Napalm Girl

When I wrote last week about Heart-Wrenching Photos, I purposely did not include this tragedy.  I wanted to write  a separate blog post.

On June 8, 1972, South Vietnamese Airforce dropped the flaming napalm bomb on civilians.  9 year old girl,  Phan Thi Kim Phuc, who was playing with her cousins in the street was caught in that. Her clothes were burnt.  She had to rip her burning clothes off and run naked for safety.

This was the most iconic image of Vietnam War.

This picture was taken by Associated Press photographer Nick Ut,  He won a Pulitzer Prize for this. 

When this photo was published in the New York Times, the whole U.S. population shook.

Later Phan Thi Kim Phuc defected to Canada and she now lives there.

Want to know the effect of napalm bomb attack?  Major portion of a city will be burnt and destroyed.  When a napalm bomb is dropped, this is how the place looks like.

Here is a photo of that girl and the photographer on June 8, 2012 on the 40th anniversary of that incident.

A. R. Rahman pissed off

It was the launch of A. R. Rahman’s  maiden productions 99 Songs in Chennai.  The anchor who was hosting the event welcomed Mr. Rahman in Tamil.  Then addressed actor Ehan Bhat in Hindi.

Mr. Rahman got pissed off.

He was visibly taken aback and said “Hindi”? and exit the stage.

On the way out, he asked the anchor in Tamil “Mudalliye kattene Tamil pesuveengalanuttu” (I asked you before the event started if you can speak in Tamil)

The anchor replied in Tamil: Tamil than.  Idhu chumma welcome than sir. Kovikaadheenga sir. ((Yes I am Tamil.  This is just a welcome intro sir.  Please don’t get angry sir)

My personal opinion is I agree with Rahman.

Before the event started, Rahman asked the anchor can you speak in Tamil.  Also, the person she was addressing knows English.  The anchor knows Tamil very well.  Plus the event was in Chennai.  Therefore, she either should have addressed in English or Tamil.  She thought would have one-upmanship with Mr. Rahman.

Being a gentleman, Rahman came back to the stage and participated in the launch.

My question is if there was a Tamil actor being introduced in Mumbai, will the anchor welcome that Tamil actor in Tamil?

I think it is ok to speak in English if there are non-Tamil audience.

What do you think?

Heart-Wrenching Photos

Incredible photograph of a German soldier going against direct orders to help a young boy cross the newly formed Berlin Wall after being separated from his family, 1961.

3 Year old John F Kennedy Jr. Salutes His Father's Coffin with The Honor Guard

Chinese teenager stands in front a column of tanks – Tiananmen Square – June 5, 1989.  He was not seen anywhere after that.  Rumor has it that he was executed a few weeks after that incident.