A Different Dawn

When the phone rang unexpectedly at 6:30 in the evening, only to hear Birendra Kishore Bhadras immortal voice, I ran up to our deck to see if I could find any similarity between the dawn of Mahalaya back home and the dusk of New Jersey. Just when I was trying to simulate the feeling, a gust of cold breeze dashed away the riveting cloud of thoughts. It’s autumn and the tree tops are tinted red, golden and orange; far from the humid autumn of Kolkata.

As I put down my thoughts of the times spent in Kolkata, they float more vividly and becomes bright. As if I am straddled on a time-machine that is whiz passing the cherished moments of life till date and landing me wherever and whenever I want. Holding baba’s hand to carefully cruise through the impregnable crowd of pandal hoppers with a constant fear of getting lost, is one memory that remains. That was when I was 9, when Kolkata was still an unknown place for me. Pujo gained a separate recognition as I grew up. It became one of the most exciting times of the year, while I was in school. Perhaps the only time of the year when, severing ties with school books were legal at home. Compared to maa’s army orders of day-to-day life, this period was that of licentious freedom.

Distinct thoughts resonate with the word ‘Pujo’ as I smile away my ineptitude to live the festival in Kolkata this year. The ones with indelible impressions are those of mass dhunuchi naach and last minute dance performances at our housing complex at Kolkata, helping maa preparing Naru , Nimki and Elo-Jhelo in Bijoya Dashami only to pocket a handful without her notice. Perhaps, corruption begins in the kitchen and I am glad that it ends in my mouth.

As I evaluate the experience of Durga Pujo abroad, I see myself as one of those seasonal migratory birds who shift base in accordance with their needs. The only difference is they have been doing this since they took flight and I left home after spending a third of my probable life time. A giant leap of time, backwards. The leap has created a vacuum and I am trapped in it floating weightlessly. Am I enjoying it?

It’s the strangeness of life that you experience happiness and achievement the most when u win over the most unwanted situation and not when you get things as expected. This strangeness qualifies us as doers and not as mere victims of situation. Often a sense of hollowness spikes my realization to reach out for something meaningful. With that as a standard, I am yet to find out the reaches in an expanded tenure of hollowness. Who knows what’s in store?

Fresh Attacks on Afghan Peace Maker Poses Fresh Trouble

Every plan of action is easier said than done. The hurdles faced during the execution of an action are far from anticipated. For the American troops, while scouting the Taliban, the hurdles where nothing less than the extreme climatic conditions and the rugged terrains of Afghanistan accompanied by a neighbor which served as a safe haven for Taliban. The attack on the Afghan Peace Council Chief clearly states that neither the Afghan security forces nor the American troops can match up to the thoroughness and preciseness of Taliban attacks, to protect the unstable fortress of democracy put up by the post Taliban government.

The assassination is a directed missile to amputate any hand of cooperation or negotiation to end Taliban interference. The message is clear. They are still powerful and can easily go through the final fencing of Afghan defense. It will not be a surprise if the splinters of Taliban reunite to form a girth of impactful militants. The latest assassination of a peace-maker diplomat along with the receding number of US troops from the Afghan heartland and Pakistan serving as an aid to the Taliban can cause a disconcerting descent of Afghanistan people from hopefulness to the unease of future threats.

A final faceoff with Pakistan is urgently required, as it is playing a pivotal role in dispensing aids to terrorists for years and serving as a breeding ground for militants. The series of bombings in Delhi and Mumbai and the latest assassination in Afghanistan squarely suffice for Pakistan‘s contribution in supporting terror. Perhaps India should place the issue on the table of next UN General Assembly.

Welfare vs Warfare - USA's Struggle to Regain Balance

After the ‘War on Terror’, as the Bush -led government chose to call their mass killings in Afghanistan, left millions homeless and caused exponential bilateral damages contributing to the current economic debt, America’s role in fighting terror has been persistently censured in people’s tribunal across globe. While Bin Laden’s execution has consoled many who questioned US counter-terrorism actions, the future threats of terrorism rising from the remnants of the once active Al-Qaida is an emerging concern.

The bi-partisan congress’ office is now thinking over the deliberations of tracking down groups of terror which pose threat to the US security. Active militant groups like the Al-Shabab and Al-Qaida operating in Yemen and Somalia have been identified as potential threats to the security of US. Even though the international law supports attack for self defense from any terror threats, it does not mean USA can strike military attacks anywhere and anytime. The principle of International law of war is quite unclear to the government officials as the law is quite unsettled. Hence, this raises a slew of questions pertaining to the legality of the attacks which includes the determination of combat zone, usage of weapons and selection of the target-individuals on attack list. The lingering question is whether to strike on high-value terrorists or attack the foot soldiers also who mostly operate with parochial concerns. The challenge lies in preserving the sovereignty of the attacked nation while tweezing out the terrorists.

Also questions on the limit of military strikes ( drone attacks, commando raids, missiles) have split the house in to two. Another burning concern is the economics of the attack which will incur high cost to the current economic stagnation of the country. In the face of an economic stagnancy, the concept of attacking terror groups in Yemen and Somalia with an objective to preserve homeland security sounds absurd. While the government is struggling drafting propositions to cut debts by adjusting military pension and medical benefit rates for retired service men, the idea of fresh military attacks remain under the shadow of budget debates.

It’s an irony that the government is toying with idea of fighting terror attacks, when it is thinking of adjusting the lifelong pension of retired military officers- a policy which might affect the volume of military application in the US, as the pension after 20 years of service is considered as an incentive which motivates young applicants to apply in army. With the current economic state at a standoff, lot is at stake and any wrong action at this delicate moment on the part of the Obama-led Government, will be weighed heavily against it. After all, no one wants a repetition of War on Afghanistan, which to a large extent contributed to the current economic condition.

Failure of a Society

The current unfolding of the slew of corruption which shook India has left the country in a paralyzing dismay. So far the swindle-beaten Indian population has received the government peculations in a resigned acceptance, till Anna Hazare waged the crusade against corruption. What we envisioned and pledged as youths, were brought into action by this almost octogenarian. The result was an upsurge; a never-seen-before mass upsurge of Indian middle class, after independence, with a collective agenda against the corrupt. I will not hesitate to confess that I felt ashamed and small, as Bengal remained silent.

While I ate the reports on television beaming every aspect of the ‘Jan Lokpal ‘referendum put forward by Anna, I sensed an uncomfortable feeling of helplessness devouring me. The feeling was familiar. I felt bad at my ineptitude to make much difference when the situation called for. My tryst with the section officer at the Bengal Secretariat had put me in such predicament, several times. Each time he turned a deaf ear to my request, my fury started buzzing and burrowing under my skull. My slightest revolt resulted in a noisy confrontation. At last when he delivered, I had lost 2 days. The staff’s indifferent behavior and reluctance to respond frustrated me to call for an influential help even knowing that the crony-culture runs upstream the bureaucratic hierarchy. All of this, to get my academic certificates attested by the Home Department- a matter of 30 minutes.

If corruption is a carcinoma, my problem is at an atomic level of the disease. The scariest part is that the disease is so widespread that there’s barely any area unaffected. Today, unearthing a new scandal is no different from swatting a bothering mosquito. People have learnt to chew corruption with their morning toast without a frission of surprise. They are happy in their cocoon of promised life. My feeling goes out with million others who are thinking like me and not daring to act. What is at stake? Perhaps my self-respect which, will be taken off my skin any which way even if I don’t protest. What if I protest? Will they yield to my rebel? Can the ‘Jan Lokpal’ Bill be my answer?

The bill suggests installation of an external governing body to check the nation’s legislative and judicial proceedings. This means a new set of laws to police the functioning of existing laws, central to the bureaucratic hierarchy of the ruling government. This is like cleaning the visible surface of the affected body. The challenge lies in putting the entire body under a microscopic probe, which certainly is not feasible.

The truth is, corruption cannot be irradiated. One might recover the visible damage but that can easily be the tip of the iceberg. Corrupts are immune pathogens who survive irrespective of vigorous cleansing process and in case of humans they are evolved. Amending laws or deploying social vigilance will not bring the desired change, for all will come back to where it started.

The situation needs a much closer attention than heeded to, as it is not the system which is at fault. It is the intricate nature of human mind which deserves the blame. Yes, we all are corrupt at some level and when situation calls, we fall for it inadvertently. It is our basic instinct. A fallout of being human. (Look back and we will realize our bits and parts of corruption. Be it a mere admission in a college or gaining a majority in election , corruption in diverse forms is all pervasive. A range of scandals spiraling from Watergate Scandal, House Banking Scandal, Yellowcake forgery in the US to Bofors, Hawala, Commonwealth and 2G scams in India backs this statement.) But this cannot be an excuse for cheating on a billion population, as we are social beings and the basis of our society is an implicit mutual trust.

A corruption-free society is an ideal case and hence not possible. But there are societies which are great examples of organized, crime-free and healthy coexistence. Where people don’t have to think twice before approaching a policeman for help, where women are free to dress their way without a nasty stare, where vehicles stop for a pedestrian to cross the road. From my experience I can mention, Amsterdam, Berlin and Annandale, the suburban area where I live now as some such places. How can people here live with dignity? They just do their job because the price they pay for a single breach of rule is more than the average income of an Indian middle class. People in these societies cannot afford to slip, let alone a conscious crime. They are scared of being penalized for any sort of defined impropriety.

Laws are everywhere, but to follow them or not is a commoner’s choice. The problem arises when the governing bodies get a choice to ignore the commoner in question and goes scot free. It’s a mutual agreement amongst the citizens, the policemen, the government and everyone under the ambit of law, to follow the laws to keep things organized- to maintain a balance. India today needs an overhaul of the implementation of social policing tools. A failure of action should be reprimanded with a heavy penalty. The message should be loud and clear. One cannot afford an excuse to compensate irresponsibility.

Cover only that sells, sell only that's covered, attractively

Wasn’t it enough of a torture to spend first few weeks of my US visit in a business hotel, amid north jersey woods, that I had to punish myself watching American news channels? Or only paid channels are worth watching? With no paid services, I was left with Casey Anthony ( CA) . While the extent of child murder case in the United States came as a shock, the news readers’ demeanor left me in a paralyzing dismay. Their frequent quizzical gazes followed by their loud personal opinions while streaming the gradual progression of the trial was a pain to watch. What overwhelmed me the most, was the unwarranted advocacy journalism, which clearly reflected from the news presenter’s report. Spitting fire at the accused, Casey, who was yet to be declared a convict by the court, the news presenter affectedly, imposed her verdict on the viewers. Before the viewers could perceive the news and draw a conclusion themselves, which is their right, they have been fed with a bias. Not only that; to substantiate her idea, the news presenter brought in co- presenters to pitch a chat on their take at the story.

How overt can distortion get, than this? Passing off bloated news as objective reporting, the media infracts and modifies the potential of the news content. Who wants to know what a Fox News reporter thinks about a court order. Doesn’t his/her job end with the delivery of news without fear or favor? Or does it? Or sensational journalism has pervaded the television news room so deeply that they have started to believe that the common view of the world held by them is the only truth which prevails.

The western breeze has strewn thick the Indian airtime with similar code of media content. The result is a flared up story-telling business. The scene here is similar for Indian news channels which are solely driven by quantitative outcome rather than a qualitative one. With the liberalization in the 90s, Indian economy saw a boost in consumerism. The capitalistic economy infused fierce competition among satellite news channels. This along with other socio-economic changes also fostered the transition of Indian news-reading style and content, from what used to be a straight-faced and unbiased news delivery to current sensational and banal sermonizing. When asked, the news channels deemed this change worthy, claiming their existence reciprocal to the advertisements they get, which thrives on TRP. On the other hand, advertising agencies contest the claim by stating that the channels can restore their character and yet yield to the viewers.

It seems we have come too far to change anything. The social service aspect of media has faded out. The paradigm has shifted from delivering what matters to what’s happening. And news channels are no more confined to the job of delivering social, political and economic news. It has extended its borders to deliver entertainment packages for both young and old along with serious, non-serious issues dipped in their ready-to-serve sensational potion.

We see what is shown to us. We empathize with issues which the media deems critical to national democracy. We participate in talk shows which are media-orchestrated. We react to incidents which the media patronizes as national news. Recently the news of Anna Hazare’s protest against corruption was telecasted 24 x 7 in almost all the Indian news channels. The media profited from the impact of the crusade which followed for days. However, it’s a pity that stories like these are fluff in a pan unless the media decides to follow it. Such is the forgotten story of Irom Sharmila of Manipur, the woman who created a wave by fasting over a decade in a protest, demanding the shunning of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which delegates the army and paramilitary forces of Assam to force, shoot and arrest anyone under suspicion. One might argue about the impact of this protest, which is restrained to the North-East, compared to Anna’s nation-wide impact but the intensity of her protest surpasses any protests so far in independent India. She appeared in news like a flash and disappeared in the cauldron of such other crusade stories.

While pursuing my bachelor’s program, the journalistic guidelines enshrined in the books talked about objective reporting: most important criterion of a news report. Reporting news was about accuracy and fairness without any personal views. The purpose was to let the viewer decide. The grass is always greener on the other side. Unfortunately my stint with a national news channel taught me the basics of modern day journalism. Cover only what sells or sell in an attractive covering. The rule is to break all rules. Probably it was too much for me as a fresh graduate to gulp, so I quit and sought to question the mastermind instead.

An update after India celebrated 64th anniversary of Independence

Just a day after many took pride being the citizen of independent India, Anna’s detention comes as disgrace. I am at loss of words to convey my shame, anger and utter disgust with the impotence of the current government. Is this some kind of joke? More than a billion of population has been cheated and robbed off their trust and reliance. Not once or twice. We have been deceived and slapped with irrevocable losses and damages quite consistently.And now the only voice which resonated the rebellion of a million people has been booked. Are we, who blow up our pride being the largest democracy, cowards? If no, then why the weather in India looks so pleasant, except some upsurge in the capital? It’s time the print media dedicate their entire newsprint to carry the voice of India till any change is noted. I feel each of us should think loud here on FB or somewhere. This is just my reaction to the current situation in India. Honestly not feeling good at all.

A fool's brain digests philosophy into folly, science into superstition, and art into pedantry. Hence University education.