ट्रेनबाज़ी ...

हम रास्ते के मुलाजिम जब थे, तब अच्छा था...

कभी किसी लम्बी काली सुरंग में सांप सी रेंगती
एक सुपेरफ़स्ट ट्रेन के अनारक्षित डब्बे के फर्श पर

साधारण से दस लोगों के बीच अपनी जगह बनाने में जुटे होते.

तो कभी उत्तर प्रदेश के किसी गुमनाम बीहड़ इलाके से गुज़रती

सरपट दौड़ती रेलगाड़ी के पांचवे डब्बे की साइड अप्पर बर्थ में

यूरोप और अमेरिका के साम्राज्यवादी ईतीहास पढ़ते पाए जाते.

खैर, अब इस स्थिर ज़िन्दगी के बीच एक नया अस्तित्व तलाशना है.

LEFT'S GIFT TO THE COUNTRY ?!?

http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/148747/tracing-the-roots-of-radicalism-in-kerala.html

One of my 'friends' had to say this after watching this news-documentary: " This is Left's Gift to India".

My point was very simple... there is no need to say anything that the documentary doesn't say itself. I had a debate with this 'friend' and it was not a pleasant one, owing to his Right Wing lineages and mine just the opposite. However, among the things that I argued, there are some that I think are worth replicating here.... to put my ideas about communalism, secularism and the state in context.... (I am copy-pasting it here.. so little instances here and there might feel odd, but they might just preserve and demostrate the tenor of the debate until then)

Obviously I took the report seriously. I am not the one to believe in obscurantism, and I thought that this particular documentary was quite decent in its coverage and its presentation of facts. I just wanted to say that this shouldn't be made a matter of panic or frenzy, but as a moment that is needed to focus on the phenomena of radicalization in a better way.

And I think my point about the misplaced sense of your argument has been corroborated by your last statement (to pat islamic-radicalization on its back and to cry foul when "any other group comes together")...

Radicalization of any religion is problematic, claims of 'orthodoxy' of religions are in my perception even more dangerous.... therefore religion itself should be ideally tied with the secular/ democratic requirements of a sovereign, which should not let it (religion) degenerate to a level that it becomes a menace or becomes antithetical to the democratic ethos of its society.

This involves a constant process of secular, ethical and moral education of the population (through growth in literacy, cultural and political engagements etc.) that any government should indulge in, throughout. It should not be a matter of when and how and by whom.

Yes, it is unfortunate that Kerala, a left ruled state, which has had a progressive record in terms of socio-economic indicators is seeing a spurt in religion violence (Thomas case being one example)... however the situation I am sure is not grimmer (maybe only better) than other parts of the country. The related news-documentary by the way should (therefore) be cut to size and understood only as that and not a harbinger of great tragedy.

Nothing but progressive secular politics can be the right thing in such a situation and in fact we can hope that this would be the case atleast in Kerela to a certain extent. (Atleast with its more secular face of politics, if not really the most progressive)

I firmly believe there is no alternative to secularism in democratic India if the system is to work. Otherwise you will only have more of this, and you can blame the left or whoever for 'not stopping' it."

THE 'ANNADOLAN' AGAINST CORRUPTION

"This is a civil movement and not a political movement" - for those people who believe so are naive and for those people who proclaim so are either wicked or plain stupid.

All of us hate politics and politicans at some level, but it is important to know that politicization is the only way to subvert structural problems like corruption in a truly democratic manner. A broad based agenda to keep the democratic system working effectively is needed time and again, and the thrust for this must come from the people.

However, when 'civil society movements' like these come up - movements that target 'public servants' for all problems, identify corruption as a plain systemic issue, are backed by the biggest of corporates, have all the media serving its purpose, provide solutions that bypass the democratic mechanism of the country and therefore claim to be revolutionary-remaining blatantly mainstream, elitist, even majoritarian at the same time; it does not show well on the state of things in the country.