It was a chilly winter morning in month of March 2002.
I was in one of the bylanes of Old Lucknow , out for some work .
Common people generally avoided trudging in that area even during daytime owing to the sensitivity of the place.
But a nerd like me had a “I give a damn” attitude.
While I was strolling ,I heard some loud noise of a mob which appeared to come from some distance.
Soon I saw some people running in my opposite direction shouting at the top of their voice “bhaago dange hone waale hain….”
This was enough to create panic and fear in the minds of people present there owing to what happened in Godhra some days back and the aftermath that was going on.
Soon the shutters of the shops started falling and people started running hither and thither for shelter.
Surprised, confused and shocked my mind became numb and I wasnot able to think what to do.
After running to a distance I hid behind a hoarding where I couldnot be spotted easily.
Soon the procession of people of a religious community passed who were raising slogans against Narendra Modi,government and in name of God.
Some of the aggressive people had weapons and were waving them in air , at the same time forcibly closing the shops too.
Chill ran down my spine as I watched the events unfolding there,I had read about it ;now I could see it.
After they were gone I ran as fast as possible till I reached a safe place.
My legs were shivering due to fear and I had never thanked God the number of times in my entire life as much as I did that moment.
That was my closest encounter ever with any such violent event, though it was nothing as compared to what happened in godhra,mumbai,mau or orissa.
This event is etched in my memory till date.
When I compare how I felt at that moment with the people who are actual victims of such communal violence,the pain becomes unsurmountable on my soul.
What happened in Godhra is well known to us and I am more ashamed to call myself as the citizen of a democratic country because of the way the conspiracy was hushed under the carpet,the way the riots were planned ,executed and administration did nothing there.
As SIT(Special Investigation Team) has ordered summons to Narendra Modi(first time for any CM ) couple of days back, there are certain questions which I want to raise.
Even if people knew who was behind those riots, why did the people vote to choose him in the elections that followed ?
Some would say he is a good administrator and has brought Gujarat on the international map as far as growth and investment is concerned.
But can this be justified at the cost of bringing the democracy and right to equality to shreds ?
Some even declared he would be next Prime Minister of India,but why has Narendra Modi not been able to make his presence felt outside his state,lest we talk about at him at the national level ?
I don’t see much difference between him and Hitler as far as mass execution of people of a community is concerned.
Our system refuses to accept what he did and the blot he brought for Indian democratic system in the world arena.
But other countries are not blind.
I was not shocked when US denied him visa to travel to their country,don’t you think he deserves more than that ??
Do we need leaders like him ?
I leave this to you.
Before thinking and making any opinion just have a look at the pic below,It may help your conscience to take an impartial decision.
Or if you want,like others you may keep your Eyes Wide Shut
19 thoughts on “Eyes Wide Shut”
i will not go into the debate of whether or not we need leaders like Modi but i will just say that a little common sense and empathy might do te trick in these sensitive isssues!
Some days back my Native place Bareilly was under curfew for some religious(Hindu Muslim) misgivings too…My heart bleeded i tell u…Chaos didnt budge for some 14 days untill few sensible people from both the religions got together and carried a joint peACE rally…Nothing wrong went from next day onwards…Couldnt this have been done earlier when shops were been burnt and people hurt…A little common sense and all this could be done away with!
i read this article last night, honelstly i have no comments for the ques u raised.
i just firmly belive in one of statement SC passed last year on Case of MAYAVATI Statue on a lighter side
That this is Democracy, here people selects their leader and they get what they deserve…
our leader reflects our society or allow me to go a step ahead by saying its Society’s Karma…
Why i extended bcz with prev state u wd come back to argue that a part or fraction of people may have that mind-set that dsnt mean that entire
society is like that,and we the self prolaimed civilized and knowledgble people condemn such acts, are extremly against that. But then,,, Then What?? U condemn, U criticise, u do a Candle March, But that particular fraction perform their job by electing them… That’s what the Karma of Society…
Violence is not a viable solution to anything let alone communal violence. The one thing among others, that differentiates the human race from the animal kingdom, is its ability to introspect. The ability to put oneself in the other’s shoes and think. Unless people begin to think rationally rather than religiously, this carnage is not going to end.
Well written nevertheless from a personal experience of yours.
Appreciations Amigo.
well untill and unless we know the truth we cannot just put blame on Narendra modi. We do not know whether it was a planning falure by goverment or exeuction failure by administration. Also we cannot put blame on a person who was not physically involved. Dont you think it was sentiments of the people that made them behave in such a hostile mannner?
i don’t justify their actions but we should not forget that such strong reactions come only after a serious of events. We do not know the ground realities that preceeded the riots. I can give an example, when in a road accident a bike driver gets killed, mob always thrashes the bus driver without even thinking once. They donot even give it a thought that it might have been bike driver’s fault.Just that he got injured/killed makes him fetch symapathy.
I have been hearing this allegations against modi ever since it happened that too primarily from a party whose 2 top leaders are convicted of being involved in 84-85 massacre and people have openly said on televsion that they led the mob and still we see them rising in stature in that party.
And as far as US is concerned, we all knew their role in creating monster in form of terrorism. We all know what they did to japan(has their been any bigger mass massacre in history, read hiroshima and nagasaki), what they did in Vietnam. They attacked Iraq just for the reason that Iraq started using Euro instead of dollars.
The fact is we have been listening/following and more ironically appreciating those who have bigger blots on their DAMAN,namely congress,US , australia etc..{Couldnt get a english word:)Raju kya hoga iska english word}.
I feel first let the SIT finish with the investigation, then blame something on Modi. Sometimes reaction of a mob cannot be controlled, else their would not be so many instances of riots all around the world.AS of now we should think what he is doing to gujrat. I have come across lot of people who appraise his efforts in taking gujrat to a level never imagined.He is changing lives of people at ground level.
Untill soomething is proved, i feel he is leader to be looked at for eradicating poverty and bringing employment to gujrat.
i read this article last night, honelstly i have no comments for the ques u raised.
i just firmly belive in one of statement SC passed last year on Case of MAYAVATI Statue on a lighter side
That this is Democracy, here people selects their leader and they get what they deserve…
our leader reflects our society or allow me to go a step ahead by saying its Society’s Karma…
Why i extended bcz with prev state u wd come back to argue that a part or fraction of people may have that mind-set that dsnt mean that entire
society is like that,and we the self prolaimed civilized and knowledgble people condemn such acts, are extremly against that. But then,,,
Then What??
We condemn, We criticize, We do a Candle March, But that particular fraction perform their job by electing them… That’s what the Karma of Society…
@Lo”v”er boy
You have struck at the correct place “Common sense” , this is what is so uncommon
amongst Indians.If we apply it properly their would be no issues like these.
Just praying with a hope that we get bestowed with this quality ..amen
i will not go into the debate of whether or not we need leaders like Modi but i will just say that a little common sense and empathy might do te trick in these sensitive isssues!
Some days back my Native place Bareilly was under curfew for some religious(Hindu Muslim) misgivings too…My heart bleeded i tell u…Chaos didnt budge for some 14 days untill few sensible people from both the religions got together and carried a joint peACE rally…Nothing wrong went from next day onwards…Couldnt this have been done earlier when shops were been burnt and people hurt…A little common sense and all this could be done away with!
i read this article last night, honelstly i have no comments for the ques u raised.
i just firmly belive in one of statement SC passed last year on Case of MAYAVATI Statue on a lighter side
That this is Democracy, here people selects their leader and they get what they deserve…
our leader reflects our society or allow me to go a step ahead by saying its Society’s Karma…
Why i extended bcz with prev state u wd come back to argue that a part or fraction of people may have that mind-set that dsnt mean that entire
society is like that,and we the self prolaimed civilized and knowledgble people condemn such acts, are extremly against that. But then,,, Then What?? U condemn, U criticise, u do a Candle March, But that particular fraction perform their job by electing them… That’s what the Karma of Society…
And this is what we are getting
Violence is not a viable solution to anything let alone communal violence. The one thing among others, that differentiates the human race from the animal kingdom, is its ability to introspect. The ability to put oneself in the other’s shoes and think. Unless people begin to think rationally rather than religiously, this carnage is not going to end.
Well written nevertheless from a personal experience of yours.
Appreciations Amigo.
well untill and unless we know the truth we cannot just put blame on Narendra modi. We do not know whether it was a planning falure by goverment or exeuction failure by administration. Also we cannot put blame on a person who was not physically involved. Dont you think it was sentiments of the people that made them behave in such a hostile mannner?
i don’t justify their actions but we should not forget that such strong reactions come only after a serious of events. We do not know the ground realities that preceeded the riots. I can give an example, when in a road accident a bike driver gets killed, mob always thrashes the bus driver without even thinking once. They donot even give it a thought that it might have been bike driver’s fault.Just that he got injured/killed makes him fetch symapathy.
I have been hearing this allegations against modi ever since it happened that too primarily from a party whose 2 top leaders are convicted of being involved in 84-85 massacre and people have openly said on televsion that they led the mob and still we see them rising in stature in that party.
And as far as US is concerned, we all knew their role in creating monster in form of terrorism. We all know what they did to japan(has their been any bigger mass massacre in history, read hiroshima and nagasaki), what they did in Vietnam. They attacked Iraq just for the reason that Iraq started using Euro instead of dollars.
The fact is we have been listening/following and more ironically appreciating those who have bigger blots on their DAMAN,namely congress,US , australia etc..{Couldnt get a english word:)Raju kya hoga iska english word}.
I feel first let the SIT finish with the investigation, then blame something on Modi. Sometimes reaction of a mob cannot be controlled, else their would not be so many instances of riots all around the world.AS of now we should think what he is doing to gujrat. I have come across lot of people who appraise his efforts in taking gujrat to a level never imagined.He is changing lives of people at ground level.
Untill soomething is proved, i feel he is leader to be looked at for eradicating poverty and bringing employment to gujrat.
i read this article last night, honelstly i have no comments for the ques u raised.
i just firmly belive in one of statement SC passed last year on Case of MAYAVATI Statue on a lighter side
That this is Democracy, here people selects their leader and they get what they deserve…
our leader reflects our society or allow me to go a step ahead by saying its Society’s Karma…
Why i extended bcz with prev state u wd come back to argue that a part or fraction of people may have that mind-set that dsnt mean that entire
society is like that,and we the self prolaimed civilized and knowledgble people condemn such acts, are extremly against that. But then,,,
Then What??
We condemn, We criticize, We do a Candle March, But that particular fraction perform their job by electing them… That’s what the Karma of Society…
And this is what we are getting
@Lo”v”er boy
You have struck at the correct place “Common sense” , this is what is so uncommon
amongst Indians.If we apply it properly their would be no issues like these.
Just praying with a hope that we get bestowed with this quality ..amen
I know a single thing!! UPwale sabse bade fattu hote hai!