Thursday, December 24, 2009

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
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Sunday, December 06, 2009

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.

Friday, October 30, 2009

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

Sunday, October 18, 2009

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.

Monday, August 17, 2009

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

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

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).

Sunday, July 19, 2009

"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.




Monday, June 22, 2009

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.

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

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.

Friday, June 05, 2009

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.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

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.

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

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


Sunday, May 03, 2009

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.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

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.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

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.

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Douglas Noel Adams

The question is: Whether DNA was divine or bovine??
Random. Stop.
I finally stepped out of campus today. Albeit for moot work, it was quite a welcome change from the 55 acres of expanse that NALSAR has to offer. I went with two 5th Years and the entire trip was brilliant. From buying stuff you'd have considered absolutely irrelevant to discussing college to listening to Ustav's memoirs of life both inside and outside of NALSAR, I had a great time. oh, and to all the who think that I look like Shyam, the Shamirpet lake is quite a drown. The chap's actually good looking. Now to further randomness.
It's been a long time since I gave up my guitar.Here I am, sweating my ass in law school, while she weeps gently at home. I guess I'll get her repaired and bring her here next semester. Miss playing my guitar a lot. Also, chucking it was not a prudent decision. There's no thrill in life equivalent to creating music and I wish I was doing it right now.
The travesties of music aside, work is a requisite in NALSAR to keep yourself sane. If not work imposed by the academic sphere, work of any sort, even learning languages. I learnt Urdu this semester. Italian and French in the summers. Telugu in the third semester. Being a polyglot is something I'd always strived to be. If Hofstadter is to be believed, I'd be a pi-glot (Not a reference I expect anyone to understand; As a friend refers to me, I am quite a snob).
Inlaks, be mine. Till then,life, be mine.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

The Untitled

In the garden of thine impotence, O redeemer

Flow those flowers of evil, callous

The nectar of them, bloody wine of misanthropia

Rivers of dogmatic poison in thine veins.

Thine church of Sixtus, glorious temple of Satan

Radiantly glowing in its deception,

Thine son, my father celibate

Inebriated by the cannabis of indulgence.

O, are we then your sheep unguided,

Left desolate to find our own, while

You shine upon thine Cross so high,

We look at thee, O savior of none

Through a glass darkly

Death, that profound philosopher, is my redemption

For in life, you were to be mine

Come, my glories shall, when you judge

For I have already judged

And you, my lord, are condemned to fiction.

-Anjaney Das
28.03.09

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Hamra Baba Ke Likhayl Adhikaar Chahiye



There are some who are venerated beyond measure.There are some for whom any degree of veneration is too little an acknowledgment of their brilliance and greatness.To the man who represented, and will always represent, the hope of the opressed castes of India.To Babasaheb Ambedkar.

"Sun lo re bhaiyya hamri ek arji
Jeevan ha julum bedardi
Ab jhootan nahin koi ikraar chahiye
Hamra pyar chahiye
hamre Baba ke likhayl adhikar chahiye
hamre Baba ke likhayl adhikar chahiye
"
(A Bhojpuri song popular amongst the Dalits of Southern Bihar)

Thursday, March 19, 2009

'Jaativad' and 'Sampradayakta'

Our sociology teacher screened a documentary called 'India Untouched' today. Based on the insidiously prevalent institutions of caste and untouchability, it explored the scenario in eight states of India. More than what the documentary contained (which was quite disturbing), it was the reaction of my classmates that truly astonished me. They flinched at the depiction of atrocities whose reports can be found in the average Indian daily on a quotidian basis.For me, it was something that I knew and had personally seen on my last trip to Mithila.
Whenever I've debated with someone on the issue of whether or not India has failed as a model of governance, I've always been told that the state has done a lot for its people. Indeed, it has produced countless doctors, engineers and professionals.They can be found in LA or Birmingham or Paris.My only response to an argument so fallacious is the state of Bihar, a classic case of rape and neglect. For a state which did so well in the time of Shri Krishna Sinha and Anugraha Narayana Sinha, the apathy shown towards it has led it to be the worst state worth living in India.The intellectual tradition of Bihar,and especially that of Mithila,can be traced a long way back.The knowledge of polity and history is second only to Bengal and Kerala.What Happened?
I believe the degradation of a state so enriched, in natural and human resources,is solely due to the stratification of society on the basis of caste and religion.The Bhagalpur riots of 1989 were an orgy of murder where brutality and inhumanity reached colossal proportions.Casteism is not rigid, like it is in South India, but it takes a form which is inhuman to the point where compassion for one's fellow being runs in the negative.The politicians have exploited this stratification and have reduced the degree of knowledge and education of the masses in a phased manner to the point where the literacy rate has fallen down to 47%.The dream is not of having a comfortable life in the home state.It is to escape. Every single educated Bihari dreams of being an engineer or an IAS.None of them wish to return to ameliorate the condition of their kith and kin.The spirit of kin, the spirit of doing something for the motherland, dies in this tussle to survive and excel.
To each Indian who draws derisive elation from Pakistan's failure as a state,look Eastward.We, the people of Bihar, the land of Patliputra, the land of Buddha, the land which has produced extensive and incomparable amounts of literature on every subject imaginable, are today reduced to an existence where our own nation is turned against us.It is commonplace to curse Bihar and Biharis for overpopulation in the major cities of India.Why do we come to alien cities to lead a life of indignity and abuse?Because we believe that if we live out a life in severely inhuman conditions,our sweat and blood may culminate into the emancipation of the generations to come.The hope never dies, never even flickers.For a state so cheated by her own people, we're remarkably optimistic, almost to the point of stupidity.But we cling to our stupid hope, hoping that the God we profess faith in will deliver us.Are we children of a lesser God, if at all he exists, to suffer thus, and that too at the hands of our own countrymen?
As a person brought up in Delhi, more Punjabi than the Punjabis,my observations can at best be described as those of a concerned outsider. Yet, for every single uninformed individual in India, for whom India is Delhi or Bombay or Bangalore,see the plight of your countrymen and then decide whether we truly are the largest democracy of the world. Whether that document of 395 Articles, 22 Parts and 12 Schedules is worth celebrating.