Not a month passed since New Year's day, when Gujarat shook killing thousands, and destroying enough property to make one wonder whether it could ever rebuild. And looking at the aid sent to Gujarat by the people all around the country (all the expired medicines and waste clothes that people sent out of nothing but good will), I got the feeling that there were resources at hand, but not enough reliable people to handle them efficiently. Given a chance, there are people shameless enough to make money out of relief supplies to earthquakes. They probably would make money out of their mothers' funeral too.

This year was probably going on pretty miserably anyway, recession and all, on a global scale. Nothing to smile about in India, either. So, what we did not need was a mediocre attempt at peace in Kashmir. We needed men of substance arguing in a non-emotional and objective manner about Kashmir. That's what we did not get.

There were some problems in Kashmir, and there was a farce that was a trip to Agra and Delhi by 'President Musharaf', an Individual who believes that press (and women) should be given absolute freedom as long as they do not say a word against him.

He comes to India in the middle of the year somewhere, expecting the press to admire him and say great things about him. He tried to win over the hearts of the Indians by holding a press conference with the journalists over breakfast, televised all over India. I believe that there were some who were won over, but not for long. There was nothing new that emerged out of the confrontation. When an editor asked him about his legitimacy he almost exploded and claimed that the Pakistani people wanted him on top. Very convincing indeed. The Germans probably wanted Hitler on top too, and would have said so if asked.

So when faced with a more open press than in Pakistan, he gets his first blow on the face. The much-hyped trip that Musharaf made to India was nothing but a big failure, or so the common man thought. If there were some serious negotiations behind closed doors, I don't know.

Musharaf thought that politicians were stupid and could not talk straight. He supposed that some honest and straight talking would do the trick. He dreamt of his grandchildren reading his name in the history textbooks as the man who single handedly solved the Kashmir issue. Deriving inspiration form these day dreams he comes over to India just to face a seasoned politician like Vajpayee who, owing to his various electoral battles and stints in the parliament as the opposition has been hardened. So when Musharaf goes and talks to him, it is as if this international leader is just a novice. I can well picture Vajpayee tell some junior but ambitious member of the BJP to develop some tact. And I'm quite sure that Vajpayee was itching to tell President Musharaf to develop the same. But I get the feeling that he weighed the consequences and did not give Pres. the correction that he so much seemed to beg for.

Needless to say, business that resulted in this farcial meeting was just superficial and negligible at best, or so they claimed. All the credit went to the stubbornness of the politcians of either side.

While Sidhu was tormenting the life out of cricket spectators on TV with atrocious similies, especially about fat ladies singing, the emergence of a fat lady as winner of the elections in Tamil Nadu signalled the end of all justice in that state. Jayalalitha was on song, arresting Karunanidhi. Sometimes I get the feeling that Indian media actually bribes the politicians to act so dirt cheap. I'm not quite sure about that, but they (politicians) do seem to act stupid and the only people that I can see benefit out of such outrageous activities is the media. You never know, maybe Prannoy Roy and co. are behind the Tamil Nadu Drama, and Jayalatiha is just a stooge. Maybe, behind the stage that mainstream politics is, Jayalalitha and Karunanidhi are best friends. Maybe, even lovers? Gross!

Event after event occurred. The months flew for some, crawled for others. August came by and left. September came and left and indelible scar on the world, in the form of the most horrific deeds of terrorism ever perpetrated by humans (to borrow words from the spokesmen and spokeswomen on TV), when the world trade center, a building that was one the landmarks of the world became no more. In an act of sheer madness Bin Laden and co. planed down down the World Trade Center, killing 3000 innocent souls.

I just cannot make head or tail of that. There is no way I can see my mother or any teacher of mine telling me that killing is good. Do the teachers in Osama land teach violence in school? The very concept seems too amazing to be true. There is no way I can see anyone ever justify killing innocent souls for the benefit of an ideology. Indian history text books for example, somehow manage to justify the violent actions of Bhagat Singh & Co (they killed the British Officers as representatives of an evil rule, rather than humans). I cannot see them justify it on those lines- at least the officers had some ' fault''. Not the people who were working to fill their and their family's stomachs in the Trade center. I'm quite sure even Mark Anthony (Of the Caesar Fame) would not call Osama a noble man.

But to be fair, even America terrorized the non-Taliban Afghans. The bombing in Afghanistan killed quite a few innocents too; who did nothing to die. That is how life is. There is not much justice in the world. We do have justice in India, in the courts. Only thing is that you probably will pass away with old age before you get it.

Then US bombs Afghanistan. It drops everything but nukes on Afghanistan, and one got the feeling that Osama, along with this goose was cooked. But, it seems that he has given US the slip and might be back with a bang (pun intended, but hopefully nothing like that will happen). And while the US bombed the hell out of Afghan Land, the terrorists resorted to lower means in US and India. There were many envelopes that seemed to contain white powder that differed from talcum powder in the respect that the latter did not give you anthrax, but the letter did.

Perhaps that teaches us a lesson. These terrorists have no ideology whatsoever. They live on terrorizing the people. They cannot live without doing so. Justifying their deeds by some ideology manufactured or misinterpreted out of convenience is proof of the notion that you must never bow to their wishes. If you do, they will make you bow even more, and before you know it you will be doing circles.

November came and went. The Afghans were bombed, and the US loved it. Perhaps there was no other story worth thinking twice about. I remember going to the newspaper daily hoping that the Osama was captured and tortured. I was also hoping that his torture would we shown live on TV or at least on the net. But that never happened.

So, when December came, I was quite sure that there could be nothing that could happen that could change the current scenario in the world. But was I wrong! The parliament house, a place where people go to, protest and come back without doing any work was under attack. Our politicians probably deserved some spanking for their ineffectiveness and indiscipline. But the security personnel who get blasted for checking the cars of the ego driven politicians did not deserve to die. They were caught in the crossfire, and in the process of saving the lives of the politicians 7 people lost their lives. The guards would probably have not met this fate if they checked all the cars that came into the parliament. But the politicians and the other so-called VIP's do not like their cars checked. Damn ego.

The opposition lived up to the name of the opposition by calling it a security breach. And the government was evidently pained. Some arrests were made everywhere. They arrested a professor and a lady, who spilled the beans. The police found a laptop computer that they could add to their collection of computers, and this one had parliament photos in it. They also recovered some cash from some fine Individuals in Kashmir, who were arrested immediately.

I've had enough of 2001. There are a few days left. I wonder what can happen in these few days that can yet again change the world. I frankly am quite scared to put on the Television and tune it to some news channel, as there might be something happening somewhere in the world, which may change it forever again. I don't put it past 2001. If this year has taught me anything, it is that anything is possible.