Indian Samurai इंडियन सामुराई

My father pointed out the other day “Did you see that? Trump has not put India on his list of banned countries for visa! To what I replied that he had obviously not yet done the maths and I would like to be there when he realises that there is the equivalent of one third of the American population of Muslims in India. Trump wanted to stop terrorists coming from Muslim-majority countries – except that none of the 7 countries has perpetrated any terrorist act against the United States in the past 15 years (since Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan etc. are not part of this list) (source). There is undeniably an imbroglio between Islam and terrorism, and at the highest level.

A few days later, I was commenting on this discussion with my Indian colleagues. Because I have been thinking that Modi and Trump could be good pals. After all I am pretty sure that the Indian Prime Minister (quite a Hindu extremist) would love to have his wall also, between the India and Pakistan! And he also likes to ban stuff, no more beef, no more porn, no more old notes, no more this, no more that. This led my colleague to conclude that to be re-elected, he would really have to do something “for the people”. And me (naively): “Is it so? Like building houses?” Mr. (Modi) Clean has built 25 million toilets in 2 years, to eradicate open defecation in public (source); so building houses must be good for the people? But no, what the people want is not toilet or houses, it is “the war declared to Pakistan, even nuking them would be better”.  

The same evening, after a long day of work, my nanny, well my son’s nanny really, decided to give me her opinion on terrorism. I must say I was listening with only one ear. But I know she resents terrorists because she’s afraid that due to the recent events she won’t get a tourist visa to go work in the United States, after 10 years of waiting for a job offer she just finally got. I was hearing some words: “terrorists, bike, young children, mattresses”. As I was not reacting, she went to get some newspaper clipping and she waved it under my nose: “No, but can you believe that, how do they dare enrolling young children in these terrorist activities?”

- “But, Helen, these people, they are fleeing terrorism it!” (She had obviously missed reading the legend).

- “Really??? Are you sure? But they look like terrorists don’t they?”

- “But Helen! All Muslims are not terrorists...!”

Helen wrapped up article, not really convinced.

The people have spoken... ;(

 Everyone has by now heard of the recent attacks (on July 13th) in Mumbai. Toll: 18 dead people. They can do better… No provocation here; Indians have proved their expertise in terrorism and if you see the scale of previous attacks, they could really have made more damage. If the idea is to terrorize, they have a long way to go. Once passed the initial shock of “I could have been there” and “fuck not again”, life took over almost immediately. Moreover, nobody has yet claimed the attack though it is most probably for religious purpose.

PS: National religious terrorism makes India rank 6th among the countries more at the risk of the terrorist threat (2001: 5,839 victims, 2010: 1,902).

 

More fatal, the Amarnath Yatra. Two weeks after the opening of the pilgrimage – which Emilie and myself were supposed to do this year, already 51 pilgrims died. All that to go and worhsip a frozen giant penis (of Shiva). No no, no blasphemy here. Pilgrims face the cold, the rain, the altitude to go see one of the most sacred lingams of India.

 

 

Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/175941/10-more-die-way-amarnath.html

I met a French girl travelling in India who told me it would be a good thing if Indians became « leaders » of the world because they are non-violent.

I had a quite violent reaction…!

Indians are like every other human being, not more violent, not less violent.

 

Hum, maybe with a few exceptions:

 

§          Sexual violence where “nearly one in four Indian men has committed sexual violence at some point in their lives and one in five has admittedly forced his wife or partner to have sex (worse, more than 65% Indian men also believed that women should tolerate violence to keep the family together and that women sometimes deserved to be beaten)”;

 

§          Violence against intouchables: “every hour two Dalits are assaulted; every day three Dalit women are raped, two Dalits are murdered, and two Dalit homes are torched”;

 

§          The national religious terrorism which makes India the 6^th country in terms of risk of attacks (2001: 5,839 victims, 2010: 1,902) – Maoists are not happy, Christians are sent to the jungle, Hindus and Muslims bomb each other shrine and Kashmir is still a battle field.

 

So, Gandhi and these stories have to stop! By the way, though it is not known in Europe, many people criticize Gandhi here. But this is not my point. My point is that today, Indians are just normal!!

 

Sources :

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-07/india/28665246_1_indian-men-international-men-males

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/06/0602_030602_untouchables.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/16/us-security-risk-ranking-idUSTRE61F28D20100216 http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/index.html