A Country where Chetan Bhagat is known as a writer

Strange how in a country there are people who consider Chetan Bhagat (1) an extremely good writer and at the same time there are others who wouldn’t even trust him with dictation. Such is the country and such are its extremes.

The country boasts of its diversity. Diversity in weather, which goes from freezing cold (almost -50 degrees) to frying heat (above 50 degrees)! Diversity in topography & geography (has Deserts, green meadows & even snow clad mountains). It has Diversity in Culture, Diversity in language, and diversity of Religion. The diversities are so intense and diverse that if you travel in any direction, it seems as if you are watching a non stop marathon show, with artists wearing colorful dresses, speaking varied array of languages. In short I can say you are in for an entertaining and enthralling ride.

But still it is the same country where Minorities are confused whether they are followers of an independent and unique religion or their religion is just an offshoot of what the majority follows, thus they end doing what every body else is doing & celebrating what every one else is celebrating (2). Recently a leader of a political party publicly called for Muslims to be made to proudly pronounce their Hindu linage otherwise not to be allowed to vote in elections! (3) It is country which is a regional (somewhat international) economic power & strong contender for permanent seat at UN security council and at the same time the condition of women is appalling, second only to Afghanistan! (4) The country has more than couple of people who figure in the list of worlds richest people and still we find farmers who can not make ends meet and thus are forced to put an end to their lives only. It is country with Freedom of speech as one of the six fundamentals rights granted by constitution, countless news channels and news papers seem to validate this and still it is the same country where a whole region is blocked unlawfully for more than 100 days and no one bother to report (5). It is country where a newly born baby girl in the family of super stars (Actors) makes headlines and trends on twitter but discovery of mass graves in a disputed part of the country doesn’t raise any eyebrows forget about getting covered in mainstream media (6).

What else do I need to say than that it is a country where Chetan Bhagat is known as a writer and it is the same country where another writer raises her voice against government and its modus operandi she is declared a traitor and ant-national(7). Once it was this country only that lead the Non-Alignment movement and now its foreign policy lacks vision and spine. That is India shining for you my dear friends and sold to you as Incredible India.
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Note:-

1. Would like to clarify that I am not trying to pass any judgment regarding the writing skills of Chetan Bhagat, in fact have never read him. Used him as an example only due to the extremely different (apposite) emotions that mere mention of his name induces people to express.
2. Until Chandragupta’s reign (of Gupta dynasty) Hinduism (religion of majority) did not have idol worship. One more thing to take notice of is that during that period the more favored religions where Buddhism & Jainism and these continued to grow stronger and stronger because of their simple teachings. So as to counter this growth Chandragupta introduced idol worshiped and many scripture (which Hindus hold pious) were written or edited. Both the founders of Buddhism and Jainism wanted to take their followers as away from Hinduism as possible so the question of these being two religions being off shoots of Hinduism doesn’t arise. Same applies to Sikhism.
3. Dr.Subramanian Swamy (the party president of Janta Party) had made these comments in a very inflammatory write-up an open-ed in DNA news paper, which even made minority commission to send him a notice. The write-up was so inflammatory that Harvard chose not to renew his contract as visiting faculty.
4. A recent report on woman welfare ranked India just above Afghanistan.
5. The state of Manipur had to face road blockage for more than 100 days which led to commodities prices sky rocketing, shortage of essential supplies thus endangering lives.
6. In Jammu & Kashmir recently about 3000 mass graves were found and there is certainty that these number are going to increase, Human Rights groups are calling for international impartial probe but the government is hiding behind one after other smokescreens. What was more appalling was the way the media took the whole incident, as if nothing had happened. And the same media went gung ho over the coverage of birth of Abishek & Ashwariya Bachan’s daughter.
7. Miss Arundhati Roy was poster lady of India till she began asking uncomfortable questions and thus became anti-national

Open Letter

on 15th of $eptember 2011 the British Parliament is going to discuss Kashmir for the first time after partition of India in 1947. Mr steve Baker an MP for Wycombe recently prapossed this dicussion before Parliament’s Backbench Business Committee and was supported by Jason McCartney MP, Andrew Griffiths MP, Denis MacShane MP and Nic Dakin MP. Argueing for a debate on Amnesty International’s recent report on human rights in Indian-occupied Kashmir (East Kashmir). With these developments in hindsight i was forced to write this open letter to Mr. Baker and the British Parliamnet.

Dear Mr. Baker,
Thanks for taking notice of what is
happening in East Kashmir (which
you prefer to call Indian Occupied
Kashmir). It seems that our body
count has finally become worthy to
be discussed.
With the two countries (India &
Pakistan) happy with the status quo
it has become necessary for the
world powers to intervene but alas
their attitude towards kashmir
made us (kashmiri’s) wonder if even
we were considered human. But thanks to
your initiative we are seing a
change in the making but yet are
forced not to hope for anything
(learning from past experiences).
Even with many UN resolutions
regarding Kashmir nothing has
changed (infact it has worsened)we are still being
butchered unabated in broad day
light thanks to world community
which is acting like an ostrich.
Let me try to answer the question
”why the two countries are happy
with status quo and why there is
need for the world to intervene at
earliest.” Well kashmir has become
the stick with which both beat each
other. In addition to this both the
countries are sharing (plundring)the natural
resources of kashmir otherwise to
which they have no legal or moral
ownership. With these things in
mind do you think that the two
countries would want to resolve
the issue with out any external
pressure, i don’t think so. But till
the world powers decide to
intervene , one thing for sure is
going to change that is our body
count.
Now its upto you people how large
a tophy (of human bodies) you want.

Thanks
Resident of
East Kashmir