Transition

Frustrated Fuse Blog

2011-12-05T20:17:00.001+05:30

Hello everyone. Since the time I share first chapter of my spythriller fiction, many of you have asked me to publish it as a separate blog rather than continue it on Transition. So finally my novel has been ported out to a dedicated blog. I have continued with naming system and named it Frustrated Fuse Blog for need of a better name. Chapter-3 will be published on this new blog soon. So, please update your bookmarks and keep your valuable suggestions coming in.

2011-11-14T23:05:00.001+05:30

Hello everyone. It has been quiet some time since my last post. For those who don't know, I was in China, famous not only for Great Wall of China, but also due to their Great Firewall that blocks blogging sites, social networking sites like Facebook/Twitter and many other sites.

Coming back to the topic, I have some interesting tips and tricks for you guys on how to survive or rather have a good time in China. Will post them as I finish writing those posts.

Till then, see you guys. I am just trying to stay awake at Indira Gandhi International airport. :)

Blackberry keeps rebooting (or restarting)

2011-08-20T17:09:00.001+05:30

One fine day my Blackberry 9000 was frozen. I let it be for 15 minutes, but it was still stuck at same screen and with a clock icon in the middle. Finally I did ‘hard reboot/reset’ by removing the battery and put it back in. It showed me Blackberry booting screen. Progress bar in boot screen moved a few notches and then rebooted on its own. It went on for quite some time. I tried connecting the charger and charging it while it went on. But that didn’t work either.

Finally I got online and googled about this problem. Found out that such problem might be caused due to battery not sitting tightly. Checked for same. It was fitted properly. Finally decided to connect my rebooting phone to my computer and opened Blackberry desktop software. Immediately it gave me a screen saying that my phone was either not connected or switched off. It gave me three options Retry, Update and Cancel. I hit Retry, but it didn’t work. Finally I hit Update and it started updating. Usually when you try to update your Blackberry OS, updater gives you an option to back your data up. But since mine was rebooting continuously, that option was disabled on updater screen. Finally update was done and my Blackberry booted fine. It was completely wiped off. Thanks to a backup I had done few days back, I was able to restore it. Although I had to reinstall all extra applications and configure my email id once again on my phone.

It was that day that I finally activated Blackberry Protect. Nifty feature indeed. It backs up your data and keeps it secure on a server. You can set the frequency of backups too. And in future if you have to wipe out your Blackberry for any reason, you can always get it back from that server. In order to use Blackberry Protect, you’ll need Blackberry Internet Services (BIS) to be enabled.

To be or not to be

2011-08-17T23:08:00.000+05:30

Anna Hazare's decision to take non-violent path for Lokpal bill has found thousands of supporters across India. It can arguably also called a mass-movement. But then there are others who feel that Lokpal will only add another layer of bureaucracy to the existing behemoth. Another layer might also become an avenue for corruption. It is not that these people support corruption, but they might have valid reasons for questioning Lokpal bill.

Lot of people have in last 48 hours have reminded us that India is a democracy and we have right to support what we believe in. Fair enough. So let those who are skeptical about supporting Anna be that way. After all not supporting him does not mean that they support corruption. This is not war on terror and nobody is George Bush over here to say "if you are not with us, you are against us". So be reasonable, sensible and logical and hear what others have to say before branding them. Let us not be divided, but unite forces to terminate the demon of corruption.

Jai Hind.

Chapter-2: Rivers of Blood

2011-07-21T19:58:00.004+05:30

What transpires in Lord’s court is never known to mortals. But Arambam Kamei, the chief of UNLF had met his maker in a style he had never anticipated. With a romantic full-form like United National Liberation Front, there was nothing romantic about what UNLF did. Established in 1964 to demand and fight for a separate state of Manipur, they had killed number of civilians and security personnel over half a century. Over a period of time, security forces prevailed and gradually UNLF started facing problems in recruiting and arming cadres. In due course, UNLF left the battlefield and returned to dialogue with the government. But then there were those who had vested interests and those were being threatened by peace in Manipur. Such powers encouraged likes of Kamei to stick to violent means and cause maximum damage to India. For this he was provided a safe sanctuary in Bangladesh, while his followers fought it out with security forces in hills and valleys of Manipur. Flush with funds, weapons and training from their tall and fair ‘instructors’, his followers felt confident about achieving their goal of separate Manipur. Little did they know that they were mere pawns in a major game that their chief and his friends were playing. A new round of violence had erupted in entire North-East India. Security personnel operating in North-East India were no strangers to insurgent attacks, but latest wave of violence shocked them. These new crop of insurgents were far cry from those they had faced in NE earlier. They operated in smaller teams and were focused on targets that would get them prime time slot in all news channels. Their aim was to paint India as an oppressive state and highlight UNLF as savior of the people of NE.

Unlike past operations where they were localized to Manipur, UNLF had started contacting other insurgent groups across NE and sending members to train and co-ordinate with them. Such actions not only increased scope of UNLF operations across NE, but also consolidated their position amongst insurgent groups.Collaboration between various insurgent groups under aegis of UNLF had created a monster that now threatened to severe not only Manipur, but entire North-East from Indian Union. Indian government’s first response was to deploy additional troops of various non-military units like CRPF, BSF and ITBP. Their deployment was purely defensive. Their orders were not to conduct operations except for patrolling and aid to Army and local civil authorities. Even normal cordon and search operations were not allowed. While Indian government insisted on dialogue to bring peace to the region, local Army commanders and intelligence officials knew that dialogue was only the second step. First step was to hit at the heart of this monster which lied elsewhere, only then could insurgent groups be persuaded to join negotiations and arrive at a solution. In fact for a change, armed forces and intelligence agencies were working closely and had identified key players of this play. Crack units of SFF and Army Special Forces were just waiting for the green light. Their warnings and suggestions ricocheted off the ears of a government plagued with inaction. Brains behind increased tempo of insurgency had done their research well. In spite of ghastly terror attacks, Indian government had deterred from taking any concrete steps. Instead of action, mere statements were released and citizenry was just fooled and made to forget about it till the time of next terrorist strike. This was the routine script after each terror strike. Over a period of time, India was tagged as a soft state and considered to be a safe haven for terrorists and insurgents. All these failures had been kept in mind by planners inside and outside India before fanning the fires of insurgency in North-East.

UNLF was guiding insurgents across North-East to adopt newer techniques and incite local population against security forces. Most used method was mingling with local crowd and opening fire on security forces. When security forces fired back, insurgents hiding in buildings and trees would fire carefully aimed shots at security personnel as well as innocent civilians. Couple of days after such incidents, some villagers would ‘witness’ truckload of ‘men in Indian uniform’ driving up to their village to rape and kill those responsible for attacks. Indian Army and other security forces were being hammered on both sides. They were losing men to attacks and their reputation was being tarnished due to such theatrics. Leftist media had a field day showing interviews of so-called witnesses and branding security forces as barbarians invading paradise of North-East. Government was feeling immense pressure from pseudo-liberals and international community to sort out problems in North-East and reign in a ‘bunch of psychopaths in uniform’. As history shows, such pressure always translated into curtailing powers of security forces which in turn led to increase in number of such attacks. Commanders of security were not only worried about maintaining order in the region, but also the effects of multi-pronged attacks troop morale. Then there was this incident in Gangtok that sent shock waves across the world. Termed as “St. Joseph’s School massacre”, it was the deadliest and most dastardly attack by insurgents.

2nd December 2013 - 17:00 local time

Assistant Commandant Himanshu Negi of BSF was writing a letter to his wife in Palampur. He was missing her as he sat in a tent on outskirts of Gangtok. He had been married for a week when orders came from HQ to move to Sikkim due to increased insurgent activity. He and his platoon were tasked to patrol on the outskirts and report anything suspicious. He had decided to rest his platoon before going out on a night patrol. He wrote to his wife every single day and she wrote back with same frequency. Today he was writing to her about his day and that his second in command Ratan Lal’s wife had given birth to baby boy. He mentioned that he planned to start his effort towards bringing a new life to earth once he got leave. He was thinking about other things that happened on that day when a bullet from silenced Sterling L2A1 went through his head. His bleeding head fell on the ground soaking his last letter in blood. Few seconds after that three figures wearing BSF uniform entered his tent carrying silenced weapons. Their leader gave instructions and they started wrapping up tents and collecting gear of dead soldier. Within minutes corpses of 30 BSF troopers were loaded in civilian trucks and taken to unknown location. 30 men wearing BSF uniform now boarded the trucks that once belonged to Negi’s platoon.

2nd December 2013 - 17:45 local time

Shivam Mahesh Agrawal was son of a prominent businessman in Gangtok. Shivam’s grandfather had started with a small shop in Gangtok. His father expanded his business and spread it across entire North-East. He had high hopes for Shivam who was not only good with studies and sports, but also showed sharp business acumen expected from a Marwari. Shivam was good at making friends and a favourite of his teachers. So when he returned from national level Judo championship bagging a gold medal, his schoolmates and teachers decided to take out a procession from St. Joseph’s school to his house carrying him on shoulders and singing school anthem. It was then that this procession was stopped by two BSF trucks that appeared out of the blue. Before any inquiry could be made, men in uniform climbed down from trucks and opened fire on the procession. Students and their teachers were taken by surprise by this sudden firing. They spent precious seconds to take evasive action and paid the price. Shivam was shot through his heart and stomach. By the time those men had stopped firing and boarded their trucks that sped away in different directions. Official figures quoted 167 dead and 230 injured. Out of these, 38 would later succumb to their injuries across various hospitals.

News of this genocide shocked entire world. Media hounds had gone hysterical and were asking for government to pull out security forces from North-East. Government was in a dilemma. If they kept security forces stationed in NE, they risked losing faith and support of people of NE leading to loss of entire NE. And if they withdrew security forces from NE, insurgents will see to it that India lost control over NE. all in all, it was lose-lose situation for India. While this episode was taking place, Al-Jazeera interrupted its current program about malnutrition in South Sudan to air live interview with leader of a local organization named Sikkim Sabha. Registered as a NGO working for spreading education in villages of Sikkim, this was the first time that they had gone public. There were four other insurgents visible besides their leader who was speaking excitedly in crisp English. He was telling his interviewer how Sikkim had been forced to be a part of India and how they were being oppressed. He went at lengths to describe cruelty and cowardice of Indian troops in firing at children and their teachers. He talked about jealousy that Indian troops had felt when someone from Sikkim had won a gold medal. His inane talks went on for almost twenty minutes and then his tone changed. He started speaking softly and slowly to let meaning of his words sink in. He asked interviewer and cameraman to follow him. After walking a few steps he asked cameraman to point his camera to his right. As soon as cameraman focused his camera there, corpses lying there became visible. They were wearing BSF uniform. Cameraman shot each corpse slowly as if they were some shrubs. There were 30 corpses in total. After shooting corpses, cameraman turned towards the leader who showed a bunch of identity cards belonging to deceased BSF personnel. He also showed trucks that had belonged to BSF troopers and were later used to whisk away those who attacked Shivam and his friends. Then he proclaimed “Sikkim Sabha has grown fangs and claws to attack those who try to harm our people. My brothers and sisters, I ask you to rise against man-eaters from India and throw them out of our glorious home and give a safe and prosperous Sikkim to our children. We have suffered under this regime, but let us vow that our children will inherit a heaven that our Sikkim once was”. At this point feed goes back to the studio where a female anchor starts giving her opinion on what could be done.

News of this interview spread like wild fire. Ageing PM summoned an emergency meeting of his ministers and chiefs of security apparatus. Manish Joshi saw his boss run off towards his car with his aides in tow. He had seen that interview and was raging inside. He and his colleagues had discussed about different pattern of violence in North-East immediately after it appeared. They knew who all were behind this, but their hands were tied. At that time Manish felt impotent rage that most Indian citizens feel after a terrorist attack. But this time it was different. He felt that something needed to be done or else India would lose entire North-East. Today we’ll lose North-East, tomorrow J&K would declare freedom. If that happened, demands for Khalistan might find new supporters. Simply put, India would cease to exist. Son of an IPS officer, Manish respected law. But he knew that it was necessary to break laws in order to maintain integrity of India. While he was contemplating how to resolve this issue, he got a call on his cell phone. As he picked the call and said ‘hello’ he heard that unforgettable voice.

MJ: Hello

Caller: I want the dossier on Arambam Kamei

MJ: No ways, I am not even allowed to share it with my colleagues from other departments.

Caller: I can feel the rage in your voice Mr. Joshi. Information you share with me will only help me bring down your rage. After all we don’t want to lose good sons of India to heart attacks.

MJ: Hmmm. Alright, I’ll arrange it for you. But you need to tell me who you are and why do you want this information.

Caller: My reason for this information will be clear in next few days. And as to my identity, it should not matter as long as I don’t get you in trouble.

MJ: What do I call you then? Phantom?

Caller: Call me Rustom. Name your price Mr. Joshi.

MJ: I want North East.

Chapter-1: Devil’s filth

2011-07-20T13:51:00.004+05:30

16th December, 2013 - 20:00 local time

Arambam Kamei became passionate about single malt whiskey since the time he had his first sip of good stuff. He ensured that he got the best single malts in his parties. He was well-known for hosting grand parties where best wine and women were available in plenty. But unlike others he preferred to keep his guest list short and invite only those who were close to him. Today’s party had just begun and he was enjoying his drink with some of his powerful friends sitting on terrace of his villa in outskirts of Chittagong. Most of them had made their fortune in less than legal ways by dealing in drugs, arms and humans. Their common connection was their animosity towards India for reasons varying from commercial to religious. Some of the members were officers in Bangladesh Army. Life was good for Kamei and he thought he deserved it for all the hard work he had done all these years. After spending time in jungles of Manipur under constant threat of being hunted by Indian security forces he felt he had earned his luxurious lifestyle.

Surrounded by a thick growth of trees, villa’s parking lot was filled with premium SUVs of different makes. Armed security guards of guests were milling around and discussing what idle men usually discuss. All of a sudden there was a series of ear-shattering blasts near car park. Before anybody could understand anything, security guards started dropping on ground. While some of them had dropped down due to their proximity to blasts, many of them fell due to impact of 7.62mm bullets to their heads and torsos. Smoke grenades came out of the blue and covered entire compound with smoke.

Bewildered guests and surviving guards took out their weapons and started firing wildly. Their bullets hit no targets as there weren’t any. Intended recipients of those bullets were either lying prone in the woods or on the trees. Firing stopped as abruptly as it had started as those firing could not find any targets and were now thinking about what happened. Guests from terrace started barking orders to their guards to start their vehicles. It was at that very moment that shots rang out from woods and took out couple of guests. Almost at same time, figures clad in standard issue fatigues of Bangladesh Navy Special Forces armed with HK-416 rifles, wearing gas masks and night vision gear emerged from the woods firing towards remaining guards. There was not much left for them on the terrace as snipers had done their job well.

Marine troops with HK416 and G36 rifles. (Image courtesy: www.militaryphotos.net)

Only three subjects were intentionally left alive with shots to their limbs to immobilize them. In next few minutes, one team of assaulters climbed to terrace while another went for Kamei’s laptop and safe. One of the survivors was trying to take out his cell phone with a wounded arm. One of the assaulters named Yusuf Mohammed gave him a solid kick on face with a comment “Dear General, you and your friends have sold Bangladesh to the highest bidder. You have sold our mothers, sisters and wives to brothels and are enjoying the riches. I have all the reasons to kill you, so you better behave yourself.” Those words spoken in native Bangla had such a ring of finality to it that brave General Khalid Hasan of Bangladesh Rifles did not even move a muscle. Yusuf looked towards his leader who nodded. He went towards Kamei who was lying in pool of his own blood after being shot in left thigh and right kneecap. He pulled out his pistol and shot Kamei’s left kneecap. Kamei who was reason behind so many deaths was now feeling the pain he had inflicted on others all these years. Yusuf said in native Bangla “We, the Sons of Bangladesh hereby send you back to Allah’s court, for he’ll judge you for the crime committed against my country and her children”. It was repeated again in heavily accented English and then he fired two shots in Kamei’s head.

By this time the third survivor Omar Ubaid, who happened to be involved heavily in human trafficking started to plead to spare his life. This was the last that General Hasan saw before he fell unconscious due to blood loss. Omar was carefully shot by Yusuf to ensure that he does not bleed heavily and could survive for some time. One of the assaulters checked for vital signs on General. He was still alive. He gave a ‘thumbs up’ and all of them left as quickly as they had appeared taking with them Kamei’s laptop and documents from his safe. When jeeps and trucks carrying troops local police and military garrison arrived on the scene, all they could find were charred remains of SUVs and corpses of some very powerful men. Omar and General Khalid were rushed to nearest hospital and a mop up of villa was ordered by local military commander. Those in the vicinity of the area were asked to forget about everything that had happened at the villa.

Few hours after this incident, Gregory Carver of CNN, Julia Trent of BBC and Prakash Roy of NDTV were on air reading the email and showing video clips that they had received. That email rested responsibility of “cleaning devil’s filth littered in Bangladesh” on shoulders of erstwhile unknown group called ‘Sons of Bangladesh’. Their agenda declared that they were a patriotic Bangladeshi group formed of common people who had decided to stop foreign elements from milking their country and pushing Bangladeshi people into bottomless pit of poverty and disease. It proclaimed that this was their first operation and from now on they would target those who acted against interests of Bangladesh without giving any consideration to their ethnicity. Immediately afterwards was live telecast of a press conference summoned by Bangladeshi Prime Minister. He conveyed that there was no such incident and this was just a ploy to foment unrest in the country.

Governments across the globe were startled at this incident. It was surprising that a non-government organization had conducted an operation with military precision and eliminated so many powerful men. But then there were a few who saw the news on TV and gave a cunning smile for it was their handiwork. Who were these men would never be known to the world thought Manish Joshi. He switched off TV in his office and called up his wife of 20 years. Manish informed her that he’ll take her out to eat ‘chaat’ at Chandni Chowk just like they used to during early years of marriage. She deserved at least that much for making sacrifices all these years. After all his work involved spending lots of time away from family and then there were things which he could never talk about. He was happy not only because he was taking his wife out, but also because mysterious Rustom had struck. Elimination of Kamei and his cronies had struck a blow to separatist movement in North-East India. Rustom had promised more and Manish was willing to wait. While leaving office, he could not help but feel proud of the organization he worked for. Located at a non-descript building, its name betrayed its function. Named Research & Analysis Wing or RAW for short, it was India’s topmost intelligence agency and he was one of the best spies RAW had ever produced.

Frustrated Fuse

2011-07-20T13:44:00.003+05:30

India is a country of over a billion people. Unity in diversity was supposed to be guiding principle of independent India. However in practice, there is no unity but only diversity. People are divided over issues like religion, state, caste, sub-caste, etc. But there is one very strong factor that unites all Indians. It is insecurity and fear caused by terrorists that cuts across all the layers of society and is spread evenly from top to bottom. While terrorists roam freely and safely amongst us, it is the common man struggling with his day to day life who has additional burden of safety to worry about. This fear is aggravated by inaction of spineless and corrupt government. Recent blasts in Mumbai (aka Bombay) have brought out hollowness of government’s promise of security. Instead of ensuring our security, government is busy telling us that such things happen. I bet most of us have felt the feeling of frustration and helplessness when such incidents occur. May Lord help us all.

This spy thriller is a story of a young man who got frustrated by acts of terror and decided to play his part to try and stop such attacks against India and Indian interests across the globe. Was he successful? Did he die in vain? I don’t know, because I have not finished the story yet. I’ll be writing it in bits and pieces and will try to be regular. Bouquets and brick-bats will be equally welcome and your suggestions are very valuable to me.

Chapter-1: Devil's Filth

Chapter-2: Rivers of Blood

Chapter-3: Damage Assessment

Disclaimer: All characters are fictional. Any resemblances to people in real life are purely co-incidental.

Blackberry - Reason: Failed to obtain an IP address

2011-05-21T11:49:00.000+05:30

I got a BlackBerry 9000 exactly one year back. I was pretty happy with the interface and functionality after being a loyal Windows Mobile user for a long time. After few days I tried to connect to my Wi-fi in office. My handheld identified the network and asked me to enter WEP key. After I entered WEP key, it tried to connect to the network. But it didn’t work. It came up with an error message “Reason: Failed to obtain an IP address”. I asked Google baba for resolution and got various solutions. One of the solutions included wiping off my BlackBerry. I tried all of them. Sadly none of them seemed to work. I thought problem might be with hardware and was contemplating giving it for service. Apparently bill of purchase is with a friend and he has lost it. So I thought I was stuck with a dud.

Few days back I activated BlackBerry services for BBM and email after constant advice from some of my friends who are proud owners of BlackBerry. I followed all the required steps for activating BB services, but nothing seemed to work. I was pretty frustrated and was fiddling around with various options. All of a sudden I landed in ‘Mobile Network’ settings and found that section called ‘Data Services’ was ‘Off’ and ‘Network Mode’ was set to ‘3G & 2G’. I changed ‘Data Services’ to ‘On’. Immediately I got a message saying that my BB services were activated. Filled with joy, I also tried checking whether it had resolved my Wi-fi issue and it sure did.

Since I had tried so hard to get my Wi-fi issue sorted, I felt that I would share this on my blog. This way anybody facing similar problem can resolve it without any hassle. Listed below are the steps.

Options -> Mobile Network -> Data Services -> On

Once you do these steps, you are all set to use data services including BlackBerry services and Wi-fi networks.

P.S: It feels great to write after such a long hiatus.

Jat Balwan, Jai Bhagwan

2011-02-18T17:42:00.004+05:30

This is what I have as a starting point from a book on special forces. "The gates of the Somnath temple, which had been carried away by Mohammed of Ghazni in 1024 AD and installed in the tomb of one Sultan Mohammed, were eventually recovered and returned to the temple by 1st Royal Jat Regiment during First Afghan War of 1842".

1st Royal Jat Regiment was part of the British contingent sent to fight during the first Afghan War in 1838. Archaeological Survey of India has them in possession and are kept at Agra Fort. 1st Jat Regiment was later affiliated to Mechanized Infantry Regiment in 1980 and became its second battalion.

I have contacted my friends at Jat Regimental Center to dig into their regimental history and provide me with details so that I can get an article done as well as get a board displayed at Somnath that would tell people about how our boys brought it back. Watch this space for more details.

Flying, fun and more!!!

2011-02-10T21:35:00.004+05:30

My "catch" from three days well spent at Aero India 2011. It took place from 9-13 Feb, 2011 at Yelhanka AFS, Bangalore.

Pictures:

https://picasaweb.google.com/103334037657881411162/BirdsOfAeroIndia2011?feat=directlink

https://picasaweb.google.com/vkansagra/AeroIndia2011?feat=directlink

https://picasaweb.google.com/103334037657881411162/BirdsOfAeroIndia10thFeb2011

HAL Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Videos:

Saab 2000 media flight videos:

My pictures at Aero India 2011:

Standing proud next to HAL Light Combat Helicopter (LCH). This is second prototype and was part of the static display. Digital camo seen on this bird is a first for any Indian aircraft. (Vishal Kansagra)

Inside a C-17 Globemaster III. Notice the humongous volume it has. And this was just a part of it. (Vishal Kansagra)

Getting feel of the cockpit of arguably one of the most advanced air-superiority fighters, Eurofighter Typhoon. (Vishal Kansagra)

Boarding Saab 2000. Its naval version is on offer to Indian Navy for maritime patrolling. (Vishal Kansagra)

A euphoric moment for any aviation enthusiast. Sharing space with some of the most advanced combat aircrafts on the globe. Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, F-16 Block 60, etc. (Vishal Kansagra)

Eurofighter has got a new salesman. :) Notice Sarang (flying HAL Dhruv aka ALH) team in action. (Vishal Kansagra)

My first devotional poem

2011-01-12T10:15:00.001+05:30

This poem penned by me is dedicated to Lord Krishna, especially Baal Swaroop.

ઓ કાળિયા, તું મારો ગોવાળિયો
ને હું તારો બળદિયો
ઠેર ઠેર ભટક્યો
બહુ થાક્યો, બહુ પાક્યો
અંતે તારી પાસે ભેરવાયો
ઓ કાળિયા, તું મારો ગોવાળિયો
ને હું તારો બળદિયો
મને થયું કે હું તો બહુ ડાહ્યો
પણ જગત માં બહુ દાઝ્યો
અંતે તારી વાંસળી તણે થયો છાંયો
ઓ કાળિયા, તું મારો ગોવાળિયો
ને હું તારો બળદિયો

Forgotten Soldier – Introduction

2010-11-26T11:31:00.004+05:30

Today is second anniversary of terrorist attack on Mumbai. 26/11 brings back a flood of memories not only to those who lost their dear ones but also to those who watched it on TV and felt an impotent rage inside. Attack on various locations spread across South Mumbai has been unique in history of terrorist attacks on Indian soil. Never before had terrorists shown capacity for such audacity, planning and cold blooded murder.

Even in wake of this new style of attacks, there were few things that were the same old. First was the usual indecisiveness and inaction of government during initial stages. Another thing that was the same old and pure was the bravery of Indian soldiers and policemen. Mumbai police officers even though under-equipped were not found lacking in courage. Officer Tukaram Omble’s act bears testimony to this. When he caught Kasab, he was just armed with lathi and raw courage. Courage was not in short supply when MARCOS (MARine COmmandoS) were requested to take charge of the situation. These unique breed of men dressed in black were the first ones to secure the site and respond to terrorists. Next came in NSG (National Security Guards) boys popularly called “Black Cats”. They were the ones who finally rescued the hostages and sent terror mongers to hell.

I am not going to rant about aftermaths of this attack as our inaction is there for the world to see and biryani hogging Ajmal Kasab is still enjoying our hospitality. Today’s post is dedicated to our brave boys and girls in the forces and police.

Image courtesy: www.sikhnet.com

Today, world might think of India as a country that would bend over backwards and will present second cheek if slapped on first one. This image has been created by those in power as they fail to play their cards right on international stage. While top political leadership might be blamed for this sloppy attitude, no one would question courage and fighting spirit of Indian soldier. In addition to protecting our own frontiers, Indian soldiers have also shed their blood to protect the West. Such facts have been either left in history books or just forgotten. From today, I’ll start a series of posts dedicated to these “Forgotten Soldiers”. These posts will be based on battles fought by Indian soldier during World War 1, World War 2 and during UN peacekeeping missions across the globe. I would like to end this introductory post with this poem that reflects a soldier’s plight.

Dust trails float seemingly in still air
With each boot upon the ground
Silhouetted by the faded sunset
A forgotten soldier marches

Robbed of the support from his nation
He marches into oblivion
To be forgotten as another nameless soldier
Fading into a mere memory

Voices of reasons why go unheard
Ears to listen are unwilling
Thanks never given for their loyalty
A forgotten soldier marches on

Going down into self-history of Pride and Duty
Head held high even now
As a country’s support crumbles away into nonexistence
Forgotten in the books of our nation’s history

The sun sets and darkness falls in
Boot trail swept away by the winds of time
A helmet and rifle lay
Gone forever is the forgotten soldier

*Poem by magrunemoon*

Interview with Mr. Lova Drori, Executive Vice President, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems

2010-11-22T00:33:00.003+05:30

This interview is reproduced here from India Defence website. Original interview can be found here here.

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is the Israeli authority for development of weapons and military technology and is a former sub-division of the Israeli Defence ministry. It is widely considered as the leader in defense innovation and development. In recent years, Rafael has developed an increasing presence in the Indian defense market.

Mr. Vishal Kansagra, Defense Analyst and Business Development Lead for India Defence recently spoke to Mr. Lova Drori, Executive Vice President for Rafael Advanced Defense Systems on a wide range of topics including Rafael's offerings to the Indian Armed Forces, Defense Offsets Policy, challenges faced before defense companies in India and the impact of global recession and economic downturn.

Vishal Kansagra: What are the products you are pitching to Indian armed forces?

Lova Drori: We have lot of products that would interest Indian armed forces and we are talking to them about that, but we can't share more specific details about those products or programs. All I can share is that we are offering Iron Dome and David's Sling to the Indian armed forces.

Vishal Kansagra: I remember that there were discussions about a joint venture with BEL to cater to Indian and global markets. What is the update on that joint venture?

Lova Drori: Joint venture with BEL needs more discussions as any such joint company will be under government control as BEL is a PSU.

Vishal Kansagra: Do have plans to form a joint venture with private defence companies in India?

Lova Drori: Definitely. We would like to form partnership with Indian private companies. Discussions are already going on with various private players for land systems. We already have a joint venture with an Indian company for electronics. I am sorry but I cannot reveal any more details due to commercial reasons

Vishal Kansagra: What is the update on SPYDER deal already signed between Rafael and Indian Air Force?

Lova Drori: As you might be aware, it was signed some time back. All I can comment is that SPYDER program is going on well. I cannot give out any more information.

Vishal Kansagra: What products will you showcase at Aero India 2011 to be held at Bangalore?

Lova Drori: Due to space constraints, we would showcase only a limited range of products. These would include air defense systems, communication systems, reconnaissance and targeting pods as well as tactical missiles including SPIKE family of missiles.

Vishal Kansagra: Let us talk about Rafael products for security forces. As you are aware, India is affected by terrorism in various areas like Jammu & Kashmir, North-East and naxalism in many other states. What plans do you have for products for para-military and police forces?

Lova Drori: I feel that market for civilian security products is as big as those of military products as India faces a constant threat of insurgency in form of terrorism and naxalism. We have various reconnaissance and EO payloads for use in insurgency infested areas. But I admit that we are not experienced enough with activities of security forces in India. We are not familiar with procurement methods of para-military forces and it would require lot of effort on our part.

Although the number of customers is large, number of suppliers in that field is also big. In many cases, due to budget restrictions and lower technology requirements, Rafael might find it tough to capture chunk of this market due to cutting-edge technology they offer and associated higher costs.

Vishal Kansagra: Since all defence deals above Rs. 300 crore have offset clause associated to them, what do you have to say about it?

Lova Drori: I feel that current offset regulations might be a big problem for companies involved in major defence deals. While offset clause only focuses on the value of the deal, there is no weightage given to quality of the technology provided. E.g. high-tech electronics system and machined components are assigned same value. There is no added bonus or incentive for companies to provide advanced technology when compared to mediocre components. 30% of deal amount actually comes out to be 50% of the actual hardware.

Another factor affecting such offsets is that huge investment needs to be made to raise infrastructure within a short span of time which is next to impossible. Even if a company manages to do it, value is calculated in Indian currency. Taking varying exchange rates into account, effectively offsets would amount to 60-70% of the total equipment cost. This is practically impossible. Some low-cost equipment (under Rs 300 crore) does not invoke offset clause.

Unfortunately systems offered by Rafael are high-tech with high acquisition costs. Alternately they could purchase Indian products, but their other customers also insist on offsets, making things tough for them. Another way out is JV with Indian companies where FDI is capped at 26% which is not encouraging. I hope that offset policy will be rationalized and if it is not then most of the major defence contractors will face similar problems not because they don’t want, but because they can’t.

Vishal Kansagra: Recently associations like US AIA, British ADS, French GIFAS, etc. got together and wrote to MoD to review defence procurement and offset policies. Do Israeli defence contractors have any similar association and have they raised same concerns?

Lova Drori: We do not have any such association of Israeli defence companies. Moreover as such corporations are bigger and their parent countries have more political influence, they can do much more. Rafael as a company has raised these issues at conferences and seminars and even in writing. Rationalizations in offset clause will eventually help Indian industry as it would allow infusion of latest technology.

Vishal Kansagra: What is the market scenario globally?

Lova Drori: Right now global market is in recession. US, EU and other developed countries are in recession and hence cutting budgets. Budget cuts affect new procurements in absence of any immediate threats. Some countries have their own programs and won’t spend little on such systems as interim measures. India and Israel have constant security threats and require such systems at the earliest. East Asian and Latin American countries are not adversely affected by recession or have security threats.

Mid-east countries like UAE are on buying spree, but that is not our traditional market. India is not adversely affected by recession, has a big defence budget and security requirements, hence making it a lucrative market for Rafael.

Are we really modern?

2010-11-19T11:51:00.002+05:30

Yesterday I visited a temple complex housing 22 small temples of various Hindu Goddesses. I have been there many times earlier, but it was only this time that I noticed something and can’t stop thinking about it even now. I saw that each Goddess was armed with weapons. Two thoughts came to my mind.

First one was if a Goddess (signifying women) could bear arms and if need be use those arms then the ancient society that visualized those Goddesses must be one that respected women and their strength. Why does modern society consider women to be weak? Why are women mistreated and abused in our society? Is it because at some point in history, our society – considered to be most tolerant and accommodating – fell prey to the ridiculous idea of male superiority/female inferiority? Ancient Indians were the pioneers in many fields including female empowerment, but this sudden change in attitude has lasted too long and we are still facing the consequences. As one Bollywood filmmaker had said, we call women DEVI and then we burn them. A woman is somebody’s mother, daughter, sister or wife. A person should think whether he would behave the same way with his mother, sister or daughter the same way that he behaves with other women. If the answer is NO then it is time to behave.

Second thought that crossed my mind was related to my favourite topic. Weapons. We might be singing tune of non-violence right now. But what about defending ourselves? Mind you that bearing arms does not necessarily mean that we are hostile or lust for war. All Hindu deities possess some sort of weapons. Society that visualized deities must have based it on contemporary beliefs and perceptions. Such weapons might have existed at that time and the society didn’t feel anything wrong with portraying their deities with weapons. After all deities are the ones supposed to protect them and ensure their well-being. But in due course of time – especially during British rule – due to restrictive policies and subjugation of warrior spirit, weapons have been portrayed as evil. While blaming weapons to be bad, we forget that a weapon by itself is harmless. It is the intention of person wielding that weapon that matters. We as a country have fallen for this ridiculous thought. We fail to understand that an average person loves peace, but he should also possess the means to ensure that a person with ulterior motives does not disturb it.

This lack of understanding is reflected in sad gun control laws and pathetic attitude towards weapons development. While anti-social elements have various illegal sources to acquire weapons, a law-abiding citizen will have zero chance to get a weapons license without bribing. We have been net importers of weapons as simple as rifles for since independence. And I don’t see that trend changing anytime soon. Just imagine how much hard earned money have we allowed to flow to other countries. How many jobs and high-tech products could we have developed in our country? Why should we be prey to whims of other countries to use our weapons? Remember Sweden denied us shells for Bofors howitzers during Kargil conflict and we had to import shells from South Africa at exorbitant price. Would this happen if we manufactured our own weapons and munitions?

I am still searching for answers to all these questions, if any of you has answers to these, please let me know.

Balancing redefined

2010-10-21T22:35:00.001+05:30

Just got some information about US-Saudi Arabia arms deal. End-user of all the equipment mentioned below would be Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF). RSAF does not have enough pilots of its own (most middle eastern air forces don't). So a good number of their aircrafts are flown by Pakistani pilots (again the case with most middle eastern air forces). And in past, Arab air forces have "loaned" their aircrafts to Pakistani Air Force. Moreover there is no immediate or medium-term threat to Saudi interests. Chances are that a chunk of this equipment might find way to our neighbourhood. Mind you, this is the same US of A that has been selling weapons to Israel and will keep selling them in future. Same US of A that gives high-tech weapons to Pakistan to support their "war against terror" (really!!!). And yes, it is same US of A that is trying to sell India 126 fighter aircrafts under MMRCA program. I must admit that we need to learn a lot from USA about diplomacy and walking a tight rope at expense of innocent lives. Instead of trying to pacify trouble, USA has a great way of dealing with it. Arm both the sides and let them slug it out.

Anyways, here is the list of equipment on order from RSAF.

84 x F-15SA Aircraft
170 x APG-63(v)3 Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar (AESA) radar sets
193 x F-110-GE-129 Improved Performance Engines
100 x M61 Vulcan Cannons
100 x Link-16 Multifunctional Information Distribution System/Low Volume Terminal (MIDS/LVT) and spares
193 x LANTIRN Navigation Pods (3rd Generation-Tiger Eye)
338 x Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS)
462 x AN/AVS-9 Night Vision Goggles (NVGS)
300 x AIM-9X SIDEWINDER Missiles
25 x Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM-9X)
25 x Special Air Training Missiles (NATM-9X)
500 x AIM-120C/7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM)
25 x AIM-120 CATMs
1,000 x Dual Mode Laser/Global Positioning System (GPS) Guided Munitions (500 lb)
1,000 x Dual Mode Laser/GPS Guided Munitions (2000 lb)
1,100 x GBU-24 PAVEWAY III Laser Guided Bombs (2000 lb)
1,000 x GBU-31B V3 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) (2000 lb)
1,300 x CBU-105D/B Sensor Fuzed Weapons (SFW)/Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD)
50 x CBU-105 Inert
1,000 x MK-82 500lb General Purpose Bombs
6,000 x MK-82 500lb Inert Training Bombs
2,000 x MK-84 2000lb General Purpose Bombs
2,000 x MK-84 2000lb Inert Training Bombs
200,000 x 20mm Cartridges
400,000 x 20mm Target Practice Cartridges
400 x AGM-84 Block II HARPOON Missiles
600 x AGM-88B HARM Missiles
169 x Digital Electronic Warfare Systems (DEWS)
158 x AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Targeting Systems
169 x AN/AAS-42 Infrared Search and Track (IRST) Systems
10 x DB-110 Reconnaissance Pods
462 x Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System Helmets
40 x Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receivers (ROVER)
80 x Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation Pods

In addition to this there will be upgrades to their existing fleet of F-15S (70 nos.). This entire package will come to around $30 billion.

For a bright and peaceful future of Kashmir

2010-10-18T20:22:00.008+05:30

When Kashmir was burning in last three months, education was hit very badly with schools and colleges remaining closed for a very long time. However, one institution emerged as an exception-setting example for others and that was none other than Army Goodwill Public School set up by Indian Army in Pahalgam. Although managing a school in times of conflict is not a child's play, the AGPS has succeeded in motivating the young minds to shun violence and concentrate on their academics.

"I make a fervent appeal to parents not to send their wards to the schools ... Teachers should also remain away from the schools." - Separatist leader and terror sympathizer Syed Ali Shah Geelani in September 2010.

Guess who's the villian and against Kashmiris who want a better future.

Fooled you!!!

2010-09-25T18:20:00.001+05:30

A large group of Taliban soldiers are moving down a road when they hear a voice call from behind a sand dune. "One Indian Army soldier is better than ten Taliban."

The Taliban commander quickly sends 10 of his best soldiers over the dune whereupon a gun battle breaks and continues for a few minutes, then silence.

The voice then calls out "One Indian Army soldier is better than one hundred Taliban."

Furious, the Taliban commander sends his next best 100 troops over the dune and instantly a huge gunfight commences. After 10 minutes of battle, again silence.

The American voice calls out again "One Indian Army soldier is better than one thousand Taliban."

The enraged Taliban Commander musters one thousand fighters and sends them across the dune. Cannons, rockets and machineguns ring out as a huge battle is fought. Then silence.

Eventually one wounded Taliban fighter crawls back over the dune and with his dying words tells his commander, "Don't send any more men, it's a trap. There's actually two of them."

Osama's Valentine

2010-09-25T18:12:00.001+05:30

Little Banta comes home from first grade and tells his father that they learned about the history of Valentine's Day. "Since Valentine's day is for a Christian saint and we're Sikh," he asks, "will God get mad at me for giving someone a valentine?"

Banta's father thinks a bit, then says "No, I don't think God would get mad. Who do you want to give a valentine to?"

"Osama bin Laden," Banta says.

"Why Osama bin Laden?" his father asks in shock.

"Well," Banta says, "I thought that if a little Indian Sikh boy could have enough love to give Osama a valentine, he might start to think that maybe we're not all bad, and maybe start loving people a little bit. And if other kids saw what I did and sent valentines to Osama, he'd love everyone a lot. And then he'd start going all over the place to tell everyone how much he loved them and how he didn't hate anyone anymore."

His father's heart swells and he looks at his boy with newfound pride. "Banta, that's the most wonderful thing I've ever heard."

"I know," Banta says, "and once that gets him out in the open, the Army could blow the crap out of him."

AND I DID NOT SPEAK OUT

2010-09-23T19:06:00.001+05:30

Disclaimer: These lines are not written by me. But I feel that this piece really explains how Hindus have been thinking all this time.

First they came for East Punjabi/Sindhi Hindus
And I did not speak out,
Because I was not a East Punjabi/Sindhi Hindu

Then they came for Bangladeshi Hindus
And I did not speak out,
Because I was not a Bangladeshi Hindu

Then they came for Kashmiri Hindus
And I did not speak out,
Because I was not a Kashmiri Hindu

Then they came for Jammu Hindus
And I did not speak out,
Because I was not a Jammu Hindu

Then they came for Assamese Hindus
And I did not speak out,
Because I was not a Assamese Hindu

Then they came for West Bengali Hindus
And I did not speak out,
Because I was not a West Bengali Hindu

Then they came for Kerala Hindus
And I did not speak out,
Because I was not a Kerala Hindu

They came for Bihari Hindus
I did not speak out,
Because Biharis are burden on hindus

They came for Dalit Hindus
I did not speak out,
Beacause Dalit dont deserve to be Hindu

Then so-called-JIHADIS finally came for me,
And there was no one left to speak out for me!

Hurt but not out

2010-08-14T14:21:00.001+05:30

This excerpt as been taken from www.bharat-rakshak.com. Fully article can be read here - Shifting To Jungles.

The LTTE were masters at the use of landmines and improvised explosive devices. For a while, these IED attacks were neutralised by the cutting off power to the Jaffna Peninsula. but it was not a permanent solution. Thus the Army suffered a number of causalities to these ambushes. Ambushes by gunfire were rare, and when carried out by the LTTE, they found that the army bounced back with great fervour. The army rose to the occasion in these small actions. Young officers and soldiers displayed extraordinary courage and bravery in the face of death.

Of particular mention would be two soldiers of 1/11 Gorkha Rifles. 1/11GR was one of the original battalions that was inducted for the fighting in Operation Pawan. After the Capture of Jaffna, its mission was primarily sending patrols on 'Search & Destroy' missions. One Patrol on such a mission on 16 March 1988 in the Vallankulam Pannai area ran into an ambush when enfilade gunfire rained down on them from the dense jungle growths. The Gorkhas hit the ground and returned fire. Slowly they organised themselves and extricated themselves out of the site. In the Melee, two Jawans got separated from the main column, Havildar Devinder Singh Gurung and Rifleman Rajender Bahadur Thapa were both pinned down by heavy fire. By the time they could extricate themselves, the main column has disappeared, as both were presumed to be missing in action. As both the jawans were making their way through the undergrowth, they came under fire from LTTE Snipers. In the exchange of fire, Havildar Gurung was hit in the thigh and was not able to move. Rifleman Thapa then picked up Havildar Gurung and carried him on his shoulders to a hut nearby, returning the odd burst that came his way with fire from his Ishapore rifle.

Once in the hut, Rifleman Thapa administered first aid to Havildar Gurung and surveyed the situation around him. The LTTE had identified the two soldiers hideout and slowly have started encircling the Hut from a distance. Even as the LTTE Militants slowly made their way to the hut, Rifleman Thapa picked them off with single shots from his Ishapore. His main concern was to save ammunition, and use it efficiently. Resisting the temptation to waste the ammunition in general direction of the militants, Rifleman Thapa used it only when he could clearly identify his target. The exchange of fire went on and on well into the next day. Early morning on March 17th, a patrol sent by 1/11GR in search of the two missing soldiers was drawn to the hut by the sound of gunfire. The LTTE Militants decided to call it a day on the sight of the approaching patrol and fled. Rifleman Thapa and Havildar Gurung were thus recovered safely. Rifleman Thapa kept a cool mind and as a result he was able to keep the LTTE Militants at bay for more than 17 Hours. During the time, he fired only 22 rounds, and was well a target for hundreds of rounds fired by the AK-47 Rifles of the LTTE. Two dead militants were recovered as well as another wounded LTTE man. It wasn't always the Jawan or the NCO that displayed such bravery and courage, young officers barely out of the Indian Military Academy (IMA) thrust into the sweltering Jungles of Jaffna too showed that they could give a fitting reply to the LTTE.

On 19 July 1988, a convoy of a two vehicles of the 7th Battalion of the Assam Regiment was making its way from Madurengkenikulam to Mangani to collect dry rations. In charge of the detail was a young subaltern, 2nd Lt. Rajeev Sandhu, who was barely six months out of the IMA. 2nd Lt. Sandhu was traveling in the Mahindra Jeep, leading the way to the 1 Ton Nissan truck which was trailing 50 meters behind the jeep. Driving the jeep was Sepoy NKKS Rajkumar, 2nd Lt. Sandhu was in the next seat. Sitting in the rear was L/Nk Nandeshwar Das and Sepoy Lalbuanga. As the vehicles reached a track junction, a rocket fired from the undergrowth hit the jeep, lifting it into the air and overturning it to the side. Immediately a fusillade of fire from the AK-47s straddled the overturned Jeep. When the volley of fire ended, and silence descended on the ambush site, the LTTE militants knew that this was one convoy that never made it to the Army base. They came out of their ambush positions to pick up the weapons and equipment of the fallen soldiers.

But one Indian Soldier still had his wits around with him. Out of the view of the militants, 2nd Lt. Sandhu, was dragging himself with his 9mm SMC Carbine out of the wreck. Both his legs were smashed when the rocket hit the jeep, the subsequent volley of fire had wounded him and he was bleeding profusely. He checked the other occupants of the jeep. None of them were conscious. In fact the initial blast of the rocket was borne by 2nd Lt. Sandhu. The machine gun fire that followed killed both Lance Naik Das and Sep Lalbuanga in the rear. Driver Rajkumar was wounded and unconscious. Sandhu tumbled out of the Jeep and crawled to a fire position. As one of the LTTE militants by the name of Kumaran approached the Jeep. Despite his legs being totally smashed and his body ridden with bullets, 2nd Lt. Sandhu lifted his carbine with blood soaked hands and sprayed Kumaran with bullets, killing him instantly.

However, the bleeding had already taken its toll. 2nd Lt. Sandhu succumbed to his wounds and injuries. A grateful nation recognised his bravery with the award of a Maha Vir Chakra in 1990. 2nd Lt. Sandhu was just 22 years old when he died in Sri Lanka. Incidents like these were what kept the LTTE from underestimating the fighting prowess of the Army. They knew that they could not compare the fighting calibre of the Indian Soldier to that of the Sri Lankan Army. The Indian Soldier was coming from a background of operational exposure in areas like the Jungles of North east and the Mountains of the North. Death and Hardship were not a stranger to him, thus He was more ready and more experienced in fighting back to the hit and run tactics of the LTTE.

About time

2010-08-03T00:29:00.001+05:30

Omar talks of 'political package' after normalcy is restored

Thank God. Finally we have a politician who has taken a stand on such issues instead of just blaming police and other security agencies for deaths. He seems to have understood the fact that no "dialogue" can take place amidst chaos. If our politicians would have understood these earlier then we would have been able to eradicate terrorism/militancy long back.

In need or indeed

2010-08-03T00:15:00.001+05:30

Words scratched into a sentry box by an unnamed soldier. Nobody could have explained it better.

God and the Soldier, all men adore,

In time of danger and not before.

When the danger is passed and all things righted,

God is forgotten, and the Soldier slighted.

Just another episode in our lives

2010-07-30T12:27:00.001+05:30

I know it is little late, but I pay my tribute to those terrorized by serial blasts in Ahmedabad and Bangalore. I might not have experienced it first hand, but I share feelings with all who have felt an impotent rage during and after these blasts. How long will our enemies get away without being punished for hurting us? How much Indian blood will be spilled before India is safe for Indians? Have we accepted terrorism as a part of our lives?

If any of you have answers for these questions, please share with us.

Know India 101

2010-07-24T19:31:00.002+05:30

FAQ - India

India holds a certain sense of mystery for the world outside its borders. Read on to find how curious foreigners are about India and its ways or rather read on to find out how dumb and ignorant they are about our beautiful country. This was taken from a tourism blog where people could post queries if they were planning on making a trip to India.

The answers are the actual responses by the website officials, who demonstrate tolerance and excellent sense of humor.

Q : Does it ever get windy in India ? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the plants grow? ( UK ).
A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.

Q : Will I be able to see elephants in the street? ( USA )
A: Depends how much you've been drinking.

Q: I want to walk from Delhi to Goa - can I follow the railroad tracks? ( Sweden )
A: Sure, it's only three thousand kms, take lots of water.

Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in India? (Sweden)
A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.

Q: Are there any ATMs India ? Can you send me a list of them in Delhi , Chennai, Calcutta and Bangalore?(UK)
A: What did your last slave die of?

Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in India ? ( USA )
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe . In-di-a is that big triangle in the middle of the Pacific & Indian Ocean which does not.. oh forget it. ...... Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Goa . Come naked.

Q: Which direction is North in India ? ( USA )
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.

Q: Can I bring cutlery into India ? ( UK )
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.

Q: Can you send me the Indiana Pacers matches schedule? ( France )
A: Indiana is a state in the Unites States of...oh forget it. Sure, the Indiana Pacers matches are played every Tues day night in Goa , straight after the hippo races. Come naked.

Q: Can I wear high heels in India ? ( UK )
A: You're a British politician, right?

Q: Are there supermarkets in Bangalore , and is milk available all year round? ( Germany )
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers. Milk is illegal.

Q: Please send a list of all doctors in India who can dispense rattlesnake serum. ( USA )
A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from. All Indian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.

Q: Do you have perfume in India ? ( France )
A: No, WE don't stink in India.

Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in India ? (USA)
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.

Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in India ? (France)
A: Only at Christmas.

Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA)
A: Yes, but you will have to learn it first

Q: Can I see Taj Mahal anytime? (Italy)
A: As long as you are not blind, you can see it anytime day and night.

Q: Do you have Toilet paper? (USA)
A: No, we use sand paper. (we have different grades)

Precision strike

2010-05-01T12:22:00.003+05:30

I was just going through some of the stuff I wrote but never published for some arcane reason. Out of number of such write-ups, I found this piece. It is pure fiction but I know that most Indians would love to see this fiction turn to reality.

The person residing inside the palatial villa wakes up at 14:10, and is reading the newspaper when all of a sudden the roof caves in due to explosion of 200 kg HE warhead. Blast kills every living being in a radius of 100 meter causing minimum collateral damage. Few seconds after the explosion, Captain Khan transmits an encrypted message that reads "Dalal Street". This message rides ether and is received by intended devices and decrypted. Wave of joy at the command center was as expected from hard-core professionals.

After a few minutes, a Naval Sea King helicopter flew in to take Captain Khan to the nearest base. While flying out, Captain Khan couldn't help but appreciate the beauty he held command of. Marking on her port side read "D51 Rajput". The notorious criminal at the receiving end of INS Rajput's fury was the one responsible for hundreds of deaths. Son of a police officer and the one who topped the wanted list of India - Dawood Ibrahim - had finally met his maker. Death was swiftly delivered by a cylindrical structure known to many as BrahMos.