Survived Kargil, But Not Bahrain - A Stroke of Fate

Indian Embassy and the firm which hired Stephen Abraham, the Indian expatriate who lost his life in clashes in Budaiyya on Wednesday are in the process of expediting the arrangements to repatriate the body.

Mr. Abraham came to Bahrain sixteen months ago to work as a security guard with Al Moayyed Securities, and had joined work after the undergoing training and getting the license from the Ministry of Interiors. Prior to coming to Bahrain, he had served in the Indian army for 18 years.

Facing death and dangerous situations was not uncommon for Mr. Stephen who, along with his elder brother Siby had served in the military during the Kargil War. He had joined the Indian Army in 1991 and served in Kashmir till 1994. Post that, he served in Assam in 1995-’96 and then in Batinda in Punjab between 1997 and 2000. During 2001, he participated in the Operation Vijay and Operation Parakram against Pakistan.

“He was a dedicated and hardworking employee, always giving his best for the job. He was also a very devotional person,” said security division manager Jose Alex. “Every employee is valuable to us, and we will do everything to take care of his family.” Mr. Jose added that steps were taken to ensure the safety of all other employees and that they have been shifted away from that location.

He is survived by wife Annie, daughter Steny and son Steffin. Steny, an 8th grader and 3rd grader Steffin were eagerly waiting for Easter, when they hoped their father would return. Hailing from Kerala, Mr. Stephen is the second among three sons of retired army man SK Abraham and wife Podiyamma. His family also includes elder brother Siby, younger brother Simon and sisters Shobana and Mariyamma.


I spoke to many people who had met him in Bahrain, and they only had good things to say. It is surreal that a man who had fought death itself had to lose his life in what was considered the most peaceful place on Earth.

RIP.

And The Pearl Has Fallen...

Every individual who has ever lived in Bahrain, even for a few days, looked at Pearl roundabout with a sense of pride. The monument, majestic with the six sails, representing the countries of the GCC lifting up the Pearl of Bahrain, was close to every resident’s heart. Now as it is demolished to pave way for infrastructural development, current and former residents, Bahrainis and expats, of all ages and nationalities come together to say a fond farewell.

Personally, I don’t have many memories of anything specifically related to the Pearl except maybe how my siblings and I walked from Dana Mall to the Pearl and then from there to City Centre, cuz it was impossible to cross the highway to get to the other side.

And the ever continuing jokes of our childhood days, of how the ball (Pearl) reached the top, which inevitably was “Mr. X, whoever was popular with us at the moment, kicked the ball hard and it landed on top, cuz they had Y drink [usually a particular brand of chocolate milk] and is the strongest.”

Ofcourse, how can I forget, the complete nightmare of driving across the roundabout. During my driving lessons, my instructor decided to take me there during my 3rd or 4th day of class. I broke out into a sweat and my heart raced. But I did get across. But each time I had to drive by that, even after getting my license and under the supervision of my dad, crossing that roundabout was always a challenge. I remember the sheer excitement of victory and jubilance I felt the one single time I got across without supervision. But alas, I never realized that would be the first and last time.

Every project we did about Bahrain had to have the picture of the Pearl in it, every drawing competition with the topic of anything remotely related to it, had to have the Pearl in it. Like my friend told me, it was the face of cosmopolitan Bahrain, built on the string foundations of Bahrain’s rich traditions and culture.

And all of us have enjoyed the beauty of the majestic Pearl and have even taken it for granted. Now, even though we wouldn’t have ever considered it even in our wildest dreams, it is gone. Now the only tangible object we have with the Pearl is the 500 coins which have been discontinues [some last year I think].

It feels like a part of Bahrain is cut off, and it hurts as well ‘cuz Bahrain is our home. I remember that during the five years I was in India for my higher studies, when I used to be back in Bahrain for my holidays, driving by the Pearl gave a sense of belonging, of having arrived home; possibly because I, like many of my friends, grew up seeing it.

For many people here, there are bits and pieces of their life and childhood attached to it. One lady told me how she and her then future husband had taken their first picture together at the Pearl. Another spoke of how they had run through it when the fountain was on. Everyone seemed to have some cherished memory connected to it.

It I’m not wrong, it was constructed in 1982, so when my dad came to Bahrain they had just started constructing it. Back then, when Bahrain did not have its share of fancy buildings and landmarks, the Pearl lit up the Bahrain skyline.

Even recently, during Eid, National Day and other such occasions, the spectacular Pearl in all its glory and splendor, with the multi coloured lights on it and the fountains underneath it, always managed to take my breath away.

As much as my heart bleeds for it, I must say that at some level, I think it’s better gone. I don’t think the attempts at revolution or the protests will come to an end because the monument is not there. But at least the sight of it on an everyday basis will not hinder the process of healing. The wound will deepen every time one passes by it. It was a sign of Bahrain for the longest time, but after the protests, it has become a symbol of Bahrain’s darkest time and that will not help the cause of moving forward, of unity and development. So I guess the demolition of the Pearl is for infrastructural development [which is the official reason], at more levels than what meets the eye.

Our generation will always always remember the legacy of the Pearl. For us, it represented the Bahrain of our childhood, of happiness, joy and multicultural unity. Let’s hope that someday we can make those have not seen it understand what it meant to us and to the country we call home.

Goodbye Pearl Roundabout. You will be cherished and missed, but I pray that with your demolition, Bahrain can see a new dawn of unity and development.

Indian Expat Stuck At Airport

This is one of the numerous Indian expat stories I've written. Some of the cases boggle the mind. But sometimes, you are wondering what it is that drags them here for such measly salaries, and then makes them flout the law.

[This appeared in the Daily Tribune on Saturday March 13 2011]

Pray for Japan..

The devastation in Japan is unbelievable and painful. Seeing the cars, buildings and people swept away like ants hurts. Every heart in the world bleeds for the country and prays for strength and resilience. God Bless Japan.

Praising the Lord that no one from Bahrain or India got hurt. Both countries also promised all help to rebuilding the country. Pray For Japan.

[Link to page: http://www.dt.bh/newsdetails.php?key=301110213450&newsid=110311165714. Article in Daily Tribune in Bahrain. Saturday, March 12 2011]

Killing A Country Slowly..

Bahrain was on the fast track to economic development and even development in political and other sectors. But in a month's time its traveled ten years back in time.

The Education Sector, economy, the construction industry, retail, there is hardly any sector that has not felt the after effects of the Pearl Roundabout gathering. They started it and many others reacted without realizing that ultimately, it is the same country at stake.

I am also compelled to ask why peaceful protesters would promote February 14, when it all started as a day of rage. Maybe we can even agree that they have been relatively peaceful, but they refuse to understand that normal life is being affected.

How can a central point of a country be taken over like this. It does not make any sense to me. Why go back to being Bedouin nomads, and drag your country back too?

The Pearl Roundabout was the face of Bahrain, a national monument revered by the residents and admired by all the visitors. For many, it's a scene we grew up seeing; joking about who kicked th pearl hard enough to reach the top. Especially on special occasions, with the lights and fountain and greenery, it could take your breath away.

All the grass there now have been trampled over. Graffiti drawn on the Pearl structure, and that too with the wrong spelling. The entire area now has been littered completely and has an awful smell. A true blue shanty town.

The F1 got cancelled, taking away with it, millions of dollars that would have been useful to Bahrain. Many would have benefited from it, from all walks of life, from all nationalities, but ultimately Bahrain would have emerged strong and victorious.


With the F1 hit, the tourism and hospitality industry took a major hit too. Fully booked hotels and flight bookings saw large scale cancellations. Major shows and concerts cancelled. People started wondering if Bahrain would even be safe. The reputation of Bahrain as a peace-loving wonderful place tarnished for good.

Another major blow to the system itself was the forceful shut down of Jawad and other such establishments, including Costa Coffee, 24 hr Mini marts and the like. This came as a retaliation to Faisal Jawad's support for those at the Pearl.

Now, though I personally feel he shouldn't have come out with such harsh criticism of the government as he himself has developed and massed wealth under the leadership, it is completely his right to voice his opinion and to stand by what he believes in.

It does not warrant forceful shut down of his business outlets. That is just being childish. Just like it is his right to freedom of speech, every citizen too has a right to boycott, if they choose to; but forcefully shutting down stores is taking it a bit too far.

If that is allowed to continue, and Praise the Lord it's not, then there would be a lot of people form both the pro and anti community that lose their jobs. And Bahrain would also lose credibility for a lot of international brands. It would also bring retaliation as others may choose to boycott or shut down more firms.

The construction industry also faced massive losses, which they say will be felt only after about 6 months. But luckily for them, the Housing Ministry has announced the Construction of 50 000 houses over a period of five years. They say it would be a boom for them.

The country took an irrecoverable step backwards when teachers joined the protests. They are bound by duty to educate and enlighten the young minds, and this became their lesson. Unacceptable by all counts.

School children then started stepping out of their class rooms, to shout political statements and it resulted in numerous brawls across Public Schools. This is students who were studying peacefully together that we are talking about.

I even spoke to students who refuse to return to the same school as they are worried about what will happen. How can parents allow this to happen? Education is what defines and makes their future. Education is their birth right. How can you take it away?

I have even seen four and five year olds shout political slogans, on both sides. Can't the parents think about the psychological impact that would have? The child is bound to grow up considering that it is perfectly acceptable to hate, thus creating another generation with the intent to fight.

The Unity of the country is so thrown out of the window. Even if everything calms down and peace reigns, I am getting a sense that there will be mistrust, and cracks that have been formed during the last month. Friends stopped talking to each other due to differences in political ideologies.

There are uncountable number of rumours doing the rounds about how a person of a particular community got hurt 'cuz others blocked the path. as far as my knowledge goes, there is no proof this happened.. But it could, traffic or rallies at hospital could mean loss of life. The Ministry of Health has stated in their report that the large number of people who crowded the hospital. And I hear the other group is planning to organize a peaceful organized rally to the Salmaniya Medical Complex. I'd suggest, please go elsewhere and let the hospital staff do their job.


The biggest issue of course is the spread of fear, of insecurity in terms of both economic and personal security. This has caused Philippines to put in place a ban on workers entering the Kingdom. Thus many got stuck without jobs in Philippines and many employers got stuck without a strong work force, who were set to join them soon.

The fear also led a large number of expatriates to take money out of Bahrain and send it back to their home country. It also cost Bahrain a number of its expatriate workforce who packed up and left. Keep in mind that these are people who worked in Bahrain, paid rent and other bills in Bahrain, purchased food and clothes from Bahrain and in different ways contributed to its development and would have continued to do so.

It is of prime importance that residents of the country, on both sides understand that they both belong to the same nation and if the Kingdom's resources are affected, then so are their futures. Why kill your own country and your own future?

Holding A Country To Ransom

I am a believer in human rights, in freedom of expression and choice. If a person doesn't agree or think his rights are not being granted, then by all means let your voice be heard. But that is no excuse to almost push the country over the brink of civil war.

No one denies that errors have been made and that the country should work together to develop and grow, but for that purpose dialogue is key.

Kudos to the Crown Prince HRH Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa for starting the dialogue initiative. Everyone should use this opportunity to make their voice heard and demands sorted. But another issue is that many at the Pearl are not sure for their demands. Different groups have different outlooks and hence different demands.

I have spoken to a few people belonging to the community which is protesting. One of their main grouse is that how the can the country celebrate when we are mourning? But it has to also be noted that the country is not aiming to celebrate by gathering at Al Fateh, but to showcase that they are united.

And fair enough, the complaint is completely valid. But in that case, what excuse do you have to bring Barney the dinosaur and Tweety bird and have fireworks at the place which is now called the martyr's square? What about the barber shop and the barbe wue and the pop corn and the sheesha's? How do you justify turning it into a celebration of sorts?

It is your right to ask that the dead be given respect, and mourning allowed. And believe me, a large number of Bahrainis who are not even part of the protesting community have condemned the deaths. They don't support the deaths, nor do they support people getting injured.

It is unfortunate that certain leaders are spreading hate. Why do you forget that hate begets hate and nothing good can come out of it?

In my opinion, the need of the hour is to streamline the though, come to a consensus and present their case to the Crown Prince at the dialogue. If it fails, then by all means protest, but give a chance a chance first. How else will you be able to know what could have been achieved?

International Media: Why the Lies?

I have lived in this tiny island nation all my life. Born and schooled here, went to India to continue my studies and returned here soon after. My family has been here for a very long time and I have witnessed the changes over the last 2 decades. I have also seen firsthand the protests and followed it closely, to know what was happening to my ‘home’

Till very recently, no one even knew where the country was. Then came the Bahrain Grand Prix. But now thanks to the recent protests, everyone now knows it.

I am compelled to write this, because I am completely shocked at the portrayal of Bahrain’s recent turmoil on the international media. I always knew that every channel, every paper had an agenda, but there is no excuse for the biased coverage.

Inspired by Egypt and what they have achieved, a certain sect of Bahrain’s community took to the streets in Bahrain. They took over the Pearl Roundabout [Wonder how difficult it is for these international players to learn the difference between roundabout and square] and gathered there. They were given permission for 48 hours, and when there was no sign of them leaving after that, the riot police came over.

I drove through the area around 8pm, the night before the attacks happened. The area was jam packed, and the drive which usually takes less than a minute took more than half an hour. And this is the most important centre of the country, a majority has to pass through this point to get to the economically important locations. They had tied up tents and were setting up more tents. As it is travelling through the area was difficult. More people would have made it impossible.

Unlike what the international media keeps crying, the protesters were given sufficient warning, they were asked to leave, they were informed that force would be used if they didn’t move out. And many left. I believe it, because I had seen how many women and children were in the area, Mere kids who must have been 4-5 years old. But the fact that none of the women and children have been injured itself is proof that they were asked to evacuate.

But unfortunately, people died in the clashes. And thus began the entry of international media onto Bahrain. The King and the government of Bahrain continued to accept that they regretted the deaths and injuries caused to the people, but no one wanted to listen to that, as screaming out ‘Peaceful protesters attacked’ was more sensational.

International media, including Sky News and BBC and of course Pulitzer Winner Nick Kristoff has done nothing but fuel the tensions in this region. The distorted and selective reporting they gave made Bahrain look like a complete war zone which it was not.

People have called me up from across the globe asking if we were safe, and saying how worried they were seeing the situation in Bahrain. Then and now, I repeat, “It’s all a load of crap, Bahrain is not like what you are seeing on TV”

I am not claiming that the state media was 100% accurate, but atleast they announce themselves to be the government run channel, so one can expect it to lean towards an ideology, what is the excuse of these international players?

On Friday, February 18, more than 100 000 people participated in a pro-government rally. And that number is way more than the number of people that gathered at pearl roundabout. Yet not one international media highlighted that. The BBC showed 2-3 shots and spoke to only one person. And this again, I speak from personal experience. I was there to cover it for my paper. I was there because I felt strongly about my country, the country which I have called home since I was born.

There has been many rallies after that too, in support of the government. but no media highlights that.

In fact, during one of the press meets I attended, I heard an internal media person tell a colleague, "Violence is over here I think and now it will be boring. We should move on to Libya or so." How is that for objective reporting?

Children, adults, Bahrainis, Arabs, Indians, Pakistanis, Bangaldeshis, a group which highlighted the multiculturalism of Bahrain turned up to show their support. Yet the international media didn’t think it was worth it.

The international media made Bahrain sound like a small backward country where women only wear burqas and are scared to step out in public, this is wrong. Bahrain is one of the most liberal countries in this part of the world.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for a free media which can call a spade a spade. And I think the media in Bahrain requires reforms, but that's no excuse for other channels to be partial.

There is absolutely no excuse for any media to incite hatred or violence. “This fear and despair will soon change into rage”, this was overheard on one of the reports. Who are they to decide that?