I made a sort of reference to the Mumbai attacks the other day, when I posted that clip from a movie I had coincidentally just watched, Yahudi. The visuals were darkly ironic, considering…, and the lament about the world certainly applied. But maybe that’s not enough. Following the example of a few other “Bolly bloggers” out there (since that is basically what I am now :) , I’m going to have to extend beyond the central subject matter of this blog. For a long time here, I’ve been using films or film scenes that I find as a filter through which to post my observations on the world. And, admittedly, because of things that have been happening in my own life (which are far from unrelated to the bleak economic situation at present), I found myself drawn to some pretty bleak pictures sometimes. But real news in the world can shock any of us, no matter how dark our perceptions of this whole damn duniya might be already, and some things just call for a direct comment.
Unfortunately, I have my own complicated ideas about these matters, and if I start writing, I probably won’t stop for a long time. And I don’t want to do that here, on this blog. Besides, I should be devoting more time to other things, like seeking jobs and new housing (both presently very difficult for me).
So, I’m going to quote others instead…
I don’t know that much about Deepak Chopra, and I admit, I haven’t been very curious about the writing that he’s known for. (Sure, Eastern spiritualism can be interesting, but I’m basically still an agnostic, and I just don’t occupy myself with such matters.) But among the writers I’ve seen referred to by the Bollywood bloggers who’ve written about the issue, he’s offered some of the comments that I can agree with most. And I thank The Bollywood Fan for referring me to these comments from from Deepak Chopra in an interview with Larry King:
Chopra: It’s not enough for Pakistan to condemn it. Pakistan should cooperate with India in uprooting this. They should be part of the surgery that is going to happen.
It’s not enough for Indians to blame Pakistanis. Indians should actually ask the Pakistanis to help them.
And it’s not enough for us to worry about Westerners being killed and Americans being killed. Every life is precious over there. We have got to get rid of this idea that this is an American problem or a Western problem. It’s a global problem, and we need a global solution, and we need the help of all the Muslims, 25 percent of the world’s population, to help us uproot this problem.
King: What does India immediately do?
Chopra: India at this moment has to contain any reactive violence from the fundamentalist Hindus, which is very likely and possible. So India has to condemn that by not blaming local Muslims. They have to identify the exact groups.
And the world has to be very careful that they don’t go after the wrong people. Because if you go after the wrong people, you convert moderates into extremists. It happens every time, and retribution against innocent people just because they have the same religion actually aggravates and perpetuates the problem.
King: Are you pessimistic?
Chopra: I think Mr. Obama has a real opportunity here, but a challenging opportunity, a creative opportunity.
Get rid of the phrase “war on terrorism.” Ask for a creative solution in which we all participate.
King: Is it because the war on terrorism really can never be won because the terrorists (inaudible)?
Chopra: Because it’s an oxymoron. It’s an oxymoron, Larry, a war on war, a war on terrorism.
You know, terrorists call mechanized death from 35,000 feet above sea level with a press of a button also terror. We don’t call it that, because our soldiers are wearing uniforms. They don’t see what is happening, and innocent people are being killed. So, you know, terror is a term that you apply to the other.