Palghar Action Not Enough

The news on the action taken on the issue of arresting two girls for their facebook status is a joke and not enough. The Superintendent of Police Ravindra Sengaonkar, who made the arrest on the charges based on vague sections in the cyber law has been suspended. The First Class Judicial Magistrate Ramchandra Bagande who seemingly may have ratified these charges, by not throwing them out the window in the Court when they were presented and charged a bail has been transferred.

Considering that there has been a violation of the expression of freedom and the right to freedom, the only action being taken is a suspension on the Superintendent and possibly he may be transferred in near. The question is what is to prevent such police members and more across the country from taking action again? What is the deterrent? Is a suspension enough?

A more important issue at hand, and one that is not been asked about, simply because it could bring in contempt of court is how did the magistrate allow such charges to be accepted. The Judiciary has always been the constant wall that stands up when any government official is misusing power. And at times it has failed, and this is one of them.

Perhaps Ramchandra Bagande needs to be sent back to law school to know a when a worthless  charge that violates the freedom of expression has been accepted, a transfer is not enough. One day Ramchandra Bagande may be in the High Court, and be making decision regarding whole communities, not that the freedom of a single individual is greater than the freedom of a community.

The Government, at the end of the article the government has to be bought into question. It is only because of public and media pressure that action has been taken. So the deeper question is what about the other instances which are unheard of, which are not in the public sphere, what about them?

Contemplation of Balasaheb's Death

This position of Bal Thackeray is an obvious inspiration from Fidel Castro   

With the death of Bal Thackeray, there is a blast of comments of the internet and facebook, the pages of newspapers filled with news on him. All this cannot but force me to have some thoughts on such a topic.

My first reaction to the news of his death and the turbulence, and not a surprising reaction is ‘fuck them.’ I’m anything but a fan of Bal Thackeray and the rest of his family, to me they have always seem a bunch of hungry-powered, crazed warmongers with an unruly mob following them. Those reading this, don’t take me for some half baked person, I do have a decent knowledge on the doings of the history of the Thackeray’s.

As much as people glorify Bal Thackeray as a great leader, here’s a fact, Shiv Sena really influence has always been centralized in Mumbai and never managed to spread greatly throughout the rest of Maharashtra. Don’t believe that, then take a look at the current Maharashtra’s government, there is a reason why it is Congress and not Shiv Sena.

Post the 1980s, if one sees through the violent activities guise the Shiv Sena really did not do anything magnificent unless you count the changing of the Bombay to Mumbai.   

Mumbai has and will continue to transcend any form of ‘sons of soil’. I’m from the East Indian Community, and we are more of a Mumbaikar than anybody else, because we have been in Mumbai even before the Portuguese discovered called it Bombay. Then again, all my Gujrati, North Indians, North-East Indians, South Indians are much of a Mumbaikars as I. Mumbai belongs to India and the world. In spite of what any political party thinks Mumbai is a global city, part of something much bigger than itself.

For sensible people, it’s a time to celebrate (unfortunately damn bars, restaurants and shops are closed). There won’t be another person who will have such an iron grip on Mumbai, hopefully ever again.

A few articles now and then, and today quite a few of Muslim support will not convince me of Bal Thackeray’s tolerance. The man advocated, gave his booming voice to the support of 1991-92 riots, and 2006 riots.

"The evil that men do lives after them; the good is (often buried) with their bones,", to quote Shakespeare from his play Julius Caesar, and perhaps one may think I have disregarded all his ‘good deeds for Mumbai’; and there are people who remember a sea of such deeds. But the fact is a lot of his good deeds are bad shit, that’s why I see it, while a large number of people see them as good and there is a sea of people at Dadar.

Chokehold

Chokehold

Bal Thackeray’s condition in the hospital is stable. However as a friend of mine aptly put:

Bal Thackeray- Stable

Shiv Sena- Unstable

Mumbai- Critical

For some reason Bal Thackeray’s condition is tied in with the law and order situation of in Mumbai. Many people leave for work with fear, that Mumbai could ignite any time. Anti-social elements among Shiv Sena may go on vandalism and other violent activities.

Such a fear tells us a few things.

    A)    That people expect Shiv Sena could start a riot or vandalism acts across Mumbai if Bal Thackeray expires.

    B)    People believe that even though Mumbai will have nothing to do or contribute to the cause of his death, the Shiv Sena for an unreasonable reason will cause violent acts. 

   C)    The public believes that its in Shiv Sena’s nature to take such drastic action.

The public fears are not unfounded as the history of Shiv Sena reveals. However the Shive Sena has really never conducted violent acts without a reason, even though these reason maybe called unsound.   

Yet the methods of vandalism among political parties are strongly disapproved today. With the Raj Thackeray split Shiv Sena’s power has weakened and so has it ability to cause riots.

Though the public’s fear is not unfounded, it is unlikely such a thing would occur.