Justice For 10000 Killed In Gujarat 2002

Aha! Now that I have got your attention with the 10000-killed number I guess I can spin some more. That’s like pulling out a number from the Worli Matka, isn’t it? For those who are new to the concept, Worli Matka was a major gambling racket operated by Ratan Khatri in Worli, Mumbai. Every evening Khatri would draw two sets of lucky cards from the pack. People who bet money on cards would either lose or lose. That’s true, people mostly lost and Khatri made a lot of money. There’s even a fun site called Matka.Com that educates people on the concept without money being involved. But since Khatri closed down a long time ago our media and others have carried forward his gambling concept. This is especially true for the number of Muslims killed in Gujarat 2002 riots. You must have heard numbers like 5000, 3000, 2000 while the official number was 1044 killed and around 223 missing. So, apart from the media, the latest one to use Matka figures and Matka logic is none other Justice Markandeya Katju (MK).

By now most of us have heard of MK’s opinions on almost everything under Pluto. And everyone is tired. So thankfully, like Aaakar Patel and Ram Guha, MK has chosen to “Focus”. And lately his focus is none other than Narendra Modi. He writes in the The Hindu an article called “All the perfumes of Arabia” on February 15. Now, I’m one of those who Katju categorises under 90% fools or idiots so I can’t figure out that title except that it must have to do with some fairy tales we usually associate with Arabian Nights. This time, it is nice little fairy tales about Narendra Modi. There is nothing new in what MK writes. So we will skip the usual rants about Modi and Gujarat and touch upon anything that sounds different. Like Shekhar Gupta who often runs into and chats with people at airports, railway stations and flights, MK starts with a conversation on a flight. Imagine the misfortune of his co-passenger. Let’s read the rant (edited excerpts in blue):

I was flying from Delhi to Bhopal recently. Sitting beside me was a Gujarati businessman. I asked him his opinion of Mr. Modi. He was all praise for him. I interjected and asked him about the killing of nearly 2,000 Muslims in 2002 in Gujarat. He replied that Muslims were always creating problems in Gujarat, but after 2002 they have been put in their place and there is peace since then in the State. I told him this is the peace of the graveyard, and peace can never last long unless it is coupled with justice. At this remark he took offence and changed his seat on the plane. Oh there you are! That Matka figure of 2000 comes in again. I’d have to say this co-passenger was a lucky guy indeed. He could get just get up and walk away to another seat. What if Katju moved in as my neighbour? Frankly, given his continuous outrage on everything and since the 90% can’t live with the 10%, I would definitely considering moving to a new residence which is far more difficult than changing seats on a plane. So MK is so obsessed he probably goes around asking every Gujju he runs into about Modi and then pounds him with his philosophy of justice. Just the other day I ran into a Supreme Court lawyer and asked him his opinion of Katju and he said… No, never mind! I can’t print that.

To call the killings of Muslims in 2002 a spontaneous reaction reminds one of Kristallnacht in Germany in November 1938, when the entire Jewish community in Germany was attacked, many killed, their synagogues burnt, shops vandalised after a German diplomat in Paris was shot dead by a Jewish youth whose family had been persecuted by the Nazis. It was claimed by the Nazi government that this was only a ‘spontaneous’ reaction, but in fact it was planned and executed by the Nazi authorities using fanatic mobs. This is probably the biggest blunder that MK has so far committed in print. The stupid analogy he draws seems to have been totally lost in his prejudiced head and thoughts. The closest that comes to the Nazi reaction he quotes for one single individual being killed is not Gujarat but Indira Gandhi. Because her Sikh guards killed IndiraG, thousands of Sikhs were brutally killed, homes burnt and families destroyed. I suppose Katju probably thinks the killing of one individual (IndiraG) caused a “spontaneous” reaction but burning and killing of 59 people in a train brought about a “planned” reaction. Sheer nonsense as his own example proves. If we apply his Nazi logic at all then it is the IndiraG murder that caused the Nazi reaction he talks about.

In terms of historical evolution, India is broadly a country of immigrants and consequently, it is a land of tremendous diversity. Hence, the only policy which can hold it together and put it on the path of progress is secularism — equal respect and treatment to all communities and sects. This was the policy of the great Emperor Akbar, which was followed by our founding fathers (Pandit Nehru and his colleagues) who gave us a secular Constitution. This is a pet theory of MK; India being a country of immigrants. Yeah right, most people know I am from Honduras. There’s no problem with the diversity, it existed even before and will exist after MK. The truth is, historically some immigrants came as refugees some came as invaders. Some invaders carried swords and some carried guns. Surely, the immigrants of the latter category didn’t come here singing “Kaho naa pyaar hai” did they? As for Nehru’s vision – China, NAM, Kashmir, USSR... less said the better. And no, the founding fathers (if they can be called that for an ancient country) didn’t insert the word “secular” into the constitution. It was inserted by IndiraG during Emergency. The secularism practiced by Nehru’s party is now prominent as pseudo-secularism.

So what’s new about the Gujarat and Modi story that is now floating in the media? First the media mafia started with the story of “Mass murderer, Hitler, Nazi, Fascist, Hero of Hatred, Maut Ka Saudagar” and FAILED. The more they ranted, the more the people backed Modi. Then having failed with that they showered scorn on Gujarat’s economic progress under Modi. They abused economic data to manipulate reports and show a bad picture. FAILED! Left with nothing, they have now come up with one single word mantra: “Malnutrition”. As MK says:

Questionable progress: Today, 48 per cent of Gujarati children are malnourished, which is a higher rate of malnourishment than the national average.

Like a box of parrots, Aakar Patel, Ram Guha, others and now MK, everyone in the media lately talks about “Malnutrition” in Gujarat. Even students who are called for debates are tutored to talk of “Malnutrition” in Gujarat. Funny huh? Malnutrition is a national problem and so too in Gujarat, maybe across the world in some countries. But where the other tags failed they are now into the “Malnutrition” song and dance routine. Here’s how their mundane rant has become and how foolish it really sounds:

Great roads in Gujarat:  Okay, but what about malnutrition?

Great infrastructure in Gujarat:  Okay, but what about malnutrition?

24X7 Power supply:  Okay, but what about malnutrition?

Water in Sabarmati:   Okay, but what about malnutrition?

Special incentives for girls:  Okay, okay, but what about malnutrition?

Crores of investments:   Yeah alright, but what about malnutrition?

Women can move safely:  Who cares? What about malnutrition?

Modi is not corrupt & incorruptible:  Corruption is normal, what about malnutrition?

Sex-determination tests banned:   Minor issue, what about malnutrition?

GDP growth over national average:  Fine, fine, what about malnutrition?

DoubleDigit Agri growth for years:  See the “larger” picture, what about malnutrition?

So, now that everything else has failed the last straw to clutch is the magic word called malnutrition. And I promise you, you will hear this word over and over again in the next one year. I can understand the agenda of the media mafia but considering MK is a lawman one would have expected a more logical and sensible approach with his criticism. Nothing like that! He too sounds like a parrot. So whether it’s 2000 or 3000 or 5000 killed as these magicians keep pulling out from their hats, what’s wrong if I pull out a Matka figure of 10000? For that matter, what’s wrong if I pulled out a figure of 1 lakh even? There are some newspapers and TV channels who are as good as a Matka. They provide the platform for the Matka logic and some writers are the cards. 

 

Three Idiots In Ahmedabad

Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself. - Mark Twain.

Sure, Mark Twain meant the American Congress, the equivalent of parliament but then I’m learning to spin and in our context I’m also starting to think he meant India’s Congress party. It’s because I can’t think of anything else to describe why three idiots from the Congress landed in Ahmedabad on June 13, 2012. P. Chidambaram, Salman Khurshid and Ambika Soni landed in Ahmedabad (Gujarat) supposedly to boast of the UPA’s achievements in the last 8 years. The other undisclosed agenda was to challenge the achievements of Gujarat under Narendra Modi. They came too soon! Elections are still some months away.

And then talk about bad luck and bad timing. On a day when some of the national media too landed up in Ahmedabad the main story on all news channels was that of the Presidential election circus. Who screwed them? It was one of their own alliance team – Mamata Banerjee and Mulayam Singh, who snubbed Sonia Gandhi with their choices for President. That’s for the politics bit. The three wise kings were not about to talk to their subjects in Gujarat but to their ‘Inner-wheel’ club called the media.

Ambika Soni, the I&B minister, who is known to arm-twist media outlets (according to Aditya Sinha of DNA) made it abundantly clear to the folks in the theatre: “Ask the questions you were supposed to ask”. Of course, that’s like parents of students telling teachers to stick to the syllabus. So here are some highlights:

Salman Khurshid was unexpectedly asked about the Supreme Court refusal to stay the sub-quota for muslims which was earlier struck down by the Andhra High Court, which SK had earlier made an election bomb in UP, which was earlier criticised all around, which was earlier…. This was the Law Minister’s response: "Vacation benches tend to be conservative. We thought we will get relief but it did not happen. It happens at times... when the court reopens it will go to the regular bench where the matter will be heard before we get a final answer”. Oh okay, so vacation benches are conservative. I wonder what regular benches of SC would be like – Fascists or Secularists? So now you know when to go to the SC and what kind of bench for the verdict you want.

When a reporter persisted with his question on Gujarat’s development it was left to P. Chidambaram to answer. PC accepted the Gujarat development story but wanted to let the world know that the Centre had provided great help for the cause. What he doesn’t mention though is that much of the Centre’s resources to Gujarat comes from its own contributions and do not amount to doles given out to some other states. Read more at DeshGujarat.

And Ambika Soni had only one thing to talk about – Malnutrition. That malnutrition in Gujarat was higher than the national average. Point made. But she forgot to mention what Gujarat was doing about it. Worse, she forgot to mention what the Centre was doing about it. In a speech in Mumbai recently Narendra Modi had pointed out that the PM’s three year report about UPA-2 didn’t have any mention of malnutrition in women and children although he considered it a ‘national shame’. Jainarayan Vyas, minister in Gujarat, has challenged the figures quoted by Soni but malnutrition is hardly a matter of numbers game. Whether in Gujarat or the country it is a shame indeed.

Now, you would have thought that after the grand show of the three kings in Ahmedabad the front pages of Ahmedabad would be flooded with the blast they had. Well, instead the Times of India front page story today, the day after, is “It’s advantage Modi in Gujarat’s Kurukushetra”. That says a lot for the lightning media campaign of the three idiots. Worse, the TOI Ahmedabad edition doesn’t have a single word of this press meet on its front page.

Reminds me of the question the teacher asked the class: “Who were the three kings who brought peace and happiness....?” A thoughtful little Johny responded: “Smo-King, Drin-King and F**-King”.  I don’t know what the three idiots or their party smoke or drink but I would certainly hope they get to their jobs seriously and stop ‘F**king’ Gujarat and the nation.