A homage

Today is a sad day in India’s history. A young girl lost her life having faced the bestiality of a group of animals in the form of Man. Unfortunately, she was not alone – it is an all too frequent issue in our country. Action needs to be taken against all who were responsible, including those in power. But that can wait for another day. Ghalib wrote a poem when his cousin Arif died young. I take his words to pay my homage to the one who died. 

Aaye ho kal aur aaj hi kahte ho ki jaaun mana ki hamesha nahi acchha koi din aur Jaate hue kahte ho qayamat ko milenge kya khub! qayamat kaa hai goya koi din aur Tum kaun se the aise khare dad-o-sitad ke kartaa maluk ul-maut taqaaza koi din aur Haan ay falak-e-piir, jawan tha abhi arif kya tera bigarta jo na marta koi din aur

आये हो कल और आज ही कहते हो कि जाऊं माना कि हमेशह नहीं अचछा कोई दिन और जाते हुए कहते हो क़ियामत को मिलेंगे कया ख़ूब क़ियामत का है गोया कोई दिन और तुम कौन-से थे ऐसे खरे दाद-ओ-सितद के करता मलक उल-मौत तक़ाज़ा कोई दिन और हां अय फ़लक-ए पीर जवां था अभी `आरिफ़ कया तेरा बिगड़ता जो न मरता कोई दिन और

How much time has passed since you came into the world? It's as if you came only yesterday, and today you're saying that you're going. I agree that you won't stay forever, but stay a few days more. Why are you in such a hurry to die?

At the time of taking leave of me, you promise to meet on Doomsday. From your saying this it seems that Doomsday has not come today, but will come some other time. For me, the day of your death itself is Doomsday

if the Angel of Death presented his claim on your life, so what? It was only the first reminder. You didn't have to pay him at once, that very instant! Since when were you so scrupulous about such things? Why did you show an appalling (and uncharacteristic!) degree of scrupulousness-- all too quickly you accepted his claim, and gave your life into his power.

O ancient Sky the one dying was young, he hadn't reached his natural lifespan. If he had remained alive for some days more, what harm would it have done you?

Building Perspective among journalists

India boasts perhaps the largest number of news channels and newspapers in the world. However, for all that, the news that is delivered is surprisingly uni dimensional and lacking in perspective. Most journalists think that being shrill replaces being analytic.

A case in point is the recent coverage of the "swine flu". A popular english news channel would have you believe that India is "battling" the Pandemic, and not too successfully - as all of 22 cases have been reported across India. Without advocating a lackadaisical attitude on the part of the medical authorities, one wonders whether this is headline making news at prime time. To put it in perspective, India has 20% of the world's 37 million estimated blind - and another study suggests that 15% are curable - this makes it a case of 1 million untreated patients. People suffering from Malaria and Tuberculosis make up similar orders of magnitude. When is the last you have witnessed a mention, much less a discussion on these diseases. I guess this too is a function of the prevailing "fashion". Perhaps one of the negatives of having a oh-so-young population. Serious issues are passe, sensational is in