Mid Day

Carrying the gun on 26/11

Why don't you understand?
Why don't you see the pain
You're causing us?

'Cause you and I,
We're the same,
And you and I,
We're to blame.

Then why is it you're with the gun?
Did you think before you picked up the gun?

The blood that was shed,
The screams that echoed,
The people that we lost,
The anger that rose.

Why don't you understand?
Why don't you see we're getting strong?

The fire that burnt,
The gun shots we heard,
The grenades we saw,
The bravery that came,
The tears that rolled � �

You and I,
We're the same.
But from you and I
You're to blame.

Because you are the one carrying the gun.
But why are you carrying the gun?

Yashodhana Raj (16), Sanskriti School, New Delhi was in the editorial board of her school and has been appreciated for her creative writing since her middle-school days. She is also a die-hard environmentalist.

Citizen Journalist: Security is my birthright

Tired of feeling he was on a battleground every time he left home, a Mumbaikar spent hours photographing three railway stations under terror threats. Not once, was he stopped and asked a single question. This is his experience

There have been regular terror threats at railway stations in the city. In order to prove the gaps that exist in security, I took my camera and entered three major stations - Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Churchgate and Dadar.

I spent hours at these stations, clicking hundreds of photographs, but not once was I questioned about my movements. I passed by the desk of the police several times, but the officers were happily chatting away.

With such lax security, what's the guarantee that someone with intent to harm will be stopped?
Politicians complain that youngsters do not come out to vote, but what is the use of our voting, if they cannot ensure our safety?

Why do we see action from the state only after there is a bomb blast? And these measures too fade away after a while. Attacks have taken place on the most unexpected days. Therefore, the government should ensure watertight security around the clock.

Every day, when I leave home for college, my mother prays for my safety, as if I am going to fight on the battlefield. I don't want to live with the fear of being attacked, every time I step out of my house.
Ideally, unguarded entries and exits at all stations should be sealed. Security equipment should be repaired and their functioning regularly monitored. The situation is worse at other stations such as Elphinstone Road, Lower Parel, Bandra and King's Circle. Have the repeated terror attacks made our system indifferent to threats?

Instead of spending Rs 350 crore on a statue, the money could be spent on increasing security. We need to ensure that the police and concerned government bodies are made accountable for their actions and lack of them. I will not tolerate such instances of lax security any more. I want my rights. I want change.

Yeh WADA Naa todo

Indian cricketers are not above the game and should agree to comply with norms of the anti- doping agency, say readers

Former ace sprinter Adille Sumariwala is absolutely correct that our cricketers should comply with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules. Wonder what our over rated and over paid cricketers think of themselves.
While sportsmen from 200 countries have signed the anti-doping pact, Indian cricketers do not want to comply. The BCCI always pampers them and bullies its way with the ICC because of their money power. When top sportsmen like Roger Federer, Mahesh Bhupati, Sania Mirza and Saina Nehwal do not have a problem with WADA'S anti-doping method, why are our cricketers exceptional?

Why do we in India resist conforming to certain standard established norms? Our cricketers feel they are greater than the game.

Top class sports persons the world over, have no issue with WADA. Our cricketers give security issues and invasion of privacy as the reasons for refusing to conform. And what takes the cake is that the BCCI backs them!

Hats off to Abhinav Bindra and Sports Minister M S Gill for speaking out. For once the ICC should insist on WADA norms to be enforced, and not consider the fact that the BCCI is a money-spinner.

Two days after rejecting WADA's anti-doping clause, India's top cricketers are getting increasingly isolated with star tennis players and sports medicine experts deploring their stance and saying there could not be separate rules for them.

After Sports Minister MS Gill opposed the BCCI stand on the clause, which makes it mandatory for sportspersons to make themselves available for out-of-competition testing, the cricketers found the heat intensifying with more sportspersons and administrators criticising them.

Cricket's critical code is eating away the decorum of the gentleman's game. The BCCI , which has now become the Board of Cricketing Controversies in India, is also taking the side of the players rather blindly. How long we can dominate ICC?

MTV, get your act together

Firstly, anybody who thinks MTVs Roadies and Splitsvilla are great shows, it's a a reflection of their IQ.

Secondly, Rajeev Laxman, the creative director of the show, should either accept the revelations of the contestants or deny it. He should not give on-the-fence replies like 'I don't think anyone is aware.'(Sleep and win? July 27, MiD DAY)

Thirdly, arrogance like that is not and should not be entertained by viewers or readers.

Mr Laxman, get your act right. The public and the media, who keep you in the business, are not like your typical dimwitted contestants.

MiD DAY, it's about time you drew the rekha for Mr Laxman. Just go out and show him what a tabloid can actually do.

Six years on, we wait for justice

V Narayan of thane believes conviction of the three accused in the aug 2003 twin bomb blasts case does not mean justice has finally been served

The conviction of the three accused associated with the 2003 Zaveri Bazaar and Gateway of India blasts makes for consoling reading. Belatedly, the relatives of the 52 innocent victims, who perished by a fraction of second six years back, can now mitigate their anguish to some small extent.

Now, the million dollar question is how effective this conviction will be in warding off the evil of terrorism from our society?

It is not so easy for us to forget the horrifying terrorist attack on our Parliament and how our judiciary had efficiently announced the conviction of Afzal Guru in record time. But sadly, his execution still remains unimplemented. Similarly, those responsible for the 2002 Godhra carnage remain unpunished.

It's sorry state of affairs that the executive is unable to coordinate with the judiciary. Citizens get the message that while the judiciary gives its verdict, the concerned authorities are not interested in seeing to it that the punishment that will cleanse the society is served in time.

It's ridiculous that Hanif Sayyed, the main accused in these blasts smiled confidently after the conviction as if he could escape his punishment by making an appeal against the verdict in a higher court. How long can we get away with such a mockery of our judiciary?

While the poor taxi driver who assisted the police in tracking down the culprits will have to live the rest of his life in perpetual fear of retributal, money bags will be splurged tirelessly to save these barbaric criminals.

A ray of hope

There is yet some hope for the Mumbai police, and it lies with Maharashtra's Home Minister Jayant Patil. The soft-spoken minister is clear that the Mumbai police need to be at par with its global counterparts. And he has ideas about how to make this happen international exposure, sharing information on state-of-art armoury and weapon training.

And for Patil, this is not a flash-in-the-pan idea. Expressing his thoughts at a book launch recently, the minister said he always knew international exposure was the answer to better policing.

In fact, two-and-a half-years ago, when he visited Chicago as the finance minister, he jotted down points on ways to strengthen the Maharashtra police force while he was interacting with the top brass of the Chicago police.

He promptly submitted these suggestions, which included methods of more accurate intelligence gathering and detecting crime, to the then Mumbai police commissioner. But unfortunately, the file gathered dust for years.

Speaking with sarcastic humour, Patil recalled that after he took charge of the home portfolio recently, the same file was brought to his table. He has now vowed to address the issue with diligence.

Had those suggestions been taken seriously and implemented, Qasab and his associates would perhaps have not succeeded in wreaking havoc in our city.

In fact, Patil is brimming with positive attitude. He recalled the first Euro Rail trip he took when he was only 25-years old. "I thought there is nothing better in the world. But as the euphoria set in, I knew there was so much more," he said, pointing out that the Mumbai police had a long way to go. But the journey, he promised, had already begun.

Several foreign trips are on the cards for senior policemen in the next few months. Hopefully, they will give the cops many excellent ideas to better their performance.

Why delay qasab's execution?

Now that the lone surviving terrorist of the 26/11 attack has confessed to his role in the mumbai carnage he should not be spared, feel readers

Mohammed Ajmal Amir Qasab, the 26/11 terrorist, confessed to his participation in the attacks before the special court on Monday. Despite this, he will never be executed. Take the examples of Afzal Guru and gangster Abu Salem. And this is the reason why Pakistan continues to sponsor terrorism across its borders.

In fact, all our laws and political policies are extremely loose. This encourages domestic as well as cross-border terrorism, underworld activities, sabotage by the regional political parties and so on.

At last, better sense seems to have prevailed. Qasab must have come to the conclusion that all evidence proved that he was involved in the gruesome killings at CST. However, I hope that he will not retract his confession and come up with more tricks to divert the attention of the prosecution. The trial must come to an end soon.

Hopefully, Qasab will be found guilty of waging a terror-war against India and is awarded the death sentence. I only wish that he does not join the likes of Afzal Guru and wait for decades for his execution. India has already shown enough generosity by following the judicial procedure and giving him a fair trial. There is no point in delaying the judgement further. The nation is waiting for Qasab to be punished.

Gambhir has form but lacks class

Gautam Gambhir may be in the best phase of his career, which started from the first World Twenty20 Tournament, but one has to accept that form is only temporary and class is permanent. Under no circumstances can Gambhir be said to have class. And this is evident from the last three tournaments.

Gambhir flopped in IPL 2, the World Twenty20 Cup and in India's tour of West Indies. So, it's no big deal if he has been declared the best Test player.

It would be interesting to see how the selectors will deal with him when he loses the form. Wasim Jaffer was dropped under similar circumstances when he did not perform well against Australia and South Africa.

i-rock will always rock hearts

Farhad Wadia, founder of I-Rock, Says the event has grown tremendously over the years and will continue to be the country's biggest rock fest

The letter published in MiD DAY on Wednesday What Happened to Good Ol' I-Rock has taken me by surprise.

MiD DAY and Radio One have been our media partners for the last couple of years and as a promoter, I would like to point out to My NEWS reader Rohit Bhatia, who wrote the letter, that I-Rock has grown in stature over the last 24 years. And it will always be India's biggest rock festival.

Silver trophy
I-Rock received the silver trophy for the best event property at the EEMA Awards held last week in Agra.

We do miss our former venue at Rang Bhavan in south Mumbai, but the Chitrakoot Grounds in Andheri has given us the ability to reach out to rock fans in the northern suburbs as well.

The letter says that the event 'has lost the flavour and fervour it had during its Rang Bhavan days', but this is untrue and the statement could cause us immense harm. The event has grown tremendously and expanded to five metros and is attended by over 40,000 people. This is a quantum leap from the 4,000 fans that attended I-Rock at Rang Bhavan.

Change is an integral part of life, and if the writer is unhappy with it then so be it. But it is wrong to malign an event that has been the cradle of rock bands in India.

Farhad Walia is the CEO of E18, the company that organises I-Rock.

Why just girls? all poor students need free books

The Maharashtra Government is offering free text books to girl students of aided high schools also. This is a wastage of public money, as the books are delivered only three to four weeks after the academic year begins.

Meanwhile, parents end up buying the books for the children.

The government's exercise, thus, becomes unnecessary.

Is it a good idea to provide free books to the girl students whose parents can afford them? Instead, I would like to suggest that the government provide these free books to all students from the poor section of the society, regardless of whether they are boys or girls.

what happened to good ol' I rock?

My news reader Rohit Bhatia is disappointed that Independence rock has lost the flavour and fervour of its Rang Bhavan auditorium days

Around Independence Day there used to be a concert at Rang Bhavan called I Rock. Yours truly and his friends would save up their pocket money to attend it. Everyone went broke after I Rock and some even fell in debt, but that didn't stop us. We made up a fraternity in which all rockers were welcome while the world around looked at us with amusement or disdain.

We would chip in money after buying the tickets and buy booze, which was gulped in the lane while one of us watched out for passing cop vans. The bands were big draws. In front of our eyes, Indus Creed, Pentagram and Parikrama evolved from teens with acne to rock stars with attitude.

That was then. We could be sure that we would be there the year after.

Now, I Rock has become bigger and spread to other metros. On the down side, the gig's finale has shifted to Chitrakoot Grounds, Andheri, part of which is used as a parking lot on other days. This is not bad considering the current parking crisis, but the "oldest and biggest rock festival held in the country" surely deserves better.

Problem: There isn't anything better available after Rang Bhavan went out of bounds due to new laws.

Having attended it since 1994, I feel the draw of I Rock is not in its current 'rock competition' form, but in the nostalgia it evokes. There are big bucks riding on this gig now. There are sponsorships and media hype. Rock bands are portrayed in Hindi films and people who can't tell Deep Purple from Black Sabbath flock to be 'seen' with rock bands.

Getting drunk inside bars near Chitrakoot Grounds isn't as thrilling as getting sloshed on the sly. Everyone
has spare cash, so why 'chip in'? The crowds have thinned and the fraternity has disappeared.

These days, when someone asks me if I will be attending I Rock, I'm not sure.

Happy Birthday, MiD DAY

MY news readers sent in their good wishes as MiD DAY celebrated its 30th anniversary on Friday and expressed their views on what we missed out

Congratulations on completing 30 successful years. May MiD DAY shine brightly always. All the best and thanks for the wonderful anniversary issue.

Long live
My hearty congratulations to your newspaper for completing 30 years. I have been an ardent reader of MiD DAY since its inception in 1979 and have grown up with it.

However, I felt let down that there was also not a single contest for your readers.

Nevertheless, I wish the paper success in all its future endeavours.

Keep it up
MiD DAY's 30th anniversary issue is a treasure, which needs to be preserved. Even though the copy was not available in Sanpada, I asked my son to buy it from Mumbai. From A for Amitabh Bachchan to Z for Zeenat Aman we got the glimpse of all the actors as well as the batting legend Sachin Tendulkar. The anniversary issue was interesting to read and it a big hit among the readers. Kudos to MiD DAY.

However, you should have given more importance to sports. A write up on Saina Nehwal, Abhinav Bindra or Sania Mizra would have given more weightage to the special issue.

Favourite tabloid
Hearty congratulations to MiD DAY on its 30th anniversary. Time flies and how. I rem-ember being in Std VIII when my favourite tabloid was launched. I would also like to compliment your distributors, who have a lion's share in MiD DAY's success. Here are a few lines I composed for your anniversary:
30 saal ki ho gayi MiD DAY ki umar,
Hamesha deta aaya chatpatti taazi khabar.
News, views ya ho MiD DAY mate,
Chota size, bada impact, MiD DAY tussi ho sabse great!

Article paints misleading picture

With reference to the story published in Sunday MiD DAY on June 1 Hotel Centaur deal is back to haunt Sahara boss the article maligns the image of the organisation and our Chairman Subrata Roy Sahara. The journalist never approached us for any comment.

The correct facts are as follows:
1. Sahara India Pariwar is not connected with the matter of disinvestment process through which the Hotel Corporation of India has sold Centaur Hotel Mumbai Airport to Batra Hospitality Pvt Ltd, (Now known as Sahara Hospitality Limited, Hotel Sahara Star).

2. At no point of time did Sahara Hospitality Limited use any force to compel the Centaur Hotel employees to accept the Voluntary Retirement Scheme.

The employees of Centaur Hotel opted for VRS out of free will. We have the copy of the Receipt and Cheque no: 584669 dated 25th March, 2003, for an amount ofRs 4,32,973 paid to Surendra Gajbiye towards his full and final settlement, confirming that he has "no other claim left monetary or otherwise against the company or its management arising out of his employment or non-employment and terms of employment including that of reinstatement and reemployment or at all."

Not the time for talks

Once again, we are bowing to the whims and fancies of Pakistan. Our dear Prime Minister Manmohan Singh now wants a dialogue with Pakistan PM!

At war
It is a known fact that our neighbour is indeed behind the proxy war against us through terrorism for decades now. It is time to act. Mere lip service and empty statements that offer no solutions will only serve to prove that we are way too tolerant and are not fit to retaliate in any manner. We will be termed an impotent nation.

Singh must prove that he is capable of tough action too. Please, let us not have a soft corner for the country that breeds terror.

No star tantrums this time

My NEWS readers are relieved that Sheetal Mafatlal now out on bail did not indulge in any hysterical drama and ask for home food

The arrest of Page 3 socialite Sheetal Mafatlal, by the customs authorities upon her arrival from London by the British Airways for carrying undeclared jewellery worth Rs 50 lakh and expensive designer items has come as a shock. Sheetal claimed that the jewellery was old and not bought from London, but the customs officers refused to believe her.

Arrested: On Sunday, Sheetal Mafatlal was arrested at the Mumbai Airport on arrival from London for carrying undeclared jewellery worth Rs 50 lakh. file pic

An ongoing family feud has also been reported to have been behind the suspected tip-off by a family member that led to the arrest.

Now that she has been released on bail, Sheetal's husband Atulya Mafatlal must not take the matter lying down. He should initiate appropriate action against the family member responsible for plotting Sheetal's arrest.

The arrest could also be termed as a diabolical game played by the concerned members of the Mafatlal family out of frustration.

Good girl
The story published in MiD DAY on June 9, From Harrods to Horror illustrates that there is something about celebrities that evokes the Jekyll and Hyde in us common folk. Most of us including the hypocrites who sanctimoniously declare that money is not important to them would trade places with them in a flash, if given the opportunity.

It is one thing to criticise the lifestyles of the rich and famous and affect contempt for their superficial niceties like air kissing and party hopping, but almost all of us would grab that very lifestyle if it were offered to us.

In short, someone like Sheetal Mafatlal engenders feelings of envy and aspiration in all of us. Conversely, when a socialite like her is brought down as yesterday when she was arrested for evading customs duties we feel a quiet satisfaction at the spectacle of one of them getting her comeuppance for the habitual arrogance and condescension displayed towards the less privileged.

Surprisingly, Sheetal did not throw any tantrums. She did not shed a single tear and nor did she demand home food.

Milind Deora deserved union Cabinet berth

South Mumbai MP Milind Deora, who is an aspiring leader, should have been inducted into the Cabinet for his astute leadership qualities. Milind is a self-sacrificing determined young man who performs his duties with a missionary zeal and true sincerity.

If a party from South India with large number of elected MPs can pressurise the Congress party to accommodate seven MPs of its choice, why can't the father-son duo from Mumbai Murli Deora and Milind Deora be inducted in the Cabinet? Both are competent and qualified. It is quite strange and unfair that a highly talented young leader like Milind Deora has been sidelined, while other ordinary ministers are finding berths in the Union cabinet. PM Manmohan Singh, this is certainly not fair on your part

Is BMC prepared to tackle heavy monsoon?

With reference to the story published in Sunday MiD DAY on May 31, Swept Away!, what really poses a concern is, are we prepared to tackle high tides and monsoon hazards?

Though the BMC claims to have things under control, the nullahs between the railway tracks are still not cleaned and many manholes remain open in the suburbs of the city. With the onset of monsoon, if these areas are not mended, where will the excess water flow out?

The BMC should come up with notices and advertisements on how to tackle situation liked 26/7 and what the government precautionary measures are, etc. The civic body must restore public confidence by assuring that adequate preparations have been made to counter heavy monsoon

End racism

My News readers say that India must stop sending students to Australia to protest the recent racist attacks

It was highly disturbing and disgusting to see the thoughtless Australian youth unnecessarily carry out acts of violence against the Indian students in major cities such as Melbourne and Sydney. There have been several racial attacks in the past one month in Australia. Siddharth Bharwani , Baljinder Singh, and Shravan Kumar, who is still in a coma, were victims of these attacks.

The Australian youth have proved that black hearts and black thoughts exist under white skins.

The Australian cricketers are also suffering from the same 'disease'. To protest such acts, we must stop sending students to Australia and also boycott all cricket matches against the Australian team.

Weak policies
The loose foreign policies of our government are the root cause of the racial attacks all over the world. Amitabh Bachchan has taken the right stand against this menace by refusing to accept an honorary doctorate from an Australian university. Aamir Khan, too, has rightly condemned the attacks on Indian students in Australia.

These white-skinned Australian youth should understand that be it any skin colour, the blood that runs through our veins is always red.

It's a racist world
We must realise that racism exists in every country and outsiders are always considered as second-class citizens in any foreign country. Only the intensity varies in each country.

However, let's not justify the act of the Australian hooligans. What they have done is atrocious, which needs to be severely punished. The Australian government does not have the guts to own up to the issue. This gives credence to the belief that Australians are racists.

Indian students, who intend to study abroad, should choose their country wisely. They should go only to those countries where they will face minimum racial discrimination.

Well done, Big B
Actor Amitabh Bachchan has taken a firm stand on the racial attacks on Indian students in Australia by rejecting the honorary doctorate that an Australian university has offered him.

This will at least make prospective students and their parents understand the perils awaiting them in Australia. They will think twice before enrolling in any Australian educational institution.

Javed Rehman Khan
Jogeshwari

Young turks at the helm

Rahul Gandhi has proved all political pundits wrong by aiding Congress to a convincing poll victory.

To his credit, the young turks of the party have kept away from power, which proves that he and his team are not in a hurry to grab cabinet berths. This Lok Sabha election has shown the political maturity of the electorate and introduced a new generation of politicians.

If the young leaders keep this tempo and maintain their political maturity, nothing will stop them from guiding the nation to its destiny!

Hope they remain focused on their chosen path and continue to serve the country selflessly.

The power-hungry politicians should learn something from thisnew breed.

Goregaon

Mamata must win commuters' trust

Now that Mamata Banerjee has been inducted into the Cabinet of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh as the Union Railway Minister, it remains to be seen whether she will merely look for profits or work towards upgrading the basic services and enhance safety for passengers.

The outgoing railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav was only concerned with the financial gains of the Railways and glorified the profits raked in.

He never cared about or solved the problem of lack of basic services and security of commuters.

High expectations

Much is expected from Mamata Banerjee and we sincerely hope that she remains dedicated towards the development of the Railways and makes the commuters proud. Let's also hope that she won't follow Lalu's path.
Wish you good luck, Mamata!

Malad