Pardon my brief communications for the past few days

Jalsa , Mumbai             Dec  2/3 ,  2011                   Fri/Sat  12 : 55 AM

 Pardon my brief communications for the past few days and their ‘inconsequential content’. As the day progresses and the events unfold and the rabid talks on several social mediums appear, I am tempted to respond with equal fire ! I restrain myself because of the futility of response. Some one rightly advised ‘those that hate you shall never change, despite any amount of justification given, so why waste energy on them’ .. I think it to be sane, this mode of thinking, but am at times eager to return a taunt with not just another taunt but with a firm hand of conviction and strength.

Years of subjugation, insult, unjustified accusation, false and preposterous allegations does make one immune and anesthesia prone, but ” when the blast of war blows in our ears, then stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, disguise fair nature with hard favored rage ; Then lend the eye a terrible aspect, let it pry through the portage of the head like the brass canon .. ” …. and Shakespeare and Henry the V, begin to stir the emotions and the … unmentionables !!

Restraint is the proposed advice. But would it be advised if a wrong were to be documented for posterity. This generation is young and unaware of fact as presented in real time. They were not born or were too young to register. To keep their senses intact and in recognition of the truth becomes mandatory for those that have been blessed to live long enough to correct and produce the right. The written word has been the record for history through ages. The internet and the air waves of modern invention had dominated it in our times. Tomorrow there may be fresh inventions. But history and fact and reality of the times gone by will not change with the reality of fresh inventions. They will in fact draw from the past and the past shall, be documented in what the present feels about them. It becomes mandatory therefore for me to rectify the wrong in order that the future does not have the courage to carry forward incorrect information. History must be relevant when fact shall be relevant, else its incorrectness shall forever be an embarrassment to mankind.

I often have given example of my personal at times on such matters. The Times of India brought out a wonderful coffee table book on 150 years of its front pages and I was fascinated to read about the happenings of the times when I was not born. I believed what I read. To me it was fact, documented, sealed and delivered. Until … I came upon the present times and the headlines of accusations against me. It spurred me on to fight and to clear the name of my family, which I did in the courts of the highest authority. Now when the history of the TOI on its front pages shall be reprinted in years covering 350, my great great great grandchildren will be able to take pride in deciphering that the accusations were wrong and unjustified !!

Today when some, endearingly ask me not to involve myself in the somewhat uncalled for retorts, I listen to them for a while in silence, but when the silence begins to have sound, it is time to ‘stiffen the sinews’ !!

I shall give more intricate details in my next, for tonight has already gone past the hour of retirement. It closes in to the hour of 2 AM , and that is not recommended nature for even those that wish to ” summon up their blood … ” !!

I leave then with happiness and joy and wish the same for you .. you who may be enlightened, encouraged and engrossed, or some who may feel tormented … for I do know that there are many that are .. !!

Love …

Amitabh Bachchan