The Situation Room. Photograph by Pete Souza

Laden, the mastermind of September 11, 2001, attacks on World Trade Center was hiding inside a building in Abbottabad of Pakistan. Most people had believed that Osama was taking shelter in mountain caves somewhere on Afghanistan-Pakistan border. However, to everyone’s surprise, American security agencies located him in a beautiful garrison town in Abbottabad. Americans were 50 to 80% sure that Osama was hiding in the said building.

The US President had a very tough decision on his hands. Barack Obama decided to conduct a quick strike to get elusive Osama. Navy Seal Team 6, a special team of the US Navy SEALs, was tasked with “kill or capture Osama” operation. The operation was code named Operation Neptune Spear and Laden was being referred to as “Geronimo”. About two dozen members of Navy SEALs were heliborne in the dead of night in Abbottabad.

The SEAL team killed Osama, did a DNA test to verify that they got the right man, bagged the body and got out of Pakistan in less than an hour. Thereafter, the body of Laden was buried in the sea at an undisclosed site.

A classified document seen in this photograph has been obscured by the White House before release of the photograph. The document lies on the keyboard of an open laptop in front of Hillary Clinton. The following people are visible in the phot:

Seated, from left to right, are:

• Vice President Joe Biden,
• President Barack Obama,
• Brigadier General Marshall Webb, USAF, Assistant Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command;
• Denis McDonough, Deputy National Security Advisor;
• Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State; and
• Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense.

Standing, from left to right, are:

• Admiral Mike Mullen, USN, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;
• Tom Donilon, National Security Advisor ;
• Bill Daley, Chief of Staff;
• Tony Blinken, National Security Advisor to the Vice President;
• Audrey Tomason, Director for Counterterrorism;
• John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism;
• James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence.

Firefighter Chris Fields holding a dying baby in aftermath of Oklahoma City Bombing. Photographer: Charles Porter

Timothy McVeigh and his accomplices detonated a truck containing 2300 kg  of explosives near the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. The blast killed 168 people, including 19 children under the age of 6, and injured more than 800 people. It also destroyed 324 buildings and 86 cars. A total damage of $652 million was estimated. McVeigh had some grudges against the federal government and decided to take revenge in such a deadly way.

The presented photograph was taken by Charles Porter. It features a firefighter named Chris Fields holding a dying baby in his arms. The baby’s name was Baylee Almon. After the bomb detonation it was destruction and fire all around. The police, firefighters and locals were rummaging through the debris in hope to find survivors. Suddenly, a police sergeant John Avera located a Baylee Almon’s tiny and half-burned body. Avera shouted “I have a critical infant! I have a critical infant!” and gave the one-year old baby to the Oklahoma City fire Capt. Chris Fields.

This photograph earned Charles Porter the Pulitzer prize for Spot News Photography in 1996. Another photographer named Lester LaRue was standing only three feet away from Porter and took a similar photo –but it was Porter’s photo that was chosen for the prize.

Timothy McVeigh was sentenced to death and was executed on 11 June 2001 by administering a lethal injection. Incidentally, exactly 3 months after McVeigh’s execution –the September 11 attacks took place.

Young Rajiv and Sonia

Today, Anurag Chatrath, a dear friend of mine forwarded this photograph to me. I know it is not a famous photograph –but just as it happened with Anurag, I also found the simplicity of this photograph very striking. The innocence and boyish look on the face of young Rajiv is absolutely unarming –don’t you agree? The couple looks as ease without any mob or security cover around them.

Both Rajiv and Sonia are holding an ice cream cone in hand –and I wonder what the Kwality Ice Cream vender is reaching out for inside his cart. Another ice cream cone perhaps? If yes, then for who? Or is he looking for balance money to be returned to Rajiv?

Seeing Sonia as a more casual and common person is also refreshing. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on 21^st May 1991 by the LTTE. Now Sonia Gandhi has become President of Indian National Congress –one of the major political parties in India. That makes her one of the most powerful persons in the world.

Please note, my writing about this photograph has no associated political connotations. I am sharing this photo with my readers only as a GOOD and cute photograph.

Lata Mangeshkar performing on 26 January 1963 in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan

India and China fought a war –which ended in November 1962 when invading China declared a unilateral cease-fire. This iconic song is the result of despair which Kavi Pradeep, a great Hindi poet, went through when he listened to the accounts of the last stand of 13^th Kumaon Regiment during the war. The C (or “Charlie”) Company of the 13^th Kumaon Regiment of Indian Army fought the last battle at Rezang La in Ladakh. The C Company, valiantly led by Major Shaitan Singh, battled not only the Chinese Army, but also a position of massive disadvantage against the enemy. Major Shaitan Singh was posthumously awarded Param Vir Chakra, the highest gallantry award in India.

The situation in Rezang La was such that the Indian infantry could not be assisted by the artillery because there were peaks between the two. Consequently the C Company had to take on the Chinese without any artillery cover. Everyone knew the outcome of such an endeavor. 114 soldiers of the C Company out a total of 123 were killed in action. But before laying their lives, our soldiers finished more than a thousand Chinese soldiers. Major-General Ian Cardozo, who later visited the battlefield,  wrote:

“When Rezang La was later revisited dead jawans were found in the trenches still holding on to their weapons… every single man of this company was found dead in his trench with several bullet or splinter wounds. The 2-inch mortar man died with a bomb still in his hand. The medical orderly had a syringe and bandage in his hands when the Chinese bullet hit him… Of the thousand mortar bombs with the defenders all but seven had been fired and the rest were ready to be fired when the (mortar) section was overrun.”.

These words are the testimony that our soldiers fought until they breathe their last. Most of the recruits of this famous Company were from Ahirwal region in Haryana (which now includes the districts of Rewari and Mahendragarh). Kavi Pradeep paid a timeless homage to the bravery of these soldiers by penning the moving song “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon”. Music Director C. Ramachandra composed the song and then the Nightingale of India, Lata Mangeshkar, gave it her soulful voice.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, is also visible in this photograph. India celebrates its Republic Day on 26^th January. By the time Lata ji finished singing the song, tears had welled up in Pandit Nehru’s eyes and he said to Lata ji, “Beti tune mujhe rula diya” (O my daughter, you’ve made me cry). This incident has now become an often told story in Indian culture.

I am excited to see this rare picture… if you have audio or video recording of Lata’s performance on 26^th January 1963 in Ramlila Maidan –please share it with me; I shall be grateful.

Also, I will appeal to my readers to share this article as much as possible so that more and more Indians could see this photograph and salute our soldiers. Now, let’s listen to “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon” sung by Lata Mangeshkar in a concert many decades after the abovementioned historic performance.

Salman Rushdie

I did not need to think twice before making up my mind on all this hoopla about Salman Rushdie and his much talked about visit to the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF). Rushdie is a good author and his achievements are tremendous –but it is also equally true that he has written something that has hurt sentiments of some people. Those who advocate for Rushdie’s freedom of expression –they also should respect the right to protest held by those who are hurt.

I have never been in favor of a blanket freedom of expression. Can you go around shouting abuses at people and expect that no one would object to it? “Freedom to Express Oneself” should actually be read as “Freedom to Responsibly Express Oneself”.

I am no fan of Chetan Bhagat but I would like to borrow his words that heroes should not be carved out of banned authors. Rushdie is a great talent and he does not need a controversial novel to prop himself up. There is no harm in saying a “sorry” if his words have hurt someone. Freedom of expression does not give you right to hurt people. And if you do hurt –mannerism demands that you say sorry.

I am, however, equally against putting a price on Rushdie’s head. This is no way to protest! You can’t kill a person just because he has uttered a few words that you did not like.

Salman Rushdie, the Booker of Bookers Prize winner, is not present here at JLF –yet he is most talked about name. Most of the speakers at the Festival  are of the view that he should have been here. Most authors are showing solidarity with him –others are simply getting sucked in because it’s too hard to go against the current. Only a few are of the expressed view that Rushdie should apologize and if remain unpardoned –he should, without complaint, stay away from such events.

Many authors want to read from Rushdie’s banned book Satanic Verses –but they can’t do so because this is against the Indian law. Such heroics could land you up prison. At JLF, authors have been informally advised to refrain from going overboard regarding Rushdie issue. I totally support this advise because it would be a shame if such a nice literary event would become a battleground for the cause of a person who is not even present here! Moreover, tantrums of “pro and anti Rushdie” schools could create unrest. So, it’s better to focus on more useful and meaningful activities –which are available aplenty at JLF.

I am refraining from getting into group discussions on Rushdie issue. But here, in this article, I have expressed what I feel.

No big event, like JLF, is possible without support form volunteers. I have been at a number of events organized at a mammoth scale –but never before I have come across such dynamic and efficient volunteers.

When I was on my way to Jaipur to attend JLF my flight got delayed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. Pretty girls and handsome guys manning various customer service counters at the airport were of no help when I asked them for wheelchair assistance. Everyone tried to get rid of the people with special needs by saying that the relevant staff was on strike.

The scene, however, was totally different when I landed at the Sanganer Airport of Jaipur. About ten volunteers were very efficiently handling the JLF invitees. Not only the willingness to help but eagerness to help that floored me. They all were working in a coordinated fashion and were more than happy to go out the way to help people out.

I got prompt help from the ground transport management team of volunteers. Their coordinator, Suraj, is a wonderful person. It never took more than a phone call to make Suraj do necessary arrangements for my ground travel. Other folks in the team whom now I know by name are Deepansh, Ashish and Karan. Sometimes the level of courtesy these guys demonstrate becomes pleasantly embarrassing for me. If I need a car, I would make a call to Suraj –and he would promptly dispatch a guy to fetch me a car. This volunteer would reach me in no time and introduce himself. Then he would run off to get me a car. If arranging a car and getting necessary clearance to cut through police barricades takes more than a few minutes –the volunteer would come back to me –apologize for the delay and ask me if I was comfortable while waiting. The volunteer would keep shuttling between me and the car’s locations in order to keep me updated of the status. Come on! This kind of work is not even done by 5-star trained staffers!

A friend of mine told me that, without taking away any credit from these volunteers, such courtesy is part of Rajasthani culture and tradition. Several other instances, in which JLF volunteers were not involved, proved my friend’s words to be true. I feel that general public in Jaipur seems more courteous than the Delhiites.

These volunteers are present everywhere in JLF and are involved in every  aspect of organization. And I must say they have impressed me big time. I am glad to see such eagerness, dynamism, manners, courtesy and dedication for job in young folks. May this spirit remains and grows with time. These volunteers are backbone of JLF and they should be applauded for their work.

Why this kolaveri?

“Why this kolaveri di?” would have sounded like an indecipherable question a few weeks ago. But now it sounds familiar to almost everybody –although it is still incomprehensible to most of the people.

“Kolaveri Di” does not need an introduction. This song, sung by Dhanush, a National Award winning South Indian actor, has become a viral sensation on Internet. As I am writing it the song is close to touching 26 million views mark on YouTube.

I watched it on YouTube when more than 5 million people had already watched it and humming it all around. There is no doubt that the song has a catchy tune in “Why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di”… but rest of the song is nonsense. Dhanush (who also wrote the lyrics) admits it to be a nonsense song. Personally, I did not like the song so much. It’s just ok type and that too only because of tune. Essentially it is the tune that has spread like a craze –lyrics, singing and video are that of mediocre quality.

So, how come a nonsense song is becoming so much popular? First of all we have to accept the hand of Internet in its popularity. The song became “viral”… in computing terminology “viral” means that its popularity reproduced itself and spread like a wildfire. It’s like snowball effect –the bigger it gets the more potential it gains. Perhaps, the first viewers of “Kolaveru Di” on YouTube shared it because of its funny and nonsensical lyrics with a lot of words ending with “u”. And then later on the tune got etched in the mind of masses.

But does this really translates into popularity? Are becoming viral and becoming popular one and the same thing?

Honestly speaking –the song is not so great. But it managed to turn a spark into a massive fire. The bigger it became –the lesser courage people were left with to criticize it if they did not like it. It’s hard, especially for youth, to disagree with what their groups of chums have to say. No one wants to be seen as an outcast.

Kolaveri Di is a Tamil-English song –sung in Tamilian accent. Its popularity in north India is being seen as an example of youth-driven-unity of India. I don’t believe that this song is any proof of India’s youth becoming more national in their thoughts or deed. The regional divide in the mind of youth is as deep as it has always been. While listening to the song, may be for a few minutes people might forget about regionalism –but soon after the words like “madrasi”, “gujju”, “mallu”, “bong”, “bihari” and “chinki” take their usual place in people’s psyche.

That was what I feel about this song. Whether I like this song or not, the truth is that it has become a never-seen-before sensation in Indian music. I have never seen an Indian song becoming so madly popular. Kolaveri Di has inspired innumerable “versions” with people singing it in different styles. There are all sorts of versions: ghazal, Hitler, female, software, Gujarati, Punjabi, Himachali, Bhojpuri etc. I have sampled many of these and found the Gujarati version to the best (in fact it’s better than the original!)

Poster of the Ra.One movie

Incredibly bad movie Ra.One has turned out to be. Made with an estimated cost of Rs. 150 crore –this patched rug of a movie was being promoted as a great superhero flick. But all it does is to cut a sorry figure.

I know the movie has already drawn flack from most of the reviewers and critics but, as you might know, I am not in a habit of watching movies as soon as it gets released. So, my reaction comes as and when I get to watch the movie. Last night, I could not curb my curiosity about all the hype created around Ra.One. So, I began to watch a cheap copy of the movie. By the end of the movie (yes! I survived it till the end) I was happy that I watched a cheap copy. The movie is not worth a dime.

Ra.One begins with a very confusing sequence of a lady doing some stupid presentation inside a conference room. And then suddenly, out of the blue, without any context, it shows Shahrukh Khan riding a mobike and calling himself Lucifer. Class of the movie becomes apparent when “three friends of Bruce Lee” are introduced as “Iski Lee”, “Uski Lee” and “Sabki Lee”. God knows who might have found these names funny! The director served such cheap humor at a cost of Rs. 150 crore! This could have been done in any “movie” made in any mohalla of India.

The biggest weakness of the movie is its loose script. In fact, I wonder if at all there is a script this film was based on? SRK speaking “aiyyo” and eating noodles with yogurt makes a very poor show of a south Indian scientist. He actually never acted like a top-notch computer scientist who could create such an advanced video game that its characters were capable of stepping out in the real world. SRK failed to do justice to his roles as Shekhar Subramanian and as G.One.

Kareena Kapoor has no practical or sensible role in the movie. She is beautiful so no surprise she dazzles you –but her role has no logical place –or let’s say the script spoilt it thoroughly. Arjun Rampal looks good as Ra.One but there is nothing villainous about his role. Not for a second you feel that he is a real threat to G.One, or to anyone else for that matter, in the movie. Ra.One’s character is very unconvincing as a villain.

Much talked about bodysuits of Ra.One and G.One also appeared so-so in the movie. Superhero suites of Spiderman, Superman and Batman are simpler but much smarter. Visual effects are good but sequences are all copied. If you have watched enough movies –you can point to the origin movie of almost all action sequences in Ra.One. Action sequences were far better in Robot, starring Rajinikanth.

SRK managed to get cameos from Rajinikath, Amitabh Bachchan (voice-over), Sanjay Dutt and Priyanka Chopra. However, I am convinced that these cameos harmed the film the most. There are too many cameos and that too unskillfully used. SRK and the director of Ra.One have made the entire movie like a boiling pot in which they tossed whatever they could get hold off. The film is not a feature film –it’s more like a tamasha.

SRK invested Rs. 150 crore in the movie. He not only recovered the cost but also made a decent profit. However, if he is a man with good cinematic sense, I am sure he would know that the movie is nowhere near to be a masterpiece that he had promised.

Zakia Jafri, wife of Ehsan Jafri, and Gujarat CM Narendra Modi. Ehsan Jafri was an MP who was killed during Godhra riots.

The opinion that emerged as a winner from this discussion is that we should forget the Godhra riots and be focused only on the development that Modi has brought to the state of Gujarat. If he could make Gujarat a model state –he can make India a model country in the world! India is a democracy –which means the majority opinion rules. Therefore, there is no doubt that the Indians want to prop Modi as a future prime ministerial candidate.

This surprises me a lot. I think there are a few points that should be pondered upon before desperately raising Modi zindabad slogans.

First of all, Indian politics appears to be bankrupt of LEADERS. We seem to be in a major crisis of lack of good political leadership. We have such a great dearth of leaders that we are now even ready to forget that the person most people want to see as PM is a riots-accused. The same public makes hue and cry if a tainted person becomes an MLA or MP –and now for the highest post in the Executive –the same public is ready to accept a person who is accused of keeping the police from controlling the rioting mobs!

We do not have a charismatic leader in our current politics. I know that the public wants a clean, strong and forward looking leader (like Lal Bahadur Shashtri). And the public is right in demanding such a leader for we do indeed need someone like that. But can’t we produce new leaders from the society? Why do we have to depend only on people sitting at the top of the political power? This question becomes even more relevant when we consider the nature of these top “leaders”. Corruption, arrogance, power-abuse, killings, way-out-proportion wealth –these leaders, in general, are involved in most of the thinkable sins. The question is why do we have to put up with such leaders? Why can’t we bring forward people from different walks of life?

We have a good example in the form of former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. Yes, I know, there still are people who would say that Dr. Kalam is no scientist –he was essentially an administrator of India’s missile program. But keeping all this pseudo-intellectual debate aside –no one can doubt that Dr. Kalam turned out to be the most popular President India has ever had. He made a good use of the ceremonial post of the President by acting as an inspiration for the public at large (especially youth). If public had a say in election of the President –Dr. Kalam could have been the President for all his life.

Then, we also have Dr. Manmohan Singh. Yes, he has been weak at some points during his premiership. But overall he has run the country fairly well and moreover he has a spotless individual image. An eminent economist is running the country –that too not so badly!

We have brought Nandan Nilkani from Infosys to head the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). He holds the rank equivalent of a cabinet minister.

A scientist, an economist and a corporate leader –they all have done good jobs in politics. Why do we have to rely only on politicians? True, doing politics is a politician’s job –but if politicians are bent upon misusing their powers –why does not the public demand for an overhauling of the system? Why do we have to tolerate a riot-accused on pretext of good development record?

Bring Nitish Kumar forward –I don’t have as much problem with him –for at least he has not been involved in killing of so many people. Has not Nitish Kumar done good job in Bihar? Or why not to look  eastward for a change? Northeast should also be given a chance to run the country.

I do not support Congress or the BJP as such –but yes, it is important for us to bring forward good leaders. We must not make do with a riot-accused just because we don’t have many good choices on table.

No one doubts Gujarat’s development under Modi regime. But as I said in my previous article –the BJP leaders have a history of catapulting themselves onto national stage using communal violence and once there –they tend to change their mask to a more secular one.

Last but not the least, we also need to consider that only the majority in majority community is saying “Forget Godhra, Look Forward”. What about the minorities in the country? Don’t they have any value of their opinion or even of their life? Given the structure of any democracy –it’s hard to beat the majority opinion. But are not we humans as well? And does not the humanity warrant to value any human life irrespective of cast, religion, gender, color or socio-economic stature? How is it that we are not demanding justice for the lives that were lost in Godhra riots?

It is not difficult for a Chief Minister to get a few Muslims to come on stage and hug him. Such photos appearing in print and electronic media are meaningless. The Muslim community at large still wait to know the truth of Godhra. Justice must be done if a true goodwill gesture is to be conveyed.

Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister of India’s most prosperous state, Gujarat, has been running from pillar to post to tell anyone who would listen that he had no hand in Gujarat riots of 2002. But public is not merely a crowd. Public has its own collective mind that can rationalize and think. It can recognize the truth. And the result: Narendra Modi remains unforgiven despite of the Supreme Court’s decision to send a key case back to a trial court.

Supreme Court’s decision is being seen by Modi and BJP as a “victory” or “clean chit”. The Chief Minister is all set to begin a three day “sadbhavana” (harmony) fast from today. And the entire state machinery is working over-time to ensure that this drama could at least appear to be “successful”. However, the public knows the truth. I wonder why the thirst of “harmony” did not raise its head in Modi’s heart during last 10 years? Why is it now that Modi is trying to pose as a white-robbed messiah? Nau sau choohe kha ke billi Haj ko chali? (Has the cat decided to do Haj pilgrimage after devouring hundreds of rats?)

BJP leader and the current Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi

Last week, a US Congressional report declared that the 2014 general elections could all be about Rahul Gandhi vs Narendra Modi. I am not a Rahul Gandhi fan at all –but Narendra Modi for Prime Minister? I almost threw up on this thought. No matter how much good Modi has done for the state of Gujarat. No matter how much he has developed it. But until and unless he will come clean of the blood on his hands –he must not aim for the PM’s chair. An acceptance of his crimes and tendering a sincere public apology will do more good to his prime ministerial campaign than the entire BJP brass put together could do.

But apparently that is not going to happen.

Mahabharata patriarch Bhishma was a great and pious man. He lived a life of principles and dedication. His attire was white reflecting his clean conscience. BUT even Bhishma has not been forgiven by the public for his silence when Draupadi was being disrobed. This silence remains a big ugly blot on Bhishma who otherwise was a gem of a person. Further more, don’t we know the eventual result of Bhishma’s silence? It was destruction. Bhishma is still blamed (if not squarely) for the destruction. The blot is still there despite of the fact that later on Bhishma deeply regretted his silence.

And here is this fellow called Narendra Modi, who is adamant in shouting his innocence. Indian public will not accept such a hypocritical attitude. But then, we live in a democracy where public’s real opinion could be influenced by external forces. Given this, if Modi comes to New Delhi to be seated on PM’s chair –that will be a black day.

Equally true is the fact that Congress leaders were involved in post-Indira Gandhi assassination riots. I do  want to be seen as taking sides of Congress but at least Congress did not portray a riot-accused as Prime Ministerial candidate. On contrary, the BJP has done this before (with LK Advani) and is again planning to commit the same by making Modi a poster boy. Imagining Sajjan Kumar or Narendra Modi as PM of India is a thought that sends shudder down my spine.

The BJP has a history of adopting such double-faced strategy. They have been using communal violence to bring themselves in the center of attention. Once they have managed to turn eyes towards them –they would change face and try to be seen as secular and advocates of communal harmony. LK Advani did the same thing in 1990. He led the Kar-Sewaks in demolishing the Babri Mosque. Scores of people died in the communal violence that ensued. BJP became (in)famous and as a result as national party. Later on the same LK Advani tried to present a secular face thinking that the public will forget everything.

Modi could have become a great leader and he would not have had any dearth of attention had he only focused on his development work as a Chief Minister. He is a hardworking smart guy –but he got desperate to gain more attention than any other BJP leader. He managed to do so by invoking Muslim killings in Gujarat.

No doubt that Modi got the eyeballs and he suddenly became a front leader in BJP.

But then… as a side-effect he remains unforgiven. That he will remain –forever.