Peshawar Seige, reminder of my encounter with Terror

I think I was in 8th standard, my sisters were in 6th and 3rd - some short circuit, some sparks and kids ran towards the ground. Rumour said it was a terror attack, some said armed men have held us hostage and a few kids are badly wounded. It was all rumour though, but the entire school was shocked and assembled in the ground. And my eyes frisked the ground trying to locate my sisters, and they found me and we three were together.

I recollect back in September 2008, I was in Gaffar, Karol Bagh moments before the serial blasts in Delhi, me and my younger sister were in metro when we got to know about the blasts. We turned back to CP to catch up with our youngest sister and reach home at 11. It was a curfew at 8 pm. ITO's traffic signal that has always been choc-o-blocked was quite, and we quite had made up our mind that there is gonna be no conveyance today, we might have to walk home. The biggest accomplishment that day was that three of us were together.

Indians could sympathize with #Pakistan on #PeshawarSeige because we know the pain, fear and helplessness that terrorism causes. 

I have grown up with terrorism as a way of life, just like a road accident or a heart attacks. Whenever I heard a minister delivering a pompous speech on anti-terrorism, I would think of whether this man knows about people entering metro premises without being frisked? Does he know that at this point we are not hitting the root of terrorism, a tragedy that could have been avoided to create a terrorist? 

Let's talk about Taliban, there is no good or bad Taliban, they are men with Guns teaching boys to hold guns. Do not let them flourish because beyond all righteous and not-so-righteous is humanity that says COEXIST. Pakistan, your Taliban (your good Taliban) does the same with us what Peshawar attack Taliban (the so called bad Taliban) did to Army Public School Kids. Those kids fought solo, by stuffing something in their mouth, or by acting dead, they did a great job. But they could do it only because you were camouflaged by the dead. Can we just be alive and not be shielded by something?

Pakistan I am sorry for your loss, and my heart goes out for the families who have lost their loved one. I am sharing some words of Gulzaar

अपनी मर्जी से तो मजहब भी नहीं उसने चुना था,
उसका मज़हब था जो माँ बाप से ही उसने विरासत में लिया था,
अपने माँ बाप चुने कोई ये मुमकिन ही कहाँ है, मुल्क में मर्ज़ी थी उसकी ,

न वतन उसकी रजा से वो तो कुल नौ ही बरस का था,
उसे क्यों चुनकर, फिरकादाराना फसादात ने कल क़त्ल किया 

Author's Note: As far as my encounter with terrorism is concerned, it seems that it is my sole responsibility to protect myself if a terror attack happened. When one does not have a choice, all one can do is to bravely declare it as a sole responsibility because yes, I fear next time it could be me - point blank at a terrorist's radar. And for the love I have for people close to me I do not want to imagine any loved one in such a scenario, so sorry I will stop here than to elongate that emotion.

Go for a Plain and Simple Diwali!

A 10 year old girl discovered smog for the first time. It was the day after Diwali, when her mom was cleaning the terrace that was mauled by crackers. Welcoming the advent of winters – she announced to her mom that the fog has come. Her mom, not so enthusiastically, told her that it is not fog – it is smog! Looking at question in her eyes – what is smog?, her mom continued telling her that it is the product of pollution that comes from crackers that people burst during Diwali. The 10 year old was not excited anymore. She looked closely at the layer of smog. It appeared like a black mass resting between the sky and earth. It looked beautifully calm, but it was the calmness that was haunting! Like a predator, moving slowly towards a prey. And till the time the prey realizes that, it is dead!

After that day she did not burst crackers. The haunting image of smog appeared in front of her.

Source: The Logical Indian

Now there is something doing rounds on social media – against an annoying pretentious friend who insists on a plain and silent Deepawali! Check it here >>

The claims made by this message include the following and I bring to you my opinion about the message that is being extensively shared by people who enjoy bursting crackers.

1. The major source of pollution - vehicles and industries burning fossil fuels. Hits the nail on the spot. That is why renewable energy is being so talked about. That is why carbon credits exist. That is why we protest deforestation.

2. Even smoking a cigarette is much bigger source of pollution
If cigarette haunts you so much, then during Diwali a non smoker inhales smoke that is equivalent to 100 sticks. 

3. The deadly CFC gases from the ACs these leftists pseudo-intellectuals put in their comfy rooms. Can we live without ACs? Climate change is inevitable – the only possibility is to delay it by being responsible towards environment. Rather than using ACs in all the rooms, use AC in just one room, keep the temperature between 22 to 24 and stuff.

4. Mere 1 day's worth of air-travel in the world produces much more deadly pollution that a Diwali celebration that we observe just once a year.
Exhausts out of an Aero-plane are under checks – exhausts out of crackers are not!

5. We're silently suffering million times more pollution then we shouldn't complain about something insignificant in comparison. As long as people do it in moderation, and enjoy it no one should have a problem.
It could appear insignificant to those who do not suffer. An asthmatic person suffers and while the regulated industrial limit does not seem to kill a lung patient, crackers bursted on the Diwali day do! Who keeps a check on moderation? We do not have any regulations to limit using crackers?

Author's Note: Please do not pick a better wrong out of many wrongs. Celebrate plain and simple Diwali. Celebrations must not encourage damaging the environment. 

Beating Retreat!

Marking the end of republic day revelry is the Beating Retreat Ceremony held today at Vijay Chowk. The the ceremony that dates back to the time when sounding retreat pulled to a halt the day’s fighting during the time of war. The idea for the parade goes like this:

In olden times, when the hours of darkness meant a cessation of hostilities until the following day, the object of the call was to collect and post the necessary guards for the camp, garrison, etc., for the night. It was also a warning for those outside the camp or garrison to retire or they would be kept outside the night. We thus find that there is some confusion arising between "Retreat" and "Tattoo". This confusion may, in part, have been caused owing to the French using the word "Retraite" for the familiar call to our "Tattoo". From the following extracts from old orders, it would appear conclusive that Retreat was meant to be separate from Tattoo and to be beaten at sunset.

Coming to my experience of the ceremony, well we were late for the ceremony and the place we were supposed to be seated was full, so we had to rush to the arcade towards the left of where some of the seats were supposedly vacant. Reaching there was a task too, as we managed to enter the arcade, we had a hard time locating somewhere to sit. Where-ever we stood, people seated behind us started shouting, and it was quite an experience... Clearly you should not block some one's view, and as a friend said to me be the change you want to see, we decided to stand somewhere we would not block view of others.

It was then that the smartness of an engineer came to play. Well my sister located two un-taken chairs and rushed to ask the security personnel, sir can I take the chair. He promptly agreed and here were we both trying to position the chair towards a metal chamber so that we can stand up on the chair and get a frontal view of the ceremony. It was like two people standing on one chair.

Now we all could pay attention to what was going on at Vijay Chowk. The President Pratibha Patil, was sitting conveniently inside a glass chamber along with the also the Supreme Commander of the three Forces, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, the audience also sat through a ceremony that elicits a feeling of nationhood and pride! The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was also sitting amongst the audience with wife and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.





Thirty-five bands from the Army, the Navy and the Air Force took part in the ceremony that began with the arrival of the President marked by fanfare by trumpeter. Well synchronized parade playing bands were performing and adding poise to the retreat were men on camels standing inside Rashtriyapati Bhawan! The pillars also stationed some buglers who kept playing their musical instruments at frequent intervals, in tune with the band marching performance. The tempo set the feel and audience did not miss applauding several times through the ceremony.

A brief research took me to the sequence of the ceremony, which goes as:

The first march of the massed band was the popular Sam Bahadur, named on a popular Indian army officer. This was followed by the performance of pipes and drums which had the audiences tapping the feet with their Surya, Sky Boat Song, Pipers Cave, Highland Laddie and The Marquis of Huntly, among others. The Naval and Air Force Bands, striking in their appearance and confident in their bearing, charged the atmosphere with their repertoire that included the beats of Ocean’s Splendour, Bharatiya Navsena, Sky Hawks, Nocturnal Cry, Swatantra Bharat ki Shan and Subroto. The military bands with their Hanste Lushai, Gangotri, Abhinandan, Dhola-Re-Dhola were as spectacular to the eye as they were an aural treat. Next it was the massed bands again enthralling the audiences. Their quick march to the tunes of Saare Jahan Se Acha brought the curtains down on the ceremony!

The president's house and the parliament was lit and it looked like a marvelous palace, wow came out of everyone the moment the place was embedded with golden yellow lights! Now the horses started marching towards the parliament, as it was getting dark, the spark generated due to friction between horses' shoe and concrete road was added zing to the festivities. Following it was the indicators of bikes and jeep signaling that its the time to go. By this time the audience started moving out of the arcade, but we stood there for some more time as we did not want to miss anything and also we had to locate a friend, who had to park the car. India gate was also decorated with an imprint of tricolour.

We could see him, kept waving at him as he was waiting at the other side of the arcade, where we were suppose to be technically seated. As no mobile phones were allowed and I succeeded in shouting his name, I went home happy that I am not a complete cell phone dependent :D

It is an art, science and a theatrical display of courage, spirit of nationhood, patriotism, and a call for global peace!

Author's Note: The Beating Retreat ceremony is worth witnessing.. I wish I have done justice to the ceremony through this blog post!

Happy Republic Day 2010

The 61st Republic Day Parade of the Year 2010 had the honour of me sitting amongst the audience. Yes, let me rephrase it, this year I happen to witness the parade live at Rajpath, while me sitting with my friends at the neatly organised chairs in India Gate Lawns.

To begin with the Republic Day of India commemorates the date on which the constitution of India came into force replacing the Government of India act 1935 as the governing document of India on January 26, 1950. The date January 26 was chosen to honour the memory of the declaration of independence to India in 1930. 

The day is one of the three national holidays, while the Republic Day Parade takes place at the Rajpath, New Delhi this year in presence of the President Smt Pratibha Patil, Chief Guest Korean President Lee Myung-bak and the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. The invitation to Korean ministers reflects upon strengthening bilateral relations. State capitals also have their state celebrations on the day, where the governor of the states unfurls the National Flag. 

The revelry of republic day for me started a day before. Due to security reasons buildings at Barakhamba Road where I happen to work and Kasturba Gandhi Road had to be vacated by afternoon of January 25. So me and my friend had a strolling time on the streets of Connaught Place. Which of course came after a long time, and I have decided to make such strolls a regular part of my life. This was also an auspicious day when I got my VIP passes for the parade. 

Coming back to the R-day, we expected the day to be bright and sunny but to our surprise, we got on a foggy morning, we stepped out of house at 8 am, while we could barely see clearly at the distance of 20 meters. As we were not suppose to carry mobile phone, cameras, bags, such day came to me after a long long time. We finally made up to the venue on time, and were seated at a better location, something that was practically (not actually) opposite India's first woman's arcade. 

Prior to the commencement of the parade, the Prime Minister lays a floral wreath at Amar Jawan Jyoti a memorial of martyred unknown soldiers at India Gate. Then he reaches his dias and hoists Indian flag as the National Anthem is played. A 21 gun salute is also paid to the spirit of nation-hood, this was amazing and enough to scare off a two year old child sitting in the front row. 

What followed was commemoration of significant awards Ashok Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra given by the president. Ashok Chakra was awarded to Halvindar Rajesh Kumar of 11 Rajputana Rifles, Manoj Mohit Sahrma (posthumous) and Major D. Sreeram Kumar. Sub inspector Bhopal Singh of the Sashastra Seema Bal and Constable Rel Deo Sangam of Meghalaya police were conferred Kirti Chakra. Two officials of the Border Roads Organisation were amongst Shaurya Chakra awardese. Due to fog, I could not see the award commemoration ceremony, but could hear the update clearly of a loud speaker. 

By then we started to realise that a similar seating arrangement is been made opposite us, and towards the left of it was a decorated arcade, for the delegates and top officials. The parade started with men riding horse, which was amazingly synchronised. Each battalion had strikingly balanced marching skills, made us clap while they pass in front of us, on Rajpath. Clapping was also meant to keep ourselves warm on that foggy day. One of the battalion had three army personnel walking in the front, they held a long equipment with a spherical top while marching. Its worth mentioning their precision and synchronisation of throwing the equipment in the air, at certain height the equipment rolled and came back to the marcher's hand. It left us all amazed and applauding!

Following marches by the military personnel was beautiful display of decorated boogies from a military, missiles, few states, ministries. The ones that left visionary mark on me were Bunkers, Multiple Missile Delivery Equipment, Agni Missile, Shaurya Missile, ICT System, Radar Communication System of Indian Army. The boogies of Jaipur, International Film Festival of India, Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 where legendary sports persons like PT Usha and Milkha Singh were standing up at the boggy and waving at us, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, were strikingly done. Dance performance by school children was not visible to us, but the music got me foot tapping enough to give a feel of it. Tricolour balloons and flags were released in the sky from each direction, which exclaimed India celebrates its republic status. 

The aircraft show finally offered a hooting zeal leaving the viewers all the more mesmerised. By the end, we walked up towards the grill to get the booklets which were being distributed, but could not find any of the distributors.At last the President, Korean Head, PM waved bye to the by standers. While walking towards the exit, my cousin wanted to hold the rifle and requested the guard to let him hold it, but the guard politely refused, and had a chat with with him for sometime. While he was chatting up with the army guard, I happen to get the booklet from a child, who happily gave me the booklet. 

All in all, the parade is worth witnessing. I feel proud that I happen to go to Rajpath on the R-day, and glorify myself with being able to associate with the display world's third largest military power's credentials. It instigated the feeling of being Indian in me :)

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who was involved in the course of getting passes and getting up on time, reaching at the venue on time, and being able to stick to it in a foggy serpentine day! My sister had fever, she did not disclose as she did not want to miss the parade, the display of art and science of synchonised theme. The efforts were unquestioningly worth it! Happy Republic Day 2010 to all Indians~~

PS: For those who don't know that India holds the National parade only for the Republic Day on January 26. And on the Independence Day (August 15) we have the PM delivering speech at Red Fort, and innumerable kites flying on Indian skies, symbolising India's independence!