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Friday, February 26, 2010

Aman ya Jung?

The one thing that has angered me over the last few months was the Aman ki Asha campaign, initiated by Times of India.
I have a question - will you ever sit and have a cup of tea in an aman shanti ka mahaul with a neighbour who is always pelting stones on your house?

Never, would be the unanimous answer.
Would the pseudo-liberals, pseudo-intellectuals who have spearheaded Aman ki Asha have tea with their own belligerent neighbours.
Not one would do that in reality, yet it seems the country, India, does not matter for them.
And while we kept the asha for aman and mohhabbat, we got a lovely Valentine's Day gift reecently. A grand blast and about 14 deaths at the German Bakery in Pune.
As if that's not enough, the much wanted, Hafiz Sayed, addressed a public rally in city of Lahore after the German bakery blast, and said that one 26/11 was not enough for India, there need to be more. He went on to say that they will drink blood of the Indians, rather than die thirsty.
All this in broad daylight, in a public rally, in the city of Lahore and the Pakistanis claim they cannot arrest him, because they do not know where he is.
What a bloody joke!
Just as we were coming to terms with the Pune blast, Salman Bashir and his Pakistani delegation caame to India. The press waxed eloquent about his pragmatism, attitude and his personal rapport with Nirupama Rao.
The talks happened, or rather should I say we had "tea" again. And after that the vitriolic press conference made the Pakistani intentions very clear. They'll continue throwing stones.
Its barely been two days since the talks got over and today, Indian interests were targeted in Kabul. The result: 6 Indians died.
The Taliban claimed responsibility. No prizes for guessing who supports the Taliban.
And what do we do?
We keep the Aman ki Asha.
But this is a Jung.

In one of my blogs titled "Is India Truly Independent?", I had written that we need to retaliate, an eye for an eye.
Why can't we learn from the Israelis?
An eye for an eye, a limb for a limb, should you dare touch my countrymen, should you dare even look at my motherland.
That's what we should do - systematically throttle Pakistan, cultivate fringe groups in Pakistan, encourage Baluchis and the Sindhis and get them to eliminate terrorist leaders, one by one.
But we certainly caannot afford to have tea with our neighbour. We certainly cannot hope to have any Asha because the neighbour wants a Jung.
And our pseudo-liberals, pseudo-intellectuals better realise this fact of life in India, that this is a full fledged, yet undeclared war, the Jung of our lives.

Monday, February 8, 2010

香港 - Images from the Fragrant Harbour - Part 2

Be careful, that's the Smuggler's Inn!


Is that Hong Kong? Yes, that's Stanley .... a part of the city, yet so idyllic!


Flags of the Swire Group, Hong Kong and People's Republic of China flutter in the breeze. wow, what a sight!


Saturday night? No, it's Thursday and seems that the weekend is here already!


Would you buy stuff from the Pink Pussy Cat?





The hangover of 1997? (1997 was when Britain handed over Hong Kong back to China)


Interesting lighting at the Coach!


Fluttering prayer flags ensure my prayers go to God!



Ohhh, not again! They missed out the Taj Mahal.


Zip, zap, zoom.......



Will we ever enforce all this in India?


The Airport Express brings me to Hong Kong!


Kids are the same everywhere, chirpy and playful!


If there's tea, can I be far behind?



An enduring symbol of Hong Kong, the Golden Bauhinia!



The Beetle hitches a ride!



When you meet an old friend, you become oblivious to the world around you!


At the Central, Filipino maids socialise.... Man, what a cacophony!


A view from the 27th floor...


Crossing Tsing Yi on the Airport Express


Ask any spotter and he'll recognise the Control Tower. It's Chep Lep Kok, stupid!


There's a certain charm and energy about Asian festivals, as these Chinese lanterns signify....


Tradition meets modernity - lanterns at Times Square...



A woman's paradise .... ubiquitous Chow Tai Fook jewellery stores can literally empty your wallet


An amazing view of the Fragrant Harbour from Kowloon...


Now that's the way we dry clothes in Bombay, isn't it?


Sunday, February 7, 2010

香港 - Images from the Fragrant Harbour

What a view of the Fragrant Harbour!!!


"One Country, Two Systems", but for how long?


"How much?"

"Tennn Dolllaaa"

If Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. is here, Forrest Gump should be close by....

We lost the trams in Bombay and Delhi. They are in shambles in Calcutta. But here, they live on....

You pray, I pray to the One God, Almighty....


I can't help rubbing my eyes, that's Neeti surfing in Chinese?


Mmmm, that sounds like New Delhi. Now that's why I feel home in Hong Kong.


One of the Grand Old Ladies of Asia, The Peninsula Hong Kong makes all Asians feel proud, just like our own Taj Mahal Hotel of Bombay


Hong Kong's version of "Rapidex English Speaking Course"?


Is it an alien spaceship?


The Time at Times Square


Lucky dog! He gets a massage....


恭喜发财 -- Kung Hei Fat Choy - welcoming the Year of the Tiger



Ohhh, Love sells?


Is that Janpath?

Falling in love all over again.... with the view...



... and Read on at Your Own Risk!


Deadly street food at Ada, Wan Chai - Jaanleva Ada, Katilana Ada!!!!


O Giant Buddha, shower your blessings on me and all....


Chep Lap Kok, a spotter's paradise!


Architect I.M. Pei's labour of love, the Bank of China Tower, pierces the clouds....


The Symphony of Lights is quite a spectacle...