trident, testified that Captain R.K. Sharma had participated in the operation against the terrorists at the hotel and played a key role in arrest of accused Ajmal Kasab. He testified before the court that the captain had also participated in an encounter in the morning of November 28.

The special court had sought the NSG captain’s address to summon him to court. However, special prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam informed the court that he had received a fax from the NSG director saying no such officer has ever worked with the elite commando group. The development came as huge shock and brought massive embarrassment for the prosecution and it forced the prosecution to express before the court that it had no further unwillingness to examine NSG personnel as witnesses in the case. Many similar flaws kept emerging as the trail went on but the drama took a new turn earlier this month when, in another case, an Indian Lawyer exposed the tactics of RAW and Police to frame innocent people as terrorists from Pakistan and proved it in the court. According to The Daily Mail’s research, a Delhi based criminal lawyer M. S. Khan, earlier this month succeeded in proving the innocence of two persons who were alleged to be associates of a Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba divisional commander. Advocate Khan successfully proved it in the Delhi court that both the persons who were arrested by Delhi Police in September 2006 on the charges of being terrorists with Pakistan links were actually framed by Delhi Police and Intelligence officials of RAW. On the basis of concrete evidences that the lawyer presented to prove that it was just a case of framing innocent people into terror cases by Police and RAW, the Delhi Court dismissed the case and declared both the accused innocent and ordered Police to set them free. Now, this case has emerged as a very big legal reference for the defense in Ajmal Kasab case as Ajmal also pleads that he is innocent and is just the victim of framing tactics of Police and intelligence officials.

In his recent statement before the court the accused Ajmal Kasab has stated that he was already in Mumbai Police’s custody without any charge when the terror drama took place
Giving his statement in the court, he said that he was not a “Jihadi” and had not undergone any training at the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) camp in Pakistan.

Kasab told the court, which was recording his final statement on the prosecution’s evidence; he was a cook with a catering company in “Saarayee-Alamghir” near Jhelum in Pakistan. “I heard the names of Lash-e-Taliban and JUD from the police here. Crime Branch officials had shown the photograph of Lakhvi,” Kasab said.
Asked by the court if he was introduced to one Major General Saab at the training camp, Kasab said, “This is absolutely wrong.”

The judge, M L Tahaliyani, was putting questions to Kasab on the basis of his confession before magistrate in February; however Kasab disowned the confession, saying it was given under duress.

When special Judge M L Tahaliyani referred to his statement in the confession that Hafeez Sayed had told 30 boys at the LeT training camp that they would have to lay down their lives for liberating Kashmir, Kasab said: “This is absolutely wrong”.
Alleging that the police had threatened to administer electric shocks to him if he did not give a statement to the magistrate, Kasab said the police had prepared the confession and forced him to recite it.

Asked by the court, if he was told in the training that they would go to heaven if they attacked India, Kasab replied in the negative saying he did not attend the training.
Kasab also denied having told the police anything about Kuber boat and a dead body found on the boat. According to the prosecution, the group of ten terrorists had highjacked Kuber on their way to Mumbai from Karachi in Pakistan.

“I have never seen the boat; crime branch and FBI had showed me pictures of Kuber and my clothes and articles seized from the boat. These articles must belong to either fishermen or smugglers. The AK 47 rifle may belong to the police and it is not mine.” The accused earlier told the court that he had come to India in search of some place in film industry and was looking for a place to live in Chupathi area of Mumbai. He was walking with some local friends in Juhu when Police picked him up without any reason, a day before the Mumbai terror attacks took place and later forced him to narrate what he was told by police and plane-clothed (RAW) officials. He also told that he was shot in the hand by police during his custody.

The Daily Mail’s investigations reveal that the Indian government is constantly dancing foolishly to the tuned of RAW and the extremists of Hindu radical influential groups of Hindutva Brotherhood. These investigations clearly indicate that the basic purpose of Mumbai terror attacks was to get rid of Hemant Karkare who had exposed the nexus of Hindu extremists with their like-minded officials in Indian Army and RAW and who was going further to expose this nexus completely. The Mumbai terror drama was created to eliminate Karkare and to divert global focus from the outcomes of Karkare’s investigation that led to the arrest of a serving Indian Army Colonel for multiple terror attacks including that of blazing of Pakistan bound passenger train Samjhota Express, for which RAW made Delhi believed to have done by Pakistanis.

The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that there is no truth in the Kasab episode of RAW’s 26/11 drama as the actual purpose of the same was eliminating Karkare and changing the wind towards Pakistan. These investigations prove that Saffron terrorist groups belonging to Sangh Parivar were behind the recent Mumbai Carnage and several suicidal attacks and assassinations in Pakistan and India. According to these findings Indian terrorist setup Atma Ghataki Pathak (Hindu Suicide Squad), established by General ® Premnath Hoon founder of Shiv Sena’s Military Wing and his disciple Colonel ® Jayant Chitale, was responsible for planning and execution of the operation. AGP, because of its close linkages with the Indian military has succeeded in forming an unholy nexus between the serving Indian military personnel and the Hindu extremist-terrorist groups. Lt Col Shrikant Purohit, alias ‘Mithun Chakraborty’ who was arrested in connection with the Malegaon blast and 2007 Samjhauta Express blaze ( killing 69 Pakistani passengers returning from India) was also working for General ® Hoon and Colonel ® Chitale’s Atma Ghataki Pathak (AGP). AGP was also responsible for Godhra train fire leading to Gujarat carnage against Muslims in 2002 and attack on Akshardham temple in Gujarat also in 2002. Colonel ® Jayant Chitale and his associate Sanjeev Atre, were arrested in November 2002 for running a suicide training camp on the outskirts of Mumbai but were later released at the intervention of RAW. It is no coincidence that Col ® Chitale is now the next door neighbour of Col Purohit, the main accused in Samjhauta Express blaze and Malegaon blasts.

The Daily Mail’s investigations into the encounter leading to the cold blooded assassination of Karakare and his team investigating the terrorism perpetrated by Indian home grown terrorists reveals that the terrorist were staking out for Karkare and that Karkare also had revealed threats to his life to his wife Kavita, because of which, she refused to accept compensation from Indian government and later filed a case that the bulletproof vest given to her slain husband was faulty and was part of conspiracy to kill him. The Indian police have now, after more than a year, created a sweeper who claims that he had thrown Karkare’s bulletproof vest, mistakenly in a dustbin.

The Daily Mail’s finding say that according to Constable Arun Jadhav, who was with the officers Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar and Ashok Kamte when they were assassinated, the three officers and four constables had received information that their collegue Sadanand Dutt had been injured in the gunfire at the Cama and Albless Hospital for women and children. They took a Toyota Qualis which was being driven by Salaskar while Kamte was in the passenger seat, Karkare in the second row, and the four Constables, including Jadhav, were in the back row of seating. According to Jadhav, five minutes later two terrorists stepped out from behind a tree and opened fire with automatic rifles. The six policemen, other than Jadhav, were all killed quickly in the gunfire. The two terrorists approached the vehicle, dumped the bodies of the three officers on the road and, leaving the constables for dead. They proceeded to Metro Junction where they aimed three bursts of automatic fire at police and journalist vehicles drawn up at that location, then drove off towards the government offices (Vidhan Bhawan) in South Mumbai. Here again they fired several times. While attempting to leave the area, one of the tires of the vehicle burst, so the terrorists departed to obtain another vehicle. At this point, Jadhav emerged from the heap of dead bodies of his collegue constables and was able to contact headquarters.

The Daily Mail’s findings indicate that there is a long-standing internal feud amongst Hindutva groups vying for ascendancy with each other. Although Bal Thackeray is probably the most popular icon with cultist following amongst the Hindu fanatics yet at times he has shown signs of frustration that this popularity has not translated in electoral successes outside his home state of Maharashtra. Much to Thackeray’s annoyance when it comes to votes, BJP through a broader and more organized supporting network of RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal managed to steel electoral success at the cost of Sena. Although his Shiv Sena (Hindu God Shiv’s Army) was in coalition with BJP in the Union Government and in the state of Maharashtra, Thakeray was not happy with the portfolios allotted to his party.

Thakeray who has always maintained big political ambitions now wants to assume the image of militant Hindutva’s sole champion in a bid to woo many elements in the ranks and file RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal that are disillusioned with the BJP. These disgruntled elements regard top leadership of BJP, all of whom incidentally are concurrent members of RSS and VHP, to be “soft paddling” on converting India into a Hindu Rashstra (Hindu State) denouncing secular character of its constitution. A former Minister belonging to Shiv Sena in Indian Cabinet reflected these sentiments in 2003 stating that “everyone living in India must either be a Hindu or subservient to Hindus”. Nonetheless, the core supporters of militant Hindutva feel that time is ripe to make this declaration and the doctrine of Hindu Rashstra to become a state policy by formally ending the secular constitutional status of India. Sensing the infuriation of these elements Thackeray finally let the cat out the bag in a further recruitment drive of Hindu fanatics to his camp by giving an open call for Hindu suicide squads.

The Daily Mail’s research reveals that two names that surfaced in press in November 2002, in connection with Hindu Atma Ghataki Pathak (Hindu Suicide Squad), General ® Premnath Hoon former Chief of Western Command and who after retirement became Chief of Shiv Sena’s Military Wing and Colonel ® Jayant Chitale, had served on deputation with RAW imparting training on the Sri Lankan Tamil militants. Col ® Jayant Chitale also headed the Army Services Selection Board Centre in Pune for several years, where he was able to select Hindutva militant sympathizers for regular commission in the army. Col ® Chitale kept a contact with these recruits who through normal and sponsored progression in their careers went on to assume many responsible and important posts in the Indian army.

According to The Daily Mail’s findings the fanaticism of these Hindu suicide squads took a spine shuddering concept of ‘target reverse’ suicide attacks in early 2000s as witnessed in the reverse suicidal attacks against Hindu temples and government installations to blame Pakistan and Muslims. The attacks on Indian parliament in 2001, Godhra train fire in Gujarat and attack on Akshardham temple in Gujarat.

It may be recalled that the official findings of Forensic Science Laboratory of Ahmedabad, revealed that the fire in the Sabarmati Express at Godhra, in 2002 which became Casus belli for Muslim mayhem in Gujrat, was set from within the train compartment all filled with Hindu passengers and not from any outside pouring of gasoline by Muslim vendors on the train station, as alleged by Hindu fanatics. According to, Forensic Science Laboratory’s Assistant Director M J Dahiya about 60 litres of highly inflammable material inside the train, probably petrol, was responsible for the fire in the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express. Giving evidence before the Justice G T Nanavati and Justice Shah Commission of Inquiry, Dahiya had ruled out the possibility of the coach catching fire from outside as that would have left its effect on the outside of the coach. Besides, the quantity of fuel required to set it on fire could not have been poured from outside. He said that a large number or quantity of burning objects or liquids could not have been thrown inside and neither would burning rags alone result in such a big fire that burnt the entire coach in just 40 minutes. It is pertinent that all the passengers inside the compartment comprised Hindu Kersevaks, as it was a train especially reserved for them and the group members knew each other. There was no chance for an outsider to get in to set fire as he or she would have immediately spotted. Thus it was a clear act of a Hindu suicide volunteer carrying large quality of inflammable liquid, who self immolated to create raison d’ etre for carrying out Gujarat carnage.

In light of these facts that speak loudly, the analysts believe that Mumbai carnage was another act of India’s home spun and nurtured saffron terrorists with the main objective of eliminating Mumbai anti-terrorist squad Chief Hemant Karkare and his colleagues to sabotage the on going investigations into the unholy nexus between Indian military and terrorist networks with gratuitous benefit of maligning Pakistan by framing people like Ajmal Kasab. Ironically the Indian government finds itself helpless in front of this RAW-Hindutva nexus and keep dancing foolishly to their tunes.

Shaurya Divas

"6th December 1992: They clambered the walls and domes of a structure that had stood for 467 years; The Babri Masjid crumbles under the blows of thousands of Kar Sevaks."

-S. Hussain Zaidi, Black Friday

17 years ago, we saw (what was deemed as the then-PM Mr. Rao as the most shameful day in Indian history) the destruction of a mosque. The defence: This is where Lord Ram was born, and hence the site should be commemorated with a temple of Ram lala (Infant). Further, a temple at this very site was destroyed by Zahir-ud-din Mohammed Babar. The veracity of the former is highly disputed, and a compromise is hindered by ideology. However, the latter seems reasonable considering many Muslim invaders destroyed temples, out of lust for Gold or love for Islam.
In order to see the logic in the claim of the Sangh Parivar, one needs to make one of the following assumptions:
1. L.K. Advani was present at the time when Kaushalya gave birth to Ram. Not implausible in the least, considering Mr. Advani looks of that vintage.
2. L.K. Advani had an epiphany, where Ram told him about where he was born. That means that Mr. Advani is supposedly our version of the Prophet. (Small prayer to the Lord: Please reconsider your choice in prophets).
3. L.K. Advani can see the past, including Hindu myth. Wish he could see in the future and predict the rodding of general elections 2009 and save himself considerable embarassment.

After you've taken the most logical pick from the aforementioned choices, discard the following streams of logic that might be flowing through your mind:
1. Ayodhya is Ram's birthplace. That means that the precise location of his birth is immaterial, and it could be anywhere in the city.
2. This might just be a story concocted by the British in the late 19th century to instigate discord between the Hindus and the Muslims.
3. This is all a political gimmick.

Now, completely ignore the following facts:
1. Destruction of temples was something that Muslims invaders indulged in, without a doubt. On one hand, we claim that we're non-violent and thus, superior to them. On the other hand, we resort to acts in vogue 600 years ago. Contradiction, anyone?
2. The Ramjanmabhoomi movement was almost completely abandoned by the BJP post-Mr. Vajpayee's government coming in power in 1999. Still a hot favourite during election time, as evinced by the youngest Gandhi in Pilibhit.
3. A mosque of numerous domes is brought to debris within hours. Simply through faith and the use of clubs. Seems like the Lord sent his own invisible bulldozers to deal with the 'Pakistanis'. A scandalous, yet plausible explanation, could of course be that there was external machinery used to raze the mosque.
4. The police did nothing to stop blatant abuse of the constitution, a document on which they take an oath to protect its ideals to the peril of their lives. The Kar Sevaks should've just urinated on a copy of it.
5. Justice M.S. Liberhan took 17 years to come out with a report. That too, an allegedly plagiarized one. Even by Indian standards, an excessively poor result of 45-46 extensions and 8 crores of public money.

When done, recognize the greatness of what we've achieved. But wait, chappies. There's more to be done.
As the super-sexy Sadhvi Ritambhara reminds us, "Ye to bas ek jhaanki hai, Kashi Mathura baanki hai!"

I don't blame any community. 85 million cannot hate their fellow man. But for 85 million to allow a handful of maniacs to represent them labels the 85 million to be such. The same is true for Islam and the manner it is perceived in post 9/11.

The problem lies in allowing idiots to make decisions. Be it any religion, any community.

"Yunaan-o-Misr-o-Roma sab mit gaye jahan se, Ab tak magar hai baaki naam-o-nishaan hamara"

-Sir Muhammed Iqbal, Taraana-i-Hind, Bang-e-Dara

मगर कब तक, इकबाल साहब? यूँ ही चलता रहा, तो कब तक?

I've been going to Nizamuddin for almost a week now. Not for work, but for food. I found a place called Ghalib Kebab Corner (located a stone's throw away from where Ghalib's remains rest) which serves amazing kebabs at the cheapest rates possible in Delhi. I'd also heard of a Ghalib Academy there. Decided to check it out yesterday.
To my surprise, it was quite well-maintained (for a sarkari building). There was a vendor of books in the atrium whose collection was well beyond Diwan-e-Ghalib. It included Faiz, Majaaz Lucknavi, Josh Malihabadi, Akhtar Sheerani etc. All available for 60-80 bucks each. Being the perpetually tapped-out-of-cash one, I'd to satisfy my Urdu poetry leanings with Diwan-e-Ghalib. The next visit was three floors up, the Ghalib museum. The museum was rather disappointing except for pictures of Delhi from the 19th century and some letters penned in Ghalib's time, the ink as fresh as the day the quill moved across the paper 160-170 years ago.
What really caught my eye was the Notice board. There were Persian classes (conducted by the embassy of Iran), Urdu classes (conducted by various institutions), courses on Urdu literature and poetry, and random mushayras. It was a crude reminder of how much we've lost by going to law school. It reminded me very acutely that I hadn't read more than 8-9 books over the past 1.5 years, which is a saddening thought. What really happened? was it the urge to succeed in law school? was it the urge to beat others? whatever it was, it has effectively managed to kill a lot of me (and I believe, a lot of us). I once blogged about how I wished that the person who blogs 5 years down the line should not be entirely unrecognizable from the me pre-Nalsar. I'm not so sure if that is true, and there are still 3.5 years to go.

Yaksha: "Jag ka sabse bada bojh kya hota hai"?

Yudhishthira: "Pita ke kandhon par putra ka shav"

(Yaksha: What is the greatest burden in the world?

Yudhishthira: A father carrying his son's corpse to the cemetery)

If there exists a God somewhere obscure, I pray with all my fibre that he who lost his 23 year old son yesterday finds the courage to accept this loss.

RIP

Sem 3

The sad time of the sem again: A week before the endsems. This is the time when you discover the amount that you've allegedly learnt in 4.5 months. With very substantial portions of the course left to be completed in 4 working days, this week looks gloomy with the amount of self-studying involved.
This semester can be summed up in one word: loony. The elections, crazy teachers (standards of teaching have reached their nadir, or so I'd like to believe), crazy times, trips of self-deprecation, weed, 1 paper published (the whereabouts of which I'm clueless of), trips of sweet envy, 1st batch of juniors, the swine flu break, moot work, thursday debates, discovering very alarming standards of superficiality in the friendships I'd valued, and the world in general, Teacher's whisky,blah...
Ah my Quaid, if only I could be like you. Coldness is a virtue that fosters respect.

دھوپ کنارے

"Dhoop Kinare (at the corner of the sunshine in Urdu) was a Pakistani television serial on the PTV network. The show centres around a team of doctors in a hospital in Karachi and revolves around their routines at the hospital and private lives at home. The show starred Rahat Kazmi and Marina Khan in lead roles, was directed by Sahira Kazmi and written by Haseena Moin.

In the early days of PTV, drama serials were usually applauded for being richly diverse in their plots and direction. The were celebrated not just in Pakistan but their quality content was cherished over the border in India as well. A long list of such dramas may usually include Dhoop Kinare as one of those at the top."

-Wikipedia

The Chronicles of the Flu-ing Swine

Been an extremely eventful 36 hours, the end of which was impossible 36 hours prior to it.
The timeline moves thus:
-11th August 2009, 9:00 AM: Classes at NALSAR
-11th August 2009, 1:40 PM: End of the aforementioned classes
-11th August 2009, 2:40 PM: Ordered lunch at Greenland Dhaba, Shamirpet
-11th August 2009, 3:30 PM: Receieved a message that read "no classes till the 23rd"
-11th August 2009, 4:50 PM: Booked a plane ticket to Delhi
-11th August 2009, 5:20 PM: Left NALSAR
-11th August 2009, 8:10 PM: Reached Shamshabad airport
-11th August 209, 10:15 PM: Flight SG-236 takes off from Shamshabad airport.
-12th August 2009, 1:30 AM: Lying on my bed at home.

All thanks to the great species of pigs: First you gave me Chilly Pork, now you give me the chance to feast on it whilst I'm in Delhi. I bow to thine magnanimity.

I fervently hope that my moot doesnt get screwed up due to this.
"And all the work shall set you free.."(Nalsar, 1:12).

"People like Shyama Chona never retire"
-Khushwant Singh, Babri Finale, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 18th July 2009.

After 44 years as an educationist, a Padma Shree in 1999, a Padma Bhushan in 2008 and around 60 other awards in the field of education and social welfare, Chona is calling it a day.

14 years of formal education at DPS, R.K. Puram had me fearing Dr. Chona. One of the best orators I've witnessed, she has an intimidating persona.
DPS, R.K. Puram shall always miss her presence post 12th August. So shall every student who ever knew her.

Severin,Severin, awaits you there..

"They are based on the experience of thousands of years," she replied
ironically, while her white fingers played over the dark fur. "The more
devoted a woman shows herself, the sooner the man sobers down and
becomes domineering. The more cruelly she treats him and the more
faithless she is, the worse she uses him, the more wantonly she plays with
him, the less pity she shows him, by so much the more will she increase his
desire, be loved, worshipped by him. So it has always been, since the time
of Helen and Delilah, down to Catherine the Second and Lola Montez."

-Venus in Furs, Leopold von Sacher-Masoch

And thus it began, masochism.
Random.

Bees Saal Baad

20 in 4 days. I'd always thought that I'd die before I turned 20. Apparently not.

I've transformed into an urban tourist. Been roaming around Delhi through these vacations. Discovered amazing non-vegetarian food almost everywhere: Nizam's at Connaught Place, Kababs at the steps of Jama Masjid, Chilly Pork at Kamala Nagar, Chilly Beef at Tibetan Refugee Colony.
Delhi, outside of being home, always gives me the feeling of living history. Connaught Place, so quintessentially British; the colonies of South Delhi, where the generation that experienced the partition and witnessed the growth of Delhi is gradually kicking the bucket; Delhi-6, where each gali, each corner, has its own story to tell; Aurangzeb Road, where those who frequent the corridors of power reside.
It's been a while though. Damn heat.

307,BH-3

Taking a cue from Sam's blog, here's my ode to the hostel.
NALSAR seems more home now. Everyone who knows me well enough is aware of the fact that I used to stay in Vasant Vihar till 2003. I moved to my present location, Kaushambi, after that. Through 2003 to 2008, I never cared to interact with people around here. To be honest, outside of the 1500 Sq Feet of my home, this place was never home. I always looked at it as a temporary existence, one that'll be over soon.
And then came NALSAR.

It was like moving from 14 to 19 straightaway. NALSAR brings back everything that I lost by moving from Vasant Vihar. Great friends, a lot of fun in life and a general sense of satisfaction and happiness. It has reduced my 'Dilliwalla' attitude a lot(Read: Levels of anger have reduced drastically, become more patient and tolerant).
It has brought to me something almost akin to Delhi: Hyderabad.

What I truly value about NALSAR is BH-3, more specifically, 307. It's not only Abdaal and me. It's every close friend of mine(who drops by daily; 307 is the hub of all activities). It's long nights spent listening to music, watching movies or just randomly chatting. It is a space I call my own. It is an address I wish I can remember and preserve forever.
And yes, it is also the room that brought 'Gunda' to me.

Checkmate

Passed first year. I am now 20% lawyer. 4 years to go.

Been a rather uneventful two weeks, minus having beef for the first time in my life and quite liking it. Been to CP a couple of times for the quintessential Delhi experience.

Flying to Bombay tomorrow. 9 days: Food, Alcohol, more food, more alcohol. Old Friends. All I could possibly want.

Life is a funny bitch.

Jean-Paul Sartre still survives. So does Charles Baudelaire.

Bada Kaske Gale Lagata Hai
Dhadkan Ki Dhun Sunata Hai
Iske Baayen Taraf Bhi Dil Hai, Iske Daayen Taraf Bhi Dil Hai
Haan, Yeh Shaher Nahin Mehfil Hai

A Case Comment on K. Subbharao v. State of Andhra Pradesh

Freaky title(especially for my batchmates). My sincere apologies to those who intend to bask in blissful ignorance of the law till 15th June.
The judgment in the case of Koppisetti Subbharao v. State of Andhra Pradesh was delivered on 29th April 2009 by Justices (Dr.) Arijit Pasayat and Asok Kumar Ganguly.
The main issue in the case was whether a presumption of marriage, rather disregard of a contravention of the idea of 'legally wedded', could be entertained by the Court when the matter dealt with socially relevant issues.
In the instant case, the husband was charged for demanding dowry from his wife, an act that constituted an offence within the meaning of Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code. The husband contended that he was not guilty under Section 498A and to substantiate this claim, asserted that the woman was not his 'legally wedded' wife, as understood by Hindu laws.

Justice's Pasayat's response was like a stream of light at the end of a dark tunnel of positivist judgments:
"The concept of marriage to constitute the relationship of ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ may require strict interpretation where claims for civil rights, right to property etc. may follow or flow and a liberal approach and different perception cannot be an
anatheme when the question of curbing a social evil is concerned".

In the past, the judgments in Bhaurao Lokhande v. State of Maharashtra and Surjit Kaur v. Garja Singh, have laid down that a man may not be prosecuted for bigamy under Sections 494 and 495 of the IPC, if his second marriage wasn't duly solemnized.
To put it in absolutely naive and caustic language, they gave a man in India a carte blanche to marry as many women as he wished, by purposely defaulting on some essential ceremony. These women were women sans any rights of inheritance and maintenance. The children were deemed to be illegitimate. This approach of the Court seems like a first year answering a Family Law-I paper: Apply law. Get right answer. Come out. Discuss with friends. "2nd wife fucked; won't get any maintenance; bache haraami honge (the issue will be illegitimate)". Forget about it.

The judgment in K. Subbharao's case may be distinguished to make it inoperative as precedent in cases pertaining strictly to civil matters. Rather, his observation on 'strict interpretations in matters of property rights' may be construed to support and proliferate bad law. However, it my ardent hope that the lacuna in the law, manifested in the travesties that 2nd wives and their children have to undergo at the hands of the colossally twisted system of law, be recognized and remedied by future decisions of the apex Court. So that women, who have fulfilled all their obligations as wives, are not stripped of all rights that a wife may enjoy, due to the fact that their marriage was solemnized with 6.5 steps around the sacred fire and not 7.

Here We Are Now...Entertain Us

Let us all sing in praise of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. If not sing, celebrate with jumbo meatballs.
It's been a rather dull week.Not much to do apart from reading the Sociology-I module and listening to music. At times, both situations coincide and the result is what I'd like to refer to as the baap of procrastination. After 4 months of reading Contract Law and Family Law, I can quite confidently say that I've learnt almost nothing. Yes, I may be competent to tender legal advice to someone who asks for it but it still seems quite incomplete.Law School does require you to read a lot on your own, especially with the highly qualified faculty we have at hand(This is not a statement; Rene Magritte, forgive me).
What is amusing is the Kundera-esque twists that life seems to take.At times, I truly wonder whether this adversarial approach of mine towards a lot of people really is part of me. I leave the question unanswered, for I can't furnish an answer myself.
In another 8 days, I would've completed 1 year of instruction in law. It's been a fruitful year. Gained a good lot of friends, lost a few(not that I particularly regret it), learnt stuff. Most of all, I truly believe I've emerged more knowledgeable and much more humble. To put in absolutely blasphemous terms, I don't consider my trysts with Camus to be the pinnacle of intellect. There are people here who scare and inspire me with their degree of intellect. I wish I could cultivate that.
The radical difference that I see is that everyone really liked being here in the 1st Semester while everyone just wishes to escape to whichever part of the country they're from after the 2nd Semester. I won't deny that I feel the same. 4 months away from Delhi can drive a Delhite to suicide. I'm one of the few that made it. At the same time, I know I'll miss NALSAR's hostel life all my life.That precise moment, 2:30 in the morning, Roy,Abdaal,Laban,Mrinal,Sanjay and Me, on the terrace of BH-3, speaking utter rubbish, will be a moment that'll live within me forever.Nothing can come close to hostel life. It is, to put it in very mild terms, beyond this mundane world.
Ideally, Duryodhana should've killed Bhima. Ideally, Kubrick and Kurosawa should've been immortal. Ideally, I should be reading Sociology now.Let us all strive towards perfection.
P.S.- My grandmum's 10th death anniversary today i.e. 23rd. May her soul rest in eternal peace." Wherever you are Nani, watch over me". Love - Anjaney.

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention

My Guitar's Gonna Kill Your Mama. My Mandolin may manage it too.
15 days left for the end of the 2nd semester. 1 year of legal education over.It's been quite different from the 1st semester. While the 1st was a drag, the 2nd went away in a jiffy. Chennai, the Moot, surprises,midsems,projects. 3.5 months without ever realising that they went by. Life went tumultuous to the point where I decided to let go off something I should never have.It's funny how one can live a life full of regrets.

Work awaits. Some other time.