Global Warning!

A very important question, right at the beginning of the post:

'Did you read the title properly?'

Now, I'll let you brood on that for a while.. But we'll come to that later.

Before I unfurl my much awaited views on everything, let me confess that I let a lady down. Badly. That lady Saumya, is a keen follower of this blog, and engaged to a good friend of mine; they are about tie the knot. I tried my best to put reason into their heads, but young fools, you know! They insist on going ahead with the marriage...

Two weeks ago, she asked me why there is no activity in King's Korner and I promised her that I'll write a blog about 'Global Warming' in her honour that day, she being an activist and an advocate of resource conservation. And I didn't write that blog! Colossal stupidity, if you please!

Global Warming is among the hottest topics these days, isn't it? Ever since I read the book 'State of Fear' by Michael Crichton, I had this great thirst for a debate with an environmentalist about the topic. State of Fear argues that global warming is a myth, and in reality, climate is hotting up in cities only whereas villages are colder. Glaciers are melting, all right, but new ones are forming faster and deforestration is a joke because the forest cover across the globe has actually gone up in the last century! I was drawn to this topic instantly, as it was a rare counter-view to the propoganda we hear! And I tried hard to drag Saumya into the debate, but she deftly cut me short by totally ignoring my war cries!

Whether it is the realization that all environmentalists aren't Sunita Narains (of 'Cola is Pesticide!' fame) and some decent folk like Saumya too are involved in it or because my chances for a constructive debate on the topic are remote, I started reasoning about the arguments and slowly began agreeing with the Climate Change concept!

I mean, the climate is changing, isn't it? It is so clearly changing every year. Moscow hardly went below -10C this winter, whereas historical average is -25C... and even before the spring bloomed, summer is here already! India is simmering with heat, unseasonal rains and snow fall in plains......

Whether it is human intervention that is causing it or not, is a trillion dollar question. Volumes will be written and said about it. Billions of dollars will be spent popularizing both the views. But amidst all this hullabalooo, there is a silver lining emerging in the form of some people who realized the importance of conserving energy and resources! The recently concluded Earth day is a huge commitment in that direction, with major cities of the world going 'dark' for an hour to save electricity. Come what may, we realize that if people spent water and electricity with caution, there will be a better utilization of natural resources. Well, we hope it all leads to a better tomorrow!

So, here it is Saumya! I took some time to convert, but I guess I agree with you on Global Warming... although I think you achieved this feat only by ignoring my attempts for debate!

Now coming to the 'Global Warning' part.... While climate change is definitely a challenge to all of us, who's talking about the political climate in India? The sheer surrender to a propogandist state like China on the Tibet issue boils my blood and that of millions more across the world, so much that if humans didn't cause global warming so far, now they will, with their boiling blood and indignation!

I was appalled to see the cowardice of the Indian establishment in announcing the Tibetan policy... Like my boss, Sanjay said, 'if India abandons Tibetans, where will they go?? who else do they have in the world?'

There is a clear case of genocide and cultural purging going on in Tibet and we Indians, 'the champions of freedom and democracy' bite our tongues and let it happen without even a word of protest! Not that Indian governments are capable of doing something for Tibetans... 'the largest army in the world' can't even protect our own borders and territory. Every month China moves a little deeper into Arunachal and Sikkim and Kashmir, while we sit here and talk of Amitabh Bacchan's linguistic loyalties!

We gloat over the fact that Pakistan isn't a successful State. Tell you what, nor are we!! Indians fight like wild dogs on language issues, water-sharing, migrant issues, religion, caste, colour, cricket team selection and god knows what else! There is no such thing as a national character in India anymore... not a single cause unites us in peace time. Do we always want a war with Pakistan to come together? A country that doesn't care about it's self-esteem except when a cricketer is punished for abusing someone's mother, deserves to be laughed at by the world!

I say, let India be a warning to wannabe nations.... you can't build a nation by quoting 3000 year old sanskrit texts and cricket world cups won decades ago... if you want to be a successful nation, build a character first! Learn to stand up for yourself and for people who trusted you for help! If you can't, if you let yourself be bullied and abandon people who placed their trust in you, just accept the fact that you are a Global Warning to all countries in the world!

Dear Tibetans,
Go back to China! You are better off there! Fight your own wars, we are too busy watching SRK dance at obscene weddings of the filthy-rich!

Better be a slave to some other nation, than live in a free country of indifferent cowards!