From Patna, Bihar

Just to say that it takes some time to get used to life in Patna
Not much different from the Laloo days...
(For those who came in late, Laloo prasad was the 'invincible' Chief Minister of Bihar Province
one of the largest and most disadvantaged regions in Eastern india)
There is still a lot of hope being placed in the new man Nitish Kumar
and the honeymoon period isn't over...

Still, Bihar feels the same...
The pot-holes on the roads haven't disappeared yet
The electricic supply is as erratic as ever
Kidnappings and killing haven't really stopped

but one thing is new
There are a lot of people who actually belive
that things are on the mend
and, where there is hope...
there is always an opportunity to strive for the best.

A protest:
I was off-line for some time now
and I'd like to add my voice of protest
to the harrassment of sexual minorities in Lucknow , India
and the sensationalist attitude of the press, in particular
The Times of India
I somehow feel ashamed of ever being a part of the TOI team
(I wrote for them while in Shillong and Bihar a decade ago)
Whatever happended to journalsitic ethics???

In the meanwhile
Here's hoping that very soon
This country will get rid of laws that
needlessly discriminate against people because of
a two-hundred year old colonial statute
which has long since been struck off by the 'mother' country

The same country that gave Elton John the right to 'marry'
gave the countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
the law that makes it possible to harrass sexual minorities.