The Mumbai Attack- An appeal for Peace

The Mumbai Attack

Another attack, life’s lost and in all probability Hate and Venom seeded in the minds of thousands.

I wonder what is the bigger success of people who’s brain behind these things? The attacks themselves or the amount of hatred they are able to generate.

Strangely I remembered what Bhagat Singh the revolutionary of Indian Freedom struggle said after throwing smoke bombs in the parliament run by British rulers, he said, you need a bang blast to open the ears of people who have stopped listening to the calls of freedom.

The question in my mind is what are we suppose to listen to. Also what state of mind we need to be in to listen.

Compassion is what comes to my mind.

The easy way out for all of us is to blame a group, a community, a religion, the inefficient security, and what not. It will allow us to curse them and wish horrible things to happen to their near and dear ones as has happened to 100 or more people who have died. Again will it stop anything is the question?

But can be listening to the pain or the hatred in people, who do such things, Imagine 22 year old young people, putting their life at stake, how many us will risk our life for anything. What will be the reason, what passion (hatred/pain) they might be carrying? In coming hours and days, you will her a lot of rhetoric about how terror is taking over, how Mumbai is so resilient, how we need to act against terror (like Bush said). Watching countless hours of TV and reading news and discussion we will also get passionate and speak with hatred about some group/community. I am wondering how more HATRED will help any of us? Can we be different from people who do these kinds of attacks and actually listen to what is going on, what is making us more violent?

Normally talking about peace is seen as weakness at such times, and I want to reaffirm that Peace is not absence of violence it is way of living. We all have a choice we can contribute to the hatred that exists between groups/people/communities/individuals and it will only create more hatred and lead to more violence. Or we can distance ourselves from any kind of hate and even doing that will tilt the balance in favor of peace.

Question is Do we have the courage?

Bandh

A political leader trying to gain prominence takes up the issue of north Indian in Mumbai, trouble follows as gundas come out on street and throw life out of gear. 5 people from different walks of life miss the most important event/opportunity in their life. They all decide to commit suicide. They all end up going to the same place for committing suicide.
Angry and frustrated they share their stories.
As they get up to commit the final act, one of them says, "I wonder if that leader will ever repent what he did or suffer for what he did", the other says"god will do it to him", another one curses "if there was god we wouldn't be here celebrating our life".

The conversation take a curious turn as they discuss what can be the best revenge, one of them comes up with teh idea of "he is doing it to become successful in election if we can prevent him from doing that ". as they brain storm they decide to do everything possible to stop them from being able to file nomination for election.

(more crazy idea will be having the god around who is also frustated at the mess, and feels help less as there is no place in hell for the political leader as itis over booked. the conversation foloows and he decides to give them each a power to stop this leader from becoming a successful politician)

This is just top of my mind stuff as I watched the madness of Raj Thakaray mess in mumbai and how easy it is for individual to hold a whole city to ransom! Please share your idesa on what different things can be done to keep such politician away from public eye. Also think of what super powers can help our team of 5 in stopping the Goonda raj to become sarkar raj....

Changing Faith

Once upon a time there was this young man called Samanvay Pandit. living as a successful software professional in Mumbai. He grew up in a well to do family, where everyone was a go getter and enjoying a successful carer.
Once on a family outing in a multiplex, during the interval samanvay goes out to buy Coke for everyone and there is a blast inside the theater killing all his family.
Samanvay goes in a shock and a whole month passes in front of him listening to the media and friends. Some people are caught for the blast coming from a small town in UP belonging to Muslim community. As a listners to all the poison coming from the media/friends about the Muslim community, he is approached by right wing Hindus to join them to fight against the "spreading" "Islamic terrorism". Samanvay soon realizes the farce of their politics as he sees them talking venom and compassion depending on who is listening. Frustrated and still hearing revenge in his mind he comes up with a off the wall Idea to take revenge. He decides to change his identity to become a Muslim and go to the small town from where the "Blast perpetuators came". He decides that this way he can kill the family of those people who were responsible for death of his loved once.

He goggles to find some basic of Islam practices and preachings to get a genuine look. He memorizes some of the verses without understanding them.

He meets the accused in the jail gives them a cock and bull story about how no one has cared for their family and that he is going to help them and gets their addresses.

He lands up in the small town of UP with his mind set on revenge. he takes up a shack on rent and starts living in the area. He starts going to the mosque and builds relationships with people. he is confronted with their realities. he sees the how youth are being provoked by a section of people. he meets people who struggle to be mainstream. he gets close to the family by connecting with younger siblings of the terrorist family.
An old Muslim professor comes to the city after retirement and decides to establish school and educate people, he talks about the message of Compassion and questions terrorism. Samanvay joins the school to teach and question him about Islam. local religious leader thretnes the teacher to not teach religion as it is their perogative. Samanvay finds himself getting involved in the struggle. He is sunndenly brought back to his old reality by the visit of his friend, who challenges him to go for his revenge.
What happens next.....