First, let me apologize for the long gap in my postings. I confess I am lazy.

Recently, I was in New Delhi to cover a telecom event. My 3-day stay there was not as interesting as it was four years back during my struggling but colourful days.

IT sector is definitely under pressure in these tough times with the global downturn swallowing up what has been the most flourishing industry over the past two decades.

Cost-cutting measures are on – no tissue papers in the restrooms, no free food-coupons, no new year celebrations, no gifts and of course, the mass Lay-offs.

In such a grave situation, the pic here can give you an idea on ‘how to cut advertising and publicity costs of an ‘under-pressure’ company’?

A US BPO company which is also present in Indian cities of Gurgaon and Bangalore spends hundreds of thousands in their advertising campaign running continuous ads in the primetime of Indian entertainment television channels. The catch line of the ad suggests more recruitment.

But, the reality is completely contrasted. The same company ruthlessly lays off people without valid reasons.

Forget US clients, they can ditch on a whim. It’s time to target domestic customers, those who understand only Hindi. The catch line is simple – ‘Website & Software banbawe’ which means develop website and software.

 That says it all.

It’s 12:39 AM and the first swipe of my office access card should create the beep-beep noise tomorrow by 9:30 AM.  

So, I deeply apologise to my readers because I won’t be able to mention each and every item in my list that I am not buying as I am running out of time.

The four items mentioned at the top are definitely not in my list of concept-shopping because I don’t buy fabricated truth and I definitely don’t buy curtains to cover facts.

Item No. 1 – Myth of “ANGER”

Who is angry? Common Indian citizen? The answer is ‘NO’.

I agree with media that the comments made by public are not make-believe. They are true, real.

But, this is not “ANGER”, this is “FEAR”. This is a FEAR in the minds of people who belong to cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Delhi, Ahmedabad and all other big cities.

The terror attack was on Mumbai. So, it’s quite obvious that the reactions will come. The reactions look even more obvious because this time, the attack took place not in the streets of Assam, not in the villages of Jammu & Kashmir, not in the towns of North-Eastern states, not in the Kandhamal district of Orissa, not on the Karnataka churches, not in the fertile soil of Singur and Nandigram, not in the Mecca-Masjid of Hyderabad, not in the lanes and by-lanes of Malegaon, not in the Best Tulsi Bakery of Gujarat , not in Mumbai local trains. This was not an attack firmly on “The Great Indian Middle Class”.

Let’s accept the fact that this was an attack on the ‘elite-class’ and on goers to Taj and Oberoi. I have no intention to hurt sentiments of those who lost their loved ones in Taj, Oberoi and Nariman House. I don’t even have the words to pay homage to Martyrs or to offer condolences to the victims and their families. I can only shed tears to see the blood-bath.

Whoever it is, a taxi-driver, a foreign tourist in Taj, a waiter at Oberoi, a Mumbai local train passenger, a priest in Akshardham , a Namaji in Mecca-Masjid and the brave officers. Each and every section has been hit and hit to blood and death. And the pain they have gone through is agonizing.

The ones who are coming out, lighting up candles, carrying placards, shouting slogans at politicians are the ones who are scared because the places or the similar places they go were actually attacked.

Why only Mumbai Attack? Why don’t they shout for what happened or still happening in Kandhamal or Mangalore or Assam or J&K? I shout…..WHY?

Hence, they are not ANGRY but SCARED.

Item No.2  - Small section of progressive city society

They don’t understand the reality. They see the world only with their eyes, they feel the pain only with their wounds, they react only with their anger or emotions and they are selfish.

They go to bars, pubs, discos, restaurants, multiplexes, amusement parks, bowling hang-outs and spend thousands in one night but they abuse auto-rickshaw drivers if they ask few tens more.

I partly belong to that category and I am partly charlatan.

Hence, we are pretenders, we are not real and we are synthetic not pure cotton.

Item No.3 – Media Circus

Hats off to Media for its brave and honest efforts catering the live pictures and updates on the attack.

Journalists, Cameramen, News Editors, Presenters and technicians catered all that they could. Few were at the Ground Zero for continuous 60 hours. News channels had minimal commercial breaks.

Kudos!

But, What’s happening now? It’s Circus. I am a journalist and I feel ashamed to be a part of this Indian mainstream media who seem to be least bothered about the solution and more concentrated on the fight and violence.

They master in staging cock-fights among politicians, people with different opinions and drawing out conclusion.

And the fame-crazy and camera-greedy celebrities make mindless comments. Media should play a sensible, respectable and presentable role in their debate shows. Media should atleast invite unbiased knowledgeable speakers and not hawkish “intellectuals” in their debate shows.

We all know journalism is no more a noble profession. It’s just a career and a game of fame, power, status and words.

So, in which way do we stand out? In which way are we different from tainted politicians? We must question ouselves before shooting the bullets on others.

Item No.4 – Celebrities full of pretention

Who do they think they are? Do they live in fool’s paradise thinking that they are representatives of common Indian? They are far away from hard reality. They don’t travel in trains or buses, they don’t live in small towns and villages and their world is a PAGE 3 world.

A world where only career aspires, fame rules, money buys, greed hits back and immorality reaches its high.

They just cannot be our representatives. They are just insensible, unethical media-hungry trashy elements of the society.

I bet more than 70% of the Indians would not accept them as their representatives. (I give it in wriring). I may go wrong with the percentage. It can be even further up.

A Challenge from me – Conduct a survey all over India on this claim of mine. And if I am right? Whom are they representing? Who wants them?

So, these were the items that do not fit into my somewhat straight mindset. (I call them items to give a derogatory tone).

It’s 2:38 AM. I must go to bed. That’s the way most of the Indians think, I think. We must change.

Death toll rising, situation still not under control, more than 50 hours of madness, freed hostages yet to get out of trauma, brave hearts lost their lives and some still fighting it out in the middle -  We should scream, yell , burst out at those politicians who have nothing but to play despicable political games on this blood carpet?

Opposition’s anti-terror mascot and Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi quite predictably took a U-turn to call ATS chief, Hemant Karkare a martyr and also announced a compensation amount to Karkare’s family. One must not forget that this was the same political party that strongly criticized Karkare for his Malegaon Blast probe.

Cheap allegations were made against Karkare over past few weeks. Now, suddenly the opposition makes stunning comments by calling him “Hero”. Karkare is undoubtedly a hero but aren’t they ashamed now? The thick-skins never feel ashamed.

They are faster than garden lizards when it comes to change colour.

Do we really need these politicians at this particular point of time or any point of time?

With elections knocking at the door, cheap games will be definitely played over this Mumbai terror.

Shame on politicians that they lost all their sensibilities. The corrupt and polluted minds cannot even wait for a day or two to begin the circus.

Nation is not safe in their hands, whichever party it is. Opposition can make allegations because that’s their only job but one must ask them how the situation under their regime was. It was similar if not worse.

The gruesome terror on Mumbai is something that will keep haunting the minds of all those who stuck on to 24 hours news channels. Infact, I am one of them.

We (the entire IT Examiner team) were awake all throughout the night to post the updates on the biggest of its kind terror on Indian soil.

Top cops died, top structures dismantled and top Indian city shaken, stirred and blown apart.

What’s Next?

Political Parties politicising Mumbai terror? Comparison with 9/11? More media circus? Riots? Communal hatred?

It’s high time that we become more sensible and logical before branding such terror attacks with specific religion or community.

Remember, Religion preaches peace.

Peace be upon us

This blog will come up with much more!