The terror blasts have have brought to surface a whole lot of things. Right from inadequate ammunition provided to cops, to warnings not being heeded to passing the buck, etc. But in this milieu what has also come to light is the insensitivity of our leaders. 

Here are some pearls straight from the horses’ mouths:

RR Patil – “itne bade shahar mein ekhada hadsa ho jata hai” (one off accidents do occur in such big cities). Media created an uproar…party members tried to salvage the situation. Their response, the statement was a slip of tongue as he wasn’t comfortable in hindi. Very nice…our esteemed mantriji doesn’t know the national language…may be the dance bars he raided played lavani music instead of bollywood songs. Reminds me of Salman Khan’s dialogue in Maine Pyar Kiya ”bade bade shahron aisi mein choti choti baatein hoti rehti hain”.

Vilasrao Deshmukh – Our CM toured Oberoi with an entourage comprising his sons Riteish & Dhiraj and Ram Gopal Verma. When there was an outcry he defended himself saying, “there was no bad intention in it. many people come to such places. If my son is with me what is wrong in that? It was a big incident and he wanted to see it”. Ya rite and RGV was there to give the mahurat clap and break the symbolic coconut.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi – very typical of BJP, he too tried to confuse the janta and direct their attention elsewhere when they created furore over mismanagement by politicians. According to him public should have said, “Pakistan Murdabad” and not “Politicans Murdabad”. Ki farak penda hai…both are the same…wolves in sheep’s clothing.

But Mr. Naqvi wouldn’t stop here. He went a step ahead and asked with all seriousness “who is instigating these women groups to hold protests? Why are some lipstick cladded women wearing jeans protesting against politicians on the streets of Mumbai?” So instead of jeans would he have accepted the same tirade had the women been clad in burqas? I don’t get the point. Janab seems to think that women still live behind purdah in zenanakhanas.

And the award for the foot in the mouth disease goes to Kerala CM, V Achutanandan (or Achu as I would like to call him). So good ole Achu was miffed at being unceremoniously shooed out of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan’s house Bangalore. And in true Mallu style (with a folded lungi, tuni et al) he announced “if it had not been Sandeep’s house, not even a dog would have glanced that way. It’s Sandeep’s family and that’s why we went. A soldier’s father should have had the sense to understand that”.  Point taken sir…henceforth all soldiers’ fathers will await you to grace their homes when their sons lay their lives for the country.

Thus ends 2008. Another year goes by leaving dark memories. but as they say every dark cloud has a silver lining. Well J&K has seen a very good voter turnout which spells HOPE for us that the separatists may not win in their sinister mission after all. all the best to Omar Abdullah, the youngest CM. There are lots of hopes associated with young blood. So, please do not disappoint us or the J&K citizens who braved the snow and the threats to show their solidarity.

Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous 2009.