In the face of overwhelming support for the death sentence of Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, a survivor who narrowly escaped a mass execution during the three-day siege believes the terrorist should not be hung.
“No one is guilty all alone,”says Seyfi Muezzinoglu, a Turkish architect. “Those who hold the gun are sure to be punished, but their lords represent the real evil.”
Kasab, 21, was sentenced May 6 to five separate death sentences and five life sentences for his role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, in which 166 people were killed at several venues, during a three-day siege of the city by 10 young gunmen. He is expected to be hanged, following an appeals process (that’s a separate story).
"The depravity of the attacks is unspeakable - this man has lost the right to humanitarian benefits," said Judge M.L. Tahaliyani, adding that there was no possible hope for Kasab’s rehabilitation.
Across India, people celebrated Kasab’s death sentence and called for a swift hanging. At Chattrapathi Shivaji Terminus railway station, one of the 2008 attack sites, activists set off firecrackers to commemorate the verdict.
But Muezzinoglu, who with his wife was spared from death by the gunmen, said Kasab should not be killed. “We should go after (the masterminds) and not after the poor indoctrinated soldiers fulfilling their orders,” he said.
“For them, a lifelong prison sentence without any hope for an early release is much more frightening than a brief execution.”
The Istanbul resident and his wife Meltem were on their first trip to India Nov. 26, 2008, to attend a conference in Mumbai. Later that evening, as they were enjoying their first dinner in India, the couple was taken hostage at a restaurant at the Oberoi Hotel.
According to Muezzinoglu, two young gunmen, Fadullah and Abdul, took a group of 25 people hostage that evening and held them captive for nine hours. At about 3 a.m. that night, using Meltem Muezzinoglu’s cell phone, the militants marched the group up to the terrace of the Oberoi Hotel, and began a mass execution.
As the Muezzinoglus watched everyone around them dying, they began to say the Islamic prayers for the dead, which may have saved them.
“It is not a good feeling to know you are spared because of your religion,” said Seyfi Muezzinoglu. “It is a terrible feeling to know the others were killed for their religion.”
“We were also expecting to be killed, but they suddenly rose and left,” he said, adding, “They even said a farewell of a kind.”
“We were spared by those killers who were now going to a certain death. We knew it and they knew it,” said Muezzinoglu.
In the U.S., Kia Scherr was visiting family in Florida for Thanksgiving dinner, when she received news about her husband Alan, and 13-year-old daughter Naomi, who had traveled to Mumbai to attend a spiritual retreat of the Synchronicity Foundation at the Oberoi Hotel.
The State Department called Scherr to say the Oberoi Hotel was under terrorist siege. Two days later, she received the dreaded call: Alan and Naomi had been killed by terrorists, Alan with a shot to the head.
But Scherr also believes Kasab should not be killed. “‘I’ve made a terrible mistake,’” Scherr quoted Kasab as saying during the sentencing, noting that he cried as Tahaliyani made the pronouncement.
“I thought there might be a glimmer of hope when he bowed his head and wept,” Scherr told India-West from her home in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia, adding that she believed the young man could be rehabilitated by meeting the families of his victims, including herself.
“If we related to him as a human being, he could open up and become a powerful voice against terrorism,” said Scherr, adding that Kasab could also potentially share more information about the masterminds behind the attacks.
Since the attacks, Scherr has founded the One Life Alliance to promote global peace. She plans to launch a chapter in Mumbai this November, on the second anniversary of the attacks.
“We must respond with love and compassion. There are more of us than there are terrorists,” said Scherr.
But Amit Chandrashekhar Peshave, manager of the Taj Hotel’s Shamiana restaurant at the time of the attacks, believes Kasab should be hung immediately, without the possibility of appeal.
“These people had no mercy,” Peshave told India-West from his home in London, where he is working towards his master’s in marketing at the University of Westminster. “It is absolutely right that Kasab got the death sentence.”
Peshave, however, also believes that Kasab was “a pawn in a chess game.” India and Pakistan must work together to find the plotters of the attacks, he said, adding, “Human security must be at a premium between the two countries.”
Peshave, then 28, saw a lone gunman entering the Shamiana on the evening of Nov. 26 and quickly signaled to his guests to start evacuating the facility as the gunman lobbed a hand grenade.
The 30 guests crawled towards the pool and began hiding in the bushes. One Canadian couple continued sitting at their table and Peshave said he wanted to scream at them to run, but was afraid he would give everyone else away in the process.
“It was the toughest decision I have ever made,” said Peshave, noting that the couple was killed by the gunman.
Peshave also snuck out at the pool, and hid there until he was approached by a woman whose 10-year-old son had gone to the bathroom before the attacks began, and had not yet been found. The young manager returned to the restaurant to try and find the boy, hiding in large planter boxes to avoid being spotted by attackers.
He was spotted by a gunman, who threw a hand grenade at him. “I knew I was done then,” said Peshave, adding that — as he waited for the grenade to explode — he thought of all the things he had not yet done.
Miraculously, the grenade did not go off. Peshave stayed in the planter box for another 20 minutes, until he was sure that the gunman had left. He returned to the poolside, and managed to evacuate his guests out of the hotel through the transformer room, and to Bombay Hospital, where several were treated for gunshot wounds.
Thirty-two people died at the Taj that night, including 17 of Peshave’s colleagues. For many months after he moved to London, the Pune native said he was haunted by the sound of ambulances, which brought back the carnage of that evening.
Peshave, who got married last year to Mrinalini Mishra, said he was astounded by the young age of the gunman. “He looked like a high school kid,” he said.
“Take away the gun and give him a backpack, and he would have looked like any typical teenager, going to college, having crushes on girls,” said Peshave.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
mumma
I thank you for what you did for me...all the sacrifices made by you...since my birth...thanx a tonne
I thank you for taking me to buy that lovely red frock with matching bellies and hankerchief and clips...even though i hardly had any hair...
I thank you for letting me watch Rangeela everytime it came on tv but closing my eyes when there was any kissing on screen.
I thank you for grounding me the first time I lied to you: I was in the fourth grade and lied to you about what my friends and I were doing. I admitted it to you in the middle of the night and you grounded me. The lesson was not to ever lie to you; but to never do anything I would feel guilty about later.
I thank you for telling me that I'm tone death after 6 years of vocal music lessons by showing me a video of my recital. I thank you for sparing me the embarrassment of many more.
I thank you for teaching me that your parents and your siblings are your best friends.
I thank you for teaching me the pleasure one gets from breakfast on the dining table with everyone on sundays and decorating the fruit in a pyramid.
I thank you for not hugging me at your mother's demise when I came up to you and telling me to go hug my grandfather instead.
I thank you for teaching me the importance of not giving up, regardless of the sweat and tears.
I thank you for teaching me to always say "thank you" "please" "ma'am" and all those Yiddish sayings that insult with a smile.
I thank you for teaching me to build a brick wall with a steel gate when surrounded by those that are trying to demean or intimidate me.
I thank you for all of relatives and friends of relatives that you let live in our house and offered the best hospitality when they immigrated to our city for medical treatment,as you said-We have more."
I thank you for jumping on the bed and screaming "Isn't Mama Fun?" and then taking me for the best treat in the world which was crazy fun. It was my sixteenth birthday.
I thank you for being neutral on seeing my tattoo and those n number of ear piercings and reacting bare minimum even though you did not like them at all.
I thank you because I know and love that the "best people" I know are my parents. I thank you for always being so selfless, so thoughtful, and yet so animated and full of character. I thank you for your entertaining ridicule and your colorful insults and whereas most would take these personal, I thank you for the tough love because I know that the same powerful woman that to this day remarks on my posture and on what time I come home is the woman that to this day, comes into my room in the middle of the night to make sure that I am covered by a blanket and always cries thinking that one day her daughter will get married and leave forever... and yet says to me with tears in her eyes, "I just want you to be happy." I am happy, mom, because I can celebrate you for the impact that you've had on me...
I thank you for taking me to buy that lovely red frock with matching bellies and hankerchief and clips...even though i hardly had any hair...
I thank you for letting me watch Rangeela everytime it came on tv but closing my eyes when there was any kissing on screen.
I thank you for grounding me the first time I lied to you: I was in the fourth grade and lied to you about what my friends and I were doing. I admitted it to you in the middle of the night and you grounded me. The lesson was not to ever lie to you; but to never do anything I would feel guilty about later.
I thank you for telling me that I'm tone death after 6 years of vocal music lessons by showing me a video of my recital. I thank you for sparing me the embarrassment of many more.
I thank you for teaching me that your parents and your siblings are your best friends.
I thank you for teaching me the pleasure one gets from breakfast on the dining table with everyone on sundays and decorating the fruit in a pyramid.
I thank you for not hugging me at your mother's demise when I came up to you and telling me to go hug my grandfather instead.
I thank you for teaching me the importance of not giving up, regardless of the sweat and tears.
I thank you for teaching me to always say "thank you" "please" "ma'am" and all those Yiddish sayings that insult with a smile.
I thank you for teaching me to build a brick wall with a steel gate when surrounded by those that are trying to demean or intimidate me.
I thank you for all of relatives and friends of relatives that you let live in our house and offered the best hospitality when they immigrated to our city for medical treatment,as you said-We have more."
I thank you for jumping on the bed and screaming "Isn't Mama Fun?" and then taking me for the best treat in the world which was crazy fun. It was my sixteenth birthday.
I thank you for being neutral on seeing my tattoo and those n number of ear piercings and reacting bare minimum even though you did not like them at all.
I thank you because I know and love that the "best people" I know are my parents. I thank you for always being so selfless, so thoughtful, and yet so animated and full of character. I thank you for your entertaining ridicule and your colorful insults and whereas most would take these personal, I thank you for the tough love because I know that the same powerful woman that to this day remarks on my posture and on what time I come home is the woman that to this day, comes into my room in the middle of the night to make sure that I am covered by a blanket and always cries thinking that one day her daughter will get married and leave forever... and yet says to me with tears in her eyes, "I just want you to be happy." I am happy, mom, because I can celebrate you for the impact that you've had on me...
Sunday, June 13, 2010
commercialization of sports
The old order changeth
yielding place to new
god fulfills himself in many ways
So shouldn't we too?
The only thing constant in the world today is Change. It was a change that created the Republic of India. They provide the blueprints for a society's development. Communism with its step child socialism was an idea which captivated the imagination of half the world. Capitalism and its brain child commercialization are, of course, the ideas which have driven the developed world. There's a great churning happening in India in almost every field that is transforming India, making an attempt to modernize it and trying to provide a decent living to all its citizens.
And I vehemently believe that commercialization of sports is the only way to go.
1. Commercialization of agriculture helped 35% farmers to rise above the poverty line and raised the production of agricultural produce to nearly double.
2. In the Industrial sector it helped in the growth of Indian economy, not only did production become manifold but it also solved the problem of unemployed educated youth.
3. Commercialization of banking, insurance and other infrastructural facilities brought our country at par with the new globalized world.
4. In the field of education it spread literacy and brought competent education at our doorsteps.
5. Thanks to our leaders who opened the doors to multinationals that we have updated our means of communication.
A simple question I place before you, if commercialization in all other fields helped us reap a jolly good harvest then why? I ask why sports should be bereft of this opportunity.
Commercialization studies the production and consumption of goods and services. It requires an entrepreneur who will selflessly work towards achieving success. It will harness all available and potential resources for production. It will work on five principles a) supply and demand b) division of labour c) specialization d) competition e) efficiency. Here production is the conversion of inputs into outputs. Inputs are all available technology and outputs will be the gains which will be shared by all the factors of production. I look critically to these methods of commercialization as a solution to the financial problems faced by major sports in India.
Since its formative year's sports has a commercial component to its operation. Today 'kabaddi' 'kho-kho' are considered to be 'dead sports' in India, even our national game 'Hockey' which earned us our first Gold and the other seven gold in the Olympics, have all died a natural uneventful death because of lack of funds. Who in the right mind would take up a profession in sports, if it did not pay, if it obscured the future? The Govt. of a developing country has other priorities, hence the dismal state of sports. No infrastructure underpaid coaches, depressing performances, no hype and hence it recedes to the gloom of insignificance. While Cricket and commercialization clubbed together has taken cricket to where it stands today.
Today everything has a price; Money is a commodity of exchange for the thing we desire, so if we want development in sports, better performance in the international tournaments, better infrastructure to facilitate sports then money or I must say commercialization is the answer to it.
But my worthy opponents would speak about the concept of pure sports and draw glorious examples of the legends from the times gone by but over the years the scenario has changed. In those times players and coaches were satisfied with an average lifestyle. The standard of living has moved up in leaps and bounds. Let's talk practical. It is a materialistic world and money is an influential factor "money makes the mare go." For any field to progress continuous flow of money is very important then may it be sports. Commercialization related to sports occurs primarily at two levels:
1. The first involves the commercialization of various sports goods and the other products using the charisma of the players.
2. The second is marketing of a sport to potential players. Initially we must deal with the marketing of sports to increase participation. Then an "exchange relation' takes place, the sports organization provides opportunity to an individual and he/she in turn provides loyalty to the organization by competing and performing to the best of their ability. Secondly commercialization involves various advertisements and the players becoming brand ambassadors of various companies, for the promotion of their products. The money generated allows the talented player to possess the best sports gear, the best practicing places and the best coaches. Everything of course is related to performance. Remember a Milkha Singh who ran barefoot! He had never seen a pair of spikes before. There are thousands unearthed talent, which can flower and bloom with a little help. If it can be done in cricket, then the same can be transferred to other sports.
People point fingers at commercialization as something that hampers the performance of players. This is untrue as the players are very well aware of the fact that they have been chosen as the brand ambassadors only because of their performance and that they have to maintain a dynamic balance between their on and off the field jobs for success.
After Bindra's exclusive win Shri L.N. Mittal a name in the corporate world remarked, India should promote sports for success with corporate support and individual excellence. If China could do it, if cricket has done it, why can't we do the same for other sports? Its time we were progressive and looked into the desired outcome. Let's remember if
One song can spark a moment
One flower can wake the dream
One tree can start a forest
One bird can herald springOne smile begins a friendship
One handclasp lifts a soul
One star can guide a ship at sea
One word can frame the goal
One vote can change a nation
One sunbeam lights a room
One candle wipes out darkness
One laugh will conquer gloom
One step must start each journey
One word must start each prayer
One hope will raise our spirits
One touch can show you care
Then One voice can speak with wisdom
and others can follow the way
commercialization can make the difference
In all sports today
yielding place to new
god fulfills himself in many ways
So shouldn't we too?
The only thing constant in the world today is Change. It was a change that created the Republic of India. They provide the blueprints for a society's development. Communism with its step child socialism was an idea which captivated the imagination of half the world. Capitalism and its brain child commercialization are, of course, the ideas which have driven the developed world. There's a great churning happening in India in almost every field that is transforming India, making an attempt to modernize it and trying to provide a decent living to all its citizens.
And I vehemently believe that commercialization of sports is the only way to go.
1. Commercialization of agriculture helped 35% farmers to rise above the poverty line and raised the production of agricultural produce to nearly double.
2. In the Industrial sector it helped in the growth of Indian economy, not only did production become manifold but it also solved the problem of unemployed educated youth.
3. Commercialization of banking, insurance and other infrastructural facilities brought our country at par with the new globalized world.
4. In the field of education it spread literacy and brought competent education at our doorsteps.
5. Thanks to our leaders who opened the doors to multinationals that we have updated our means of communication.
A simple question I place before you, if commercialization in all other fields helped us reap a jolly good harvest then why? I ask why sports should be bereft of this opportunity.
Commercialization studies the production and consumption of goods and services. It requires an entrepreneur who will selflessly work towards achieving success. It will harness all available and potential resources for production. It will work on five principles a) supply and demand b) division of labour c) specialization d) competition e) efficiency. Here production is the conversion of inputs into outputs. Inputs are all available technology and outputs will be the gains which will be shared by all the factors of production. I look critically to these methods of commercialization as a solution to the financial problems faced by major sports in India.
Since its formative year's sports has a commercial component to its operation. Today 'kabaddi' 'kho-kho' are considered to be 'dead sports' in India, even our national game 'Hockey' which earned us our first Gold and the other seven gold in the Olympics, have all died a natural uneventful death because of lack of funds. Who in the right mind would take up a profession in sports, if it did not pay, if it obscured the future? The Govt. of a developing country has other priorities, hence the dismal state of sports. No infrastructure underpaid coaches, depressing performances, no hype and hence it recedes to the gloom of insignificance. While Cricket and commercialization clubbed together has taken cricket to where it stands today.
Today everything has a price; Money is a commodity of exchange for the thing we desire, so if we want development in sports, better performance in the international tournaments, better infrastructure to facilitate sports then money or I must say commercialization is the answer to it.
But my worthy opponents would speak about the concept of pure sports and draw glorious examples of the legends from the times gone by but over the years the scenario has changed. In those times players and coaches were satisfied with an average lifestyle. The standard of living has moved up in leaps and bounds. Let's talk practical. It is a materialistic world and money is an influential factor "money makes the mare go." For any field to progress continuous flow of money is very important then may it be sports. Commercialization related to sports occurs primarily at two levels:
1. The first involves the commercialization of various sports goods and the other products using the charisma of the players.
2. The second is marketing of a sport to potential players. Initially we must deal with the marketing of sports to increase participation. Then an "exchange relation' takes place, the sports organization provides opportunity to an individual and he/she in turn provides loyalty to the organization by competing and performing to the best of their ability. Secondly commercialization involves various advertisements and the players becoming brand ambassadors of various companies, for the promotion of their products. The money generated allows the talented player to possess the best sports gear, the best practicing places and the best coaches. Everything of course is related to performance. Remember a Milkha Singh who ran barefoot! He had never seen a pair of spikes before. There are thousands unearthed talent, which can flower and bloom with a little help. If it can be done in cricket, then the same can be transferred to other sports.
People point fingers at commercialization as something that hampers the performance of players. This is untrue as the players are very well aware of the fact that they have been chosen as the brand ambassadors only because of their performance and that they have to maintain a dynamic balance between their on and off the field jobs for success.
After Bindra's exclusive win Shri L.N. Mittal a name in the corporate world remarked, India should promote sports for success with corporate support and individual excellence. If China could do it, if cricket has done it, why can't we do the same for other sports? Its time we were progressive and looked into the desired outcome. Let's remember if
One song can spark a moment
One flower can wake the dream
One tree can start a forest
One bird can herald springOne smile begins a friendship
One handclasp lifts a soul
One star can guide a ship at sea
One word can frame the goal
One vote can change a nation
One sunbeam lights a room
One candle wipes out darkness
One laugh will conquer gloom
One step must start each journey
One word must start each prayer
One hope will raise our spirits
One touch can show you care
Then One voice can speak with wisdom
and others can follow the way
commercialization can make the difference
In all sports today
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