Crap coverage

My favourite whipping boys NDTV did not disappoint. It was pathetic in its coverage, actually angering me even more. If Barkha Dutt wants to emote in front of the camera she needs to take lessons from CNN’s Richard Quest. She reminded me of Shah Rukh Khan in the 90s. I did not watch CNN IBN, but I hope Rajdeep was better. The best anchor-on-the-field team is Sreenivas Jain at ground zero and Prannoy Roy in studio. But there were a bunch of people who managed to piss me off even more than NDTV did. Non resident ‘passport’ Indians.

Me Mumbaikar, not

Forgive me if I am not a Mumbaikar, as the zeitgeist suddenly suggests we are supposed to be. I never was, and unless can afford to stay on top of Leopold’s or opposite The Taj, it’s unlikely I will ever be. I am from Pune, which means it is impossible to like Mumbai for all the very reasons that make Mumbai what it is. But I can share the fear and the rage and the pain without becoming a faux Mumbaikar. Speaking of faux, I know it’s not a time to split hairs, but can’t help it but, well…

2 in a million

Finally, what were the chances of me knowing two of the people killed at The Taj? Conservatively, two in a million. Those 2 are dead.
First, Sabina Saikia Sehgal, Consulting Editor, The Times of India. She impacted my career more than she will ever know, now. I also did a training under her and for some time anchored the Pune edition of the Times food guide (I left before it was published).
Next Kaizad Kamdin, a chef at the Taj. His parents are very close family friends. Knowing people who died throws all socio-psychological-political observations out the window.

Urban legend

Most other attacks in India were either far away (North-East) or affected lower-middle class or poor people (Malegaon). This one impacted the yuppies because it hit targets that are visual icons of what urban success is about. It hit one of the holy sites of India’s consumerist religion – The Taj.
Ironically, even the attackers were urban, unlike the backward, tribal, uneducated image of terrorists we have in our mind when we hear ‘terror attack in India’. By hitting these nerve centres of Urban India, the attackers’ message also hit home – literally, into your living room and mine.

Impotent with rage

Not blogging on my weekend has helped me stay away from a knee-jerk or naively nationalistic reaction to the attack on Mumbai. So I’ve tried to sift through my several thoughts and feelings and observations on the issue and narrow it down to a few that might be worth reading for those who stop by.
‘Impotent rage’ is how I captioned what most urban Indians, at home and abroad, have expressed. And despite my best efforts not to feel too impassioned, I felt the same. Unlike other terror attacks, this one has affected the urban populace. Has moved us.

Be aware

I generalize. If you don’t like Man Utd, you’re a loser. And so with kids.
You cannot love all the same. Not for wanting or trying, but just because the human in you will tend towards one. The preference may keep changing with time. As you age, you will achieve an average median that will ensure, hopefully, your choice does not wreck the life of the lesser loved. But, I think, if you are aware of this, you may in fact work harder to love the one you love less. Makes sense? It’s not supposed to. It’s called parenting.

Kids

Parenthood if for nothing else, exists to showcase the total frailty of the human being and of course, the total pointlessness of reason. You must try it sometime. Not often have I looked at my offspring and wondered: did I procreate merely to prove that I could? And then, couch that very base need in the religious-social-romantic notion of being a dad. I hope not. But while I am not averse to asking such questions I also delight in watching myself interact with my kids. And I have discovered that a parent cannot love all his/her kids equally. Contd…