Kavita Chhibber's Blog

The Murder of Troy Anthony Davis

2011-09-22T03:24:00.000-04:00

Today the state of Georgia participated in yet another murder of an innocent man. A man who remained dignified, gracious and full of grace till the end. A man who I grew to know very closely, who would at times confide things in me that he couldn't tell his sisters or mother so they would not worry more than they already did about his well being. A man who inspired millions behind bars when many of us who are free waste our time, and our lives doing nothing - a man who said he was dying to livewhile others lived and died - a man who sought to mentor kids to teach them not to make wrong choices - because being at the wrong place, wrong time, can make you another Troy Davis.

I remember my first conversation with him - his incredible faith, intelligence and dignity. I met him soon after for the first time in 2008. All I can say is over the years I learnt many lessons in resilience and honesty. Troy showed me by example not to take life seriously, to laugh even in the midst of being around death, disease and incarceration. I was amazed at his knowledge, his discipline, his optimism and his faith in God. Even on Tuesday evening when he called he said (among other things) – “no matter what happens to me, don't ever lose faith in God because God is for real”.

I saw no anger, just frustration at the legal system and more concern for my well being than his own. But that is how he always was. And that is how everyone in his family is. When his mother died suddenly, Martina called me to check on me to make sure I was okay. When the Parole Board denied him clemency on Tuesday, Troy called to check on me and my family to make sure we weren’t upset. He ended up giving us strength instead of the other way around. And at the end we were laughing.

I stood there outside the GDCP tonight, and saw the outpouring of love from everywhere across state and country lines. Troy Davis in his 42 years achieved more than many of us expect to achieve in a lifetime. He received more love than the men and women who wanted him dead would in a lifetime.

As I still struggle to accept the flaws in a system where man can play God and be the most cruel of all species, I also find peace remembering a man called Troy Davis on death row. I do not know the truth about what happened on that sad sad night in Savannah Georgia- but this do I know: we all deserve a second chance.

Amidst all the tears and the memories, I can say I am honored to have known a man who showed me that divinity can be found - of all the places - on death row. A man whose dignity, pride and faith till the end when he blessed even those who participated in his death, makes me so proud of the man he was. A man of courage who stood strong and proud in the face of so much and did not give up his integrity till the end.

I wish I could say the same for a lot of men in our legal system and even our President who chose to wash his hands of the whole business even when other Presidents didn’t.

Troy, I know you are in a better place and I know you have impacted future generations deeply. I know that they will fight injustice and will always remember that they stand on your broad shoulders.

- Kavita Chhibber.

Skepticism and Pranic Healing - A Surprising Revelation

2009-08-16T21:48:00.005-04:00

When I decided to take the first Pranic healing course, I was pretty skeptical. But I’m also quite adventurous and if something piques my interest, I go ahead and try it. I welcome healthy skepticism - in fact, I would think something would be really amiss if someone is asked to take a blind leap of faith and would do just that - leap blindly.

And yet, closed minded bigotry or skepticism and those nay sayers of this world who just make uneducated and blind presumptions and pass judgment on someone or something, makes me realize again and again what a dangerous thing it is to have that in the world.

It’s our closed-mindedness that makes us judge people negatively and the consequences can be horrific. Look at what has happened to the Muslim community and the Sikh community in terms of violence and racial profiling in the aftermath of September 11. Look at the horrible crimes committed against the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. It shows through in the way we look at blacks and many other ethnic groups even today.

When you look through history or even day to day life, you can see that close mindedness and the herd mentality of people. It’s often evident in the way we judge others, the way gossip spreads and how quickly many people believe hearsay. Look at the large number of people who were suckered in to experiences like the Madoff affair, the Enron debacle, the cults that sprout and many times lead to tragedy-(if you look at cult suicides on Wikipedia you’ll know what I mean). You see it in the fanaticism in religion that has cost us so much grief. I see so many people losing money, property, family ties following some gurus who later turn out to be crooks.

So it’s always good to question, research and experience something for yourself rather than take someone else’s word for it.

But what has really surprised me though with Pranic healing has been the very small number of closed minded people that I have encountered. I have met skeptics yes, but with the exception of may be one or two people, everyone has been so totally respectful and willing to hear me out. So many have gone ahead tried it for themselves, sent others to learn, that I have been taken quite by surprise. And every person I have treated has been so kind and generous in their testimonials and their appreciation of how they felt after I spent some time with them.

I was also surprised at how many celebrities have experienced energy medicine and support my work in Pranic healing, from the emails I received when they read or found out about my foray into it.

Another surprise has been the number of husbands who have come with their wives who wanted to be treated. Some are physicians and others in diverse careers, but while some told me quite openly they weren’t sure this worked they wanted to support their wives and my work. I’m really happy to say; today many of them have or are taking the course or reading the books related to Pranic healing.

There are so many people who have contacted me from different parts of the world-UK, Australia, Japan, Canada and I have given them long distance healing with startling and very gratifying results.

Many of my friends and family members tease me that if they hear one more word about Pranic healing, they will disown me. But they continue to support every adventure I have embarked on-Pranic healing being the latest.

So many physicians have heard me out, asked questions and appreciated what I’ve done for their patients. Many are learning the technique and successfully applying them on their patients. Others have referred them to me. I will be bringing you some of the stories of those people in the coming weeks and months.

While there is no size that fits all-no medicine or alternative medicine that works for everyone, I believe that if someone experiences even 10 percent relief with Pranic healing its been worth my time and theirs.

I happened to be reading something Master Choa Kok Sui had said. He said that people who criticize the most do the least work so stay away from them. I can add that bigotry and closed mindedness has no boundaries other than what we set ourselves. And when we open our hearts and minds to this adventure called life, the possibilities are endless. So I would encourage all of you to try Pranic healing. I know this much-many of you will be quite pleasantly surprised.

Pranic Healing Master Marilag Mendoza will be teaching a class on August 28th-30th. Go the link and sign up.

Barack Obama at Notre Dame: A Touch of Class as Always

2009-05-18T12:52:00.005-04:00

May 17th turned out to be a gray and wet Sunday afternoon as I sat working on the new issue of my e-magazine. Buzzing in the background for the past few days, had been the incessant cacophony of voices discussing the feasibility conferring upon a President, who was pro stem cell research and believed in the woman’s right to choose when it came to abortion, an honorary law degree at Notre Dame, a fiercely Catholic institution. The noise was getting louder, protests escalating, and gossip being exchanged-“security is being stepped up, many people are not going, there is this plane flying around trailing banners with images of aborted fetuses, there is a petition signed by close to 400,000 people in circulation asking Notre Dame to withdraw the invitation, irate donors are pulling out money from the coffers of Notre Dame to punish, Father John Jenkins’ decision to invite Barack Obama, and thus choosing “prestige over truth.”

Of course having seen Barack Obama now for more than the first 100 days of his presidential run, I didn’t have any doubts that he was going to face the protesters and the issues that had disgruntled his detractors, head on. At 2 pm. EST, I decided to take a break and see what would happen at Notre Dame.

What had tickled my funny bone a few days ago had been Arizona State University’s decision not to give the President an Honorary degree at his commencement speech there on the grounds that even though he had become USA’s first Black President, he hadn’t achieved enough for them to be impressed enough, to continue the tradition of giving to Obama, what most speakers at graduation ceremonies receive-an honorary degree as a sign of respect and appreciation. In their eyes his “body of work is yet to come.”

There too Obama had handled the rebuff with his usual grace and humor, when he said “I come here not to dispute the suggestion that I haven’t yet achieved enough in my life. Michelle concurs with that assessment. She has a long list of things that I have not yet done, waiting for me when I get home.”

As I sat through the speech at Notre Dame, I found my heart warming up at the number of standing ovations Obama received. I also found myself alternately laughing at his wry, self deprecating sense of humor,( I don't know if you're aware of this, but these honorary degrees are apparently pretty hard to come by. So far I'm only 1 for 2” and “ We all know about this university's proud and storied football team, but I also hear that Notre Dame holds the largest outdoor 5-on-5 basketball tournament in the world - Bookstore Basketball. ..I want to congratulate the winners of this year's tournament, a team by the name of "Hallelujah Holla Back." Well done. Though I have to say, I am personally disappointed that the "Barack O'Ballers" didn't pull it out. Next year, if you need a 6'2" forward with a decent jumper, you know where I live.”) listening intently and being moved as images flashed before my eyes, at some of the things he said. Many sentences evoked more introspection within me.

When Obama said we must find a way, “to live together as one human family,” and added that “It is this…challenge that I'd like to talk about today. For the major threats we face in the 21st century - whether it's global recession or violent extremism; the spread of nuclear weapons or pandemic disease - do not discriminate. They do not recognize borders. They do not see color. They do not target specific ethnic groups.

Moreover, no one person, or religion, or nation can meet these challenges alone. Our very survival has never required greater cooperation and understanding among all people from all places than at this moment in history.

Unfortunately, finding that common ground - recognizing that our fates are tied up, as Dr. King said, in a "single garment of destiny" - is not easy. Part of the problem, of course, lies in the imperfections of man - our selfishness, our pride, our stubbornness, our acquisitiveness, our insecurities, our egos; all the cruelties large and small that those of us in the Christian tradition understand to be rooted in original sin. We too often seek advantage over others. We cling to outworn prejudice and fear those who are unfamiliar. Too many of us view life only through the lens of immediate self-interest and crass materialism; in which the world is necessarily a zero-sum game. The strong too often dominate the weak, and too many of those with wealth and with power find all manner of justification for their own privilege in the face of poverty and injustice. And so, for all our technology and scientific advances, we see around the globe violence and want and strife that would seem sadly familiar to those in ancient times.”

These words send me back to my childhood. Life was so easy and simple then. Everyone knew everyone, because there was no internet, limited programs on television, phone lines were hard to come by and there were no cell phones.

But what was such an integral part of our lives was the community we lived in. We had the time, before technology took over- to get to know each other and discover, that underneath our religious beliefs, our cultural diversity, we were all the same. The open dialogue, that getting to know each other, took away the fear of the unfamiliar, and peeled away the layer that makes us self absorbed and non inclusive today. When you know and love someone, you watch out for them. And in those days in my home town of Jammu, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs all lived as an extended loving family, watching out for each other’s interests. You see, in those days we all believed in that golden rule that is, as Obama said, the underlying premise of every religion in the world-treat others as you would like to be treated.

Today just as technology had brought us together, it has also been used not only for the good of mankind, but often as a weapon of mass destruction. The internet is one powerful example of how on one hand cyberspace sprouts communities, but also with the same speed wreaks havoc in so many ways. It has made us reclusive, cubby holed in our own little cyber bubbles-saying what we please without considering the fact that words can be more lethal than guns when used unwisely, and that people often read things totally out of context and attack back right away, with horrible consequences for the larger world, because retaliation is only a click of a mouse or a text message away.

And while we race to the finish line, chasing material success, we lag so far behind in reaching out to others. Gone are the days of basking in the sunshine with family, holidaying together, having intense conversations about everything under the sun, eating dinner together, or praying together. I actually saw an ad which said-“No time to go to your place of worship? Now pray, and do confessions online for a nominal charge. Even the Lord now has been banished to new cyber quarters!

One of the most telling statements Obama made and it is so true in every area of life is the fact that, “...one of the vexing things for those of us interested in promoting greater understanding and cooperation among people is the discovery that even bringing together persons of good will, men and women of principle and purpose, can be difficult.

The soldier and the lawyer may both love this country with equal passion, and yet reach very different conclusions on the specific steps needed to protect us from harm. The gay activist and the evangelical pastor may both deplore the ravages of HIV/AIDS, but find themselves unable to bridge the cultural divide that might unite their efforts. Those who speak out against stem cell research may be rooted in admirable conviction about the sacredness of life, but so are the parents of a child with juvenile diabetes who are convinced that their son's or daughter's hardships can be relieved.”

I think if there is only thing to learn from this President, it’s his amazing capability to be a fantastic listener, and his utter lack of ego. I don’t know how he keeps this incredible sense of detachment, humor and serenity around him, when I struggle on a daily basis to capture some of that and fail time and time again. I get hurt, shed tears, and blow my cool when I see someone being unfair or unkind. At times, I’m guilty the same and even of being impatient, and presumptuous and so much more. And here was this man, standing before a crowd where many were openly hostile and still spoke his mind in a way that was both firm and still full of understanding and empathy.

From my personal perspective, when I see severe, life threatening genetic disorders, certain types of life threatening cancers and illnesses, Christopher Reeve’s amazing battle with a spinal injury and many others like him, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that stem cell research must be encouraged to overcome disease and disability. And I also wonder, where does it say in religion that we must cling to outdated beliefs that don’t have a place in today’s world? Don’t many of us donate our organs after our death, to save lives?

Abortion too is a sensitive issue. But Obama faced that controversy straight on and said “Maybe we won't agree on abortion, but we can still agree that this is a heart-wrenching decision for any woman to make, with both moral and spiritual dimensions.

So let's work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies, and making adoption more available, and providing care and support for women who do carry their child to term. Let's honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded in clear ethics and sound science, as well as respect for the equality of women."

Understand - I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away. No matter how much we may want to fudge it - indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory - the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable. Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature.” And he asked everyone to do it with “Open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words.”

I know of cases where the woman, a victim of rape has had the child and hated it every time she set eyes on it because abortion was not an option. I’ve seen and heard of cases where too many children due to religious beliefs, too close in age and not just made the woman physically and emotionally a wreck, it has sent some of them over the edge with tragic consequences.

I also think the environment and the stigma around unwanted pregnancy need to be addressed as much as the issue of pro life versus pro choice. The world can be very cruel to those who break societal norms and get caught, those who are physically or emotionally weak and those who are without a loving family support system.

So continued education and reinforcement is important, because human beings seem to have short memories about what is good for them in the long run.

Obama said so much that is true of life and important to creating a more humane society but the buck does stop with us all. “ ..within our vast democracy, … doubt should remind us to persuade through reason, through an appeal whenever we can to universal rather than parochial principles, and most of all through an abiding example of good works, charity, kindness, and service that moves hearts and minds.

For if there is one law that we can be most certain of, it is the law that binds people of all faiths and no faith together. It is no coincidence that it exists in Christianity and Judaism; in Islam and Hinduism; in Buddhism and humanism. It is, of course, the Golden Rule - the call to treat one another as we wish to be treated. The call to love. To serve. To do what we can to make a difference in the lives of those with whom we share the same brief moment on this Earth.

Because when you serve, it doesn't just improve your community, it makes you a part of your community. It breaks down walls. It fosters cooperation. And when that happens - when people set aside their differences to work in common effort toward a common good; when they struggle together, and sacrifice together, and learn from one another - all things are possible.”

And this is the President some people are waiting to see fail?

Beyond Love

2009-02-13T21:44:00.004-05:00

My life has been a sonata of myriad colors and memories, the notes filled with resonance and beauty, and the emotion that fills me, is so far beyond just love. Will a Valentine’s Day be enough capture a few of those gems from the story of my life so interlinked with that of so many loving souls? And yet this is as good a time to recognize some of those special people and special moments.

They were both so distinctly different. One the diplomat, the patient one, the other blunt, hot headed and dominant. And they both left a lasting imprint on my heart, my mind, my intellect-and my soul.

Can I capture again, in the palm of my hand, their faces, the lines deepening not just with laughter, but the years that gently embraced them. Those lines that recreated the past, the present and the future for me.

Can I again stop and remember, believing that the memories that come flooding back won’t find a reason to escape through the tears in my eyes?

They were not famous, and yet celebrating their lives today makes me realize the immeasurable wealth they poured into mine-years of unconditional love, of laughter, creating a world of magical stories, transporting me to worlds I never knew existed.

Savitri and Saraswati-my two grandmothers. They taught me so much about sacrifice, generosity of heart, immeasurable patience, their pride in being women of substance. One faced adversities at a young age, and raised six sons single handedly, in a way that would put many authorities on child rearing to shame. What Saraswati, my paternal grand mother, my daadi, a young widow, brought to the table was, to never let her sons forget to always be proud of themselves, to remember that they were lesser to none, and the true measure of their worth would be only when they stood in front of the mirror and liked what they saw. She taught them to be honorable, upright, disciplined and to give everything their best shot and to love each other more than anything else-and they do-to this day. There were days when she and her sons lived in a one room tenement after partition of India and Pakistan surviving on barley soup for days.

My daadi, lived to see all of them do well, and two of her sons became military generals; one the Governor of the state she lived in for the longest time. For her the wheel came a full circle when that son, the youngest child, came to the same spot where he sat so many years ago, as a little boy on a steel trunk outside a refugee camp not knowing what his fate would be-to cut a ribbon as the Governor of Punjab and it was her picture that the major newspaper in the state chose to splash across its front page. She lived to be a 104, lucid and alert and engaged in everything around her till the end.

Savitri, my maternal grandmother, was born in the lap of luxury, married a man who was brilliant and well to do but became a young widow like the other one. She was the greatest influence in my life. I spent all my summer vacations with her and when my father, a military man stayed away in remote areas, where his family could not be with him, my mom would come and stay with her. From my naani, I learnt to love books, from her I learnt to sing hymns, and pray to her favorite Gods. She loved Rama because to her he epitomized the perfect man. She frowned on Krishna, calling him a playboy. There was not a single picture of him in our house, though funnily she named one of her son Krishna and none Rama! Go figure.

She taught me to be proud of myself in a country that considered women second rate citizens. She was fearless, independent, hot headed and incredibly well read and sharp. She refused to live with any of her sons, preferring her own family home, where two of her sons decided to come and live with-her. Every night, she would tell me stories from Indian mythology, go watch Bollywood films with me that she didn’t like much, encourage me to read as many books as I could and told me I was her most special grandchild. I still remember how she would come running out, her long hair flowing on her back, when we would come to visit and spend our summer vacations in her home to give me the biggest hug. I remember the nights she stayed up scratching my back when I had measles and chicken pox and was itchy all over. I remember the fragrance of the many jasmine plants that enveloped us as we all pulled our beds outside on her huge lawn and all the grandkids slept around her as she regaled us with stories under a full moon.

She died when she was only 62 and I a young teenager, who wasn’t told about her death for days until after she was cremated. Years have passed and I still don’t have closure. I miss them both to this day and I hope some day I will be as cool a grandmother as they were.

My hero has always been my dad. I strive to be as classy, as smart, as honorable, and as giving as him-and I wish I was half as good looking, but I fall short by miles. Almost all my memories of my father are either of him spoiling me or of telling amazing stories to us, as my sister and I lay next to him completely riveted. Little did we know he would make them up on the spot. He is a man of few words, but each word has its weight in gold. He is one of the most perceptive, far sighted people I know. He has always been right about everything and while mom and I and others have grumbled when he has put his foot down about something, we have had to eat humble pie soon after because he was right-yet again!

Strangely all my memories of my father, a tough military man are that of being Mr. Mom. If I was sick, it was dad who stayed up all night and took my temperature, paced the floor till the fever broke, took time off from work, to play board games or cards with me, while mom was much more relaxed. He has such tremendous respect for women because his biggest role model was his mother and as a result he pampered my mother to the hilt as well, nurturing her talents and finding something to appreciate even in her flaws. And he is a tough act to follow.

My mom was and is a spoilt brat! She is the youngest of six siblings, so her dad spoilt her and then did her older brothers and sisters. She then got married into a family of six boys and my dad spoilt her. She does what she wants but has supported my dad and his going overboard with resigned disbelief at times, with pride at others, but even when they disagree they kinda like each other. Theirs is one of the best marriages that I have seen and I find it funny how when they complain about each other they start laughing and then forget what it was.

All my brothers and sisters, are incredibly special people. They have protected me, encouraged me, and watched over me. They have appreciated my achievements and lifted me up when I was down, letting me make my own mistakes. I realized how lucky I was much later when I saw even siblings by blood squabbling over property and money, with envy and jealousy rearing their ugly head. I always go home to my amazing family and extended family, and they put everything on the back burner to create a magical world of incessant laughter, amazing food, endless love, filling my suitcases with generous gifts till they creak at the seams.

With the exception of one amazing woman, Anees Jung, an amazing writer and human being- all my mentors have been outstanding men, starting with my brother Parvez. The rest have adopted me as their daughter, or kid sister, or close friend, showed me the way to excel and opened doors for me to walk in and prove myself and taken immense pride when I delivered without any expectations.

Most of the celebrities I have interviewed through the years have been very generous with their time, and sharing of themselves. Many have become close friends, and I have been inspired by their achievements, touched by their humility and their continued affection whenever we meet or interact.

But its some of the people like you and me, who I have interviewed, who have taught me some amazing lessons. One of my favorite people is a plastic surgeon Dr Satish Vyas in Michigan. His zest for life, his multi talented, multi-dimensional personality, his wicked sense of humor, kindness and compassion and infectious energy are qualities I remember to this day even though its been more than a couple of years since we met again. His lovely wife Kusum, the first woman he fell in love with and married is his perfect balance. Its so cool to see them together and the fact that they have been so lucky to have found each other so early on in life.

Dr Jagdish Sheth and his wife Madhu are community icons in Atlanta. Dr Sheth is a world renowned academician, but for me Madhu and he are everything stellar human beings should be. Their ability to give, their humility and their humanity is well known. I believe the true worth of a man or woman is to be judged by what people say about them behind their back, and by that token the Sheths are very special.

My close friends have been there for me for more than 2 decades and more. I’m still in touch with many of them who I have known since I was a toddler. They have been there with me through the best of times and the worst of times and the one thing that has been constant is their constancy. They know who they are and they know I cherish everyone of them.

I wrote this earlier, but I think it’s the greatest truth in my life and so I will say this again in the end.

Every experience in my life has taught me something. The good ones that there are so many miracles at every step, and so much goodness all around-and that it’s not just a matter of perception.

The bad ones have taught me that it is all a matter of perception. People are never bad, its circumstances, their own insecurities and issues that make them react in a negative way. I have never seen a happy person act mean or unkind.

My work transports me to a world that changes on a daily basis and I learn something new every single day. And I have met innumerable people that have inspired me and amazed me. I have learned that the human spirit at its best, can soar to heights you cannot even begin to imagine. It has taught me that the possibilities remain endless.

And so on this Valentine’s Day I salute every special soul who has crossed my path and added to my life.

The Audacity of Hope becomes Reality

2009-01-21T22:29:00.006-05:00

Michelle Obama recalled in an interview that the first time she saw the name, she thought - what kind of a name is Barack Obama?

Little was she to know that 20 years later that name would be on the lips of the world and he will be remembered as the 44th and first African American president in history of the United States.

I remember reminiscing that the first time I laid eyes on the President, was at the 2004 Democratic Convention and I was totally mesmerized by his keynote address. I quickly ordered his book “Dreams from My Father” while people were still asking- Barack who? Since then it has been interesting to see how intelligently he fought his way to the top, utilizing technology, inspiring a younger generation to fight his fight and the dignity that he showed when things got ugly from time to time with below the belt ads, and political nastiness that becomes part and parcel of any campaign.

If there was anything that stood out throughout, other than his intelligence, it was his dignity, and a seeming sense of calm balance. Michelle who had said this would be his only run for President because they have had to sacrifice so much, has stood beside him. She is the other superb orator in the Obama household. And in spite of impeccable professional credentials she is secure within herself to focus on family. Its obvious in the way she supports her husband and she has done an amazing job of raising two really normal daughters; and while she talked about the strain this campaign had put from time to time on the family, at the end of the day, Obama won because she was behind him always.

I remember the day Obama clinched the nomination, it was so touching to see not just the pride in the eyes of the African American community, but the joy that seemed to envelop humanity at large. At that moment, it didn’t matter who you were-the color of your skin, your status quo, your religion, all faded away- and out went many personal prejudices and personal biases.

On inauguration day, January 20th 2009, that feeling returned multifold as more than a million people of all denominations, ethnicity stood together on a freezing day to be a part of history.

The District of Columbia outdid itself in terms of organizing the perfect inauguration, but it was the people of these United States of America who joined hands as one and symbolized unity in diversity-an image that often gets lost in a world full of strife and hostility. A vast sea of humanity, old and young, and not one disruption, not a single arrest-that is the gift inclusiveness brings.

It was almost embarrassing and a bit sad to see the lack of reception ex President George W Bush got as he made his solo entry to face the public in the inauguration stand. I have disagreed with a lot of his decisions but I have always admired a couple of things about George Bush-his immense, unstinted loyalty to those who are loyal to him, and the facts that he has always had the guts to stand by his decisions right or wrong, against all the backlash. And in a strange way he did display a quality that we often lack but admire in those who have them…self confidence. His final press conference with the Press, perhaps showed President Bush as he really is. He was as accessible, warm, and much more vulnerable than I have seen him. He was still in denial about a few things, but some how for the first time, I felt a twinge of empathy for him.

Jan 20th was really a blur of everything Obama. Some one jokingly said.. hey there is something like a hope hangover! But I think that day, filled a huge gaping hole in the deeply stricken hearts of Americans, who are weighed down by so much, a battered economy, unemployment, insolvency and foreclosures, depression and suicides.

The President and the first lady walked in like a ray of sunshine that bursts across the sky after a long, dark thunderstorm that has left destruction in its wake. And what’s really cool is that they seem so much like you and me.

I remember Oprah saying jokingly that he has always been Barack to everyone-he is so your guy next door..its going to be quite an effort on his part and theirs to step back and get used to calling him Mr. President.

In all the hoopla, there was this one moment, as he stood alone by himself for a few minutes waiting to be called out before he took the oath.. the camera panned on a face that was suddenly still, the eyes thoughtful and pensive and you felt that may be for those few seconds he felt the weight of all that he was about to assume along with the office. And then it was business as usual as he walked out, breaking into that infectious smile that is quite contagious.

I think if there is a moment for Barack Obama to cherish it is not the swearing in, and not the fact that an African American bi racial mutt as he jokingly called himself achieved the highest pinnacle of professional success, but the fact that he was enveloped in an embrace, a pulsating energy of love and acceptance across the barriers that separated the bodies but not the hearts that were beating as one in blessing him, supporting him and showering their love on a man whose sincerity, and balance has won over even his worst critics and political foes.

As the audacity of hope becomes a reality for Obama, my prayer is that we reach out and walk in step with not just him, but each other recreating a new path of what is best for humanity.

Mumbai Musings and talking terrorism

2008-12-22T13:29:00.002-05:00

The past weeks since the terrorist attacks on Mumbai, have gone in round the clock interviews with people from India and Pakistan from different walks of life, talking to Dr Deepak Chopra, Pakistani cricketer politician Imran Khan, counter terrorism experts, UK businessman Sir Gulam Noon, who defied death for the fourth time when he escaped from the burning Taj in what seemed a miracle in just the way the events built up in his case and of course a cross section of people in India and Pakistan.

While you can read all the outstanding interviews and some other really thought provoking articles on my website (www.kavitachhibber.com) in the latest issue, I remember when the initial reportage came in, having read about the previous attacks, and the flooding that left Mumbai paralyzed and other similar attacks across India, I didn’t pay much attention to the headlines for a couple of hours, thinking it was indeed some gang war as the media was reporting; until my brother’s email that one of his close friends was missing on the 6th floor of the Taj came in and that his last contact with her was at 2 a.m. The friend was well known journalist Sabina Sehgal Saikia and sadly her body was found 2 days later. Just 10 days earlier, she had gone to Ustad Amjad Ali Khan’s house to gift her new book to his wife Subhalakshmi Khan, said the Sarod maestro to me as he was about to leave for her funeral.

Soon burning questions and a burning city captured the attention of both the national and international media. Never, said terrorism expert Dr Robert Friedmann to me, has he seen such prolonged international coverage for an attack in India-not just that, he had not even seen that kind of coverage when Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in what was a clear case of political terrorism.

As I called people from all over, to get their impressions, one thing emerged with crystal clear precision-while the political leaders in India jumped the gun and immediately started pointing fingers at Pakistan, the people of India were really angry with the breakdown of the political and intelligence system in their own country.

I saw a volcanic anger that I had not seen earlier when a breakdown of infrastructure has happened in any part of India.

While there were some people from the Indian and Pakistani community that sent inflammatory articles, emails and comments to my website, by and large the majority of Indians, no matter what their background, understood that there is a need to separate the state and the government from non state perpetrators of the crime. Most Indians also made the point that they have deep love for the people of Pakistan and recalled the unparalleled hospitality they have been offered every time they visit India. They also said that they realize the Pakistani government is too weak, being run with the blessings of the Military and that the country is now as much a victim of ingrown terrorism: but most Indians were adamant that they cannot excuse the apathy of the state in eliminating these terrorists or those members of the Pakistani government or ISI, that is training these terrorists.

On the Pakistani side, the memories of the ravaged Marriot in Islamabad still fresh in their minds, people were shocked and sympathetic at what happened in India. But that shock and sympathy turned into anger and defensive defiance when the blame game began. The media reporting from India was by and large a prime example of tabloid TV and yellow journalism and a blatant attempt at garnering the highest ratings. Even veteran journalists jumped in the fray-and many people turned into self appointed experts passing judgment, giving an analysis and jumping to all kinds of conclusions while the siege was still on, and little concrete information to base those opinions on.

The Pakistan bashing brought retaliation from Pakistani news media and many Pakistanis I spoke to in the first few days, told me they were convinced the terrorists were Hindus from RSS and BJP paid to create mayhem just before the elections. One told me that Geo TV had specifically conducted an investigation and that the lone captured terrorist wasn’t even from the village in Pakistan as claimed. All these presumptions of course have been refuted, and even more so when former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif acknowledged that indeed the terrorist was Pakistani and his family has been isolated from everyone a few days ago in an interview.

Condoleezza Rice arrived and added fuel to the fire by jumping on the “blame Pakistan” wagon. Rice reprimanded the government like a school Principal scolding an errant child, instead of trying to cool tempers and act as a mediator, and as a representative of a global super power, that would in times such as these, be expected to want peace in the subcontinent and would work towards that-especially when the two countries are nuclear powers. And of course accept that US has to accept a lot of the blame for the current chaos in Afghanistan which has flowed into Pakistan.

But then the reason why a large part of the world, hates America, is because America, said Dr Deepak Chopra to me in a conversation-has only self interests and no allies or friends. He made a lot of sense when he said to me “Right now America’s interests are the World’s interests; our economic system, the economic melt down is telling us now that there is only one economy, the weather patterns are telling us that there is only one ecology; when are we going to learn that there is only one humanity?”

There were many discussions on global terrorism and its Islamic face. Imran Khan the cricketing legend and now the only Politician people of Pakistan and India respect, because of his honesty and integrity, said for the umpteenth time that terrorism has no religion-a sentiment shared by many across the board. He also added that the youngsters many of whom are university graduates, and from middle class families don’t even fit the stereotypical image of the so called Islamic terrorist with a beard. There is a lot more to learn why things are the way they are today.

The spirit of Mumbai was invoked by some, and dismissed by others who said every big city has a similar spirit, where people want to get back to normal, but what remained simmering was an anger at the political system that nurtures corruption and is caught napping again and again at times of need.

The good thing, said one interviewee is that the elite have been hit this time, and so those who fill the coffers of these politicians, especially the corporate head honchos are now taking a second look at security and terrorism. There are also lawsuits asking for regulation and a strong criticism of the way the media handled coverage, disclosing crucial and sensitive information, that may have caused the death of many in the two hotels as their location and how many security personnel was involved in counter attack came tumbling out on real time reporting.

There was a conciliatory email by Barkha Dutt, a journalist I used to admire once upon a time, but who has joined the ranks of tabloid reporters, where she said that the media reported only what was told to them. At no point were they briefed to keep things off record. While she has a point and this opens a new discussion on how to train the media and have a close relationship with it in case something of this nature occurs again-it does not take away from the disservice Dutt and similar veteran journalists like her have done. Someone with her experience, should instinctively know when crucial information if reported, can endanger the lives of others and not wait to be spoon fed by those in authority at what she should and should not say. Unfortunately, her apology came a bit too late and as a preventive measure because public opinion against her may make her head roll as well.

I would like to share some lines from 3 of the interviewees that sprung out at me when the interviews were being conducted.

Dr Deepak Chopra:

The first important question is- why is global terrorism predominantly an Islamic phenomenon?
Secondly, what is it that radicalizes young Muslim men in relatively middle class families in Europe, Britain and other places?
where is the money coming from? It’s very obvious this takes a lot of training, this takes a lot of organization and it is clear that the money pipeline starts in Saudi Arabia in which case we should be asking- what role does the US play in this,

So as long as America thinks only of its own interests, its never going to have a complete understanding. Right now America’s interests are the World’s interests and they don’t understand that; our economic system, the economic melt down is telling us now that there is only one economy, weather patterns are telling us that there is only one ecology; when are we going to learn that there is only one humanity?

Imran Khan cricketing legend and Pakistani Politician:

Terrorism has nothing to do with religion. All root causes of terrorism lie in politics

When they say Islamist terrorists and start looking for a cure in Islam, they are surprised to find that these young terrorists don’t fit the stereotype of the Islamic terrorist with the big beard. Then they are even more shocked when they find that most of the suicide attackers-one half of them according to one estimate-are university graduates. What is happening is that Muslims are getting radicalized and it’s not because of Islamic extremism, it’s because of political issues which are unresolved.
You can always talk about moderate Islam but the struggle between Israel and Palestine is not going to go away unless there is a political resolution; All religions-not just Islam, preach about compassion and justice-no religion wants anyone to kill innocent people or patronize injustice.
To blame a religion is the biggest injustice we do on people of a certain religious community. So when you say Islamist terrorist and try to find solutions in religion you actually make the situation much worse because among the Muslims this war on terror after 9/11 is being perceived as a war against Islam, and when it is perceived as a war against Islam, there will be no shortage of Muslims willing to kill themselves may be to protect their religion. So terrorism needs to be de linked from religion.
Dr Robert R Friedmann: nationally renowned expert on criminal justice and counter terrorism:
The implication then is that just because someone is poor they have a justification to become a terrorist. That is atrocious and a tremendous mistake to suggest that. One has to look at political interests, ideologies, who benefits, what are the strategies; just because someone is poor they become terrorists is simply not backed by any facts.
The first distinction is that all terrorist groups have local interests, though I hesitate to say that about Hamas and Hezbollah because if you look carefully at their writing and ideology they clearly veer into the globalization of terrorist objectives.

Society cannot afford to let terrorism become a part of normal living and treat it like vehicular fatalities and do not do too much about it.
I don’t believe that US, Europe, South Africa or Australia, for that matter anyone else can influence Islam and I don’t think it’s their duty either. I would shy away from religion or religious wars. I think what needs to be done is to let moderate voices within Islam carry that battle inside and not to have outsiders tell the Muslims what to do.
Today there is no safe place in the world….While the public safety community understands the threat, I don’t think the public does, in any part of the world-even in Israel.”

While questions, allegations continue, I believe that in the end it boils down to personal responsibility whether it’s a journalist or a politician or the common man who chose the corrupt or inept politicians who rule, who adds to the ratings of sensational programs by watching and listening to them, the rich who pay to get things done. We have in the end become victims of our own apathy and our own disability, to be , as Gandhi said, the change we want to see in the world.

The buck begins and stops with us all.

Flying Shoe-cers

2008-12-16T19:15:00.003-05:00

And the look on the face of George Bush as America hit (!)a new low in more ways than one-was priceless

What’s been even more interesting is the comments of most people of a diverse mix, who’ve seen the video and have spoken to me.. Its mostly “ Too bad the reporter guy missed!’

While my bleary eyes(working on interviews related to the Mumbai attacks) took in the video and my lips had their moment of mirth, many more comments and phrases and posts flew across the internet and hit their mark.

I hope I don’t tread on too many toes-after all it’s the President of the United States. But here goes:

“It gives fresh meaning to the phrase shooed away.

"Bush's Ducker T-shirt" puts his head on a tee ducking a barrage of shoes

It would have been even more funny, had President GWB asked that man for his socks!!!

The jokes and the shoes were flying on the late night talk shows Monday night. The comedians couldn't get enough of that shoe-throwing incident in Iraq.
President Bush was shown over-and-over ducking the shoes thrown by an Iraqi reporter during a Baghdad news conference.

Jay Leno wants to know where was the Secret Service. He asks shouldn't they have "at least jumped in front of the second shoe?"

David Letterman was impressed by the president's quick reactions. Letterman says Bush "hasn't dodged anything like that since, well, the Vietnam War."

Conan O'Brien says the shoe-thrower is being hailed as a hero by some in Iraq. O'Brien adds when the man dies, "he'll be greeted in heaven by 72 podiatrists."

Newspapers across the U.S. had headlines saying shoe-icide attack, shoe-nabomber and even
Meanwhile Americans are having their say on what should be done with the shoes.
Some tell CNN they should be put in the Smithsonian, be impeached along with Bush, or should be auctioned off with the proceeds going to the auto industry.

Seriously. Say what you will about Dubya, he’s in his 60s and has the reflexes of a cat.

Who woulda thunk that ducking a shoe would actually help the public’s perception of W?!

Bush Iraqi shoe attack: Why didn't the Secret Service take a loafer for the president?

George Bush does a shoe dance.

And this from Chris Bucholz-

So Someone threw their shoes at the President this weekend. Shoes. The President. I know. We wouldn’t really be a comedy site if we didn’t discuss this at least a little bit, would we?

Anyways, here’s the facts: During a press conference, an Iraqi reporter carefully removed both his shoes, stood up and proceeded to throw them, one after the other, at President Bush. The President responded, sensibly, by ducking twice. His attacker, now out of ammunition, then responded by being tackled to the floor by a team of Secret Service Agents. And aside from some glib shoe puns, that was the end of it.

Right off the bat, my first reaction was to be marginally impressed at the President’s reflexes. Bush has taken a lot of stick for being a terrible president, which is probably fair, given his generally high levels of terribleness. But did you see the speed of that duck? That was Mortal Kombat fast. I half expected to see a harpoon come flying out of his coat sleeve after the first shoe sailed past.

Second reaction: Where was the Secret Service? I gather they’ve taken some flak already about this, although mainly from pencil-necked pundits and bloggers like myself, nattering away safe in our beds. Just milling around the Internet, I’ve seen lots of sweaty outrage about “the second shoe” today. It does seem a little surprising that a guy could fire two whole shoes at the President of the United States before someone stopped him. What if they were one of those knife boots the kids are into these days? That could have done some damage.

But upon further reflection, the Secret Service agents probably handled this as effectively as possible. The guy was throwing shoes - although they probably could have shot him before he got that second shoe off, what do you have then? A dead guy with no shoes on, that’s what, and then you’re asked to leave the country and never come back. Considering how widely loved Bush is in Iraq (check back this time next year for the Iraqi’s first National “Fuck Bush Day”) it’s probably a minor miracle that he’s able to go there at all and come home alive, much less with a tread mark on his skull.

Third reaction: Oh, good work Bundy. The Iraq war has kind of fallen out of the American public’s consciousness the last year or so, mainly because it just leaves everyone feeling kind of bummed I guess. So this little stunt has, on the surface, brought it back to the forefront. But in a completely trivial way. Like every other type of protest, the only thing people talk about is the protest itself, not the message being raised. There are a lot of things about the Iraq war that deserve to be treated with a certain level of seriousness (all the dead people for one.) But instead of talking about that we’ve now got newsrooms across the country racking their brains looking for shoe puns.”

And shoe... eh so it goes.

The Audacity of Hope: Great Expectations from Barack Obama

2008-11-17T00:10:00.005-05:00

"The right way is not always the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character" - Margaret Chase Smith

Nov 4th 2008 was a historic day for America-an African American man with the strangest of names; a name that all the nay sayers picked on, became the 44th President of the United States of America. In a campaign that was littered with brickbats, the man who would be President picked up those bricks, and built a foundation with such grace, intelligence and dignity that even those who didn’t vote for him had to acknowledge he was a class act. It was also one of those moments that the American people came through the true test of moral character that Margaret Chase Smith talks about in the quote above, with flying colors.

My first introduction to Barack Obama, like many others was at the Democratic Convention in July of 2004 when he delivered the keynote address. He knew then as he knows now, when he said “Tonight is a particular honor for me because, let's face it, my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely.”

He is the grandson of a cook and the son of a man who “grew up herding goats, went to school in a tin- roof shack,” but found the magical passage to America on a scholarship. And yet, said Obama, his white mother and black father’s improbable union, and the repercussions that came with it never stopped them from believing “in the possibilities of this nation.” When they named their son Barack they did so believing that “in a tolerant America, your name is no barrier to success.”

I remember immediately buying Barack Obama’s book “Dreams from my Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance” after hearing him at the convention while people were saying “Obama who?” when I asked many of my friends if they had watched him speak.
The book was a fascinating read. Obama wrote as well as he spoke and the book seemed like it had been written yesterday and not more than a decade ago when he was in his early thirties.

I remember being struck by the beauty of language, the honesty with which he wrote his memoir and more than that the fact that he was an observer and a listener. He read so he could understand what made white people afraid of the black people, what drove that fear, and “how people learnt to hate”. He shared stories of trying to find his identity, of how his American passport gave him privileges in foreign lands, which was denied to others, but above all even then, he became a bridge builder and a man who listened as well as he spoke-an art that is not easy to learn.

His compassion for the struggling masses, promising hope to the hopeless and delivering, and talking as candidly about his dabbling with drugs to still all the questions that face a biracial child whose father had abandoned him, have found more empathy in today’s America than expected.

And while every one thought Hillary Clinton was a shoo-in for the Democratic Presidential nomination and that her husband Bill Clinton with his charisma, brilliant intellect and formidable oratory would help the landslide in her favor, I stumbled upon Michelle Obama while flipping channels at 1 a.m. at night. She was addressing a retirement community, and I was hooked. Not only was I blown away by her sincerity, and intelligence, her speech was stunning in content and presentation. And I remember thinking-this woman will make an amazing First Lady.

The campaign was an exercise in endurance for all the candidates-brutal, relentless, exhausting and repetitive. The assault from all sides was so unbearable at times that in spite of being from the media, I would shut everything out and refused to write or request interviews from any candidate. But what I couldn’t escape was Obama’s calm demeanor, his tolerance and his effort at being a gentleman by and large, when others were dealing some pretty unsavory cards his way. And it didn’t go unnoticed.

And what he said that night as he stood before a cheering crowd, could very well have been said on 4th November as he stood now before a multitude of teary eyed Americans from all age groups and ethnicities, “I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story; that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.’

In the aftermath of the elections there were several things that struck me. The brilliant use of the internet by the campaign not only to raise the largest funds ever for a Presidential campaign, but to educate and involve a very large net savvy community. It was also fascinating to see the number of first time voters that showed up to vote, because they were moved into action by the audacity of hope and change that Obama represented and they answered his call in droves to become engaged. Gandhi’s message “Be the change you want to see in the world”, was never more symbolic of a campaign than the one run by Obama’s team. And the internet continues to be a great medium for the President elect with his now website www.change.gov. where Obama will continue to connect on cyber space with the common masses, on a regular basis.

It was also interesting to note that while Obama is a bi-racial man who was brought up by his white mother and grandparents, with his grandmother playing a very significant role in his upbringing, and Obama himself never made his race an issue-Nov 4th became a day of redemption for not just black America, but every ethnic group that has felt ostracized or isolated. I remember Whoopi Goldberg saying that while she always felt a part of America, when Obama won she felt that she could finally put her suitcase down. Yet the tears of joy that streamed down many faces were not just of African Americans, or soft, mushy grandmas or sappy women. There were grown men, and tough journalists reaching for their Kleenex. And so many believe today that now there is hope of better understanding and a softening of the racial divide that has haunted America through the ages.

As the media continues to ambush America with the minutest dissection of what lies ahead of Obama, how he needs the biggest mop to clean the messy spill the Bush administration leaves behind; as cynicism raises its ugly head amidst the celebrations of history being created, I hope those who still continue to question if Obama will deliver, remember the most important part of his acceptance speech.
“The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there..

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President. And we know the government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years, block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.
Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.

And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your President, too.”
I hope that for once America hears the voice of their new President and stands behind him and becomes his strength, so he can become ours.

Oh look, its a bird, its a Palin, uh Plane

2008-11-03T13:03:00.002-05:00

Is it just me or is everyone suffering from election fatigue? I just can’t seem to escape the never ending dissection of every political move, every word uttered-I have distorted vision-(yeah I really think Tina Fey is Sarah Palin), distorted mind-(I wish Tina Fey was Sarah Palin) and a never ending refrain in my head-I need ear plugs and opaque glasses.

And in spite of all the hoopla, the mind boggling discussions, the heated debates and media blitz(Wolfie isn’t the only one blitzing or should I say obliterating the television screen), I see so many people still clueless about what the candidates bring to the table.

I get answers like McCain’s too old, Obama too young from most people- depending on the age group I talk to- on why they aren’t voting for one or the other.

People talk more about Palin and McCain’s appearance on SNL, then the issues at hand.
And instead of serious discussions I get jokes like the one below and I actually laugh

Why did the chicken cross the road?

SARAH PALIN: Before it got to the other side, I shot the chicken, cleaned and dressed it, and had chicken burgers for lunch.

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!

JOHN MC CAIN: My friends that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure right from Day One! that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE: I invented the chicken.

AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.

GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken 2008, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken 2008. This new platform is much more stable and will never crash or need to be rebooted.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

So yeah is it just me or are we all really thrilled Tuesday cometh?

US Supreme Court Sends Troy Davis to his Death

2008-10-14T15:31:00.002-04:00

Hi Kavita,

I wanted to take some pictures Monday night but the counselor went home.
I’ll place a request to purchase a few photo coupons so we can take pictures during our next visit. I’m looking forward to it.
Personally I’m doing fine. I’m patiently waiting to hear some good news from the U.S Supreme Court. I’m ready to go home and begin the rest of my life..
They moved me back into my old cell yesterday evening.
This morning I went outside and played a few games of basketball. ..and got plenty of exercise…:)”

My eyes blur with unshed tears as I read this hand written note from Troy. I notice that he has this endearing habit of signing his name as Mr. Troy Davis. It had made me smile when I had read it for the first time.
His hand writing is large and sprawling but meticulous. He does not forget to put a smiley face and he does not forget to say “God Bless You” when he ends.

Just last week, I sent him a hand painted card for his birthday on the 9th.

I wrote the following on many blogs including my own website-

Troy Davis turns 40 today - and he still waits for some reason to celebrate this day.
As a kid he loved G.I. Joe and got many of those figurines for his birthday, recalls sister Martina Correia. Birthdays were fun events in the family backyard with cake, ice cream and hot dogs and some nice gifts. Martina was not around when Troy turned 16, a special birthday for any teenager but sent him gifts while training in the Military. Little would she know that his 21st birthday would be behind bars and on death row.

A maximum security prison is hardly the perfect haven to celebrate a special occasion. That too of inmates whose spirit is being broken through isolation, bad nutrition, and a non productive life style.

The only exceptions are July 4th when they get hamburgers and hot dogs to celebrate Independence day, or when a convict is executed. Then the guards get a special barbecue meal. When an inmate receives a lot of cards they may just acknowledge the birthday briefly as the guards read the mail. Once a month they rent a DVD and the inmates can watch a movie. There is a TV which is controlled by the guards and the inmates can watch that.

They were allowed unlimited books-not any more. Now its seven, the number of visitors too has been cut down drastically and there are not many activities except for a short outing in an enclosed area with a basketball hoop where they can shoot baskets on concrete floors.

“Many inmates have diabetes and hypertension because of the food they get to eat,” says Martina. “There are many inmates with HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis, and don’t get medical treatment. The inmates have to pay 5 dollars each time they visit the doctor and if there is no family to finance them, then they remain untreated unless they are dying.”

Last year a death row inmate died of cancer and a major news paper reported it as-death row inmate escapes death by dying of cancer.” Ironic.
The winter months are harsh. The inmates sleep with 4-5 thin military style blankets, the heating is inadequate. “Last year to conserve energy, they cut off the hot water daily from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and so many people fell sick taking cold baths. If someone sends you money, they charge you a dollar per month as tax in he prison. The inmate has to buy everything from the prison store, so that the prison can make some money.”

Martina says her family has never been far away from Troy. They used to send Troy 3-4 boxes of things that he could use, but now its been cut to one 15 pound box once a year. Martina and her family has visited Troy for every birthday, and every holiday they could. They have sent individual cards from each family member and friend. Cards that said-even though he is across the miles, he is with them. “We have a present under the Christmas tree for Troy each year. The pile is waiting for him, when he comes back. My mother still wakes up at 6 a.m. every Sunday to cook an elaborate Sunday dinner as if she is still cooking for a houseful of growing kids. Troy used to love her cooking and ate everything!”

The US Supreme Court had asked for more time to look at the information before it gave its decision on Tuesday, the 14th of October.

Today October 14th the highest court in the country proved that it chose technicality over humanity, and denied Troy’s appeal. They handed their decision without a comment said one newspaper. The Washington Post however had this to say-“In refusing to hear a full appeal, the court maintained the high bar it has set for assertions of innocence following convictions in capital cases. Georgia now can set a new date for Davis's execution, because the court's stay expires with today's order.”

The highest bar? Even if it meant killing a possibly innocent man?

There is no closure for the MacPhail family, says Mark MacPhail’s mother. Forgiveness brings a closure like no other, but when we lose a loved one, we forget everything but the need for revenge.

Since then I have sat numb with shock. I didn’t have the courage to call Martina and just sent her a text message, until I could compose myself. Troy is a brave man-his sister Martina redefines the word courage.

I’m unfortunately not as brave nor do I have the kind of faith that they do-and so I crumble….Life teaches you many lessons through example..I’m afraid I just don’t understand this one..

Why don’t we get help for Depression?

2008-10-07T13:56:00.002-04:00

At first it was just a headline

Unemployed man kills five members of family, then shoots self

I was talking to a couple of friends on a conference call, when the news flashed before my eyes. As I read the headline out aloud, one of them said-“Must be one of those lower middle class Americans behind on payments. The other said, “Or maybe he lost a lot of money in the stock market.”

As I clicked on the link to open the story, it turned out that the man, Karthik Rajaram, had an MBA in finance, had worked for Sony and Price Waterhouse, and lived in a house worth just under a million dollars in a gated community. He had been unemployed for a few months, and in a premeditated plan, killed his 19 year old son a Fulbright scholar and Honors student at UCLA,who was home for the weekend, two younger sons aged 9 and 7, his wife and his mother in law before turning the gun on himself. And he was from India.

India? Both my friends gasped- What? India?

Indeed, this so called model minority that is known for its super achieving academicians and is among the most affluent in America, also has a dark side-that of struggling to keep up pretences, of always worrying about what would people say, and not seeking help/

There is denial-What? I’m not mad. Why should I go for counseling? There is fear- What if anyone finds out?

Evidently Rajaram, too did not seek help. Instead he bought a gun last month, wrote three detailed notes, see sawed between killing himself and killing every member of his family. He chose the latter. Perhaps he thought he would have peace of mind if they all went with him.

I looked at the story and felt incredible sadness and anger. What right does a human being have, to snuff out 5 other lives against their will? Why should they pay the price of one man’s anguish and depression.

But it’s not an easy question to answer. The close ties that bind an Indian family and the responsibilities that come with it can often be back breaking. Add to that the time bound expectation that it’s the man who is the main bread winner. In trying times, when a crisis sweeps you off your feet, the sense of failing all those expectations are over whelming and can result in such tragedies.

I also realized as I sat thinking-it’s really not just an Indian problem. The sense of shame and inadequacy someone feels when they don’t meet expectations-of others close to them or their own cuts through barriers of color, race and cultures.

Another thing that is a continuous refrain is the sentence that I read-it said, the family kept to themselves and seemed like nice people. This lack of inclusiveness that I see in society today seems to be a big reason why people are lonely and depressed-angry and frustrated.

I remember growing up in India and the entire sub division was our extended family. Every one knew how everyone else was. People chipped in to help each other in times of need and joined the revelry on every happy occasion.

Do we have to face such extreme tragedies to really appreciate what is truly important in life or will we all continue to run helter skelter popping sedatives to sleep, another pill to wake up, and chew anti depressants like candy.

Something is really really wrong with the way we live today..

Meeting Troy Davis: A Lesson in Faith and Forgiveness

2008-09-30T09:23:00.004-04:00

Last Friday the 26th, I was under the surgeon’s scalpel undergoing surgery.

Three days later, I drag myself out of bed and a friend drives me to the Georgia Diagnostic Classification Prison, a maximum security prison in Jackson GA, about 90 minutes away from Atlanta where close to 1800 male inmates live behind bars, many of them on death row. I’m going to meet Troy Anthony Davis- the man whose case I took up on 3rd September and whose cause I have supported since then with an intensity that has surprised me.

As we turn into the entrance of the prison we pass beautifully landscaped gardens, a lake, a park and beautiful little houses sprinkled along that lush greenery down a long and winding road. It is one of the most peaceful, scenic places you could find. The sound of children laughing as they play permeates the air. I guess the homes belong to the caretakers of the prison. It is also something none of the inmates ever get to see.

A fork appears and the instructions tell you to turn left and drive towards the prison. The velvety green grass, awash with rays of the setting sun, fades from view and we approach the gray concrete building. We park and as I begin walking towards the entrance doors, I’m surprised to see a police woman, with kind eyes, welcome me with the warmest smile. And then I hear someone calling my name.

I turn around to see Martina Correia, Troy Davis’s tall, elegant and lovely sister, holding her 8 month old niece, as her son Antone and her mom Virginia, get out of their car along with a friend to head inside.

The place is guarded like a ..well like a prison! Enter through door number I and you are welcomed by metal detectors. I’m only allowed to take my ID, and some one dollar bills and quarters for the vending machines. They do not let me even take the little transparent Ziploc bag, I have the money in. One more door and we hand our IDs, collect a token that we must return to get our ID back.

We walk through yet another door to get our hands stamped with a number to indicate we are visitors and not inmates. Then we walk along a tunnel like corridor which Martina tells me is underground. That means none of the inmates get to see daylight. She says in winter they have to put humidifiers along the corridors, or the dampness spills through. There are several photos with inspirational phrases hanging on the walls in the corridor, but not too many inmates see that wall either unless they are being released.

We pass an elevator for the handicapped which seldom works according to Martina. A couple of days ago they had to literally carry two relatives up the flight of stairs that leads to the waiting area where you first get seated before you can meet the inmate you’ve come to visit.

But first you have to put your hand under a machine so it can read the stamp and record your arrival as visitor. You have to put it through the machine again on your way out as well.

There are already many people in the waiting area to see Troy Davis when I arrive with the family. This visit today, the 29th of September was supposedly his farewell visit, in case the US Supreme Court turns down his appeal for a new trial when they returned to session. The Supreme Court decides it won’t give its verdict this Monday. It could be this Wednesday or later.

We were all unsure whether the visitation would happen now that Troy has a reprieve. The prison decides to let it happen, since there are some people who have flown in from out of town to meet Troy-a Professor from Washington DC, an award winning documentary film maker, several other loving friends.

Troy is waiting in a narrow cell like waiting room, with a heavy locked door being guarded by two tall and burly guards. At any given time only 5 people can meet with him. Martina’s family is very generous and as soon as they go in to greet him, Martina is out in a few minutes asking me to go in and meet him.

Troy Davis is dressed in a white shirt and white pants, and he has sneakers on his feet-and not the flip flops they give prisoners about to be executed. He gets up when he sees me and the first thing that strikes me as he gives me a big warm hug, is that I’m looking into the gentlest, kindest face, with honey brown eyes that are full of genuine warmth, intelligence and a smile that is still very childlike and innocent. It’s a strong gut feel but in that moment I know that supporting Troy Davis’s case was the right thing to have done.

I believe that the eyes are the mirror of the soul. And when I look into someone’s eyes they tell me instantly what this person is all about. There is nothing shifty eyed about Troy Davis. He looks at you straight in the eye when he talks. He is utterly calm, and serenity emanates from him.

I have had a lengthy conversation with him on the 21st on the phone about so many different things, but one of the things I had asked him was whether he had been afraid, or worried when he came within 23 and a half hours of being executed last July. He had responded, “I think I didn’t know what faith really was until last year. I asked the lord to take away all my fears and my worries and carry me through this and give me the strength I need to endure this. The day before my scheduled execution I don’t remember exactly what had happened but I wasn’t worried about anything. It was as if the thought of being executed 24 hours later never crossed my mind that day. I was having fun as though it was just a regular day in my life. God had erased all those fears and it was not until a couple of months later when someone asked me how did it feel, in those 24 hours before they had scheduled to kill you and I stopped to think about it. It dawned on me that yes you are right; I actually came 23 and half hours before death. I thought about it a little bit more and I think all I can say is that I finally found out what faith is.”

That night I had asked him if he still had the same faith as he sat talking to me barely 2 days to go before his supposed execution on the 23rd, a year later. He had said without a moment’s hesitation-“ Yes”.

Tonight as we sit face to face, I asked him to recall the moments of the 23rd of September when he came within 90 minutes of being executed.

Troy says he was totally at peace just like the last time. Usually he needs blood pressure medicine because he has had a tendency to high blood pressure, but that morning when the nurse checked she got a perfect reading. “When she said I had the perfect reading,” recalled Troy, “I pointed upwards and said because of that. And she didn’t quite get it as she stared up at the ceiling vacantly. I said, it’s because God is carrying my burdens.”

Troy says he had prayed on that day that the US Supreme Court protects him. When the Georgia Supreme Court said they couldn’t do a thing, it didn’t faze him. “I had already forgotten about the Georgia judicial system. It really didn’t bother me.” I start laughing when Troy says very tongue in cheek that they took away his shaving razor that day. “I was like- what do you guys think-that I’m gonna do? Kill myself- a few hours before my supposed execution? I had 19 years to do that. I’m the wrong man if you think that may happen!’ He was taken to see the gurney where he was to be strapped and executed. He walked in and all he saw were butterflies floating around in a surreal way. Troy had earlier shared stories of some personal miracles that he had seen in his life-but the greatest one was to occur that day a few hours later.

The family came to visit. No one talked about death and dying. The conversation was about his birthday on 9th October, fun and laughter, until the last 30 minutes which Martina tells me were the fastest on the planet to whizz by. Troy says after they left, he was later taken to record his final statement. “I mentioned to each loved one what I liked most about them and gave instructions on how to continue. I asked that they pray for the MacPhail family that they find peace and understanding because they too have suffered all these years. That they find the real killer.I did not say I will miss you. I said I will see you soon. As the statement was done, I looked up at the TV which had its back towards me and it was turned around, so I could see the screen-and I saw my face staring at me and the news that the US Supreme Court had stayed the execution.” Troy called his sister from the prison to tell her the good news while she was outside with family and Rev Al Sharpton, the famous civil rights leader.

Rev Sharpton had come to visit Troy on the 20th-and that was the first time Troy Davis saw grass in 19 years. He was taken from a different door-and was so enraptured he forgot everything and walked on it, touched it and the guards let him. He talks about the feeling being euphoric, without a trace of self pity. And I think to myself-when was the last time, I looked at grass that way. How in the maddening hustle and bustle of our daily lives, we forget to really live, to love, and give thanks for so many of God’s creations, and God’s blessings.

I look at the guards who are letting us in and out of the meeting cell. They stand there poker faced, but when you talk to them, you see a kindness, and a warmth that permeates through their seemingly hard exteriors. I’m told most of them have a lot of admiration and love for Troy, who is respectfully addressed as Mr. Davis. I see the warmth with which Martina is received by the police woman ushering us in.

I think of the former Indian Police chief Kiran Bedi who introduced meditation in one of the most notorious prisons in India and saw the inmates transform into loving, productive human beings. I hear from Troy how here, they try to break every one’s spirit before executing them. I hear about death row inmates from San Quentin calling Martina and praying for her brother. Yes those killers and sinners we have condemned to die whenever that happens. They cry when they hear Martina’s mother talk to them lovingly-many who have lost their own mothers, or have mothers who don’t visit them any more.

Martina wishes the MacPhail family had been allowed to interact with hers. She wishes they had come to know who Troy Davis really is. But that exclusiveness, spills out beyond the incarceration of Troy Davis. How often do we travel to the same destination and yet try not to make eye contact with our fellow passengers. How often have we all sat apathetic and passive, watching something bad happen to someone else, and not done a thing? We only react when it happens to us.

No one is born a killer, or a criminal from his mother’s womb. Circumstances make us act in certain ways. Most crimes are crimes of passion, so is an eye for an eye the answer for changing this world-of transforming humanity?

I know today I’m firmly against the death penalty. I wasn’t 3 weeks ago. I am a better human being today than I was 3 and half weeks ago-the Troy Davis case has been the catalyst that has changed not just the way I look at the death penalty, but the way I look at injustice, at crime and criminals and the way I look at life and fellow beings.

Troy's life and how he has lived it so far in spite of these badly lit, closed spaces, untouched by sunlight or any positive life or energy force, has taught me a lesson on how faith and forgiveness can really set you free from fear and self doubt. That the mind is a tremendously powerful thing, and makes you boundless and free from boundaries- and that faith can really move mountains.

And it took a death row inmate to teach me that godliness, and purity of soul can be found in the oddest of places…

Between Life and Execution: The Troy Davis Story

2008-09-12T13:04:00.006-04:00

His name is Troy Anthony Davis and he is a Black man from Savannah Georgia on death row for close to 20 years. I'm neither pro nor anti-death penalty. I believe it should be decided on the case by case basis. And this is one case where I believe that this man does not deserve to die.

This is a story of what can possibly happen to you and me if we were to end up in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Add a screwed up legal system, and a dash of racism, and it could be a life in a maximum security prison, with years of no redemption.

But, don’t go by his name and the color of the skin. Read this story also because it could be that one time, your activism may be the difference between life and death.

Before their life began to unravel in 1989, the Davis family lived their American dream in a middle class neighborhood, in Savannah Georgia. Troy was a good student, a caring brother who nursed a paralyzed sister back to health after dropping out of day school but graduating with Honors after attending night school.

Troy was always the peace maker, says Martina his sister, the problem solver in a conflict when people were fighting.

19 August 1989-Bill Clinton was celebrating a birthday but that night, in Savannah, near the Greyhound Bus station, events were unfolding that would forever change the lives of two families.

The sequence of events remain murky and sticky like that night, and stories have changed several times since then, as years and continuous media reports add to new twists and turns. But what has not changed is the fact that a young 27 year old Police Officer, Mark Allen MacPhail, lost his life in a senseless, brutal murder and Troy Davis was the young man who supposedly did it.

Macphail’s senseless murder angered the police officers to such an extent that they had “Shoot to kill” orders as pictures of Troy, now rechristened the cop killer, and already condemned to being guilty even before he had been questioned flashed across the airwaves.

No murder weapon was found and there is no DNA or any other physical evidence linking Troy Davis to the murder or to an earlier shoot out that night which injured another young man Michael Cooper. Davis’s conviction came because of the testimony of nine so called eye witnesses. Leading the eye witness Parade was Sylvester “Redd” Coles. Coles has been described by many who know him as a fearsome neighborhood thug. Other eye witnesses were either those who claimed to be present at the shooting or near the crime scene and those who claimed Troy had confessed to them that he had killed Mark Macphail. What came to light soon after was the fact that Sylvester Coles supposedly had a similar .38 caliber gun, which had killed the police officer. Affidavits submitted much later from 3 people who did not testify at the Davis trial also claim that Coles, confessed to killing the officer after Davis was convicted.

Martina says she is convinced that the Police knew Troy was innocent, “but they had already turned the wheels in motion. Our family was never allowed inside the courtroom during the trial. They were able to be there only on the day he had been convicted and the prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty.” She also believes Coles is the one the Police should be questioning. “I talked to some body who knows Coles and who calls me to tell me where he is and I was told that when he is drunk he brags about the murder and no body does anything about it.”

Seven of the 9 eye witnesses have recanted their testimony since then citing police coercion. Several members of the jury who had sentenced Troy to death, have sent sworn statements saying the jury’s decision was based on incomplete and unreliable evidence. The murky timeline of the events of that night, the recanted eye witness statements, have ensured there is nothing black and white about this case. Add to that accusations of Police being blind sided by the intense pressure to find the killer of a fellow officer, and police coercion, and the plot thickens even more.

Martina says that there is no reason for these eye witnesses to come forward now. They are not related to each other, they don’t cross paths, and they don’t work together. Why would they stick their necks out now and deal with all the hassles that go with it?

By now most people would think that there was enough in the case for it to be granted a retrial, but Troy Davis’s life is caught up in legal knots that has many wondering about an urgent need for reforming Georgia’s judicial system.

This lack of diligence combined with the anti terrorism and death penalty act signed by Clinton in 1996, and the Georgia Resource center, (that provides lawyers to death row inmates) crumbling under massive budget cuts resulted in the inability to investigate Troy’s case until after the expiration of the statute of limitations on new evidence.

Most people who have followed the case, or researched it say the evidence, the way the case was handled, the recanting, and the legal jargon, makes it all very confusing and unclear

One thing however stands out very clearly for most people aware of the case. If Troy Davis is executed, the justice system would have failed.

Troy Davis will die on the 23rd of September if the Georgia State Parole Board does not change its mind and commute his sentence. They are the sole body vested with the powers to deny or decide to execute a death row inmate.

Martina thinks that the internet, the international interest and the intervention of Amnesty International has managed to make everyone take a second look at the case, or Troy would have been put to death long ago.

What has been interesting to see is that many prominent personalities who are pro death penalty have pleaded on Troy’s behalf. The reason for that is the question that every one has begun to ask-is the justice system in Georgia functioning as it should? This case has raised issues that affect far more people than Troy Davis.

The execution date has again been set for September 23rd.

Update: 9/13/2008

In an exclusive interview Martina Correia said that the rally held to show support for Troy Davis on 9/11/2008 was a huge success. Sahil Khatod says that this was in spite of the fact that this rally had been planned a day after the US Supreme court was to look at the case, on the 29th of this month. The fact that the execution date was suddenly announced to be the 23rd was to upset the preparations, but every one chipped in and hundreds of people showed up for the rally in spite of only a few days available to get it organized. Sahil who went to several events to raise awareness and distribute thousands of flyers for the event that was to have thousands of supporters, says this was still an amazing event.

Martina adds “We had representatives from many organizations present-from Amnesty International, NAACP, ACLU and others, and we had people honking their cars asking that we put posters on their windows. We ran out of T-shirts for Troy." Troy spoke about his innocence on Martina's cell phone, during the rally.

The next morning when Martina, her lawyers and witnesses appeared before the Parole Board, she says the only thing she found a bit strange was the fact that the new Chair person Gale Buckner was being nice unlike the last time when she came across as hostile. Witness after witness came forward to talk about police and prosecutorial coercion and misconduct. At one point when one of the witnesses said how she was asked not to change her story then by the Prosecutors for fear of perjury, Martina says Gale Buckner got very agitated and said to the witness, are you telling me you lied then?" The witness said, “Yes I was lying and I told the prosecutors it wasn’t Troy.

Martina adds, “The Board had enough information the first time to know that this case was full of inconsistencies and this time around compounded with all that they heard, it was more than enough not just to commute his sentence but to pardon Troy. Buckner also told me that the Board will not be making any decision for the next 3-4 days because they have so much information to go through. It was shocking for me then to be called in barely 30 minutes after the Prosecutors had come out after presenting their case, to find out that they had a typed statement ready and had called a press conference to say that they were denying clemency to Troy.

My lawyers told me it was obviously a premeditated decision and the statement had already been typed in advance. So they just went through this fake motion of having a clemency hearing. I think they cut some backdoor deal with the Prosecutors before hand and since the Board is not accountable for its decisions they can do whatever they want. This is the election year and they want this case out of the way, but they don’t realize what they have done. They have lit the fire under themselves. All the organizations are in conference this weekend and we are also requesting all the people to please write letters/emails and faxes to the US Supreme Court, the Attorney General’s office and the President, to ask for this case to be reopened and re-tried. We want to shame Georgia and the Parole Board into realizing this kind of ingrained racism cannot go on. Even if they thought Troy was guilty before, they have enough evidence to know this is not a case beyond a reasonable doubt to execute him. It is unprecedented, ever in criminal history that 7 out of the 9 witnesses would recant their testimony, and they still think that is not enough to give him clemency? We want to bring to light how the Parole Board works. They have to explain how they arrived at this decision. I want the grass roots community and the national press to give their support. We are not giving up. So far the justice system has failed us and we cannot let this go unnoticed.”

Martina went to see Troy today and said he was reading his Bible and said he will pray harder and not let anything deter him from his faith in God. “ He does not want to be a martyr, he does not want to die for something he didn’t do, but he knows there is a possibility they will go ahead and he said-what can they do? They can only take my physical body away from me-nothing beyond that. He was more concerned about us, and the people all over the world who have supported him.”

Troy’s lawyers are looking at all options at this time. The Parole Board can re open this case and re review their decision. It is really important for everyone to continue writing to the Board condemning this decision. Please support this effort. Contact your local political and social organizations and leaders. Injustice is color blind and the more apathy we show, the more we make ourselves vulnerable to something similar happening to us, if we happened to be in the wrong place-at the wrong time.

Please go HERE, and read the whole story। Please send emails to the Parole board। The information is given in the article.

Thanks.