Oh Lucknow !

Is this is just the death of Meher Bhargava ? No. With this, I fear, the murder and the death of the city is complete.

And I am not saying this because this is a high profile murder. It is the manner in which its been done that worries me.

The city which had been the beacon of good mannerism, and peace through tides and times, the beginning of its death started seventeen years ago. Before that, Hindus, Sikh, Muslims had been peacefully co-existing in the city through centuries. Perhaps the tolerant Nawabi legacy, and mutual business interest made them do so.

Any city with a sizable minority populace is sensitive. Neighbouring Kanpur is, so is Aligarh; Hyderabad too, even Ahemdabad. Mumbai is most sensitive. But not Lucknow. Last riot took place in 1928.

My immediate neighbourhood had three Sikh family, one Muslim, and four Hindu families. Just three hundred meters away, there was a predominant Muslim locality. Near that, a Hanuman temple and a mosque stand bang opposite to each other. I, myself, was a part of a friend circle of four which included a Muslim, a Sikh, a Yadav, and myself a Thakur.

But never did any national riot hit the sentiments. Nothing happened during 1984 Congress induced riots, nor did anything happened during Mulayam Singh provoked riot in 1990, neither anything happened during BJP inflamed 1992 Babri Masjid riots. Gujarat riots were the absolute non event.

Everything begun to change with the advent of BJP, and even more dangerous, infinite off shoots of Janta Dal. As I said, former was not able to hit much home, but latter multiplied like amoebas. Add to that the potent poison of Mayawati and cahoots, the social fabric of the city begun to decay.

They say in the political circles that the road to Delhi goes via Lucknow. Ever since I begun to understand this adage, I never liked it.

Already, there has never been any economic investment in the state so there is incessant brain drain. What was left was mostly junk, and being the political center didn't help. Further, I could see the further loads of junk landing upon the city - in the name of politicians and their goons.

Ninety nine percent of these are criminals. Seeing criminals ruling and eating away the state, more and more crooks decided to pounce upon the city to extract their pound of flesh. It is not surprising that the guy who killed Meher was a politician's goon, and was an outsider. So was that politician. So are the most of mischief creators over there.

I don't mind quality people moving in there. I am not a foolish like Thackreys to oppose that. The quality people improve the outlook of a city. City becomes vibrant, and gets a refreshing look if incoming people are educated, smart, intelligent and hard working. Crime is also minimal, because there is no need. Moreover, the existing fabric of the city does not get alter in a negative way because the educated people understand that, follow that, and are tolerant towards that.

Cosmopolitan Mumbai and Pune are good examples.

But due to a power center, crooks are flocking Lucknow. Lack of economic activity ensure no educated people are entering the city, and more unfortunately, the local educated people are moving out en masse. So the Ganga-Jamuni local Tehzeeb of the city is disappearing fast. These uneducated goons do not understand that, and don't give a damn about that. And there is no check on them due to criminal-politician-police nexuss.

Therefore, I think the death of the city is complete. Nothing can save it now, unless there is a revolution of the kind of freedom struggle started by Mahtama Gandhi.

Wake up the citizens of Lucknow! Rise against the onslaught or else it will not only be dead, it will be extinct as well, and adjectives like Nazakat, Nafasat, and Sharafat will only be the part of folk lores.

(May be I have gone over board, and have over analyzed it but it is not way far from truth)

Boomerang!

Mark Twain once said - 'Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.' This holds true for our Congress party as well.

And this was not said by Mark Twain - 'Those who dig pit for others, fall themselves inside."

It may appear(or made to appear) to be another sacrificial gesture by the once again 'victimized' Sonia Gandhi, but no my not-so-dear congressmen, I, and most of the countrymen who are not congressmen, refuse to buy it.

Now we all know, Gandhis' animosity towards Bachhans has been there long since, but add to that the closeness between latter and Mulayam brigade, and this animosity breaches new heights.

Resultantly, in another ill-advised step, this Jaya Bachhan controversy was raked up. If Sonia Gandhi were to be shrewd, or rather I should say intelligent, she should have peeked inside her own Gireybaan first.

As if that wasn't enough, there was another ill-advised step - that is adjourning Lok Sabha sine die, and hastening to pass an ordinance in order to save her skin. And we thought it was a democracy ?

If Abhishek Singhvi is to be believed, this is all under the law. But then we should also remember that aforementioned Mark Twain quote! Former Solicitor General Soli Sohrabjee clearly says that this all but not law especially when some very important bills were yet to be passed.

If this was to be a sacrifice, then a person surrendering to court after getting issued a non-bailable warrant will be an example of supreme sacrifice. Hadn't she resigned, she would have been kicked out anyway, so where is the sacrifice and victimization. This is nothing but a face saving exercise.

But again this exercise of public resignation has lost its novelty now. Last time, it was unique when she refused the Prime Ministership(and in a way accepted extra constitutional Super Prime Ministership), and there was an impact. But it got repetitive, hence lost the punch.

Clearly idiots like Gurudas Kamat, and other sycophants in Congress are bad news for India. This is taking us back to days of idol worship which was prevalent at the time of late Indira Gandhi.

Idol worship of extreme kind still exists with likes of Jayalalitha and Mayawati, but luckily they are just fringe players.

All in all, when the hunter became hunted, the moral of the story will be - Jinkey Ghar Sheeshey Ke Hotey Hain, Woh Doosron Par Paththar Nahin Phainktey!

Rang De Basanti

With tear in my eyes, and pride in heart, my homage to Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru, who were martyred on this day in Lahore.

100 Story

In the 100th test match of Indian captain's career, India got out scoring 100 runs.

Interestingly, recently Ricky Ponting in his 100th test match, scored more than 100 runs in both the innings.

Sorry Commentary

I don't understand the kind of commentary going on in this series. The two crowning jewels have been Arun Lal, and Babu Javagal Srinath.

Arun Lal is a veteran when it comes to irritating. I am not sure whether it is the lack of words or lack of the eye sight. Srisanth(a right hand bowler) bowls to Paul Collingwood(a right hand batsman) an inswinger which takes the edge of the bat and flies to the keeper.

Arun Lal twice declared that "the ball slightly moved away". Now from which vantage point did the ball move away. Neither from batsman's, nor from the bowler's. Its an inswinger Godammit!

Srinath's expert comment of "what a beautiful cover drive through the covers" is now the part of folklores. Heard that even Siddhu wants to buy its copy right. He produced another peach of a comment yesterday.

Even a bat could see that Ajit Wadekar was sitting on the left Farukh Engineer in the pavilion. But Srinath insisted former was on latter's right. Either Srinath was not in right frame of mind, or he wasn't in right frame of reference.

Unnnnnnnnnnbellllllllllllllievable!!!!!

What a match!

Ok, it was a dead track. Ok still, that there were short boundaries. But still, what a match!

Indians will painfully remember that this was the same ground - Wanderers - where Aussies had tonked India in World Cup final. Ponting loves this ground.

I usually don't like such 20-20 style hitting, but this was a 50-50 overs match, and to just keep on hitting in 20-20 syle for 100 overs was remarkable. And the match had it's more than fair share of twist and turns. Just imagine, 434 runs chased, with one ball and one wicket to spare!

Friends called in to watch the match just in case I wasn't. As it must have happened to the most of the cases, I too was.

STAR news stopped their Mumbai rape and Delhi murders coverage and started a live super-imposed commentry; and of course, blabbering Sandip Patil must have had to eat his words that this record would be broken(434 runs) only by Australia.

South Africa, for a change got rid of their slow pitches and presented an absolutely flattest of the beauties.

Situation needed horses for courses, and their main horse, the most clean hitter(according to me) in their side - Shaun Pollock wasn't playing.

And the man South Africans are intent making a Lance Klusener into - Justin Kemp - is not even a nail of him. He was bound to fail, and he did.

And the most under rated player in their side - Herchelly Gibbs - finally proved his true worth. What an innings!

But it was a complete team effort, and the players had complete belief in their abilities, unlike Indian, who gave up the at the end of first innings.

They are at it again - now in Varanasi. Fallout will be ususal.

UPA at center will make a committe which will give clean chit to Lashkar-E-Toiba, like they (together with Banerjee committe) recently gave to Godhra culprits.

Mulayam Singh will do his part well - giving compensation to the relaives of dead and injured.

Fight for the Muslim votes is on.

Maulana Mulayam

Mulayam Singh holds the dubious distinction of being responsible for the most number of riots in his rule, not even BJP matches him. And the reason is not beyond comprehension.

Proximity to anti-social elements is a minor factor, but the reckless appeasement of minorities is a major one. It's like crawling when asked to kneel.

Recently, there was a full blooded riot in Mau - where Mukhtar Ansari was opulent in inciting the mob. There was no law and order, while Mulayam slept through it.

There was a mini-riot in Allahabad too a little earlier, and who can forget the mass killing of Kar-Sevaks at Ayodhya way back in 1990.

Now a mini-riot even in Lucknow, of all the places, has taken appeasement to a new level. Lucknow has always been peaceful, even at the height of Babri and Gujarat riots, while the rest of the country burnt. In fact, there wasn't even a precautionary curfew during Gujarat riots.

But Mulayam Singh's presence at the helm gives rioters a new found confidence.

10 days back these Danish-cartoons-protesting-zealots damaged CCD and Dominos at the heart of city, in the name of protesting. This happened right at a stone-throw distance from the Chief Minister's house. Police just kept watching.

As if that was not the lesson enough, rioters again struck innocent shopkeepers in the city's biggest market, this time it was Bush's visit they were "protesting". When four got killed, then only authorities woke out of their slumber.

It is in his rule only, when minister issues a fatwa to kill, and no action happens. All you see is a mute Mulayam Singh taking no stands. Why ? Well, this will hurt Muslims, and they won't vote him.

Ex-CM ND Tiwari was earlier was notoriously known as Nothing Doing Tiwari. Mulayam is all set to usurp this title. And the title of Maulana Mulayam too fits perfectly on his head.

But this does not mean that Uttar Pradesh has any better options. BJP, we have all seen how it fared, and Mayawati is sheer disgusting. While other states, their capitals, and tier II cities are forging ahead in terms economic development, there is not even a fading hope for Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, and other tier II cities of the state.

Samajwadi

The irony of being a Samajwadi called Raj Babbar. In a true political Samajwadi sense, he travels by air. Great!