When we lost.

its strange how little it takes for us to degenerate from human beings,rational and humane,into complete beasts.No,I am wrong.It is a blatant insult to animals.They don't go about killing others of their species when left perfectly at peace.They don't indulge in murders.

They are much,much better.

However,we never seem to learn our lesson.Earlier today,calcutta was thrown into complete chaos and disarray when a bunch of hooligans,belonging to a minority community,sought to make their voice heard over a myriad range of issues,including the atrocities in Nondigram and the expulsion of Tasleema Nasreen.The protests started off with a irksome yet essentially peaceful road blockade.However,the protesters soon decided that peace doesn't encourage either theatrics or TV coverage.
In the space of a half-hour,the thing had escalated into a full-scale mob unrest.Cars and buses were burnt,so were police vans and taxis.The agitators(read goons)cordoned off several tarffic arteries,thus ensuring themselves of a plentiful supply of vehicles to burn and destroy and enough people(innocent commuters,of course) to spread the panic.
The heart of Calcutta was turned into a warzone with terrified people running for their lives;while the agitators(not goons anymore,now hardened criminals)splashed the streets with blood and glass and burnt tyres.Entire sections of the city were cordoned off by the police,which,of course,ws the only way to handle these people(minority,of course)
For the first time in 15 years,army had to be deployed in Calcutta and a curfew was declared for the night.Gunfire and street fighting continued way into the evening.
As I walked back from college this afternoon,goaded by a friend,I was startled to see how a city can change in a matter of a few hours.The college had been sealed and the principal had issued warnings advising us not to venture out.school students stood stuck in their schools way into the night.Greatest democracy in the world,huh?
The formal leader of the protestors promptly washed hands off the affair and said that his men were peaceful and it was a conspiracy to deface his party.The state leaders asked Tasleema Nasreen to leave.And as I type this out,army is patrolling parts of the city.We aren't capable of controlling ourselves any more.We need the army.Better than animals?
But maybe this too shall fade from the public memory until the next tragedy happens.But this afternoon,As I walked on those mob-ravaged streets,it seemed different.I wasn't in the same genteel sity anymore.Everything had changed,everything had become more violent and less tolerant.The streets wore a deserted,destroyed look,as if incredulous at the antics of man!Ambulances were attacked and so were school buses.This didn't seem India.For a moment there,it felt like somalia or sudan.Yes,there wasn't an official war.But there was a war all the same....and Humanity lost.

My brother

i was walking back from work late in the evening,
and i was reading a book on family that day,
as i sat down on a park bench,
i was enjoying the book in my own way...

i read how important family was,
and how a trip back home at the end of the day,
could set your whole life right,
even if you had lost your way...

it said they are the people who love you your entire life,
be it happiness,sorrow or strife,
and their memories were enough to lighten up a dreary day,
and their smiles enough to usher joy onto a lonely way.

and i started believing that family is a rock,
that would protect me against any storm...
and i had almost decided to love them more,
even if it was quite different from my norm.

and as i finished my book,
i wanted to go back to my family with me around,
but as i rose to go,
i found my feet cemented to the ground.

for there stood my brother,right in front.
and i hesitated to go upto him and talk,
so many years apart now,it seems strangely awkward,
i can't believe he once used to be my rock.

i uneasily hold out my hand for a shake,
quite the modern man,am i really awake?
vague memories of playing together on the rug,
makes we wanna give him a warm hug.

after school,we had drifted apart...
i had new friends,about him i didn't care,
a big success now,i didn't want him anymore,
knowing such an embarrasment was a risk i couldn't dare.

he tried to smile,to hide the pain,
reminded me of the days we played in the pouring rain,
he said hello,i did too,
life hath made strangers out of me and you!!

families are supposed to look after each-other,
but as i stood on the soggy ground facing my brother,
the boss's call on my phone, all those memories faded
i wished we had never met,both a little jaded.

he just didn't fit into my life,career anymore,
i had a new family,money now..to be fair!
i gave him a quick nod and walked quickly away
while my own brother still stood numb there.

family affairs

its strange how people can change sometimes.i was sifting through all my old magazines today and as usual,instead of throwing them away,i started reading them all over again.
there was a debate raging for quite some time then over whether the RD should indianize itself more or should remain a predominantly foreign magazine.the editors had made it pretty clear that though RD India would rely heavily on foreign materials,the context and the choice of articles published would be done,keeping in mind the indian diaspora...
And it was becuase of this that the article which was on the adjoining page startled me more...
an article about "how to handle your family and your relatives when you spend a holiday together as a family."
it was not so much the article,but the suggestions encorporated within it,that made me squirm...the author spoke about embarrasing times in front of the whole family,about green eyed monsters who always tried to put you down and your own mum,when she became too judgemental or emotional.the author put each sitaution down as a potential disaster and provided remedies or plausible solutions for each of them.

And i marvelled.i marvelled because we have grown so modern and "shining" that we now require magazine articles to deal with family.we now require a specialist to tell us not to get disheartened with our mothers or not to give up on our fathers.we now have therapists to tell that our family loves us at the end of the day and that it will always be our pillar of support....we just don't know that anymore!!

the article started with the question-"do you ever dread your family holidays because of that embarrasing uncle sam or that spiteful aunt mabel.......?"
the honest answer,sans the indian culture nonsense,would be yes...
but does that mean we now require magazine articles to decipher that our mothers love us no matter what..or that we can always turn to our family for support...?

the article was engrossing and very well written...i guess that was part of its charm.however,the final solution proposed by the author to all the realtionship blues was a striking one....
"remember that this holiday is only for a few days and you are going to return to your own normal life soon...."
that made family outings sound like common cold...didn't it?i mean,you can't get rid of it and its going to go away in a few days!!

maybe that is what families have become to us...detached old appendages.things that we wish to shed in our conquest of modernity.and what was great(!) was the fact that apparantly,the editors had thought the article suited indian contexts.maybe indians do need to start behaving with their families.maybe they need family therapy to teach them how to spend a holiday!
and all this in a country where we cry ourselves hoarse over traditional indian family values!

maybe i fight a lot with my mum...and i hate some of my relatives...but you know what?i would rather choose a messy but genuinely warm holiday with my family instead of a superby performed stage show!