*From & To Sathish* - Thread 4 - Page 118

Vaanathai Pola 168

Kavita was under him and he was buried deep inside her and was gently rotating his pubic region on her, stimulating her cli..ris and each movement of his sent huge tremors of pleasure all over her body and she threw her arms and legs around him and whispered, ' baby, don't ever withdraw from me and stay buried inside me.'

Her mobile phone vibrated and she came awake from her dream and stared at the pillow which had been Radhu moments ago.

Smiling, she reached for her phone and opened the message which read, ' Here in the hotel. Tired from driving.Going to sleep for a few hours and will see you when you message me that you are ready.'

She thought of sending him a reply message but decided that it would be better to let him rest for she could not even begin to imagine how tired he must be after driving all the way to Madurai from Chennai and just for her. To protect her.

It was 3.00 am in Tel Aviv and Raman and V.K.Singh had both reached the airport with a few hours left for their flights to take off, one to Chennai and the other to Delhi.

The reason for their early arrival although their diplomatic status made it possible for them to board their flight without any checks or scrutinies and also gave them the privilege of arriving at the airport with just minutes to spare had been the cryptic request made to them by Mossad's chief, Dr Otto Hauptmann the previous night.

He had informed that they a certain individual or individuals would be meeting them at the airport's diplomatic lounge and had requested them to listen to what they would have to say.

Raman had looked at Otto and said, ' Dr Otto, why is that everything that you do or say always feels vague and dangerous and why do I always feel that the rest of the world are just pawns in your game of spies and security.'

' Raman, what else do I have to play with, in my old age, and what other purpose do I have, other than the security of my country?'

Then he thought for a second and looked up at them and said, ' this request came down the pipe and from the highest office in the country and way above my own paygrade.'

Both, Raman and V.K.Singh exchanged glances and listened as Dr.Otto continued, ' these are world players and they mean business. I really mean that and if they are approaching you both, then it means something big and which usually means something bad and also concerns matters that are not domestic in nature but those with Global implications and impact.'

Their white passports ensured that they were checked in instantly and were escorted to the diplomatic lounge which was strangely empty but for two men in suits. One was old and the other was young.

Raman smiled and joked, ' boss, both of them look like mirror images of us both. Old and young' and his observation prompted V.k.singh to remark sarcastically, ' Pup, you will not remain young forever. One day, you will find yourself in the same situation and with someone rubbing their youth in your arrogant face like what you are doing to me, right now.'

Both placed their laptops and stared at the two men in suits and Raman said, ' come on boss, let's not waste time and let's go say hi to our counterparts.'

V.k.Singh slightly startled, ' Ram, even, I have no clue as to who they are and you are calling them counterparts.'

' Boss, they are in the same business and they are our counterparts from the CIA.'

The older man in the suit threw a side glance at his colleague and then came forward with his hand extended in greeting and introduced himself.

' Just a few months, Mr.Raman and you are already making waves in our world and that is the specific reason why we are here and wanted this meeting here in the safety and privacy of the diplomatic lounge.'

' My name is Bill and this is Paul and we work for the Spartan programme.'

Raman knew V.k.Singh very well and so recognised his boss going tense and wary and knew that these two men meant and stood for something really dangerous and that which was not known to the outside world.

V.K.Singh relaxed, ' there have been only whispers, about the existence of your group and even I passed it off as some kind of rumour, a myth purported by the CIA and NSA to scare the rest of us who are in this line of work.'

Bill Bradley whose real name was William Bradley sat down and said, ' I hope it will remain like that although you both now know that we are real and that we do exist.'

He looked at his watch and said, ' so little time and so much to talk about.'

He nodded to Paul who placed his laptop on the table and switched it on and turned it so that its screen was facing both Raman and V.k.Singh.

Bill Bradley's voice took on a tone of respect and humility, ' Mr.Singh, we have the utmost respect for your skills and for the work you have put in not only for your country but for the rest of the world.'

' But, what Mr.Bradley?' asked V.k.Singh

' But, your time is ending and not too far off now and my request is that you take this secret about us to your grave.'

Then he looked at Raman, ' Mr.Raman, this request goes for you too, sir.'

Raman leaned back and asked, ' you mean that we keep this from our leader too?'

' Yes. For, leaders will come, go, die and are but temporary in nature and tenure. But, it is to men like us that the entire world turns to for their protection and we are the last line of defence against events that may destroy the world as we know and cripple our civilization for hundreds of years to come.'

' Mr.William, you are really beginning to scare me now' Raman said, and with genuine fear in his eyes.

I come awake with darkness all around me

I lie awake with darkness inside me

The hum of the Split Air-conditioner

syncs with my own split decision of my mind

over my body and its need to sleep on

I rise with darkness still lording over the land

I peer through the windows and see pins of stars

lights tinier than the eye of a needle

and I know my own star will soon be ready to rise

The bathroom, the kitchen and to the hall

The coffee is steaming and I am beaming

I have risen now and totally awake

for yesterday's sun still remains

in its warmth and in its light

and deep in my soul

I shrug the cloak of darkness

and close my eyes and my lips

and open my soul and my thoughts

In prayer, in wishes and hopes

in memory and in memoriam

of lights that left us

in darkness and left us too soon

Darkness that has since

turned to light and understanding

Loved ones will come

loved ones will go

some on different paths

some forever to different worlds

But, they and their love will remain

like the stars in the skies

like diamonds forever in our souls

This is for those who have lost dear ones this year

and in the years that have passed by

You are not alone and you were never alone

for unknown to you and far away even though we maybe

there are souls praying for you and your welfare and peace

and praying for the loved ones you have lost

Satish

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iATnf8IlP8Q

For Whom The Bell Tolls

Bee Gees

I stumble in the night

Never really knew what it would've been like

You're no longer there to break my fall

The heartache over you

I'd give it everything but I couldn't live through

I never saw the signs

You're the last to know when love is blind

All the tears and the turbulent years

When I would not wait for no-one

Didn't stop and take a look at myself

And see me losing you

When the lonely heart breaks

It's the one that forsakes

It's the dream that we stole

And I'm missing you more

Than the fire that will roar

There's a hole in my soul

For you it's goodbye

For me it's to cry

For whom the bell tolls

Seen you in a magazine

A picture at a party where you shouldn't have been

Hanging on the arm of someone else

I'm still in love with you

Won't you come back to your little boy blue

I've come to feel inside

This precious love was never mine

Now I know but a little too late

That I could not live without you

In the dark or the broad daylight

I promise I'll be there

When the lonely heart breaks

It's the one that forsakes

It's the dream that we stole

And I'm missing you more

Than the fire that will roar

There's a hole in my soul

For you it's goodbye

For me it's to cry

For whom the bell tolls

Now I know there'll be times like this

When I couldn't reach out to no-one

Am I never gonna find someone

Who knows me like you do

Are you leaving me a helpless child

When it took so long to save me

Fight the devil and the deep blue sea

I'll follow you anywhere

I promise I'll be there

When the lonely heart breaks

It's the one that forsakes

It's the dream that we stole

And I'm missing you more

Than the fire that will roar

There's a hole in my soul

For you it's goodbye

For me it's to cry

For whom the bell tolls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Njp-NeuZ6M

If ever you got rain in your heart,

someone has hurt you, and torn you apart,

am I unwise to open up your eyes to love me?

And let it be like they said it would be -

me loving you girl, and you loving me.

Am I unwise to open up your eyes to love me?

Run to me whenever you're lonely. (to love me)

Run to me if you need a shoulder

Now and then, you need someone older,

so darling, you run to me.

And when you're out in the cold,

no one beside you, and no one to hold,

am I unwise to open up your eyes to love me?

And when you've got nothing to lose,

nothing to pay for, nothing to choose,

am I unwise to open up your eyes to love me

Run to me whenever you're lonely. (to love me)

Run to me if you need a shoulder

Now and then you need someone older,

so darling, you run to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrg1UAixGaM

I started a joke which started the whole world crying

But I didn't see that the joke was on me oh no

I started to cry which started the whole world laughing

Oh If I'd only seen that the joke was on me

I looked at the skies running my hands over my eyes

And I fell out of bed hurting my head from things that I said

'Till I finally died which started the whole world living

Oh if I'd only seen that the joke was on me

I looked at the skies running my hands over my eyes

And I fell out of bed hurting my head from things that I said

'Till I finally died which started the whole world living

Oh if I'd only seen that the joke was on me

Oh no that the joke was on me

Vaanathai Pola 169

Terrorism, bomb attacks, death and mayhem are not frequent visitors to the land of the Tamils and somehow the state of Tamil Nadu has escaped large scale attacks and loss of life and when compared to what other major cities like Mumbai and Delhi have suffered over the years.

So, we, Tamils should consider ourselves lucky that terrorism has touched our lives just five times and yet one stands out for its impact that is still felt to this day and will not be forgotten.

Why, yes, I am talking about the 1991 terrorist incident in which Rajiv Gandhi was killed, and killed, how.

But, terrorism had already reared its head and entered Tamil Nadu back in 1984 and that too was related to the Sri Lankan Tamil problems.

Then there was the 1993 bombing of RSS office in Chennai, 1998 Coimbatore bombings and finally the 2014 Chennai train bombing.

Never in history have weapons such as a spear, arrow, knife, bullet, and add to them, their deadly colleagues, belt bombs and Ied's differentiated between man and woman and have not stopped or paused even for a child or a newborn.

Death comes equally to us all, and makes us all equal when it comes is a quote by John Donne who lived in the 16th century.

Jagatratchagan had seen death, dealt death and had meted out death and was familiar with it and its various forms. But, even he staggered and stumbled back for the sight of seeing someone's head, shoved into one of the spikes in his gate was too morbid and gory, even for him.

Mustering his roar back, he yelled to his wife, 'Mangamma, don't come outside' and then he turned to all his men and ordered them to retreat back into the house and far away from the gate.

He hurriedly turned back and requested Collector Vinay to have the head of the late SP Manohar removed before a crowd gathered and made the situation more impossible to handle.

' Sir, as it is me and my family are grieving the loss of my son and this kind of attention is the last thing we need right now. Please, I beg of you, do whatever it takes but have this head removed.'

Commissioner Davidson and Jagatratchagan had known each other for a long time and hated each other's guts. But, Davidson knew that this was not the moment to screw his old enemy over and placing his duty before his personal feelings told Jagatratchagan, ' I am sorry we cannot do that for your gate is a crime scene now and also there is an unknown threat that is staring us right in our faces. I am forced to follow protocol and procedures' and pointed to the box that lay ominously at the foot of the gate and Jagatratchagan who had not noticed until then, now saw it and not knowing what lay inside asked helplessly, ' what is in that box? More parts of Manohar? Who did this to him?'

Before he could get answers to his questions, the arrival of a large truck with " Bomb disposal squad" written on it caught and drew all their attention to it.

Jagatratchagan looked at both the Collector and the Commissioner without asking the most important question and they too nodded without having to answer and began to retreat into the distance.

Humans come with many inbuilt instincts and among them is supposedly this fear of snakes and other creepy-crawly things.

But, we have also learnt to react to the mention of " Fire" and " Bomb."

Commissioner Davidson yelled out, ' Sir, please, go back into your house and stay until we tell you it is safe for you to come out. Please, go back right now.'

He didn't have to say it for, Jagatratchagan had already headed back into his house and run straight into his father, Mookaiah Thevar who asked his son what was going on.

Jagatratchagan quickly informed him what was going on and his father's reaction was totally opposite to his and his questions came quickly and in a flood.

' Why has someone placed Manohars's head here? Have you thought about it and have you given thought to what they will do when they find out about our connections with him?'

Jagatratchagan replied, ' Appa, they can dig all they want but there is nothing to connect us to him but for the phone calls and remember that we have kept ourselves at a distance from all our transactions over the years.'

Mookaiah Thevar shook his head and spoke his worries aloud, ' Something has come back to haunt us and it is something that we have overlooked and have not considered it a threat.'

He looked at his son,' we have to find out who is behind this and we have to do it right now and try to do our best to stay one step ahead of Davidson for if he gets a whiff of what we have been doing over the years, then God help us for nothing will stop him from ending our stories and once for all.'

Jagatratchagan in a totally helpless voice asked, ' what do you want me to do now?'

' Move the plan forward and do it right now for that at least will give us a few days of breathing space and that will be more than enough for us to become safe from Davidson and also cover our tracks.'

' But, appa, she is surrounded by armed commandos.'

' I know. So wait for her to move and strike when the moment comes.'

He stroked his large white moustache and said, ' the lion crouches not out of fear but to attack. So let us attack now and maybe we can kill her and also get out scot-free from this mess, the Bas..rd Manohar has placed us in.'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meenambakkam_bomb_blast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGdGUQ17f7Q

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_bombing_of_RSS_office_in_Chennai

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_Coimbatore_bombings

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Chennai_train_bombing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jSbUGBJrUQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjs2Yr0WK34

Had to say it.Have to speak out

An old Cherokee Native American is teaching his grandson about life.

‘A fight is going on inside me,’ he said to the boy.

‘It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil — he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.’ He continued, ‘The other is good — he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you — and inside every other person, too.’

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, ‘Which wolf will win?’

The old man simply replied, ‘The one you feed.’

Kaaval Kaaran vs Kolai kaaran

But we all know better than that, don't we? We know for a fact that we come pre-loaded with certain instincts, reactions that maybe have been passed on through our family genes and then again there is the ambience in which we grow up in.

In 2012, Nirbhaya whose real name was JyotiSsingh was gang-raped by six men in a bus. But, these creatures did not stop with just raping her and went on to do some unspeakable and unthinkable acts and in the end threw her body out of the bus.

Rape is a heinous act and an evil that scars a victim forever and leaves them to suffer a life-long trauma.

The six men who raped Nirbhaya did not stop and went to abuse her private parts with rods.

WTF?

This is where one has to elevate themselves from feeling just sympathy and raise it to empathy and put themselves and try to imagine what that poor soul must have endured before it ended.

Thus her name became known as Nirbhaya. (fearless)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HmFmIPhYk4

Flashback to last year

In November 2019, the gang rape and murder of a 26-year-old veterinary doctor in Shamshabad, near Hyderabad, sparked outrage across India. Her body was found in Shadnagar on 28 November 2019, the day after she was murdered. Four suspects were arrested and, according to the Cyberabad Metropolitan Police, confessed to having raped and killed the doctor.

All four accused were killed in a police encounter on 6 December 2019, under a bridge on Bangalore Hyderabad national highway, while they were in police custody. According to the police, the suspects were taken to the location for a reconstruction of the crime scene, where two of them allegedly snatched guns and attacked the police. In the ensuing shootout, all four suspects were shot dead. Some accused the police of extrajudicial execution, while thousands of people celebrated the men's deaths.

We whistled, danced and praised the same police department for the killings, even though it may be for those four rapists, murderers totally deserved it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob_WMSyTX8M

Sathankulam and the appearance of Satan

Now, I bring you to the Sathankulam case in which the same evil that visited Nirbhaya made an appearance and in the end took the lives of father and son, Jayaraj and Bennix.

Police beatings, fractures of arms and legs and other such non-fatal injuries are common practice in our modern society and we also secretly endorse it for it keeps crimes and criminals in check.

But, shoving sticks and rods up someone's backsides, kicking their genital regions are not normal behaviour and definitely not normal police behaviour.

But, how do we condone this kind of behaviour that they exhibited in Sathankulam by the very people who are paid to serve and protect the public?

Yes, by the people and for the people.

Be it the Prime minister or a Chief Minister, they have been democratically elected to those posts by you and me and through our votes.

They have been elected, and given power, to serve us and the nation and not cheat us, loot us and destroy us.

Public servant. Kaaval kaaran who has now turned Kolai kaaran.

“Inside of me, there are two dogs. One is mean and evil and the other is good and they fight each other all the time. When asked which one wins I answer, the one I feed the most.”

It all comes down to this and we can understand it when a normal person, a criminal behaves either as a good dog or a bad dog but not the very people who protect us.

There are many deep-rooted evils in many of our government departments and importantly in our police departments and then they tell you that the " Police is your friend."

In my humble opinion, these evils can be easily rooted out by a few major changes.

First of all, the government should start treating the police department with more respect and dignity.

It is the only department that has no union of its own and working hours and shifts are but pipe dreams.

Most of the policemen come from the lower middle class and have no proper education and by that, I do not mean school and college education, but the education of the mind and spirit about diplomacy, tactics and approaches when dealing with the public.

Some of the cops look far scarier than criminals and some of them are involved in far more evil than criminals.

But not all cops are bad. The majority of the cops might come off as rough and tough but they are decent at heart.

It is an evil world they live day in and day out and at some point, they don the same masks of the criminals they deal with on a daily basis.

Counselling, education and that too on a regular basis, anger management are but a few tools that can be used to hone their rough and tough edges.

The general public treats the police like rabid dogs and try to avoid them like they avoid the plague or a covid-19 patient and this has to change at some point.

More than anything, the way the politicians, in and out of power treat the police department has to change for they are the root cause for everything and use the cops for their own means and purposes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDl9_pD8N5o

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-50682262

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPwgNGAUz9M

Vaanathai Pola 170

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) (raksā anūsandhān evam vikās sangaṭhan) is an agency of the Government of India, charged with the military's research and development, headquartered in Delhi, India. It was formed in 1958 by the merger of the Technical Development Establishment and the Directorate of Technical Development and Production of the Indian Ordnance Factories with the Defence Science Organisation. It is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India.

With a network of 52 laboratories, which are engaged in developing defence technologies covering various fields, like aeronautics, armaments, electronics, land combat engineering, life sciences, materials, missiles, and naval systems, DRDO is India's largest and most diverse research organisation. The organisation includes around 5,000 scientists belonging to the Defence Research & Development Service (DRDS) and about 25,000 other scientific, technical and supporting personnel.

Daksh is an electrically powered and remotely controlled robot used for locating, handling and destroying hazardous objects safely. Daksh is a battery-operated remote-controlled robot on wheels that was created with a primary function of bomb recovery. Developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation, it is fully automated. It can navigate staircases, negotiate steep slopes, navigate narrow corridors and tow vehicles to reach hazardous materials. Using its robotized arm, it can lift a suspect object and scan it using its portable X-Ray device. If the object is a bomb, Daksh can defuse it with its water jet disrupter. It has a shotgun, which can break open locked doors, and it can scan cars for explosives.[3] With a master control station (MCS), it can be remotely controlled over a range of 500 m in line of sight or within buildings. Ninety per cent of the robot’s components are indigenous.

The Tamil Nadu police department has 5 Daksh Robots working for them and are employed in the major cities such as Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Trichy and Tirunelveli.

From a safe distance, both Vinay IAS and Davidson IPS, Collector and Commissioner watched the Bomb squad commando operate the Daksh robot and all watched with bated breath as it slowly moved forward and reaching the box, slowly used its metal arms to open it up.

The commando smiled to himself and looked at Commissioner Davidson, ' sir, the box is safe to approach and has no explosive and just some sarees and jewels.'

Davidson and Vinay looked at each other and wondered what was going on and then watched as the bomb squad commando slowly raised one of Daksh's crane arm. Unfolding and raising its detector, Daksh reached up and scanned the impaled head of SP Manohar and also at the same time kept beaming back images and videos that were being recorded.

The bomb squad commando informed Commissioner Davidson that the camera had picked up a small object inside the head and waited for further instructions.

' Can you tell me what that object is?' Davidson asked and the commando replied, ' Definitely not a bomb but it is also made of both plastic and metal.'

Davidson turned to Vinay IAS and said, ' Sorry boss, the bomb is in your court, now?'

Collector Vinay raised a finger, ' Correction David, the head is in my court but the case will soon be on your head for SP Manohar reports to you, boss.'

After dilly-dallying for a few moments, Madurai Collector Vinay gave the go-ahead for the commando to use Daksh to reach in and pry out the mysterious object that was placed inside the mouth of the decapitated head, of SP Manohar.

The commando played with the joystick and a few buttons on the handheld console and slowly prised open the mouth of the head and used another arm to gently pick out the object and turning enthusiastically yelled, ' Not a bomb sir. we are safe.'

Commissioner David asked him, ' not a bomb. what is it then?'

' Just a flash drive sir.'

Vaanathai Pola 171

Both V.K.Singh and Raman looked at the photo in the laptop and looked at William Bradley and waited for more information that was not forthcoming.

V.k.Singh asked, ' Who is he? One of yours?' and his question was followed by Raman's, ' what do you want from us, gentlemen?'

The American closed the laptop and replied, ' we want him found and sooner the better.'

V.k.Singh was a veteran with many decades in the spy business and so did not waste any time and said, ' Gentlemen, India has always been on friendly terms with your country and have shared a lot of information over the years and continue to do so and all the while facing the wrath of our close friend, Russia with whom you don't see eye to eye.'

Leaning back, he pointed to the shut laptop, ' I am sure that you have your reasons for wanting him found but as the head of Indian Intelligence, I can safely tell you that I have never laid eyes on this person before. So, please stop wasting time and tell us why you are here seeking our help.'

Raman leaned forward and holding William Bradley's eyes, ' The man whose photo you showed us is certainly not a Caucasian and it is also obvious from his skin and features that he belongs to the Middle east region. If that is true then it throws up a lot of questions that I am even dreading to speak of.'

V.K.Singh in a tired voice whispered, ' if you have come here to meet us and have shared this person's photo then it means that not only is a threat to you but also poses some grave threat to my nation. So, please, stop wasting time and tell us what is going on here.'

William Bradley exhaled softly and said, ' You are right. We cannot ask for your help without revealing the identity of this man.'

He looked at V.K.Singh and Raman and said, ' His name is Abbas Ali Khan and he is one of the most feared men in this region and is also one of the highest-ranked commanders in the ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) and next only to its current head Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi.'

On tech, India was naive. It has finally woken up

Entrepreneurs now have a chance to build technologies which can serve as alternatives to Chinese dominance

The Chinese government banned Facebook in 2009. And even Mark Zuckerberg — despite having a wife of Chinese origin; learning Mandarin, and doing public relations stunts such as jogging in the smog-filled streets of Beijing to say how much he loved China — was not able to have it change its policy. Zuckerberg even went to the extent of creating new tools to censor and suppress content — to please the communists.

But the Chinese were smarter than he was. They saw no advantages in letting a foreign company dominate their technology industry. China also blocked Google, Twitter, and Netflix, and tripped up companies such as Uber. Chinese technology companies are now among the most valuable few in the world. Facebook’s Chinese competitor, Tencent, eclipsed it in market capitalisation in November 2017, passing the $500-billion mark. Its social media platform, WeChat, enables bill payment, ordering taxis and booking hotels while chatting with friends. It is so far ahead in innovation that Facebook is desperately trying to copy its features in the payment system it added to WhatsApp. Other Chinese companies such as Alibaba, Baidu, and DJI, have also raced ahead. Huawei has become a global threat with its 5G technologies and deep government links.

As I have mentioned before in these columns, the protectionism that economists have long decried — which favours domestic supplies of physical goods and services — supposedly limits competition, creates monopolies, raises costs, and stifles competitiveness and productivity. But that is not a problem in the technology world. Over the Internet, knowledge and ideas spread instantaneously. Entrepreneurs in one country can easily learn about the innovations and business models of another country and duplicate them. Technologies are advancing on exponential curves and becoming faster and cheaper, making them affordable to every country. Technology companies that don’t innovate risk going out of business because local start-ups are constantly emerging to challenge them.

Chinese technology protectionism created a fertile ground for local start-ups by eliminating the threat of foreign predators. The government selected what companies it could best control and gave them the advantage.

China actually learned some of its tactics from Silicon Valley, which doesn’t believe in free markets either. The Valley’s moguls openly tout the need to build monopolies and gain an unfair competitive advantage by dumping capital. They take pride in their position in a global economy in which money is the ultimate weapon and winners take all. If tech companies cannot copy a technology, they buy the competitor.

And then there is data, the most valuable of all technical resources. Data analysis enables everything from micro-targeting of advertisements to voter suppression and population control. Mobile applications are the greatest spying devices ever invented, monitoring not only their users’ interests but also their locations, purchasing habits, connections, political opinions, and health.

That is why the top technology companies from both East and West, the monopolists and predators, see India as the juiciest of all spoils. It has a massive market ripe for the picking, and data gold mines. India has also been naïve in its data protection policies and support for domestic innovation; it bought the old propaganda about the need for open markets.

There are some big differences, though, between the Chinese and American companies that are vying for the Indian markets. The Chinese government largely controls the actions of its companies, feeds them resources and technologies it has stolen from the West. It gives them every unfair advantage so that it can steal more and subvert democracies. Silicon Valley companies want more data so that they can sell more products. They may show bad judgment and cross ethical lines, but they aren’t playing geopolitics or endangering the sovereignty of free nations.

This is why the Indian government’s decision to ban TikTok and other Chinese companies make sense. What was long holding Indian entrepreneurs back was the lack of Internet connectivity and mobile phones. When these became pervasive, the foreign companies stepped in. Eliminating some of that competition will give Indian entrepreneurs a chance to build world-changing technologies. These will benefit not only India but also the rest of the world, which is desperately looking for an alternative to Chinese influence and domination.

This is not to say that, without broad data and privacy protection policies, Indian technology companies won’t abuse the data that they gather. Such policies are needed as well. But the day politicians talk of breaking up companies such as Inmobi or Jio because they have become global monopolies and gained too much power will be the day of recognition that India has taken strides forward. Right now, what the country has to worry about is the dire threat from the East.

By Vivek Wadhwa, Hindustan Times, July 1, 2020

Vivek Wadhwa is a distinguished fellow at the Labor and Worklife Program of Harvard Law School and the author of The Driver in the Driverless Car: How Our Technology Choices Will Create the Future. The views expressed are personal

Vaanathai Pola 172

The name Abbas Ali Khan hung in the air as if it was a distant thunder cloud laden with intent and power and all four men looked at each other as the name of the dreaded terrorist echoed among all of them.

V.K.Singh suffered a sudden coughing fit and hurriedly reached for the white napkins and covered his mouth and took deep gasping breaths and then once his breathing returned to normal, looked at William Bradley with confusion, ' Abbas Ali Khan is dead. He died along with many other important men belonging to the ISIS when one of your drones dropped a bomb right into their laps. President Trump himself announced this proudly and in the process rubbed it into the rest of the world that he was the only leader in the world who was fighting a lone battle against terrorism in the Middle-east.'

Raman remained quiet but his senses were in full alert and he was watching every movement William Bradley made and heard every word that he spoke and ran it again and again in his mind.

William Bradley nodded, ' We did drop the bomb that took out many dozens of terrorists and also in the process we wiped out nearly half of their top leaders.'

V.K.Singh threw the napkins that he had used to cover his mouth while he had coughed and both the Americans saw the reddish spots that liberally dotted the whites of the napkin and waited for the terminally sick man to ask his questions.

' You say you dropped the bomb. You say you have killed many of the men belonging to ISIS and yet here you are seeking our help and that too for a person with whom we have no connection whatsoever.'

He looked at Raman and knew from the look in his prodigy's eyes that something was bothering him and asked, ' Ram, what is it, son?'

Raman did not reply but instead chose to slowly lean forward and then proceeded to hold both the Americans William and paul with an intense stare and then said, ' Boss, I am sorry but these men are lying about something and I also have my doubts as to who they really are.'

Raman flashed a smile at both the Americans and said, ' Gentlemen, before you say anything, I need you both to properly identify yourselves and with an added authentication, preferably by video. If you cannot do that, then I am sorry, but screw your protocols and secret spy games for it matters not to us and please remove yourselves and leave us in peace.'

William Bradley nodded with approval and said, ' bravo, young sir. I was wondering when you were going to properly reveal yourself to us.'

He turned to the waiter at the bar, who hurried to their table and asked for two large whiskies and looked at V.K.Singh who smiled and said, ' Thank you.I have but a few more months left and if I cannot eat, drink and do what I like, then what is the point of it all.'

The American William looked at Raman who said, ' just coffee, please. Black and strong.'

While they waited to be served, the other American Paul spoke and his words were for Raman, ' How do you want us to authenticate ourselves, Mr.Raman?'

' Someone that we both know and someone we both trust.'

The door of their Diplomatic lounge opened and all four turned and saw Israel's Intelligence head, Dr.Otto Hauptmann walk towards them and William waved to him and turning to Raman, asked, ' will he do for now or should I get President Trump himself on the line to personally authenticate us.'

Vaanathai Pola 173

Global Hospitals, Sholinganallur falls under the Jurisdiction of the J 10, Police station and it was here the call from Jayaprakash was placed to and was answered by Sub-Inspector Baburaj who said he would be there in a few minutes.

True to his word, SI Baburaj along with a few constables landed at Global hospitals and were quickly escorted to the rear portion where the large bloodstain had been found.

Jayaprakash, the hospital's security head stood at a distance and watched the SI and constables examine the stain and knew that they were a wee bit out of their depth and said with assurance, ' It is human blood and a rare type at that.'

Sub-Inspector Baburaj exchanged a knowing glance at the security chief, ' Looks like you have done your homework and it is also obvious that you are from the department and not from the army.'

' Yes, a long time ago but now I am just a civilian, sir.'

SI Baburaj raised his left eyebrow slightly, ' I beg to differ for once a cop, always a cop and you remain with those instincts until you die.'

Jayaprakash asked him to follow him and pointed to a watch that lay broken near the far side of the wall and then knelt to the ground and pointed to a few teeth that lay around them and then pointed to a soft, mushy kind of object that looked like a pillow but was not for it had straps and pillows don't have straps.

Sub-Inspector Baburaj shook his head and told his constables, ' Guys, you keep complaining that all our police station does is solve minor quarrels at the Tasmac shops and book petty cases regarding drunken driving and pissing in public. Now, it appears that we have a real mystery on our hands to solve.'

Constable Pallavan cursed, ' sir, what case are you talking about? There is nothing here. No, body here and all we have is a small pool of blood, a few teeth and a watch' and pointing to the soft, foamy beige colour object, ' and that looks like someone pillow that they may use if one is suffering from back pain.'

SI Baburaj looked at Jayaprakash, ' The constable's observations are true and what are we supposed to do without a body and what case should I file an FIR under.'

The hospital's security head Jayaprakash looked at all the three policemen and asked, ' Is that all you see down here when the actual case surely began up there' and looking up and pointing to the building, ' the body that is not here has been removed and only its traces have been left behind.'

SI Baburaj felt a migraine coming on and rubbing his forehead said, ' Please, let us not jump to conclusions and let us not let our imaginations run away from us.'

He took a deep breath and looked at Jayaprakash and asked, ' what was your posting when you retired?'

' ASP, Vellore. Additional superintendent of Police, crime branch.'

They were not even aware of it and it came out of training and all three immediately saluted Jayapraksh who very humbly requested them to relax and reminded them that he was now a civilian and nothing more.

Constable Pallavan whispered something to SI Baburaj whose eyes opened wide and then slowly turned his gaze to Jayaprakash, ' sir, weren't you part of the STF group that hunted and killed Veerappan and which was led by the former Commissioner of Police, Vijay Kumar, IPS.'

Jayaprakash nodded, 'true and I was also a part of the first STF group led by former DGP Walter Dawaram.'

Sub-Inspector Baburaj apologized profusely and said, ' Sir, what do you want us to do now?'

' Your job, gentlemen. Nothing more and nothing less.'

Sub-Inspector Baburaj nodded, ' sir, what do you think happened here?'

Jayaprakash looked at him and smiling grimly, ' a dead or a living person was thrown from the top of this hospital. Even if he was dead, then death must have occurred just a short while before his body landed here for blood managed to leak out and did not have the time to thicken and clot up.'

Pointing to the broken watch, ' it is a mans watch and that proves the sex of the missing person and the teeth still have blood in them and that is good for DNA and the blood type is O negative which is a very rare type of blood group.'

' And finally', pointing to the foamy kind of pillow with straps,' that is a tummy prosthetic and was used to make someone look fat when in reality they were not.'

He looked at Sub-Inspector Baburaj, ' don't you think that this place needs to be checked and samples analysed by our crime scene members and last but not least. what happened to the body? did someone take it away or did the jumper manage to get up and walk away after falling from such a great height?'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waJH2ltaMmA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teXNkgJQ9_o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hqc52C1aFAs

https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/vijay-kumar-jayalalithaa.html?fb_comment_id=1162469630518852_1168043106628171

Vaanathai Pola 174

" This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight AI 140 from Tel Aviv to Delhi. We are now inviting those passengers with small children, and any passengers requiring special assistance, to begin boarding at this time. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately ten minutes time. Thank you."

V.k.Singh looked at the three and said, ' That announcement means I have very little time before I leave to board the flight.'

Raman sipping his coffee looked at the three and said, ' That is the cue for you gentlemen to place your cards on the table and end this game that you have started and are playing amongst yourselves and yet you insist that we shell out for your games and gambles.'

He looked at the Mossad man curiously, ' Dr Otto, why is it not surprising to find you right in the middle of all the major stories and conspiracies that have taken place in this part of the world over the past 40 odd years.'

Israel's intelligence head, Dr Otto Hauptmann replied without any inhibition and with brutal honesty, ' Raman, it is not just this part of the world and what I say goes for most of this world. People all over the globe are happy just to get on with their lives and really have no interest in war or politics concerning boundaries and religion. They are largely happy and contented to make a little money, live a simple and decent life with their families and neighbours.'

He used a finger to point to himself and then he pointed to the rest of them around the table and continued, ' Not just me but even you gentlemen for what I say holds true and applies to all of us but for a few Demented ones whose only aim and purpose in life is to wreak havoc and fight wars. To stop such men and to fight against such villains, people like me are needed and we exist as a necessary evil.'

Pointing the same finger at Raman, Dr Otto said, ' tell me son, how many people you have killed in the name of all that is right and good and in the name of your country.'

Then he looked at William Bradley who nodded and began to speak, 'Back in the late 20th century, particularly, in the mid-1980s, we had a lot of Afghan refugees seeking safe passage to the United States. America did her best and took in many thousands of refugees and also those seeking political asylum.'

He paused for a moment still unsure about confiding to the others about matters that were obviously related to America's national security and then overcoming his hesitation continued, ' Some of the political refugees were of royal blood and when I say that, I mean it literally and one of them was the last remaining heir of an ancient bloodline and a dynasty whose roots begin during the founding of Islam itself by the prophet.'

Raman whistled and commented, ' sounds similar to The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.'

William Bradley observed sarcastically, ' that book was a whole lot of bullshit and it sold millions of copies for people were only interested in knowing more about Jesus Christ and also in the hope that there was some truth that a descendant of Christ still remained to this day. But, this woman who came to us was the real deal and was authenticated by members from other tribes who came as refugees to our land.'

" This is the final boarding call for all passengers booked on flight AI 140 from Tel Aviv to Delhi. Please proceed to gate 3 immediately. The final checks are being completed and the captain will order for the doors of the aircraft to close in approximately five minutes time. I repeat. This is the final boarding call for all passengers booked on flight AI 140 from Tel Aviv to Delhi. Thank you."

Dr Otto Hauptmann cursed and picked up his mobile and spoke to someone, ' Delay it by an hour for we are not finished as yet.'

He turned to William, 'Sorry.Please continue.'

The American continued, ' This woman was in real danger for she was being hunted by her own people and also by the Russians and who had hired many killers from Iran, Jordan and Syria. So, Mossad stepped in and helped her to reach America safely where she has stayed safe and out of sight.'

Raman finished what William seemed to have obviously left unfinished, ' until now and so here we are, Americans, Indians and Israeli talking about someone who has gone missing.

William Bradley nodded, ' yes, but it is not only her that has gone missing but her son too.'

V.k.Singh took a few sips of scotch and staring at the glass, remarked sadly, ' A glass of premium scotch is one of the things that I am going to miss the most when I die.'

Placing the glass back on the table, he looked at the two Americans and Dr.Otto and asked, ' Do these people have names and also I am still not sure as to why we both are being taken into your confidence when it is totally unrelated to Indian intelligence.'

William Bradley smiled and leaned forward with his eyes full of meaning and purpose, ' their real names are Shinogai Ahmadi and Ayan Ahmadi. But, that is known only to a very few people in this world and to the rest they are Angeline Conners and Adam Conners.'

Raman took in the names and asked, ' and they are connected to us, how?'

The American intelligence man William said, ' because Adam Conners is half Indian by birth.'

The information was like a thunderclap and after a few moments, Raman looked at Dr.Otto with meaning and understanding his look, Otto picked up his mobile and said, ' Delay the other flight too. An hour will do for now.'

" Dear passengers travelling in flight AI 140 from Tel Aviv to Delhi, we regret to announce that there is a slight delay in the takeoff due to logistical reasons and also bad weather. The delay is for an hour and we apologize for it. Please, feel free to order anything that you want from the pantry and it is all free of cost.'

V.K.Singh tapped his empty glass, ' I guess we better fill up our glasses for I am sure that we are in for a hell of a story and I am all ears to hear it.'

So, glasses topped up with scotch and a cup brimming with strong black coffee, the five spies huddled close in Israel's International diplomatic lounge.

Far, Far away, the monitors began to beep loudly and the slowly died down and settled into a normal beep.

Both Shinogai and Dr.Girija Padmanabhan rushed to the bed and watched as Brigadier Rajashekar's eyes began to flutter rapidly and both watched with bated breath as his lips parted and whispered, ' My queen, I feel you.'

A loud gasp broke from her soul like a hummingbird finally escaping its cage and vented as a sob in the air and she watched as the owner of her soul opened his eyes and slowly focused on her green eyes and his lips whispered, ' Shinogai, you came.'

Shinogai nodded and kissed him and said, ' Yes and I promise that I will never leave you again.'

In the temple city of Madurai, the blind Aghori Baba smiled and whispered into his mobile' It is time now. So be ready.'