Dooms December

The sudden tragic death of Benazir Bhutto has caused a nation to erupt and burn into flames... Pakistan is currently considered as the most unstable nation and seems to have lost their way too many times now. But this shocking incident has made me think about how jinxed and tragic the month of December is... Circumstances has forced me to think about few incidents which has left a lasting impact in the lives of many that occured in what I call 'Dooms December'... There could be more disastrous events which took place in this dark month but this blog is just about some of those incidents which one can remember at the top of their minds... Atleast these tragic moments in world history will be remembered by me...

To start with, we have learnt about it in our history books and some would have been there to witness its mammoth effect in India. I am talking about the Indo - Pakistan War of 1971. Known to be one of the major conflicts between the two nations, the War's official hostilities commenced on the evening of December 3, 1971 and went on till December 16, 1971. This war eventually saw its end with Late Gen A.A.K.Niazi from the Pakistani military surrendering his forces to Late Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora. The outcome of the war saw Bangladesh gain independent status of a separate country. There was an estimated one to three million deaths which till date is considered as one of the highest recorded casualties ever since the World War II. The month of December had its so called 'Dooms' effect across the borders, while some were rejoicing victory others were crying over dead bodies and surrender.

In the early hours of December 3, 1984 at the very heart of the city of Bhopal in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate was released by a Union Carbide subsidiary pesticide plant killing about 20000 people. We all know this unfortunate disaster as the Bhopal Gas Tradegy. Considered as the one of the world's worst industry disasters, this incident ruined the atmosphere of the city and till date the effects can be witnessed. Though there were investigations on possible sabotage and numerous legal procedures following the disaster not much can be done to the fact that even today one person dies due to the effect. There is an estimated 120,000 people still facing numerous health hazards in regards to the unexpected disaster. Not many people in Bhopal would have celebrated the new years that year with a warm welcome. With loved ones gone for ever and people yet suffering the consequences, the December jinx seemed to have played its cards yet again.

Demolition of a mosque laying at a holy hindu site. Yes, I am talking about the shocking Babri Masjid Demolition on December 6, 1992. It is known that the mosque was built by the first Mughal emperor of India, Babur in Ayodhya in the 16th century. The mosque stood at Ramkhot Hill the birth place of Lord Ram which was considered as a holy site. During a planned ceremony about 150,000 hindu activists destroyed the mosque even though there was a committment with the Supreme Court to never harm the mosque. This lead to hostile situations in many parts of the country. This tragic incident even sparked the burning down of the Sabarmati express in Gujarat in Feb 2002. Not many muslims around the nation will have sweet memories of this very day and yet again the devastating effect of December struck hard.

While the world was celebrating christmas eve and making arrangements to welcome the new millenium, passengers of the Indian Airlines Flight IC - 814 were thinking otherwise. How can the nation forget the sudden hijack of the flight by 5 terrorists on December 24, 1999. The flight was hijacked between Kathmandu and Delhi, which was landed by the terrorits in Amritsar, Lahore, Dubai and eventually Kandahar. The incident saw the death of Rupin Katyal and created panic amongst the other hostages. Eventually the hijackers released the hostages but to a what will be considered as a costly exchange. They were freed in exhange of the release of three muslim extremists. Considered as the longest hijacking in aviation history, the government was exposed and loopholes clearly came into the light. One major lapse by the Indian Government was their failure to stop the hijackers at Amritsar. On December 31, 1999 Maulana Masood Azhar, Mustaq Ahmed Zagar and Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh were exchanged for the release of the passengers. But the question posed to the Indian government is, was it a wise decision because there were reports that these three extremists were actively involved in the September 9/11 attacks. Yet another December aftermath, left the families of the passengers in tears. A lot question that had the government taken some action in Amritsar they could have saved Rupin Katyal and not let the then recently married lady become a widow in no time.

The tension between India and Pakistan always seems to create some unexpected incidents in various timelines. December 13, 2001 one such day which the history of the Indian Parliament would like to forget, when it was attacked by Pakistan based Kashmiri terrorists in New Delhi. Known as the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, it lead to death of dozens of people and increased tensions between the two nations. Though the attack was not as brutal as some of the Indo-Pak wars and conflicts, this attack on the Indian government lead to greater hostility which would not have helped either of the nations in any way. The pressure of this attack and the rage was clearly reflected in the Godhra riots of 2002. This prolong tension just saw a stand off in 2002 in what will go in the history of India as the worst riots ever faced. The December attack on the parliament was definitely planned and the devil of the month ruled once again.

When man-made disasters occur they destroy livelihood, but when god created natural disasters occur they destroy an entire civilization. The December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake which occured triggering a series of tsunamis along the coast of landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean, killed more than 225,000 in 11 countries. Considered as the biggest natural disaster in the history of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India, the tsunami is known as the Boxing Day Tsunami. Registering a magnitude of 9.1 and 9.3 the tsunami destroyed millions of lives and homes which left the world at a state of shock. Deaths came even in the form of different epidemics that occured due to lack of clean drinking water and lack of food. Millions were left homeless and they had to restart their lives. Places in the southern part of India faced some deep consequences and washed away lives with its massive water force. The satan of December came big this time with its impact almost destroying civilizations.

One of the most controversial political figures of the world saw his end on December 30, 2006. We are talking about none other than the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Though his death was known to the world, the aftereffects and protests ruined a lot of lives in muslim countries across the globe. Saddam Hussein was executed for charges related to the execution of 148 Shi'ities suspected of planning an assasination against him. The leader was sentenced to death, but along with his death aroused massive controversies on that very day and there were mammoth protests in different pockets of the world. The death of Saddam Hussein brought major loss in life in Iraq and the nation was immersed in pools of tears rather than celebrations of the new year. Yet another attack by the December jinx in world history.

Finally, December 27, 2007 saw the end of the Daughter of East Benazir Bhutto. One of the most shocking loss in the international political circuit. Benazir Bhutto's death has brought a nation to flames. With violence striking hard in different pockets of Pakistan, the nation has lost its complete stability. With controversies looming large around her death and her road to initiate democracy in Pakistan, millions of admirers will be mourning and praying for her soul to rest in peace. Considered as one of the powerful political women in the world, this surely is a tragic loss for Pakistan and for the world of Politics. The devil of December once again showed its true colours and brought the end of what could have been a most promising political era for Pakistan. Has the December jinx cost a nation its peace ?

So, the devil of December seems to strike with massive force destroying the core existance of humans, mental peace. This month of disasters and unsought for tragedies has left the world in bloodshed, tears and destruction over the years. Not much can be done about destiny but it seems more like destiny plays an evil game at the end of a year. Whether the December jinx will erupt again in future no one can predict. Its only time that can reveal and unfold the many more tragedies that could be on its route to destruction. As, humans we can only pray that the devil reign comes to an end and peace takes over soon. It would be a blessing for every soul existing across the globe if ever there were to be lasting peace on earth.