Not-so-breaking news in India

A few things about which I have been reading in the newspapers during the past one year, but rarely reported in the television media. And the reasons for which I am writing this post:

1. Candles are bought only when the upper strata dies, provided the dead is/are from a so-called ‘metro’.
2. The media cannot commercialise on these kind of news.
3. More importantly, the public isn’t interested in such news.
4. Everybody wants India to become superpower by 2020 and everybody wants to do nothing.

So, the not-so-Breaking News…

1. Eight persons including 7 jawans are killed in a terrorist attack in a CRPF Group Centre in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh…were the jawans rich people?Oh…then no use having it on the ticker.
2. Twelve persons are convicted in the Bilkis Bano case. 11 get life-sentence….Bilkis who?
3. Fifteen persons, including 13 policemen are killed in naxalite raids on police stations and arms depots in Orissa’s Nayagarh district. Over 1,100 arms and one lakh live bullets are looted…thank god it didn’t happen in my city.
4. India’s first centre for Climate Change and Adaptation Research is inaugurated at Anna University in Chennai. What is the use of such a centre in a country like India, how can you commercialise on that?
5. Biranchi Das, former coach of child marathoner Budhia Singh is shot dead in Bhubaneswar. One accused arrested 23 days later…Budhia who?
6. Women’s Reservation Bill. It’s still a myth.
7. The Centre announces a relief package worth more than Rs. 330 crore for the victims of 2002 post-Godhra riots in Gujarat….lol…funny…7years later…
8. The Centre announces a Rs. 28.81 crore relief package for the next of kin of the 844 people killed and 22 injured in the October 1989 Bhagalpur riots in Bihar. Never knew something like that even happened.
9. Security forces rescue seven hostages after a 19-hour gun battle which militants in Chinore on the outskirts of Jammu…hah…Kashmir, it’s normal.
10. Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma dies during the encounter in Jamia Nagar….really?
11. Maharshtra Navnirman Sena activists beat up North Indian aspirants appearing for the RRB entrance exams for the Western region in Mumbai…you are not supposed to protest against such acts coz the upper-strata doesn’t write anything else other than CAT and GRE.
12. IAF officer killed in Naxal attack on chopper ferrying poll material from Bijapur…really! Bad naxals.

Eyewitness account of a Gazan boy

Saleem Abdulla, aged six, is in the first grade at Rimal school, Gaza.

I finished the exam at around 10 a.m. in the morning [on Saturday] and I started to go out from my classroom when suddenly I heard a large explosion near my school. I started to be really scared. My classroom is on the second floor so I was afraid to get to the stairs until a teacher came and took us to the ground floor. Usually my mum comes to pick me up or sends me a taxi. I found no taxi so I stayed at the gate of the school just hearing explosions and people running.

I felt that I could do nothing but stand. I kept waiting for a while — I don’t know how long for. I found my mum running to the school to pick me up. We walked home — maybe about 2.5 km.

I started to hear explosions from right and left and was really scared. Mum tried to ask me how I did during the exam, but I forgot everything. I was just looking around looking at the flames and smoke on the buildings.

Now I hate going to school. I threw my bag in the bathroom with my books because I don’t want to see it.

I don’t want to go back to the school ever. I don’t know what is happening and why this is happening. I feel really cold as my mother and father keep opening the windows so the windows don’t smash with the bombs. I keep sneezing all day. When I ask my mother to close the window, they say it’s for my own benefit. I have no electricity for three days. We have no milk, and no dairy products. Other food is here for the moment — we have vegetables, but we can’t get fruit any more, just a type of orange. Just tell me why and what for.

— © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2009