Sunday, January 2, 2011
ENDOSULFAN KILLING HUNDREDS
Ever since the dreaded insecticide Endosulfan (alpha,beta-1,2,3,4,7,7-hexachlorobicyclo(2.2.1)-2-heptene-5,6-bisoxymethylenesulfite) had come to use on a vast scale in the Kasargode district of Kerala, India, to destroy the insect pests on plants especially cashew plants by spraying from helicopters, hundreds of children, youth and elders alike fell victims to life threatening diseases like cancer and deformities like mental retardation, abnormal body structures which inch by inch killed and still killing innocents on a large-scale. Social activists and environmentalists have taken up cudgels a few rulers in the corridors of power are justifying the usage of this evil. It is high time social activists and environmentalists across the world visited the site and see for themselves the harm this insecticide causes to the citizens. They should take it as a mission to exert pressure on the governments to ban this poisonous insecticide as a whole.
THE PATHOS
Music at its crescendo
dialogues at its full volume
laughter, full-throated,
visitors non-stop,
children playing pranks,
mischiefs.
Their mischiefs too non-stop.
Music gets drowned
in the hue and cry
still try to listen
keeping ears close to the
wall
anything other than the
trickling of music?
listen
A painful wail?
It gets drowned in
the throbbing life
vibrant outside
another side of life….
dialogues at its full volume
laughter, full-throated,
visitors non-stop,
children playing pranks,
mischiefs.
Their mischiefs too non-stop.
Music gets drowned
in the hue and cry
still try to listen
keeping ears close to the
wall
anything other than the
trickling of music?
listen
A painful wail?
It gets drowned in
the throbbing life
vibrant outside
another side of life….
THE NEST
Naming it a house
something cruel.
Call it a nest
or a moth-eaten structure
about to fall down
anytime
grimy walls
only one room
a recess the apt word
the little chick and
mother hen
daughter and mother,
embedded in the nest
not at all safe.
An opposite gender
not to look
after them,
in the thick forest
where the nests are
abundant
safely built on trees
by winged ones
this nest alone
on the ground
mother and daughter
not winged
only human beings.
On completion of
morning chores
one proceeds to
the world of letters and figures
other to the forest
to slug it out
something to earn for
the day.
Both flock to the nest
in the evening
start the evening chores
spend few moments
lament over the fate
lying on the ragged mat
on the floor
on the outskirts of
the society.
An elephant can
trample upon them
a tiger, a bear
can tear each apart
they not fear
albeit
fear something alien
to them……
no let-up other than
that…..
something cruel.
Call it a nest
or a moth-eaten structure
about to fall down
anytime
grimy walls
only one room
a recess the apt word
the little chick and
mother hen
daughter and mother,
embedded in the nest
not at all safe.
An opposite gender
not to look
after them,
in the thick forest
where the nests are
abundant
safely built on trees
by winged ones
this nest alone
on the ground
mother and daughter
not winged
only human beings.
On completion of
morning chores
one proceeds to
the world of letters and figures
other to the forest
to slug it out
something to earn for
the day.
Both flock to the nest
in the evening
start the evening chores
spend few moments
lament over the fate
lying on the ragged mat
on the floor
on the outskirts of
the society.
An elephant can
trample upon them
a tiger, a bear
can tear each apart
they not fear
albeit
fear something alien
to them……
no let-up other than
that…..
TERRORISM – THE GLOBAL MENACE
With the spread of Islamic terrorism across the world, with the number of militant organizations mounting up and with the number of victims on the increase alongside loss of lives and destruction of properties equally affected are the innocent Muslims the world over. Each innocent Muslim is being looked up with suspicion, hatred, revenge, what not, all sorts of bitter feelings. Many such innocent Muslims are being subjected to grilling for hours, tortured and even incarcerated for no fault of theirs. We can very well come to the conclusion that number of terror organizations being sprouted like amoeba are increasing and correspondingly the number of casualties too. An eye for an eye approach, the Islamic countries’ ruthless policies of dealing the ‘criminals’ with maximum punishment such as caning, stoning, hanging in public places, gunning down after summary trials, sometimes without any trials are mind-boggling, to say the least. Why the Muslim diaspora albeit with exceptions as I had mentioned adhere to extreme steps, mind you, Muslim terror elements care not the good or bad in the society, when they plunge into action, what they aim at are causing maximum destruction of properties and lives irrespective of caste, creed or religion. That is why many prominent persons in society hold the opinion that terror knows no barriers, it transcends boundaries.
Recently in Australia an Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef who was imprisoned for about two weeks and after determined pressure by human rights activists released by the Australian authorities upon coming to the conclusion that he was not in anyway related to terrorism, tendered apology to him and along with it as compensation handed over a substantial sum for the range of the moment action on their part 2-3 years back.
During the regime of George W Bush Jr. as US President, the number of Muslims who were numerous, the number of Muslims who were incarcerated in Guantanamo jail numerous, those who were subjected to extraordinary renditions numerous, as he was a bête noire of Muslims. The blood-chilling punishment meted out to the innocents ones resulted in them turning to militancy, thus increasing the number of terror elements. Kind of Gordian knot, in a sense. To wipe out terrorism from the face of earth not all an easy task, now that it has spread to almost all countries as the terror elements are dare-devils, they care not the repercussions they fear not death. Quran teaches love, harmony, universal peace, sympathy and empathy but I wonder after going through it on a daily basis and performing ‘namaz’ five times a day what actually prompts certain elements deviate from the teachings of Allah I am sure most of them imbibe wrong messages by a section of elders especially after committing a heroic deed and in that process if they are met with a suicidal end, in the heaven they are awaited with maximum luxuries in the company of seventy pretty women and all sorts of comforts as blessings from Allah, the Almighty.
With this teaching very well engraved in their mind, they proceed with full conviction and commit maximum atrocities.
But by singling out the Muslim terror elements like Al-Quaida, LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen I am not turning away from other terror groups like Saffron groups and a few guerilla groups in certain Latin American countries, remain thorns in the flesh of such nations.
It is pathetic that while on the one side the world is poised for quantum jump in the fields education, science and technology, nuclear research, skilled labour, on the other side the animal instincts in human beings are growing non-stop out to destroy all that we have achieved, still achieving in various fields.
On New Year Eve in Egypt two suicide bombers blew up themselves near a Coptic Church in Alexandria, where Christians are a majority killing 21 people, all innocents, which led to a massive flare-up among the Christians of the area , which led to clashes with security forces in the process injuring many persons.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was reported to have vowed that his country would see that the head of this poisonous snake called terror is cut once and for all from the soil of Egypt. Only four months back in an another attack that also near a Church about 49 persons were killed and many others injured. In the African country of Nigeria on the New Year Eve in another suicide bomb attack four people got killed.
Besides these suicide bomb attacks, in North Waziristan, the frontier province of Pakistan-Afghan border 19 people were killed in a missile attack. The fact that even after the conveyance of New Year messages across the world in fact 2011 is the continuation of 2010 to believe that all kinds of violence is likely to come to an end in the New Year is nothing but foolishness as everyone knows. Such is our destiny.
Recently in Australia an Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef who was imprisoned for about two weeks and after determined pressure by human rights activists released by the Australian authorities upon coming to the conclusion that he was not in anyway related to terrorism, tendered apology to him and along with it as compensation handed over a substantial sum for the range of the moment action on their part 2-3 years back.
During the regime of George W Bush Jr. as US President, the number of Muslims who were numerous, the number of Muslims who were incarcerated in Guantanamo jail numerous, those who were subjected to extraordinary renditions numerous, as he was a bête noire of Muslims. The blood-chilling punishment meted out to the innocents ones resulted in them turning to militancy, thus increasing the number of terror elements. Kind of Gordian knot, in a sense. To wipe out terrorism from the face of earth not all an easy task, now that it has spread to almost all countries as the terror elements are dare-devils, they care not the repercussions they fear not death. Quran teaches love, harmony, universal peace, sympathy and empathy but I wonder after going through it on a daily basis and performing ‘namaz’ five times a day what actually prompts certain elements deviate from the teachings of Allah I am sure most of them imbibe wrong messages by a section of elders especially after committing a heroic deed and in that process if they are met with a suicidal end, in the heaven they are awaited with maximum luxuries in the company of seventy pretty women and all sorts of comforts as blessings from Allah, the Almighty.
With this teaching very well engraved in their mind, they proceed with full conviction and commit maximum atrocities.
But by singling out the Muslim terror elements like Al-Quaida, LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen I am not turning away from other terror groups like Saffron groups and a few guerilla groups in certain Latin American countries, remain thorns in the flesh of such nations.
It is pathetic that while on the one side the world is poised for quantum jump in the fields education, science and technology, nuclear research, skilled labour, on the other side the animal instincts in human beings are growing non-stop out to destroy all that we have achieved, still achieving in various fields.
On New Year Eve in Egypt two suicide bombers blew up themselves near a Coptic Church in Alexandria, where Christians are a majority killing 21 people, all innocents, which led to a massive flare-up among the Christians of the area , which led to clashes with security forces in the process injuring many persons.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was reported to have vowed that his country would see that the head of this poisonous snake called terror is cut once and for all from the soil of Egypt. Only four months back in an another attack that also near a Church about 49 persons were killed and many others injured. In the African country of Nigeria on the New Year Eve in another suicide bomb attack four people got killed.
Besides these suicide bomb attacks, in North Waziristan, the frontier province of Pakistan-Afghan border 19 people were killed in a missile attack. The fact that even after the conveyance of New Year messages across the world in fact 2011 is the continuation of 2010 to believe that all kinds of violence is likely to come to an end in the New Year is nothing but foolishness as everyone knows. Such is our destiny.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
AN ALCHEMIST
Encapsulating bitter
experiences and enthralling dreams
of the past
segregating them from
various incidents
both imaginary and real
not much of an
easy task.
A creative contribution
never
a description of bitter
imaginary experiences alone.
They are
often
always
a collection of
bitter, sweet and pleasurable
moments.
A collection of
experiences
to be read, churned and
devoured….
the end product of
an alchemist
results in the end…..
experiences and enthralling dreams
of the past
segregating them from
various incidents
both imaginary and real
not much of an
easy task.
A creative contribution
never
a description of bitter
imaginary experiences alone.
They are
often
always
a collection of
bitter, sweet and pleasurable
moments.
A collection of
experiences
to be read, churned and
devoured….
the end product of
an alchemist
results in the end…..
SEASON’S GUESTS
Once a year
they come
sans
with no prior information
no permission.
On a fine morning
we do witness
our unpredictable guests
perched on the branches
of trees
in the thick green forest.
We do rush to meet
our guests
watch them chirrup,
listen to their unknown languages
quite undecipherable
various kinds of voices
coming out of them
they too are of different
varieties, colours, shapes, beauty
everything.
We do enjoy the visual-feast
we the ones residing close-by
and the tourists from
far and near.
Different are our languages,
neither do we make any sense
out of it -
the meanings of their language
neither do they make any sense
out of our languages
so what, we do communicate
silently.
A few hours perched on
the branches
then flapping wings they
do fly away
know we not where
and by the evening as
the curtain of dusk
is lowered
their talks of the day
ways of communication
a visual treat worth
watching.
From the day one of
their visit traversing
distant lands
our hearts start drum-beating
knowing well.
One day
they would fly back to
where they came from
or to some other places
the pain and numbness
we experience
the emptiness that
fills our mind
but no
one day
they should have to
fly back, that’s their destiny
giving us indelible memories.
Then onwards
our next wait begins ….
for the next year
for the next season….
they come
sans
with no prior information
no permission.
On a fine morning
we do witness
our unpredictable guests
perched on the branches
of trees
in the thick green forest.
We do rush to meet
our guests
watch them chirrup,
listen to their unknown languages
quite undecipherable
various kinds of voices
coming out of them
they too are of different
varieties, colours, shapes, beauty
everything.
We do enjoy the visual-feast
we the ones residing close-by
and the tourists from
far and near.
Different are our languages,
neither do we make any sense
out of it -
the meanings of their language
neither do they make any sense
out of our languages
so what, we do communicate
silently.
A few hours perched on
the branches
then flapping wings they
do fly away
know we not where
and by the evening as
the curtain of dusk
is lowered
their talks of the day
ways of communication
a visual treat worth
watching.
From the day one of
their visit traversing
distant lands
our hearts start drum-beating
knowing well.
One day
they would fly back to
where they came from
or to some other places
the pain and numbness
we experience
the emptiness that
fills our mind
but no
one day
they should have to
fly back, that’s their destiny
giving us indelible memories.
Then onwards
our next wait begins ….
for the next year
for the next season….
USA CAN, INDIA CANNOT….
The news of Indian Ambassador to USA, Ms.Meera Shankar, undergoing a pat-down on the 4th of December 2010, by some US Airport authorities which flashed across India after three weeks literally shocked we Indians. On hearing the painful news, the ones who were enraged were the common citizens of India. The mandarins in the corridors of power who should have taken up the matter then and there tried to keep a low-profile after lodging a token protest to the US govt. If the plight of our ambassador was on those lines we can very well assume the fate about to be befallen on the ordinary mortals visiting USA.
Many such instances had already occurred, the former Defence Minister George Fernandez, Aviation Minister Praful Patel, Bollywood celebrity Shahrukh Khan, Mollywood celebrity Mammootty and many other unknown citizens of India had to and have to undergo serious checks by a few US airport authorities. Strip-searching, frisking, pat-down – interesting terms really.
This is not the case of India, this is the fate of many other nations across the world. Why this Super power is apprehending trouble from persons belonging to different nation ever since 9/11.
The only nation which does have the guts to take on US is Brazil, it is learnt. As the Brazilian authorities have made it a point to strip-search and frisk and pat-down Americans, any American visiting that country. The provocation for which was Brazilians after being subjected to such kinds of behaviour by American authorities started to reply in the same coin.
The guts this Latin American nation keeps, our nation, the largest democracy in the world doesn’t have. Why Indian authorities prefer to play second fiddle to USA always while it has the locus standi to tread its own path without fear or favour? Why do we always play subservient to this so-called Super power thereby inviting shame to Indian citizens? Do we benefit any special kind of gift or benefit for this slavish attitude.
One might be thinking why as a citizen I am that much enraged, why I have taken such a strong exception to the arrogance of this country called USA. The answer lies in the question itself.
India is a member of 9 member Asian Clearing Union (ACU). This week India unilaterally took a decision not to allow Indian companies to take part in the clearing of which Iran is a prominent member and the largest provider of crude-oil and gas allegedly as per the instruction of USA which would result in the import of oil and gas. India through ACU used to transact business in gas and crude-oil of which Iran is the important beneficiary. At a moment world oil prices are running sky-high already US $ 90 have crossed per barrel, India’ decision not to import crude-oil from Iran, that too at the instance of USA is not only a foolish act but something reprehensible. Iran is a traditional friend of India, we could benefit a lot by engaging with that country. Not only India, Iran too could benefit by mutual engagements. But whenever offers beneficial to India come from, for instance Iran-Pakistan-India gas-pipe line USA arm-twisted India and India meekly succumbed to the pressure of America. America always keeps its self-interest above all, but its subservient country that is India always prefer to dance to the tune of USA throwing away its self-interest, even self-respect.
Many such instances had already occurred, the former Defence Minister George Fernandez, Aviation Minister Praful Patel, Bollywood celebrity Shahrukh Khan, Mollywood celebrity Mammootty and many other unknown citizens of India had to and have to undergo serious checks by a few US airport authorities. Strip-searching, frisking, pat-down – interesting terms really.
This is not the case of India, this is the fate of many other nations across the world. Why this Super power is apprehending trouble from persons belonging to different nation ever since 9/11.
The only nation which does have the guts to take on US is Brazil, it is learnt. As the Brazilian authorities have made it a point to strip-search and frisk and pat-down Americans, any American visiting that country. The provocation for which was Brazilians after being subjected to such kinds of behaviour by American authorities started to reply in the same coin.
The guts this Latin American nation keeps, our nation, the largest democracy in the world doesn’t have. Why Indian authorities prefer to play second fiddle to USA always while it has the locus standi to tread its own path without fear or favour? Why do we always play subservient to this so-called Super power thereby inviting shame to Indian citizens? Do we benefit any special kind of gift or benefit for this slavish attitude.
One might be thinking why as a citizen I am that much enraged, why I have taken such a strong exception to the arrogance of this country called USA. The answer lies in the question itself.
India is a member of 9 member Asian Clearing Union (ACU). This week India unilaterally took a decision not to allow Indian companies to take part in the clearing of which Iran is a prominent member and the largest provider of crude-oil and gas allegedly as per the instruction of USA which would result in the import of oil and gas. India through ACU used to transact business in gas and crude-oil of which Iran is the important beneficiary. At a moment world oil prices are running sky-high already US $ 90 have crossed per barrel, India’ decision not to import crude-oil from Iran, that too at the instance of USA is not only a foolish act but something reprehensible. Iran is a traditional friend of India, we could benefit a lot by engaging with that country. Not only India, Iran too could benefit by mutual engagements. But whenever offers beneficial to India come from, for instance Iran-Pakistan-India gas-pipe line USA arm-twisted India and India meekly succumbed to the pressure of America. America always keeps its self-interest above all, but its subservient country that is India always prefer to dance to the tune of USA throwing away its self-interest, even self-respect.
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