Sharmila - Unedited 11/30/08
- By Keya (Sharmila Murthy)
- Published 11/29/2008
Mumbai has been my heartthrob since I first beheld it, when I was 14. Since then at least once a year I visited Mumbai until 2004. I have lived in Mumbai and worked in Mumbai and I have loved everything about Mumbai. Today with tears in my eyes and a bleeding heart I write of the pain I am in seeing my lover city, amidst this war. Nothing compares to what I am experiencing right now. Today is amavas here in the city of angels and I know a new chapter in world history is being written. History is being created right as we live it in each breath. God bless us All. Peace unto us all! Bhagavan ke ghar me der hai, andher nahin! I love you, Mumbai! Keep your chin up and your head high. Om shanti, shanti, shanti!!!
Hardships bring about humility or horrific thoughts. Right now as the world seems to be plunging downwards economically, I am suddenly seeing the niceness in some people whom I knew before and by their own admittance weren’t so nice. I have friends and clients who are undergoing treatments for what seemed incurable a few years ago. CANCER. Since the western doctors have written out death warrants on them, they are coming closer to how fragile human life is.
Just like a strong gust of wind can blow out a candle or spread a wildfire, so can an act of violence make a few violent and others turn to their faith. What is it that makes one get violent and smack or destroy their attacker, and what is it that makes one turn towards their faith, God to give them strength to continue.
Once a friend of mine had told me that I was stupid, because I was ultra nice. I had responded to that saying “thank God for a few stupid people, the rest of the “smart” people can continue to be who they are so the world is still inhabitable.” Of course he smiled and agreed to my response.
When something goes everyone is constantly looking for who to blame. The other day on ndtv, Sanjana Kapoor commented on the television that the Home Minister should resign as he is responsible for the attack on Mumbai. Throughout the India independent from the British Raj this has been the pattern, whenever something goes wrong a demand is made for the resignation of the person in power. Sometimes they take responsibility and resign and at times they resign by succumbing to demands from opposition members of the government.
Now does this mean that violence stopped, or the incident was not repeated there or somewhere else. Terrorists have no religion, the religion of a terrorist is terrorism. I remember in India when the Sikhs had started a movement in which they asked to form their own nation and separate from India. Every Sikh was called an atankwadi meaning a terrorist. In those days I was still a student and having a lot of time in my hand I used to read avidly. I read stories of so many freedom fighters in India, those who fought for the freedom of India from the British. The Britishers bore down on them as criminals. They were killed without trial and it was called encounter attacks. Some were tried and of course they were all sentenced to kalapani, another term for “Sentenced for life and imprisoned in the jails of Andaman Islands” I had seen footages or the prisoners who were young school going students who had attacked some british person, vehicle or office or was present in the scene or was a friend, classmate, cousin or brother of someone who had attacked and was pronounced dead before they physically died. They worked during the days in inhuman conditions and slept with their feet chained. When they walked their bare feet were chained so they would not escape, Where would they have escaped too. They were in a deserted island constructing the bungalows for the british officers and the prisons.
I used to wish that Punjab could never rescind from India else it would be the creation of another unfriendly neighbor like Pakistan, And if Punjab ever rescinded from India I knew that all those who are being labeled as terrorists in India now will be known as freedom fighters tomorrow in the new nation of Punjab. Thank God that such a thing never came of fruition. Punjabis are one of the best cooks, and the bravest of Indian men, besides being a community of handsome men and beautiful women.
Speaking of Pakistan, their demands and attacks on India have forever been irrational to me. They seem to be formed by a government who never seek peace for themselves or the world. Every Pakistani I ever met personally is a very amicable and hospitable person. But the government seems to have their wires crossed. There is no concept of democracy, every elected person in always over thrown by a military regime and assassinated or hung unjustly. And the fascinating part about this is that their biggest supporter has always been the US. After 9/11 US wrote off 2Billion dollars in loan money to Pakistan. The Pakistan President who is also their army head visited US and this was flashed in every news channel in US. The Indian Prime Minister visited US simultaneously and to my knowing he met only with certain members of the US government, the President of US, George W Bush never met with him and there was no mention of this visit in any news channel or prin t media in US. When Benazir Butto, the opposition leader of Pakistan visited US, she was introduced to the President as the Prime Minister of India. It is hilarious how ignorant and egotistical those who house the US White House are. The media in US though speaks of freedom of press, it is only what the government and those in power and with wealth will allow to be published. It is what will sell the company is allowed to be brought to the public. Pakistan being a non-democratic nation, why does US support it financially so it can house all of the worlds militants? Osama bin Laden still resides in Pakistan, why was Afghanistan plundered when all along he lived in Pakistan. Pakistanis burn American flags everyday on the streets and yet US pour in all our tax money into keeping that economy flourishing. Why? All Pakistani extremists in India walk around with US dollar bills in their pockets. They carry wads of these bills. HOW?
US spends billions of dollars promoting how Russia was a threat to the world in the 20th century. In the 21st century they have started another campaign saying that China is a threat to the US economy. The U.S. has the personality of a hormone driven masturbating 17 year old male teenager. A 15-17 year old male teenager feels that they know everything and everything they lay eyes on belong to them. Everyone must listen to them else they have no problem going against their parents and being disrespectful of their teachers and elders. This is how America operates. America
The World series in US that are played are games in between the states within the US states. I do not think there are Hawaiian or Alaskan state teams for American football and basketball. These championships must be called the 48 contiguous states of the US American football/basketball series.
I believe every Indian is responsible no matter where they reside each time India is attacked militarily or through terrorist attacks. How many India ensures their neighbor is happy and fed? There was a time when we did. We Indians are humble yet proud. We maybe poor but we never beg. What has happened to that country? Today the feudalistic system has been replaced by the credit system. Our parents, the children from the 40’s who are now in the 70s are the only generation who lived their lives debt free.
What is it in human being that make us reject our elders and take on what is alien? Every indigenous culture all over the planet abandoned their heritage to take on the western culture which made promises of freedom, but are the descendents of the Caucasian race truly free. Freedom is within the boundaries, or isn’t it?
- An Indian American
Hardships bring about humility or horrific thoughts. Right now as the world seems to be plunging downwards economically, I am suddenly seeing the niceness in some people whom I knew before and by their own admittance weren’t so nice. I have friends and clients who are undergoing treatments for what seemed incurable a few years ago. CANCER. Since the western doctors have written out death warrants on them, they are coming closer to how fragile human life is.
Just like a strong gust of wind can blow out a candle or spread a wildfire, so can an act of violence make a few violent and others turn to their faith. What is it that makes one get violent and smack or destroy their attacker, and what is it that makes one turn towards their faith, God to give them strength to continue.
Once a friend of mine had told me that I was stupid, because I was ultra nice. I had responded to that saying “thank God for a few stupid people, the rest of the “smart” people can continue to be who they are so the world is still inhabitable.” Of course he smiled and agreed to my response.
When something goes everyone is constantly looking for who to blame. The other day on ndtv, Sanjana Kapoor commented on the television that the Home Minister should resign as he is responsible for the attack on Mumbai. Throughout the India independent from the British Raj this has been the pattern, whenever something goes wrong a demand is made for the resignation of the person in power. Sometimes they take responsibility and resign and at times they resign by succumbing to demands from opposition members of the government.
Now does this mean that violence stopped, or the incident was not repeated there or somewhere else. Terrorists have no religion, the religion of a terrorist is terrorism. I remember in India when the Sikhs had started a movement in which they asked to form their own nation and separate from India. Every Sikh was called an atankwadi meaning a terrorist. In those days I was still a student and having a lot of time in my hand I used to read avidly. I read stories of so many freedom fighters in India, those who fought for the freedom of India from the British. The Britishers bore down on them as criminals. They were killed without trial and it was called encounter attacks. Some were tried and of course they were all sentenced to kalapani, another term for “Sentenced for life and imprisoned in the jails of Andaman Islands” I had seen footages or the prisoners who were young school going students who had attacked some british person, vehicle or office or was present in the scene or was a friend, classmate, cousin or brother of someone who had attacked and was pronounced dead before they physically died. They worked during the days in inhuman conditions and slept with their feet chained. When they walked their bare feet were chained so they would not escape, Where would they have escaped too. They were in a deserted island constructing the bungalows for the british officers and the prisons.
I used to wish that Punjab could never rescind from India else it would be the creation of another unfriendly neighbor like Pakistan, And if Punjab ever rescinded from India I knew that all those who are being labeled as terrorists in India now will be known as freedom fighters tomorrow in the new nation of Punjab. Thank God that such a thing never came of fruition. Punjabis are one of the best cooks, and the bravest of Indian men, besides being a community of handsome men and beautiful women.
Speaking of Pakistan, their demands and attacks on India have forever been irrational to me. They seem to be formed by a government who never seek peace for themselves or the world. Every Pakistani I ever met personally is a very amicable and hospitable person. But the government seems to have their wires crossed. There is no concept of democracy, every elected person in always over thrown by a military regime and assassinated or hung unjustly. And the fascinating part about this is that their biggest supporter has always been the US. After 9/11 US wrote off 2Billion dollars in loan money to Pakistan. The Pakistan President who is also their army head visited US and this was flashed in every news channel in US. The Indian Prime Minister visited US simultaneously and to my knowing he met only with certain members of the US government, the President of US, George W Bush never met with him and there was no mention of this visit in any news channel or prin t media in US. When Benazir Butto, the opposition leader of Pakistan visited US, she was introduced to the President as the Prime Minister of India. It is hilarious how ignorant and egotistical those who house the US White House are. The media in US though speaks of freedom of press, it is only what the government and those in power and with wealth will allow to be published. It is what will sell the company is allowed to be brought to the public. Pakistan being a non-democratic nation, why does US support it financially so it can house all of the worlds militants? Osama bin Laden still resides in Pakistan, why was Afghanistan plundered when all along he lived in Pakistan. Pakistanis burn American flags everyday on the streets and yet US pour in all our tax money into keeping that economy flourishing. Why? All Pakistani extremists in India walk around with US dollar bills in their pockets. They carry wads of these bills. HOW?
US spends billions of dollars promoting how Russia was a threat to the world in the 20th century. In the 21st century they have started another campaign saying that China is a threat to the US economy. The U.S. has the personality of a hormone driven masturbating 17 year old male teenager. A 15-17 year old male teenager feels that they know everything and everything they lay eyes on belong to them. Everyone must listen to them else they have no problem going against their parents and being disrespectful of their teachers and elders. This is how America operates. America
The World series in US that are played are games in between the states within the US states. I do not think there are Hawaiian or Alaskan state teams for American football and basketball. These championships must be called the 48 contiguous states of the US American football/basketball series.
I believe every Indian is responsible no matter where they reside each time India is attacked militarily or through terrorist attacks. How many India ensures their neighbor is happy and fed? There was a time when we did. We Indians are humble yet proud. We maybe poor but we never beg. What has happened to that country? Today the feudalistic system has been replaced by the credit system. Our parents, the children from the 40’s who are now in the 70s are the only generation who lived their lives debt free.
What is it in human being that make us reject our elders and take on what is alien? Every indigenous culture all over the planet abandoned their heritage to take on the western culture which made promises of freedom, but are the descendents of the Caucasian race truly free. Freedom is within the boundaries, or isn’t it?
- An Indian American
