Ahmedabad Blasts Update July 27, 2008
Posted by simarprit in Blogging, City, India, Is anyone listening, News, News Reaction.Tags: Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad Blasts, Bomb Blasts, Gujarat, India, Indian Blog Writer, News Update, Simarprit
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I avoid writing twice on a news, but this one is disturbing me a lot. It is 3:30 AM in San Jose and the restless me is trying to get hold of the actual number of deaths in the Ahmedabad blasts, 40 to 50 is the range which most of the sites are now talking about.
What are the calculations, the masterminds amongst the terrorists would be doing, 3 per blast is good or bad for them. Numbers matter to all, and more over to those who are in the business of fear. I am sure they would have planned and hoped for 100 per blast, yes hoped. Reading across Guardian, CNN, NDTV, Headlines India, Times of India and BBC one just gets one feeling, media would move on, the Government would move on, the terror merchants and there terror network would move on, even the relatives of those who have died would move on, but these 40 -50 lesser mortals would never move again.
No one is talking about Bangalore blasts today, 48 hours is what it took for everyone to move on, a search on Google for both Bangalore Blasts Suspects and Ahmedabad Blasts Suspects, got an unexpected first result – http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1T4GGIH_enIN234IN234&q=Ahmedabad+Blast+Suspects – Al Jazeera. Yes Al Jazeera network’s english website. No CNN, no BBC, no Times of India, no NDTV. Ruthlessness of the conspirators is demonstrated amply by the fact that they planted bombs near/ inside the hospitals – objective can be nothing but if you survived so far, die now.
Ahmedabad blasts have something more in them, they bring back unpleasent memories of series of communal violence incidents which have been happening in Ahmedabad and other areas of Gujarat for about a decade now. Gujarat has suffered, it was coming up very well and would have beome number one on per capita income in India in these last ten years. Every blast takes it back, demotivates some, cautions others, investment climate does suffer.
India as a nation needs to practice zero tolerance when it comes to such acts, we need political will and quick execution. I am sure our police would know the sympathizers if not the accused very well. Just lock them up and hang couple of them after every incident. On the other hand, work towards economic integration of both the communities, economic ties can sometime be thicker than religion.
Thank Usha for a more balanced update: http://blogs.mapsofindia.com/2008/07/27/ahmedabad-blasts-update/
India Under Attack July 26, 2008
Posted by simarprit in City, India, Terrorist Attacks.Tags: Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad Blast, Attack, Bangalore, Bomb Blasts, Government of India, India, Indian Blog Writer, Simarprit, Terror Act, Terrorist Attacks
2 comments
What are we waiting for?
How can we allow this?
We are just becoming a testing ground for Terrorist attacks. Are we becoming complacent?
Are we reconciled that our territory and our land is open to abuse at will?
Are we sending the mesage that do whatever with us, we don’t have a spine?
Are we sending the message that “India Under Attack” so what?
or So what’s new?
How can we allow an attack after an attack and allow those responsible to get away?
The President of India condemns! The Prime Minister of India condemns! The head of UPA – Sonia condemns! The head of the opposition – Advani condemns! The Government of India condemns! But who acts? No one. Never ever.
Isn’t our police capable. Home Ministry says we had informed Gujarat Government. So what did the Home Ministry do after that, did someone call Mr. Modi to follow-up? Did PM offer additional support, NSG and RAF in advance, was CRPF summoned to handle the threat?
8 bomb blasts in Bangalore, 16 bomb blasts in Ahmedabad are we waiting for 32 in Bhopal? Ahmedabad becomes the third BJP ruled state capital to be under attack in recent past, so what stops say a Bhopal being the fourth one? News is, that New Delhi has been put on high alert, what is the meaning of high alert? Traffic congestion’s because of adhoc police bandobast (arrangements)?
What does an individual “non entity” like yours truly feel in these circumstances – hurt, insecure and agitated. Agitated on the government’s inapt handling, agitated on the “success of occupying the bandwidth of a nation” by a handful of terrorists.
It is high time that “India under attack” should mean now “India would retaliate”, or now “India would attack”.
I just came across another blog by my colleague Usha who runs http://www.mapsofindia.com– Usha’s blog is official blog of Maps of India, hence states a fact, to me who knows Usha – http://blogs.mapsofindia.com/2008/07/27/another-bomb-blast-series-in-india-%e2%80%93-it-is-now-gujarats-business-hub-ahmedabad/ the blog hides what Usha must have been going through while writing it. Usha would have been like me – hurt, insecure and agitated.
My another colleague Anu who runs http://www.headlinesindia.com has better luck of expressing herself, http://www.headlinesindia.com/main.jsp?news_code=79742 her bureaus news says tht the Minister has no comments to make after being told that some group called “Indian Mujhaideens” have claimed responsibility. Usha/ Anu/ Simar are just three of millions of individuals who would have lost there bandwidth to these terrorist attacks.
Honorable Prime Minister of India, please listen to our prayers and act. We’ve enough problems on hand, every Indian is troubled with this inflation and economic issues, our bandwidths are occupied, and peace, security and prosperity challenged. Sir, please act.
Amritsar – Sifti Da Ghar May 16, 2008
Posted by simarprit in City, Food, Golden Temple, Review.Tags: Amarsar, Amritsar, City Review, Golden Temple, Simarprit, Sri Harmandir Sahib
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Yesterday was a good day for me, a visit to Sri Harmandir Sahib – http://www.goldentempleimages.com always does good to me, it recharges me. As it was Sangrand, beginning of the month, even at 3:00 pm there were lots of us for our own individual reasons.
Amritsar Airport was recently renovated you can smell it, but wait, there’s another smell and more visible changes happening. The new terminal is being demolished. A heritage oriented structure is being changed over to a swanky Iron & Glass House. They could have retained this and made another, it would have been best. Why bring it down, and so quickly?
Ambarsar, as the locals call it, is known for Sri Harmandir Sahib. It is also known for being a foodies delight. Kundan, Kaiser, Gyan, Kanhiya, Bansal, Lubhaya are all legends. Papar and warian, a whole bazaar exists and they would gladly make you eat the raw Papar to understand how the cooked would taste. I try my level best to go to Gyan on my every visit, located at Chok Regent Cinema, Gyan to me is the finest Barfi you can have in the world, and why his lassi tastes the way it does remains a tasty mistry.
Amritsar is the city most visited by me and I am seeing the city change, the change is of course making the city yet another city of India, Amritsar is loosing its distinct character. None of the folklore lush green fields welcome you the minute you step out of the airport, it is the concrete, either done up or under construction.
The wikipedia link offers lots of information on Amritsar, but the soul of the city is missing, the information is more like 10 pages read one page written: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amritsar
So here is an attempt to define/ explain the statement which is as old as Sikhism:
Q: What is the meaning of Amritsar – Sifti Da Ghar?
A: To understand it fully we must reword the sentence – Amrutsar – Sifti Da Ghar, Amrut + Sar, (as per local fokelore first hand from generational chain) Amrut (Amrit) is used here to mean Pure, Pious, Water, Nectar and Medicinal and Sar means – Sarovar or a Pond or a Pool. A rough cut meaning of Amritsar is a “The pool of pure, clean, pious and medicinal water”. Sifti as per them stands for Adorable, Appreciation and Praise. Da of course means “is” here, and Ghar means home which is an abode. So Amritsar – Sifti Da Ghar means – ” The adorable abode of the Pool with pure, pious and medicinal water”.
The city of Amritsar (also referred as ASR) gets its name from the Amrut Sarovar. The Amrut Sarovar’s digging on a lot of land which had a pond with medicinal values was initiated by the Fourth Guru Ram Das. The generational chain referred to earlier also substantiates that Guru Ram das initiated the same as per wishes of the third Guru, Guru Amar Das Ji. The sarovar per se is now popularly referred to as Ram Das Sarovar. Some devotees also refer to Amritsar as Amarsar, substituting Amrit for Amar, first name of the Third Guru.
If anyone disagrees with the above interpretation, I pray with my folded hands for a submission of your revered view, and may Wahe Guru “Bhulaan Chukaan Muaf Karnian” (Forgive me for my forgetfulness and mistakes).
More to come…
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