and yet...

...today we still seem to miss the point of it all. Maharashtra finally has a new CM, over a week after the Mumbai terror attacks. Why? Because the parties in power could not decide upon a replacement. Is that a united front we're showing the world? And then we have our ever-active news channels telling us that the Pakistan Foreign Minister had spoken what could only be understood as a warning to India- that our External Affairs Minister's "aggressive" statements could only aggravate the situation between the two countries. Now is that respect? Will India continue to be a dove even after its list of 20 Most Wanted is blatantly refused by Pakistan who had spoken of "co-operation" in the wake of the terror attacks? And then we had the Kerela CM apologising to Major Unnikrishnan's father..thats better, you say, but did our esteemed leader ever spend a thought on the matter, before he acted? If he had, would there have been the need to so publicly apologise?? And here we have corruption so extreme our forces could not even get the bullet proof jackets they deserved!! And yet...India Shining, we want to say.

and soon hereafter we will have men in uniform celebrated for their bravery, decorated for their role in neutralising the attack. will we then see unbiased recognition? Will that be proof that there is hope after all, that the Armed Forces, at least, can guarantee us a justice that is truly blind? Or will it be yet another case of politics even among men in whose hands our security has fallen??

And here we are, Christmas round the corner. As i brought out the hard-pressed, pushed-in-its-paper-carton Christmas tree and pluck its branches to showcase its glory, the exercise takes on something more than the usual mindless, carefree act of Christmas decoration round every year. This time, i think, even this lifeless tree responds so well to the touch of my fingers...then why does my country and those i've put in place to lead it, not feel my pulse??? I put up the candy sticks, the stars, balls, little drums, bells and angels and then gloat in the satisfaction of a pot-pourri of a beautiful whole from out of the pieces that were shelved in a plastic bag the year before.

and yet the size of my eyes, the language of my forefathers, the faith i cling to and the politics i support continue to alienate me from the whole which could have been so beautiful...