The Vivekean Times

         -   by Vivek Pereira So many humans But so little humanity Amidst the great rally For one man’s vanity. So much passion, But so little empathy; No expression of remorse Not even thru’ telepathy. Such a lot of promises, But most remain unfulfilled; All they want is power No matter who gets killed. So large a nation, But so few citizens, Daring to take on evil, And preventing all these sins. Such a small mindset, But an even narrower vision That’s taking us all backwards Thru’ the politics of religion So little time, But still a lot to do; Let’s work even harder And make our dreams come true.

In the aftermath of the powerful bomb blast at the Delhi High Court, the helpless Prime Minister of India solicited help from politicians and intellectuals by way of suggestions on how to tackle the menace of terrorism. Coincidentally, terrorism is one of the focal points of my book, “Rose Gardens and Minefields” wherein I accused the West of doing nothing against this menace while it grew from a small caterpillar to a huge, elusive butterfly. Here are a few suggestions that I can give the current government on this subject: 1) Hang all terrorists currently on death row (including Kasab) within the next three months and send a strong message to all terrorists. The Government would need considerable assistance from the President and the courts to achieve this deadline. 2) Frame a new terror law based on consensus between political parties, the judiciary and the civil society. Representatives of each of these sections must be involved in a drafting committee before it goes to the ...

Almost every Indian citizen (who can afford it) gives donations to schools and colleges for their childrens' admissions. Many buy tickets in black (at unreasonable rates) to watch movies. Many citizens bribe RTOs for fake driving licenses; while others give bribes to traffic cops and railways TCs when caught on the wrong foot. Shop owners pay haftas to cops and gangsters. Actors work in films financed by underworld gangsters like Dawood Ibrahim. These are everyday phenenomena in our motherland yet people who pay these bribes do not launch an agitation against the schools, gangsters and policemen. In the light of this blatant and rampant corruption, and our role in it, isn't it so hypocritical that civil society is launching an all out attack on the government and judiciary when we ourselves act s irresponsibly. Let us deny our children the school we prefer, let us sacrifice the privileges and comforts we desire before putting the entire blame on the government. And let me ass...