Slowly, like the giant turtle on whose back the fantastical discworld is precariously balanced, I attune myself to the circle. Unlike the sweeper, Lu Tze, however, I am yet to out-shine others in my task. The city sometimes reminds me of Ankh Morporkh, in those vague passages where streams of consciousness shines, but otherwise, it's more mundane even for the liking of the slow-moving turtle balancing the world. The wraths of the Gods is sometimes unleashed. But the wisdom in discworld was that the Gods believed in Gods. It doesn't manifest so....in my city's case.
Unlike a city created in a blitzkreig of insights, reality offers a plethora of worries. Infrastructure is truly a bitch....on heat....with the poor dog's penis in a twist. But that's just a colonial corollarly, without the knickers and with the dick. And when we considering all the social taboos prevalent in our society, it's no wonder obscenities are couched in analogies.
There's not a single chauvinist in the land of the half-bred (or the pure..depending upon your ancestral preferences) who doesn't look up to the President Mush with great respect. Not because he has torpedoed women's right or legalize prostitution, like his predecessor General Zia who was married to the Quran. (Although Zia gave it pseudo-legality - only for two hours from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm...a special concession for the whores of Heera Mandi.)
What Musharraf has done, and what makes most chauvinists go all smug is the authoritarianism that he upholds. And the epithet that international commentators use, with rather wantonness, to describe him: DICtator. For the chauvs, it's the superiority of the organ - as much in deeds as in the word. It is being in tune with the superficial that is mandatory and the chauvs excel at it too..
What Musharraf has done for the infrastructure we cannot really know until the next man or BB (Begum Nawazish Ali made me doubt her feminity) comes to power and the Pandora's box is opened and criticism and blaming spirals out of all semblance of proportionality. This has been the case always. It wasn't until Bhutto was lost to the gallows that the commoners realized the institutional crippling brought about by the sudden Nationalization of (especially) the financial sector.
Zia's Islamic revolution was expected to restore the precepts that were followed by the rightly-guided Caliphs and enable Pakistan to shine as the magnum opus of everything contained within the Quran and the Sunnah.
It wasn't until a while later that the commoners realized that the Klashinkov and cannabis culture from across the border had permeated the confines of the middle-class - after having become the safe haven of the hopelessly deluded strata of the lower-class, and an indulgence of the elite.
Mian Sahab, the eagle that could never land, froze foreign assets, and begged the penniless of the land to lend him money. The 'Karz Utaro Mulk Sawaro' scheme (or scam) is probably one of the most glaring instance of a soverign nation's attempt at hoodwinking the citizens.
Ofcourse, the revelation of all these glaring instances of robbing the generally penniless Pakistani (of their social security) were only revealed after the death or exile of the leader. Funnily enough, everytime it was the leader who was considered corrupt. The party or the institution (when considering the Army) continued to enjoy popular support.
To paraphrase, we are idiots who will be led by the noose to the mirage that we see at the bottom of the well where convention wisdom sees obliteration and hell.
In one of the most succinct movie rants of all time, a Scot expostulates in mundane yet fiery language why the natives of the land constitute fecal matter that even fails the test to be used as manure. Or to borrow the language, 'We are not even whankers, we are colonized by a nation of Whankers' - referring to the almighty British ofcourse. Where does that leave us, with the tendency to be led to the mirage....I leave the question for deduction in the future.
Coming back to my not so succinct rant, the state of Pakistani politics continues to be as puzzling as ever before. Even with a job in the media, albeit on the entertainment desk dovetailing the shenanigans of Jolie, Shetty and the ilk, I am as mesmerized by the political nitpicking as any of the commoners - who I, in my obsession, often refer to and identify with. (I might be mistaken, ofcourse...)
The current ruckus is about whether Mushy is entitled to have the best of both the worlds. In the times of the (last) Prophet, both the world entailed life and after-life. For Shakespeare, the two worlds were heaven and earth, and his advice to Horatio was that there was more to it than just his philosophy.
Coming to Mushy's time, the two worlds entail Army and Politics - and the prevalent philosophy of our Horatio is clinging to power like a filigree growing around Jack's beanstalk until you can get the hen that lay's golden egg.
But making it simpler for my understanding, and the rest, too, there's an article in our constitution (which too has contentious beginnings), which bars a government servant to hold two offices simultaneously. That, in the case of the President, would be of President and Chief of Army Staff.
Mush says that he's willing to give up one once he's assured that he has the other for sometime to come....or for the sake of convenience, until he's blown up to smithereens like brother Zia married to the Quran.
And as Musharraf is already past the mandatory army-retirement age, the post that he can have without pissing any of the right people (from the Army, that is) off is that of the President. (The civilians don't count. The politicians don't know how to count. Even if they learn, they can be [man]handled).
The opposition says that Mush's re-election has a direct relationship with his continuance as Army chief. As soon as he takes his uniform off (nothing imprudent in that if you're engaged in Pakistani politics), the whole face of the Presidential election will change. For them, it's the fluid that keep's the engine running. The lubricant that keep's the penis erect.
So, after a lot of bruhaha, a case was filed against Mush when his papers were filed for nomination with the Election Commission of Pakistan. (Which is often in the clutches of corrupt politicians or mafioso style army dictators itself and is always claimed to be independent of such impacts....and as I rant on, the roads leading to the Election Commission building in Islamabad are being sealed....for what, we will find out once one of Mush's hunchmen decides to spill the beans...and the development has uncanny similarity to another incident which I will dwell upon later...if there is one.)
The Supreme Court's decision on the petition filed against the President's holding of dual office (as President and Army Chief) and the court, in a ruling that surprised many, gave the President the green signal to hold the dual office until his re-election by the Upper House...
Which means Mush can use all the force and source that being the Army chief entails and get the PR machine into rotation to churn out a campaign that will ensure his re-election. Obviously, there will be some rigging, some horse-trading of parliamentarians (much similar to gerrymandering in localities but with a human face - albeit that of a callous politician.)
But fuck it all, please. Because eventually it's irrelevant whatever happens in the Grand Scheme of Things because the Gods are Crazy.
No matter how much 'touch up' is exercised, the eventuality as well as the process is equally irrelevant. Yes, it's the petite boys and starchy babes - anchor-ing ships? Or our attention?
Maybe they need to bare. Then the attention will be as rapt as eulogized by religious historians during the times of sanctimonious teachers. Or otherwise.
Bye bye.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
I have returned. There are hiccups but the frequency must now be reaching the point of alarm, considering that output is mere reproduction. Something which could be done much better by simply pasting links (or doing it the tech-savvy way) of relevant events and pasting a tad or two of linking information, or should the whole task be left to BBC? Or Al-Jazeera maybe...
But no, there has to be an Atlas and it cannot shrug or muck, surely not not fuck, or whatever capitalism's Mary Magdalene desired. The act requires slavish devotion, which only the true believer reflects. The ideology and/or creed and/or morality has been a contentious one since the time of apples and naked women, and that's how it shall remain. While stripping might be all good with Anthony Eden, it doesn't go down to well with the educated girls in Ottomand land - and that too of the head. An army of Turkish babes will carried a huge headscarf (or veil which just covers the hair and bares the face) to the university. While an Islamist party is in power in Turkey, and has been for a while, the public institutions have a strong secular character. The Army, as the necesasry evil, dominates the political environment - sometimes through discrete arm-bending and sometimes with wanton abandon - and ensures that the secular legacy of Ataturk stays in vogue. But recently, it has been the democratic institutions that have established themselves and in control. Events, though, necessitate, that the democratic institutions should take a leaf out of the Army book (or manual? or the anarchist cook book?) and take some serious action. Either throw the students out of the university or throw the law out of the constitution. If Muslims are going helter-skelter over not being allowed to wear head-scarves in French and English schools, why can't they wear it at a University. In no Muslim country do we have separate universities for the two sexes - inspite of the penchant for piety. A few tried and failed spectacularly. Some manage but you know the condition. Basically, a 'source of knowledge dissemination' should not be subjected to laws made over the whims of Gods..even.
The scenario in Pakistani Universities is ofcourse deplorable. A hospital in Karachi, a city damningly deficient in healthcare, has witnessed violent clashes between student's of two of its college on the premise, resulting in those colleges closed indefinitely. Two students have been murdered, scores injured and the whole batch left in the lurch. The hospital is a major provider of services to the down-trodden of which Karachi has too many. It is one place where one expects compassion. But employment of students for political nitpicking takes precedence.
If this is not enough, the Karachi University, a sprawling and for most patches barren expanse of land, is the largest in the province. Clashes of political nature are common. Bystanders even have favorite viewing spots, as the gladiators have marked the arenas. The last death that I remember was of a Marxist. It's the one I remember, otherwise someone is killed every now and then. But recently, it is said, the chopped and sliced body of an activist of the student wing of the MQM (exiled leader Altaf Bhai in England drum rolls please), who are generally in a fued with the IJT, student wing of the country's main Islamist party, and/or PSF, which has an ethnic base. Just like the three states in Orwell's '1984'. Perpetual war and peace. Very much unlike Tolstoy and his stories where he preached only peace. And at other times, no violence. And quite a bit. Coming back to the story, the chopping and slicing was carried by another attack. This time, a public bus, which had just passed the university bus-stop and had in it four members of the IJT, with obvious travelling patterns. A further down the road from the university, the public bus was assailed with bullets by four gun-men with partners on motorbikes. The ambush and firing lasted for atleast 15 mins after which a bomb was hurled in the bus. Of the 7 reported dead, 4 were students the political body, and the rest collateral - as they say in Texas. A further down the road is a check-post of the Para-military forces deployed in and outside the University to ensure that dirty student politics doesn't cloud the academic environment. While the baking in sunlight and bathing in dust leaves little appetite for munching on academic delights, the least that the para-military force can do is not be caught napping. While the law-enforcing institutions have never been too competent in bringing about general order - now that finally Army oriented disillusions are also being dispelled - what causes concern and can be fatal for the faint-hearted is the incredulity depicted by mobs of young men (and mostly men) in engaging in acts of petty vengeance, but always under the guise of a great vision. 'Monkey killing monkey killing monkey'....springs to the head. Adult violence is generally excused because of lack of education. Student politics doesn't even have that sort of leverage. We are un-organized and chaotic in every aspect. There are no protests which do not turn ugly. Calculated political hits are not the way systems evolve. The generation next is all set to unleash barbarism - whenever they ascend to power.
While, we fail to protest in any manner, the largest public gathering in Burma has taken place in twenty years. The initial spark were the monks.
Okay, this has less of facts and more of pontification. I have turned into a useless rambling git. Must condense.
But no, there has to be an Atlas and it cannot shrug or muck, surely not not fuck, or whatever capitalism's Mary Magdalene desired. The act requires slavish devotion, which only the true believer reflects. The ideology and/or creed and/or morality has been a contentious one since the time of apples and naked women, and that's how it shall remain. While stripping might be all good with Anthony Eden, it doesn't go down to well with the educated girls in Ottomand land - and that too of the head. An army of Turkish babes will carried a huge headscarf (or veil which just covers the hair and bares the face) to the university. While an Islamist party is in power in Turkey, and has been for a while, the public institutions have a strong secular character. The Army, as the necesasry evil, dominates the political environment - sometimes through discrete arm-bending and sometimes with wanton abandon - and ensures that the secular legacy of Ataturk stays in vogue. But recently, it has been the democratic institutions that have established themselves and in control. Events, though, necessitate, that the democratic institutions should take a leaf out of the Army book (or manual? or the anarchist cook book?) and take some serious action. Either throw the students out of the university or throw the law out of the constitution. If Muslims are going helter-skelter over not being allowed to wear head-scarves in French and English schools, why can't they wear it at a University. In no Muslim country do we have separate universities for the two sexes - inspite of the penchant for piety. A few tried and failed spectacularly. Some manage but you know the condition. Basically, a 'source of knowledge dissemination' should not be subjected to laws made over the whims of Gods..even.
The scenario in Pakistani Universities is ofcourse deplorable. A hospital in Karachi, a city damningly deficient in healthcare, has witnessed violent clashes between student's of two of its college on the premise, resulting in those colleges closed indefinitely. Two students have been murdered, scores injured and the whole batch left in the lurch. The hospital is a major provider of services to the down-trodden of which Karachi has too many. It is one place where one expects compassion. But employment of students for political nitpicking takes precedence.
If this is not enough, the Karachi University, a sprawling and for most patches barren expanse of land, is the largest in the province. Clashes of political nature are common. Bystanders even have favorite viewing spots, as the gladiators have marked the arenas. The last death that I remember was of a Marxist. It's the one I remember, otherwise someone is killed every now and then. But recently, it is said, the chopped and sliced body of an activist of the student wing of the MQM (exiled leader Altaf Bhai in England drum rolls please), who are generally in a fued with the IJT, student wing of the country's main Islamist party, and/or PSF, which has an ethnic base. Just like the three states in Orwell's '1984'. Perpetual war and peace. Very much unlike Tolstoy and his stories where he preached only peace. And at other times, no violence. And quite a bit. Coming back to the story, the chopping and slicing was carried by another attack. This time, a public bus, which had just passed the university bus-stop and had in it four members of the IJT, with obvious travelling patterns. A further down the road from the university, the public bus was assailed with bullets by four gun-men with partners on motorbikes. The ambush and firing lasted for atleast 15 mins after which a bomb was hurled in the bus. Of the 7 reported dead, 4 were students the political body, and the rest collateral - as they say in Texas. A further down the road is a check-post of the Para-military forces deployed in and outside the University to ensure that dirty student politics doesn't cloud the academic environment. While the baking in sunlight and bathing in dust leaves little appetite for munching on academic delights, the least that the para-military force can do is not be caught napping. While the law-enforcing institutions have never been too competent in bringing about general order - now that finally Army oriented disillusions are also being dispelled - what causes concern and can be fatal for the faint-hearted is the incredulity depicted by mobs of young men (and mostly men) in engaging in acts of petty vengeance, but always under the guise of a great vision. 'Monkey killing monkey killing monkey'....springs to the head. Adult violence is generally excused because of lack of education. Student politics doesn't even have that sort of leverage. We are un-organized and chaotic in every aspect. There are no protests which do not turn ugly. Calculated political hits are not the way systems evolve. The generation next is all set to unleash barbarism - whenever they ascend to power.
While, we fail to protest in any manner, the largest public gathering in Burma has taken place in twenty years. The initial spark were the monks.
Okay, this has less of facts and more of pontification. I have turned into a useless rambling git. Must condense.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Productivity ala carte
Finally started to work. Without dampness in the head. After working for the business desk of a news channel, now I am working for the Entertainment desk for another news channel, that is yet to be launched but its in the pipeline and will soon come out with a bang - or a whimper. Or maybe something in the middle. But what does it concern me? I am a mere cog and expected to deliver. Whatever the requirement. And while flip-flopping between jobs, I have formulated (yet another) theory. In media, it doesn't matter how much sweat you have to wipe off your head, or how much strained your nerves and muscles are. The job is to be done. The main objective is to fill air-time. Generally, it doesn't matter if the work is mediocre, good or briliant, as long as it isn't abject and appalling and deserving of unequivocal thrashing. That's what I have decided I shall do. Put in my two-paisas, conserving effort and energy, and becoming part of the assembly line of Henry Ford fame.
As for Mr Ford, may his soul always maintain its spiritual functionality, and the organization that he spawned, his successors have decided that the competition in the automobile industry has restricted growth (and profits, ofcourse) and the brainwave for re-capturing market share is to produce the 'Model T' yet again. What remains to be seen whether it will be available in any colour as long as it's black.
Returning to productivity, and the consequences it entail, I finally made a package. Thank god it wasn't upon flustered aunties because of recurring bans on Indian channels. The womenfolk, deprived of Tulsi, feel a sense of isolation that only Camus can elaborate upon. I have somehow managed to stay away from the package, but the sense of impending doom prevails, and I might end up hearing my drab monotone accompanying clips of Jassi and Kukum and the nefarious lot.
Otherwise, the package that I made today was on the anti-war movies premiering in the numerous international Film Festivals taking place. The Toronto Film Festival and the San Sebastian Film Festival (Spain) , although varying in length and the number of movies to be shown, have a list of movies that focus on the Iraq war.
'Battle for Haditha' plays out the carnage that took place after a six-man US Marine sniper unit was attacked and ruthlessly murdered by Islamist insurgents on the outskirts of the town of Haditha on August 1, 2005. Not surprising, considering the country is a raging battle zone. However, the US forces, not used to acts of such wanton ruthlessness, unleashed a fury of their own. The most notable victims were 14 non-combatant Iraqis, including women and children.
The docu-drama has two former US Marines playing the roles of Marines, while the rest of the cast is dominated by people of Iraqi origin. There are also interviews of those who have suffered due to the Iraq war.
Another anti-Iraq diatribe is 'Body of War'. Directorial debut of former-Oprah-like-host Phil Donahue, the movie gives a humanist spin to the whole sorry episode of Iraq's occupation.
The movie is focuses around the real-life 'tragedy' of a US soldier who had to return home just after a week in the battle zone, as he paralyzed by the gun-shot wound. The point that the director is trying to make is that war ruins lives and the 'tragedy' is an illustration of the same, as the soldier is restricted to his wheel-chair for the rest of his time, and has to cope with a divorce as well. The miseries continue to pile and the man finally realizes that it's no fun going to strange lands to kill people.
I have to continue this.
As for Mr Ford, may his soul always maintain its spiritual functionality, and the organization that he spawned, his successors have decided that the competition in the automobile industry has restricted growth (and profits, ofcourse) and the brainwave for re-capturing market share is to produce the 'Model T' yet again. What remains to be seen whether it will be available in any colour as long as it's black.
Returning to productivity, and the consequences it entail, I finally made a package. Thank god it wasn't upon flustered aunties because of recurring bans on Indian channels. The womenfolk, deprived of Tulsi, feel a sense of isolation that only Camus can elaborate upon. I have somehow managed to stay away from the package, but the sense of impending doom prevails, and I might end up hearing my drab monotone accompanying clips of Jassi and Kukum and the nefarious lot.
Otherwise, the package that I made today was on the anti-war movies premiering in the numerous international Film Festivals taking place. The Toronto Film Festival and the San Sebastian Film Festival (Spain) , although varying in length and the number of movies to be shown, have a list of movies that focus on the Iraq war.
'Battle for Haditha' plays out the carnage that took place after a six-man US Marine sniper unit was attacked and ruthlessly murdered by Islamist insurgents on the outskirts of the town of Haditha on August 1, 2005. Not surprising, considering the country is a raging battle zone. However, the US forces, not used to acts of such wanton ruthlessness, unleashed a fury of their own. The most notable victims were 14 non-combatant Iraqis, including women and children.
The docu-drama has two former US Marines playing the roles of Marines, while the rest of the cast is dominated by people of Iraqi origin. There are also interviews of those who have suffered due to the Iraq war.
Another anti-Iraq diatribe is 'Body of War'. Directorial debut of former-Oprah-like-host Phil Donahue, the movie gives a humanist spin to the whole sorry episode of Iraq's occupation.
The movie is focuses around the real-life 'tragedy' of a US soldier who had to return home just after a week in the battle zone, as he paralyzed by the gun-shot wound. The point that the director is trying to make is that war ruins lives and the 'tragedy' is an illustration of the same, as the soldier is restricted to his wheel-chair for the rest of his time, and has to cope with a divorce as well. The miseries continue to pile and the man finally realizes that it's no fun going to strange lands to kill people.
I have to continue this.
The Eagle Has Landed
Unfortunately, the much trumpeted headline did make it to the front-page, but with a twist. Erstwhile Prime Minister and hopeful yet again, Mian Nawaz Sharif was scuttled off back to Saudia Arabia on his return to Pakistan. Benazir Bhutto, the flip side of the coin of corruption - our currency of choice, has also announced plans to return to Pakistan on October 18, 2007. Interesting times lie ahead, as the country becomes a petri-dish of activity. The Islamists (sometimes the Fundamentalists, but not always as the mainstream Western media suggests) are agitating, with the hardliners still furious over the Lal Masjid (or Red Mosque issue - but nothing to do with the Commies, Senor McMarthy) escapade. Political demonstrations have become an everyday issue, with the date of elections to be announced within the next 60 days or a similar figure being floated in the papers. The legal fraternity, too, is up-in-arms. The reinstatement of the Chief Justice by the Supreme Court, after his sacking by All-Powerful-President-Musharraf has strengthened the divided and derided Opposition hope that all is not in the dual for power. And Shoaib Akhtar, the tear-away fast-bowler from the National Cricket Team is also in-and-out of the news, as usual for all the wrong reasons. The last of his notorious acts was to hit fellow attack bowler Asif with a bat. While Shoaib has aged and gained quite a-bit like Ronaldo, Asif is our latest class act. And the national team 'has performed according to form, rather surprisingly' (now this is from the cheeky pundit from Super - I can never be this smart...or daft; if you're missing the point) defeating the Aussies and the SriLankans.
All said and done, there is a lot going on. Never before in the country's history have so many diverse factors fallen together and seen ebb and flow with such frequency.
Keeping in line with the prevalent mood, I too have decided to return to frenzied activity. Return to producing prosaic thoughts, crafted with diligence, ensure digestibility, and then sell it to the highest bidder. Yeah, I am kidding, just fill column space on newspapers.
For the wheel to rotate, the potter must bury his hands in clay.
And here I come. With my hands all prepared. Like a man re-born. And remembering Rushdie, 'to be born again, you have to die first.' But his work falls mostly in the domain of magic realism and I can sacrifice a goat or a lamb, or maybe a chicken, and move towards my karmaic destiny with symbolic conviction.
Yes, not making sense, but it all will fall into place.
I promise.
All said and done, there is a lot going on. Never before in the country's history have so many diverse factors fallen together and seen ebb and flow with such frequency.
Keeping in line with the prevalent mood, I too have decided to return to frenzied activity. Return to producing prosaic thoughts, crafted with diligence, ensure digestibility, and then sell it to the highest bidder. Yeah, I am kidding, just fill column space on newspapers.
For the wheel to rotate, the potter must bury his hands in clay.
And here I come. With my hands all prepared. Like a man re-born. And remembering Rushdie, 'to be born again, you have to die first.' But his work falls mostly in the domain of magic realism and I can sacrifice a goat or a lamb, or maybe a chicken, and move towards my karmaic destiny with symbolic conviction.
Yes, not making sense, but it all will fall into place.
I promise.
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