Sunday, August 28, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Terrorist – Good or Bad?
Terrorist – Good or Bad?
Couple of days ago, my seven years old grand-daughter, appeared very excited. She had probably learnt something new in the school. While eating a piece of chocolate I had given her, she started conversing with me.
She asked, “Thatha who or what is a terrorist?”
I replied, “Anything which terrifies others is a terrorist”.
“Is a terrorist good or bad?”
I found the conversation becoming tricky. I wanted to play safe. I replied, “it depends on who is terrified”.
“No thatha, you sound like that politician uncle”.
I tried to explain, “Generally, the terrorist is bad, but at times could also be good”. I wanted to try the Robinhood angle.
“Does he have a beard?”
“No, he could be clean shaven”.
“In the movies they always show them with beard”.
I tried another logic. “See, all bearded people are not terrorists. Like PM uncle. But he could be a victim of a terrorist.”
She persisted. “Is a terrorist good or bad?”
I tried to explain again. “Like the doctor uncle tells us there are good cholesterol and bad cholesterol, there are good terrorists and bad terrorists.”
“Cholesterol?” She did not understand. Nor, I knew. Before I exposed my ignorance, I continued. “Like there are good bacteria and bad bacteria”. She seemed to understand. Must be her general science teacher is too good.
“What is the complexion of the terrorist?”
“By complexion you mean colour? Chidu uncle says they are either red or saffron colour”.
“Must be, Chidu uncle did not attend a Montessori school, when he was young. Either he does not know other colours, or he may be colour blind”.
I realized, I was treading a dangerous line of conversation. I tried changing the topic.
She asked again, “Are terrorists good or bad?”
I tried the movies angle. I just remembered Mani Ratnam’s Nayakan. I said, “if it turns out to be good to few people, The terrorist can be considered good.”
“Thatha, you say PM uncle who is bearded, is good, but he is terrified of clean shaven Swami uncle. Is Swami uncle a terrorist?”
I started panicking. “That’s what the congresswallahs think.”
“That’s not important, what you think matters”.
I mumbled inaudibly, “He is good”
“What should he do to prove he is not a terrorist?”
“He should probably wear a fancy dress and attend an ‘Iftaar’ party”.
I left immediately before she asked “What’s an ‘iftaar’ party?”
I did not want to complicate the conversation by telling her that other than good and bad terrorists there
are also ugly terrorists like the media who always lie, the babus and judges who are corrupt.
If I happen to meet Swami uncle, I am itching to ask him one question- “Neenga nallavara, kettavara?”.
I can visualize his telling, “Theriyalaiyeppa”.
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