Saturday 24 November 2012

Malala Yousafzai - Girl who made Pakistan stand

Malala during a CNN interview




In a country which has seen over 40k deaths in terrorist attacks and witnesses its schools, markets and mosques getting bombed on daily basis, a girl receiving a bullet from an extremist can be easily dismissed as ‘usual’ terrorist attack. There is an alarming normalcy attached to such things in once-beautiful, now-ravaged SWAT area. Only thing is this was different. This resonated. For first time protests on streets were progressive. And this is a good news.

Malala Yousufzai, 14 yr old was shot in her head by Taliban extremists while returning from school in defiance of a diktat which has ordered girls school in the region to be shutdown. Even the leading conservative  Islamic scholars call such anti woman diktats to be very narrow interpretation of Sharia law and reject it. Malala fully knowing the threats and consequences of continuing with her education, refused to back down and took her activism to entire country. Her efforts for women’s education which is cornerstone for any progressive society was widely understood and appreciated, receiving National Youth peace award from then Mr PM – Yousuf Raza Gilani himself. Her thoughtfulness, courage and honesty  is for everyone to see but credit should also be given to her father Ziauddin who runs an all girls school in the locality and has not backed down despite threats, difficulties and frustrations which we can not even begin to imagine. Malala’s liberal and progressive talk was something fundamentalists couldn’t counter and they chose to respond in most cowardly, barbaric and easy way – pumping down bullets on an innocent, unarmed & unprotected girl.

You find hope in great ruins. That people responded in great numbers and anger is the only success story in this farce. It’s a place where minorities are targeted regularly on basis of archaic Blasphemy laws. The shooter of Salman Tasser, one of finest politicians  gunned down for speaking against blasphemy laws, was showered with flower petals by masses. When narrative of regressive and extremist ideologues gets support and approval from common man, space for liberal ideas and arguments shrink. Cynicism has to set in. That’s why Malala case is so important. Pakistanis across the board, from politicians to social media, from Mullahs to masses slammed the terrorists in unequivocal terms.  There were protests, fatwas and people walked on streets against extremists for a change. There were usual campaigns to paint Malala as CIA agent but the fact that these were destroyed by common Pakistanis themselves is so heartening. Rumours die faster than they spread. Now the onus is on Pakistan govt and Army. Pakistan has been the biggest victim of terrorism and no-one better than it to understand that snake is no-one’s friend. Talks of good Taliban is a myth. Public opinion can change fast and side with extremist forces if drone attacks by USA continue and innocents continue to die. Hence Pak Army must act fast. Army should take this inititative and launch an offensive in north west region and ensure complete normalcy returns to the area.

In earlier interviews young Malala has expressed her desire to become a politician and provide leadership to a country which can lead Pakistan into a better future. Even if that dream remains unfulfilled, she has done her job. Now its upto masses to raise their voices and get heard. To shout, demand, protest and stand up. Just be brave. As Malala’s father said from hospital in Birmingham where she is recuperating – When Malala fell, Pakistan rose. Rhetoric apart, its time not to kneel again.  

Sunday 24 April 2011

Shut Up!


If you go by textbooks, india is a democracy. Infact the largest one! A place where people are the masters. A place where people vote a government in or out. A place where rule of law exist. Specially india which is a vibrant and thriving democracy. Or so we are taught. Let’s put things in perspective and try to analyze 3 recent incidents. I am choosing these 3 in particular coz they are fresh in memory:

i) Godhra 2002 and the never ending saga- This is an explosive week. A senior IPS officer implicates CM of state in perhaps most damning indictment. Now with new leads case will again drag on with perhaps new SIT members and blah blah. If you dissect the story it’s about a constitutionally elected govt  orchestrating genocide of over 2k people. Worse, in the aftermath the entire state machinery have tried to suffocate any civil society voice which has dared to ask questions. So much for a Vibrant state.
ii) Jaitapur and nuclear energy debate- Indo-US nuclear deal of 2009 is considered to be a high point of Manmohan singh’s tenure as PM. It’s for no reason it is also called George Bush’s most imp foreign policy initiative. Whole world and some MNC’s rejoiced. In some corners of India people are crying and bleeding. As if India cares. Farmer’s lands are being grabbed and regions pushed towards perpetual doom. Anyone and Everyone’s views are being counted. Ramesh to Sarkozy to Areva to Chavan. Except people on the ground. Democracy for you.
iii)Binayak Sen- When scamsters, looters and criminals are roaming free, a doctor who has served poorest of poor for his entire life is being sent to jail for life on ridiculously bogus charges. Reason being his crusade against state govt exposing the illegal Salwa Judum force run by them. Binayak Sen may be out on bail but he became a metaphor for thousands still languishing in jails.
                                                                                        As different the three issues might be, the common binding thread between them is state oppression and its high-handedness which goes against core democratic values. The way govt is using money, muscle, media and even judiciary to fizzle out protest movements is alarming.  Shrinking of democratic space for activism is a sad comment on any society, specially for a nation which owes its freedom to it. Intellectual dissent is being stifled out using bogey of sedition and activists are getting targeted through smear campaigns and doctored CD’s. There’s a battle going on, which sadly govt is winning.
The battle is for the right to dissent. Right to ask questions and get justice. Right to demand what is yours. And that’s exactly why its so important, coz govt is fighting this battle against you. And you cannot win it by being a mute spectator. By shutting up.
So next time govt tries to silence you, raise your voice. Shout. Scream. Protest.  Not just in your homes. But on the road. If govt wants participatory democracy to take form in this way, give them this way. But create a space for intellectual dissent. Participate. Debate. Contribute. Coz if you don’t, you lose that right and empower govt in the battle against you.  Too long media and judiciary have been called as pillars of our democracy. And we know how miserably they have failed. Time has come to make Activism as a pillar of democracy. And it starts with you. Next time David Rocis asks you, did you strike a blow against empire? You should reply- Shut up dude, I did!!


Saturday 23 April 2011

She

Talks and smiles are fine, but its not worth one dime
What’s the use of holding hands, if it can’t take us to new land

Meeting under the sun, we went great guns
Walking along the road, went in time quite old

Apprehensions went for the toss, expectations was not the boss
I haven’t felt like that before, was so diff from story of the old

It was cold night, we went shiver; her face so beautiful just like a river
Her eyes had spaces for so many stuffs, will our song ever find any luck

We closed our eyes and forgot the bad times
Wish that was possible, in this lifetime of mine

Our end has to come, on her doorway
Same story of goodbye, which repeats everyday

I didn’t rubbed my eyes, took it my realm
Such moments of joy, it can’t be my dream