Idle Ruminations of an Incurable Freak

One of these days someone is going to ask me just exactly what do I believe in?

Colonel Anil Athale's Guest Column on Rediff, Some politically incorrect questions is more than politically incorrect.

The recent election campaign saw constant reiteration of the Ahmedabad riots, with documentaries being screened in Bengal to revive memories of the horror. Secular activists went on an all India tour staging street corner plays on the Best Bakery episode to drive home their point.

If in retaliation the opponents also showed footage of Godhra, Akshardham, Ghatkopar and the Gateway of India bomb blasts, would it have been acceptable?

This is getting repetitive, but there is a difference between state complacency, sabotaging of judiciary process etc. and plain acts of terrorism. NDA government is being accused of the former, and that's why they are a valid campaign points. Are the then opposition parties being charged for those random acts of terrorism listed here by the Colonel?

(In any case, all those happened with the same NDA government in power. So if they want to show it as the evidence of their incompetency to deal with terrorism, it would perfectly acceptable ;-)).

Now that a secular government is in place in Delhi, would some of the anti-national and pro-Pakistani members of the Muslim community (mark the caveat: not all, but some Muslims) stop aiding and supporting agents and terrorists?

This is like asking, now that India is a liberal democracy, would terrorism subside? Muslim Terrorism (happy colonel?) is as much anti-liberalism as it is anti-hindu (whatever the hell that this means). So why would it seize overnight because of a secular government? Hell, it didn't reduce one bit with the strong nationalistic government and POTAs.

Will we ever get people to testify against the arrested terrorists? Or did the bomb blasts in Mumbai, the attack on Akshardham and Parliament never happen?

Would there be good monsoon for five years? Would there be no floods? Would there be no earthquakes? What is the point of these questions?

The Left and DMK have demanded scrapping of POTA. Has the terrorist threat to India ended so we do not need a stringent law like POTA? Is that the assessment of the intelligence agencies?

Isn't a more relevant question: has POTA delivered? Has POTA been used or abused? Was POTA such a good idea in the first place?

The Left is also demanding an end to the special relationship with Israel... (blah blah)...Does the new government want to help the infiltrators?

Did the previous government want to help Israel to kill the Palestinians? No, I'm not defending the Left (I don't want to fall to that level), but this is plain irrational writing! Even Bush will be proud of it.

Is the Congress aware of the Marxists' past and their loyalties to China?

Wasn't the BJP aware of track record of each and every of its ally? Does the Colonel really not understand the compulsions of coalition politics? Are all those who voted for left anti-India or pro-China?

Do the secularists believe that tolerance and pluralism in India began on August 15, 1947?

How many explicit statements from the so called secularists would convince the Colonel that they don't?

There is a law in some states where using casteist abuse against Dalits is a criminal offence, but similar abuse against the so-called forward castes is not. Repeated rhetoric against the so-called forward castes is permitted by the law and extolled as 'progressive.' Is this not absurd?

No, it is not. Not till the point that there is a social resolution to the problems of caste. In USA, for instance, if you call a black a nigger, you'd face penal charges, but a black can use castiest language and get away with it. This is because, the former is an instance of racial/caste superiority, while the latter is mostly retaliatory.

Spreading hatred or disaffection on the basis of religion is wrong and is also punishable. But the Marxists continue to spread hatred on the basis of economic class. Is this progressive? How is one hatred less damaging than another?

Again, I'd rather not speak for Marxism. And I agree that spreading hate on the basic of economic class (rich people are bad, say) is equally bad.

These are some questions that come to mind in the light of recent events. Will the India/Hindu (not RSS) bashing 'intellectuals' respond?

This, I submit is a master-stroke. As if anyone responds, to start with, s/he is a India/Hindu basher! You create a class of enemies, brand them, and then ask that brand to come forward and respond! Bravo. So a disclaimer, Colonel. No, I'm not India/Hindu bashor. But I find your questions quetionable. So I've responded. I'll leave it to the India/Hindu bashers to speak for themselves. Regards.