I am worried about terrorism in India. Not just Islamic, which without any questions and doubts does get addressed and taken adequate action against, but also Hindu terrorism, which always escapes from the grip of authorities for lack of hard evidence. Honestly, if nothing is done about the situation in Orissa we shall probably have yet another terrorist group, but this time participated by Christians.

The ‘gorious’ work of the Bajrang Dal in Orissa is not a figment of anybody’s imagination. Innocent people are murdered in cold-blood, burnt alive, nuns raped…do we really need more facts to take a call against the religious group? PM Manmohan Singh wants to ban the group immediately but defiance within his party is problematic because they fear the BJP may reap dividends out of it. So, in the political plotting nobody really suffers but people like the Armyman who fought for our country in the Indo-Pak and Kargil War; his paralysed brother gets torched by fanatics chanting “Jai Hanuman” in Orissa.

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This year Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday brought along a special gift for the aam janta in India — the ban on public smoking. Indian Health Minister Anubumani Ramadoss finally had his way after chasing the tobacco smokers for a long long time.

First, it was the ban on onscreen smoking that even targeted top notch stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. The result is no actor dares to light that offensive roll of tobacco which they sometimes carry for an effective role portrayal in front of the cameras.

Afterwards came the respect for passive smokers. Apparently, if you smoked in front of your maid she has the right to register a complaint against you. Soon, due to an amendment in the traffic laws smoking while driving was ordained illegal.

Then there were talks of introducing pictures/images of diseases caused by smoking on the cigarette box, a law which too was implemented on 2nd October.Â

Ramadoss has been pummeled for his radical approach to health problems. Cigarette smoking is a major health concern facing India right now. Will these laws actually help? I, too like many others, have some doubts.
a)Â Will these give some more reasons to the cops to earn the extra 50 bucks?
b) Will smokers come up with ways around these laws? (I am not predicting anything, but the human mind is a great innovative machine in times of ‘crises.)
c)Â If India is so serious about banning the tobacco, then why not stop the production altogether? Let tobacco join the bandwagon with heroin, LSD and the likes.

All that said I am still very happy to see the government take action against cigarette smoking. Just that these laws still have some loopholes which the authorities and law enforcers should not ignore. Also, the public health care scheme should include ‘leaving tobacco’ procedures. We know how expensive they are. Maybe the government hospitals should be guided to provide the same at less or no cost.

But yes, it is indeed a pleasure to say goodbye to public smoking!

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Believe it or not, but the ‘modest’ garment (yes, sari it is) of Indian women has been banned in Nigeria. Shocked? Welcome to the world of ultra conservatism. Apparently, the Nigerian law declares a three month imprisonment or a fine of 100 dollars for women exposing their mid-riffs. After you are out of the immediate shock, let me ask you, ‘Do we really have the right to question the Nigerian attitude to our sari?
To begin with, aren’t we too taken over by an overwhelming moral policing that makes us, the common India, mentally ban short tops, skirts or those clothes of the west that expose body parts. Well, we are getting paid back in the same coin now. It’s only fair. The fabric of a sari is flimsy, the blouse is made of a thin cloth and many a times the garment is tied so that the navel is visible. The whole package isn’t very tasteful for the Nigerians. But to the women of India, the dress is a blessing in the hot climates of our region.
The point is, that even a skimpy garment like bikini is justified. Just try going to California or even to Goa in the summer heat in a pair of jeans, you just won’t feel like stepping out of the AC. In other words, a bikini (or something close to it) sometimes is the only way for you to face the sun. So, why don’t we put a stop to our unjustified moral policing and let the individual dress as per his/her desire and comfort.
By the way, did you know the navvari sari that is now regarded as a means to titillate men (thanks to Bollywood) was actually a symbol of freedom for women. The dhoti style sari gave women a lot of leg space allowing them to perform tasks that weren’t possible otherwise. But the so-called Maharashtrians, are too blind to realise that.
Via nitawriter