In Shining India, Maoist Turned Furious

Arundhati Roy And Maoist

The worst Maoist attack in India 3 days back has killed 73 Indian CRPF and district force personnel. This is hitherto really a worst attack by Mao guerrillas in the India.

Last month, Arundhati Roy, who’s quite a famous Indian writer and the Booker Prize winner, wrote an essay of 20,000 words entitled “Walking with The Comrade” on the Mao guerrillas. This essay was published last month in Delhi’s Outlook magazine as well as made available exclusively to Dawn in Pakistan.

Arundhati Roy decided to visit the forbidding and forbidden precincts of Central India’s Dandakaranya Forests, home to a melange of tribal people many of whom have taken up arms to protect themselves against state-backed marauders and exploiters. She recorded in considerable detail the first face-to-face journalistic “encounter” with armed guerrillas, their families and comrades, for which she combed the forests for weeks at personal risk.

According to Arundhati Roy, the deadly war that’s unfolding in the jungle, is a war that the Government of India is both proud and shy of. Operation Green Hunt has been proclaimed as well as denied. P. Chidambaram, India’s Home Minister (and CEO of the war) says it does not exist, that it’s a media creation. And yet substantial funds have been allocated to it and tens of thousands of troops are being mobilized for it.

The main aim to recall this all is to shed a light on the fact which substantiates the hypocrisy of India when it calls Pakistan a terrorist country; whereas India itself is loathly suffering from the worst of the separatist movements in the country, one of which is the Maoists movement.

A lot of hypocrisies of Indian government is exposed by Arundhati Roy in her essay “Walking With The Comrade.”

This is quite shameful thing for India to point fingers at Pakistan all the time when its own country is jolted by its own people. There are a number of separatist movements in India, the world knows that. And this isn’t a covert thing. Might one recall who killed Rajiv Gandhi and the “particular” reason why was he killed. For an additional time, I feel pity on the Indian government, the hypocrite Indian government — and the likes of them, the Indians, who are both proud and shy of the war within the republic.

Personally, I find Arundhati Roy better than the Maoists guerrillas and even better than the Indian government. She doesn’t go on a killing spree for any reason, good or bad. She doesn’t break the law. She doesn’t use the garb of a presentable image and the protection of a political party and official machinery to perpetrate genocide. All she has been asking is a better deal for the downtrodden and suppressed which, quite unfortunately, government of India has failed to deliver to the downtrodden and isolated ones — adding the fact that about the 60% of the Indian population lives in villages — deprived of even the basic facilities like the water, medical, education etc.

According to my understanding, it takes guts for anyone to travel to Maoist country, believed to be a part of the ludicrous “Shining” India. Arundhati Roy deserves praise for going where none of the armchair journalists go. Besides, she deserves an additional praise to stand against the unjust and for the downtrodden.

A quick question in the end: what would’ve been the reaction had this attack been carried out by any Muslim outfit? Does this phrase — often used by the west, and a horde of extremists and parochial people of “Shining” India too — fits fine even now: All Muslims aren’t terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslim?

Of Future Dulha-Dulhan Hoopla

Something for a change. Well, I actually started to enjoy the wedding news of

Shoaib Malik And Sania Mirza Wedding

Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza when I saw a banner on top of GEO’s website. This sure was looking quite funny at first glance. What it seems to me — or perhaps everyone else too — is that GEO is happy the most than any other Pakistani.

Since yesterday evening, when the news broke out, I started receiving text messages on this subject, and quite surprisingly it was the only one text which was being sent over and again: IPL ney to 11 Pakistanion ko Reject kia tha Faraz — Sania Mirza ney to Pora India hi Reject kar dia

The other comments I happened to read randomly were: Sania sister ney proof kar dia hai key “ik ho gey Muslim haram ki passbani key leye; Neel key sahil say ley kar tabkha’k'ghashgar…”

There was one another funny comment I read: Ab India hum sey hamesha sir jhuka kar baat kia krega … Kyun key hum Larkey Wale hain. GEO PAKISTANI

In any case, particularly the people in Pakistan are ambivalent. Picking another other random comment: Sania will keep representing India yet after the marriage & both of them are going to live in Dubai!

Let me have my say on this whole event: I usually have no interest in discussing such newses, but the humorous demonstration by GEO while covering this news made me laugh on this whole thing. News is perhaps interesting more, generally, because of the inherent inclusion of “India”.

What is your say?

From Learning Till Progression

Power Crisis Obstructing Progression

It was the second year of my engineering, 2007, and the Christmas and New Year holidays were just over. The routine hectic life was about to begin once again. Went to uni the first day I found one of my Indian classfellow having a brand new laptop — the brand was unknown to me. I congratulated him for this new laptop and asked him which new brand it’s as I was unfamiliar to that new brand he had. To add it, he recently came back from India after Christmas and New Year holidays and the laptop was bought during that trip. The name of that brand I couldn’t reminisce right now. Anyway, he retorted that it’s an Indian brand so you might not be familiar to it.

Below is our conversation:-

I: Uh-huh, nice. So that’s an Indian brand

Naman: Thanks. Yeah, quite popular in India too. And you’d not believe me if I tell you its technical specs and the price

I: You sound like as if it’s something phenomenal

Naman: Yes, it’s

(And then he starts telling me about the technical specs — and I kept on nodding at his words. The specs were sure phenomenal

I: Excellent. So what’s the price? Indian Rs. or Pounds?

Naman: Well, it’s just 25,000 Indian Rupees.

I: Don’t tell me. I’m sure you’re hiding the real price (with a laugh)

Naman: See, I told you you won’t believe me (with a laugh)

I: Kidding, yaar. But I’m surprised really. If you go out and buy a lappy of same specs, I’m sure you won’t get it in less than 500 or 600 quids.

Naman: Well, yeah. You’re right. And you know something. It comes with an year warranty and the machine is sure good.

I: So is this the reason you preferred to get this machine because it’s cheap and good?

(I didn’t say to him squarely, rather I questioned him to find the reason just in case, as I knew he belongs to a well-to-do family back in India, and he’d really not opt for such a brand of machine rather than some Sony Vaio or Dell just because his was cheaper.)

Naman: Yaar, this is actually because it’s an Indian product — made in India.

His response to me was quite simple. And I just smiled back at him.

Today, I was thinking about the ways to improve Pakistan’s economy and just during the thought process I started reminiscing the conversation between me and Naman which helped me understand many things.

In Pakistan, how many industries do we have? And how many are closed lately due to the power scarcity? We’re mortaging our nation’s economy on war, on defence and excessively on many things, but there’s not enough money being bankrolled to overcome the power scarcity yet after decades. There’s not a single Pakistani company manufacturing cellphones or laptops and other such products which are, in this skyrocketing era of globalization, becoming a part of our everyday life. Why? Do we not have enough talent in Pakistan to begin with such industries?

Well, there’s one another unfortunate situation that requires a quick solution from not hampering further. It’s the real patriotism — by supporting our products and directly our country by buying them rather than hunting to buy something internationally flamboyant — Sony, Siemens, Apple, Nokia, Blackberry etc. etc. Once we’re not under the control of such patriotism, I believe our country’s economy would always hamper as it has been for decades now.

Just few days back I was watching a video on Youtube. There was a guy on some Pakistani TV channel telling the host about his achievement of how to overcome the power crisis prevailing in Pakistan for long now. The guy was working on a project which will produce electricity wherewith simple water. According to him, he has been working on this home-made project individually and the source of funding is where he lacks in order to accomplish the mission. He earns through tuitions he teaches and spend a prescribed amount of money from it to buy the equipments for his project from Shershah, Karachi, and this is how he’s slowly and steadily progressing. Besides, adapted to the words of him: if I get the finance, I’ll eliminate the problem of load-shedding from the country. The setting up of two or three units of my project in the city would be suffice to deep-six this big problem. Now where’s the government, I ask? And where are the political parties spending millions on hoardings for election campaigns, but feel ashame of spending something that would bear the fruit; because I still believe and optimistic that we’re no devoid of talented people in Pakistan. Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, Dr. Abdus Salam, Dr. Samar Mubarakmand, Dr. Atta ur Rahman, Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, Pervez Hoodbhoy, Dr. Javaid Laghari and so forth — these are some venerated and acclaimed names from the past and present of Pakistan. They were the product of Pakistani society; Pakistani schools, colleges, and universities. If Pakistan can produces such great scientists and scholars in the past, it sure can produce even so. Hene, such students, as I detailed above, can forsooth change the fate of Pakistan once given the support.

The conversation with my Indian class fellow is still echoing in my mind. And I’ve started to believe once again that why India is prospering despite being a hellishly poverty-stricken country more than Pakistan is now.

Just yesterday morning, during the First State Of The Union Speech by Obama, he mentioned the name of three countries economically booming in these times. They were, as orated by him in series, China, Germany and India. I was in the dumps to realize that Pakistan is really not in a good state today. Henceforth we’ve to revamp the current state of Pakistan to the heights of progression. Good things should be learned — no matter if we learn it from Israel, India or United States of America. But at least it’d be that we learned and improved. Rest in confidence, we’ll progress once these supposedly infinitesimal problems are rectified.

Any Winston Churchill Here?

Looking For Peace

A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject — said by Sir Winston Churchill. The reason I liked him is parce que his positive role during the World War II.

It was September 1939 that shook the whole Europe when Hitler attacked Poland. Hitler wanted to invade the whole of the Europe and other countries in Central Asia and further to South Asia. The Allied Forces — France, Great Britain and Poland — came in to being soon after Germany’s attack on Poland.

At that time, Soviet Union asked the Baltic Countries to allow stationing Soviet troops in their countries which Finland rejected and it was invaded by Soviet Union successfully. France and Great Britain was of the view that Soviet invasion on Poland is one reason inasmuch as it wanted to embark in World War II. No one knew that one of the deadliest fights between Soviet Union and Germany — the famous Operation Barbarossa which is also considered to be the biggest military offensive in terms of manpower, logistics and other resources — would take place later during World War II. Anyone of you who have read Operation Barbarossa in detail would be known to its appalling events.

Sir Winston Churchill wanted to have peace in Europe. The statesman would do every possible thing he could to stop Hitler from pursuing his evil aims. But then Great Britain was embroiled in the world war II as it became imperative — in order to help protect Europe from getting in the evil hands of Hitler’s Nazis.

There’s a reason to reminisce the World War II that, in all seriousness, jolted the whole of the Europe once. An alien down to earth yet won’t believe once knowing what Europe was during 1939 to 1945 and what it’s now: the amity amongst the nations prevail there, yet between the belligerent countries of World War II.

The reason to jot down about World War II is to trot out this fine example under the limelight that peace is always possible despite past wars and feud, just in the circumstance that we’re really willing to win the peace.

At present, India and Pakistan stands at the same point where the Axis Forces and Allied Forces stood thus far 1945 — the end of world war II — and sought for peace after hellishly busy and bloody wars. India and Pakistan have fought three wars to this day. Have we not yet learned enough of the lessons after three wars that we start seeking for true peace in a bona fide way?

Both the countries, tout de suite, need to stop railroading other country and come to the negotiation table and resolve all the long standing issues.

What do you think India can invade Pakistan, huh? No! So why such an attitude of infant?

What do you think we can resolve the Kashmir Issue under such circumstances? Resolving the violation of Indus-basin treaty issue under such circumstances?

What do you think we can resolve the issue of uncalled for heavy presence of India in Afghanistan overtly/covertly aimed to destabilize Pakistan?

What do you think we can resolve the issue of India’s unwarranted involvement in Baluchistan under such circumstances?

Are all the issues to be decided with the help of war?

Why do we always talk about banning Indian TV channels and Indian movies in Pakistan? If that’s the case, we should be banning American and Brit channels and movies as long as they’re killing our innocent people in drone attacks and abducting our Pakistanis and transporting them to Gitmo. Why just one flavor of patriotism, I ask again?

This isn’t because I’m a Pakistani so as I’m saying that, but it’s also quite apparent that India is unsubmissive to have peace between both countries and often we see unprovoked act of aggression from India’s side. For heaven’s sake, stop over. Both sides of the borders need to shun the hawkish attitude — and India needs to reconsider its behavior more than Pakistan. We, both the countries, are ineffectually squandering our each day and making a big lot of humans suffer on account of morbid hawkish attitude.

Repeating the history often remind us to take prudent decisions regarding present and future. By ill hap, there’s no ruling leader today on both sides of the border of India and Pakistan who’d raise the hunt of the prudent ideologies of the statesman Winston Churchill.

History will be kind to me for I intend to write it — Sir Winston Churchill

Knocking On The Neighbour’s Door

Talibans claim the responsibility of every attack, hard to believe them every time. Attacking on places like GHQ and POF needs strong strategical skills maneuvering. It’s not like so easy without tactical maneuvering that you go, fire the rounds, break in GHQ, kill and run off.

Last year in August 2008 when POF came under attack — the detained would-be suicide bomber, who identified himself as Hameedullah, revealed some stunning facts about the activities and involvement of proxy Taliban in the tribal areas of Pakistan.

Officials declined to give further details, but it was every where on media about the involvement of NAD and RaW — as briefed by ISPR.

Just this month, on 3rd November, ISPR’s Major-General Athar Abbas at a press briefing said that Pakistan has found concrete evidence of India’s involvement in militancy in South Waziristan.

Last month, 2 Indians on two consecutive days are apprehended by Rangers. As per the Rangers and officials, those two are backed by RaW. Many are caught day-to-day and many such newses are remained inconspicuous on media.

I don’t understand what those two Indians were doing? Selling peanuts or walnuts on a wheeled vehicle? Or they just came for sight seeing in Pakistan? This all should end from both sides!

Just today, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has accused India of supporting insurgents in Pakistan. On the other side, while U.S. President Obama was on his trip to Asia, during his stay in China, he, followed by Chinese President Hu Jintao, voiced that Pakistan and India should recommence the talks again. India retorted that it wouldn’t allow someone from outside to meddle in it’s internal affairs.

The general perception of Pakistani public is that Indian Government is up in arms — and extremely reluctant to recommence the talks with Pakistan. And this was finally announced by Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi of late. Against the grain, Pakistan is always ready to step in for talks and negotiation to settle the long-standing disputes, while the affectation of India is yet to be truly said as surplus at this juncture.

I prefer Indian Government should behave judiciously and recommence the talk and negotiation. This wouldn’t be a unilateral benefit once the relations between both countries are fine-tuned, rather it’d be a bilateral benefit — a much needed too — for both India and Pakistan.