"Hang him/her because he/she is rich and famous"
No.
Because he/she broke the law.

Yes Kavita, unfortunately it is the price of being a celebrity. One does have to be a role model in society. Really I don't think many of us "ordinary non-celebrity " people would go dashing around ina Land cruiser that was purchased illegaly and drive drunk into pavement dwellers claiming it was just another ordinary accident. Also us ordinary people are also not likely to repeatedly hunt for endangered species which is illegal. The question is not the punishment being harsh, it is more like what infringement of the law do celebrities feel that they can get away with because of their status in society? In any case after the matter is appealed the punishment will probably be reduced and the actor will be out on bail.

Law is broken,panishment has to follow. Rest is an insignificant detail.

Yes, celebrities get away with lot of things. Salman has made many mistakes; he should be punished for what he did. I am not sure if the sentencing is too harsh. It is nice that he also did some charity work. One good thing does not correct many wrong.

I am a big Shah Rukh fan but I will no longer be his fan if he did any thing bad. I cannot understand the fans that stand outside the jail, chanting slogans, the little girl who has decided to go on a fast till he is released. I think we fans get carried away, yes actors are human beings just like you and me.

Here is what Shah Rukh has to say about being a role model.

Do you feel pressurized by the fact that youngsters see you as a role model?

I'm an actor and an entertainer. I'm not supposed to be a role model for youngsters and if they want to make me one, it is at their own risk. I don't have the best habits in the world. I don't sleep enough hours, I don't eat properly, and I smoke. These are all bad things and I wouldn't like any youngster to do them.
But yes, all youngsters should follow my zest for life and love doing the best I can. I'm a good role model if you want to know of someone who believes that there is a purpose in life that you are supposed to fulfill and follow it whole heartedly. Who believes that you should never give up when you stumble and not take it too seriously when you succeed? Love is what should lead you.

Infact the judge could have given a more innovative judgement like say a year of RI and 3 years working for wildlife NGO.

Let us be pragmatic. Salman has been convicted and is jailed. He has to acknowledge that and accept his failing. Ignorance of law isn't bliss.
It is media that has secured the coviction. If the media was what it was in the 80s and 90s he would have probably got away with a heavy bribe.
The bottom line is celebrity or no-celebrity - crime needs to be punished.

what about the bunch of jokers from the film industry who have been ranting against the judgement and supporting salman. their reasoning - "people who kill people in india go away scot free and poor salman just killed a couple of black bucks". WTF REASONING IS THAT !! GET OUR HEADS OUT OF YOUR FREAKING ARSE' !! Salman should have killed a few of these idiots than the poor animals...

The law is the law.

I was sharing this idea of Salman doing term working for an Animal Shelter or Wild Life Project with a friend and he suggested giving him the assignment to TAME A LION IN THE ZOO.

WE HAVE CELEBRITIES IN THE WEST DOING TERM FOR CRIMES MUCH LESS HARMFUL (MAYBE) LIKE DOING DRUGS AND THERE IS NOT MUCH ADO ABOUT THAT.

Hero in the colloquial sense would mean some one who is often emulated.
Salman definitely is, hence this severe punishment to set a good example for all salman wannabes is laudatory.

ofcourse law should be equal for everyone and it should be respected by one and all. And ofcourse preservation of natural conserves is a collective effort and responsibilty.

But 5 yrs of impriosnment is way too much. I'm not saying coz its been levied to Salman, but in general too. There is so much that goes behind such things that its totally out of scope for us mortals.

And about Indian media(related to Bollywood specific).. less said the better. They're just there to embarass everything about India and Indians.

Very happy to read the comments because I found the original post by Kavita rather troubling. Starting off with the title of course. Unless it was just a ploy to be deliberately polemical.

I agree with Shruti that the punishment is rather harsh, but by all means he should be punished. One year of rigourous imprisonment sounds good.

The amount of charity work one does is completely irrelevant in this context and I am surprised this point is mentioned as a counterbalance to criminal activity.

But what I found rather offensive about this post was the suggestion that it's only people in the rural areas or small towns who are adversely affected by what they see on the silver screen. The worst victims (and willing victims) of adverse character effects are the city slickers and the english-speaking elite of India. The villagers have a level of sophistication that these heartless, soulless, rat-racers can never hope to match.

In fact the reason the Salman case even came about is on account of the deep-seated ethical values of the Bishnoi tribe. This tribe worships nature and eco-balance. Their livelihood depends on it and they are fiercely protective of their environment. It was on their land that this crime occurred and they wanted blood.

A few years ago around the time of this incident, on one of my trips to India I heard a story of how this came about. I can by no means vouch for the veracity of this story but it sounds very plausible. I was visiting a small village in the mountains and staying with one of the locals who was friends with people who went hunting regularly in the area that this incident occurred. He told me that Salman was totally set up. It seems Salman had gone hunting with some of the locals of the village and was behaving rather badly throughout – showing off about what a great shot he was, boasting about the kinds of guns he had, and generally being insensitive and trying to outdo his village hosts. Anyway, the local hot shot who was with Salman couldn't deal with the fact that Salman claimed to be a better shot than him and Salman in general got on his nerves, and soon enough he had totally had it with him. So he planned to take revenge. He went and tipped off the Bishnois that there was a bunch of people about to go hunting in their territory. He then made a date with Salman to go hunting the next day. The rest is history.

Also, people talk a lot about how strongly they feel about the environment and wild life. Well here we have a real life example of justice being served. What's there to question? If anything this is a great public service to highlight the exquiste culture of the Bishoi.

Thank you every one.. Before I comment, this is an interview with Salman's brother that I read in the Times of India today morning.

" MUMBAI: Sohail Khan hasn't slept much in the last two or three days. His star-brother Salman Khan has been sentenced to five years' jail for killing a chinkara deer and it looks like serious trouble.

Sohail, who has been in consultation with lawyers, said: "They are competent and they know what they are doing. But they are helpless. With due respect to the law, our lawyers think the five-year sentence is unjust. Our lawyers don't know what's happening.

"He is all right... He is in good health and yes he is eating. It's my mom we are worried about. After she heard the sentence she couldn't take it. She can't bear the thought that Salman bhai is helpless in jail."

The entire Khan clan is under tremendous pressure.

"It's really sad. But because of who my brother is, they want to make an example out of him. Why such a harsh punishment for him? Do they want to set a precedent? Till date no one has been granted such a punishment for similar incidents..."

Sohail's voice gets edgy. "My brother even went to jail for an accident case. An accident cannot be considered a crime."

There's an anguished silence. "I know he doesn't speak up in the press. But that's the way he is. He doesn't open up to anybody. Does that give anyone the right to hunt him down for offences that are not granted such severe sentences in other cases?

"Right now it's become like a power game. "Let's hunt this boy down. Let's bring him down to his knees." Please, let my brother be! He's suffered enough. And we are suffering with him."

He pauses to reflect. "What do they want? Do they really want Salman bhai to go to jail for five years? Will that make them happy? From what we see, it seems some people are working towards putting him in.

"If, god forbid, tomorrow he's locked away, they'll say it's a very harsh punishment because producers and films are suffering. But what about us, what about Salman bhai? Does anyone know what we are going through? I'd request some amount of restrain.

"When people say, treat Salman like any ordinary citizen, we say, please do because right now he is being treated much worse than any ordinary citizen. Why is he being made into an example?

"And if he's being made into an example, is everyone in a blackbuck case going to go to prison and is everyone involved in a road accident going to go to jail? It's fine... you have put Salman bhai behind bars. Send others too."

I think of cases like O.J. Simpson, which will probably always haunt americans and the jurors with a question mark-was it a wrong acquittal and did he get away because he was a celebrity? Or was he freed because the glove didnt fit to quote Johhny cochran's famous quip. Many say he got away because he was a celebrity. Others say he came in for harsher scrutiny because he was a celebrity.

I really liked the suggestion about getting Salman to work for a wild life NGO.

I personally dont recall ever having a movie star for a role model, even though among celebrities movie stars seem to evoke maximum interest. I often have many people telling me they hate or like such and such actor, forming a strong affection or dislike for the particular star because they read this and that about him or her. I'm always asked mostly about the film actors/actresses I've interviewed and very rarely about authors or business leaders or even political figures.

When people comment that they like a particular star very few say its his or her acting -I ask them how do you have auch strong feelings for someone you don't know-there isnt any answer to that and they get irritated that I being a journalist should tell them-dont believe everything you read in the press!

I do feel many famous people get caught up in the hype and media frenzy about them and begin to feel invincible-Winona Ryder's shoplifting case comes to mind.

I guess with fame come many responsibilities and many are not equipped to bear the burdens thrust on them.

Eco-religion of the Bishnois of Rajasthan

Courtesy & Copyright Prabuddha Bharata Dr Kiran Prasad

The roots of environmental conservation go back to religion which emphasizes harmonious living with nature's creation. Several environmental practices had religious sanction and there were proscriptions against harming nature. One of the out-standing cases is the eco-religion of the Bishnois of Rajasthan who are an unusual community with a philosophy of protecting plants and animals. They follow a set of 29 rules, which include instructions on how they should live and what should be done after their death.

The faith that God adequately compensates the cultivators for all the losses caused by animals underlines the basic philosophy of the Bishnoi religion; all living things (including animals) have a right to survive and share resources. It is astonishing that more than 450 years ago, a simple villager from a remote desert area, without even the basic education, clearly understood the importance of preserving bio-diversity. He not only understood it himself, but also had the wisdom to influence generations of people to preserve it by weaving it with their religion.

The Bishnoi religion was launched in 1542 AD by Guru Jambeshwarji, or Jamboji as he is affectionately referred to by his followers. He was a great saint and philosopher of the medieval period. He prescribed 29 tenets and the followers of the tenets are called Bishnois (literally 'twenty-niners' in Hindu). The tenets were tailored to conserve bio-diversity of the area but also ensured a healthy eco-friendly social life for the community. Out of the 29 tenets, 10 are directed towards personal hygiene and maintaining good basic health, seven for healthy social behavior, and five tenets to worship God. Eight tenets have been prescribed to preserve bio-diversity and encourage good animal husbandry. These include a ban on killing animals and felling green trees, and providing protection to all life forms. The community is also directed to see that the firewood they use is devoid of small insects. Wearing blue clothes is prohibited because the dye for coloring them is obtained by cutting a large quantity of shrubs.

The Bishnois are presently spread over the western parts of Rajasthan and parts of Haryana and Punjab. They are more prosperous than the other communities living in the Thar Desert , probably because of their eco-friendly lifestyle. Their villages are easily distinguishable with plenty of trees and other vegetation, and herds of antelopes roaming freely near their homes. The fields are ploughed with simple ploughs using bullocks or camels and this causes minimal damage to the fragile desert eco-system. Only one crop of bajra is grown during the monsoon season. The bushes, which grow in the fields, protect the loose sand from wind erosion and provide the much-needed fodder for animals during a famine.

The Bishnois keep only cows and buffaloes as rearing of sheep and goats, which devour desert vegetation, is taboo. Though they are Hindus, they do not burn their dead but bury them to save precious wood and trees. They store water during the year in under-ground tanks by collecting rain water as it is precious in this dry desert area.

In 1737, when officials of the king of Jodhpur started felling a few Khejri trees in Khejerli village, men, women and children hugged the trees that were being axed. In all, 363 Bishnois from Khejerli and adjoining villages sacrificed their lives. Later, hearing about it, the King of Jodhpur apologized for his action and issued a royal decree engraved on a copper plate, prohibiting the cutting of trees and hunting of animals in all Bishnoi villages. Violation of this order by anyone including the members of the ruling family would entail prosecution and a severe penalty. A temple and monument stand as testimony to the sacrifice of the 363 martyrs. Every year, the Bishnois assemble there to commemorate the extreme sacrifice made by their people to preserve their faith and religion.

The Bishnois aggressively protect the khejri trees and the antelopes, particularly the blackbuck and chinkara, even now. According to them, if a tree is saved from felling at the cost of one's head, it should be considered a good deed. They not only protect antelopes but also share their food and water with them. In a number of villages, Bishnois hand-feed the animals.

The Bishnois immediately detect hunters who come to their villages and catch them. If the poachers escape leaving a dead antelope in an agricultural field, the owner will mourn its death like that of the passing on of a near or dear one and will not eat or drink water till the last rites are performed. On many occasions the Bishnois are injured and even killed by hunters but they fearlessly provide strict protection to the blackbuck and chinkara, which fearlessly roam in their settlements. It's for this environmental awareness and commitment that Bishnois stand apart from the countless other sects and communities in India.

Both very interesting and informative posts Divya. The title was very tongue in cheek-since this has been a refrain about Salman's actions..poor guy he doesnt deserve this punishment. I see the same sympathy for most celebrities who commit a crime we would condemn in the so called regular people. I do think instead of putting people in jail, that time should be put to constructive use so they understand the seriousness and repercussions of what they've done. I remember the young boy who said to me that people convicted of murder should be given the responsibility of taking care of the victim's family instead of being sentenced to death and sit on death row for years. The jails are overflowing atleast here in Georgia.
It was an eye opener to read about the Bishnois, and just for that I'm glad I wrote this blog.

Incidentally, Divya, the point about Salman's charity work wasn't mentioned to counterbalance the argument, it was to show that nothing in life is black and white. He remains a very controversial figure in the Indian film industry, with people who swear by him and others who dislike him, talk of his underworld connection, and other stuff. And also to give a bit of a background for those who dont watch Bollywood films or know who he is, and about the losses the industry will incur because of his actions.

Also Salman was just an example I chose,because of recent events/questions surrounding yet another celebrity who broke the law.

My questions are at the bottom-some of you answered them and I'm still thinking about reasons why we expect celebrities should be perfect or get away becaue they are celebrities.

About your story-I think Salman was arrested twice for killing the animals on two different occasions and different time frames and other actors and actresses were with him. I doubt it was revenge both times-I feel both times it may just be a deliberate attempt to take the law in his own hands, because he thought he was a star and could get away with it.

Sohail has made some interesting comments, but are they realistic? I doubt it.

I think you have a point about city slickers and crime, but having often spent my summers in my grandmother's village every year, I saw first hand how people in the village believe everything on television.

I remember during one of the elections, the woman who played sita in Ramayana, the popular series in India, was used by a political party to campaign for them. People in villages fell at her feet wanting her blessings and voted for her candidate.
Most of India is still rural though television and other amenities have made their way, and I think what they see does affect them, in an innocent and naive way as compared to the hardened city wallahs who take their cue from what they see.

well have to drop a friend to the airport, so sorry for this disjointed posting in segments. Thanks every one.

Kavita - I agree the villagers may be idiots. The point is that the so-called sophisticated set from the cities are even bigger idiots. As if this weren't bad enough, they are immoral, inethical idiots.

To keep it within the context of this blog, here are two heart-wrenching stories. Please tell me if you think that the people who behave in this manner are not influenced by The Bold and the Beautiful. I'm amazed you re-iterate this point. All I see in the Indian cities are wannabe westerners.

Read about how tigers are almost extinct in India. Dismal governance of "Project Tiger" is at the heart of this. Also, "smart and sophisticated" hoteliers who cater to "smart and sophisticated" city slickers are raking in the money while the local villagers get nothing. Can we blame them for poaching?

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article356676.ece

Here's another story that will surely make you cry. It's about the deliberate plans to render extinct one of the most beautiful and poetic species of birds in India. Again, for the benefit of the beautiful people (who are supposedly smarter than the villagers).

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2126323.html

The Salman case is a HUGE opportunity to highlight all of these things. Please let us not make this about Salman. If there are any journalists reading this, please do spread the word. Blog about it. Write about it if your crummy papers will let you. Can we seriously imagine India without any tigers? Can we let faithful lovebirds just die? Let us not turn this into yet another mindless celebrity soap-opera.

There are some controversies which I simply can't comprehend. When the Jessica Lal murder was not sorted out through the legal process, or rather because of our legal process, people said that in this country you need money not law to survive and the law is only to be applied to the poor. Now when a popular actor, very rich, very prominent and with a knack of getting himself in the news for unsavoury reasons gets punished for breaking the law there's a hue and cry about the rich and celebrities being victimised.

The guy broke the law, he repeated it and he deserves to be punished if guilty, and it has been proved he was. I can understand what his family is going through and if I were his brother I would feel the same way. On the other hand, if I were in trouble I guess my brother would also feel troubled and worried, only difference being nobody would come to interview him! :) and nobody would be interested enough to read about it.

As for the harsh punishment I think that is something one can debate over and I do think it is unduly harsh. However, it needs to be borne in mind that the Bishnoi's practically venerate nature and to them this was a major crime. I have some experience with this community and in a nutshell these are very simple, honest, hard working, fiercely proud and extremely hospitable people. They treat outsiders with great respect as guests and woe betide someone who crosses them. Wild life and nature are what matters most to them and they spend their lives protecting it. In fact one of the reasons why this case was proved was because the two Bishnoi witnesses reportedly did not and would not succumb to any kind of enducement or enticement. The prosecutor was apparently also a Bishnoi. My respect for this community has, if anything, increased.

Kavita,
He drove drunk into a bakery, injured 4 people and killed one? And was immediately out of jail? You said that the case was still pending but that treatment sends a message that he can get away with anything. That he's not really responsible for his actions or is somehow special.
So then he turns around and kills the black bucks...
and wham, someone wants him to know he's not so special - or is so special he has to spend a much longer time in prison than a "regular" person.

Really strange.

Love, Kristin

“He also has a case pending against him for being drunk and driving at 90 to 100 mph, one night, injuring four and killing one person as he drove into a bakery in 2002. He was out on such a paltry bail, it would not even be 20 dollars in American currency.”

But

“I have met and spoken with Salman a few times and also met his mom-I have to say I liked both of them tremendously.”

Oh, really! “Are we so star struck and blinded by their star image….”

It seems to me that India has the same problems as the U.S. when it comes to our celebrities. "Celebrity" is the new royalty it seems.

Here in the U.S. if you have enough money and enough "celebrity" you can murder, rape, molest and break pretty much any law that you wish (See: O.J. Simpson, Robert Blake, Michael Jackson and about half of our countries professional and collegiate athletes). Because Celebrities are our new royalty...born with some sort of higher status; a birth right based on such important attributes as pretending to be something on TV or in movies; or they can carry a tune or throw a ball through a metal hoop. Or they are just born with pretty faces or bodies. Odd really. They hire a team of lawyers and come off as heroes while some poor schmuck who smokes something growing in his backyard goes to jail for five years.

It's interesting the your Salmon Khan can drive drunk, maim and kill some people and is out walking around, but God forbid he should shoot a couple of deer...then action must be taken. Seems to me that India and the U.S. are awfully similar in their treatment of celebrities.

All I can say is that it's a weird world.

Peace,
Scott.

I can't believe the guy got away with drunk driving and killing a person!! Sohail calls it an "accident", does he know drinking and driving is illegal in the first place coz accidents happen BECAUSE OF IT?!!!!

I don't think the punishment should be harsh just coz he is a celebrity, he should be treated equally. But he is kinda getting a combined punishment.

If his past had been un-marred from previous crimes; which were given lenient sentences to say the least; then his capture, and conviction is just.

Here in Canada; if you committed the crime of death, involving vehicular manslaughter; it is instant jail-time!

Again, we the world's arm-chair judges and critics are faced with a sway of justice, in the direction of his being of celebrity status.

Again, we witness his release for a "controllable" action by any adult; which involved death and injury. Surely, his status gained him that freedom.

Again, we see this man under the scrutiny, of our magnifying glass's; but, how many people, will he kill, mame and change "their lives" forever; before he is stopped, and treated for what he is..a reckless man, without regard.

Does it even matter, his charity work; when on the dark side; he has reckless regard for the lives of human beings around him, let alone, for an endangered species of animal? Surely, a man's life, is worth more than any animals?

I feel the "want" to condemn him, his past and present actions; for we all abide by the laws set forth by "mankind" to maintain stability among ourselve's as productive, NOT destructive, human beings, which rule the world(and not all that well, to boot.)

North

If it was really a question of setting an example for his fans out there, then he should have been punished harshly for the drunk driving case.
Isn't killing a human worse than killing a buck anymore?

Scott, Nimita - I think this is because, as Dara points out, the witnesses could not be bought off in this case. Many cases in India fall apart because of bribery, but the Bishnoi are a class apart and it is probably because of them that we see this turn of events.

It’s been interesting to read the comments so far. The main crux of my blog was this and I’m quoting from it

“While I have little patience with people who think money and fame can help them get away with anything, I also wondered if it is fair to dump the crown of ‘ a role model” on a celebrity just because he or she is famous?
Do celebrities get away with a lot because of their status quo or do they get unduly punished when caught in the glare of their own glory? What role must they play in society? Do we believe everything they do on the screen, a world of make believe, and presume they are people we must follow? Are we so star struck and blinded by their star image that we forget celebrities are human with feet of clay? Or should we punish them even more harshly when we find out that fantasy and reality are not the same thing? It’s something I have always wondered about.”

The story about Salman Khan was only to illustrate what I was thinking about as this just happened to be the latest in the case of celebrities breaking the law and expecting the law to look the other way because of who they are. This also showed that there are many people who couldn’t care less about an endangered species, and made it clear that they think their “reel” life hero could do no wrong.

Last night as I read the latest reports and the fact that the judge called Salman a role model, I started thinking about the questions I wrote above.

Salman will be on a tour which begins soon and comes to Canada, UK, USA, and Holland, and I can bet that those shows and he will be a hit, and many of those who will condemn him, will be there at these shows spending mega bucks, family in tow, buying the expensive tickets.

I personally feel being famous brings your more privileges, financial clout and connections to get away with things. Weirdly people seem to forgive stars a lot faster than their next door neighbor if he/she was to commit the same crime.

Divya made a very valid point about the significance of preserving endangered species. I saw very little in the media reports about the chinkara and the black buck. I think Times of India and some other publications wrote a couple of lines about the activists being happy, and left it at that. Subsequent news reports focused on giving detailed reports of what Salman did in jail, what he ate, how he slept-I guess we really needed to know that didn’t we? Thanks for the links Divya, I will be writing an article on this for sure.

Btw Divya, I feel the beauty and innocence of India lies in its villages and that does not equate to idiocy of any kind. Again, I am not going to condemn the hardened criminals in the city, because they are who they are because of the system. If Salman Khan can get away with murder, what hope does that give a city slicker trying to survive in Bombay, that he can live honestly and not be trampled.

Again do film makers even stop to think what they show in films can have repercussions that are going to be destructive?

For those who blame the Indian media, let me ask this-why do you think the media writes about this? Because this is what people like to read. Who cares about the beautiful tigers, and the most beautiful species of birds on the verge of extinction? How many of us even knew about the Bishnoi tribe?

And why do film makers in Bollywood make film after film eulogizing violence and suppression of women and sleaze-because that is what seems to be raking in the moolah. And when someone like Anupam Kher protests he is removed as the head of the censor board.

I see that many people who commented focused on Salman khan and not the questions that I was asking. Why do we put stars on a pedestal, especially someone like Salman Khan, or O.J. Simpson, whose personal lives and all the negativity have been well documented. Not even stars but even kids of privilege like William Kennedy and the rape case where many think to this day that he committed the crime but got away because of being a Kennedy, as a friend pointed out.

What is it that makes these people so larger than life. Do the masses frustrated with whatever it is, live vicariously through these celebrities? I guess we need to look within for the answers.
On a side note, Dara, I would love to know more about your interaction with the Bishnois.

I'm going to be away all day today and sporadically here tomorrow, because of the new issue of my online emag going live on 14th night, so please excuse me if I dont acknowledge your posts individually.
Each time I write something, I end up learning so much in return.

Kavita,

Yes, William Kennedy is a perfect example of what I was talking about. But how about Ted Kennedy? He's still in office after his Chappaquiddick incident. Robert Byrd? Former KKK activist has the stones to question judicial candidates and others about their "Civil Rights" history...

As I said...a weird world.
Peace,
Scott.

Scott,

I think a clarification may help. This man has not walked free after killing pavement dwellers in a driving incident. This happened after the poaching incidents and is still in the courts. The result of that case will again become news.

Kavita,

I spent around 7 years in Rajasthan and , mainly in the area of Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. While I did enjoy my tenures there and made some very good friendships with the people, as a community, the Bishnois were people one could trust implicitly. In fact thats true for most Rajasthani rural areas. However, what struck me most about the Bishnois was their ability to accpet you as you were, sure they had fun and enjoyed a laugh at your expense and ignorance of their customs, yet they would then take the trouble to explain to you why they found your ways funny. Their hospitality was touching, they simply could not do enough for you with no expectations except that you respect them as they did you. In fact, and this is hearsay, the reason I think why they felt so strongly about this case was because one villager once explained to us that they believed that the chinkaras and the deer family were re-incarnations of their ancestors. In fact he was I think trying to warn us in advance not to hunt any deer. At another level, whenever we sought their co-operation and help they made it a point that the whole village was informed of our requirements and assured us they would follow our requests to them and they always did. When they did have any complaints they were confident enough to come straight to us speak to us and explain why and how we were causing them discomfort and were always more than willing to listen to us and our explanations. Once they made a commitment or accepted your reasons for anything you could rest assured they would stick to their word. They are simply straight forward, hard working preople who want to live life with respect and honour - something very big for them and an admirable quality.

It would be nice to see that they deilivery the same "Example" punishment for his homicide while drunk.

Divya thank you for the informative posts about the Bishnois. I would love to spend few days living with the Bishnois it would be such a great experience.

I think the schools in India and parents should do a much better job teaching about the environment and the importance of protecting it. Every behavior reflects on a person’s upbringing. Sorry this may sound harsh but Salman’s mother really did a crummy job of raising him. It’s high time that parents take their role as parents more seriously, and teachers in India take teaching as a profession because they love to teach, not because it is the only source of income and the only thing that they can do. Please do not get me wrong, there are some wonderful teachers in India but most of them need to do their job with more passion rather than a 9-4 job.
Esther

Dara -
Thanks for clearing up that detail for me.

Scott.

Conviction is one thing, punishment is another. Conviction says whether one is guilty or not. Punishment determines to what degree the convicted should pay back the society for his transgressions.

I am not a Salman Khan fan, never was, never will be. But remember he was not on trial for the driving drunk into the bakery case. He is not on trial for all other crimes he has commited in the past. The specific questions here are

1) Is he guilty of killing the black buck?
2) If he is, then what should his punishment be?

I guess there is little controversy about 1). We all agree that he was guilty as hell.

Regarding the punishment Kavitha brings up an interesting point. Should a person pay more to the society for a transgression than another because of his a) economic status, b) popularity or any other attributes.

Unfortunately, the Indian penal system allows that variation. That is why we don't have a single mandated sentence for every section of the penal code. There is a suggested range. Is this right? Initially it might seem wrong to have such a distinction. But a closer look at our society will tell us that punishment meted out should be different. Punishement can be the same in an ideal society where every person has equal opportunities. And we know that it is not true. A minority that includes the celebreties have a lot of choices before them that avoid situations to break the law. For example, celebrities never have to steal food for satisfying hunger, whereas of many people are face with that situation. Although 5 years is a hard sentence for killing a member of an endangered species, I cannot agree to the principle of equal sentences for everybody

if there is real justice in India, I would like to see sanjay dutt get treated like a ordinary citizen and be punished for all his deeds.

http://ia.rediff.com/movies/2006/apr/13salman.htm?q=np&file=.htm

He reached Mumbai at 8 pm with actress Katrina Kaif in a chartered aircraft, his family said.
He was granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh and two sureties of Rs 1 lakh each.

Can an ordinary person fly back home in a chartered aircraft? Can a middle class person in India afford to pay bail on Rs 2 lakh?

Yes, celebrities do get away with a lot because of their status.

I don't believe in taking someone to task just because he/she is a celebrity. But I believe in taking someone to task for breaking the law even if he/she is a celebrity. The case with Salman Khan is a good lesson for celebrities who think they might get away just because they are a celebrity. I think Pataudi should go in next.

One could understand from this post, what fame and money does - so much in depth discussion takes place into this matter, just because salman khan is a celebrity - who cares, he broke the law and should be treated just like any other citizen of that country!!

Charity work?- sooo whats the big deal- I know many middle class or people who are below average means, who sponsor a child or do various forms of charity work - would they get another chance, if they were broke this same law???

I am not anti Salman khan - punishment should be served whoever it is - dont let them buy justice with money and fame !!!

hope this stirs some fear in the politicians who escape justice with money!!!

R

It's not about being a celebrity ...it's about being what you can get away when you are a celebrity anywhere in the world ...whether it's OJ Simpson or Barry Bonds in US or Salman Khan or Sanjay Dutt.

In India we have become immune to seeing celebrities and Netas not getting punished.Once in a while law will punish the law breakers.I'm surprised only 'coz it's happening in India.I have seen very few high profile culprits serving time.

If Salman Khan is treated like this ...I feel pity about the common man in India ...what if he has to go through this ordeal.

it is my firm belief that with influential positions comes accountability and responsibility ...

a choice...

to either contaminate or to contribute ...

to those they attract ...

and to the world we live in ...

where the law of consequences apply ...

usually rather harsh if hit by ethical laws ... which are not willing to sell out at any price ...

an attempt maybe to restore balance ...which might be out of balance in its literal view ...

and yet after this case I can imagine other influential people thinking twice before undergoing careless and unconscious deeds ...

often reaching the level of absurdity ...

as if spiritual laws are something to talk about …

rather than to apply and lead by example …

which in truth …

calls for an inevitable victimizing force …

beyond the illusion of liberation and freedom ...

often showing up in ways which seem to follow a redemption call …

in this case killing endangered species in a country which does not take it very kindly …

wondering what in this man’s life is calling for his attention and healing … that might actually be endangering his own life ...

On reflection , I have witnessed some strange experiences ...

like someone talking about someone famous as if they were the best thing on earth...

till they do not get what they want...

watching a venous biting snake suddenly appearing ...

without mercy ...

reason why often I wonder ....

who are the real friends for the rich and famous ??? do they actually have any clue ???

reason maybe why I love being around the simple and unaffected …

despite being equally guilty of acting out inappropriately and in highly disrespectful ways ...

to myself and to the environment ...

forever thankful to those who did not settle for such deeds ...

teaching me I was so much more …

allowing me to focus on a renewed legacy

that makes me proud to be alive…

My hope for this case …

Baba Black Sheep,Divya,Nimita,
Sott,North and Kirsten,Bagwan,Kavita,

Good Friday!

I see you have resurrected yourselves...and you live! Good show!

Question?

Can a celebrity be proud

of their humility?

Or is that an oxy-moron?!!!

Divya and Dara: Thank you both for sharing such information about these wonderful people and their marvelous ways with nature--the Bishnois.

I am curious how they proceed, if, and when, one of their members transgresses against these 29 tenets?

Hope you both have a wonderful weekend--Dave

baba black sheep .. .

sounds funny ...
even if many would agree ...
a black sheep to myself

learning ...

to be home ...

not sure whatyou mean by oxy moron ...

and yet get teh drift ...

can one be proud of being humble ???

question is :

how do we define pride ???

and how do we experience humbleneses ???

at its purest level the question seems to have no meaning ...

as humbleness ...

as I experienced it ...

in glimses with eternity ...

was no more than a complete dissolving ...

a deep boundless motion ...

with forces

greater than I am ...

with no clear beginings or ending ...

where do I begin???

where do I end ???

what is this

meltimg me

into a flow ???

to realize that as I question it ...

it no longer was ...

so paradoxical it beccomes

and yet so very simple ...

in this now

that I am ...

moment by moment ...

until I give in

to the seduction

of this illusionary ...

logical mind ...

making me so very important

when in reality ...

I am no more ...

than a grain of sand ....

learning to merge ...

with that ...

I do not know ...

death and rebirth ...

teh necessity I see ...

between pride and ecstasy..

where words

seeem to have no meaning ...

The judge's logic is a joke.

I can't believe he has put forth this weird one as the oficial line of thought which says Salman-Khan-needs-to-set-an-example-to-the-society-as-he's-a-film-star and cock.

Well, says who? Why should someone owe more moral to the society just because he's into movies? Does this mean people who are not film stars (or monied) can afford to be morally lax because they owe people sweet jack? When did movies, fame and money become the fountainhead that determines the concepts of moral behaviour?

This dim ligic is expected out of illiterates who don't have half an iota of intelligence to demarcate the real from the make believe. They look at a film star and want his heroism to be the hope in their non-descript two penny lives. But nothing becomes reality just because you want it to be. This kind of street logic is best treated with scorn but it has just been applied in a court of law to punish one guy who seems famous than all of us put together.

This is not say that Salman Khan should be allowed to walk free just because he's done movies. Punish him. But punish him like you'd any other guy. And take this shit of 'setting example as he's a film star' someplace else.

I personally don't know Salman Khan. But being in a sister industry I know a lot about a lot of film stars. So yes, Salman has a temperament problem, he's a bit of this and that but no one, NO ONE I've bumped into has termed him more bad than good. And these are people who have interviewed him, worked as production legs on his sets, been around when he dubbed.

Truth is, people love Salman Khan. And I think they love him because they can see the good in his heart. And unlike his contemporaries, he's achieved his mega stardom entirely on his own. Shah Rukh Khan has got a very powerful, very organised big banner coterie working for him. Aamir Khan is respected because he will know his craft even when in a coma. Amitabh Bachchan will remain a legend because no one can do to a decade what he did to the 70s.

Then Salman Khan. His acting is far from spellbinding, he has done things wrong in a fit of temper, the media stands holding hands against him, no big banner runs to him first thing in the morning like a pet dog. But his movie opens on a friday and people go mad. I mean he can start a fire by doing a movie with Anees Bazmee (heck). If this is not superstardom, what is?

Then, the end. This morning's Times of India - Salman Khan walking out of jail. Donning a cap, holding a bag (for a useless shirt, maybe), his biceps carved meticulously, his show-window torso all toned up, his face calm and bearing an in-between expression, his faced tilted just so, and... and he's wearing is a white VEST! Yo ho, take that your honour!

Thing is, you can keep a superstar in jail but you can never take away his superstar-ness!

Krish, my old friend, let it not be said that I never agree with you! I agree with every word you have written up here.

He he, now I have a bone to pick with you in the Iran thread :) We'll never change our stripes. Will we?

Sumant,

I agree in the main with your logic about what the judge said. In fact the same sort of thoughts passed through my mind too when I read the reasoning.

However, I disagreed with a lot of reactions that came up on the tube specially from the film world. They made out that the film industry was being crucified and it was Mahesh Bhatt whom I first heard talking about victimising celebrity and I think he did make the comparision with the Jessica Lal case also. I thought that was rubbish (the comparision). In my opinion, it was making two wrongs add up to a right.

However, the law as far as I know lays down a minimum and maximum punishment for most offenses. I presume that is to cater for extenuating circumstances in individual cases and I think is sensible. However, the reasoning given in this case was not how I would have seen it. Personally, if I were the judge, since he had already been given a year for the previous offense I would have added one more and a hefty financial fine, a few lakhs perhaps, and let the two prison terms run concurrently.

with influence comes "leadership power" ...

with Leadership power comes opportunity ...

to serve or to downgrade ...

and yes with mercy ...

as we simply never know ...

until we walk in someones else shoes ...

was listening to Nelson Mandela recently on TV ...

he was talking to youngsters ...

in a school ...

words I recall ....

it took me 27 years to find myself ...

while in prison ...

through reflection

and reading many books of wisdom ...

how do we know what is Gods plan for someone???

and yes it is easy to fall into judgements in the way things ought to be ...

the God junior number ...

and yet I am very aware of the power of influence in whatever way it shows up ...

Like Zuma ... the ex deputy in SA .. being accused of rape ...

which we simply do not know ...

except that he admited to have sex withut comdom ..

with a woman he knew was HIV positive ...

I took a shower afterwards ... he said

to diminish the possibilities of contamination ...

a devastating influencial message in a country taken by HIV ...

the key message i have learned within myself ...

become the change you want to see in the world ...

I agree with Saibaba ...

The need of the hour is not a new social order , not a political or economic revolution, what we need today are men and women of character "

Leadeship is about influence ... not position ...

which means that anytime we do have influece we are impacting and leading others ...

so I see...

and yes ...

our rational minds seek fairness and justice ...

and yet is life meant to be fair ???

only time will tell what this man will create out of this experince no matter how unfair it might seem to be ...

the laws of the universe at play ...

what do we really know ???

the law of attraction ...cause and effect .. polarities lurking in the background...

Thy will ... not mine ...

the faith that we are nver given more than what we can chew ...

that everything happens for a reason ...

in accordance with a greater plan ...

we often have no idea ...

the cause of so much unnecessary suffering ...

where prayers for the highest good is what I have learned ...

like with my friend ...

loosing an election she and many worked so very hard for ...

to experience humiliation to a force that made no sense ...

" only God can create something like this " I kept telling her ...

you have been trained for something much bigger ...

remembering her decision to go to India a while ago ... to a temple of love and unity ...

above the power of teh Muslim tradition ...including her husband who kept lashing out .. to no avail ...

understand I kept telling her ...

your life will change radically after this decision ...

she phoned me from India at teh time ...

struggling to come to terms ...

between her child approach to divinity and the mystical energies that kept calling her to be there ...

there was a picture of its founder ... used for meditation ...

she struggled to reconcile it with her faith ...

she kept connecting with Allah ...

guide me in this struggle ...

i want to be here and yet I believe I am betraying you ...

in her last day she looked at the picture to suddenly melt into it ...

seeing the soul qualities of her father being reflected back to her ...

back to the election episode ...

within 2 weeks she was informed that she had been elected to be part of the Mayoral Executive Committee ...

holding a position which will have a great impact for the economy ...

raising eyebrows and jealous reactions ...

how can she be elected for this position when she was not part of the struggle??? .. bla bla bla ...when i ....

and yet life isn't about being fair...

rather it is about lessons needed ...

according to patterns that have been written...

the call for a symbolic sight...

in all that life is calling us to be ...

Dave,
Sorry have no idea what would happen to a transgressor. I could hazard a guess though. He would probably end up with a very squeaky voice! :)

Enjoy your week end too.

What?! He got off already! What a farce.

Sumant - I agree it is utterly ridiculous of the judge to use the logic he did in punishing Salman. I somehow missed that. It doesn't even sound legal, if you know what I mean.

But you totally lost me in the rest of your post. Are you saying it's okay for a superstar to be a jerk? Or are you saying that Salman is not a jerk? He totally is a jerk and this can be judged best by his actions. We do not need to consult with the people who know him.

About the influence of pop stars. This happens to be a reality. All of us have been influenced by them, since time immemorial. This is not necessarily a matter of contempt. Heros are very important in shaping our own dreams and in inspiring us to scale heights. Of course there are pathological aspects to hero-worship too. But we do an injustice by simply dismissing hero-worship as something that only morons do.

While I'm not suggesting that stars should be held to a higher standard because of their influence, I want to make this point just as an aside and not as a matter that is relevant for legal consideration. If you want to suggest a particular star is a "nice" person or an unselfish person, perhaps they just might be the sort of people who do take their extraordinary power and influence into account. Specially if they are oldies like Salman. I can understand stars in their 20's who are clueless about notions of responsibility. My all-time hero Jerry Garcia never ever said anything on stage, simply because he was aware that his fans took him too seriously. Contrast this with the attitude - fu** everyone, I'm going to do and say as I please. (Again, none of this has any place in law, but is something I would expect from decent people).

Dave - All my knowlede of the Bishnois is from stuff that I have read so I have no real life experience with them. But in close-knit communities, ostracization or being totally out-cast is one of the deterrents used. Again, no actual idea how the Bishnois handle their troublemakers.

Thank you every one. I was really fascinated by the Bishnoi tribe and read a little on them yesterday in between work and interviews.
This article caught my eye in particular and is worth a read. The answer to what happens if one of their own tries killing an animal is also here.
I'll respond to the other posts separately.

This article by Anupama Bhattacharya is long, but please do read it at leisure. I found it fascinating and inspiring.

"The Bishnoi tribe of the western Indian state of Rajasthan have, over centuries, made a unique blend of ecological sense and religious sensibility their faith's cornerstone

The Thar desert in India is full of ironies—one of them being the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan. Here, peace is maintained with aggression and robust health rubs shoulders with regular famine. Here penniless women flaunt heavy gold jewelery and wild animals leave the supposed security of jungles to stroll around village huts and farmlands.

Not to mention the fact that the Bishnois worship nature in all its manifestations. Not the ripe, yielding nature of ancient pagan societies, but the ruthless and demanding desert where a desolate horizon meets a blazing sky. Here, women suckle motherless deer, die to save trees, go hungry to provide food for animals and live a strictly sattvic (simple) life advocated by their guru Jambaji.

Jambaji, or Jambeshwar Bhagavan, born in 1451 in one of the warrior sects of Rajasthan, was soon disillusioned by communal riots between Muslim invaders and the native Hindus. However, instead of wallowing in despair, he went ahead to form a religion of peace based on 29 (bish: twenty, noi: nine) principles that included compassion for all living beings, cleanliness, devotion, vegetarian diet and truthfulness. Thus, the Bishnois came into being.

"It was actually a clever ploy," says Maharaja Swaroop Singh, vice-president of the Heritage Hotels, India, and former MLA of the Looni (Bishnoi) constituency in Rajasthan (where the Bishnoi population is concentrated). He has worked closely with the tribe for the last 36 years.

"Jambaji knew that to form a successful religion, he had to put in both Hindu and Muslim elements. So he asked the Bishnois to worship Vishnu and bury their dead. The idea, of course, is to give the dead back to the elements. We Hindus use the fire element, the Muslims use the earth element."

The Bishnois, however, have a different explanation. Says Dev Ram of Guda, one of the largest Bishnoi villages in Jodhpur district, Rajasthan: "Cremating the dead requires wood. But Jambaji said that killing a live tree to get rid of a dead body is ridiculous." So the Bishnois bury their dead without so much as a memorial. "We let the earth take back what it gave to us," adds Dev Ram. What surprises you as you approach a Bishnoi village is the sheer freedom with which spotted deer, blue bulls, and black bucks race along the roadside or frolic in the open fields. In fact, during our approximately 50 minutes drive from Jodhpur to Guda, we must have seen hundreds of deer and antelopes, some actually crossing the road ahead of us.

"Animals are sacred," says Bana Ram of Guda. "Before he passed away, Jambaji told us that in his absence, the black buck should be revered as his manifestation. That belief continues. Hunting black buck for us is like killing our guru. One call of 'Shikar! (the hunt)' and 500 villagers will assemble here this moment to teach the offenders a lesson. We'll kill our own children before we let these animals be killed."

Which is why the worst thing to happen to a hunter is being caught by the Bishnois. "Once, an Indian Air Force captain was caught hunting. We stripped him and forced him to lie down on the hot sand in the middle of summer. He'd never dream of hunting again," adds Bana Ram.

This ruthless protection of animals is part of the Bishnoi culture. An extremely aggressive race, they fight for wildlife and environment with a vengeance. In fact, we were warned against going to the villages by the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Wildlife Division, M.L. Sonal. "The contribution of Bishnois to wildlife protection is almost 100 per cent. But they can be dangerous if angered," says he.

But our reception in the Bishnoi villages, though initially suspicious, was soon friendly and warm. "You must tell others how fragile these animals are," said a village elder, holding the picture of a black buck. "They are so delicate that most often they die of fright. We try our best to save these gentle creatures but what can we do against so many hunters? They are lured by the people of Jodhpur who don't hesitate to get these animals killed for easy money."

As we take a tour around the village, we come across giggling women in colorful clothes, sturdy men in their traditional white dhoti-kurtas zooming around on their motorbikes, sparkling clean mud houses and an occasional carpenter carving wood with intense concentration. "Most of us here are either farmers or wood/stone carvers, goldsmiths and milkmen," says Maunlal Suta, a carpenter from Guda. "This art runs in the family. We have been carving wood for generations. Now I'm training my son to do the same."

Wood carving? But isn't it against Jambaji's 29 principles to cut trees?

"We never cut trees," explains Suta. "We wait till a tree dies on its own or falls down during a storm. This work that you see here," he points at a pile of carved wood for doors, windows and bedposts, "has been done over many years, waiting patiently for wood."

Patience, actually, is the catchword in this simple and dedicated community. "We have only four months of farming," says Johra Ram, community head of a Bishnoi village. "The rest of the year we just sit around and hope the food will last." To add to that, herds of deer end up eating much of the standing crop. "Earlier, almost 30 to 50 per cent of the crop was destroyed by animals. Now it has decreased to about 15 per cent," informs H.L. Meena, Conservator Forest, Jodhpur.

But not a stick is raised to chase away the animals. "We would willingly go hungry to feed the animals," says Bana Ram. "We believe in the co-existence of life. Our guru said that those who die saving innocent animals or trees will go to heaven. For us, animals are the avatars of divinity." Which is why, in the water-starved desert, each Bishnoi family creates a tank in their field to provide water for deer in the arid summer months.

Much of the lifestyle of the community has its basis in the 29 principles of Jambaji. "Our guru forbade us to get addicted, be it smoking, tobacco chewing, drugs or alcohol. Even tea is considered a vice," says Teja Ram. "He also asked us to consume plenty of milk and milk products and home grown cereals. We never eat outside. Even when going on long trips, we either cook or pack food from home."

Which explains the robust health of this community in spite of recurring famines. Here, though women are traditionally limited to household chores, they play a dominant role. "Women are the symbol of creation. Which is why guruji asked them to wear vibrant colors such as red and orange," explains Bhanu Ram. "Men wear white because it is symbolic of cleanliness and austerity."

Bishnois also have a strange interconnection between death and festivity. Whenever the head of a family dies, all unmarried girls, irrespective of their age, are married off on the 12th day. "On the face of it," says Teja Ram, "guruji started this custom to limit expenses during weddings. But it also has deeper implications. For us, death is a way of life. One person dies, the next generation takes his place and the cycle continues. We believe that whatever you do in this life, you pay for it in the next birth." The marriage of minors, however, as Teja Ram is quick to point out, "is not practiced anymore since we understand that it is detrimental to their development".

Living amidst the barren wastelands interspersed with khejri and babool trees, the Bishnois are a proud race. "We don't get any help from the government and don't want any," says Johra Ram. "Any change in the world has to begin within the society. All this talk about nature and wildlife protection would be more effective if each individual was to believe in the earth as a living, breathing entity and fight for its survival the way we do." He narrates the story of Amrita Devi, a Bishnoi woman who, along with more than 366 other Bishnois, died saving trees. "About 200 years back, Maharaja Abhay Singh of Jodhpur required wood for his palace. So he sent his soldiers to cut trees. Amrita Devi and other villagers hugged the branches while the soldiers chopped them down with the trees. This is still remembered as the great Khejarli sacrifice."

Such stories abound in the Bishnoi community. In fact, the Bishnoi pantheon has more martyrs who died for the sake of nature than gods. And the trend shows no signs of diminishing with time. "What makes me proud," says Bana Ram, "is that the next generation is even more committed to nature than we are." As if on cue, a little boy who can hardly keep pace as we walk around the village, tugs at my sleeve and says: "I'll never let anybody kill these animals."

Strange dedication, this. A small community spread over the northwestern states of India, including Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh besides Rajasthan, the Bishnois have contributed more to nature and wildlife protection than the entire country put together. They have learnt, with time and hardships, how to nurture nature and grow with it instead of exploiting it.

As we turn back from the village, we come across a Bishnoi woman quietly nursing a fawn that was wounded by a dog. Nearby, her little daughter plays. Outside, herds of deer saunter in the fields or take a nap in the mellow afternoon sun. Can this be for real, you wonder? Perhaps not, at least not in a world where, in the manner of King Lear's gods, we kill animals for our sport. But reality, as the scriptures say, is relative. So, amidst the reality of corruption and crime, a community dedicated to nature struggles to survive, teaching, along the way, a few lessons in harmonious co-existence.

Dara,

I agree with your line of thought. But please don't take anything said by Mahesh Bhatt seriously. He ran out of this basic mental faculty called an opinion a long time ago (LOL). I think we are very close to the day when anything he says on TV is followed by canned laughter!

[Moderator: So Mahesh, why did we lose the one dayer?
Mahesh Bhatt: Well, I think… (ha ha ha…. ha ha ho ho ho ha ha ha)]

Divya,

No matter how much I like Salman Khan, I have no problem with him getting punished. Why, he should be punished every single time he breaks the law, like any other citizen. My grouse is with the moral bunkum the judge gave with which I disagre vehemently.

On the role of celebrities. I think we have no business binding their actions and behaviour in a self-constructed, self-ratified moral grid. Who has given us that right? Does it come quid pro quo everytime with a hundered rupee ticket? Are we sure it comes automatically to us just because we are among his fans?

If you ask me, Salman Khan's responsibility towards ethical behaviour is only as much as mine. I don't hold him under extra moral obligation just because he is a hero. His RIGHT way of life - moral or legal - is the right way of life defined for any other citizen. If he goes wide, I don't see it as a breach of faith. It'll be that only if he mouths a definite philosophy in an individual capacity and then goes against it, on the sly or overt. Only then I'll bring the moral burden into the argument, apart from the legal one if applicable.

Hence, I don't understand the judge putting him under a stricter moral scrutiny just because he's a filmstar because Salman never said that was the deal.

Whether the celebrities intend it to be or not, they are seen as role models by the masses. Not just the rural, but the urban educated masses, as well. For example, as I posted in the open blog Wednesday, Karnataka, a state in India lost one of its finest actors, Dr. Rajkumar, on Wednesday. He was known as the "living Legend" of Kannada cinema. Instantly, the city of Bangalore (the Silicon Valley of India, the IT city) shut down fearing riots by the fans. It was warranted, because by evening, people were burning buses, cars, etc. But the situation turned to the worse yesterday when Dr. Raj's body was taken around the city for viewing by the masses. The fans started pelting stones at the cops, burning more automobiles. The police could not control this fanatic rage and had to throw teargas shells around. When that didn't help, they started shooting in the air, which ended up killing 4 people. All this to view the body of a famous actor. In lieu of this, the girl fasting for Salman, or the so-far non-violent protests in front of the jail where Salman was kept, seems very peaceful.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/4906802.stm

I just gave that example to prove tha mass-hysteria over celebrities is not just confined to the rural, simple minds. It is something I cannot fathom.

Nevertheless, Salman must not be harshfully punished just to create an example out of him. Does not the law say something about "being treated equally"? He should be meted the same justice as the common person committing a similar crime. Whether he was framed or not, it is not for me to say. But the judge should not go out of his bounds to mete out extra punishment because he is a celebrity. I laud the justice system that it did bring him to court and punish him, regardless of that he is a celebrity.

Divya, thanks for those articles on the Bishnoi. Very informative.

Thank you everyone. I have finally had the opportunity to sit down and read through the posts.

Let’s see –the pros for Salman-he is a nice guy-As I mentioned I met Salman in the mid 90s first when all this hadn’t happened, and found him to be very thoughtful, shy and amazing with kids. I met him again in 2003, but didn’t have time to do an interview.

The cons-he broke the law not once but twice, deliberately, and was sentenced to a 1 and a 5 year rigorous imprisonment, for killing the chinkara and black buck. He is out on bail for these two cases along with the hit and run case, while his lawyers appeal to higher courts-

The reason why many feel that the harsh punishment in Salman’s case is justified, is not because he is a celebrity and a supposed role model and an example must be set-but because he first committed and then repeated his offence...deliberately..

If you took the time to read the article I posted, its heart rending to read the description of the black buck-it is so delicate, says a member of the Bishnoi tribe, that it can die of fright..You can’t say oh it’s too harsh a punishment for killing an animal.. Salman killed a man as well in a drunken stupor..both these offences..to drink and drive and kill in that drunken stupor and to kill an endangered species deliberately and knowingly, is unacceptable in anyone-it doesn’t matter what his or her status quo is. But it also has to be proven in court.

But what boggles my mind is why we put film stars on a pedestal that many of them don’t want to be placed on. Why do we glorify them? I don’t see Salman telling anyone to follow his lead. But I do see many of the stars being gushed and raised to the skies by the moochers round them along with the hysterical fans and believing the hype.

Those who know the Indian legal system, will be the first to tell you the wheels turn very slowly and years and years pass-by then witnesses have been bought out, evidence lost or destroyed and cases remain pending till eternity and then dismissed especially in celebrated cases for supposed lack of evidence.

I do have to say that the comment about Salman’s mom raising him poorly is very uncalled for. The woman as I saw her, is so untouched by glamour, simple, and homely, emanating love and warmth-she couldn’t care less who you were-all she wanted to do was make you feel at home as much as she could in that hotel room.

Also Salman is 40 years old and has a mind of his own-how is it that you don’t hear of any of his brothers getting into trouble? His mom raised every one the same way I presume.. He agreed to an interview 2 years ago when he came here after the hit and run case and knew I was going to ask him some hard questions. The interview didn’t happen not because he wasn’t accessible, but because I got busy with another story that was more important from my perspective, about South Asians living with HIV/AIDS, the stigma and the loneliness and isolation they face when they find out they are HIV positive.

I wish things were as black and white in the case of celebrities as we would want it to be. All of us have heroes-movies are perhaps the cheapest source of entertainment and to live out a fantasy-not to mention the most accessible medium. Other high profile events carry a huge ticket price at times and may not resonate with the common masses as seeing a Salman Khan or an Amir Khan beating the system on celluloid does.

Look at the number of actors who won elections recently in India. They have a zero track record in politics-it’s the star power that got them the votes.

While it would be perfect in a perfect world that every one would be treated equally, Matt is absolutely right in saying, that is not how it happens in reality for people with money, fame and the power that comes with it.

Baba’s comment that with influential positions come accountability and responsibility had me thinking. May be it applies to elected officials better. Does it apply to celebrities? Or, I wonder, should the responsibility not lie with us as to who we choose as role models and heroes, instead of the celebrities who have this thrust upon them. I know only three among the hundreds I have interviewed who said they see themselves as role models and live their lives making sure they don’t do anything in public that sends the wrong message.
Krish I remember the story about Pataudi and the evidence was there in black and white..and that case is still pending.

Dara, thank you for sharing your time with the tribe. loved reading your post and also baba's and Sumant's, among others-Thank you every one for your thoughts. I am headed out now to cover an event, but this has been a very interesting interaction..

Hi Kavita,
Just checking back and I wanted to say that although I do think that people in positions of influence have a heavier karmic responsibility - I don't believe they should receive harsher or less harsh treatment because of their status or influence. It's obvious that they have a great responsibility and yet it's not up to anyone else to drive that home to them. We all have greater or lesser spheres of influence with people who look to us for guidance (such as all of us who have children, etc.)

However as you said, you see "many of the stars being gushed and raised to the skies by the moochers round them along with the hysterical fans and believing the hype." And that's the other side of it. People around them are either unable to realistically see them - or they are seduced by the power or adoration or whatever else these people seem to have and use manipulation to try and get some of that for themselves.

So it's a sad state of affairs all around. And I think it's everyones responsibility. In general we need to understand ourselves much better and learn where true power lies. Within.

Love, Kristin

Dear kristin,
just happened to see this is as I head out-
I agree with you about the punishment being meted out equally, but if you read my post again, in this particular case I feel Salman probably recieved a harsher punishment because he repeated his offence. Salman has two cases pending against him for killing the black buck/chinkaras in two different years, two different time frames and has been sentenced for them in two courts.

You are right on in every thing else and your statement "we need to understand ourselves much better and learn where true power lies. Within." is very apt and significant.
love

Hi Kavita,
I agree with you that if there is a deliberate repeated harmful action the sentence should be stricter. I wasn't really commenting on Salman in particular. But it is odd to me that he doesn't seem to care. He must feel he is above the rules in these cases. I don't really understand how he could consciously kill the animals like that. Is it for sport? And to have killed a person and injured so many others and to then continue reckless behavior... He must have a drinking problem that needs to be addressed. Or a huge ego problem.

Love, Kristin

Nice write-up. Pure common sense states that celebrities should not get away with murder because of their status. There is a saying that goes something goes like this" Be you however so high, the law is above you". Law obviously has to be the same for everyone but practical life operates on " Show me the man and I shall show you the law". Some "celebrities" are arguing that killers of Jesica lall got away scotfree. So why target Salman? That is unteneble simply because two wrongs do not make a right.

At the same time, one wonders that had not Salman but an ordinary human being killed the animals and apologized for the same, maybe there would not have been a case against them. To signal Salman out for special treatment just because he is a celebrity is absurd. The judge almost sounds as if he wants to become a hero at Salman's expense. The punishment seems too harsh.

Hey all,
I really didnt know where to post this link. I thought this would interest u all. So i'm posting it here. This is with respect to the upcoming elections in some of the Indian States. Please go through the link.
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/04/15/stories/2006041502320100.htm

Regards,
Harini.

Kavita nowhere in the post was it mentioned that the mother was not a nice woman. If you say the other siblings turned out to be nice so what happened in Salman’s case why did he turn out to be the way he is.

The mother was hospitalized when her son went to jail. I would like to know which hospital was she taken to when she heard that her son killed one innocent man and injured three others when he was driving under the influence.
Esther

Harini thank you for the link. Lets keep our fingers crossed.
Esther

Hi Esther,
too much for me to go up and check-still stuck with some deadlines but I remember reading a comment which said his mom was to be held responsible for bringing him up badly and I was commenting on that. unless the post disappeared as has happened a few times. I dont think it was yours, was it?

You ask what went wrong with him specifically..well a friend of mine made a very interesting comment-when you throw seeds on a soil and water them and fertilize them equally, some blossom into healthy plants, others dont..its a gamble always because you dont know which seed will blossom and which won't.

The same appplies to children. You dont know how they will turn out eventually no matter how well you bring them up.
Its fascinating to see how kids in the same house are so different from each other.

Your sarcasm about the mother after Salman hit and killed someone is justified, but what can the poor woman do. What does any mother or father do when this happens..reckless driving kills so many innocent lives here-more than in India because not every one can afford to drive-what can one do other than feel helpless at tragedies like this and hope the person responsible is punished and something can be done to deter it.

I will meet Salman next month and I have a feeling he will not answer questions related to the three cases, since they are pending..but then you never know with Salman...

Hiren very interesting last lines..judge wanting to become a hero at Salman's expense...or may be he wasnt dazzled by his star status and gave what he felt was the right judgment.

Harini -saw that link..do put it on the open thread also..as Esther said lets keep our fingers crossed.
take care all

Kavita yes, it is true that kids in the same house are different from each other they can all have different personalities, but the values that they are brought up with shouldn’t it be the same.

Some times parents give up on a child that is stubborn, and a handful. Rather than explaining to the child the reason for saying NO and being consistent with their answer, they give into everything that child says or does, it is very easy to say yes and get the issue resolved.

Parenting is not easy. The more time and effort you put into it the better are the results. Some mothers are busy entertaining guests while the children are left in the care of the servants, and they are so busy with everything else that they have no time to explain or resolve the issue in a constructive way. I am not saying that Salman’s mother did it but it is my general observation of families everywhere.

With all the opportunities that rich children have in life, best schools, best of everything, I think it is sad that some of them waste their life, get into trouble and do things that degrade themselves and their family.

Salman on a vacation in Goa, I hope he does not drink and drive. He has gone on with his life as usual. I am thinking of the family of the man he killed. That family lost a son, a brother, a father. I am sure money can buy every thing for Salman but can money bring back the man he killed.
Esther

Today in the Sunday times of India it is Mahesh Bhatt v/s Prahlad Kakkar in "Is our legal system making examples of celbs? " Bhatt feels "Yes" and Kakkar says "No".

One cannot argue with Kakkar when he says that the law should be equal to all whether celebs or not and Salman should get what he deserves.

However lets see what the judge says(as mentioned above):-

The judge who sentenced Salman acknowledged that the punishment was unduly harsh, but in a 105-page judgment(and yes all for a couple of black bucks said one journalist), added that he wanted to set an example for all celebrities. As a superstar and a "hero with a large following", said the judge, Salman had more responsibilities towards society and that “he must lead by example.”

Mahesh bhatt has something interresting to say in this regard. "Making Salman embrace a moral code to which conscience is bound should be the path. Perhaps he should have been sent to a wild life sactuary for 18 months if found guilty and forced to work endangered spiecies. He could have been made to repent publicly and used to promote the cause of wildlife protection in a nationwide drive. This would be a far effective way of using his celebrity status. "

In my view, either the judge should give him a punishment that he would give to anyone or use his celebrity status in a positive way as Mr Bhatt has said. Mr Bhatt also says that this kind of sentence is normally given to those who belong to the poaching industry and not occasional violaters. I am no fan of Salman but if the judge has actually given a harsh setence because he happens to be a celebrity, that is plain stupid and wrong. The judge has said that he wants to set an example for all celebrities. What exactly does he mean by that? Thats the basic point.

been working with someone who is quite wealthy in many ways ...

except that her unmanaged queen has fed highly abusive ways ...

with payback time showing up now in merciless ways ...

her closest ones moving away from her ...

exhausted by her continuous lashing out and ferociosuly controlling ways...

to the point where suicide became an option ...

she has moved from theraphist to theraphist to no avail ...

eventually labelled as bipolar she kept struggling .. unable to accept any of it ...

feeling trapped like an wounded animal ...

is has been a true challenge to penetrate her ferocious shield ...

between her ego and her soul ...

I saw her on good friday ...

to witness her shadow at full blast ...

watching myself ..

as if God's grace had taken over and I was beholding her without judgment ...

while she screamed and screamed and screamed ...

in need of a salty bath afterwards to cleanse the toxidity left behind...

before she left I gave her a mirror ... what do you see ???

noticing how she struggled to look within ..

her face so flustered it looked as if she was facing the flames of hell ...

what do you need ???

again she struggled ...

I need time for me ... but what will I do??? I do not feel like reading ... I cannot go to my garden as it is dark ...

taking a while to see a possibility of simply having a nice bath with candles ...incense... rose petals ...

Saw her again yesterday for another 2 hours ...

a whole different energy ...

bringing me chocolates and a schedule with the work she had done even if so very tired ...

writing about events since she left me ... her reaction ... the archetypes at play and the empowering choices ...

the first time she managed to connect the pieces together despite being exceptionally talented ...

as if resisting to embrace what she knows will not allow her to get away with highly inappropriate behavior while blaming everyone else ...

an impossibility for any healthy relationships to thrive upon...

I noticed a number of hits as I worked with her ...

much softer and open to what is ...

we went through her schedule ...

despite having agreed to do body work ...

I want us to come to the bath part ...she kept telling me ...

and there she wrote:

"I then had a lovely bath with candles and classical music .. I lay there for 1/2 an hour with my own toughts ...

Initially noticing my poor me ... why are they treating me like that ... bla bla bla

then I thought : no!!! change your internal dialogue from negative to positive ..

instead of saying/thinking taht everyone is nasty , change your attitude ...

it is me who talks to them out of fear ... trying to be nice ... the way I think they would like me to be .. thus not true to myself ... which I am sure they sense it ...

which means I need to learn to value myself from the inside out ... nurture myself and stop sabotaging myself by speaking and living my truth and accept the consequences..."

a first time to attempt to reconcile her deep incongruencies within ...

so very happy to share them with me...

allowing us to go through incident by incident in her schedule and pay attention to the many ways she victimises herself and others ...

her greatest challenge... so deeply it lives in her unconscious ...

remidinding of my own ...

long ago ...

how I would not allow any thoughts of ever being a victim to anyone ...

till I learned I was my worse enemy ...

later I did body work on her .. realizing that the entry had now become possible for lasting effect...

astonished by the cranial wave that was so overextended it was as if it did not know how to contract back into its interior...

a perfect mirror to the world she is living in the outside ...

dried up to the point of burning out and those around her .. specially those who come closest...

reason why she is now bringing all her family with her ...

even if knowing that they will too been given the same tools preventing her from controlling them as she has done in the past ...

which I see as hope for us all ...

as if comfirming that irrespective of our dark deeds there is a flame calling for regeneration and healing ...

a core of pure love and caring ...

even if noticing how my back hurts today ...as well as my throat ...

a reminder of the power of everything we do on the collective we attract ...

willing to play our part ...

as ultimately we all grow and heal ...

in this mission we are all given ...

to give back what is we learn ...

so that together

we evolve...

making it difficult to judge anyone ...

without bringing back to the self ...

which obviosuly includes Salman ...

as every thought ...

will either contribute or furher contaminate towards that we strive for ...

Baba: Hey girl! You've been writing up a storm lately--I think you have recently acquired an admirer or two that may be getting "sweet on you!"

Really liked this last post of yours--Dave

Hiren - thanks for the update from the TOI.

The concept of equal punishment for all is not necessarily a just one. Consider the ease with which Salman could pay his one lakh bail and the difficulties a common man will have with it. In Denmark, speeding tickets are issued based on a person's income, which imo, is a much more just way of meting out punishment. So let us not lose track of the fact that the poor man is generally punished much more severely than the rich man (and nobody thinks anything of it).

Of course, in criminal offences one cannot always make such a distinction and this is where the judge has been extraordinarily stupid. He could have levied a larger fine, (which I hope he still does) but excessive jail time does not seem right. In fact it will work against the judge since so many people are up in arms against it.

Also, sending Salman to a wild life preserve is an awful idea. The man has no feeling for nature except how best to exploit it. In the U.S. community service is a very common punishment. It is generally something people do in addition to serving jail time and paying fines. But people usually do it in a field where they have most influence. Martha Stewart for example (I think) taught in underprivelged schools. Since Salman has star power, he could be asked to spend 100 hours lecturing against poaching or doing something else in that field. But the man has zero credibility so even that wouldn't work in his case. Some people are such big ego-maniacs that if he's sent to the jungles he just might wreak extra havoc just to show he's boss. So do let's take that idea off of the table.

Dear Esther,
It's an interesting question-kids in the same house, brought up the same way, shouldnt the values be the same?
I have seen to the contrary so many times that I'm forced to say, no it is often not the same. I'd love to hear what others say about this.

Growing up seeing people close to me, my cousins,uncles and aunts, my close friends their siblings, I saw how some essential values stayed the same but as people got older, the way they looked at life was not necessarily similar.

I've seen among friends a brother who is totally selfless and a sister who is self absorbed and selfish. I've seen double standards withing the same families. I have seen one brother all embracing and I've seen his older brother obsessed and fanatical about religion.

Salman's personal life is checkered with violence and its well documented. Even his most famous ex girl friend Aishwarya Rai spoke in public that the reason why she broke up with him was because he physically abused her and cheated on her.
There are hushed whispers that he uses steroids and they are known to cause mood swings...an allegation he has denied.

I dont agree with the judge making an example of Salman but I feel as I said earlier that the judge should have said he is dishing out a harsher punishment because Salman has repeated his offence.

Baba, well written again.

I just hope the guy redeems himself-as long as there's life, there's the potential to improve oneself.

I dont know him well enough to know who he is and what makes him do the things he does. I would love to find out..at 40 its time he stoped believing in the fake world of tinsel town and that he will be invincible forever. Justice does catch up with each one of us..even if it may not be the traditional way at times..there is a higher power out there that creates the way...

"This is not Salman’s first run in with the law."

drunk driving, homicide, and

"Salman Khan is involved in not one but three cases, involving the killing of three chinkaras and two blackbucks..."

But "I have met and spoken with Salman a few times and also met his mom-I have to say I liked both of them tremendously."

And now a plug-in:

"Kaveetaa Kaul, who posted here regularly was very concerned about the violence in a new block buster movie Rang de Basanti..."

"What do you think?"

Bhagwan Yogiraj-haven't seen you around here, unless you are someone who is posting under yet another alias -may I ask if you have any issues with Kaveetaa Kaul-you have also taken my sentences out of context-I ignored it the first time but since you are obsessing so much about it by repeating it, I think I will address it now...

This is what I wrote and let me quote directly from the para you have deliberately pulled the lines out of context, from-I I added right after that sentence you pulled out, and this is what I wrote...

"But my liking them is irrelevant here. While I have little patience with people who think money and fame can help them get away with anything, I also wondered if it is fair to dump the crown of ‘ a role model” on a celebrity just because he or she is famous?".

Incidentally I mentioned in a subsequent post that I had met salman before these cases had happened and liked him. I met him again but didnt get much time to talk to him, requested an interview which he agreed to do but didn't happen..or do you prefer to indulge only in selective reading.

Kaveetaa Kaul wrote a review of Rang De Basanti for my online emag and I remembered some of her comments from her blog-sachiniti.blogspot.com-there.. this is a plug now-its a great blog and I recommend every one read it! Any problems Bhagwan Yogiraj? Or would you like to come up with your real name?

Please stick to relevant stuff and not waste your time and any one else's with superficialities. I'm sure you can contribute in a much more relevant manner.
cheers and have a great sunday

Kavita,

Hi! I too, apppreciate it when people are "authentic" and original, if possible.

Besides, it is much easier to be yourself,
than it is to come up with an original idea, don'tcha think? Must we believe "That it's all been said and done, before"?

I don't believe we've been properly introduced...
Hello! My name is Keith.

Do you know Baba? Someone needs to "properly"
introduce Me2 her...there's been a confusion of sorts, Thanks!

Baba,

I'm hot on your trail, sweetheart...pretty one
should have given you away...but I'm dense, you know! Catch you soon, literally!(Dave clued me in). You go, girl! Me2?Keith/L7/Ha!.com

Hi Keith,
have enjoyed reading many of posts. Glad you've come on board. You are right on when you say its much easier to be one self..
take care

Thank you Kavita for replying. I just hope more people will have a sense of responsibility towards each other and the environment. Have a nice week.
Esther

Today in the Delhi Times, this is a lead story under "Can you be punished equally for hunting a black buck or a boar".

It says that punishment depends upon the Schedule under which animal is protected, purpose of hunting, Hunter's past history, Repeated offence, Area where animal is hunted etc.

Punishment for first time offenders is imprisonment not less than 3years(upto 7 years)and a fine not less than RS 10,000. For second time offenders, the fine is not less than Rs 25000 and punishmnent remaining the same.

Considering all this, the legal opinion is stated :-
"Salman khan's five year sentence in the chinkara hunting case is admittedly one of the harshest ever in that particular category, concur most lawyers.Mahesh Jethmalani opines"In legal circles the opinion is that the conviction is too harsh for a schedule I case. He is not a habitual offender and he wasn't marketing the animals.The act was done because of a misconceived sense of sport and luxury. It was not like he was capitalising on the killings by selling skin etc".

Judges don't normally say that they want to make an example out of a particular section of society. If he meant that he could not get away with it because he was a celebrity, that's fine but if he was given harsher punishment just because he is a celebrity, that is a travesty of justice. There seems to be some lack of Judge objectivity because judges don't talk like that while pronouncing judgements.

hummm

getting hot vibrations here ...

well

no big deal ...

quick update as I need to do some work ...

actually lots of home work ...

my domestic went on holiday for a week ...

need to feed my zoo ...

before taking my doggies for walkies in the park ...

sorting out all the nonsense in my home ...

dislike filing intensily and yet a necessity ...

starting this week with business coaching with someone who I have been working with on personal level ...

now Keith ...

hot in my pursue ????

for what ???

oh that ???

forgot what feels like ...

too much on the road ...

actualy

too much of too much ...

whatever that is ...

as it all feels so still ...

except maybe in that ...

which ...

no wonder I tend to go into frrigid mode...

but then again ...

who knows ???

now this ... tomorrow that ...

nothing to be surprised about ...

oh yes ...

had a turbulent night ...

woke up with the words ...

time for redemption ...

wondering what it is all about ...

and Kavita ,

thank you for your kind words ...

it is an honor to be surrounded with such beautiful minds ...

mostly a puzzle ...

on how I came to be here ...

oh the writings ...

often I wonder ...

who is this ???

often feeling like a child learning to spell...

while the soul lavishes me with gifts ...

simple words

a flow

that mostly I have no idea ...

except the stories ...

I feel so inspired by ...

have some to tell ...

after I come from my walkies and after doing some work ...

noticing how my throat is still rather sore ...

which means I will do another cleansing sauna later on ...

yesterday i went to a wonderful botanic garden where 2 black eagles live ...

one egg was hatched on the 12th ... another expected this weekend ...

love going to the top of the moutain (small one I must admit ) to enjoy the waterfall ... the scenery ... the fresh air and the work out ...

my legs sore this morning ...

but alive ...

thank you all for being in my life ...

in my highs, lows and in between ...

above all ...

in the streching in all that I am ...

the mystery...

I learned to bow to ...

without asking why...

as after all ...

it is just a dance ...

Hiren,
thanks for the update and Baba, the magic spell you cast with your words brings all of us to our feet in a cyber dance..
its back to the grind from today after a light weekend. have a good Monday all

Strange dream … after asking for guidance on my dream the previous night ... about being called to redemption time ...

Part one:

Hearing the question:

What is the cause of the deepest torment of human kind?

It is not knowing their deepest purpose … I heard ... and to live without applying what they know …

Part two:

There I was … in some desert land … highly distressed for reasons I cannot recall …

Even if not showing it on the outside … I came across a type of crèche … with different entries and little houses …

I went to the underground floor …

Noticing how I was picking up high levels of distress which were not necessarily mine and yet I seemed to be called to deal with it ...

As I passed one little house I saw a scarf made of silk with multi colours which I adored …

I picked it up and felt a melting inside …

This is what is needed .. I heard … a melting to itself …and this is how it feels … soft and tender to its touch … without any resistance…

I jumped with joy and asked one of the sisters (there were 2 in charge) if I could buy the scarf …

Oh no … she says .. there is a little girl who gets comforted by it … whenever she is very distressed she looks for it and holds onto it …

I felt the loss …

You can talk to my sister upstairs … she did it …maybe she will decide to do one for you ...or give you this one .. which I do not agree to ...

I went upstairs .. feeling the tearing … between my attachment to have the scraf and the need to pass it on to the child… and to let it be...

grateful for the experience ...enough in itself ...

Oh the sister says .. of course you can have it I will do another for the child … she will not even notice it …

I doubt it i reflected as I know the power of tuning in at this magnitude ... deciding to give it back …

To soon see another little child waiting at the door …

A boy .. looking deeply distressed … even if looking completely frozen on the outside …

He is looking for a home … he came to surrender … I heard …

you know what to do now …

I woke up…

In touch with the comforting experience of holding the silk scarf … the power of surrendering ... my attachement... the letting go...

Reminding me of a crucial moment in my life … in Chicago …just after 9/11 …

at a time where I was so numbed out with shock I did not have the strength to travel back to my friends house in Houston …

Having lost much blood I lost my normal resilience and decided to walk on the empty streets .. unconcerned with what might happen … after some frightening encounters ...a self destructive call which has always been a threshold when under severe levels of stress …

I am so tired … I kept thinking …

Noticing how I was barely holding on …wanting to talk to no one …

To realize that I had taken with me a piece of cloth … embroiled by my beloved Godmother .. which I never found again …

I held onto it for sanity … able to change within and to look for safety and recovery …

Despite taking me one month to be able to go back to Houston , I managed to get through with profound experiences of my soul …

Still I lived in a room in the poor Mexican area which for some reason was made available to me …

Adoring taking the bicycle and travel around like a hobo …

Oh the memories …

Going to a food place as if my eyes would pop out … putting the food onto my back and there I would go … sitting around the lake while eating …

Except the very cold nights … as the heater was not working and I would wake up shivering with cold …

The owner of the place who had moved out to be with his boyfriend becoming very concerned for my sanity ...

for reasons I could not see ...

Till one day I phoned my friend … an international trainer .. known to be an Ice Queen and yet so very present to all that I am …

I want to go back … I told her but I still feel so weak to endure over 18 hours in the bus (which had been rather traumatic for me ) ...when are you going Dallas to see your daughter ??? we could meet there …

No problem she says … as if relieved … I will meet you in 2 days in Dallas bus station …

There is a problem though … I tell her … I will arrive at 5 in the morning … please promise me you will only pick me up at 7 as I will be Ok …

No problem she says .. I will pick you up at 7 …

I remember sleeping most of the journey .. a blessing in many ways …waking up at 10 to 5 …

Recall vividly my thoughts …

How wonderful … will arrive in 10 minutes … How I wish that Ann would be there…

Immediately changing my thoughts …

Nope … I will wait for her till 7 … I will be Ok … reading …

I got to the station … taking 3 seats as usual … bags on each side …while I started reading …

Suddenly I hear a voice …

“do you need 3 seats ?”

without raising my head I thought “ there I go again .. in my queen number … “

taking out the bags without saying a word or without looking up … carrying on with my reading …

then I heard “ lets go home girl “

noticing the tears as I write … so intense was that moment …

my eyes slowly coming up … as I slowly stood up …

is that you ??? touching her arm as if I was unable to make the connection …

my body frozen on impact for a little while … before hugging her as if I was coming down to earth …

realizing how far I had gone …

it is 5.30 in the morning .. I eventually told her … you promised me you would pick me at 7…

You woke me up .. close to 5 .. she told me … I kept arguing with you “ I will pick you up at 7 “ to no avail … so here I am …left a note for my daughter and came …

I laughed in delight …

Actually it is true … I expressed that wish at 10 to 5 … you heard me … you heard me …

Oh the stories .. in my insanity …

And yet noticed how vulnerable I am feeling …

Suddenly …

as if a fragment … beheld by that piece of cloth came alive …

Wanting to rest on it for a while …

Baba: What a beautiful post--your dream makes me think of many things: when we are in "desert places," it's like the Bible, which is written on several levels.

In the Bible, "land" means "state-of-consciouness," as in the "Land of Canaan," which is a lowland desert--symbolizing a lack of the nourishment of "the appearance of Spirit," or going to the high-up places of "the Mountain"--a high state-of-consciousness.

Your silken scarf of many colors makes me think of the rainbow that is the brightly-colored soul, the chakras--or seals-of-light, that are the primary vortices that manifest and fuel the endocrine systems--so often seen in out-of-body experiences.

The lower levels, or basement-like rooms, are often the subconsious mind, and also are "where" we work out issues of hidden sexuality issues, and working with our primal lifeforce energies.

Both the sister, or the girl AND the boy, taken separately, make me think of the two child-like sides that are your androgenous and innocent "true self," the Yin-and-the-Yang of Baba's soul?

I like how your "soul-self" communicated with Ann's, and ultimately determined for both of you, what the "right time" was, to pick you up.

Thanks for sharing your words so much lately, Baba--Dave

Hey, i think Salmon Khan did not deserve the punishment he got and im not saying that because im one of his biggest fans. People tend to pull out the bad qualities in actors rather than their good ones. For instance, Salmon Khan gives a lot to charity, nobody spread that out as much as ppl are about the poaching case. Just because Salmon Khan was in jail doesnt make his fans go away or sumthing!

Dear Dave ...

thank you for your wonderful comments ...

really enjoy to have other view points ...

so that I may expand and grow ...

finally feeling the hit that I have wonderful friends .. right here ... in my favorite chopra land...

oh the desert ...

a theme forever present in my dreams ...here on earth ...

versus those where i am flying high above ... twisting and turning ...

often with an absolute delight ...

across mountains ...valleys ... and infinite open skies ...

I tend to associate desert with the bedouin spirit ...

an innate ability to outgrow any challenge ...no matter the cost ...

my favorite motto "you can break my bones but you will never break my spirit"

at another level I can also see the lack of nourishement ...specially at physical and emotional level ...

easy to see when I look at my dominant hermit and mystical energy ...

capable of withstanding long periods on my own ...

seldom looking for human connection ...

when under severe emotional and physical distress ...

oh the silken scarf of many colors .. i recall that the ones that captured my attention were the red and the purple ...

and yes it ressembled the colours of the chakras ...

the lower levels ... teh working out of primal life force energies and hidden sexual issues ...

hummm

quite distressed I was ... in my dream ...

a theme I have resisted intensily ... above my searching for healing ... which included hypnosis ...

a funny ...

once , as a late teenager I went to a female doctor to check me out ...

nope .. an impossible task .. no matter which way she tried ...

for the first time I give up .. she says .. unable to carry on ...

do you have a boyfriend ?

yes ... I said innocently .. wondering what the question was about ...

some time later I was doing some work in a hospital... watching babies being born...

She sees me there and shouts to the other side ...

how is your boyfriend ???

still did not get it ...

only much later I figured it out ...

that maybe I was not that normal ...

yes .. the boy and the girl ...

the yin and yang of my soul ...

as if looking for each other ...

across deserts and open skies ...

what a beautiful thought !!!

reminding me of a prayer when i was so very young ...

God send me one person only... to love and surrender to ...

a prayer most of my boyfriends understood ...

making the escape much easier ...

he ehehehe ...

and yet so very real...

oh yes my communication with Ann back then ...

quite magic ...

and yet afterwards it took me a long while to ground myself ...

a joke Ann reminds me off .. from time to time ...

as for another 3 months or so I tended to use one single fluffy jersey ...

forgetting to wash or eat ...

day after day ...

night after night ...

not wanting to go out ...

totally withdrawn in my world ...

with very little sleep ...

truly insane ...

she still has that jersey ...

her joke is that the arms are still in a cruxified position from all the dust ...

I still amazes me how she was able to become the witness to such level of insanity ...without humiliating me in any way ...

I recall one time when she phoned me at night... in chicago...

going on about this and that .. while I listened ...

glimpses here and there ...

too numbed out... I would say

till eventually at about 2 in the morning I suddenly say " Now I am feeling quite angry "

thank God she laughs .. I thought I would have to spend the whole night...

and yet in between I would often laugh in delight with some of the cyber jokes ...

a real treat ...

such strange times ...

I wonder who was I ???

so thank you ...

rather fun to remember ...

without attachment...

like a script of a movie I have played ...

looking for a title ...

a validation maybe ...

that it was all according to plan ...

despite my difficulty to embrace it

without running away ...

Dear Baba,
Yes, to remember without attachment, is indeed a high form of freedom.
Like Dave, I too enjoy your poetry and imagery and style of writing, and the insights you reveal with warmth, and humor, and awe for this journey of Life.
Love and Blessings,
~ Kate

Dear Kate,

being very spoiled lately ... with all these compliments...

truth is ...

who am I really ???

had a dream where I kept sensing a rarefied air ...

where I seemed to be floating and ascending ...

even if paradoxically I seemed to be captured by an absolute stillness ...

where there was no time or space ...

a state of pure awareness " I am ascending"

an energy of pure lightness ...

till I became a conscious thought...

is this what is happening?

I am preparing for ascension ...

how rarefied it feels ...

who am I then???

oh yes ... the new camera I got yesterday was called "The Dark Angel"

quite funny ...

dearest baba,
I too had a dream recently. I was in the clearest, pristine place. A lush garden, and haven for flowers and trees, and a waterfall, which I found myself directly under. It felt refreshing, and gentle.

When I stirred from my dream, something pulled at my 'essence' - and I found myself next in - an open expanse of sky - as I was 'suspended' and yet could walk. I saw nothing but clear expanse.

It was so freeing. I couldn't even sense my body, as I had in the garden, and waterfall. This felt so limitless, no memories stirring, no other present. I discovered where earth and sky meet. And it is in Me.

Thanks for sharing your insights. See, we are connected, and find ourselves where the alpha and omega meet.

this is how it 'really is'

With love,
~ Kate

love to Kavita too

dear Kate ,

yes .. today I have no doubt ...

we are multidimentional ...

awareness depending on ones density... I would say

reason maybe why some are called to become bridges ...

so others learn to flow and fly above ...

It has taken me a long time to accept that we are so much more ...so infinitely connected ... uniquely pure ...

while at the same time feeling often so very trapped in a world filled with illusions ...

how paradoxical ...

and yet how else would we know???

love your dream ...

as within so without...

as above so below...

thank you

Thanks every one..am travelling right now and not much on the blog sicne past couple of day....headed to Ohio for what seems to be a very exciting and experimental concert A.R. Rahman and the Global rhythms.
I look forward to hanging out with the musicians and just having fun this weekend.
am in Michigan right now to check on Sudha..she isnt doing very well with the chemo, but atleast she hasnt been hospitalised this time-it happened with the first two doses.
Thanks Kate and Baba..beautiful dream, beautiful words.
Farrah-your point about salman's charity work is well taken but it has nothing to do with his offence.
He broke the law and was sentenced for that.

Dear Kavita, hope your weekend is fabulous!! Sounds exciting, and a great influence on the Spirit; are you singing with them?

Have been keeping Sudha in my prayers at Spirits with other members there, and at home in my prayers every day! Envisioning the eradication of the cancer being successful; and Sudha's strength returning very soon.. please convey my thoughts to Sudha; that she is in our healing and positive thoughts!

North

Thank you North,
I will convey your good wishes to sudha.
she isnt in any shape to see me or any one else..weary and weak.
and no I'm not singing with the maestro, just going there to enjoy this path breaking concert and maybe do some interviews..
He has a huge group of tremendously gifted artists who sing for him.

This guy is known for his arrogance and should be suitably punished.His lifestyle is a bad role model.Public figures have additional responisbility.Kavita is soft on him coz she is a woman.Almost every woman in India fawns over this guy , so this particular article by her should not be taken seriously.

Interesting comment Harish. I interviewed Salman last Tuesday-more on that later, but what was more interesting was a conversation I had with my father. He told me that he had been posted in Jodhpur some years ago and has kept in touch with the Bishnoi tribe members.

What he has discovered over the years is that today many members of the tribe are corrupt and allow the black buck to be hunted if given the right amount of money. His take was that Salman probably annoyed them or didnt bother to pay.

Salman actually has never been my favorite actor. Its quite a sweeping statement to say all women in India fawn over him. None of my friends do! I also dont know him well enough to pass judgment on him about how he is as a human being. As for being soft, its Rahul Khanna I have a soft corner for and I say it all the time!:) (May be this will get him to come back and write on the blog.:)

Jokes apart, you need to read the blog and my subsequent comments carefully to see what I'm talking about. Its obvious you havent taken the time to do so. Salman was just an example. My question was should celebrities be considered role models just because they are celebrities?

Now to the interview with Salman. It was part of a promotion package my media company is doing for a promoter here. The interview,with Salman last Tuesday was related just to the shows he is doing, but I have requested a face to face interview and so far it stands confirmed.

If it happens I intend asking him all the hard hitting questions. Watch the space.

hi kavita,
i've read ur blogs but i m writing to u for the first time.....good work i must say...mass awakening and enlightening....now rahul khanna should b jealous coz m shifting my loyalties to kavita...he doesn't blog any more u know na..plz remind him to do so but i promise to post my reviews to u regularly....:-)
love
sonam

Thank you Sonam,
Now maybe I should lock Rahul in the dungeons so I can win more people like you over!
Jokes apart, I wish he would come back and write. He is a terrific writer and a great guy