We are nearing 26th November and I can see a whole sleuth of TV ads/promotions saying "Is baar chup nahi rahenge" (This time we won't stay quiet). But I wonder. What else do we know to do?
There is Raj Thackeray and his whole Marathi manoos drama. Then I read somewhere about IAF's number two guy making discriminating statements against women. There is the whole Telangana Debate in AP (AP's politics is bound to grow dirtier by the hour very soon, that is another matter), there is Koda's infamous scam and how he calls it all a "framing by his political opponents". Everywhere, we are too busy fighting each other or are too busy trying to keep our lives on track, steering hard.
Subhash and I were discussing China yesterday and how we gradually but surely are losing more and more land territory to them and no one can say or do anything because its just become too powerful for anyone to speak up against it. Where will it end? Will we be taken over by communists and made to live like slaves? Well, who knows.
But where is the time to bother with anything else? Seems like we are so used to being divided and ruled, too used to being trodded upon, too used to being ill-treated, that we don't care anymore. It is sad, but true?
But then maybe, the world will end in 2012 after all !!
Friday, November 20, 2009
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3 comments:
I agree with 99% of your post. Indians are a very divided people (educated and uneducated alike). We like to fight on the basis of anything and everything - state, language, religion, reservation, and so on. We never learn our lessons. Corruption and incompetency in the political class is rampant and we keep electing the same people. Can you imagine, this koda guy is involved in this huge scam, was summoned by ED and did not show up... why? he was busy campaigning for elections. Jeez!!!
So, what is that 1% I don't agree with (in ur post)? well the 2nd in command at IAF - I don't think he made any dicriminatory remarks. He stated the facts which a lot of people are afraid to say out aloud... and the poor guy was forced to apologised the very next day. What did he say?
1) IAF spends abt 12 crore rupees on the training on a single fighter pilot (over several years).
2) Women on the front line in general and as figther pilots in particular is not a good idea
a) Women captured as PoW on front line - Is the nation mentally and culturally ready to face that situation and the consequencies? Have we forgotton when the IA plane was taken to Kandhar by terrorists and how there were huge protests against the govt from the families involved - free the terrorists so that our family members can come back? What would happen if a women is captured as PoW?
2) A women is made a fighter pilot ... she is probably 25-27. She decides to start a family. Gone... all the training... even after the kid, would she be able to do the job of the fighter pilot. Would she go into the front line to fight knowing she may never see her kids ever if something were to happen to her? or would people start pulling strings to get safe postings?
So, the guy did not say anything wrong. He just said if women want to be fighter pilot, we have to be ready to face the consequencies and no kids until the first several years of active duty. What is wrong with this? or have we just gotten used to shutting people up.. :(
Looks like u'r son is sharing u'r sentiment in this post, by his expression!! Already a momma's boy :)
@Anonymous - Yeah he does look very displeased doesn't he? :)
@Umang - About the IAF thing, well I guess what I was trying to say is that I read somewhere about this guy making discriminating remarks. Read it long shot as "Some guy airs his personal opinion, and someone else has enough time to call it discriminatory". Much the same as the MNS guys thinking non-Marathi people are "polluting" Mumbai for example.
Still on the upshot, I don't think a guy in his cadre, knowing the fact that IAF touts its women pilots proudly all over the world, should have made any such remarks.
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