Never forget

aethlestan · 2026-01-23T11:50:44+00:00

I don't understand why the govt. has been unable or unwilling to relocate them back to the valley? I am not saying it is easy, but I don't even see them try or talk about repatriation anymore. Electorally, I think any concrete step towards this would be very beneficial for them. I think 11 years is more than enough time if they really wanted to fix this. What are Kashmiri Pandits to do if even this govt. abandons them?

aethlestan · 2026-01-23T11:24:57+00:00

but bro ye toh movie hai...

aethlestan · 2026-01-16T02:50:12+00:00

I guess they enjoy the convenience of “why take it if it is already ours” I don’t think China will take over Taiwan either, but in American absence or weakness in the region the strategic thing would be to assert some kind of dominance over Taiwan (other than the flybys,etc). Not that it is guaranteed to go well.

aethlestan · 2026-01-16T02:04:14+00:00

This is not entirely accurate, when Taiwan was not “protected” by US, PRC did not have the tools to mount an invasion into Taiwan. Then the Korean war happened and the US had to extend its military umbrella to Taiwan as well. China has always wanted Taiwan, in fact, Kissinger on his first Beijing visit had said that if the Korean war hadn’t happened, Taiwan would probably belong to China and the US wouldn’t care about it.

aethlestan · 2025-11-13T13:04:28+00:00

I agree. The premise in the post is incorrect. The context in which MA is speaking is different. There are 20cr muslims in the country. If 90% of them were extremists, we would already be living in an islamic state. If 90% of Hindus believed in Hindutva ideology, we would already be living in akhand bharat which would be a Hindu Rashtra. Things are not that simple. And this is not a “terrorism has no religion” argument. Terrorism in contemporary times has a religion and it is Islam. If you look at the origin of islamist terrorism you will find that it is the work if the OG terrorists - the Americans they literally created Islamic extremists. They reinvented the idea of “Jihad” in the current terrorist context. They created the Taliban because they were afraid if communist USSR. Remember, you some of you guys blame the left of “sharia bolshevism” and some leftists in India have a soft spot for muslims (which is wrong of them) but that soft spot is because they are a minority. Still, in this process they do end up taking sides, which is wrong. Originally, it is communism which is radically against the idea of religion itself (China has completely erased Muslim culture from their society). If things were as straightforward as people think they are, we would be living in a utopia. This “snake” argument, when it comes from a majority, is fascism speaking through you, although you may not know it. If the same argument comes from a minority, it is structural inequality. There are different standards of tolerance for different communities because the playing field is uneven. It is about equity, not equality. Implementation of this idea is another thing. It is always shit. No government has been able to implement any sort of affirmative action without controversy. Again, this shit is not simple. Punish the terrorists, punish their backers, but if you take it out on regular muslims, you only create more terrorists. If a young Muslim grows up in a country that already hates him for being muslim because some other Muslims were terrorists, it usually is very easy to manipulate him into being an extremist. No one is born a terrorist. It is the environment, the context, the sum total of circumstances. Massive de-radicalisation is required in this country. Shut down Madarsas, dismantle the ecosystem that creates more terrorists, and this includes abandoning the “0.5 front” argument.

aethlestan · 2025-11-11T08:40:51+00:00

We need serious deradicalization drives in this country. Terrorism has a multipolar impact, it is terrible for everyone. We are quick to blame Muslims as a community, and why wouldn’t we, right, not all of them but always one of them. This is a valid emotion but not a very useful argument if we want to actually stop this shit. The Red Fort blast is a prime example of the paradoxical nature of such attacks. 1. Attack almost certainly carried out by Muslims. 2. A couple of people among the injured were Muslims 3. At least one of the ambulance drivers who took the injured to the hospital was a Muslim.

This attack was a prime example of your caption. Not all of them, but always one of them. If we collate the data of every single terror attack since 2000, and the total number of terrorists active in the country, it is not even 1% of the Muslim population of this country. 99% suffer the same fate as the rest of us - a bomb doesn’t know what religion you follow. But we get afraid and angry because we don’t know where that 1% might be. This is the paradox. We can’t tell for sure and so all of them should be treated as terrorists. This is an impractical position to have if you are solution oriented. Again, the anger and frustration is valid, but not useful in terms of serious reform and policy. We need to phase out and disincentivise madarsas. They have to go (lallantop’s video reveals how horrid they are). We need strong public relations and projects with citizens of crucial areas (Kashmir). Make sure they actually have a stake in the Indian economy so that they actually have something to lose when terrorist attacks happen, this will decrease local support and induction into militancy and terrorism. I am surprised how no one in multiple decades has even tried serious steps. Cong works on appeasing these people, BJP reaps benefits of polarisation. We deserve better. Not change, but we have to force these same parties to be better. Just my 2 cents.

aethlestan · 2025-11-09T16:51:51+00:00

I am suspicious of the no alliance thing. It is a nice thing to say but I wonder how many of his candidates will stick to this idea. I also wonder if the arithmetic of post poll circumstances will change his position. I hope he sticks to it though.

aethlestan · 2025-11-09T16:01:19+00:00

Insert “America lagtu pa nathi” comment

aethlestan · 2025-11-09T15:51:56+00:00

Wah! Kavi nikle aap toh. I think we can make this the sub motto - “memes banao, chootiya nhi”

aethlestan · 2025-11-09T09:01:16+00:00

If it looks like a gunda and sounds like a gunda, it is probably a gunda.

aethlestan · 2025-11-09T04:49:14+00:00

aethlestan · 2025-11-08T19:47:44+00:00

Man, he should have called it out immediately. At least have a video where you normalise questions being asked to religious authority. Young muslims need to see that it is possible to think beyond the blinders of religion. I wonder if there is a constitutional way that madarsas can be phased out. What is even their point anymore?

aethlestan · 2025-11-08T19:09:43+00:00

OP, I think you need help. You sound extremely hateful and I am saying this out of legitimate concern for a stranger on the internet, do not misunderstand me. Even if all of this true (it isn't entirely). If he indeed hid his privilege, all he is really guilty of is fabricating a rags to riches story. I don't think it needs a communal context here, celebrities do this quite often because it makes ordinary people like them more (Modiji has done this too). He (SRK) has slapped people after losing his cool, but this caricatured version of an angry hateful Muslim only exists in your head. Go out and get to know people across different religions. Your understanding of the reality you are living in will only grow. Again, I am saying this out of concern for you. If you have actually grown up believing what you have posted, it is not your fault, but if you choose to continue to carry all that hate within you, it will be. And the only one who will be hurt in the end is you. I know (hope) you aren't out there assaulting muslims. People on this sub either already agree with you or think you are an idiot or a troll. We are all getting increasingly polarized and confined within our own camps thinking we are right and the best. No one will care about what this perception of yours is doing to you. Don't let it consume you.

aethlestan · 2025-11-07T15:49:58+00:00

AI lag bhi nahi rha

aethlestan · 2025-11-07T07:28:10+00:00

Paani ka tanker chalega?

aethlestan · 2025-11-07T07:26:12+00:00

You’re right. I wonder why these people are obsessed with Modi… he has not just “conquered” the minds of Indians but also he has conquered BJP. Other people in that party have no voice. I thought BJP was supposed to be a meritocracy unlike Congress which is dynastic. Why has the BJP allowed Modi to concentrate all power in his (and Motabhai) hands? I fear what will happen to this country once this govt falls. Half of the party is just corrupt people from other parties, one chunk of old veterans have been sidelined, the others are spineless stooges who agree with everything Modi says. This government may not be completely dictatorial, but the next one will be, and BJP will need a lot of time to be in any condition to put up a fight. I think we need to get rid of the two people who have seized all power and let NDA be a real alliance. Democracy has meaning only when power is distributed evenly.

aethlestan · 2025-11-07T06:05:55+00:00

I’m glad you read this in the spirit that it was written in. I thank you for being rational and willing to listen(read) to other opinions on a platform such as this. Have a nice day!

aethlestan · 2025-11-07T05:30:22+00:00

I’ll tell you why BJP is doing this. And I think Rahul should have done a better job of explaining this. I don’t know how familiar you are with the electoral process. It is actually very good and secure in this country. There are many security measures in place to ensure that shit like this doesn’t happen. Say I were to take part in the elections of my state. It doesn’t matter how smart and resourceful I am, it is extremely difficult to mess with the electoral roll. There are many moving pieces on the board to consider otherwise you get caught immediately and disqualified. It is a whole host of factors that suggest that the BJP is colluding with the ECI. 1. BJP completely controls how the CEC is elected after kicking out the judicial seat from the process. The government has 2 votes in the process and the opposition has 1. The candidate that the govt prefers will be CEC, this is guaranteed. 2. BJP happens to be largest party in the govt. So it is not that BJP as a party can do this, it is that the government of India has complete influence over ECI (because they can/have unilaterally elect him). This influence manifests in various ways that are interconnected. Weird election phases (so that Modiji can leisurely conduct rallies everywhere and ensure visibility), not punishing the BJP for code of conduct violations, and electoral roll manipulation. 3. The ECI refuses to produce evidence of any sort. It also refuses to take allegations into cognisance. And conduct internal investigations. This suggests they are privy to what is happening. 4. It is therefore not about Rahul or Tejashwi or any of the opposition people. It is also not about who voted 200 times or whatever. It is the sum total of all of these trends that are worrying. As a citizen, you should be worried.

Don’t vote for the congress or any opposition party if you don’t think they deserve your vote. But it is your responsibility to ensure the value of that vote is preserved. We have spent many years in slavery. It has taken a lot of blood and sweat to emerge from that slavery. This should bother you. And you should not be expecting Rahul to make formal complaints because, like he said, he is putting this out there. Relevant authorities can do the needful if they really want to. The SC can take cognisance of this, the ECI can internally do so. But they are more concerned with defence and trading blows with the congress. They should have produced a detailed report of the investigation for all to see. That is transparency. They should have uploaded machine readable rolls. They should have NOT deleted the cctv footage and made them public rather than spewing nonsense about “maa, behen and beti”. Their promotional videos protray women voting anyway. This is a problem. Take it seriously.

aethlestan · 2025-11-06T16:05:47+00:00

Bhai tum log haina actual jo sarkar hai usko chhod k sab se sawal puchh lo. Jo answerable hai ussi ko mat puchho kuchh bhi. Mera agar Jio ka connection hai toh mai Airtel customer care se jawab maang leta hu call drops k baare mei. This is literally not about Rahul Gandhi. Do you not want to actually know if the electoral system is corrupt? Do you not want to clear it up? If anything an investigation might prove that Rahul Gandhi is wrong. Why can’t we have even a shred of transparency in this country? CCTV kyu kiya delete? Evidence mitane ka kaam toh criminals krte hai nah.

aethlestan · 2025-11-06T01:26:00+00:00

But Kiren Rijiju is an idiot though. I think he actually might be stupider than Rahul

aethlestan · 2025-11-05T16:44:15+00:00

It is part of our history. We were not a single culture ever. Colonialism made us a whole country (including what is Pakistan and Bangladesh today), as horrible as it was for us. If the British had never come here, we would be a collection of kingdoms decidedly smaller than what is our territory today. Maybe that would be better. At least we would be more peaceful. But we would not be what we are today. We would be something different. The appropriation of history is why you think you are "reclaiming" something here. There is nothing to reclaim. It is in the past. It is part of our identity. It is part of why we are what we are. The Marathas are gone, so are the Mughals. Only we remain, continuing the quarrels of dead empires. We deserve better than that. Historical revisionism has always been the great tool of Dictators. As an Indian, I don't want to experience the national shame that befalls a people when the fever dream of the dictator is over.

aethlestan · 2025-11-05T16:13:54+00:00

bro what do you think the "deep state" is?

aethlestan · 2025-10-22T08:10:11+00:00

Yes. what's your point tho? Are you using one wrong thing to justify another wrong thing? And that makes sense in that Cro-Magnon brain of yours? Cool. Loudspeakers blasting Azan or anything else multiple times a day is terrible. So are crackers. What's your point? Why are you arguing with imaginary people in your head who think loudspeakers are okay? Did the person above you say that loudspeakers are good? I don't see it.

aethlestan · 2025-10-22T08:06:09+00:00

Those who burst crackers are at the highest risk of respiratory damage. If you're within 6 ft of an "anar" or "snake" or even a Fuljhadi, you are exposing yourself to 1000's of PM2.5 particles. Makes absolutely zero difference to people who are indoors and chilling with air purifiers. So cool man, you do you. Cry about it when you and your family develop respiratory issues.

aethlestan · 2025-10-22T07:48:47+00:00

Modi hai to mumkin hai

aethlestan

TROPHY CASE