Train to Pakistan

Today’s newspapers tell a story which would make any sensible person sad and filled with disgust at the way innocent Indians are being treated.

In 2004, Bhavesh Parmar, 24 years old software engineer working with an MNC in Mumbai had accidentally boarded Pakistan-bound Samjhauta Express train from Amritsar. He was depressed due to loss of his father with Cancer and then losing his job due to absence from work due to depression caused by the death. He landed up in Lahore and was arrested upon arrival.

The “Process” of his release was also very interesting. Earlier this year, a journalist Neeraj Sharma had interviewed a batch of prisoners released at Wagah border. One of the released Indian prisoners Ram Rajji passed on a chit of paper to the journalist. Bhavesh Parmar had written his home address in Vile Parle, Mumbai on that piece of paper. The journalist sent a letter to his family who in turn got to know that their son was at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail.

His case went to United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other organizations. Ultimately, in July this year, a “Mercy Petition” was filed before Pakistan’s President Asif Zardari by a Pakistani lawyer and he was released.

After seeing his family, Bhavesh said, “Mamma mil gayee” (I got my mother).

This episode shows that the distrust between the two countries is too big. On one hand Pakistan sends terrorists to India who kill dozens of Indians and also gives shelters to India’s criminals, if accidentally innocent Indians happen to cross the border, they treat them with least sensitivity possible. On the other hand, Indian politicians carry on their “one sided” and unsolicited love-affair with Pakistan.

You can read about the news here:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Punjab/Amritsar/7-yrs-after-straying-into-Pak-Mumbai-engineer-walks-back-a-free-man/SP-Article1-950117.aspx

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mumbai-engineer-repatriated-from-Pak-after-seven-years/articleshow/16960349.cms

Also note that Times of India, which promotes "Aman Ki Asha", a so called peace initiative, chooses to call his release merely “repatriation". Pic courtesy: HT

Live Show by Spy Camera!

There have been many Pakistan sponsored terrorist attacks over Mumbai, but the November 2008 attack was perhaps the most shameful. In an unforgettable episode, we watched with horror how our cops tried to pacify armed terrorists with bare hands, wooden sticks and even by throwing chairs at them. There were instances where terrorist’s bullets had pierced the bullet-proof-jackets of our anti-terror-squad members. (Perhaps these were the reasons why the state govt had leadership decided to hide the Pradhan Committee report). After the dust settled, the state government and Mumbai Police took some ‘strong’ measures to prevent such attacks from happening again. It was politically obvious that the measures had to be 'visible'; otherwise how would they regain voters’ support? So a lot of 'visible' measures were taken and our CM, HM, PM and the real M made a lot of 'audible' noises about how they had used this unprecedented setback for setting their houses in order. It seemed they were really working, when I saw some closed circuit cameras installed in the BEST buses (Mumbai’s city bus service).

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These were supposed to be ‘spy cams’. Cameras had come in ‘fashion’ in terror-stricken Mumbai after we had watched almost all of the terror attacks on the live cameras and video footages of CCTVs. So the bus wallas also decided to install the cameras. But I wonder if the cameras were installed for gathering intelligence and prevention of crime, or to do effective 'post-mortems' and making better documentaries? My cynicism is because of what I saw some days afterwards…
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Many of BEST buses had installed flat screen TV sets which used to show some pre-recorded programs and advertisements. This was for entertainment as well as for extra revenues from advertisements. Now one fine morning, I found that the TV screen in my bus was telecasting live coverage of what the spy camera was recording! It showed us the people who were getting into the bus and were settling in. Within next 10 minutes, I could naively understand the 'range' of the intelligent camera and could know exactly which portion of the bus it didn’t cover! I wondered why they were 'giving away' their secrets. Are not spy cameras to remain a secret? I thought it was happening by mistake! But the next day again the same thing was happening! TV screens telecasted what the spy camera was recording! I witnessed this about a month ago. This Sunday again, I saw the same thing! I wonder what the ‘plan’ is!
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Is it not that terrorists and criminals 'plan' their adventures? Of course they do; and if any one of them decided to board a public bus for some bomb blast, they would now be able to know the manner in which to board the bus so as to avoid the spy camera! With TV set telecasting the recordings live, the spy cameras have become useless! After realising this, I became too ashamed at Mumbai Police, or at whoever was responsible for the decision to 'train' the terrorists on 'how to avoid' spy cameras…
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Or is it some other design? Is it that the Police wanted us to 'know' that they had installed 'spy cameras' and if they didn't telecast what the camera was recording in front of us, perhaps we would never know that they had installed a camera? This is more logical. Of course this realisation is worse. What do we expect next? Another terror attack and another ‘post-mortem’? I realise now…
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A vote is more precious than the voter’s life.
(Rahul)