Leaking news!

Wiki leaks has admittedly an antiwar posture and it should not surprise anyone that it leaked those Afghan documents. So who is afraid of them? Most of what those documents say about inefficient conduct of war against Taliban by the Coalition forces has been evident for years. It is just that the documents provide a sort of proof that America can begin a war but it does not know how to end it.

To the credit of the Americans , they have managed to keep their cool despite the blowing away of the fig leaf that this report caused. Just a couple of denials and some hand wringing at  the irresponsible behaviour by the website that could endanger American lives and they  were back to the usual. Pakistani's have flipped a lid though. They would still like to maintain the charade that they are pristine ;specially their spy agency is above reproach. No one believes them yet ; and it would be comical if it was not so unnecessary. Pakistan is running with the hare and hunting with the hound. Russian intervention in Afghanistan did allow them to pursue their dreams of strategic depth against India. And they got addicted to the drug of low cost terrorist operations, ostensibly by "non- state actors"that proves very costly for their enemy- India. Everything that they are doing in Afghanistan is geared to save their country from the Indian threat . And if they are playing the field and making an ass of USA; kudos to them.

It would be all fine but there are many other dimensions to this picture. Firstly let me say that "The Indian Threat" to Pakistan is real and not a figment of their neurosis. Where they are making a serious mistake is not recognizing the nature of the threat. This threat is not a military threat that can get neutralized by  having a  nuclear device or six squadrons of f-16's to deliver it. Neither can this threat diminish by getting control of the Afghan hinterland for strategic depth or launching terrorist strikes in India. Pakistan has done all of it and yet today the "Indian Threat" is greatest than at any other time in history.  The fact is that the threat is included in the DNA of Pakistan itself. Their greatest threat is the Idea of Pakistan vs. The Idea of India. The fact is that Pakistan is  not a natural nation. Culturally , historically and mentally they are and always will be a part of India. To have a country at their disposal they need to continuously fight their own instincts and minds all the time. 

I know a lot of Pakistani's personally and I am amazed at how much knowledge they have about Indian shows and Bollywood movies and Lalu prasad yadav and what not. TV and Film are the only window they have available on their own roots .No matter how insipid and distorted these shows and movies are; Pakistani's consume it in copious quantities. No wonder to be seen as different from Indians they need to emphasize on their Islamic identity and overcompensate with their zealousness . Trouble is that  Islam does not constitute a  nation; otherwise OIC would not have 56 different countries. And over dependence on Islam has made them insensitive to religious extremists among them.

India's economic clout  is big and getting bigger. It can not be wished away .  Hillary Clinton will continue to say that Osama is hiding in Pakistan and Pakistan's  rulers know about it. David Cameron will say that Pakistan exports terror. Pakistan can not belittle them as a hair brained woman and an inexperienced leader of a third rate power looking for trading concessions in India. They have to realize that ISI's pet terrorists are  terrorists too and will lead them to destruction.  Indian threat is real but Pakistan's answer to it is unfathomably self destructive.

They are "The Indian Threat" themselves and sooner they realize it sooner they can find a better answer to this threat.

Well Done!

Politician Ram Vilas Paswan's son Chiraau is breaking into acting. Someone asked Paswan as to why  his son is going for acting and not for Politics. Paswan answered ," there is no difference.They are just performed on  different stages."  For once  I have to agree. Although  Politicians have proved terrible actors; actors on the other hand have  acquited themselves better as politicians. 

 Recently I saw two very forceful examples of politicians acting and actors making a political statement. Firstly some politician from India went to Pakistan and participated in a joint venture with a local politician in the show called "let us pretend talk". It was a farce that as expected turned into a tragedy. All actors in the play  willfully forgot their lines and finally said all kinds of things that were not in the original script. Show failed as a drama but  the actors did address their respective political constituencies by their grand standing and  their complete neglect of all  norms of civility and diplomacy.  In the end both the audience; actors and  the US show management company ; all nodded their heads , patted each other on the back and went home to prepare for another similar stage show for later sometime.  This  edition of the venture of course got thrown into a well. How I wish that well could vanish.

As if on cue a friend lent me  his copy of "Well Done Abba". The movie about about a vanishing  well .  vetern director Shyam Benegal has directed the movie and as is his won't made a lot of socio -political statements. Film is a director's medium but I must say that all actors in the movie starting with Boman Irani in a double role have been a force multiplier to Shayam Benegal's directorial effort. Very surprisingly even Minissha Lamba has done great justice to her role as a spunky  young woman.  This film is a satire primarily highlighting  corruption in implementing social  programs. The story  has been told in a refreshingly humourous tone and Shayam has avoided dark and heavy tear jerking treatment that mars such works.  In the movie eventually Lost wells are finally found back. A la bollywood style although in real life it is not easy to get such justice. Anyway It is really a movie of hope and comes with the message that we can achieve things and we can correct things if we decide.  Very good stuff! His other sub texts about  importance of Girls education; problem of sham marriage of young Indian girls to doddering Arabs; futility of of using your birth religion as your identity; are all very important statements that are made as a matter of fact.

Things that I did not like so much were a sub conscious attempt by Shayam to avoid showing Politicians in their correct avatar. He has made the officialdom the villain of the piece. In reality the politician is the fountainhead of corruption. Another jarring piece  is the engineer's  character. The fact that he is recently married  with his wife's charms  rather than his job on his mind got established in the first instance .Too many scenes of his conjugal bed were probably a little "peeping tomish".  

But hey I am not the director of the movie and there is something called commercial demands, so we'll let that slide. Even though there is a surfeit of political and social commentary ;Overall it is a movie that's well done! 

 Someone should tell the politicians that there is a difference between well done and burnt! At least they should watch this movie.