Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Elections, Fidayeen and Earthquakes

A day of high drama unfolds as elections get underway in Bihar. I haven't seen militants being interviewed at the eve of elections on any prior occassion, when they exude confidence that they would positively capture polling booths and no one can really do anything about it. (The rampage seems to have started already) Wish this confidence were found in statements by the executive, the legislative and the judiciary.
Fidayeen attack on the J&K Education Minister, Ghulam Nabi Lone, that cost him his life. Looks like the people would soon develop the maturity to view things in perspective - 50,000 plus have perished in the earth Quakes in Kashmir; now, we have one more! That sounds a lot simpler and makes matters a lot easier, doesn't it? Earth Quakes find no differences among high-security and low-security regions - and so do militants. Suicide bombing has become too common place; lets try out with this Fidayeen for some time.
Rediff reports that human beings are getting smarter by the day, in that they have developed ways to predict earth quakes. Great! Is it an invention that has been out this morning? Is that news for the public? Too bad if it's for the public; it would create doubts at best, panic and chaos at worst. What would I make out if today's particularly hot? Or if the flow in the rivers have changed today? Or if my radio or cell phone works smarter/ becomes more dumb that it normally is? If the scientific community finds something amazing and can predict things to come, let it put the information together and give out directions to the public in the form of Earth Quake Warnings - not loads of data and conflicting symptoms that would drive people crazy!