Security in India

After ~200 people dead and ~500 injured, Home Minister offered to resign.  GOI is planning to create a CIA in India and plans to modernize the police force.  When we are attempting to achieve something of this scale, our goal should be simple and informed of common sense:

• We must have National ID card.  This will allow us to identify people.  This will cost money and is very hard to implement.  
• In short term, we must have a legislation like POTA which allows criminals which have terrorist affiliation, should be detained without judicial requirement of normal justice.
• We must eliminate Black Money economy by making sure that GOI collects taxes.  Presently, Black Economy is of the size of White money economy and it creates enormous drain on government resources.  Without money, I dont see how GOI can spend on non-developmental endeavour in such a big way.
• Police must be paid better.  If they are not paid well, security cannot be achieved.  It is hard to demand honesty and integrity from average policemen, if we pay them peanuts.
• We should implement on central database in which all information about 1 Billion people is kept centralized.  It should be accessible from every police car.
• We should finerprint all miscreants.  We should monitor movement out of the country via biometric search.
• Lastly, we must keep the nation clean.  If the city looks like garbage, it automatically creates a feeling of apathy in all its citizens.

political future of Muslims in India.

Background

• India was ruled by Muslims for 1000 years before Britishers took over.
• British takeover also marked the end of medieval period in India and ushered Industrial/modern period in India
• With modernism came a class which wanted India to become an Independent country from a British colony.
• In the process of Industrialization, Muslims lost political power and were not trusted by the British. Britishers created a new class of Brown English men, primarily from Brahmin and Kayastha caste.
  
• In 1947, India was partitioned into India and Pakistan based on religion. Later, pakistan was divided into Pakistan and Bangladesh based on language.

Basic Facts

• Total population is 1.1 Billion. 14% of population is Muslim; i.e. 154 Million people.
• India is a poor country. Most of the people live day-by-day. Those who don't are generally landlords, corrupt officials(policement, development officers etc) and politicians who are both the cause of poverty and beneficiary of the present system.
  
• Most of the population lives in rural India. Population increase forced people to move from rural India to few mega cities like Mumbai, Calcutta. This causes rural-urban rift.
• India has social division based on caste. Most of the marriages take place inside caste. This institution affects every facet of economic and political life.

Feelings ( or Divisions )

• Since the partition was done based on religion, Hindus in India feel that any special treatment of Muslims is unwarranted. On the other hand, because of large numbers of Muslim population, It is impossible for politicians to not cater to their constituent's demand. ( Political strength of Muslims )
  
• Since the economic pie is really small, and growth has been small, and population has increased, there has been folks from UP/Bihar to Big cities to make a living. This causes animosity and in Mumbai, these people were targeted. ( Rural - Urban divide )
  
• India has more than 3000 spoken languages and 16 constitutionally recognized languages. These regional languages are bases of rich local culture. This also makes residents of different area heterogeneous and not awfully fond of each other. ( Cultural Divisions )
• India has four primary and may be twenty odd prominent castes. All castes intermarry and support each other politically and economically. Marwaris, Sindhis and Jains are in Trade and Finance. Yadavs, Reddys, Kappus, Kurmis, Kammas, Bhumihars, Patels, Marathas are farmers. Rajputs were landlords and princes and are now farmers. Brahmins are priests and educated class. Baniyas are also entrepreur classes. But, important thing to note is that these castes support themselves against other castes. ( Caste Divison )
  

Present Events

As Muslims demand political powers commensurate to their numbers, there are two political options being followed by leaders:

• Those who want muslim votes. They call themselves secular. But, they are not really secular because of any ideals. In fact, in Indian politics, decency and Idealism are impossible given poverty and uncertain economic status. When you are a step away from destitution, it is hard to be idealist. Politicians are in politics to better their lot rather than serve the nation.
• Those who don't want muslim votes. These call themselves patriotic Indian. They have lots of zeal and enthusiam and some warped sense of Nazi idealism. They are for some kind of Uber-India. They project social and cultural India which is based on 1000s of years old Indian heritage. But, they are also in politics to serve their interests not the populace. When there is a regiona rift in Maharashtra between Marathis and Biharis, some segment were eager participant in the mayhem.

Now given the background, in an abjectly poor nation, where rich are rich because they are shafting the poor or have created small patches of prosperity ( e.g. IT, BioTech ) surrounded by poverty, demands for government help is huze. Political leaders enrich themselves, their families and later their castes. Everyone else comes afterwards.

Narratives promoted by different sections to explain Terrorism

• Since Muslim has not benefitted from gowth of wealth in India, there are lot o f unstaisfied muslims to get recruited by jihadist. Truth is most of India is poor. Poverty cannot be the cause of violence. I only wish it was true because then we could move to western style of democracy where grave injustice often leads to violent rebellion( French revolution, American Revolution, Russian Revolution). Truth is that Terrorist can tap Indian Muslims for recruitment is because of religious affiliation. These folks are hateful bunch who truly believe in Islamic rule. Their world view is different from normal western one. ( Jawed Naqawi, Freed Zakaria adhere to this explanation of Indian Muslim alienation principle. Only thing is that there claim fails in the background of abysmal poverty prevalent in India. There is hardly any wealth generated and distributed. Child mortality rate, nutrition remains the very worst in the world.)
  
• Muslims are psychos and have persecution complex. They like to fight and dominate, they are Jihadists. That is not true in India. Those who wanted to dominate, divided India and gained a separate country for themselves, pakistan.( Adherents of these views are right wing Hindu Parties. These people generally bore brunt of partition and are very anti-muslims. They are concentrated in Muslim majority area and have been victims of Muslim rioters)
  
• Indian Muslims fates are decided by what happens in Kashmir. As long as India is occupying Kashmir, there is a cause for Jihad. ( This is another silly nonsense. Those who propose this arguments are Pakistanis and outsiders and they forget that Muslims are interspersed in whole of India. If Kashmir goes away because of religion, India will go through another partition and this time all muslims will be purged from India. Making Kashmir as focal point for political struggle is stupid for Muslims. It hinders them from making compromises and moving forward. )
  
• India is surrounded by external powers who have India's harm at there heart. Pakistan is defined based on religion and likes to make kashmir central issue for its existence. Muslims see a great stretch from India border in west to all the way to Turkey a green swath of land. They want India back as their colony and they think that it is achievable through terrorism. ( GOI believes in this narrative. This is also believed by Hindu Expatriates in US and Britain. )

All articles are written espousing one of the above arguments and always fall short of the complete truth because of the position that they take. Saddest part is that they have nothing to offer to poor Muslims or poor Indians. All their writings are such charade.

In my view, Muslims are like any other interest group in India who want to further their interests in any working democracy. BJP is the evil here since they challenge their basic right to do this. Regarding terrorism, there is no just explanation for them. It definitely doesn't come from abject poverty. Most of India is poor. I think it comes from educated class who identify themselves with Bigger Islamic cause and in turn, hurt normal political cause of bettering one's lot in democratic system.

As far as kashmir is suggested as the cause for the terrorist attack, I have already explained how untenable is that position. Kashmir cannot considered an occupation because majority is Muslim and they want to go to Pakistan. If they indeed believe in this, then the position of BJP becomes valid that all muslims should have been sent to Pakistan. Now, disturbing status quo in kashmir will become BIG booboo for rest of Muslim population in India. In short, cause of Muslims in rest of India is not congruent with demands for separate kashmir.

Attack on Mumbai

Some Observations:

• India has no security. Terrorists can attack us whenever and whereever they want.
• Our tax base is not big enough to provide security at US scale. We don't have political or economic power to wage a war against countries who want to do us harm.
• Political leadership has become very regional. National politics has become a team of regional interests. There is no political leader which commands nation's respect.
• Regionalism has grown in recent times. TV footage allows us to see the viral hatred which Marathi Manoos felt towards North Indian( or Bhojpuri speaking folks from UP/Bihar really) when a group of 20 year olds were beating a 50 years old Taxi Driver. In yesterday's attack, for a moment, I thought shouldn't we ask MNS to defend Bombay? I also felt that those hateful bastards will do a better job of fighting or die fighting, rather than our police whse senior officers look more like fat ladies. In fact, only decent looking physically fit Indians are in Indian Army.
  
• When people write Mumbaikars, I wonder for a split second, who are they? Shouldn't they be called Bombayiites or something similar in English?
• When Bachchan wrote in his blog that he is stunned/shocked by that attack...he was told to shut up and support Mumbai police who were killed in the attack. What about others who died? What the f**k is Marathi Manoos? Is it equivalent for retarded Marathis? Why shouldn't Lata mangeshkar or other rich people in Maharashtra do the same in stead of asking Bachchan only ?
• Our Intelligence services blamed Pakistan and ISI? Why blame them? After all, it is their goal to destablize India as much as they can since it is in their national interest. Shouldn't we kick our own intelligence communities for royal failures?
• Terrorist attacks are now monthly affairs in India. India has total population of 1.1 billion. If they kill 200, it doesn't make much of difference. Normal folks live day-to-day life within 2-10 dollars, and they have no saving. They have to work if they dont want to go hungry. Even after a brutal attack, people are back to doing whatever they were doing immediately after attack.
  
• Then there are journalists which try to provide some narrative over the events, which doesn't make much sense. Mumbai may be a great city but most of India's wealth is not tied to Dalal Street. India is a poor country, and her children live in rural India having not much money to invest.
• It is migrants to Western countries and are mainly from big cities who are shocked by these attacks and try to buy and provide a narrative.
  
• But, these people have no stakes in Rural India and they dont give two hoots about the rural poverty. They are narrow minded and regional. Their cosmopolitan outlook lacks everything decent and are generally very self-centered. For example, all US based NRIs have affiliation groups which are region based or caste based. There are IIT based alumni, but they do not provide the network which either promotes or protects the nodes. And they definitely not provide social framework and affinity which caste/language based networks do.
  
• Our PM and other political leaders are just placeholders with no real powers. The reason for that is corruption, which makes all arms of government hollow. All statements of purpose are mere words and never get implemented.
• It is for these reasons, all leaders are in politics for personal gain rather than for service. India is a thin, sickly cow to be milked by aggressive, ignorant and malicious leaders.
• All the leaders come from rural India and have no city slickness to them.

Identity

Recent events in Maharastra have challenged the identity that I had defined myself as an Indian. I am from Bihar and a Brahmin. I am from middle class farmer family who were small zamindar during pre-independence era and are now smaller farmers after land-reform. I thought it was necessary to indicate both my regional and caste identity before hand since all discussions and affiliations in public life in India is defined by these two. Whatever points I make, you have every right to challenge it due to where I hail from and who I am in terms of caste.

I have been deeply disturbed by the direction of politics in India and I have come to conclusion that India as a nation and republic holds very little promise for Biharis. The union has done nothing for Bihar. Not that we want anything from New Delhi, but it does not even guarantee freedom of movement and ability to seek employment in every part of the nation with security. I also believe that we have been vilified and looked down upon in every corner of the nation. We are held responsible for our poverty and wretchedness. Initially, I thought that they looked down upon us since we have bad leaders. But, I realized later that they looked down upon us because the way we speak, our language, food habits, clothes that we wear and the fact that we are poor. Only time they are not prejudiced when we have money, when we speak English(without our accent) and we dress like rich city folks. In short, when we disown our identity or disguise ourselves behind English facade, when they cannot pin us down to our Bihariness, they treat us like normal human beings. Our dignity is not challenged and there are no snide remarks or insinuation.

I suffered all this and never complained. So they( in Delhi, W. Bengal, Assam, Maharashtra) don't like us the way we speak, big deal. People always dislike others who are not like them. Nothing to brood over. Earn your livelihood in honesty and work hard... they dont like us, screw them...we will learn there way, when in Rome live like Romans...we will pick up their accents...it is not rocket science...and then it will be all fine.

So we thought. But, it was not. I was always suspicious when someone tried to do politics based on religion or caste. It just didn't seem right. In Mandal commission, I supported reservation. And in defense, I pointed out that caste is a reality and this reservation is due to political muscle of the majority. If you don't like too bad, but the reality is as is. When Adwani started his politics based on 'Hinduism in danger', I gave him credit for grabbing an opportunity to flame our fear and grab power subsequently. But, I knew he was wrong, he was cornering people ( muslims) already cornered. Both physically and emotionally. It required nobler part of human personality in muslim Indians to feel still Indian after Mr. Adwani's rath yatra.

I find myself exactly at the same place where Muslims are in India. As a Bihari, we are being cornered, spat upon, hit upon and our lives are in danger. Not in Bihar, but every place else in the country. Mr. Raj Thackerey's politics I understand and I also understand his desire to grab power, but all political movements have costs and benefits. His political benefits are to him and definitely to large section of Marathis, I believe. But, the costs are alienation of Ganga-Jamuna doab with Indian nationality. I haven't heard one prominent Marathi individual to have spoken against it. Neither do I expect them to speak. I expected from Prime Minister of India to uphold the constitution and protect me when I was attacked( I am speaking as every Bihari who has been killed).

My feelings and consequent identity has been assailed by recent events irrevocably. I remember...

Whenever I went to Barber's shop to get a hair cut as a kid, I will always see a calendar which will have portrait of SivaJee, Rana Pratap, Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad. I can assure you today that I have no feelings for SivaJee anymore. It was drilled into my mind that what a great man he was and how he took on the might of Aurangzeb. But, now I realize that he was not an Indian but a Maratha and he had nothing common with my heritage. All this Marathaness has made me aware that my feelings for SivaJee will not be requitted and that he had nothing to do with me or my people.

In 1993-94, I was preparing for interview for UPSC and Latur was struck by earthquake. I was stunned. While I was discussing this topic with another interviewee, I became emotional about the human loss. I became angry with him to discussing this tragedy with so much detatchment. Later, one of my IAS friends came from Latur and made a remark which riled me up - 'They are really having good times. Japanese have sent large number of blankets and money and they are getting drunk and having fun." I said that I would have liked to see you having fun when every member of your family is dead in an earthquake. He apologized and told me that he misspoke and that he didn't know that I'd take it so personally. In hindsight, I guess I shouldn't have felt so bad since these very people will chase Biharis and lynch them. All the people killed are poor migrants, who were trying to make a livelihood.


All my life I spent listening to Lata mangeshkar. Her silence or silence of every other prominent Marathis makes me think that they agree with Thackerey's politics. I was never fond of cricket and so I dont give two hoots whether Mr. Tendulkar or Gavaskar or Shastri have to so anything or not.

When our best, Amitabh bachchan, is insulted regularly as if he is a nobody. If Mrs. Gandhi were alive, I would have liked to see who would have the guts to touch him.

I feel that I have betrayed my own culture for something which was nebulous(Indian) and no one else believed in it but us the suckers. In the process I got the short end of stick.

Now that I know what kind of republic India has been for Biharis, I ask myself who is to blame for this. In my opinion, the blame lies with us. We were running fool's errands when we bought the notion of India when everybody else was living their sub-national dream. And I also feel stupid that we had SivaJee pictured on calendars rather than SherShah who afterall was a Bihari. Shouldn't we see picture of Kunwar Singh and other local luminaries to occupy those places in our minds from where we define our identity?

And now that we are being kicked from everywhere, doesn't it make us stupid that we allowed and agreed for the raw materials to be shipped from Bihar-Jharkhand and in turn be a market for finished goods, almost like a colony for the rest of India.

I sincerely believe that while rest of India defined itself regionally, we were stupid enough to give up our local language, culture for united India. We were together to expel outsiders and then when they were gone, everyone else reverted back to regional identity.

First we did so on basis of religion, we just couldn't live with each other - Hindu, Muslims. Now the time has come to separate the states. and then, we can be further be divided on the basis of caste.


I always asked myself that how come India was ruled by Muslims for 1000 years and then by English for 200 years. Now I know. Mr. Raj Thackerey explained it to me clearly.

Heartfelt rantings....
It is time for central govt. to protect me and show some leadership, otherwise they can kiss their Indian dream goodbye. Nations live and die in heart and mind of its people.

If I am a Bihari in Mumbai, I am dead. If I am a Bihari in Assam, I am dead. If I am a Bihari in Delhi, I am disease.

And to Marathi Manoos and MNS members.....Here is your history. You are cowardly bastards who will kill the innocents and helpless. Your power will only show when you meet the defenseless. You will shit in your pants and your courage fails you, when Ahmed Shah Abdali came... Marathas betrayed us in 1857 by siding with Brits...Nadir Shah alone killed 30,000 in New Delhi...It seems I will re-read the Indian history and welcome each massacre with glee rather than with empathy...And now it is clear that the cost of Mr. Thackerey's politics is the above...I hope everyone understands this and is cool with it.