Mere Dushman, Mere Bhai, Mere Humsaye

Mere Dushman, Mere Bhai, Mere Humsaye

Our only neighbor which is both a friend and a foe is Pakistan. Both nations never named this relationship of love and hate retribution of which faced by people of both the countries. The two nations with a common history have segregated their pasts in textbooks and in their functioning but few people on both the sides found it hard to digest. While few in India claims Pakistan and other countries of the subcontinent as part of erstwhile unified India (Akand Bharat) their counterparts in Pakistan demands Junagad,Kashmir,Hyderabad, Punjab to be merged in them.

The common people of both the countries are becoming puppets of each other's political conditions. The recent Indian government which have no clearly defined status on Pakistan have worsened the situation to a point that threat of war is looming in the country. This doesn't mean Pakistan is keen in resolving all issues, their internal problems and out of control terrorists are hanging like an Albatross around their neck. The recent cancellations of talks between NSA (National Security Adviser) of both countries is result of confusion in maintaining international images and their images at home. None but people of both the countries are suffering from this tense situation. 

The decision made at political level affect border areas the most where destruction of property and human life due to shelling from both the sides happens. The trade,cultural and developmental loss faced by their people is beyond recognition. The hate-mongers of both sides in such a situation try to sell their propaganda of separation of hearts which result in inhumanity and insensitivity like celebrating the deaths of innocent people. 

The governments of both the nations must talk on all issues including cross-border terrorism and Kashmir. The conversations without these issues would not bring any good to them. They must hear this Javed Akhtar written song music by Anu Malik and sung by Hariharan from the movie Border to calculate the risk of animosity. 

 

Uphar Tragedy - Where Is The Justice?

Uphar Tragedy - Where Is The Justice?

"That day I lost my faith in God and Today I lost my faith in Indian Judiciary"

- Neelam Krishnamoorthy (lost two children in Uphar Tragedy)

These words are echoing with me as a failure of our judicial system since the time I heard them on TV from Neelam Krishnamoorthy who lost her children a girl and a boy in 1997 Delhi's Uphar cinema fire. She said that she spent more time in court battle for justice than she spent with her kids who were only 17 and 13 at the time of tragedy. She added that if rich people killed your children than forget about justice in this country and I didn't find any example to counter her statement.

On June 13, 1997 a transformer caught fire during matinee show (3 to 6 show) of the movie Border in which 59 people died of asphyxia and more than 100 were injured. The owner of the theater Gopal and Sushil Ansal were booked for negligence and other charges and granted two years imprisonment by a lower court which reduced to one year by the high court and ruled out by supreme court over a penalty of Rs 60 crore  to the Delhi government. More than a crore for each 59 lives lost.

The Ansal brothers in order to make more profit have blocked the emergency gates of the hall with more seats. There were no fire extinguishers and gates were closed when fire broke out in the hall to let people die of asphyxia. Injured were never cared by them and they were arrested only after pressure from people and media but soon released on bail. We always hails the fairness of our judicial system and their commitment in providing equality in justice but when the criminals were rich, influential and powerful this fairness and commitment took a back seat. 

Is this amount of 60 crore a price for the lost lives? How penalty served the justice in this case? It is difficult to understand the pain of defeat in 18 years long battle of victim's relatives. No one is really bothered about the justice now except these relatives. Most of us who were kids at that time hardly have any memories of that incident to flush out our angers on social sites or those who remembered don't want to do anything not even share their views about it.