Its been half a month since Jyothi was brutally raped, assaulted and left for dead.
One of the reasons why her rapists were unlucky was the timing of the attack.
They didn't count on the fact that half of India was on vacation and hence idle, and had plenty of time to read sensationalist newspaper reports, watch high-pitched TV anchors, prepare placards, set social networking on fire and protest. Self-appointed representatives of the victim held meetings with whoever was willing to let them rant.
So in the meanwhile, here's a round-up of all the shit that's being hitting the fan in the last 20 days.
We saw India's bravest girl battling for life..
Did we really have to shift a critically injured victim half-way across Asia?
The entire operation smacked of the typical 'pass the buck' mentality that we are reknown for.
Her death and the blitzkrieg cremation smacked of a coverup. And the PM broke his silence. Theek Hai?
Jyothi's family grieved.
Quick questions here:
Can the government airlift every victim to better facilities abroad?
Will they take the moral and financial responsibility for every rape that happens?
And while all this happened, we pounced like a pack of pigs over the name of the victim. Does it really matter?
But the accused got no counsel. Big Effing Deal.
It turns out that we are a bleedy effing bunch of cowards and voyeurs who'd rather watch and stare at the victim than get help.
...and the blame game continued.
In a moment of sheer brilliance, the government announced they would prepare a database of convicted rapists. But seeing how everything in India can be bought or manipulated at a price, a system like this can be abused. The loopholes need to be plugged before being put to test.
In a free society, citizens must be encouraged to protest and this right must be fiercely enforced. While not every crime is a result of governmental ineptitude, what bothers me is how the government reacts to peaceful protests. Lathi-charging and tear gasing them only stacks the odds against them.
But it looks like the bad news just keeps coming. Another victim killed herself after cops refused to take her complaint and book the rapists. As the story unfolds, heads will roll.
Another lady was gang-raped by sick er... six men in Didi's Bengal. Seeing how Didi deals with bad news, we can be confident that we won't hear as much as a peep come out.
For rapists in Pune, it was business as usual.
Victims killing themselves, getting gang-raped again..
.. of all ages, castes and creed.
And while we sat, the rest of the world spoke the unspeakable truth about Rape and Sexual crimes.
Way to go, India!
Our politicians had the usual bout of verbal diarrhea. We got some gyan on mini skirts, limits they were not supposed to cross, not supposed to happen, not supposed to be, and even verdicts from dicks.
Some pertinent observation were made by our very honorable Supreme Court and literary geniuses.
Rape norms. No pun intended. I am surprised how the SC isn't bothered about how banning dark sun-films in vehicles didn't really reduce the number of rapes.
Justice may not be served, but it sure is funny.
And the media got some respite from all the excitement at Delhi when Mr Modi won his third consecutive term which could be his launchpad to his first Prime Ministerial career.
Like a pack of hungry hyenas, the BJP has begun salivating at the prospect of winning the elections.
And so it appears like greed does not have any limits. Not all the billions that his Mom stashed away could be enough for Bilawal as he launched his own political career. Yay!
Sunny Leone titillated us for a moment by announcing the launch of a career of good roles. Oh yeah! We know what that means now, don't we Sunny dahling?
Another shooting in the US. And we are not even talking about the Hollywood kinds anymore.
Nothing much has changed!
Yesterday is history.
2012 is a distant memory.
Tomorrow is a mystery and..
Today a present!
There is something about the 1st of January that cheers me up. You wake up with a purpose. And if you are like me, you'd want the day to be perfect.
I've never been able to predict how the rest of the year will be and given up trying to wish for something I think I'll need.
But looking into my crystal ball, here's the good news first.
You're Hired!
After years of slowdown, no hikes and a bleak job market, several quarters starting this year will see stronger hiring and better salary hikes. Personally, I would love to see people chuck jobs that weren't taking them anywhere, and this year looks promising for that transition.
Up!
With the Fiscal Cliff nearly averted, the spendthrift middle class and pampered upper class in America and elsewhere will see better days ahead.
Poll Position
This year will test Sonia's political IQ for the second time since her coalition government won several years ago. When she took over the reins of India's oldest party, she won millions of sympathetic voters. After years of corruption and a brain-dead government, I doubt if her party will win even if they beg on their knees. Either ways, India will benefit from some change. Jai Ho!
Fit it. Forget it.
Indians have a notorious habit of not maintaining their infrastructure. The only roads that are motor-able and 'world class' are the ones that the government built with our money and then charge us to use. This poll year will see higher spend on infrastructure.
E!
Everything will be sold online. At a price.
With over a dozen etailers setting up shop in the past couple of months, the margins will shrink and competition will increase.
Gung-Ho about Gadgets
It's going to be a great year for gadget lovers this year. Great time to get that credit card and forget about saving a cent this year. Great year to buy ACs as manufacturers will look to offload their inventory before the deadline for stricter energy regulations.
Dude, where's my car?
Shelve that idea to buy that sedan on all down. As metal and fuel prices go north, you may be able to afford that EMI though.
Shop till you drop..
With major retail giants readying themselves to flood our market, its yet another reason to bid goodbye to any spare change.
And now for the bad news
Bad Girls.
Its a new year and the count resets today. Rapists can open the statistics today. As the holiday season comes to an end and the protesters go back to their colleges and offices, don't even expect our politicians will do anything to redeem our women.
Misogynist Netas and Babas
Can we pack all of them off to a deserted, uninhabited island, please? Maybe we can also exile Sherlyn Chopra, Poonam Pandhey and Rakhi Sawant to join them.
No more freebies..
Is it any wonder why we have the largest cellphone penetration in the planet? We pay the lowest cellular tariffs. Well, cherish it while it lasts. The party is over!
Its all about the money
With a change of guard imminent, you can expect to be pampered like a pup. On the brighter side, we are only getting what they stole from us anyway.
Murder, he did.
If we thought our demands for castrating and hanging the rapists would send a shiver down their collective spi.. er. penises, then think again. Our rapists will make sure their victims won't live another day to speak the truth.
War is here
What can be more disturbing than an Army recruitment billboard that reads: 'The purpose of all war is peace'. We might be doing something wrong because inspite of the dozen or so armed conflicts in the past couple of months, there is no sign of peace.
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If anything, we don't deserve a planet like Earth. If I had my way, I would want to recall more than half of the earth's population just for the way they've malfunctioned.
As New Year's eve celebration die down, I wonder where we're headed.
Today's newspapers were flooded with reports of hundreds of innocent people dying just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
So as I start my second 365 Challenge, here's to a great New Year, folks..
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