Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Govt Down and Under


In a famous Bollywood flick, Shah Rukh Khan nonchalantly tells Kajol “Badi Badi deshon mein aise choti choti batein hoti rehti hain”. More than a decade later, the Australian Deputy PM Julia Gillard gives a similar answer to the questions on racial attacks that have marred the Indians down under.
“These incidents can happen in Mumbai, New York, or London”, the statements were bizarrely similar to one that resulted in the ousting of the Maharashtra CM after the 26/11 attacks.
Sure, the deputy PM condemned the attacks. But politicians all over the world are adept at condemning violence and bloodshed. Sole Condemnation is not the solution that the deceased’s parents want to hear, or for that matter any human being. The police forces that are typically relentless in tackling crime abroad, have slept like Rip Van winkle and have not risen to the occasion.
3 gruesome attacks strapped in a time span of 10 days have put the nation to embarrassment: and in the process has caught both the governments snoring to sleep (not even napping).
Australia has rubbished allegations of racial motivation behind the attacks, which is hilariously parallel to the way our neighboring country denies citizenship of their kith and kin. Time and again, India has always found itself on the receiving end of the denial, and it is high time the UPA government took stringent steps in holding talks with the Australian government (strong ones).
Over the last 12 months, more than 1500 people of Indian origin have been victimized by any genre of crime. Even if we rule out 50 % as per the Australian theory, it would still mean that 700 people have been a prey to racial hate and disgust. In a lot of ways our nation is far behind ones which are small in size and big in heart. The entire nation of Israel mourned at the death of the rabbi and his wife. Countries like USA, UK are very serious and committed when it comes to the security of their citizens.
Why don’t we take stringent measures?
Why don’t we shed tears for the dead and injured?
Why don’t we value a human life?
Have we become so numb and anaesthetic that we treat death as a mere subtraction of total population?
It is time we empathized and sympathized on people whose life has been made miserable by a set of hooligans on the run.
On the contrary, if the same incidents had taken place in Mumbai, we would have witnessed foreign diplomats sitting on top of Indian politician heads. Just issuing a travel advisory is not the elucidation for the predicament. The Aussie government has to claim responsibility of the racial attacks.
A sardar’s abusive word created such a buzz, why aren’t gory attacks like this creating one?
The UPA might be playing safe keeping an eye on the partnership which is on the cards with Australia, but sooner rather than later, it has to come up with a contingency plan to bail out the Desis down under.

PS:
In April, I will be attending my cousin’s marriage in the city of Chennai. He is marrying an AUSSIE and I am a bit skeptical about attending it. Imagine bodies being flung into the sacred fire in the name of race.

1 comment:

Vathsa said...

Well said.. Rather this has been in everyone's minds.. N its really irritating to see the double standards.. Really this frustrates any Indian youth and again questions India's credibility in the global scenario. Good post, as always with a patriotism topping.