Unloading my think tank...

This is a beautiful, beautiful song. Its from Rabbi Shergill's album (the one that featured the hit "Bulla Ki Jaana Main Kaun". Beautiful lyrics, deep meaning. This song is now featuring in Delhi Heights (and I refuse to put the extra 'i' in "Delhi")

Tere bin
Sanu sohnia
Koi hor nahiyo labhna

Besides you
My love
I shant find another

Jo dave
Rooh nu sakun
Chukke jo nakhra mera

Who'll give
Peace to my soul
And indulge me

Ve main saare ghum ke vekhia
Amrika, Roos, Malaysia
Na kittey vi koi fark si
Harr kise di koi shart si

I have gone and seen it all
America, Russia, Malaysia
There wasnt any difference
They all had some condition

Koi mandga meri si sama
Koi hunda surat te fida
Koi mangda meri si wafa
Na koi mangda merian bala

Some asked for my time
Some were fascinated by my looks
Some demanded my fidelity
None wanted my demons

Tere bin
Horr na kise
Mangni merian bala

Besides you
My love
No one wants my demons

Tere bin
Hor na kise
Karni dhoop vich chaan

Besides you
No one else
Shall shade me in the sun

Jive rukia si tu zara
Nahion bhuilna main saari umar

The way you paused slightly
I shant forget all my life

Jiven akhia si akhaan chura
"Rovega saanu yaad kar"

You said, looking away
"You shall weep in my memory"

Hasia si main hasa ajeeb
Par tu nahi si hasia
Dil vich tere jo raas si
Mainu tu kyu nahi dassiya

I laughed a strange laugh
But you didnt
You had a secret in your heart
Why didnt you tell me

Tere bin
Saanu eh raas
Kise horr, nahio dassna

Besides you
None shall tell this
Secret to me

Tere bin
Peerh da ilaaj
Kis vaid kolon labhna

Besides you
Which doctor
Has the cure to my ills

Milia si ajj mainu
Tera ek patra
Likhia si jis 'te
Tun shayr Varey Shah da

I found today
A note of yours
On which you had scribbled
A Varis Shah couplet

Parh ke si osnu
Hanjhu ik duliya
Akhan ch band si
Ek raas ajj khullia

Upon reading which
A teardrop fell
What was locked in the eyes
Was revealed today

Ki tere bin
Eh mere hanju
Kise hor
Nahio chumna
Ki tere bin
Eh mere hanjhu
Mitti vich rulnha

That other than you
These tears of mine
Wont be kissed by none else
That other than you
These tears of mine
Will wither in the dust

Tere bin
Sani sohnia
Koi hor nahio labhna

Jo dave
Rooh nu sakun
Chukke jo nakhra mera

You all have heard this song havent you?? Its a lovely track! And hum along amigos! :)

... we still practise slavery. Or at least, thats what I think it is.
Ever noticed, when you to go a big store, mall, departmental store, hospital - just about anywhere - that there is a security guard at the door who immediately opens the door for you? I hate that. That makes us more lazy; and how hard is it anyways to push/pull the door?? Just how far are we taking this modernization in the name of globalization and all that crap? Makes me sick in the stomach. Think about it - a guard holding the door open for a bunch of youngsters or middle-age people. Its so wrong! I dont endorse it at all.

On other thoughts, we have a new movie called Nishabd coming up. Apparently, its a story about a 60 year told man falling in love with a girl who is 18. It deals with what happens in the family when this takes place. What a great f'in idea for a movie!! Of course, money spent on this movie is so much better than spending it on repairing the country's roads, providing potable water to many parts of the country. The movie makes more sense than ensuring compulsory education or curbing corruption. Money spent here is worthwhile because, of what use is ensuring equal rights for physically disabled or generate employment for youth hold in this country? Nothing. Nil. Nada.
This movie and many other movies like these will make the rich richer and the country where it is. Or was.

...and this time it was on the Samjhauta Express. Hundreds of casualties, many injured, brethren coming from Pakistan to identify their loved ones. Can it get any worse? I really hope not. Can it get any good for the terror groups? Frankly, I dont know. It beats me to know that they are even attempting to send a message across in this manner. Beats me, really.

As I sit to think, I have two directions:

1. Blame the government for security lapses and preach why terrorism leads nowhere.

2. Blame the government for security lapses and give my 2 cents as to what can now be done to be prepared for the future.

Since the chances of terorrist groups reading my opinion on my blog is like expecting Bal Thackeray to wisen up, I will go with the latter.

Blame the government - Democracy in India is all about babu-dom. Else, why would this take so long? 5 years! There could have been 500 blasts by this time. The Railways sure did sit on their lazy rear since this is what usually happens in government offices. But, better late than never - the Railways, as the article points out, has now put forth the proposal so that it can be cleared in this year's budget. Well, we'll see how long it will take to get it implemented.

Meanwhile, here's my 2 cents:

- Know what else the government should not do? They should not give out details on how they plan to make the coach fire-retardant! Evil minds might start working right away on the loopholes or counter methods! There is no need to make public the information; sure it is not a top secret project, but unnecessary details should be kept away.

- The Railways should train people on how to detect various kinds of bombs. Imagine this, on the world's biggest railway network this would be a much-needed security act. And think about the number of the jobs it would create! (Person A: What do you do? Person B: I work as security inspector for railways. It would help, really.)

- Ditto for BEST buses and local trains in Mumbai. Think about the number of lives it would save.

- Introduce frisking of passengers on platforms, ensure luggages are passed through x-ray machines. Do it, dont postpone it anymore.

- Ensure tickets are checked before entering the platform (as against checking them after they board the train).

India has adequate manpower and intelligence to follow such security measures and come up with more. Remember terrorism in Punjab? It doesnt exist there anymore! So, we can make our country terrorism-free.

Also, cut down on media channels sensationalizing this. There is enough terror in our lives at the moment without you needing to shove mikes up our face and ask how do we feel at the loss of a loved one. How do you feel even asking such a question?? Curb the media I say, freedom of expression be damned. Its more of freedom of sensationlization of issues for some of them.

Very good movie. Its based on the serial (12 of them) blasts that rocked Bombay in March 1993. A horrific friday that everyone would want to forget, a black friday that everyone wished never came.

The story is based on a book by the same name by S. Hussein Zaidi. He took 6 years to write the book, during which time he faced a lot of personal tribulations (because of the subject). I havent read the book; but the movie was really good. It starts from the day the blasts were planned by Tiger Memon. He was the mastermind behind the blasts, gave adequate training to young men he lured. He lured them with words like jihad, holy war, and protection of Muslim community. The movie doesnt point fingers, but it makes you see how the blasts were planned, carried out and the aftermath lives of the people responsible for it (Tiger Memon and his boys).

An interesting thing is that a man caught in connection with Bombay riots (as aftermath of Babri Masjid demolition) had warned the police about the blasts which were to take place in the city in April 1993. Police did not take him seriously, and somehow tiger Memon got a whiff of this man's confession to the Police. Subsequently, he decided to prepone the blasts to March '93.
The 12 blasts rocked the city one after another, and a day before, Tiger Memon fled the country. He promised his associates of rewards after the task was completed, which of course he never gave even a thought to. As the inspector rightly says to one of the blast accused, "dharam ke naam pe chu**** ban raha hai woh [tiger memon]". The movie is then about how the accused are caught and made to confess. Kay Kay Menon plays Rakesh Maria and some Sikh actor plays A S Samra, who was the commisioner of Police then. The main hero of the movie is the guy Badshah Khan (dont know the actor's name) - he realises his mistake and that Tiger Memon only used him and other boys, so eventually turns approver for the case. Its a great, great movie. The way they show how blasts occured in the city really shook me. So many innocent lives gone, so many lives shattered.

How sad that a few religious fanatics think such acts are justified! And what gruesome methods to make their point! Some Hindu fundamentalists thought a Masjid cannot stand next to (and be in place where) Ram Mandir in Ayodhya was and so brought it down in a mad, uncontrolled frenzy. This angered the Muslim community who did the same to Ram Mandir. Clashes happened and riots spilled to various parts of the country. Bombay was one of them - Dec 92, Jan 93 - Mar 93 were riot time. Women, children, elders - of both communities - being killed mercilessly by each other. This triggered Tiger Memon for the blasts, and also that his own shop/business in Mahim was burnt down during the riots. Very, very unforgivable. Groups like VHP, Bajrang Dal should be banned. This is where democracy fails. The government did nothing to stop such groups. No religion is meant for clashes; its for one's own peace, faith and belief. If you cant find it, then stop believing in it. Dharm ke naam pe chu**** mat bano.

Consider this - Babri Masjid demolition in 1992, riots in the country in 92-93, blasts in Bombay in 1993, burning of trains in 2002, burning minorities alive, killing each other in cold blood, blasts in March 2002 in Bombay again, bombing the local trains in Mumbai - its like one after another counter actions taking place. Wont lead anyone anywhere. You cant buy peace and respect for your community (or religion) like this. Like Gandhiji said, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." True. Very true.