So China is angry with Norway for having awarded the nobel peace prize to one of its dissidents.... hmmm... I am somehow in support of China on this one... its like the nobel peace prize is given to one of the maoists leaders in India.... that would akin to telling the Indian government that we really dont think your government is legitimate... and for an organisation to do that would be preposterous..... and completely out of line... and shows a lack of respect for that government......

this brings me to the question of what is considered as anti - government in one time may actually be considered patriotic later on...come to think of it ... wasnt our freedom struggle as well a defiance of government and an attempt to uproot the government? so now we honour Gandhi and every freedom fighter for the courage they showed... by that same criteria shouldnt we shower honour on the maoists as well..... so when the Khalistan movement was demanding independence for Punjab, were they akin to the freedom fighters of our country? And same goes for Kashmir...

So at what point of time do we actually determine one cause is legitimate and the other is not.... and when does the State have the right to supress such a movement as being an anti - State activity? When is it alright to jail these so - called dissidents ?

I have grown up with the belief that India is one united country... a country which is unique because it is several countries rolled into one... but somehow in my mind it works... I identify with other Indians ... and very rarely do I see a gulf between another Indian and me... I understand instantly when an Indian says something about their culture... and I instantly feel like there is a common ground which I have with other Indians.....and that to me is the idea of India... a place which is diverse but a common thread binds us all.... maybe it is religion, may be it is the clothes, maybe it is the saree, or it is the punjabi kurta or the spicy food but all in all there is something called Indian culture... and no matter where you go in the world you will always be able to identify that ......

But seriously I am going to view Kashmir and Maoists as people trying to communicate their views... rather than as dissidents... to this extent I endorse what the Congress President has said... that lets fight maoists with development work....

now all we have to do is to find some honest people who will ensure that development will indeed reach the ground level.......