Delhi Bomb Blasts

Over 60 people dead and counting. People who were busy with their holiday shopping. Diwali, the festival of lights.

I went to Delhi when I was real small. I remember one of the places from then that was one of the sites for a bomb: Connaught Place.

These are not Muslisms. Muslims are like Hindus, or Buddhists, or Christians. They are people of faith, many are poor and illiterate, they just want the best by their families. These are Islamists. Islamists are like fascists, Nazis, like the evil brand of communists. The Islamists are like the KKK, they are a hate group. They will not think twice before they kill innocent Muslims. Their fight is not on behalf of Muslims of any ilk. Or they would at least spare Muslims, but they kill them too.

They are not seeking a debate. They are armed. They mean damage, physical damage. They mean to kill.

Mosquitoes are a problem. The drain has to be swamped. Proactively spreading democracy until every single country on the planet is a democracy is the only true solution. But it is also a military problem. It is also about fighting armed, evil men with arms.

They have to be fought on many fronts all at once.

The democracies of the world need to unite.

I am feeling a little numb right now. India is a poor country. For all talk of an emerging India, outsourcing, and software and calling centers, all that dazzle touches only a very small segment of the population. An average Indian is dirt poor. People die to diseases and train wrecks, to hunger. But this is different. This is murder.

Evil is for real. It exists. It has to be countered. Its sophistication and tenacity has to be understood. This is like medical science and a new strain of virus. They are not a standing army that can be fought in traditional ways. They ask for novel approaches.

"Move through the villages like fish through water," Mao advised his fighters. JFK countered that with the Peace Corps program. But also by talking from a position of strength.

It is not a choice between military strength and spreading democracy. And it is not just about military strength. The old tools are too blunt. New tools have to be shaped and put to use.

A social backlash against the Muslims would be the worst possible response. There are more Muslims in India than in any other country. Socio-economically speaking the Muslims in India are like the African Americans in the United States.

I would not be surprised if Muslims were among the dead.

Tomorrow is October 31. I think that is Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. Why did I just say that? It just occurred to my mind. I am a little confused.

• Three bombings target two crowded markets and a bus, killing at ... Houston Chronicle, United States
• New Delhi bombings toll hits 61 CNN International
• New Delhi Blasts May Be Aimed at Derailing India-Pakistan Peace Bloomberg
• Delhi blasts: Death toll rises to 61 Sify, India
• Delhi blasts toll crosses 60, nation put on high alert Hindustan Times, India
• 3 New Delhi Explosions Kill at Least 58 ABC News
• At least 50 dead and 150 wounded in coordinated attack on busy ... OhmyNews International, South Korea
• State of emergency in New Delhi after blasts CTV.ca, Canada
• Bombings rock India ahead of major holiday Newsday, NY
• Serial blasts kill 65 in Delhi Deccan Herald, India
• India update: Terrorist bombs kill 50, UN chief appalled Bangkok Post, Thailand
• State of emergency declared as Diwali bombs rock Delhi Independent, UK
• 'The blast was so powerful my house shook' Independent, UK

Say Hello To Appu

For the 1984 Asiad Games held in New Delhi, India had adopted a baby elephant for mascot, named Appu. It was quite a craze. The mascot was long remembered after the event had escaped the public mind.

Race and gender are elephants in the room and they ask to be greeted. I have brought up social issues at this blog. And I believe that has been a little rattling in some quarters. For a lot of progressives and, frankly, also to many others, race and gender are issues they are beyond. There are others who are racist, sexist, homophobic, what have you, but they themselves are beyond all that.

My 1-10 spectrum concept challenges all that. Start by assuming noone is a 10. Then also for all progressives race and gender are work in progress, very much so. Your unwillingness to address these issues are perhaps a sign you are more likely a 5 or a 6, and less likely a 7, 8 or 9.

Progressives should feel comfortable talking about these issues.

Does that mean dialogue is the panacea, the cure all? No. But it is for otherwise open-minded progressives where the assumption already perhaps is that racism, sexism and homophobia are wrong. And dialogue perhaps is the best option for a 5 wanting to be a 6, and so on.

There are people out there who harbor the social ills as tools of political power. They are not racist or sexist because they do not know any better. They mean to be so. For them dialogue might not work.

There are other instances that ask for legislative and law enforcement initiatives.

For the progressives my message is, Say Hi To Appu. Keep the conversation alive. There is no need to feel defensive. You change your mind or not, that is your thing, but be willing to say where you stand, and be willing to see where others stand.