Tomichan Matheikal's blog

Fiction It was past midnight when something that rubbed against the window pane woke me up. Maybe a leaf carried by the gentle breeze that wafted occasionally in this village not far from the sea. I turned on my side and decided to fall asleep again. But the window whispered again in the unfathomable darkness.  I stared into the darkness. The breezy whisper became a creepy rap on the window pane.  Gentle rap, like a seductive woman's inviting smile. 'Let me in.'  I thought I heard someone say. I started. Sitting up on the bed, I peered into the dark void outside the window. 'Why don't you let me in?' The voice asked and the window pane groaned.  Sweat trickled through every pore in my skin. 'You are alone,' the voice went on, 'and so am I.  Why not be company to each other?' My heart was in my mouth and so I couldn't even cry out. 'Ah! You don't want me,' the voice sighed. The sigh petered out into the void beyond

Donald Trump has become the latest addition to the overcrowded Indian pantheon. Hindu Sena celebrated his 70th birthday yesterday in Delhi and its leader, Vishnu Gupta, has declared Trump "the saviour of humanity"  and "Messiah against Islamic terror." Last month the Sena had organised a Havan for Trump's electoral victory. It doesn't matter whether Trump hates Indians and holds them in contempt. It doesn't matter whether the Indian holy cow is part of his staple diet. Gods are above the rules for the common folk. Jai Sri Donald Trump!

Delivering the concluding address at BJP's National Executive yesterday, Mr Modi presented seven mantras to his party workers.  Empathy and self-restraint are two of the seven resounding mantras.  The problem is that they only resounded like some hollow echoes in a wilderness because they were accompanied with Modi's abiding taunting of the Congress.  All those great mantras lost the wind in their wings because of the cognitive dissonance that accompanied the rhetoric. Empathy and taunting don't go hand in hand.  Mere rhetoric has never swayed any heart so far.  That's why Modi's speeches make no ripples in spite of his being an excellent orator. Perhaps, the most pathetic fate that Modi is inflicting upon his party is the compulsive need to flog the Congress even after the latter has become as good as a carcass.  Modi should deliver himself and his party from all forms of hatred which has marked them right from the beginning.  The BJP has to take positive steps