Avenging Pulwama

So BCCI is still not sure whether it wants to play Pakistan in the world cup. Whatever, at least they have started thinking on the right track. 

I believe it does not behove a country of India's stature to get into a skirmish with a country like Pakistan. But it is #TerrorStatePak that we are dealing with & we shouldn't endure the bleeding through a thousand cuts. And #Pulwama has to be avenged. However, I advocate going about it in a manner that they don't even realise what hit them.

This is why we should call for expulsion of Pakistan from ICC. That will really hurt them, and their new PM too, he himself being a cricketer of repute once. We all know how Pakistan has been pleading for Paki players be allowed to play in IPL. When they are not able to play any international game whatsoever, they will come to their senses. Today, the Pak army has crippled democracy. But seeing the state of affairs of cricket, I am sure retired cricketers like Miyadad & Waqar, with many an old axe to grind against Imran, would float their own political fronts. The Pak army top brass will the be too busy with this new internal politics to even glance across the border. And let us live in peace.

But till this happens, TV channels in India & the Indian websites should stop covering any match involving Pakistan. Cricbuzz is already on the job on this & the Pakistani fans have started clamouring for the good old days. And not just Cricket, the same should be done for Hockey too. These are the only two sports Pakistan is good at, and India provides the maximum eyeballs to both. The international federations of both the sports are too accommodating of Indian interests. I am sure if our federations apply enough pressure, the Pakis would be left with playing only Gulli-Danda in the streets.

The Bollywood has also jumped into the ban Pak artist bandwagon. But they should draw a line - artists of Pak origin but brought up elsewhere (UK, Canada, etc.) should be welcome to make India their home. The Indian film buffs can always do with another overseas actress like Katrina Kaif or Sunny Leone & should not be denied the simple pleasures. In fact, we should make Sunny Leone the beacon of Bollywood. Her films should be bombarded on the satellite networks & her videos on the mobile networks. Her films would lure the Pak actresses to ditch their homeland & cross the border. Her videos would ensure that the idle men who now carry guns would be too busy with their phones. 

And all those young men who take up the gun will realise that there are more "hoors" on earth than "jannat". And that these hoors are migrating from their country to the neighbouring one. They will drop the guns & get busy protecting their riches. And you know what, Sunny Leone also promotes Mankind Pharma products. It will get a new market on the platter. And this is one product where a customer will never trust one made in China. Even if sold at Chinese costs!!

The Indian government should also pardon Vijay Mallya on the condition that he settles down in Dubai & starts new businesses in Pakistan. I am sure he will be too eager to push his two most successful products into a new market - Kingfisher beer & Kingfisher calendar. If this happens, it will be the knockout punch. Both of these are haraam in Islam & the mulla brigade out there will not take kindly to this. But will the illeterate, unemployed, idle Pak youth shun what the King of Good Times offers simply becuase a priest sitting inside a mosque says so? I very much doubt this. In fact, with a bottle or two of the Kingfisher beer down their throats & emboldened by the Kingfisher calendar in their possession, these youth could revolt against the clergy. Forget Kashmir, they won't even be able to defend their own mosques.

But these are all short term measures & we need a permanent solution. With Pakistan, one never knows when they get bored with killing each other or the afghans & get back to meddling in India. We should resort to cultural warfare to show these people their proper position. Starting with Biryani... We should claim GI tag for Biryani. Pakistan is sure to counter this. But the kinds & varieties of Biryani's available in India, and that Biryani's popularity began when the subcontinent was a single nation, should suffice. Why this is important? Once GI tag is received, every time a Pakistani eats Biryani he will be reminded of the big brother India & be thankful that we gave this wonderful dish to the world. Or, shun this pleasure altogether. Let the Pakis enjoy their Biryani-less feasts, if they can! And what will they offer to the Saudi prince when he comes calling? Hakka Noodles & Chicken Fried Rice? They will not get even $ 20 million then.

At the same time, the government should declare Urdu as our second national language. Which is legitimate as Urdu was developed in India & is our native language. And we should go around the world promoting Urdu as our language. For, our cultural & literary heritage in Urdu (and otherwise too) is much richer than Pakistan's. You want a separate country? Get a separate language too. With Arabic & Persian also having their own homelands, the paki boys will have to develop their own language from scratch. Once they get free from scratching their butts. It will be fun watching them do so (developing the language, stupid), for its no nuclear secret that can be stolen.

India & Pakistan have a lot of shared cultural heritage. We should start appropriating it. Now, the Punjabis are still an influential community despite the Sharif family falling foul of the defence establishment. But with Bhuttos practically exterminated politically, it opens space for us. We should declare Cheti Chand a National Holiday, at par with Diwali, Holi & the Eid's. And also start celebrating other Sindhi festivals publicly. Let the Sindhis in Pakistan know that across the border too their customs are respected. Also, we should award LK Advani with the Bharat Ratna (hope the PM agrees for the sake of the nation). This would show them that while the Pak establishment kills the Sindhi leaders, we respect the ones we have. Hopefully, this would give rise to a segment within Pakistan that is friendly with us & works for a closer integration of the hearts. And maybe, well... let's not speak on this that openly & publicly.

This is all I can think of at this time. Maybe, some other ideas would crop up the next time. 

Hopefully, the government would have implemented some of the above by then & there will be no next time. 

Jai Hind!

A Letter to the School

Dear Madam,

The complain note was a pleasure.
Yes, you read that right!
Whatever may be the insinuation,
It filled me with delight.

Firstly, what she has done
Little kids are expected to do.
And such others that I know
Number much more than a few.

This is how friends and own self,
Our creativity, we expressed.
This being a kid's natural instinct,
Our school/parents never suppressed.

And before my girl discovers life
And navigates this complex maze,
I want her to have all the fun
In these few childhood days.

While I have not tutored her
On what all fun acts to do,
It was a wonderful realisation,
The same mischief, we did too.

But no such reprimands befell us
Because the town that we stayed
Always had an assimilative culture
And knows how characters get made.

Thus, we may now pin the blame
On free thinking, this town gives.
And suggest the aggrieved parent
Move to a place more conservative.

For, its most likely his own son
Should come under the same influence.
And consider, in the growing up years,
For these views, his dad a dunce.

The aggrieved parent has all right
To question my kid's upbringing.
But let him know, for all he knows,
That he actually knows nothing.

Else, why hasn't he realised
That upbringing is a long process,
And a ten year old child
Is just a work in progress?

Its not as a child, or even a teen,
But growing up to a mature adult,
That the parent can proudly show
Upbringing and its due result.

Let aggrieved parent share his coordinates.
Our performance, we may then compare.
For, its a good fifteen years away,
To know, as parents, how we fare.

I have spoken to the girl
And she admits her part,
But also that she is not
The sole contributor to this art.

So, if you will delve a bit deeper,
I am sure you will find
That in your lovely class
There are other creative minds.

It may very well be the victim child
For all that I do know.
And this is not far fetched,
If, by his own reaction, you go.

While the aggrieved parent
Would still thrust all blame,
Let those little kids know
That harmless fun has no shame.

Lastly, this being the week
Dedicated to St. Valentine,
I wish the aggrieved parent
All that is fine.

(Ashish Dimri, 09/02/2019)


p.s.: The above was in response to a complaint (appended below, names struck off) by a parent that my daughter had drawn on his son's portrait in the school diary. While this would have been brushed off as a case of being too touchy & overprotective, I had to respond because he questioned her upbringing for the same. So, if you come across your or any other kid doing the same, let them be. Its their childhood & we shouldn't interfere with it. Let them enjoy the childhood while it lasts.