Next on the list...

Just as I had finished reading “The World is Flat” I was wondering whether I could keep up the momentum; as in follow it with a book.. similar in terms of impact and theme. Luckily participating in Stratagem (a biz plan event) in my college fest along with three of my good friends (Ashish, Atul and Rohit) paved the way for another interesting reading assignment. Finishing amongst the finalists ensured a gift voucher from Flipkart. After much deliberations I decided to go for “India After Gandhi” by Ramachandra Guha.

The idea behind going for this was that this book acts as a bridge between the school level history books and Thomas Friedman's “The World is Flat”. The school curriculum gave a good insight into the Indian socio-environment before Independence and Friedman very well points out how globalization has benefitted India and made it a fast growing robust economy. While this one talks in minute detail about the change India has undergone through after Independence which I find very appealing. Its something very different which we have been accustomed to - reading about India pre-Independence.

So, I am waiting for some free time after the semester (although its unlikely) but still I hope it would be yet another good reading experience.  

Battered and Bruised

Tribute in Light in remembrance of 9/11

On the 10^th anniversary of the gory attack on Twin Towers, one can’t help but regret the lost innocence our daily lives had. This dastardly attack brought terrorism and its dangers into public conscience. Sadly, the war against terrorism has acquired the colour of war against Islam or the next Crusades – which is very unfortunate. I don’t agree with the argument put forth by the proponents of this theory that had America not launched an all-out offense against Jihadists, radicalisation wouldn’t have occurred. To me, the offense put by USA in the mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan didn’t seem as an over-reaction. Perhaps, it saved its people of many of such catastrophic attacks.

Talking in context of India and the recent Delhi blasts, I find it extremely harsh to put the blame on the forces. Let us accept the fact that any kind of fortifying of public places cannot stop a determined terrorist. Also, we can’t put snipers on every chowk or on all public modes of transport or on all places of public significance. And India cannot be an Israel or USA (for whatever inherent characteristics it has). Ironically, the answer to the threat we face is more vigilance which is in contradiction to the reality mentioned above.

Means of deterrence are an immediate response but in long-term more easily accessible opportunities for the common man to grow economically might help dissuade many future “Kasabs”. The prosperity that terrorism tends to destroy is in itself the anti-dote to this disease.