What's missing?

Take a moment and think about what life is all about. Is this the way we wanted it to be? How happy or satisfied are we? Is this what we always wanted to do?

Life is filled with complications and unanswered questions which only we can seek. The present society which compels us do be like them have supresses the real sense and robotized it. Do they know what they are doing? No. The materialistic approach has faded what was once a desire within us towards self satisfaction and happiness.

The entire structure of society has become highly complex, which leaves us as mere followers. What if society did not exist...how fair it is to drag every single individual into the constraints of set norms and rules? I frankly do not understand the sociological draft which the Greeks or the Romans had framed. But what I do understand is that no individual should have the right to dictate terms to anyone. The hierarchy is very deceptive. I might be born just-enough normal to fit in, but according to the 'society' I am either a misfit, abnormal or a curse!

This is where the question arises about religion and caste. I see caste as an agent to supress all individuals by one supreme power (which we all are aware of), where as religion is just a discipline. After evaluating these, all religions speak the same rule. Who are we fooling after all? We claim to be highly educated and aware, but fail to voice out, as all are bound to this so called system of society.

It's frightening for me to sell my soul to the devil as I consider my freedom and opinion as my soul and devil as the society. Why should I let my individuality be tamed by the superiors. It can be anyone, your boss, professor, friend, parents, neighbour hood, or even a famous personality. When I see cut throat competition, insecurity, fear, danger, violence, and corruption, I can only refer to society as the devil in a particular context.

I'm not writing so I can bring a change. But I do have a pure intention to bring more awareness and honesty among people to fill the empty and missing gaps in what we call a 'civilized society'.

Culture treat from the Tribes of Araku

Araku Valley – the moment one thinks of it, a series of pleasing images of lush green hills and tribal people with their countless festivals and dances rush through one’s mind.

Nestled at 1000 metres above sea level in the lap of the gorgeously wooded Eastern Ghats, the enchanting Araku Valley is the home to at least a dozen tribes who, in spite of the winds of change sweeping across, still retain their centuries old traditions and folklore. They seem to lead a happy life like their ancestors did, miles away from modern day life. I revisited the valley recently and my brief trip left me spell bounded.  The Araku Valley is home to around 19 tribes. Tribal communities, including the, Bagat, Gadaba, Jatapa, Mali, Savara, and Valmiki are spread across the districts of Vishakhapatnam, Shrikakulam and East Godavari. The tribal women are found in colorful attire as they perform the Dimsa and Mayuri dances, especially during ‘Itika Pongal’ – the popular hunting festival in April. Few tribal art forms are Mayuri from the Khond tribe; Be Ba Natya from Bagata tribe; Andelaravvali dance from Savara tribe. The Dimsa dance is performed by almost all irrespective of their tribal community.

As part of my visit to the A.P. Tourism resort in Araku, a group of tribals performed a tribal dance. Lakshmi, who belongs from the Bagata tribe has been performing Dimsa dance since 1999. She along with ten members and two drummers performed for the audience.They are paid a total amount of Rs. 1,500 for daily 15 minutes.

Talking to her was rather easy as she spoke Hindi and Oriya mixed. She explained about the simplicity of their dances and their significance. They celebrate during harvest, hunting, marriages, and other seasons as well. The dance revolves around ten members, mainly women. Hands held at the back, the women dressed in coulouful saris tied in a different fashion, dance in a circular manner. They sing of prosperity and seek blessings from the almighty to bestow all with happiness.

As I noticed on the way into the interiors of the valley, gaily attired tribal women carrying loads of vegetables, grains and other farm produce were being sold in a market. Life echoed as the inhabitants gathered to sell or barter their ware. In exchange they buy kerosene, cloth and imitation jewellery. Apart from the usual buying and selling, the markets also serve as an occasion for prospective brides and grooms to meet. Hence they come in all their traditional finery and colourful apparel.

Araku women have a great passion for traditional jewellery which usually consists of a pair of earnings, pendants, three nose rings, silver anklets, chains and bracelets. These are basically in silver and brass material. The most commonly worn daily are the nose rings called ‘murpka’; bead necklace called ‘pusuanga’; ear rings called ‘gunlinga’; and silver anklets. They are also fond of modern beauty aids as evident from a number of wayside stalls selling a variety of synthetic plastic beads, colourful bangles and hair clips! But the most traditional ornament is the ‘adlia’. This is a necklace made of small coins which keeps adding up every year with the birth of a girl in the family. Though now it is hard to find.

A stroll through the valley with acres and acres of coffee plantations, swaying eucalyptus and gurgling mountain streams sketches an image across your mind about the life of the tribals. Most of the tribal homes are one-roomed structures with a small verandah attached to the front. Walls are brightly painted and beautifully decorated with images of animals, gods and goddesses drawn in colours. Some also live in bamboo huts with cow shelters attached to the house. The sight of technology actually left me surprised. A satellite dish was attached to one of the huts!

Walking through the narrow allies, I also came across the age old traditional equipment such as fishing baskets, grain bin, water pots, wooden spoons, rain hat and much more. Children playing in the lanes seemed shy and knew the rules of not talking to strangers. 

Life is a succession of festivals and fairs, song and dance for the people of this valley. They celebrate everything from the onset of the monsoon to the simple toils of daily life. During March-April, the people stop all their agricultural activities and undertake hunting expeditions to nearby forests using spears, bows and arrows. On their return the entire village celebrates through drinking and dancing.  The best time to visit the valley is during March-April when the silent night echoes to the sound of music and dance. But naturalists and anthropologists flock here throughout the year to explore the unending beauties of the valley that open up one after the other…endlessly.

'Lovers of Light'

Mahjabeen Sadatulla is a phillumenist who has been collecting matchbook covers for over 40 years.

My first visit to this house was on the New Year eve of December 31, 2009. A few friends, who I was introduced for the first time by another friend, were feasting on barbeque chicken outside in the lawn. As my attention didn’t quiet stay on the conversations, I was more interested in what was inside the house.

There was something very unique about the house that intrigued me and I was impressed by the perfect landscaping around the house. It was a starry night and the dim lamps light the green patches of plants around the rocks which were so naturally placed. It seemed that they were resting for centuries and were determined not to be moved by any artificial force.

My visit didn’t last for long as I had other plans waiting ahead. But before leaving I managed to have a quick glance inside. I saw people sitting on somewhat antique looking sofas and laughing which was mixed with the sounds from the television. It looked like a living room with dim yellow lights brightening the corners of the room, highlighting various paintings and wall hangings on the white wall. What went unnoticed, only to be realized later, was an old chandelier hanging at the back of the room.

After leaving the place I realized, to my friends notice, that the hangings I saw weren’t any usual ones. They were a collection of matchbooks by my friends’ grandmother. This definitely left me surprised and I wished I could come back again. On January 19, 2011, I paid another visit. This time I had an appointment and knew exactly what my objective was. I wanted to meet the lady in person who had such an interesting hobby that I had never seen.

I was welcomed with a smile and a warm hug by an elderly lady, clad in simple orange sari and hair neatly tied back. She spoke to me in the most elegant manner that I came across in Hyderabad. She wasn’t bothered about the purpose of my visit, but was more concerned to offer tea and some snacks. Due to the presence of my friend, whom she knew well, she spoke about all her grandchildren and other daily activities. This made me more comfortable and her vibrant nature made me feel like home.

Mahjabeen Sadatulla, is a woman with grace and substance. She lives in creativity and nurtures every part of her belonging, especially her hobby of collecting matchbooks. Her collection started in the year 1965 when her husband, who was in the Air Force, used to get matchbooks for personal use at home. Finding the colourful pictures and various interesting advertisements printed on it, she did not throw them, instead, kept them in a glass bowl. But as friends noticed her interest, they started sending her matchbooks from wherever possible. Like she said, she did not put an effort into this hobby; people saw it and got her the things.

At that time the UK Couriers used to supply all these things. During 1970s India produced very little variety of match sticks and most of them were plain and simple. Only fancy hotels like the Taj groups had custom made matchbooks. Because of the exposure she had due to her husband Air Force job, she had more opportunities for expanding her collection.  With this, she took me around the house to show her collection.

I was amazed at one of the walls underneath the stairway. It was filled with picture frames of black and white era, framed medals and an entire family history was lined underneath on the shelf. Amongst all these, were the matchbooks. Framed on top of the wall, they hung unmoved. It was like a time lapse and the moment froze. I was appalled by the beauty of matchbook covers and wondered how a simple paper box could be so interesting to the eye!

I looked closely and realized that I was not just looking at matchbook covers, but an entire episode of history of advertising spread across the globe. There were covers from Australia, Great Britain, China, USA, Mexico, Sweden, Japan, Middle East, Kuwait, Iran, Houston, Germany, Palestine, Bali, and many more. The largest and longest one in the collection is from Canada. In most cases she removed all the match sticks in order to preserve the covers and for safety reasons. Till date, she keeps receiving different types and shapes of matchbooks from friends and relatives. Latest ones are from Hard Rock Café and Hotel Marriott from one of her grandson!

Apart from the frames, there was another thing that went unnoticed. The living room had side tables and each top was framed with matchbooks covers. This was a good utilization of source! Inside the bedroom were two more tables which were three times bigger in size. They were being used as side tables put against the two corner walls with lamp and books with her old stereo kept on it. I was again amazed by the extensive collection and effort one had to make to preserve them. She tells me, due to her old age now, it is becoming strenuous to keep them clean. She has to depend on the house maid to daily dust them.

One would be amazed to look at each cover and find that every piece has an interesting story. Some have funny cheesy liners, phone numbers of hotels, symbol of their city or country, random paintings, images of famous people and places. It took me more than four hours to look at just half of the collection.

While speaking to her, she revealed that apart from her other hobbies of collecting stamps, she also collected coins. This hobby was fancied by her father and later she continued. When in school she collected wild flowers and ferns only to dry them and make lovely frames. Gardening being her first love, I then realized the secret behind all the marvelous landscaping and beautiful flowers. Till date she has kept her interests safe. Everywhere I looked, I was a piece of her creativity in the house. For now she is satisfied and happy with what she has. In the end she smiled and said, "I still surprise people when they come across my collection."

Adieu

She emerged in striking red
Dressed just like her wedding day.
Fragrance radiated from the early bloom,
As she was brought inside.
With comfort in her eyes, she looked at me.
My heart was filled with pain,
As I knew it was her last breath.
She passed away in solace.

Walking into the past whilst in the present

“With colorful carpets spread across the road and expensive glass ware glistening in the early rise of the sun, is something that I miss the most. When I was a kid, my father used to take my brother and me to the market. The name itself was so mysterious that we would never say no to wake up in the early hours,” recollects 70 year old Mahjabeen Sadatulla, a long time resident of Hyderabad.

 Fascinating as it sounds ‘Chor Bazaar’ is definitely a walk down to the memory lane. My interest started when I overheard my Hyderabdi friends talking about where to buy cheap appliances and one of them came up with the name ‘Chor Bazaar’. My imagination suddenly evoked hundreds of images of men dressed in old Nizam style with women in burkhas and a long street bustling with people in dim lights. People selling old pottery, artifacts, antiques, fancy jewelry, decorative glasses, carpets, shawls, bronze and copper décor, horses, camels and other things. The entire image looked very much influenced from watching old Aladdin cartoon films! 

With all these imaginations I went ahead to find out more about the present day ‘Chor Bazaar’. Located in the old city of Hyderabad, it is popularly known as the Jumairat Bazaar. Going back in time, it all started in the period of Nizam rule, more than a century ago, when goods used by Nizam used to be sold at Ghode ki Khabar (a place where a horse is buried) in Dhul pet in old city. Slowly it transformed into a place where a wide range of second hand articles were sold on a weekly basis. It was not only for poor, who came for a good bargain, but also for the rich, who came to buy rare antiques. In the present scenario the place is perfectly legal. In fact, it is now under Government’s control and is given for lease to these people to sell their goods. 

As the name suggests, the bazaar only functions on a Thursday. Sellers would sell their goods on Thursday and on Friday, after the prayers, would enjoy the weekend. Therefore the time for the bazaar seemed very appropriate. After enquiring with a lot of people I geared up to visit the place. Driving down the empty streets of old city seemed like I entered a ghost town. It looked deserted in the early hour of darkness with dim street lights casting a shadow of my imagination. From the corners of the street people underneath their thick dark blankets were waking up for the day, which seemed like they were rising from the dead! One might get a bit lost for the first time as all the streets looked same to me, but eventually after enquiring from a lady walking on the road, I reached the right place. 

It was 6.30am and still dark. To my surprise I found nothing that was described to me or what I had imagined. As I drove into the street I felt disappointed. For a minute I thought this wasn’t the place. After I reached the end of the road I parked the car safe and wondered what happened to all the dim yellow and orange lights. Within ten minutes, suddenly the entire street came to life. I saw people with bags filled with goods settling things on the road side as fast as possible. People were arriving on their scooters with bundles of clothes. Things were being displayed on the mats, spread in each side of the road and buyers started to flock the place.

 It was the most exciting and interesting place I had ever been to. Don’t know how many generations must have walked on the same road. I had never seen such enthusiasm among buyers. They were hopping from one kiosk to another and bargaining with prices I had never imagined.  I was a bit scared, being the only woman, but no one seemed bothered with my presence and I completely went unnoticed.

If anyone thinks that he or she can buy stolen articles for a very low price, they are mistaken. It is not a place where you get stolen articles, but you get used articles. The bazaar opens as early in the morning as 5am (during summer) and 6-7am (in winter). It closes approximately by 12 noon. 

The only point in the above assumption which is correct is that, you get goods for a very low price. The prices are less than 50% of the original price. There is little scope for bargaining, only if you think it’s worth the effort. 

I came across such wonderful things which were beyond my imagination. Spare parts of automobiles, television, electronic equipment, furniture, decorative items, bicycles, rickshaws, tyres, carpets, antiques, gems and stones, old coins, clothes, shoes, watches and even horses and camels! The condition of the goods varies. Some are repaired, some are shabby (which may not work), and some looked new. There are hidden gems everywhere around and you just need the patience to pick what you are looking for. Some of the sellers are aged and experienced and it’s a treat to just watch them talk. Most of them will not entertain, if you are only there for a chat. They are extremely particular and strict business is the motto. 

It is surprising to know the means by which they get variety of goods. I went ahead and tried speaking to one of the aged seller who had a rather different thing to offer. Mr. Yousuf, has been selling old rusted nails, utensils, axes, grass cutters, etc. for the last 35 years. When I asked him about who are his customers, he simply replied, “No one in particular. Whoever is in need of these things come and buy.” He went ahead saying, “Hamare zamane mai ye badi shaan thi…hamare abba bhi yahi bechte the. Ab zamaana hi badal gaya hai” (In our time this was a big thing, my father use to sell the same. Now the generation has changed). He explained how sellers purchase things from the ‘Chor Bazaar’ of Mumbai and that nothing sold in Jumairat bazaar is stolen. While another seller, sitting next to him, told that goods are picked by rag pickers, found in scrap yards and raddi waalaas, who buy used articles from households. 

In between all the hardware spare parts, I found the right place for myself. An old loud spoken man along with his assistant (who was 12 years old) was selling old coins. He had a variety of which I had only heard of and never seen. Along with them he also sold gems and stones, which he claimed to be real. But sitting there aimlessly for five minutes dint serve my purpose. He immediately told me to go away if I am not interested in buying. Out of fear I was about to leave when my eyes fell on old East India Company coins. I told him that I was interested to buy them and he suddenly spoke soft! He only spoke about the coins and showed me other coins during the Nizaam rule. But in between he revealed that some people produce fake coins and sell them to people like us. I somehow presumed that he did the same! To have a safe way out, and not land up paying extra for a fake item, I chose two simple coins worth Rs. 50 each. 

My last halt was at a live auction of products which was being conducted underneath a tent. A man stood on the stage with a mike in his hand trying to convince people to buy a water thermos worth Rs. 100, as if it was made out of gold! Personally, the entire set up looked very comical as disinterested faces looked upon him. There was a stack of boxes filled with products ranging from iron, rice cooker, tea sets, and crockery lined behind him. And finally someone from the crowd bought the thermos.

 

I ended my visit at sharp 8am and left the over-crowded bazaar with a satisfaction of being able to purchase at least one thing. But the only fear that dawned upon me was what if the spare parts being sold at the nearby kiosk were of my car. After all it was a friends’ car that I had borrowed.

Scribbles Diary

Why do we cry so much that by the end of the day there are no tears left?
Why do we feel sad or dissapointed? Why is that each time when someone leaves us, we are deeply hurt?
Ever wondered from where did all these emotions originate..and terms that we (humans) created. I guess it all comes to one simple fact...insecurity.
What is happiness? Confidence that you are the best in the world! Or everything is the way you wanted it to be.
Anger is another emotion that basically messes up your entire system of thought process, and if not balanced,
you might get your self into trouble.
Expectations keep you waiting, as if you'r on hold! It's somewhat like an elastic which pulls you back and forth.
If you are behind, you might lose what you want, and if you leap too forward it acts like a nail which peirces through you and leaves you with all the above mentioned emotions.
Keeping a control over these feelings is hell of a task...something that we still haven't been able to figure out.

Dustbin chained to a post at one of the university bus stop. Its funny how they are scarce!

What moves me...

Inculcating a sense of acceptance in the society has driven the youth to an extent where they forget who they are. I get deeply moved looking at the number of divorce cases happening everyday in our Indian society. The trend seems to be picking up and I am not here to criticize the lot. What concerns me are the children whose families are divided and therefore the bond which they create with other materialistic things to seek comfort is what should be looked into.

Seeing people in my family going though such a phase, I can only relate to the child. The child feels miserable and devastated going through a split where the love will be distributed like a commodity. ‘How does it matter if I cry or smile? What will happen if I don’t come back home?’ Simple doubts like these start to infiltrate their mind. They isolate themselves to seek inner soul, but what results this into, is depression.

By isolating oneself might give more comfort but it only increases the risk of being an antisocial person. Children whose parents are going through a split try to gain attention by creating all sorts of havoc.

But we are not here to talk about the cause and symptoms. Looking around us, we should not sympathise but support them and encourage. As a child, drain out all the negative thoughts, and look at the brighter side of life which is waiting for you.

Scribbles Diary

I was wondering...how do we judge people. I mean, on what basis are we as humans judging another human for the same actions! According to every constitution in the world, we have the right to speak and have the freedom of expression. But why look at the legality of this matter! After all it is 'us' who made the entire legal system.

Why not go beyond this and try to understand the basic human communication force, which could possibly solve the entire issues of terrorism. I don't quite know if this could be making any sense, but my point is that why cant we go back to our medieval system and have an inter personal communication. What is stopping us? We aren't any machines which are designed to fight. We are compelled by the same race to retaliate and act fierce for which humans are to be blamed. As far as the communication is concerned, with the advent of tough manipulative mass media, it is becoming very difficult to find your self. Our opinion is being controlled by the decision makers who technically rule the society. After all, class less society can never really exist!

AFSPA: A harsh lash or a solution?

Hundreds of people have died in clashes between police and protesters in the North East and Kashmir. The ongoing fight has devastated the most flourished lands in India. As citizens, how much do we care about the bloodshed? Are we even aware of what their plight is? Or has this become a regular thing for us!

What started as a small protest (which one coz there is so many, specific) became a three month long affair of violence and tension in the Kashmir Valley. It got further fuelled by the desecration of the Quran by protesters in New York. The fact that religion played a crucial part and exploited the issue to a great extent made matters worse and brought down the trust between the public and government. Looking at the present condition, dialogue is no longer the solution.

One proposal by the government to curb out the violence was to withdraw the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from most parts of Kashmir. After the all-party meeting on Sept. 15th in New Delhi, the Centre decided to send a delegation of political parties to the State to meet all sections of the people and assess the ground situation. The meeting failed to arrive at any consensus on partial withdrawal or dilution of the AFSPA. But before we get into the details, let us first look at a brief introduction of AFSPA and why it was implemented.

The Armed Forces Special Powers Act of 1958 (AFSPA) is one of the more harsh legislations that the Indian Parliament has passed in its 45 years of Parliamentary history. Under this Act, all security forces are given unrestricted and unaccounted power to carry out their operations, once an area is declared disturbed. Even a non-commissioned officer is granted the right to shoot to kill based on mere suspicion that it is necessary to do so in order to ‘maintain the public order.’

As a matter of fact, according to the Indian Constitution the AFSPA violates Article 21-Right to life; Protection against arrest and detention-Article 22; the military gets immunity as they are protected from arrest for anything within the line of official duty by Section 45 of The Indian Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). Section 6 of the AFSPA provides them with absolute immunity for all atrocities committed under the AFSPA. So if a person wishes to file a suit against a member of the armed forces for abuses under the AFSPA, he/she must first seek the permission of the Central Government. It becomes difficult to state ones opinion about decision that will decide the fate of not just one but seven other states in North East India. Keeping in mind the historical background of Kashmir and the North-Eastern states and their struggle, many people have sacrificed their lives for this struggle. We need to respect that sentiment. The government needs to see the current problem in a larger picture.

If the AFSPA is not repealed, it must at least be altered to an extent that the civilians get back their rights. This means that the powers to ‘shoot to kill’ under section 4(a) must be revoked. Arrests must be made with warrants and no force should be allowed. Person arrested under the Act should be handed over to the police within twenty-four hours. Individuals who suffer abuses at the hands of the security forces may prosecute their abusers. Armed forces should not be allowed to arrest or carry out any procedure on suspicion alone. All their actions should have an objective basis so that they can be judicially reviewed.

Should there be Student politics on Campus

The article is entirely based on the results of the poll. Goes with what the majority thinks.

In a recent poll on the question, ‘Do you think that campus politics is good?’ conducted by the UoH Dispatch online blog, 65 per cent of the student polled that there was a need to continue with the present system of elections on campus, only 25 per cent of them felt that the elections where unnecessary whereas 10 per cent of them did not have an opinion.

The question is slightly redundant due to the pronouncements of the Supreme Court as well as the Lyngdoh Committee report on Guidelines on Students’ Union Elections in Colleges/Universities constituted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

As per the Direction of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, the poll would have been apt if the questions were, “Are elections on campus being conducted in a fair manner?”; “Are the elections helping the university in any manner?” or “Do the elected representatives functioning in an efficient manner?”

The very reason why the elections are conducted is to inculcate a sense of duty in the students or would be voters, future constituents of the nation and to help them understand the working of the democratic process. The basic premise of a Democracy is that its constituents/voters, who are bestowed with the right to elect their representatives, know the importance of this right and value it for the change it can bring in as well as script their destiny.

In this day when efficient governance is but a myth which is seen as something desirable, how do we expect people to believe in proper working of a democracy? How do we ensure that the lost confidence in their ability to bring about a change in the kind of politics of a nation can be restored? The simple answer is student politics.

A political science class only helps up to a point. But to see, feel and enjoy the change which can be brought about in the working of a university, a cleaner hostel or better food is truly inspiring which gives a better hope for the nation as a whole.

What can be done and should be done to ensure that the university politics does not interrupt the academic schedule of the university has been clearly detailed in the Report prepared by Mr. Lyngdoh. According to the report:

• Elections be held on a yearly basis and between six-to-eight weeks from the date of commencement of the academic session.
• Undergraduate students should be between the ages of 17 and 22 to contest elections. This age range can be appropriately relaxed in the case of professional Colleges. For Postgraduate Students age limit would be 24 to 25 years. For research students maximum age is 28 years.
• The candidate should have attained the minimum percentage of attendance as prescribed by the University.
• The candidate shall not have a previous criminal record or been subject to any disciplinary action by the University authorities.
• The maximum permitted expenditure per candidate shall be Rs. 5000.

All the recommendations were aimed at giving the first priority to academic activities as the Committee was clear that the academic institutions are meant for educational activities, not for politics.

‘SPECIAL RACIAL PROFILING’

We all know about the recent over hyped incident of Shah Rukh Khan experiencing “secondary detention” at Newark’s Liberty International Airport. But was it all that headlines managed to generate, or is it really a concern? Individuals born in certain countries, having Muslim names or just ‘look Muslim’ are often pulled up at US airports. According to the Americans, ‘looking Muslim’ means having brown skin! They are often asked about their religion, whether they hate the US government, and whether they have visited any mosques in the country. This kind of a ‘routine’ process often lasts for hours. 

Interestingly, people with no Muslim background, like the Sikhs, are also an easy target. Often they are asked to remove their turban and are pulled aside for “secondary screening.” It is personally humiliating and sets a negative example for the people to see a Sikh repeatedly pulled aside. Every foreign traveller arriving in the US has to go through ‘primary inspection.’ This basically involves, basic frisking and documentation check. If the CBP officer has doubts, the traveller is subjected for ‘secondary inspection.’ This could last for hours of intrusive questioning and extensive research, which is extremely humiliating. Laptops and luggage is inspected, in case you are carrying a religious book, information will be recorded and questions shall be asked about your religion. Sometimes laptops, cell phones, and cameras will be confiscated and copied. Questions, such as, ‘where do you pray’ and ‘what do you think of the war in Iraq,’ will be asked, which has absolutely no relevance and are completely unrelated to the individual. In this case even being an American citizen wouldn’t be of any help. 

It is not just the Muslims or the Sikhs, but South Asians are routinely profiled. African American taxi drivers are pulled over by the police for paper check. This creates a sense of fear among the public to travel during the dark. Arabs and Latinos are also suspected usually for travelling without proper documents, and hence are subjected for secondary inspection. The concern now is that the burden of “secondary inspection” is not being shared equally by all the travellers. People are unfairly treated and feel targeted. People don’t know what their rights are and don’t realize when they are being violated. There has to be more awareness on this aspect, which the government has to fulfill.

This steady pattern of discrimination can give rise to several security issues that the US government has been hiding. The question now is, the way the US government treats its foreign travellers, will this improve relations between the US and rest of the world, or further create tension and agitation.