Foot In Mouth

Recent comments from some of our politicians make me wonder if they suffer from this disease and need similar treatment. The latest victim of this disease is BJP’s Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and the full symptoms were revealed during his ‘lip-stick’ comment. The remarks remind me of an incident which happened a few years back when my mother was travelling in a state transport bus in Hyderabad for the first time. When she couldn’t withstand standing in the bus anymore, she was about to sit on the floor. Then a young college girl wearing jeans offered her seat. My mother told me how this incident changed her perception about girls wearing jeans. When a simple house wife like my mother can understand this much and correct herself, how an educated senior politician like Naqvi can make a stupid remark like this? Another one who was sent for treatment (read forced to resign) for this disease is Mumbai’s deputy CM. Did he lose his sense in saying that the latest attack in Mumbai is a ‘small’ incident? The Mumbai bar girls must be making fun of this man. And I don’t want to even bring the other Patil who is in ICU because of this disease and other diseases like becoming indifferent and stoic and doing crazy things like changing clothes in emergency times.

I want to illustrate the point of tougher laws to deal with terrorism also with an example. When I was in U.S a few months back for the first time, I noticed a fine of $2700 for illegal use of car-pool lane. What is the pointing of levying such a hefty and crazy fine? The huge amount itself will act as a big psychological deterrent from taking chances and breaking the law. Don’t try to compare the magnitude of breaking a car-pool law and a terrorist activity, but try to see the psychological impact. A weak state which cannot hang a convicted terrorist for years gives the impression of getting away easily for anything. And I don’t want to disappoint Raj Thackeray’s bashers and would like to ask him one simple question. Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan was born in Kerala and educated in Bangalore and is from Bihar regiment. He went from Manesar, Haryana for the Mumbai mission. Does Raj Thackeray want to destroy this beautiful diversity in India?

Finally I want to end with one incident that happened just a few minutes before I started to write this piece. As I was wearing a monkey cap our watchman enquired my apartment number. I gave him a brazen reply. After walking a few steps I realized how foolish I was and immediately turned back and apologized to him and patted him for doing his job well. That made me really happy and as ‘Munna Bhai’ said you really need courage to say ‘sorry’. I urge all to oblige to security measures. It’s the least we can sacrifice.