A democracy shamed: Je Suis Shireen Dalvi

Who is Shireen Dalvi?

A professional journalist with over 20 years of experience, and the only woman editor of an Urdu daily 'Avadhnama' in India, and possibly in world. A brave and gutsy woman, and a Muslim by faith. She has immense respect for her religion and its prophet, which she has been professing loudly to the world, to her fellow countrymen, colleagues and other moderate Muslims.

Alas! All she has got till now is a deafening silence, and threats - real and credible, to her and her children! All because she dared to publish this cartoon at the cover page of her newspaper, which allegedly disrespects the prophet.



(This is the cartoon, which actually depicts the prophet ruing the lack of Islam among the fundamentalists)

Her ordeal began of the fateful evening of Jan 17, 2015, when she decided to print an old cartoon of prophet Mohammed, published by Charlie Hebdo in 2006, showing a wailing prophet, ruing the rise of fanatics in the religion he so meticulously established. On the same day, multiple FIRs (police complaints for mandatory arrests) were filed against her on the charges of "outraging religious feelings" with "malicious intent". She was arrested by Mumbai police and released on bail on the same night. She might have thought that this nightmare was going to end, but she soon realized to her despair that this was just the beginning.

Next, she was fired from her job. But she was not the only one to be fired, her entire team was disbanded. The Mumbai edition of the newspaper was closed. Now Shireen is being hunted by Muslim fundamentalists, who are threatening her with murder and other dire consequences. He is in hiding, and is forced to wear burkha when she want to go out, and she is staying away from Muslim neighborhoods. Her children are in hiding as well, and she is unable to meet them. Not to say that there is this added pressure of resolving the police cases.

So much for publishing a cartoon! I do not understand few things::
(1) What is wrong with the cartoon? It does not show a caricature of the prophet? It does not insult or disparage him? It shows the regret that some people do not understand Islam. Isn't it something that the leaders of Islam will have us believe every time Jihadists strike terror? Every time we stereotype Islam, won't of our friends say that Islam is not bad, Muslims are not bad, it is just few corrupted individuals. Then what is wrong with this cartoon?

(2) Why was she fired? Wasn't she doing her job? Why is media not fighting this by making it a huge issue? Why are we not questioning the owners of the newspaper? Of course, the owners are Muslims, and gutless scums, but does it stop us from raising the issue of press freedom! Or, was it only because the mullah and Maulanas could not digest the sight of a woman holding top position in a firm!

(3) Where are the champions of secularism, and the intellectuals, and the communists? These people who talk in lofty words about the sanctity of freedom of expression and secularism, have suddenly vanished! We do not see blogs, tweets, posts or bites from them. reacted to this? Or, these fundamental right of ours, as well as the basic human right cease to exist when Muslims show intolerance?

The fact is that our country does not know how to raise voice against Muslim tolerance. Had this been done by Hindu fundamentalists, the media and politicians would have left no stone unturned to condemn the incident and to book the guilty organizations. But not against Muslims! Not even if the victim herself is a Muslim. But why do we forget, we set a trend long ago in mid 80s, that we will not raise voice in support of Muslim open being exploited, or being hounded by other Muslims, no matter what! All to hail our great tradition of secularism!

The Great Indian Hypocrisy: Devyani Khobargade

When I finally logged on to blogger after few years - perplexed what to write, I glanced through Indian newspaper blogs and I found my EUREKA moment. It was the realization that almost all the prominent bloggers in India have forsaken the matters-important-to-the-planet-and-its-inhabitants that may pique their journalistic curiosity in favor of a great National urgency which is the case of Devyani Khobargade - the insulted, exploited, victimized, dishonored, strip-searched (OMG, Americans invented this just to insult her), belonging to dalit caste (the lowest in Indian hierarchy), born to a seemingly-corrupt bureaucrat (I mean real big fish), hitherto unknown to the hardship of an average Indian both at home and abroad, a champion of women rights (so what if she exploited a maid) and an outstanding professional in Indian Foreign Services (so the government describes her). The brave lady tried so hard to maintain her composure under American onslaught because she felt she was representing India (how patriotic!), and I was almost convinced that even the fraud committed by her was a patriotic act.

When the news broke on our ultra efficient 24 x 7 news channels, India was heart-broken. The aspiring super power had woken up to a tsunami of insults, and the usually slothful Indian government displayed an unprecedented alacrity in response resulting in retaliation, oaths and condemnation flying thick and high - "How could they do this to her? The filthy, uncultured, ill-mannered, insensitive, arrogant Americans! Yes, she broke the law! Yes, she committed fraud! Yes, she exploited her maid! Yes, she was aware of the impending action! But she is a diplomat and is immune to law in USA, and she is a civil servant and is ABOVE law in India. Besides, she is a woman and is our daughter/sister, from an esteemed family. How could US marshals touch her and strip her! They will surely rot in hell! Yes, we know that women are being raped in India almost every hour and government chose to ignore it. But you see this is different and she is no ordinary woman. This is not about the rights of an average Indian, this is about an Indian diplomat and her honor is every Indian's honor (Oh! I feel the patriotism rushing through my veins). I can bet if the government can protect her from draconian law in USA which treats everyone equal, every raped girl in India will feel her pain assuaged and her dignity restored. Do you get it now you-dumb-wit!"

This is where I come in - belonging to an average pro-American community of Mango people. One who believes that if the world must have a superpower, it must be the United States, who loves America and wishes to migrate there some day. However, I am patriotic too and the outrage over the issue was infectious. I tried to justify the way Americans behaved but could not find adequate logic. I even went through the Vienna treaty but, alas, could not understand it and I concluded the Americans to be at fault here. This issue demanded caution which they seem to have abandoned. Wait! was American alone to be blamed? Seems they did inform Indian government about it and the government chose to forget it. Besides, our approach to the crisis was almost foolish in one way or other

While the drama unfolded, few more details have emerged with all thanks to the overzealous Indian media:
1. Devyani can be a great example of everything that is wrong with caste-based reservation system. Even though she is a daughter of a civil servant (who indeed seems influential and rich) she clutched this job on reservation, definitely on the cost of another deserving and needy dalit.
2. She is a trained fraud. As it appears, Indian MEA actually bent rules to favor her postings, possibly under her father's influence (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/MEA-bent-rules-to-favour-Devyani-Khobragade/articleshow/27744181.cms).
3. Her names also figures in Adarsh scandal (http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/adarsh-housing-scam-devyani-khobragade-among-illegal-beneficiaries-says-judicial-panel-report-460967) where she acquired a subsidized flat reserved for defense service personals fraudulently. It is also reported she showed her yearly income to be less than 4000 USD when she earns that amount monthly.

After witnessing all this drama and reading through the reports, I must admit I have no sympathy for Devyani, not even an iota of it. This issue which both governments have handled in a pathetic way will not serve Indo-US ties favorable and is already being used to stir anti-american sentiments in the country. Yes, she is a diplomat and she must be treated according to the International relations guidebook. Yes, India must protect her and bring her back. But this also remains a fact that she is a "fraud" and when she lands in India, she must be arrested and prosecuted for what she is. We know of at least 3 crimes for which she must face the law. But given our history, this is a distant possibility. I am quite sure that when she returns home, she will be received as the champion of I-dunno-what and will receive a great posting in a great department with enough opportunity to commit more fraud and make more money. For the pessimist that I am of justice in India, I often wish that America sticks to its guns and punish her even for the fraud committed in India. But that's just a common man's fantasy! Isn't it!

Anyways, amid this hullabaloo, we have so tragically forgotten about the woman who is the real victim of this saga - Sangeeta Richards, the exploited maid who ran away and who will be be hounded by the Indian government for life. If you think about it logically, Americans did a great service by removing her family from India, we all know what would have happened to them otherwise.

I may be damned for this post and labelled a traitor! But hey, I am an eccentric moron!    

      

The Times of India & Me

I do not remember when was the first time I read the newspaper I am addicted to. Quite early in my childhood, when it was delivered at my place one day late. Sure that I am that it was incomprehensible for me at that early age, I was, no doubt, enchanted by the photographs and presentation. I still remember flipping through the Sunday Times, just to look at pictures, only to find myself making an album of best of The Times of India 15 years later. A newspaper that shaped my thoughts, my conscience, my decisions on the issues of national importance and my emotions for various events and organizations. It elevated people to iconic status and also made me loathe few. I argued with people challenging its stand and I was sulky when someone criticized it. It was my newspaper as if I owned it, little did i know that it possessed me.

I was an avid supported of Indo-US nuclear deal and I scorned communists because Times did so. But this was the time I realized that something was missing from the panache of the newspaper. In the vehement upheaval created by the nuclear deal and the reports from other sources made me realize that The Times of India has made some mistakes. Though the deal looked good, there were drawbacks which were being ignored. I also found something very funny. People reading The times of India were all for the deal while the people reading The Hindu were all against it. I happened to read both on this issue and I was in a fix. Though deal looked good (as professed by the Times), it had limitations. So Times makes mistakes; but everyone makes mistakes, so i thought. Little did I realize at that time that The Times of India is the most blatant display of yellow journalism and it stupefies not only me but it caters to the delusion of a large chunk of the Indian population.

The Times of India is yellow journalism at its best. Though every newspaper devotes one or other of its columns to the catchy headlines and fancy gossips, The Times of India exhibits absolute yellow journalism, from the first page to the last, including supplements. Try to open Times of India on any not-so-fateful day, most of the deadlines are gonna be 'minor raped', 'boy murdered', 'girl ran away', 'China creating trouble' etc. Quite often, you will see captions having no relation with the article whatsoever. But since the title is so catchy, I read it and so do many others. I laughed about it but could never resist reading it.

When I was reading The Fountainhead (after that only I started despising newspapers), The Banner didn't quite registered into my mind. Every time I came across The Banner, I thought about The Times of India. The realization that my thoughts, conscience, decision and emotions have been trespassed continuously over 20 years brought about those agonizing moments when I cursed myself profusely to have acted like a lunatic and I ran, ran to salvage my persona, whatever remained of it; ran to avoid further mutilation of my mind and soul; ran to access my originality and my reflux to it; ran to lament the awkward solitariness i found myself in; and most important, I ran to savor the freedom, the freedom to think, to say and to listen, of what I ought to listen. I ran in the cognizance that in a democracy, no shame is above the impuissance to let someone enslave your soul and I ran faster reveling in the reality that I broke free.

The funniest part is, I still read the Times of India, all the news, no matter how grotesque! I am still addicted though as a critic not as a buff!