Burqa Clad: To Be or Not to Be is a Personal Choice-Shivani Mohan (Debate) / Khaleej Times 7 July 2009

The recent burqa debate spurred by French President Sarkozy has invited extreme views ranging from the indignant to the defensive.

He undoubtedly disturbed a hornet’s nest by his cavalier attitude and insensitive tirade against the burqa. There have been backlashes of defensive support for the burqa all over the world. The rhetoric is ironic especially seen in the context of the various instances where Carla Bruni’s nude pictures have figured regularly on websites. Don’t teach us what civilisation and progress means, Sarkozy is the general crux of messages being flung at him.

Being an Indian I would be equally outraged if I was not allowed to wear a saree or a salwar kameez in any other part of the world. It is true that every culture has the right to uphold it’s traditions and ethos. But in this obvious East verses West debate, aren’t we being churlish enough to uphold and condone a symbol of female subjugation. In India we have our own forms of the viel—the ghunghat, the odhni or the pallu. But the burqa is more than a garment. It is less a piece of clothing and more a shroud that reduces the person wearing it into a shadow, a blur. Can anybody from the non-Muslim world recall or remember even one admirable or famous burqa-clad lady? The answer is an emphatic no.

One of the most recognised faces of Muslim women in this century,  Benazir Bhutto while describing her views on the burqa in her autobiography ‘Daughter of the East’ wrote

“My father’s reaction was just as welcome the day my mother covered me in a burqa for the first time. We had been on the train from Karachi to Larkana when my mother took the black, gauzy cloth out of her bag and draped it over me. ‘Pinkie(Benazir’s pet name) wore her burqa for the first time today,’ my mother told my father when we reached Al Murtaza. There was a long pause. ‘She doesn’t need to wear it,’ my father finally said. ‘ The Prophet himself said that the best veil is the veil of the eyes. Let her be judged by her character and her mind, not by her clothing.’ And I became the first Bhutto woman to 
be released from a life spent in perpetual twilight.”

For a moment let us not take it as a Muslim verses non Muslim debate. Let us take it as a feminist issue. Would any community today want it’s one half to be these obscure, faceless, shapeless black blobs of enigmatic mystery? And for what purpose? So that the other half does not transgress it’s sanctity? We have these debates on in India, too. How women should dress and what is Bharatiya sanskriti. Many states recently wanted to ban jeans from colleges. Is this the only way we can think of maintaining the safety of women in our society?

In Western society, Feminism as a term was first used after the First International Women’s Conference in Paris in 1892. Derived from the French féministe, it meant a belief in and advocacy of equal rights for women based on the idea of the equality of the sexes.

The second wave exemplified by Betty Freidan’s 1963 bestseller ‘The Feminine Mystique’, was more intellectual, sombre in its emotional tone, reformist in its goals and overwhelmingly white in terms of its most visible spokeswomen. In this wave, feminists pushed beyond the early quest for political rights to fight for greater equality across the board, e.g., in  education, the workplace and at home, laws against domestic violence and reproductive rights.

But the movement often saw men and not sex discrimination as the enemy, viewing domesticity and family life as a drudgery rather than a potential source of pleasure for both the sexes. It goes without saying that a movement that dubbed men as the enemy could never even take off in the conservative societies of Asia where women were expected to walk two steps behind, leave alone locking horns with their men.

However Eastern societies have not been living in a vacuum either. We have had our own traditions and norms for safeguarding the well being of women. Islam prohibited the killing of girls and gave women the right to divorce, child custody, alimony, and inheritance long before Western societies adopted 
these principles.

So today it is not upto the figure heads of the Western world but upto each man in the Muslim world to take that significant step towards modernisation and logic. To release their women from the shackles of oblivion and obscurity. Of course, women in conservative societies of Asia have to be strong and enlightened enough to decide for themselves how much freedom is right for them. Each one of us has to coerce, cajole and extract from our habitat the optimum level of freedom required to evolve and flower to our true potential.

The key here is to evolve. If we go purely by tradition, then many of our traditional customs included sati, child marriage, illiteracy amongst females, chastity belts, dowry, ostracising of widows and female foeticide. But it is for us to strive to move away from these ills, step by step, consciously and deliberately. There is no salvation in clinging on to outdated customs that have lost their relevance long ago.

We need to remove the cobwebs of our minds and the mental burqas that restrain. The burqas of social conditioning, the centuries of diktats that tell us what we can do and what we can not do.

Of Wars, Soldiers and Gentlemen - Shivani Mohan (ISSUES) / Khaleej Times17 May 2009

The trilateral talks between the United States, Pakistan and Afghanistan in Washington recently ended with a renewed avowal to obliterate terror networks. Pakistan has shown concrete steps on ground destroying the Taleban headquarters in Swat, a move that should be lauded internationally. The Pakistani Army is fighting one of its toughest internal wars ever. Fighting one’s own people is in no way easier than fighting conventional wars. There is the unseen specter of civilian casualties to be dealt with. The US drone attacks in many regions of Pakistan have killed more than 700 innocent civilians. Drone attacks bring about visions of a huge disinfectant pump, flying in the air, emotionless and sterile; ruthlessly eliminating colonies of ants and cockroaches below. But people are not insects. In Afghanistan almost 2000 people have perished due to US led attacks last year. The UNHCR has estimated that almost a million civilians are going to be displaced in this operation. To add to this humanitarian crisis, President Obama announced that 20,000 more troops are going to be deployed in Afghanistan. One wonders what happens to the power dynamics of an already disturbed region when such a large number of armed men are further pumped into it. China is one country that has categorically expressed concern over such a large American military presence in the region. So what would these additional 20,000 troops bring to the region? More death and destruction. War after all is so ugly and sordid. Imtiaz Dharker, a Pakistan born poet married to an Indian, puts it so beautifully in the poem ‘Battle-line’ from her book ‘Purdah.’ She speaks here of a marriage, though her imagery is that of a war. It could almost be evocative of the mis-marriage India and Pakistan have shared for years: Did you expect dignity? All you see is bodies Crumpled carelessly, and thrown away The arms and legs are never arranged Heroically….. ….the body becomes a territory shifting across uneasy sheet…. These two countries lie Hunched against each other distrustful lovers who have fought bitterly and turned their backs…. But has India tuned its back? Are we immune to what’s happening there? No. India may be preoccupied with the elections right now but we welcome the proactive measures taken by Pakistan. Better late than never. A safe Pakistan definitely means a safe India and the region. And even though our soldiers have mostly fought against each other, India appreciates what the Pakistani Army is doing today to rid the region and the world of its biggest threat. At the same time, no matter which country they belong to, soldiers are people-human and fallible. I have grown surrounded by soldiers all my life— my father, husband, father-in-law and a maternal uncle are all army officers — and have had the privilege of seeing their loving, nurturing sides. I have known army men who sing, dance and make merry, who cook a mean curry and start spewing poetry after the third drink. Men who are gallant and chivalrous, who open doors and offer chairs to ladies. Men who have cried over a break-up; and wept bitterly the day they got their first ‘kill.’ It is difficult for me to perceive how ruthless these men would have been in battle situations. I have known them as gentlemen. Would they be capable of cold-blooded killing? Would they cease to be chivalrous the moment they enter a ‘war zone?’ Could they gouge another human clinically, not flinching as he lay dead, oozing blood? Of course, a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. I am not saying that soldiers should give up their guns and become artists or poets. But I am sure being in touch with their feminine sides, makes better soldiers and gentlemen out of them. I know that ‘courage under fire’ is important. But so is ‘grace under fire.’ One of my most avid readers is Munir Ishrat, a retired Colonel from the Pakistani Army. Here’s something that he once wrote to me. “I want to share a thought with you because you belong to a family that knows well the pros and cons of wars. I, too, have fought two wars – 1965 and 1971 – as an officer of the Pakistan Army. I would like to tell you that very few of the soldiers who have fought wars really like war. War is not a good thing. This is true. And I am sure even on your side of the fence the hatred against war will be no less. Soldiers fight wars because they have to respond to their call of duty. Defending their country’s honour and sovereignty is their primary job — irrespective of the nation or the country they belong to. But they are human beings, too. Let me quote an incident of 1965 War. I was a young officer and part of a force that had captured some Indian territory on the night of 6th September following the Indian forces attack in Lahore Sector earlier in the day. We found on the next morning that everyone had left the nearby village, leaving behind three old inmates — two men and a woman. They had somehow survived the shelling and fighting of the previous night and had to stay back due to their old age. You may not believe it but our troops looked after the three old people very properly for the rest of the period of the War. I myself used to fill their buckets with water from a hand pump and carry it to their homes during the lull in shelling. They were to us fellow human beings and not just Indian citizens! No body thought of harming them. The feelings on their faces when they were being handed over to the Indian officials after the ceasefire told a lot about their gratitude.” I know Munir is a thorough gentleman. I only wish that a majority of the troops deployed in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border are the kind of gentlemen that I have known army men to be. But drones are something else. They are not even in touch with their human sides. Drone attacks are not manned by fathers, brothers, sons and uncles. Drones would not know these things even in a million years. Shivani Mohan is an India-based writer. She can be reached at  smshivanimohan@gmail.com

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The Nano and the No-no of Today- Shivani Mohan (Issues) / Khaleej Times 28 April 2009

Last month witnessed the unveiling of two small wonders in India. One has been revving its engine and kicking up a storm for quite some time.

The other, too, was seen firing on all cylinders. One is the snub-nosed small car Nano that has captured the fancy of a country of a billion people. The other ‘nano’ is the podgy young politician, Varun Gandhi who has invited the ire of modern Indians with his blasphemous remarks.

Nano means small in Gujarati, the language spoken by the forefathers of Ratan Tata, the chairman of the Tata group. In Gujarat, it is normal to hear a young one or the smallest child of the house being referred to as ‘nano’. Therefore it would not be out of turn to call Varun Gandhi the ‘nano’ of Indian politics. The Nano car is set to revolutionise the automobile industry with its promise of a decent and affordable means of personal transportation. It could soon prove to be the realisation of the dream of countless Indians who make both ends meet with sweat and toil-yes, all those teaming slumdogs who may never really be millionaires —  of owning a mean machine on four wheels. With the kind of response the Nano bookings are showing, the sales of the car will be anything but small. 

In English the prefix ‘nano’ is derived from the Greek ‘nanos’ which 
means a dwarf.

The other ‘nano’, the otherwise tall and well-built Varun Gandhi was seen in a series of infamous rallies aimed at swaying the Hindu fanatic vote, in his loose boxy kurtas uttering things that sounded like Greek to many Indians. His was, indeed, the sort of catastrophic launch that goes crash boom bang even before it reaches a milestone of any kind. What he did manage to display with great success was that he is still a political midget, no matter what his familial credentials. 

After all Varun comes from the legendary Nehru-Gandhi Dynasty that does not need any introduction in Indian politics. The family has dominated the political landscape of India for decades. Similarly, the Nano comes from the formidable Tata stables, a 
conglomerate that has been instrumental in laying the foundation stone of corporate India.

The Nano uses the oldest marketing trick known to mankind, that of offering a product cheapest amongst its competitors. The other nano, Varun Gandhi unfortunately used the cheapest trick known to politicians, that of raking up age-old religious differences to market himself into the masses. 

Both the Nano and the ‘nano’ invoked the wrath of two firebrand lady politicians, known more for their public rhetoric than any palpable political feats. The Nano was driven out of Singur by the fiery lady Mamta Banerjee for reasons best known to her. The ‘other nano’ was arrested at the behest of the firebrand lady Mayawati. The Nano was then given safe passage by Narendra Modi in Gujarat. The ‘other 
nano’ is being given a clean chit by Advani topped with the ridiculous comparison that Varun reminds him of a young Vajpayee.  

Tha Nano was an idea that emerged from the vision of the chairman of the Tata group, Ratan Tata. He has claimed in various interviews that he used to feel pained to see families of four or more perched precariously on top of a humble scooter navigating the pot-holed roads of Mumbai in the rainy season. He dreamt of providing a cheap, affordable car to the masses of India. 

It is difficult to understand from where does Varun inherit the venom he spewed in his speeches. How can a young man who has a privileged background and has been educated in the best of schools and colleges harbour such regressive thoughts? If he thought that he could play that tiresome card of partisan politics and get away with it, he was absolutely wrong. Fortunately India is in no mood to give free rides to these dubious five-year-hitchhikers this time. When Indians look at the fraternity of politicians with contempt and derision, there is a ray of hope in the younger set entering the fray —  Omar Abdullah, Milind Deora, Sachin Pilot, Naveen Jindal, Jyotiraditya Sindhia and Priya Dutt. We expect the new breed 
of politicians to liberate and not smother our choices. 

Varun Gandhi has ended up proving to be the enfant terrible of Indian politics, not the kind of launch his mother, the other bahu (daughter-in-law) Menaka Gandhi would have envisaged for him. Moreover, his shenanigans have had the opposite effect, that of making cousin Rahul Gandhi look shades better. It was only after Varun’s fiasco, that some voices in the Congress started promoting Rahul as a possible prime ministerial candidate. No one understands the adage —  ‘make hay while the ‘son’ shines —  better than Indian politicians. But many would still bet for the mellow and mild-mannered Manmohan Singh no matter how many trips he makes to 10 Janpath, as long as he takes mature decisions.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has released Varun with an undertaking for good behaviour in future. One got to see a new, improved and hopefully chastened Varun stepping out of jail. The BJP, keeping the larger interests of the party and the consensus of the general public in mind, has announced that he may campaign for them but he will not get a ticket from Pilibhit this time.

At the end of the day in a vast and secular country like India, with its values firmly rooted in democracy, it does not matter how big or small an idea is. It is the good or bad intent behind that idea that finally decides its success or doom.

Shivani Mohan is an India-based writer. She can be reached
 at smshivanimohan@gmail.com

Looking at the Chinks in Our Armour Shivani Mohan (INDIA) / Khaleej Times17 February 2009

Well it’s not something I am extremely proud of. But I recently indulged in a bit of online sparring with a bunch of Pakistani youngsters on a page with a funny name. That this page created by Pakistani youth is dedicated to the worthy president of Pakistan set the mood for the kind of discussion we were about to have. It was debating school style-petty, petulant and anything but propah. The page had explicit, tongue-in-cheek illustrations of Asif Ali Zardari being compared to an assortment of comical characters; and dubbed a murderer, American sycophant and Sarah Palin’s lover amongst other things.  I stepped into the discussion assuming a higher moral ground. We the secular, stable democracy recently wronged by rogue elements from their country. I was shocked to see teenagers in Pakistan well versed with each and every India Pakistan pact-and breach of it —  since 1947. The emphasis they still attach to our age old differences was evident. If you ask an average Indian teenager about any of these issues, chances are he would draw a blank. And I am glad he does. Because youngsters in India are busy with the things they ought to be worrying about —  his next date, his iPod, his next snazzy pair of jeans or his career. But the way these youngsters were obsessed about India suggested that they seriously needed to go get a life.  They claimed that there are reports that many Taleban found dead or captured in FATA are actually turning out to be Sikhs in disguise. It showed the effect a bad, malicious media can have on young impressionable minds. I jested how this was indeed a very imaginative story and maybe Akshay Kumar should think of an end to his trilogy of disastrous movies —  Singh is Kking and Chandni Chowk to China —  with a befitting ‘Sardar in Kandahaar!’  But jokes apart, many of these Pakistani youngsters seemed stuck in a time warp. They had all our pre-independence princely states on their fingertips. They felt that besides Kashmir many other parts of India such as Junagarh, Hyderabad, most of North East and even Goa were not ethically part of India because they were Muslim or Christian-dominated. I defined secularism for their benefit, educating them on how so many religions had over centuries been openly embraced and welcomed by India. And that the pluralist nature of our society was our biggest USP! They spoke of the plight of the Indian Muslims. I retorted that a series of Khans have ruled our hearts for far too long for that argument to hold any weightage. We are extremely proud of our Azim Premjis, A R Rehmans, Javed Akhtars, M J Akbars, Sania Mirzas and Irfaan Pathans. We have had three Muslim presidents. And that Indian Muslims did not need their false mollycoddling and a pan-Islamic friendship that had little to do with actual empathy but meant more to harm the core of our secular roots.  They said that India was a country of slums and call centres. I said we were not too proud of our slums, though afterSlumdog Millionaire, even that aspect stands changed somewhat. And that working in call centres was better than becoming Fidayeen and hating almost every progressive idea under the sun.  And also that call centres happened to be just one of our booming industries that have made us the fourth largest economy in the world. They spoke of why Mumbai had become such an issue when Pakistan was itself a victim of terror. I asked then why did they need a wake up call as big as 26/11 to do something about it? And they still have the gall to ask us for evidence?  But I couldn’t help feeling sorry for a generation of youth totally shaken by the gravity of affairs in their country. I could sense their angst. In an absence of role models of any kind, they employ their youthful energies in India-bashing. Their anger against India and the world at large, acting as an opiate, providing them a flimsy raison d’etre. If this is the state of an educated youth with access to Internet, one can only shudder to think of the extent of this malaise in the hinterland of little dusty towns stricken with poverty. While a lot needs to be done in Pakistan to change all of this, we in India too have a job ahead.  Okay, so here’s the thing. Three points from them drew a blank from my side —  Modi, Sadhvi Pragya and Col Purohit.  The sad truth is that when we breathe down their neck about the Lakhvis and the Masoods of the world, they name these three people in the same breath. I know that we cannot equate one bad apple called Colonel Purohit in a ten million strong secular force with decades of active role that the Pakistan Army and ISI have played in patronising the growth of terror networks in Pakistan. But unfortunately that is what is happening. Even one Purohit or Sadhvi Pragya makes our contentions about being a great secular nation weaker.   Which brings me to the utter horror of watching India’s corporate czars nominate Narendra Modi as the perfect prime minister material at a prestigious forum recently. The whole spectacle gave nightmares to many Indians apart from a certain Advani. Given his global image, we cannot even dream of Narendra Modi as a possible figurehead.   We have entered the 60th year of the formation of our republic —  an election year at that. Let us ensure that the people who lead our country embody the secular ethos that were the foundation stones of our democracy. That no minority in India ever feels marginalised either through our policies or our actions —  overt or covert. That we shun all Godmen who preach hatred in the name of religion. That the Indian Army ensures through stringent measures that not a single Col Purohit emerges from its folds again.   We have had three Muslim Presidents but are still far away from the day where we can have a Muslim Prime Minister. But something about the winds of change — Obama —  makes it seem we will reach there some day. And yes, all this to prove our love for India. The very idea of India. We owe this to ourselves. And not just to dominate silly arguments on weird Pakistani web pages with obscene names. Shivani Mohan is an India-based writer. She can be reached  at smshivanimohan@gmail.com

Kashmir — A New Path Away from Insurgency and Independence- Shivani Mohan (INDIA) / Khaleej Times 27 January 2009

In recent times there has been quite a lot of criticism of the ‘war on terror’. The tenor and intensity of these critiques increased as the date of President Bush’s ouster came closer.

 So we all know by now that the war on terror was all wrong, the most recent proponent of this belief being the British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.

The move by President Obama to order the closure of Guantanamo Bay on his first day in office is a huge leap in this direction. Everyone is speaking of debilitating terrorism at the roots. But nobody has really shown a viable alternative. So is there really a win-win module when it comes to fighting terrorism? Firstly, terrorism in a particular country is best understood and handled by the law-enforcement agencies of that country, with a given that the agencies are empowered and envisioned enough to do so.

The manner in which the US has stormed into Iraq and Afghanistan and set up bases in Pakistan for the last seven years reeks too much of a modern day colonialism that is best discouraged as far as possible. While Miliband’s views in the larger scheme of things are welcome, his comments on Kashmir left many in India rather sore. They betrayed a certain ignorance and insensitivity to the restraint exhibited by India in this state for years, a restraint that has started to bear fruits finally. The recent turnout in the Jammu & Kashmir elections and the appointment of Omar Abdullah as the Chief Minister augurs well for the state. Perhaps, there is some learning from Kashmir that can be tried at a macro level across the globe.

India has had a difficult task at hands when dealing with insurgency in Kashmir. For years the Indian Army has handled rampant infiltration, hostility and arson in the manner they were best equipped with. They have been lauded at times and criticised at others. Praised for bringing some semblance of order in a trouble-torn state, bringing down terrorist activities considerably. Criticised for human rights violations, excesses and instances of misplaced suspicion and rounding up of innocent people in the name of counter insurgency operations. But when we talk of human rights we must realise that in highly charged atmospheres, things you never imagined do take place. The ground realities are rather stark and simple. They are ruled by self preservation in its most naked form.

The hallmark of all separatist and terrorist movements anywhere in the world is the breeding of antagonist feelings-some real, some imagined — amongst the people by agencies who have their own motives. But over the years, the Indian Army in Kashmir has realised that the conflict here is definitely not an ‘us verses them’ scenario. Counter-insurgency operations in many ways are much more complicated than conventional warfare. In the olden times, wars used to begin and end within 15-20 days. Counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir have been on for over 20 years. In conventional wars, you had to just blindly aim at the enemy and shoot in that direction. But here there is no tangible enemy. It is your own people that you are fighting. You cannot annihilate them all and create a new state.

No matter how beautiful the land, without the people of Kashmir, there will be no Kashmir. The people of J&K originally comprised of a fine cultural mix of Kashmiri Pundits, Muslims, Dogras from Jammu, Ladakhis and Gujjars. A sizeable amount of the non-Muslim communities have been displaced from Kashmir over the years. The once landed gentry of Kashmir, the Kashmiri pundits were forced to flee and live in concentration camp like settlements in Delhi, from where they went on to a slow, stunted rehabilitation. Squalid and scanty as their living conditions were, they still preferred them to the violence and insecurity of living in Kashmir. None seems to talk of them as the people of Kashmir anymore. But is it right?

There is no denying that today the predominant Muslim populace of Kashmir has some emotional, cultural and spiritual ties with the people across the border. The Indian Army realised long ago that it is important to win the hearts of the people of Kashmir and get them on their side. All this is easier said than done. Trusting a person who was out to get you till a few months ago and including him in your daily routines requires not only immense courage and magnanimity but a definite departure from myopic world views. Many of these misguided youths had taken to the path of destruction not just for religious reasons but abject poverty as with the drastic drop in tourism over the years, the means of livelihood of the people of this picturesque state had disappeared. The young men of Kashmir were lured by terrorist outfits with the promise of a neat packet of money for their families even if they annihilated themselves in yet another fidayeen attack or an encounter. Now these young men are productively employed and given a nominal salary. The people of Kashmir have realised that all those uninvited guests who have come here for the last two decades forging a bogus bond based on religion and selling them a warped concept of jihad have only helped them in turning this beautiful state into a living hell. They have not upheld any cause other than throwing them into an abyss of poverty and backwardness. What the people of Kashmir want today are not guns and grenades, but schools, jobs and dignity.

There is also the question of governments across the globe postponing path-breaking solutions to political problems forever, to suit their selfish agendas. If lobbies are talking of the human rights of terrorists and hostile populations that chose to betray their countries, it is time we spoke of the human rights of a soldier. A soldier is human too.

And by that argument he too has some human rights. In times to come it will get more and more difficult to justify senseless aggression not just to civilians but even to soldiers.

Army can no more continue to be just a means of indiscreet destruction of hostile forces. But like the age-old Indian holy trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the Army in today’s times has to be a triple force —  the creator of goodwill, the sustainer of life and livelihood and the destructor of unwanted elements, if need be.

Till the time we can hope to reach that near utopian world where armies are redundant —  and here’s wishing for that day too —  this is a good enough model to follow.

RAPACIOUS RIPPLING DELHI- my latest Op-Ed

Delhi is seething with anger. Up in arms against an inefficient, detached administration, the youth of Delhi is out on the streets exhibiting anguish, disillusionment and a short fuse.  Last week’s gang rape of a 23 year old physiotherapy student in a moving bus in the very heart of Delhi has touched too many raw nerves. Delhi for long has had the ignominy of being one of India’s most unsafe cities for women. Every Delhi woman would admit to having experienced some or other form of sexual harassment on its streets, its public transport, its markets and malls, its corridors of power and its burgeoning corporate centres. Incidents of rape, molestation and sodomy are de rigeur. It is one of those bitter truths that most women in Delhi have learnt to live with over the years.

This rape however was one of those rarest of rare cases, the gory details of which have shattered the average Indian woman’s sense of wellbeing and confidence in the administration. People are genuinely terrorised and concerned about the safety of women in Delhi, which after all is a microcosm of India. Needless to say if this is the state of affairs in Delhi-where 600 rape cases have been reported in last one year- one can imagine what would be the plight of women in the interiors of India. There are many other forms of assaults on women in India- of Dalit women by men from socially higher communities, for personal enmity, for ‘teaching a lesson’, by khap dictats, marital violence, in riots, on unsuspecting patients, school girls and mentally unstable women in institutions and orphanages, date rapes, by men in uniform in insurgency areas, by policemen on rape victims! Despicable and punishable as all these forms of violence are, if the Govt does not show conclusive, swift action on this rape that happened in perfectly normal, seemingly safe, urban setting in the heart of its capital, it would be a startling example of the overall emotional detachment of the Govt with its people’s concerns.

 The 6 men arrested for this heinous crime range from age 17 to 35, hailing from the fringe elements of this centre of power, wealth and decadence. Perhaps that is why it has got unequivocal condemnation. It is a case that has single-handedly brought to the fore so many interlinked concerns-the quality and seriousness of policing, inadequate and unchecked public transport, ineffective picketing, drunk driving, unstructured employment of our youth, the schism between a backward, lagging behind ‘Bharat’ and an ‘India’ growing in leaps and bounds, the exodus of large swathes of poor youth from villages to urban areas where they encounter a life of rejection and non-inclusiveness that throws them into the vicious cycle of petty crimes. India today seems like a time bomb ticking away to self destruction.

More annoying than the crime has been the response of the Govt to deal with it. Here we have multiple figures of authority dodging the blame on each other. The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi who was on a holiday returned only when things took a serious turn. The Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit has put the blame on the Police, even hinting at sacking of the Police Commissioner of Delhi, Neeraj Kumar. The Chief Secretary and the Police Commissioner in a joint press conference shocked everybody by patting each other on the back for the administration’s ‘outstanding work’. In all of this chaos, the President and PM were not seen or heard for a week.

 The father of a 21 year old who was one of the many protesters collected at India Gate, which is being called India’s Tehrir Square, said, “As usual PM Manmohan Singh continued to remain on mute mode this turbulent Sunday while our Children were  being  tear-gassed and lathi-charged for a peaceful protest.”  What happened to the 23 yr old that night in Delhi was not a stray incident but a result of years of apathy of Indian society and its offices of law and order towards violence against women.

30% of Delhi Police is deployed for VIP security, there is 1 Police officer for 700 persons whereas there is 1 for every 3 politicians. In handling the delicate case, Delhi Police used excessive force-tear gas shells, water cannons, lathi charge, instigating the silent protestors into chaos and retaliation. There was a marked shortage of women cops to manage the hordes of many a modern day Durga, Kali and Chandi out on the streets, fighting valiantly, unleashing years of indignant fury and resentment at the blind eye meted out to women’s issues in our country. The aspirational value of Indian woman today goads her to take long strides into the 21st century storming many bastions, but a crippled political system and administration have failed her terribly. What is indeed ironic is the relatively high number of women politicians in important positions in India who have continued to make regressive statements often advising women to curb their ways and be responsible for their own safety.

No surprise that almost every political party in India gives tickets to people with criminal backgrounds including those who have committed crimes against women. It is believed that 260 MLAs and MPs in India have charges of sexual assault against them including 20 rapes!

While the number of rapes in India have continued to increase at an alarming rate, the conviction rate has dropped from 47% to 26% in the last few years. It has been 7 years that this Govt has been trying to carve out an effective sexual assault law, despite the rampant cases all around. There have been far too many acquittals of high profile cases where the perpetrators of crime holding important posts and connections have been allowed to go scot-free, often drawing Govt pensions, given medals and promoted to better positions, setting examples and motivation for total anarchy percolating down to all sections of society.

There is talk of fast track courts, death penalty for the culprits. Somewhere the problem has to be tackled at a very holistic level, engaging with and talking to such criminals and understanding what motivates them into such heinous acts. We all have to look into the degradation of media, films, advertisements that go a long way in objectifying women.  We need to rethink running all our mediums of art, entertainment and broadcast as purely capitalist centres of revenue. We have to sensitise our sons (and daughters), students and organisations to gender issues.

The PM’s address was too little, too late and further morphed into an absurd ‘Theek Hai’ joke. The ring of mystery around a Delhi police constable’s death during the protests gives the impression that for our administration, correct information and not crime is the enemy. Can we ever hope to fight crime with this attitude?

The greatest reality that the Indian establishment needs to wake up to is, that a bold new generation brought up on instant messaging and real time solutions wants real time communication and real time answers. They will not be calmed and shirked away by hollow platitudes and five year plans that never see the light of day. They want pre-emptive action, effective deterrence and swift retribution. 

Mr Obama, sell us something other than weapons and wafers

Dear Prez Obama ji,
So you’re gonna come calling and we in India are damn excited about it. After all every time an American President decides to step on our humble shores, we make a practice of cart-wheeling in glee and going all gungho with our colours-culture-and-curry brand of hospitality.
Of course, we collectively fell in love with your effusive charm two years ago. Today as you battle greater challenges at home, the sentiment is more ‘Oh Baba!’ than ‘Oh Mama!’ But the Taj, our very own ground zero is dressed up fortress-like to welcome you. You will surely do the rounds of our corridors of power, meet the A listers- perhaps a designer village with the resplendent flavours of incredible India and some impromptu dancing for florescent photo-ops.
We are excited that you are coming in your first term itself unlike Bush ji and Clinton ji before you. We’ve heard that you bring the largest ever corporate delegation, representing 250 companies along with you that have GDPs more than those of many countries. Now isn’t that great news?
Okay so here’s the thing. Other than the power of brilliant oratory and your 1000 Watt smile-who is your dentist by the way? Is he an Indian? -- we wonder what kind of carrots you bring along this time? And they’re all good, yeah. Carrots are full of anti oxidants and anti-ageing. Just what we need for some longevity of purpose in great Indo-US relations. Ahem, so do we get the dual technology transfers and support for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council in return for FDIs and the challenge of keeping China in check?
There will be multi-billion dollar defence deals and I am sure India—and taking cue from that, Pakistan—will end up buying many more weapons of mass destruction like two kids trying to outdo each other to appease an indulgent Uncle Sam.
But may I tell you that we don’t need the weapons. A long series of your predecessors have done the same over the years with the sole aim of keeping this region polarised and uneasy, with daggers drawn all the time so that you remain a super power.
Let me remind you that you and your country have influenced popular culture in India across the board. Spurred on by the soft power of all things American, we all began dreaming of going to America to live the American dream. We gave up our lassis for Coke, our samosas for McDonalds, we made Reebok and IBM our very own.
We cherished the ‘Wonder Years’ and wondered why our schools didn’t have less rules, less uniforms and more proms. Seems those hours we spent slogging through boring-looking, sedate classrooms kept us in good stead in the long run. I believe today all Techie companies in US swarm with Indians. A friend who works for Cisco told me on gtalk last evening that their office in California feels more Desi than Dilli ever could!
From Oprah and Elen Degeneres we learnt that those hush hush issues we were always taught to keep quiet about, didn’t always have to be swept under the carpet. We found our voices and the courage to let it all hang out and you’ve got to see our reality shows today to believe how uninhibited and open we have become. Some of our ‘it’ gals can put your Paris Hiltons to shame.
As young Indian women stormed male bastions and put marriage on the back burner, in their newly found independence and insouciance, it was those spunky women in ‘Sex and the City’ and the Ally McBeals who were more our soul allies than the zombies belted out by Ekta Kapoor and Co. If we did even manage to reach the alter, our woes were more in tune with ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ and ‘Desperate Housewives’. You know, today we cannot imagine life without our Levis and our Gap T-shirts and our Facebook, Twitter and gmail accounts, our Apples, our iPods and iPads. And thanks to these symbols of American enterprise, we’re all friends out here. Yes, ex- husbands, ex boyfriends, bosses, children, parents, drivers, Indians, Pakistanis-we’re friends like even ‘Friends’ could never be. The lines are blurring. And what we have learnt from this friendship is that people anywhere in the world want just peace, means of livelihood and stability.
We have become so American that we do not even need to go to America to live the American dream. Strangely, believe it or not, from Bhatinda to Bangalore we are living the American dream right here in our own country. In fact, it is time America comes calling to try and figure out how we made 
the American dream our own. Hush Hush, don’t we have an inkling that 
this visit is being seen as a ray of hope more for America Inc than it is for India Inc? A friend just tweeted- “We have 80m wired+40m mob net users using 1m+ sites, IMRB tracks 5k users on 800 sites, call it WHAM. I call it WANK.”
Such is the power of peaceful coexistence and non-aggression today. So stuff happens, right? You had a 9/11 and your predecessor went into a frenzy declaring a war on an indefinite target that has gone on way too long that even you haven’t been able to put an end to. We had a 26/11 but contained ourselves to wait and watch and get on with life, channelising our anger and frustration in constructive activities.
My sincere advice to you? Choose commerce over combat, trade over tirades, and weapons of mass communication over weapons of mass destruction, and you’ll be just fine. We were already sold over to the contagious appeal of your ideas and way of life. Let that appeal abound.
So you could omit offering lollies of ever mounting defence deals to us and more defence aids to Pakistan (wonder how these things go hand in hand?) to further destabilise the region. You could omit the endless wars to smoke out suspected terror threats who are today actually being cloned to make rapturous comedies. Basically, let’s bridge the gap.

Yours truly


Shivani Mohan is an India based writer. She can be reached at smshivanimohan@gmail.com

This article was first published in Khaleej Times on 6th Nov 2010