Denial of Our Right to Freedom

A girl died in Singapore due to multi-organ failure. She was the victim of a series of crimes, all of which so vicious in nature that awarding them the capital punishment won’t be enough. But our so called just Indian democratic system will make sure that they are given a free and fair trial. I ask were those extremely sinister crimes free and fair in nature? The answer will be a unanimous NO! She was subject to rape followed by extreme torture, and what is most shocking is the fact that the perpetrators found their criminal acts rather amusing.

Remorse is something which was probably not in the dictionary of those six individuals even minutes before they were apprehended. One of them is claiming that he’s a juvenile! I mean, it was fun for him, since others found it really pleasing; he simply followed them. Either way, all six of them are criminals and should be treated equally – no mercy! Under the Section 302 and 304 of the Indian Penal Code, it is totally understandable that these accused will be charged with murder and rape, and they will be given the capital punishment – and given hindsight (Kasab’s case) – they will serve a few years in prison, then they will apply for a President’s mercy plea. So slow is our very own Indian judiciary.

Many people are claiming that the bus did not have a proper registration. Moreover, the curtains were down. Both these issues, not criminal in nature but definitely unlawful, should have been addressed by Delhi Police. The bus driver, in an audacious act, drove it through several high-profile areas of New Delhi, where security is of paramount importance – Police staffs were everywhere but they did not bother to stop the bus and ask for producing proper papers. Such lax is the Police of our country!

The so called modern-day mutineers – Arvind Kejriwal, Baba Ramdev, Anna Hazare, etc. – are nowhere to be seen. Why all of a sudden they are so quiet? Aren’t safety and security necessary apart from complete cessation of corruption? And yes, Her Majesty, Sonia Gandhi did not tell the PM to take a bold step. But the funny part (yeah, you read it right!) is Dr. Manmohan Singh has really spoken something - he is not going to celebrate New Year and condole on this tragedy. Had he been so moved by the death of this brave girl, he would have called an all-party meeting to discuss on this issue. But he did not!

I do not know her real name. Some are calling her Damini and some Nirbhaya. She is with God now and perhaps she developed too much hatred for these six sickoes and for the other people like them. M.K. Gandhi once said many decades back – “The day the women will be free to roam around in the streets even in the dead of the night, only then our country truly become independent.”

Even at the end of everything, the question will still remain – who is to be blamed? I wish we were really free.

[Photo courtesy: Times of India, New York Times]

The Man Who Taunted Death

On a gloomy Saturday, I was browsing the net just to kill some time. On one of the pages, I saw a post, which really grabbed my eye. It is a story of a Captain, who sacrificed his life for the country and upheld the highest traditions of the Indian Armed Forces. His name is Capt. Mahendra Nath Mulla, MVC.

                                                                          In photo: Captain M. N. Mulla

This incident happened some 41 years ago, much before half of the Indian population today was born. Pakistan waged a war against India. The warship INS Khukri, a British Type 14 (Blackwood-class) frigate of the 14th Frigate Squadron of the Western Fleet, was sent off to patrol the waters near Diu, Gujarat, India just after the Diu Naval base received intercepts from Pak submarines which were lurking 56 kilometres south-west of the base. Little did the 18 officers and 176 sailors on board, who incidentally lost their lives, know how advanced those submarines were. One sub was actually heading towards Diu to destroy the Indian Naval base and return to Karachi thereafter. But the task given to INS Khukri and two other frigates was very simple - hunt and destroy the enemy.

                                                                               In photo: INS Khukri

Built in 1954 in the United Kingdom, INS Khukri was commissioned in 1956. The Pakistani subs, the Hangors, were much advanced in comparison with INS Khukri. These Hangors were the latest American Daphne-class submarines. On 9th December, 1971 at 7:57 pm, one Hangor was spotted by the Khukri and the warship went for the kill. The sub fired homing torpedoes, which hit the warship quite accurately, exploded right under the oil tanks.

The 55-year old Captain, then ordered the crew to abandon the ship. He checked everywhere in the ship while the frigate was sinking whether there was anyone left behind and how the abandonment process was going on. A time came when there was no life jacket left in the ship. He gave his own to a sailor and threw him off the ship to save his life. Captain Mulla reported the incident to Diu, which immediately went on high alert sensing an imminent attack. He, then, took out the bottle of his favourite wine and a cigar, went to the deck, sat near a table and went down with the Khukri while smoking the cigar and drinking his favourite wine. Even some of the sailors gave their life jackets to their colleagues, inspired by Capt. Mulla and they too did not abandon their second home just like their Captain. His and his colleagues' sacrifices not only saved several sailors' lives and many hundreds of Indian lives in Diu, billions of rupees of armoury, ships and submarines. Tactically, India won the sea battle.

Today, there stands a memorial honouring the brave acts of the Captain and his fellow staff in Diu. Later, he was awarded Maha Vir Chakra (Marnoparant). Love for the country made him look straight into the eyes of death and taunt it.

Jai Hind!!

वो थे सुहाने दिन अपने...

I made this video nearly five years ago, when I was a first-year engineering student at Haldia Institute of Technology. I was watching it yesterday after a long time and suddenly I realised that I should share it - a small collection of my life's best moments.

Rules of Marketing Warfare

1. First rule of business, protect your investment. - Etiquette of the Banker, 1775
2. The only way to get smarter is by playing a smarter opponent (=competitor).
    - Fundamentals of Chess, 1883
3. The greatest enemy (=competitor) will hide in the last place you will ever look (=will sell the last product you will ever ideate). - Julius Caesar, 75 B.C.
4. There is avoiding war (=competition), it can only be postponed to the advantage of your enemy (=competitor).
5. In every game (=competition), there is always an opponent and always a victim. The trick is to know when you are the latter, so you can become the former. - Jason Statham in Revolver, 2005

The Hard Way

I learnt the following the HARD WAY: -


1) Never value those who do not value you.
2) Everything in life comes at a price and with an expiry date. ("Everything" = love, relationships, friendship, etc.)
3) Always trust yourself before trusting someone else.
4) Always listen to your brain (no matter how small it may be) before listening to your heart.
5) Money and sex/lust never speak, it is the stupid heart that creates all the problem.
6) Always accept whatever you cannot change. But before accepting always give your best shot.

Confession of an Adoloscent

It was July 2005 when I first saw her. It was raining outside. I saw the shy but ambitious young lady quietly taking her seat minutes before the maths teacher entered the class. Man, she was just too beautiful. Those sparkling black eyes of hers, behind the half rimless glasses, spoke of her dreams, her desire to fly. And yes, they were clearly visible. Her simplicity coupled with smartness was enough to blow my mind.

Mesmerised, I could not concentrate during my class; sometimes, I looked at her surreptitiously. I realised that I did not want the class to end. I did not even dare to talk to her; my friends were there. My confidence flagged. We never talked until that moment arrived. She was sitting right next to me and thank God, she forgot to bring a pen. She just turned to me and I gave her my pen. She looked right in my eyes and smiled. I was ecstatic, felt like I was flying.

But there was something that was blocking her way. I wondered what it was. Her face told always told me she had something to tell but... but she just could not find the right person to tell what was bugging her. I wish my confidence never flagged. I wish I was there.

That's all I can remember...

সময়ের চাকা

দিন আসে, দিন যায়,
সময়ের চাকা ঘুরে যায়........
সপ্নমালার ফূলগুলো
একে একে ঝড়ে পড়ছে,
তাও যেন কেউ মাঝে মাঝে
একটা করে ফুল গেঁথে দিয়ে যায়।।

নিয়তি! তাকে কবেই নিয়েছি মেনে,
তবু কেন এই মন সাজায় নতুন সপ্ন,
আঁধারের মাঝে আলোর ঠিকানা খুঁজে..........
হারিয়ে যাই অনিশ্চয়তার অরণ্যে।।

তাও যেন নিশির অন্ধকারে,
দেখতে পাই আলো ..
সময়ের চাকা যেন ফিসফিস করে বলে গেল
সপ্ন দেখা ছেড়োনা,
আগামী দিন হবে ভালো ।।