Week of secular indignation

Sometimes we do not understand the intense hatred some folks on the secular left feel for President Kalam. A few weeks ago President Kalam was frisked at a security checkpoint of an American airline. Sagarika Ghose chatted online with readers and this is what she had to say:

Sagarika Ghose: Can I ask you a simple question, sir? Can you please expalin to me exactly what is so "humiliating" about a security check? Continental Airline is governed by American law. Its a direct delhi New York flight. The horrifying 9/11 attacks happened on New York bound flights and security checking is mandatory on all such flights. We love and respect APJ Abdul Kalam. But is the honour and dignity of the great man so flimsy that it can be brought down by a mere security check? If all former heads of state were exempt can you imagine what would happen if a tin pot head of state from say, Somalia, boarded a aircraft and proceeded to hijack a plane--hypothetically speaking. Please be a little mature sir. Security checks are there for your own safety and for your own well being. They are not intended to humiliate, harm or hurt. They are perfectly rational processes and Kalam himself, wonderful human being that he is, regularly submits himself to checks and stands in queue. he is an example to be followed! [link]

We are willing to bet the chat transcript will soon disappear, so grab it while you can.

There is only one Muslim in the whole world whose frisking would elicit that response from Sagarika Ghose, in complete contradiction with her usual position on the "racial profiling" issue. Ghose tried to put a unique twist to the issue, apparently she is against privilege seeking of our VIPs.

If that chat transcript wasn't bad enough in taste, Ghose repeated the same idea in a later blog post:

Our netas and top babus all send their children to the US for higher studies. Surely, when taking the SAT and GRE exams, these students submit to American rules. In applying for visas they also submit to US legal requirements. But when Kalam submits to US laws when traveling on an American airline, we are suddenly shaken to our foundations. The VIP culture of India is truly a slur on our Constitution. [link]

Well, talk about poor timing - Shah Rukh Khan got held up at a US airport for technical reasons for about an hour. Every news media is running headline stories on it, CNN-IBN's response has been muted.

Funny thing is, if there is one Muslim in India who could be exempt from frisking, it is President Kalam. Former head of the state and India is not Somalia. It is ok to knock Hindu fundamentalists over their false pride, but that comparison was potently absurd and disgusting.

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Meanwhile, Khan's alleged harassment looks more and more like a made for media story. He way exaggerated the situation, which may have something to do with an upcoming film which incidentally deals with racial profiling.

If what one hears about the planned movie My name is Khan is true, then together with the recent film New York, Bollywood is now the official propaganda vehicle of the global Muslim community.

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While Indian seculars ferment in indignation, here is a story many have missed: couple of days ago, Rock music legend Bob Dylan was apprehended by the Police in the US and made to prove his identity.