Sunday, January 21, 2007

V for Violence

Violence in Bangalore. 3 buses torched. 2 shops destroyed. Angry Mobs. Tear-gas shells. 400 people detained by the police. 'Breaking News' for the day....rather the past few days. When folks took a break from Shilpa Shetty, and the Racism furore, that is.

Take a bunch of hot-headed, cocky, foolish young 'guns', who decide to wake up one day and protest the manner in which Saddam Hussein was treated. Rather late in the day, and all that, but what the hey. So what they do is slap a 'This is Bush' label on an effigy and have themselves a little bonfire party. Add to this a passing rally by a religious group. Laws of Nature: a bonfire...flags...*whoooooosh*.

You have yourself the beginnings of a 'politically-instigated communal situation'. One in which politics be damned, the innocent bystander be attacked, the media has a field day and everyone with an axe to grind 'speaks for the people'.

As if there weren't enough people, out there, with debatably real reasons for protests, strikes, violence and assault. Now we are chasing after will o' the wisps with burning brands and hateful slogans.

*sigh* ... wake me up after the Apocalypse.

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P.S: In case you're worrying, said violence has been restricted to sections of Ulsoor and Shivajinagar. The rest of Bangalore, thankfully, remains sane.



3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Taz,

I read your wonderful blog and couldn't agree better.

I am an Indian Muslim. I am ashamed that Indian Muslims, like during the sub-continent's partition, even today are represented by self-serving leeches. Jaffer Sheriff and other self-styled "Muslim leaders of Bangalore" had no right to organise a rally criticising Saddam's hanging if they could not control their band of goons from attacking poor hindus and law enforcing cops. Like their Muslim counterparts, Sanghis just need a reason to burn and loot. These attacks in Bangalore during the Virat Hindu processions just prove that.

If we can not provide a solution to a problem around us, then we are a part of the problem. If we can't rein in the criminals who claim to represent us, then we should stop complaining about these bouts of violence.

Thanks,
Ahmed

Currently in NY,
USA

Taz Snow said...

Hear ! Hear ! Thanks for dropping by

Ammu Khala said...

hellos hellos, and how is you to be doing? apart from drives up rocky hills that is? bangalore deserves a visit from this one.