IIPM

After giving in to the delight of licking my chocolate-dipped fingers, it was partly my overly receptive nose and partly my instincts which took me to Saaihalle, one of Bruges’ oldest and best preserved historical buildings. A huge smile suddenly cracked my pout as I read that this primeval structure enclosed the unique and alluring ‘Frietmuseum’, dedicated to the famous Belgian fries! This is the first museum that shows the entire history, from the origin of the potato to the making of the first fries and moreover, allows visitors to also taste the real Belgian fries with delicious sauces and all sorts of meat preparations. With enough starch in my body to last through Survivor (TV series), I scrammed from there in search of thirst quenchers for my parched throat. There are many undersized restaurants and pubs but I opted for the best substitute to water, Brewery De Halve Maan (the half moon), the only brewery in town to have guided tours through the fascinating coalesce of the modern brewery and the museum.

Tumbling on one too many, the view of the panoramic creations of man through the extensive windows overwhelmed me! I don't precisely recall how I reached my room that evening, but I do vividly remember buying a few more pints for the road which I savoured as I lost myself in the cobbled lanes resonating with the sound of clicking hooves and the rumble of carriages as I crossed the illuminated canals, admiring the virtuosos of the splendid architecture.....Continue

More recently, the huge, relatively non-violent separatist mass movement in Kashmir during the land transfer row was another case in point. It galvanised tremendous support, not just in the Valley, but even in the rest of the country, especially amongst secular intellectuals and thought leaders… something that an insurgent’s bullet hasn’t been able to achieve even after decades of violence. How would the establishment in this country have reacted if Kashmiri separatists, instead of investing in insurgency, had gone the other way and gone on a state-wide hunger strike (as Bhagat’s example illustrates, there are hunger strikes and then there are hunger strikes that work)? With the world watching and without the usual anti-terrorist rhetoric, the government would’ve been hard pressed to lend more than just an ear to their voice…

But, does non violence and faith in the ballot always work? Would it have worked for the Kashmiri pundits when they were being hounded out of their homes in the Valley; or for Bosnian Muslims in the Balkans; or for the Tutsis in Rwanda or the people of Darfur? Is non-violence really a credible weapon in the face of ethnic cleansing and genocide? Unlikely! Against an opponent that seeks to dominate, we can debate and dissent, but against those who seek to destroy, one can only strike out in despair, in self defence… for survival first, and self expression and self determination last…

I return to you again, fellow insurgents, and ask of you this question – those whom you call your enemies, infidels or invaders, they may well be, but do they seek to dominate or do they seek to destroy? If the latter, none should stop your hand and strike you must; but if it’s fear of domination that forces your hand, beware, you can’t kill us all… Inspire faith in your cause, not fear of it and perhaps you’ll find both support and success. Can you win a war without firing a bullet against such an ‘enemy’? If you have the integrity of a Bhagat Singh, the fortitude of a Martin Luther King Jr, and the persuasive powers of a Barack Obama, I believe ‘Yes, you can!’....Continue

After witnessing a bizarre 2008 at the financial market, today no one can tag any company ‘too big to fail’, irrespective of its size, value or, for that matter, steadfastness. From Bear Sterns to Citigroup, many of the Wall Street honchos, who once were thought to be invincible, are now at the government’s doorsteps to get a slice of the tax-payers' money to live further. But if Citigroup is anything to go by, the government bailout, irrespective of how much the latter is offering, seems to be less keeping in mind these companies have hit the financial rock bottom. And that definitely raises a question mark on the validity of the bailout plans and, of course, also on the survival of the company on the bailout hot seat at the moment, Citigroup.

While the government is mulling over a $306 billion bailout package for Citigroup, analysts are skeptical about the success of this package in reviving the banking behemoth. Messy management, coupled with the run for riches, has been the major reason as to why the once largest and mightiest financial conglomerate has been brought down to its knees. The collapse in its market capitalisation (an erosion of $111 billion in absolute terms, 64 per cent on a year-on-year basis) appears to be the bank’s final nail in the coffin, making it for all practical purposes impossible to raise the capital it desperately needs to save itself. And in the midst of all these troubles, the bosses at Citi seem to be playing the blame game rather than making any radical attempt to keep the company afloat.....Continue