Iraq invades Kuwait : This one is highly significant for me. Saddam Hussain invaded Kuwait on the 2nd of August, 1990 – also known as my 14th birthday. I was born in Kuwait and for the first 11 years of my life, I lived & grew up in the capital city of that country. It was home; despite the fact that us Indians, like most other foreigners of non-Arab background were not eligible for citizenship. So I was born there and unlike most of the West, I did not get automatic citizenship. So what? It was home and it still feels like a home to me even if I haven’t been to the country since 1987. The invasion of Kuwait was more than enough for me to hate Saddam and his cronies and I celebrated when that bastard died. The hurt, shame and pain I felt when he invaded my birth country on my birthday – if I had ever seen him in person, I would have castrated that motherfucker on the spot!
9/11: No need for any introduction to this date. “9/11” is forever tattooed onto most people’s brains as the day that America suffered their most devastating attack since Pearl Harbour and the first on this magnitude by a foreign group on the American mainland. I think America got a huge shock as did the rest of the world. If it could happen to the biggest city in the only superpower of the world, what hope could there be for the rest of us? I also like to refer this day as the one on which what remaining innocence was left in the world died out. Americans also showed us their racist & unconcerned side; Sikhs being tormented and shot to death just because ignorant morons couldn’t tell the difference between a bearded & turbaned Indian and a bearded and turbaned Islamic terrorist. Really? Also its a time when the infamous “You’re either with us or against us” war cry came out of the US. In a few years the anger stemmed down and the good people have continued to be good people. However you still got more trouble at the customs at US airports if you were brown; no matter if you were a citizen. Most Americans know better but them jerks are around.
November 26 aka 26/11 aka Mumbai 2008 attacks: Indians proved that they could be as numerologically astute as the Americans when naming a national tragedy. Pakistani terrorists attacked 10 areas in Mumbai at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital (a women and children’s hospital), Nariman House, the Metro Cinema, and a lane behind the Times of India building and St. Xavier’s College and a couple of other explosions via bombs. After 2 days all areas were secured by the combined efforts of the locals police force and Indian security forces. An action by India’s National Security Guards (NSG) on 29 November (the action is officially named Operation Black Tornado) resulted in the death of the last remaining attackers at the Taj hotel, ending all fighting in the attacks. I was sure, as were most of the people I spoke to, that India would go to war against Pakistan. It didn’t happen. Ajmal Kasab, the only attacker who was caught alive, gave the information as to the Pakistani terrorists groups behind the attacks, was sentenced to death on 5 counts and his last appeal in Feb 2011 was denied by high court judges. Indians can’t wait to see the pig fucker get his just rewards.
The Republic Day of India commemorates the date on which the Constitution of India came into force replacing the Government of India Act 1935 as the governing document of India on 26 January 1950. The 26th of January was chosen to honour the memory of the declaration of independence of 1930.
On our nation celebrating it’s 63rd Independence Day, let me take a few moments to let you know a few favourites of mine:
While in Bangalore I was cursing myself for not having enough cash saved over in order for me to do some shopping. With me still paying off the cost of the laptop (on which I am typing) money is on short supply and hence spending is also less. But you can’t visit Bangalore without atleast window shopping!