The decision that matters

The Eurostar left Rome Termini fifteen minutes late. Considering the weather, the elderly  lady was thanking God that the train finally started. Her daughter who had come to see off her parents, had a face with anxiety written all over it, in bold letters . The weather had changed for a sunny bit. The sun was out and so too the sun glasses. It was just a tad better than the previous days. The general traffic remained disrupted and forty minutes into the journey, it was more than evident. The whole land was covered with snow. The countryside, the rooftops and the whole landscape had forgotten the existence of other colours in the palette other than snowwhite. The newly wedded couple from Asia was rewarded with this scenario,eventhough many would have counselled against their travel in this trying weather. The Chinese youngster was lapping up images for posterity and his digital camera was suffering. I slowly nodded off, knowing well that despite its freshness, the snow is an occupational hazard.

Strangely the train arrived in Padova in  time. I remembered the journey I made last year, into the same destination and how things were different. I had another ninety minutes before I could catch  the next train. The temperature was neither positive or negative; it stood dead at zero and it was freezing. My panini-sandwich lunch took just ten minutes and I had a good eighty minutes to struggle with. It was biting cold and I had no other place to visit. The station was painfully cold and my best refuge was the shopping centre with heating. I had nothing to buy, but I found myself in the shopping centre inspecting all sorts of vegetables and goodies. Soon enough, I got bored, picked up two bottles of water and was at the payment desk. A queue had formed and a new counter was opened up. I was patience personified and let others pass before me. I had all the time in the world. The queue, 'fila Indiana,' however was not moving up. There was a youngster with a packet- the ubiquitous potato chip packet- at the other end of the line. He was  rummaging through his pockets for money. Finding none he took off his half gloves, started searching again in vain. The lady at the desk was getting impatient and was all gestures, of course, the Italian way. He gave up his search and headed towards the door. I was almost sure that he would produce some money from his pocket. When he paced forward, I knew that words, that I would pay, did not come out from my mouth. After all it was a small packet of potato chips. I saw him walking way, keeping a hand to his stomach. My heart sank. I had to spent a couple of minutes to pay my bill. I charged outside.  He had headed towards the main entrance. Among the Sunday crowd I started to scan his face. It was then it dawned on me the worth of the milli seconds I had wasted to say a few words, which would have made a difference to him. The bitter cold had only increased and I walked up and down the station in vain hope that I could revert my earlier decision. I was freezing up, but I continued to search him in the book stall, in the bar-coffee shop, among the gypsies who were stationed at the door. I walked aimlessly with a glimmer of hope that he would reappear. But I had lost him.

I was touching close to respond, but something prevented me from responding. The sight of this youngster walking away did pain me. I could have done it. But he was gone. Decisions do matter, you have only milliseconds to make a difference.

The kid on the block

The Silicon valley wonder kid is no longer the mysterious sweat shirted world’s youngest billionaire. Mark Zuckerberg, the co founder and CEO of Facebook is the new face on the cover page of Time. His face is etched there for “changing how we all live our lives” according to the selection panel of the ‘Person of the year’ award. Indeed, it has capped all his activities, connecting 500 million Facebook users across the world.

A few days back he had created ripples when he signed up for the ‘Giving Pledge,’ an initiative founded by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, asking signatories to step up their donations for worthy causes. “People wait until late in their career to give back. But why wait when there is so much to be done? With a generation of younger folks who have thrived on the success of their companies, there is a big opportunity for many of us to give back earlier in our lifetime and see the impact of our philanthropic efforts,” said this ‘Accidental Billionaire.’  This infact is considered to be a moral commitment and not a legal contract.  Something spectacular happened in India too, when WIPRO chairman Azeem Premji, donated 2 billion dollars to Indian primary education. In fact the rich often tend to behave poorly given the fact that much of them income is reinvested to harvest more money.  The biggest donation in the history of philanthropy of India has not meandered into the plum account sheets of business schools or religious establishments or higher education, but has gone to young Indian citizens which could give them wings to reach the unreachable. Many a tiny feet will be saved from the dirt tracks of India.

Zuckerberg is also the chief character in the much talked about Hollywood movie, ‘The Social Network.’ The films portrays Zuckerberg as a brilliant, power hungry, back stabbing hacker fuelled by social recognition and girls, which the Facebook has dubbed the films as mere fiction. Zuckerberg is said to have bought out two theatres so that his entire crew could watch the movie. The movie has already won six Golden Globe nominations and is a frontrunner for the Academy awards. Despite all the contentious issues of privacy violations alleged against Facebook, Zuckerberg remains committed to his widen the ‘Facebook effect.’ 500 million and growing users are already hooked up to his special effect. His audience is growing exponentially.  Right now he is the cynosure of all eyes. Mr Julian Assange, the 'Leak' man who was thought to be the heir to the throne is beaten at the post.


http://www.time.com/time/

Killer conflicts !!!

Conflict is not to be labelled as aggression, neither it is the recipe of wars. It could be the banality of life that could spurn up conflicts. But the tendency of the press, the opinion leaders, the ring leaders who control the shows,  is to patronize the conflict,  favouring one side or the other, offering texts of a single voice. There are those who do present both of them together, resulting in a deficit balance of a situation or a surplus, or it could be a forced one too, an internal conflict t. The most difficult ones could be the internal conflicts. It needs no introduction, it could be written all over you, no  magic formula could unravel these conflicts.

Talk about Emmanuel Kant and who can forget, “Cogito ergo sum.” His philosophy rested on doubt. Doubt in paranoiac proportions is etched into every frame of the  movie “Doubt”, a screen adaptation of John Patrick Shanley’s stage play. Meryl Streep, as a sceptical nun, puts up an impressive performance, with winds of energy and humour. Father Flynn, a hushed downed Philip Seymour Hoffman, is  at the eye of the storm, fanned in by the unsuspecting doubts of a younger nun, enacted by Amy Adams.  Sister Aloysius, (M Streep) is bent on accusing her superior, Fr Flynn of 'unusual interests' on one of students, that too, the only black student in the school. The movies is nothing about main stream movie which does not tolerate tolerate ambiguity as the coffers won’t cling loud enough.  The conflicts are well pronounced from the very moment Fr Flynn sits on the chair of the principal, offers suggestion about a secular song for Christmas, the use of ball pens, long nails, sugar in the tea etc. Fr Flynn’s crime seems to be his tolerance and his character is delineated to elicit more sympathy than any other emotion.

The final frame puts these words in the mouth of Sr Aloysius, “ I have such doubts.” This is no adrenalin pumping, edge of the seat entertainer. Conflict just refuses to die and the compelling performances by the lead actors just underlines the diabolical character of conflict. The film could be blamed to be a bit one-dimensional, but speak about conflict and it's a full house.

Changing Education Paradigms

I chanced across this video and thought I should share it. The lecture has lots to tell about the system of education and the need to shift all those paradigms. There are interesting and stimulating observations. What stimulated me was the use of technology which rendered the whole talk into pictures in real time. Thought you should also see it...

Life: a homeward bound journey

I am in silent admiration of people who affront life with great dignity, people who stand up and like to be counted at the twists and turns of life. This admiration is not about the miniscule percent of great people who were destined to be great, who were thrust into greatness. It is all about the ordinary people who were rudely awakened to think of the expanse of life when tragedy hit them unexpectedly with ruthless cruelty and lack of imagination. What keeps them ticking while a loved one is literally prised away makes them more than human, as most of them were never prepared for a shining blade that halved their lives into two.

These people are unsung heroes, who find refuge in sharing their sorrow with others, who find the brighter side of life with little preparation. Relations, genders, races and ages do not get distinguished when  heartbreak strikes.  Of late many tragedies have left me shaken, even though I have kept my gaze ahead. I have tried to shake off the sentiments; in vain I  have hung on, but memories fail to die and faces refuse to fade away. I have always thought that in my vocation one gets immune to tragedies, at least for a wee bit. That was a belief I collected on my journey, when once for a fleeting moment my voice trembled during a funeral and the torrent of anguish and distress poured into heartbreaking cries. That has haunted me every time I officiated a farewell rite. I was mighty impressed with the faith of a good friend when she prayed for clear skies during the last rites of her mother and was amply rewarded during an unkind monsoon season. There was a leap in her faith when she along with her sister realized that it was time to leave their mother in the hands of God, instead of keeping her back.

The ebb of life never ceases. The days of laughter are to be replaced with tears and deep despair. Dear ones depart and their loses are never replaced. But life has to gone on. It becomes easy when one finds solace in the courage of these unsung heroes, who chose to take a fresh look at life every time tragedy struck them unawares.

The leak that matters.

The much-anticipated event of the year, waited with baited attention has unfurled.  Assange has done it again, the cables were leaked.  All the doomsday-prophecies of governments tumbling down, collateral damage etc were proved otherwise.  There have been outrages, blushes akin to the teenagers, hushed laughter, fears of reprisal, curious insights into the machinations of diplomatic secrecies, but nothing of the sort that was hugely anticipated.  The US govt has declared that its government will survive this leak. Did it say that this round of leak was not damaging like the other one?

The question of whistle blowing naturally sums up to the conclusion that some insider was not happy with his boss and he is out there with a bunch of documents to get even. We should accept that. The bigger question is the truthfulness of these documents. How are we going to find the truth element in all these dispatches? By any stretch of imagination we cannot harbour on a statement from all those involved. The world media had a field day and was quick on the trigger and it would be embarrassing if nothing dramatic happens.  Maybe there are those who still wait for the next scheduled release. Many consider this as treason; many still cannot fathom the repercussions it would rain down on many places, the crucial link of trust is tainted between some nations.  The interesting question for me is the real purpose of these leaks. It does not expose anything vital that can significantly change an existing situation, neither does it throw light into a damaging corruption.

It could be interesting to note that, all these are not classified intelligence. The attitude of many leaders treating its people like children is definitely embarrassing. It is also heart-warming to know that many leaders can still call a spade a spade. It would also a lesson in humility for many world leaders after being exposed of their chivalrous intents just to maintain their importance. The impressions they have about other leaders is nothing but awkward.  All these should be leading to a different climate of diplomatic relations, where usually all the words have different meanings, where is more of talk and less of action. The ordinary reader would have been assured in the leaks, had it dotted on corruption rather than conspiracy angles. Who is going to verify these leaks?

Condom, the protagonist

Millions of bytes have already been dedicated to this protagonist, condom, the only solution considered as quasi genuine against a host of maladies including AIDS. After all the unwanted media attention it attained during the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Africa, it is now again the talk of the town. I just googled it, and the first 844 results had the name of his Holiness, the Pope, Benedict XVI written all over it, so much so the definition of the device did not even find mention in the first three sets of results. When the media goes ga- ga over this word that found light in the latest book of the Pope, "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times," one can only wonder the banality of the journalistic enthusiasm.

The interview-book, by German journalist Peter Seewald, was released yesterday, has already been the subject of worldwide controversy, because of the premature publications of one isolate passage in which there is a mention of the usage of condom. While the Pope speaks frankly on a wide range of issues, condom became the protagonist as every other front-line newspaper scented victory and blared that the Pope had let his guard down and this could be the anchor lap to the successful upturn of the teachings of the church.  But it turned out to be the proverbial judging the book by its cover, by a single passage. Within a few hours of it release, Vatican did come up with a little face saving act when it dispelled all the doubts the interpretation of the peek view. The protagonist, condom, has been relegated to the side stories and the actual protagonist has emerged in bright colours. The Pope emerged as the leader of the Church, optimistic about the Church, despite the scores of difficulties she always encounters. The Pope is said to have opened his apartment and let every single man share his life and thoughts in this interview, according to Vatican.

The media hysteria is over  and the hype generated by the media has transformed the other remarks as an. None of official teachings of the Church has been overturned and neither has the Church gone soft on its core issues.  It would serve all those sound byte crazy opinion makers to sit and read the whole book and appreciate the totality of the book. Given the attention created the book should be flying off the shelves.  "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times," 

http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2010/11/23/guestview-did-the-pope-%E2%80%9Cjustify%E2%80%9D-condom-use-in-some-circumstances/

Robin, robbed away to eternity.

The evening was dying down, the sun had set early and I was ambling out of my weeklong insomnia.  I never did know that the evening had come down on Robin Benny. I too have frolicked on the sands of Tannerbavi in my younger days of exuberance. In fact, it was our favourite hide out whenever we had our share of escapades. Long hours in the water did not tire us, on the contrary, it was pretty much anticipated. All those sweet memories associated with the pristine beach are now clogged with the sad demise of Robin.

The news did descend like a bolt from the blue. The genial Robin Benny is consumed by the waves. All I could do was to hope against hope. Nevertheless, the reality sunk in. Robin is gone, consumed by the greater love of God. It is going to be a long journey for all those who loved him, to accept the fact his gentle smile won’t be with us anymore. I really feel impoverished, whatever I try to write seem to fall short.  I remember his mother, who was very watchful of this wonderful son, who chose not to send him to school on the bicycle, fearing the killer trucks on the road. Robin in fact had resigned with graciousness to the decision of his mom. He did not resent nor did I hear a word of displeasure. He just did not have a character that could displease a single soul and anyone could attest to it. I remember vividly the days when he gave life to many characters on the stage and how he handled his days of being the school leader.

My thoughts go to the whole family, his grieving parents, his brother, who must be suffering trying to grapple with the turn of events. It is going to be a huge loss for all of us, a difficult period for all of his friends and teachers who loved him.  Dear Robin, we bid good bye with the staunch hope that you be carried gently by the angels to your eternal abode.  “Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, For you are my God.” The song is ended but the melody lingers on. Thanks a lot for all what you have been to us and let eternity reunite all of us.

I'm Free (Anon)

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free
I'm following the path God has laid you see.
I took His hand when I heard him call
I turned my back and left it all.

I could not stay another day
To laugh, to love, to work, to play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way
I found that peace at the close of day.

If my parting has left a void
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss
Oh yes, these things I too will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life's been full, I savored much
Good friends, good times, a loved one's touch. 

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief
Don't lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your hearts and peace to thee
God wanted me now; He set me free.

Enough !!!

"Enough, enough, enough." There is nothing romantic about these words, when this plea drops from the mouth of a three year old, who had just witnessed the death of his parents. In fact, Adaam was searching his parents, mercilessly mowed down by terrorists. Following the aggressors with this plea etched to his heart, he was barely heard for two hours. Another bullet rewarded his courage. The senseless orgy continues and these words do not resemble anything of a country where common sense prevails at the moment. 

How does the world lose its common sense? Perhaps it is the lack of common sense, which makes sense in the new world order.  Iraq has been under the radar for more than a decade. First, there was the dictatorship, which was seen as the oppressor. Then the rescuers arrived in waves, full of wisdom to win over the nation from the dictator. Subsequently, the aggressor seemed to recognise the futility of the occupation. A strategic withdrawal was proposed when the rescuer finally found that nobody was a clear winner. What happened to the cultural, physical and religious fabric of the nation is beyond comparison. The country was in shambles. The Christians who were safe under the dictator now find themselves at the crossroads as they are now massacred without remorse. Ethnic cleansing has found its meandering ways into the land of the Saviour. The intensity with which the pogrom is been executed has shocked the Christians all over the world. Caring to the community, two priests have been gunned down among numerous other Chrisitans.  The invasion has left the Christians without any veil of protection, while the Muslim groups are still in conflict.

What is the option left with the Christians who find themselves at the mercy of terrorists? The words of a survivor sums up it all. When was asked by a reporter, what do you say to the terrorists? through his tears he said, ‘We forgive you.’

Who will free Myanmar?

After hours of speculation and anguish, it was officially announced; ‘the’ news the world wanted to hear for long. Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi walked free from her lakeside home after years of imprisonment to the delight of scores of her supporters and pro democracy supporters worldwide. She was her usual self, the image we have seen umpteen times from the archives of channels, the petite indomitable lady, smiling and charming all around her, walked into freedom from her aging house towards the gates which was the end of her world for over two decades.  

The world has greeted this fresh release of the symbol of democracy with guarded optimism.  While there is a bit of celebration going on, nobody is certain how long this wave of freedom will last. Could this be good news that is temporary? Is this another truce just to tide over the illegal elections that were conducted a week back? However, nobody dares to imagine that the freedom of this leader is the freedom of Myanmar. The military still rules, a junta that has stamped upon civil and human rights and still has successfully shielded its face from the public.

India, the land of Gandhiji, has not levered enough for her release.  Myanmar, which was landlocked to India, has conveniently ignored the determination of this lady, who has survived many odds. India has remained criminally silent, an observation made also by President Obama during his visit to India. India as a nation should have taken greater interest in her release, for it was Gandhiji who said that India’s freedom means the freedom of the world also.  However, India has many things at stake.

Myanmar still remains isolated.  Military juntas have existed in many parts of the world, but have been battered by the tide of democracy and have vanished, but not in Myanmar. The only country in Asia where the junta steamrolls everything on its path is Myanmar. Neither the demonstrations of the Buddhists nor the natural calamities have slowed down the junta. Would Myanmar become just a footnote in the history of the world? Two Nobel laureates, one in Myanmar, another in China, both reveal the fighting spirit of democracy that the whole world is moving to Democracy.  Which Suu Kyi is going to be more potent, the lady behind the bars or the leader that is freed?

The hands that rock the cradle.

The Mid Orient is simmering. After the anti Christian serial bombings in Baghdad, the next-door neighbour, Pakistan is again in the news, time again for the wrong reasons. Asia Bibi, a 37-year-old mother of two girls is sentenced to death for ‘the ultimate crime’, blasphemy against Prophet Muhammed.  The West it slowly waking up to the truth of the matter. It’s been a year since she is behind bars for professing her faith in ordinary circumstances in an extraordinary way. While the West has been instrumental in arming Pakistan with millions of dollars pumped in for weapons, the same West has adopted a criminal silence when it comes to saving basic human rights and right to believe. The local community despite its appeals and prayers finds itseld at blind alleys as the Muslim law has appropriated the fabric of their lives.

The auxiliary Bishop of Lahore, Bishop Bernard Shaw has raised his heart and arms in appeal to Pope Benedict XVI, to intercede and speak in favour of Asia Bibi. The appeal is to repeal the law, to lobby at all possible levels to work for the salvation of the innocent; “We appeal to all mothers. Pakistan, Asia is a mom like you, defend her, do not let her children become orphans.”

The appeal is not only for the sentenced woman Asia Bibi. It is for the whole of Asia, where Christianity is under severe threat, perhaps in a more open way than in Europe and the rest of the world.  Asis Bibi stood up to her faith, professing her faith not with a great deal of oratory acquired after years of study, but with the strength of her faith in Jesus Christ; ordinary words, which brought the local police to her doorsteps and a blasphemy charge over her head and her family.  It is ironic that the law has sentenced her to death sentence, when the same Islamic law prohibits death penalty for women and non-Muslims.

What is at the centre is not the anti-blasphemy law, but its blatant use to silence religious freedom and basic human rights.  The government is still to take actions on the wanton acts of terrorism and its perpetrators, but is on the quick to cater to the needs of fundamentalists. While the 20 million Christians in Pakistan are considered second class citizens  and denied basic justice, there are cases where the trials of terrorists being overturned. Why don’t we read in tandem, the court order of the Spanish government that overruled the protest of Muslims in the Cordoba Cathedral as mere public disorder, the Swiss concern for the frequency of the minarets and the death sentence for mother of two children? We seem to happily convinced that the God of justice is blindfolded, tongue tied and in a straight jacket as these things do not happen in our neighbourhood.  The powerful do not merit the title of powerful unless they exhibit a heart for the underdog.

http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/viewnews.php?newsid=1679
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/nov/10111001.html

President Obama: Back in his elements.

He came, talked, enchanted and went away. The hype, minute-by-minute ‘breaking news’ and the live commentaries on the visit of President Obama are over. The Indian media did go overboard with the live coverage and analysis of the visit. President Obama for sure was at his vintage best, not withstanding the drubbing he received back home.  The three day visit by President Obama have calmed many doubting Indian minds, have reassured that the world’s strongest President did talk in their terms than in American minds. The Presidential visit did have its moments of glory, the address to the joint parliament session, being a ‘historic’ one.

The media and political analysts have already hailed the visit as a fruitful one. The nation did see its Prime Minister with his broadest smile these days. At least for the first time the left parties were in praise for the speech of the President and the parliamentarians were not an embarrassment for the nation. President Obama also did enjoy the presence of the left leaders.

His speech in the parliament was a carefully crafted one. It did once again root himself as a powerful orator. The teleprompter was in place and he articulated in measured tones the right things for the audience before him and the millions who watched him on television. There was philosophy, careful narration of history, personal memories, flattering recounting of the power of India and he did not ever put his foot wrong. The thirty-minute speech will be considered historic by its tone and content. The address was received with rapt attention punctuated occasionally by the applause, an achievement in itself considering the noisy nature of the Indian parliament.  Ms Meira Kumar, the speaker of the Lower House of the parliament summed up, “Some moments are recorded in history as points of reference...this is that moment.” The last president of America could not address in the parliament as the left vowed to disrupt him. This time around there was good measure of admiration instead of interruption.

The hoopla surrounding the visit has died down. Other pieces of news have already acquired centre stage. India and the USA have already vowed to face terrorism with great understanding and participation, the trade ties are going to be strengthened, the seat in the security council  receive a boost by the USA, so goes on the merits of the visit. All the good work has to be followed up and that would be the real test to face. India does look forward to see whether the US President will match his rhetorical skills with his actions.

http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/2010/11/9/video-and-transcript-president-obamas-speech-to-the-indian-p.html

Don't comment, you may be fired !!!

Journalism is passing through many shades of transformations. Of late, even the schools of media would find it hard to monitor and understand the subtle variations of its evolution. We now hear of ‘news analysis’ and ‘news commentary’ apart from unbiased objective news reporting. The hosts of user content broadcasting methods are adding to the news commentary and news analysis sector of news.  Whatever be the last minute development, a journalist needs to tell his opinion. You may agree, I may agree, but fundamentally the bosses should agree or an opinion can cost you your favourite job, just as it happened to Juan Williams of NPR, New York. His seemingly ‘caught off the guard’ folly was  that he commented on a personal level and  interestingly his job description reads thus; ‘News Analyst’. His comment was his own feeling of being nervous, when he saw somebody dressed in Muslim garb in an aeroplane as they identified themselves first and foremost as Muslims.

Setting aside the issue of Islamophobia, the action of the employer on grounds of commenting is the real focus.  Well, NPR has its  well established policy of offering objective news content to the public. Stepping over the line of impartiality in the news coverage could be a joke these days as without the personal or corporate tag line, no piece of news finds space in the print or on other media. Most nations do not have an impartial press, in fact most nations strive to filter into the news moghuls so that the news is controlled in some way or other. As  with the instance of Williams, he, in is capacity of News analyst had commented on something which he thought to have reason to comment.

Where is the thin line that separates a personal comment and a professional comment ? Can a journalist be without any personal prejudice or other influences? Every professional journalist would like to work with a certain employer who is the market leader. The price he pays knowingly is that he will have to work within a frame that the employer sets before him as  ‘operating guidelines.’ Journalism would be just another commodity on the offer if the journalist is silenced for his views. When the management brandishes the pink slip for every ‘slip’ of the journalist, the freedom of expression suffers the greatest jolt. Are the days coming when the newspapers offer only objective news items.? But does objectivity exist at all, when human beings value an incident with human passions, human emotions and human reasoning. Water-downed journalism with a minimum of personal opinion, with  a full spectrum of fear for every word said and opinion remarked is definitley not the future of journalism.  
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/25/ent.npr.analyst/index.html

I did not chose my birth

Life is about choices. I chose to go to an university, studied engineering.  I chose to drink, to have entertainment. I chose to marry Tina, to have two splendid kids. I chose the car to drive, I chose this T-shirt and I chose this haircut. What I did not choose is to become a patient with terminal illness... Definitely, I did not choose that my family should suffer with me this hell. I made my final choice. I just need the government to listen to me. According to the Eurispes report 2010, 67% of Italians favour legalization of euthanasia: "Our government says no"

The latest commercial that has captured the imagination and set the opinion makers in tremendous discussion seems to a simple appeal.  It’s not dramatic, nothing of the Hollywood surreal graphics and appeal to the eye, it’s just a statement in soft tones pleading innocently that the suffering man has to die, but the government just does not listen.  Logically presented, it should be a case of deductive conclusion.  However, the Catholic Church was soon to pound on it and declared it unpalatable.  The video produced by the group ‘The Works’ in Sydney, was intended for Australian and Canada, but did not go beyond the Australian censor board and was promptly banned for its content in spite of its appeal for a sweet death. The parting line is that 67% Italians favour Euthanasia and the government does not, so put up your hands for euthanasia.

Italy has repeatedly faced the same issue, the characters and the protagonists have changed, public support has wavered and swayed along with emotion, the parliament has debated it umpteen times, the political parties have rallied with political and apolitical motives, but the issue at the epicentre has not been resolved. It has dawned on us that a simple stroke of the pen will not resolve this issue. The Catholic Church has defiantly stood its ground despite all odds to preserve the right to live. It has been bombarded from all sides, but the Church has not voted for a culture of a death.

Maybe we all choose, there are quite of number of delectable choices right from the age of reasoning. The fortunate stand a good chance to make all these choices, the less fortunate are happy that they are gifted a life and are content to live with their limited choices.  Why do we clamour for the gift of a sweet death? Is it just because we cannot stand suffering? Alternatively, is it just because we do not want our family to suffer along with us? Why do we conveniently close our eyes to the super-human efforts of humankind to alleviate pain and suffering of the suffering millions of all continents? Why is that our humanity overflow in front of a calamity? We have all accepted suffering. It is not at all a delectable choice. In simple terms, it is part of life. While we argue for the choice of death to evade pain, nobody seems to question the sweet moment of birth. Why couldn’t the scriptwriter add this line, “I chose my birth?” I did not choose my birth, can I choose my death?

Multi culturalism is dead?

Oh yeah!!, it is official now. The experiments with multiculturalism are declared dead  atleast for now in Germany.  However, the remarks have not created prime time news more than one day and it does give an opportunity to think about the reality of multiculturalism.  Speaking to the young people of Germany, Angela Merkel said that multiculturalism has failed as an experiment.  There would be lots of pages dedicated about the usefulness of multiculturalism and how the world would be better and beautiful with people of all races and religions.  But ironically, monoculturalism also was not much of success story in Germany.

Polls conducted in Germany show that one third of the people of Germany feel that they are over run by foreigners and Muslim religious practices should be curbed in Germany.  Apart from a bit of xenophobia, it also reflects a good deal about the shifting paradigms in the demographical pattern of the society.  With an aging population and a diminishing working  force, Germany needs scores of skilled labourers to keep their coffers flowing.  The hushed tones in which German leaders used to speak after the unpleasant reality of the Second World war, has changed into more open challenges and statements.  Integration is spoken in terms of learning German, becoming part of Germany in all possible ways.  However with understatements, politically guarded declaration, it is evident that frustration is creeping up in uncertain terms.

The German chancellor has made it certain in more clear terms that immigrants are needed in Germany. They will be guaranteed a better life, but on the terms of Germany. Integration is not an alternative, rather a forced choice.  It has more of national and political overtones rather than religious tones.  This should be read together with the situation in the Mid Orient where the Christian community is driven out of its home land by discrimanation rather than targeted persecution.  Germany and its leadership wants Germany driven by Christian values and perspectives.  Is the world becoming more polarised on the names of cleverly articulated theories and propoganda or is it becoming more of a ‘one world?’ 

A new rallying point for Chile

A few months back when Chile was rocked by an earthquake, Chileans distinguished themselves by fighting back with a rare kind of fortitude.  Normalcy was restored soon enough despite the severity of the quake. Down in the dark inferno of Atacama’s belly with just an umbilical chord to sustain them, the miners had resigned to death, but battled to live. Importantly the  Chileans have yet again proved to the world that they are made of sterner stuff.

What emerges from the half mile ‘would be burial ground’ is a story without parallels. The gripping stories of the miners that the media has released showcases to the world the stark reality of life that was without even a glimmer of hope. Without any irony and play of words,  the blessed ‘pigeon’  shuttled down to the rescue room with food and hope. Mario Sepulveda, who emerged second from his tryst with destiny, summed up the whole saga, “ I have been with God and with the devil. They fought and God won. I grabbed God’s hands and never doubted about my rescue”  More stories are finding the columns of the world media, but the message is the same; they were without hope but decided to stare in the face of death with  stoic pragmatism. Democracy was the watchword. Every decision was put to vote. They had to do the possible and emerged heroes as they did the impossible. The endurance stories they recount are testimonies to their mettle who stood up to be counted. 

The collective effort of all the rescuers, the govt, the mining industry and above all the families who stood in vigil over the desert mine is already folklore.  ‘Phoenix’ has already achieved stardom and will rest in the museum of the Chilean mining industry.  The lessons learnt have set the ball in motion according to the Chilean authorities who are to ensure tougher safety standards. The miners are back with their dear ones. Some have decided to go back to work, others are in divided minds. The world stands up in ovation for the handlers of the crisis and the indomitable spirit of human kind. We salute you...    

Nigeria bleeds once again

"First the shooting that created panic and then when people scrambled out of their homes, they were slit with machetes.  The helpless, the children and the old men, who could not run were slaughtered with no mercy", thus goes the chilling retrospective of the recent spate of violence in Nigeria. The attack happened before dawn on Sunday morning when gangs of men descended on several communities, centred on the village of Dogo-Nahawa, and attacked people with machetes. 

Nigeria suffered deadly riots in 2001, 2008 and 2010. This recent slaughter has left more than 200 people dead and many hundreds displaced from their homes and dear ones. A March 9 statement from the Vatican press office emphasizes that although the conflict in northern Nigerian villages pitted Muslims against Christians and it should be seen "not as a religious but a social confrontation." Archbishop John Onaiyekan of Abuja, Nigeria, explained to a Vatican Radio audience that it was "a classic conflict between herdsmen and farmers." The archbishop said that Christian leaders "continue to work to promote good relations between Christians and Muslims."

Nigeria could be a statistician's worst night mare or a resourceful delight. Two-thirds of Nigeria's 130 million people live in abject poverty.  Like any other struggling country, Nigeria too has two faces, one of affluence and the other of abject poverty. One in seven Africans live in Nigeria.. One thousand people live in the Olusosun trash dump. A fire there in April destroyed over 300 dwellings. Nigeria is the eighth largest oil producer in the world, and the most productive nation in Africa.  

With a legacy of British colonialism, the words of the Archbishop just put the whole situation in perspective.  To live in a multicultural and multireligious ambience is adding to the stress levels of all individuals. When every religion tries to wrest dominance from the other, the basic principles of humanity and co-existence are dumped; Nigeria proves that she does not form part of the exception. The recent introduction of Sharia in certain states has opened up the polarity, minorities feel threatened, the majority considers it their right to threaten the minority.  The classic confrontation between the settlers and herdsmen is setting the tone for   fresh war cries. When religion becomes the convenient and potent weapon in the hands of power crazy political leaders, all hell breaks lose.  Reports suggest that over 300 churches have been destroyed in the past three years.  Rebuilding churches, even though takes time is within reach, rebuilding the faith, harmony and peaceful co-existence in no piece of cake. 

Who can bring back peace to Nigeria? War, slaughter and racial divides can only mash up the beautiful picture of Nigeria. In the bargain, Nigeria will be known only by her violence, which unfortunately is not true. Peace and prosperity is the result of the collective human will as demonstrated by many nations, armed by tolerance and education. Together with all those aching hearts in Nigeria, I too join my cupped hands in prayer for all those who are suffering. Let peace envelope your wonderful country, my lovely good friends, Sheena, Regina, John, Valentine, Paul, Lawrence, Hillary, Solomon and many more whom I do not know by names. "We pray for peace, for good government and for truth. And we pray also that people may realise that the only way to survive in this country is to recognise one another as brothers and citizens of the same nation" Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan

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Historic Women’s quota Bill

A  wait for fourteen long years, Smritis taken for a ride and after long hours of standoff and acrimony, the Rajya Sabha has finally voted in favour  of the Women.  Is it mere coincidence that the first citizen of the country happens to be a woman and the leader of the ruling party also happens to be a lady.  Whatever; it is part of history now.  The determination of the government to push the bill through hours of indecision definitely needs a round of applause.  Just to think that the bill was introduced in the house 14 years ago points to the hypocrisy of our political system.

What makes the politicians averse to the bill is interesting to speculate and delineate.  Loss of 33% seats, increased voice of the women, less chances of corruption, name it and all of these and more are going to be reasons of interest.  When the bill becomes a historic and great step in the empowerment of women in the words of the PM, doesn't these echo the words when man first landed on moon.? A sure and significant step indeed towards the emanicipation of women, who have to play a central part in the making of the nation.

That different parties are crying foul and resorting to threatening tactics is not new in the political scenario of India.  All the cubes have  fallen in place as the Govt does have a majority in both houses and the bill will certainly sail through when it is presented in the Lok Sabha too.  After a deadlock of 14 years if it does not get through this time, it is going to be the darkest chapter in the history of India's parliamentary democracy.  Bulldozing through male bastions, the bill has found favour with all the women, gauging from the spontaneous reactions pouring out from all quarters.  Although it may not change the lives of millions of ordinary women, they stand to gain in the long process.  33% reservation in the local governing council seats in the towns and villages is definitely going to be remarkable. 

It is not the Congressmen who have the last laugh.  The bluffs and theatrics of the opposition party, the ruckus over the bill, everything has been thrown out of the window to secure a brighter future for the country. After Monday's fiasco, Mrs Sonia Gandhi is reported to have thrown all her political will -power and clout behind the bill, a bill she must have carried close to her heart. A political dream won't be that distant for many women in India. Let the horizons be even more brighter for all the women in India. Truly a wonderful gift on the International womens' day.

The Hurt Locker

"The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug". Kathryn Bigelow's brilliant movie opens up with this seemingly innocent statement.  Well, quite a lot of critics have weaved interesting theories about the dynamics and the purpose of war, the gender and  race stereotyping, stuff like that.  Scores of pages have been already dedicated about the merits of the movie, which is also the frontrunner  for the Oscars already bagging multiple nominations. Ironically Kathryn's ex-husband is also in the fray with the other  planet Pandora movie 'Avatar'

Yes it was an exciting movie, edge of the seat stuff, set in an urban war zone. The central character is  essentially a maverick, with no regard for his life; performing with precision the most dangerous job in the world, defusing bombs in  a combat zone.  The portrayal is intense, the war zone is just a backdrop, the editing is slick, the action is not exaggerated but it rivets you to the screen.  The enemy is not carefully delineated, neither the politics of the war becomes a burning issue. There is not much of a character development, as the the opening spoiler tells you the whole story, the adrenalin rush of the central character, Staff Sergeant William James, who is at his best when he does what he likes best, defusing bombs.  Real time war veterans have lashed out at the inaccuracies of  the movie, the highly improbable scenario of the elite bomb squads defusing bombs at will and the other numerous glitches in this nerve wringer.  But this is a movie and at its best opens the eyes of the movie-goer to the fact that his comfort zone is guaranteed by lives that are sacrifised  on a daily basis with not even one sane reason.

War does not do anyone anyone any favour.  Well not to preach, I definitely liked a few dialogues, especially from the scene at home when Staff Sergeant William James  speaks to his son "You love playing with that. You love playing with all your stuffed animals. You love your Mommy, your Daddy. You love your pajamas. You love everything, don't ya? Yea. But you know what, buddy? As you get older... some of the things you love might not seem so special anymore. Like your Jack-in-a-Box. Maybe you'll realize it's just a piece of tin and a stuffed animal. And then you forget the few things you really love. And by the time you get to my age, maybe it's only one or two things. With me, I think it's one."   For the central character, he had forgotten to love everything else, unfortunately, his only love is the war.  A hard core war lover, he returns time and again to satisfy his urge: peace literally offers him nothing. 

The Kodak theatre might present these incredible actors and film makers with golden statutes.  Just like another war movie, it always raises the same question for the umpteenth time, Why does one  go to war? Why do we have no qualms to blow up people? Why do people offer to be suicide bombers to annihilate their own race? The anguish is spread in the words of Sergeant Sanborn: "Another two inches, shrapnel zings by; slices my throat- I bleed out like a pig in the sand.  I mean my parents- they care- but they don't count, man. Who else? I don't even have a son."   When will humanity realize the folly of war ?

" A day without us"

When the blue Sunday sky was draped with yellow balloons, the 'piazza's were filled with hundreds of people chanting and singing for equal rights, Italy was witnessing the first organised nation wide protest by the immigrants of this country. ' A day without us' was the slogan and it was a brave attempt by the foreign born workers to highlight their immense contribution to ticking of Italy.  Marches and demonstrations were staged in sixty odd cities.  Yellow was the visible colour, stiched as shirts, worn as armbands, the colour in itself was a non political statement in the land of the Azzurris.

Naples had the biggest shout, some 20,000 weaved through the city centre chanting "We are the citizens of tomorrow!  We are paying for your pensions."  People of all colours, countries, jobs, legal, illegal; all joined the protests.  Along with them were quite a lot of Italians who wore their heart out on their sleeves sensing the enormous contribution of the immigrant workers.  The Roman demonstrators were more explicit when they set shop on the world's wonder Colosseum and had hand written banners draped on the structure. One read " Look out, here comes the illegal aliens; nannies, caregivers and labourers."

Over 4.8 million immigrants live in Italy, double the number of 2001.  Numerically they make up 7.1% of the population and 8 % of the labour force, numbers that you have to reckon with. 67% of them are legally employed, i.e, nearly two of three immigrants. Caritas, the Catholic charity network recounts that immigrants produce  upwards of  10% of Italy's GDP and contribute over 10.2 billion euros worth of income tax revenue. Italy's agricultural farms, domestic and  service sectors, industry and  building initiatives depend heavily on the foreign born labour and they have become an indispensable force to the economic and social life of the country.  Accept it or not, this is the reality.  But of late the economic and immigration drives of the government has created quite a lot of bad blood and stalemate.

Illegal immigrants on their part have not contributed to the solution of asylum of immigrants.  The policies of the government have been widely criticised and considered as an affront to the basic humanitarian considerations.  Violent demonstrations by immigrants, just like the one that happened in Milan last month has also not helped the cause of the immigrants.  But nothing much has changed for the immigrants.  Working for a pittance  under harsh living conditions, harassed and bullied by the  police, scoffed and sneered on account of skin and culture, they have shouldered many a storm and in turn become the pillars of the prestigious Italian  food export and many industries.

Incidents of immigrants being booked and rounded up to be jailed and deported are quite common.  Although street vendors are banned by law, lots of immigrants take up to selling merchandise, counterfeit and original.  When the heavens open up, they are ready with umbrellas, selling them for astronomical figures.  When the cold snap augurs in a bitter day, beautiful shawls hang from their hands. 'Cometh the hour and cometh the man', the twist is that they always sell with a single eye, the other eye is always spared for the plain clothes Caribinieri who waits to pounce on them.

This rainy day had presented another day of selling umbrellas.  The bus was not crowded and the frail looking street vendor was at the rear end of the bus. He must have been praying to the rain gods.  Suddenly the ticket inspectors block the three doors.  The man makes a futile attempt to exit.  The young ticket inspector has already found his prey, his instincts tell him that he has hit the bull's eye.  While the greeting 'Signore, signori, biglietti per favore' (Ladies and gentlemen, tickets please) escapes his mouth, he has a firm hand around the hapless old man.  This is not going to be easy.  His eyes are bright.  The old man has no ticket.  He opens his torn purse, the search is futile, there is no sign of a ticket, even if he had one it should have been con-validated at the start of the journey.  The next question is about the document. Fortunately he has his stay permit.  But the ordeal continues.  The examiner leaves the other passengers, he has his catch, perhaps another successful day at office.  While the interrogation continues, the doors open again.  I think of yesterday's yellow balloons and the  slogan, 'A day without us.'

Chile shaken up, but will find her feet soon.

Chile, the ribbon shaped coastal nation, is on the radar.  Sitting atop a volatile fault line, she was violently shaken, a 8.8 magnitude earthquake that is recorded to be the worst to hit the nation.  Analysts point out that it was 500 times stronger than the earthquake that hit Haiti last month.  The worst case scenario is pretty much the same. An earthquake rumbles angrily without warning, buildings crumble, telecommunications no longer communicate, hundreds are trapped under debris, people die by three and four figures, devastating tsunamis hit the shores, early warning systems help people to escape the fury of the ocean waves etc.  But what surprises many is that despite such a destructive earthquake, Chile has found its feet soon enough.  While more than 200,000 Haitians lost their lives, the official death toll in Chile comes up to hundreds. The telecommunication lines that were severed are partially functioning in a few hours.

Not that Haiti has been relegated to history in the wake of the new earthquake, but a study of both countries and their approaches to disasters reveal that Chile was better prepared than Haiti.  Her government had already streamlined regulations to construct the new buildings with rigorous anti earthquake codes, reinforced with materials and architectural designs so that the buildings bent and swayed during the tremors.  First hand journalistic accounts from Haiti reveal the appalling building standards of Haitians.  Perhaps they do have pressing demands that allow corruption run deep into the system.  Building rules were non-existent or given scant respect.  When the island nation was mapped by Google before the earthquake it presented a gorgeous hideaway island.  The post earthquake  maps, had pictures of a nations decimated as if by a single stroke.  While estimates put Haiti's resurrection to happen in another decade or so, Chile will emerge stronger and faster, with an attitude more positive.  While UNO has asked for aid to help the people of Chile, it would not allow any other nation to set up shop in its soil.

While our solidarity should be extended to both the nations, the lessons learnt must inspire all nations, specially developing and earthquake prone nations to adopt technologies and regulations that can save people instead of being sandwiched by their own dream houses. Our prayers and good wishes to all Chileans.  My heart goes out to my Colombian friend Fr German Bustamente, who spent many years in Chile as a priest before we became friends.  Chile, you are in our hearts and minds.