Deep inside Pakistan ......

 

" Na juhkne wale hain , na dabne wale hain; Hum pakistan ki izzat aur azmat ke rakhwale hain".  Thus goes a famous military song of the Pakistan army.". " We will not bend and we will not buckle; because we are the guardians of Pakistan's dignity & sovereignty," it says. It did not ring true on that day in Dacca and it certainly did not sound right on that day in Abbottabad. Every nation has an army but  it is only the  Pakistan army that has a nation. Virtually by its collective throat!

In this age of skepticism , where belief and trust are getting rarer with each passing day , most do not believe everything dished out by Obama about Osama. But if you are among those that believe that Osama was not  in that safe house in Abbottabad; you may as well stop reading now! This piece assumes he was.

 This is an embarrassing time  for the people of Pakistan. They are being ridiculed; insulted; called deceptive , cheats and the epicenter of terrorism. The fact that an infamous terrorist chief was found living comfortably and running his bombing business right from the safety of a Pakistani town crawling with intelligence and military personnel; does not look too good!  He was living  right within a handshaking distance from Pakistan Military Academy while Pakistan army was collecting a huge service fee . Ostensibly to catch him. So whichever way you slice it and whatever spin you put on it; Pakistan is complicit or inefficient. Combine this with other known cases where Army has turned a blind eye or even encouraged  several other bin ladens in their midst; they look more crooked than complicit or inefficient. Daud Ibrahim's Clifton , Karachi address is known to every child except the super sleuths of ISI. His daughter marries the son of Pakistan Ex Cricket captain Miandad. Yet ISI can not find any trace of him. Azhar masud a convicted terrorist is roaming free; Hafiz syed is encouraged to run terrorists into India with active help from army. Mullah Omar and Ayman Al Jawahri are also believed to be in Pakistan. How should any one give Pakistan  benefit of doubt?

If all these accusations make Pakistani's angry , they should be. They should be very very angry indeed. But only at themselves! How did they reach such a bad place? Ten years after they joined the war on terror , they are being asked again, " are you with us or against us?" Not again for God's sake! This is high time that people of Pakistan took  stock of the situation and evaluate the central role their army has had in bringing them this dishonour,and loss of national pride. Pakistan army is not a sacred cow and asking questions of them in not treason. If it is not done by people themselves , an outside force will put the beast down. That I am certain will not be exactly pleasant. Political class in Pakistan is still intent on creating a verbal smoke screen and obfuscating the issue. Maybe they are afraid.  Makes sense in a country where Political murder has been perfected to the level of fine art ; it is better to be economical with truth.  After all who wants to be another Benazir ?

Let us dial back & see how this journey commenced. Soon as Pakistan came into being in 1947 its army took on a three times bigger India over Kashmir by sending irregulars and soldiers in civvies . This stratagem became  a recurring theme in coming years. Generals completely miscalculated Indian response and worse still they  over depended on getting the support among Kashmir Muslims. Suffice it to say that lack of  local support with swift Indian counter ensured a failure.  Pakistan could not win Kashmir however  they won a permanent enemy  on the eastern borders of Pakistan. Without even securing strategic  water sources. The  only reason Pakistan wants Kashmir in the  first place. Result was a failed  adventure.

Larger adversary thus created proved a boon to the army,  which continued to demand bigger and bigger share of national budget to deal with it. Only to the detriment of people's interests. As if this pressure was not enough they went on first to stage a coup and give themselves unbridled power  to sign their own checks . Then believing in their own propaganda of "great Muslim warrior' vs. "weak Hindu Bania"; launched operation Gibraltar. Yet another misadventure. Generals boasting to the nation that they will be sipping evening tea in Delhi soon. Only a few days into battle and  the boast deflated. They had to deploy entire Pakistan forces in defensive formations, scampering  to save ..... Lahore!  Everything except one measly ill equipped division that was left to defend East Pakistan. It is another matter That India did not take advantage of this in 1965. They did so in 1971. When these great generals made the same mistakes and some new blunders. Starting with raping,  killing and looting their own citizens and ending by shamelessly surrendering 90,000 troops to the adversary. 

A Bangladeshi friend commented the other day that Pakistan army wins nothing except when they fight their own people. Very harsh but worth pondering. 1971 was a watershed year for Pakistan. The "Theory of Pakistan"  had finally died an ignominious death at Dacca.  Pakistan had experimented with war including civil and guerrilla; democracy ; dictatorship everything was tried . They ended with half of what they originally started out with. Something was wrong somewhere. From the ashes of Jinnah's Pakistan a new Progressive Pakistan that believed in federalism, democracy and rule of law could have been created.  It was not to be . The opportunity to regenerate was completely missed . Instead this new Pakistan remained as confrontational and morphed into  what can only charitably be called a security state. Paranoid about India; they declared," we'll eat grass but make the bomb". So they proceeded to do exactly that even if the road they took was  very slippery and grass was meant for  the public to eat not  for the Generals. They had their usual biryani and kababs with chota peg ! Later in Zia ul haq's time  chota  peg went underground but designer suits and corner plots took centre stage.

All nuclear programmes are clandestine as was Pakistan's. However it was the only country running an underground nuclear walmart. A.Q.Khan , favorite son of the army and revered father of the Islamic bomb got caught with his pants down stealing and then selling fissile material and nuclear tech. Even then the matter was hushed up by Pakistan denying any official knowledge of his illegal activities.  White lies of course. But even if it was true question is  who  in the God's name has charge in Pakistan? How can the world trust that terrorists will not get a hold of some dirty bomb?

Why does the pakistani security establishment mount  such risk prone adventures? Let us look at some theories they have. "Kashmir", a complete thesis can be written on it. However suffice it to say that army has milked it at will. It is an  "Islamic" issue. It is the" Life line" ( shah rug) of Pakistan. It is an issue of " in alienable right of self determination". It is "unfinished business" of Partition and it is a "freedom  struggle". Army needs your money ; army needs your lives; army needs the nation to stop using their minds as to why. Thank you!  Even after making the entire defence doctrine; planning and resource allocation a hostage  to this one issue the army has not got Kashmir. Not yet ; but it has managed to give ammunition for independence of Baluchistan. As if Bangladesh was not enough. How can you tell a baluch to honour the agreement signed by his Khans and Sardars when you want a  Kashmiri to ignore his King's agreement with India ? Baluch argument for leaving Pakistan is a mirror image of Pakistan's argument for Kashmir. Arguing that Baluch people's opinion was not sought before their future was hocked to Pakistan; Just like kashmiri people had no say in Maharaja's decision . Of course using helicopter gunships on them and ruthlessly murdering Baluch leaders has not endeared Pakistan army to them.  However Baluch people thank Pakistan army for giving constant sustenance to their argument for secession. It is quite lucky that Army supported  Khalistan moment  fizzled out. Had Pakistan army succeeded in that venture; Lahore would today have been the capital of Khalistan.

Other big theory that stems from these ideas is " Strategic depth".  So Pakistan is not wide enough for the army which needs room to retreat on its east west axis. Danger lies in the east and sadly Afghanistan is in the way on the west .So let's go grab it. Or at least have someone in control there that will allow us to come and go  as we please! Not only is this theory  a defeatist theory that supposes India will overrun Pakistan forces in war and they will use the afghan space to retreat; regroup and counter attack  India with their strategic assets( nuclear!), it has many other holes in it. Hello! if Pakistan is already over run ; what are you saving now? And why do you think that this new territory will escape reprisals by the invading force specially when you launch your "strategic assets" from it ? When this new territory comes under attack , where will they go on next? Uzbekistan !!! What are they planning -  WW III ? Don't you think a better theory is to work at lowering tensions that eliminates the need for going to  war in the first place? At best it is a "mad" theory. Mutually assured destruction! So far in the last twenty years obsession with creating influence and space in Afghanistan has seen the rise of unbridled violent gun culture; wide spread drug menace and daily occurrence  of  suicide bombings in Pakistan. They of course have been successful in creating  a lot of influence with "Taliban". We'll check how that has panned out for the people of Pakistan.

Creation of different  terrorist strategic assets has so far not helped Pakistan's national interests. In a pitched battle they are  of no use and as seen countless times in encounters with security forces in Kashmir; Kargil hiil tops  and later on during Mumbai attacks. They have not made India  slow down a bit. It is still one of the fastest growing economies. It is still rated way way above Pakistan. Its political stature continues to grow and it is still  breathing down Pakistani necks. India continues to be  what pakistani nightmares are made of!  I wonder if Pakistan Army has  heard , "if you can not lick them join them". After sixty years of failed armed misadventures, may be it is time for a change in tactics? In kargil misadventure Pakistani P.M.  had to go plead forgiveness and beg for US intervention. He had to agree on complete withdrawal and eat a lot of crow to save a full scale invasion on the eastern front. Pakistan Army had sold the nation short but more was yet to come. Army eventually stuck another blow at the nation - a coup. All to save its generals from a court martial. Attack on Mumbai has permanently sealed Pakistan's image as the epicenter of terror and a state sponsor of terrorism. At the time of writing the chief of ISI was wanted for murder in an American court of law ! it would be comical if it was not so bizarre! This official sanction of terror as a state policy has made the entire Pakistani territory a fertile nursery & a safe sanctuary for  terror groups. It has deformed the Pakistani society to such an extent that it  is now polarized between Muslim vs. pure Muslim vs. purer Muslim. Each sect and faction vying to outdo the other in virulence and violence. There are official terrorists, there are unofficial terrorist and there are state sponsored terrorists. No one knows who is controlling whom. Praying congregations in mosques are routinely bombed to oblivion and rabidly fanatic religious killers become a celebrity.  They are feted and garlanded by lawyers inside a court of law. Forget about  what the world thinks; how proud should a Pakistani feel on this count?

America choose Pakistan over India decades ago for very long term political , economic, geographic and strategic reasons. Pakistan has to thank the army for it too! "Friends not, masters" ! Ooops !  "Friends,  not masters" ! Some of those reasons are no longer valid but some others have assumed a greater importance.  They have invested sixty years and billions of dollars on Pakistan. No matter what happens to Pakistani people and Pakistani nation  or whatever the composition of its government ; they are there to stay. They will  want to exact a return on their investment.  It is a marriage for life brokered by  the Pakistan army . Saying "Go amreeka Go" will not make them go. The choice for Pakistan is to be together  with them in a hug or in a handcuff! Operation Geronimo proves it. Like 1971 Pakistan is again on the verge of making history or not.  It is again a watershed year.  It is true that most opportunities come disguised as challenges. So people of Pakistan, face the truth.  This is one of those times. Blaming all your troubles on CIA; Zionist forces and RAW will lead you  to miss this opportunity to change your fate . Someone will  again beg billions of alms in your name ;  hock your future; misuse the funds and all you will have to show for it will be  a tag of "Terrorist" or the membership of exclusive No -Fly list . This is your opportunity to take responsibility and assume charge. ISI and army must be cleaned before they will come clean. The role of  army must to defend the borders  not create trouble on it. They must be answerable to Parliament and certainly not direct foreign policy. Whatever propaganda you may have heard ; the biggest enemy of Pakistan since 1947 has been its confrontational policies dictated by the army .  From  the perspective of  the outside world the  recruiting slogan of Al - Qaeda and the motto of Pakistan army is the same, "Jihad fi sabil Allah".  Sadly the operational line that separates them looks blurred and mostly non existent as well . Keeping silent  as this moment  will mean agreeing with them.

 Not everything is lost yet. I hear some very sage voices coming from Pakistan . They are asking all the questions that need to  be asked. But will people listen and act ? If people power can make Musharraf go why can't they rein in army's irresponsible patterns now ?  It can happen because  these  sane voice allow for  hope.  Surely  deep  inside Pakistan there is a  beautiful , progressive and  trustworthy nation lurking. Only civic activism can bring out. Carpe diem ! Seize the day!

३६ no more!

On this election eve in Canada, voters are faced with a strange choice. Actually there does not seem to be much of a choice. Taken in a good sense it boils down to the fact that all the players in the field have the state of the Canadian economy as their central focus. What makes them different from each others is how they plan to go about it. Traditionally ruling conservatives have had a top down approach and main opposition the liberals professed a bottoms up. Over the years that distinction has blurred to a large extant. Corporate sector's love affair with the conservatives and working class/ immigrant's honeymoon with the liberals is over for all practical purposes. If you think "big money" has no takers in the liberal party; well think again! Conservatives have been in power for the last couple of years and despite what liberals say they have made a conscious effort to reach out to voters at the opposite end of "big money".

No where is it more true than in Ontario, where a majority of the seats are held by liberals. Conservatives today need the immigrant vote more than at any  other time in the past. That is if they wish to come back and lead a majority government. Like all political parties everywhere in the world they have been tugging at the emotional cords by raising issues like  reducing family reunion wait times;increasing immigration numbers etc. etc. That is not why they deserve the voter support. All this is pure rhetoric. This issue has importance but what is critical for people is the economy. Actually Jason Kenney ,Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism lovingly called minister of curry in a hurry  has been on the ethnic media day in and day out answering questions on these emotional issues. This choice of spokesperson smartly has prevented people from asking other more pressing queries. Ask If you do not have a job yourself , what good will bringing a family member from your home country do? If one is finding housing prices  unaffordable and  wait times for services like health care simply impossible; what good is increasing the number of immigrants ? Isn't that going to be counter productive? And not only to the existing population , think of how much more difficult it would be for a newly arrived person. Can't find a job, can't find a house he can afford to rent......why should he be brought to Canada?  What on earth are we looking for here? Total chaos perhaps! Believe me if economy does not work ,nothing else will work.

One would imagine Liberals to have a better understanding of their traditional vote bank. They might have known that their support base is struggling with pay cuts, job losses and spiraling prices .  Immigrants they have taken for granted need to have their credentials recognized , no government has done anything to alleviate this . Doctors are sitting at home. MBA's are driving cabs. Whole generation  of immigrants  have  had their careers evaporate in thin air as soon as they landed in Canada.  However all they have for solace is  liberal rhetoric again. And then there is this creating of an irrational fear psychosis  in the immigrant minds against conservatives.  Firstly questions should be asked as to what have liberals done in all the previous decades when they were in power except make right noises. Immigrants ;  visible minorities and other socially aware groups have given extended support to them but these very groups have received very little in return. Reportedly liberals are against war in Iraq and all such things ..... In reality what one has to realize that all  of that is just posturing. They are looking for Muslim votes and such veiled references are made to please that  vote bank.  If you ask me  they should not be pleased !  It is just an emotional issue .Canada's largest trading partner is.......you guessed it. The USA! Apart from a joint  history and shared world view there are several different kind of treaties  that bind the two. How practical do you think it would be for any Canadian government to run counter to US ? Remember it is not an issue of sovereignty, it is one of self interest.  If  poll survey's are any indication voters in Canada are already giving Liberals a big thumbs down. And the big question to ask would be; did we need this 7th election in 4 years. Who is picking the $ 300 million tab?

There is a a third force in fray. What my friend called "orange revolution", the other day. Entirely based on a single personality ; NDP to my simplistic mind is just a different shade of liberal. Personally I am also wary of an organization that looks and feels like a one man show. Sooner rather than  later it all unravels. There is not a lot of history behind them and luckily for them they have not had a chance to screw up nationally so far. Based on recent poll survey's a lot more Canadians are putting their weight behind them although their track record of running provinces has been a mixed bag . Did they roll out their socialist program in the provinces they ran?  What kind of economic disaster it was? You have to ask ; please ! This time round they seem to be within sniffing distance of the leader of the pack. The thing to remember is that running Federal government is a different ball game and freezing interest rates on credit cards to 5% + prime is not much of a poll plank. Apart from it being impractical it is meant to reward people who mismanage their finances and abuse their credit. That proposal is bound to have a negative impact on most others who are prudent. Trust me credit card companies are simply going to pass on the added cost of providing credit to rest of us. Much in the same way as we have to  pay an exorbitant  car insurance premium just because one lives in a postal code that has a high number of insurance claims. You may never have made a claim in your entire life  yet you must pay for fraudsters  and careless drivers every single month ! How smart is that?

Everybody is making every kind of promise. In a way they have realized that they will need to accommodate  various groups in their policy making.  At least until the ballots are cast. Conservatives know they can not be Enoch Powell and Liberals know they can not be Lenin. Voters know they need to go beyond their usual and have crossed the floor in large numbers this time round mostly ditching Liberals.  Even so all you may end up is another hung parliament.  

36 in Devanagari is written ३६ . A figure that represents two entities completely inimical to each other.  In this election no side is completely opposite of each other. Voters are open to being wooed by all. Parties are ready to form alliances across ideological divide even before the ballots have been cast. Maybe  NDP is getting ready to form  the government with Bloc Quebecois . Conservatives are possibly sounding Green party for a  post poll alliance. Liberals are most likely reviewing resume's of possible candidates to replace Michael Ignatieff and I am glad I do not have to vote . You see I am not a citizen! If you are , please do so tomorrow and remember it is " The Economy", nothing else matters !

Biggest Party on earth!

As M S Dhoni smashed that ball  out of the park for a six to lift the world cup for India ; he set up unarguably the biggest mass celebrations on earth. It became a very special weekend.  Indians partied like they have never before in living memory. Not only in India but in every corner of the world ; where ever they live they erupted with joy and pride. Everyone was united in mind and spirit at least on that historical day. In my  North American city Indian fans blocked a major road when hundreds of cars with Indian flags fluttering on top took out an impromptu procession. Sports shops simply ran out of Indian flags to sell. People forced the vendors  to reorder instantly and waited  for hours till they got a flag. Price be damned. Frenzied fans were shouting and screaming at the top of their lungs all night and most arrived at work next day with hoarse voices and red eyes. They danced to bhangra beats on the roads and inside malls and  strip plaza's. People called up even long lost friends and relations to share this good news! India of course made all news channels for all the right reasons and even non cricketing world now knows that India has won The world cup!

I got my share of congratulatory calls from unexpected quarters too. And I was invited to a party that evening as well. It was not planned as a world cup celebration but hey  the host happened to be a sophisticated cricket fan from Bangladesh; so there!! On top of this another guest originally from Pakistan started distributing sweets to congratulate and stir Indians in the gathering and before you know we were having our own league matches  . From game statistics, comparative strengths of individual players, team strategies to cricket politics; all kinds of arguments kept flying around. Nobody was willing to give an inch. Food and drinks were forgotten till our better halves started bowling verbal short pitch deliveries. They as virtually unplayable as you all know.  Pakistani group being masters of  the conspiracy theory was keen to show that this win is hollow since some invisible force had "fixed" the result before hand. Specially the semi final in Mohali. Indian side was firm that the cup is theirs because they are simply the "best" ;period! The final verdict by general agreement was that India played well and deserved this huge win. Dissent duly noted.

Anything that impacts one hundred and twenty one million people is going to be huge indeed. So what does it all mean to the pavement bangle seller who sold me a little trinket for my daughter the other week? Her only complaint was that she has to pay Rs. 200 everyday to police  and even after fleecing me ( she admitted she is outrageously overcharging) she is barely making ends meet. What kind of cup can we win for her? She gets out everyday to the swinging yorker of deep seated corruption that does not allow her to build her innings at all. Can we win the world cup of honesty and ethical behavior for her? What does it mean for that teen boy who is eking  out a living by selling music CD's on the street corner, instead of going to school? He has no hopes of making the India A team. How can we win the world cup of education for him so he can better his lot? When are we going to mount a campaign to win a world cup of life for those farm laborers who are forced to commit suicide fifty kilometers from state capitals? How can we win the world cup of justice and equitable distribution for our dispossessed ; forced to become Maoist by an unjust system. We have tamed Brett lee's bouncers but where are we going to find a coach  that teaches us to negotiate the rising delivery of food prices?

The world cup win is a testament to a young , dynamic and resourceful India. India that in a commentators word "does not know defeat". Celebrate this new found strength ; enjoy the fruits of your victory  today but remember there are many many other more important world cups out there . We must win them all. If we want them they are ours. If you partied this last Saturday with friends and in your neighborhoods ; just imagine what kind of  magnificently super party it would be if all 121 million Indians are happy enough to party together. It will definitely be biggest party ever on earth!

I will raise a toast to the day; because I truly believe we can do it !
Congratulations India!

Revolution and Change !

The Third of May 1808, 1814. Oil on canvas, 266 х 345 cm. by. Francisco Goya

It was the winter  of 1976 or 1977; an old lady from our neighborhood rang the doorbell. I opened the door . The neighbor told me  in her heavy Punjabi laced Hindi,'' Son; you have some guests from Kashmir. They are in the Taxi outside. They were asking after your dad in the street, so I brought them over". Honestly, my face fell. It did not cross my mind to thank my elderly neighbor ; instead I cursed  loudly in my mind. Thinking  bad about whoever it was . My only thoughts were; how long are they going to stay? I was not surprised  by the suddenness of this arrival since our one bedroom home was an established long term; no reservations necessary transit point for  several individuals of our extended family and their friends. Too numerous to count. And I knew I will have to give up my  sofa cum bed  for an unspecified time. What rotten luck!.

Well  as luck would have it , my apprehensions were totally unfounded. At least this time round. The guests in the taxi who the old lady mistook for our relatives from Kashmir turned out to be Iranian students . Supporters of  Ayatollah Khomeini and they wanted  to meet my journalist father. I had the ringside seat on that meeting primarily because my father ordered tea to be served to  these guests and it fell on my young shoulders to bring it in from the kitchen. After that no body paid too much attention to  me; a mere child , since they were discussing the  hot topic of  unfolding Islamic revolution and how everything will get better for the Iranian people immediately after. I listened to their romantically lofty and passionately idealistic talk  with rapt attention . My father may have taken their claims with a pinch of salt  as his profession demanded but I really believed them that day. I was all fired up with the zeal of a neo convert ;ready to go  fight alongside them to dethrone Shah and save the people. I imagined myself as a tank commander leading the  charge of the revolutionary guards;  boldly marching  on the peacock throne..... Laughable but true .  Since then we all know how much the  Islamic revolution has helped the people and if all they have managed to do is replace one despot for another tyrant.

Many years ago  in 1917, modern world's first revolution took place in Czar's Russia.  In the word's of an American Journalist  John Reed , who saw it first hand; it was "Ten days that shook the world". Reed was embedded into Bolshevik forces and his famous book  published in 1919  describes the insider's  view of the Bolshevik revolution . The narrative is full of immense verve, energy and  authentic detail. Anyone who reads it will know the greatly humane and loftily ideal principles of social justice and equal participation  in the power structure by common man  that launched  this upheaval .Russia's bad results in the first world war helped in finding disgruntled peasantry and dejected army as the foot soldiers of the Bolsheviks.  "From each according to his ability ; to each according to his needs". Those guiding principles  of communism and their final victory over the bourgeois forces is nothing but impressive. Roughly seventy years after ; I  was in Soviet Russia. There were many things to like but many more things that  did not fit with the image of a worker's paradise.  As our Project Director had told us during a pre trip briefing. "Eat whatever you get or you'll go hungry. " Jokingly he told us to even eat beef if we get it because as he said " Indian cow is our mother ;Russian cow is not related to us! "  I found long lines every where. People lined to buy  basic things like bread.  They lined up to buy even before they knew what  it was they are lining up for. Maybe it is something they can use!! And this was happening in Moscow and St. Petersburg ( called Leningrad in those days). One could only imagine how  it was in the rest of the country. We were state guests of the people's committee of science & technology .  They had us cocooned in the lap of luxury  and put us up in good hotels .Yet at times even those restaurants ran out of this or that. My friend Sanjiv ordered soup everyday after asking what it was made up of and waitress would say Lamb. One day he ordered soup and slurped it  down before he asked her . That day the waitress said " horse meat". A lot of arguments took place  between the two but he was told firmly  to stop whining and  be grateful for  the soup . So Sanjiv's  other choice was to never have soup after that day.  Collectivization of farms  and  means of production had really made a mockery of the great aims of revolution.   It had failed the Russian people. The lot of the Russian people was not any different from what it would have been if they had not beheaded Czar in the first place. They just replaced Czar and his court with a Polit Bureau. It is another story that they have now replaced the Polit Bureau as well with another kind of despotic regime, completely breaking up their country in several pieces as an added bonus.

Our friends in Nepal fought a Maoist armed insurgency against their  King and  the revolution finally dislodged him.  Since that day  the country has lurched from one political crisis  to another and than to another. The lot of Nepali people has yet to see any sort of improvement. Maybe they are the ones who will prove my thesis wrong but I believe Revolutions do not bring change. Change will however bring a revolution.  This is not to say that one should not do any thing to improve political, social or economical  lot of a nation. Question is what method will bring a qualitative change ? A revolution is top down and in your face. It rams down a change through your throat. That's the reason why society throws up down the sink . A change is a gradual evolutionary process . It is bottoms up.  People get used to it  slowly . They engage and interact with it . Changing and modifying  themselves and the processes itself so everything  kind of fits well. This eventually brings about a revolution and a change for the better. 

Take for instance Britain. Since Magna Carta was signed centuries ago ; they curtailed and defined Kings role in the society  and governance.  They gradually increased  the role of House of Commons in the power structure and before we knew  Britain was a stable and powerful democracy where power devolved to an individual through his vote. This is nothing short of revolutionary but it was brought about by change not by a revolution.

 I have no doubt in the  unbounded patriotism; faith ;zeal and commitment of the Bolsheviks or the  Iranian revolutionaries or even the Maoist  of Nepal. They all wanted the very best for their country and their society. Even at the cost of their own lives. It is how they did it that did them in.

The revolutionaries who are agitating  to remove their despot on Tehrir Square  in Cairo would do well to remember and learn.

370295

370295  is not a special zip code, neither is it a new television series like Beverley Hills 90210.

It maybe described as a dangerous inbred  double virus that has not  been discovered yet . If you need to find any one single thing that embodies everything that's is wrong with both India and Pakistan; look no further! The answer lies in this virus. Actually they are infected with differently charged particles of it. Indian virus is positively charged and the Pakistani version is negatively charged. But infected they both are.

Article 370 that provides a special status to J&K  sounds innocently positive and  some kind of an affirmative action; however it  has given nothing except serious headaches  to everyone. Even to kashmiri muslims who seem to love it . It has given nothing but an ever deepening sense of alienation that neither allows them to live in India nor does it allow them to leave it. Although most of them do not know their disease yet, this virus is what is causing it!  This stupid article was a populist measure that was expected by its architects to erode with time . In retrospect   that has proven to be entirely wrong. Its negative fallout has only gone from strength to strength as  time has progressed. Today we know that the act of bringing this article into life was  criminally short sighted and anti nation but are helpless to do anything about it.  it has taken a life of its own and with so many complex pressure groups ;interested organizations  and external governments involved in propping it up; it has created an extensive narrative ; self perpetuating super myths  and high voltage emotional charge around it . Ultimately proving a  very difficult virus to remove.  Like there is any political will to remove it ! It continues to eat into the vitals unchallenged.  So far It has tragically ended thousands of  human lives; made close to a million people refugees  in their own homes and absorbs  mind boggling amount of scarce national resources on a continuous basis. There is no relief in sight yet.

Distill all the problems of Pakistan and there it is . Article 295 ! The negatively charged particle of the virus.  The great embodiment of what is wrong with that country. This act gives special powers to a "Muslim" to kill someone legally just by branding him "non Muslim' and ''against Muhammad" ! Its supporters of course argue that the bill is against all blasphemy.  Although so far no one has been killed legally by the state; many have died a violent death at the hands of a lynch mob or a crazy  individual. Reality is that only non Muslims  or someone who is declared  a non Muslim have been caught in its jaws so far. To say that this article has been misused is stating the obvious. Everyone knows that  its architects  brought  it to legitimize their dictatorship in the eyes of the people as a pious  Islamic rule. Yet a mere suggestion of a need to amend it was reason enough to get  Governor of a province butchered in broad daylight. It is a cruel  joke of a rule but now has taken such a gargantuan life of its own that no one dares  to question it.  Anyone asking for a review is promptly branded an unbeliever and like the middle ages must be burned at the stake; so to say. The virus is  now so deep seated  in the collective minds that the killer was openly feted inside a court of law by lawyers; who should have known better. Besides the fact that killing someone just because you do not agree with him is reprehensible  and unlawful in itself; consider that the policeman murdered someone whose life was in his charge to  guard !! A policeman who does not believe in  the rule of law  is great ? How can that act of not doing your job be great?How can that act  of ultimate betrayal have any pious purpose? Showing mercy and compassion is great; pardoning  a sinner is greater. Since when has killing become great? Yet there are public demonstrations extolling the virtues of the killer and he has attracted a lot of mainstream support from all walks of society for this  murder. How can so many people become demented all at the same time if not for a virus epidemic?

What is most worrying about this  virus  is that it is affecting younger people more seriously. We see this in India where they come out and start throwing stones on police on one pretext or the other. They used to fire bullets which  is less frequent these days because it did not allow for mass participation.  Although from time to time their masters issue threats of going back to  the bullets strategy. Police of course retaliates as it is trained to do ;one thing leads to another and soon we have a couple of dead human beings. These deaths feed into another such skirmish with  the same disastrous result in an unending chain. Any time this chain breaks there are forces that will act as a catalyst and restart the reaction. Minds have become so confused  by the virus that no one is pausing to think even for a moment before acting violently. What is the aim of all this? What do we want and why do we want it ? Why are we indulging in violence and destruction? These questions have no takers. Least among youngsters who have a life ahead of them and who have to lead into the future.

 In India the virus has local pockets of infestation but the situation in Pakistan is worse. Whole country is being ravaged by it. Even the most ardent supporters of the country have to admit that bulk of the young foot soldiers of Islamic terrorism carry a Pakistani passport. It is not  a great achievement and neither is it  very progressive or very pious for that matter . If a young man born in 1985 , working in  an elite law enforcing unit ; living in the most progressive and prosperous province of Pakistan feels compelled to become a terrorist ;something is  seriously wrong! The killer of Salman Taseer was not an illiterate who could be easily led astray .He was not hungry or unemployed that could induce him to take to an illegal path. He was not persecuted by anyone nor was his religious freedom constrained in any way that made him erupt in violence against his own. I am not an Islamic scholar so I will let them decide if wanton killing fits any Islamic ideals.   Pakistani society must decide  if compassion is more pious than punishment and who will decide  what punishment is apt for what crime. Is it up to any individual to  act upon his ideas of what is right or wrong? Or is there some uniform law that shall govern society and individual behavior. It is a difficult choice  for them because the slippery path that society has embarked upon does not allow them any revision or opinion or amendment. Anyone brave or foolish enough to attempt it will attract unsavory attention. There is  very little room for maneuvering . They  may have to continue their descent till the end. The  monstrous mindset that created 295 also unleashed the ideas that has landed them in this strait jacket. 

IMMIGRANTS !!

City, where I live presently has a two tier driving license system in place. You write a knowledge test of rules of the road and if you pass; in about a year you will be allowed to pay for a road test that will allow you to get behind wheels conditionally. You have next five years to go for the final road test that will actually give you the license to drive. This system is geared for a youngster who will start learning in grade 10 and by the time they finish high school they are able to drive to get to work. 

As I was in a drive test location the other day  with a friend; I realized a majority of its clients are actually adult immigrants of darker skin tones. The system does not recognize their previous driving experience unless it is from a European country or from USA. So even though they might have been driving for decades, once they immigrate they  are considered to be at a skill level of a high school kid. They need to start all over again from zero.  Although I do not have statistics to back me ; one reason why there are so many immigrants at a drive test all the time  is because they  keep visiting the place  often as they fail both levels of road tests more than once . Reasons for it is something I will leave unsaid ! obviously it takes  a lot of time and energy to get a license , not to mention a lot of money. Money that an immigrant is really short of. Money that he can earn only if he can get a job. Job that he might get if he can convince his boss that he has the means to get to work on time. Which means driving  in this car based society. And that will need a license to drive . The same license  that he does not have !!! It is  a vicious circle. This is only one situation and an immigrant goes through many such obstacles trying to stay afloat.  Simple things like getting a credit card is a complete revelation in itself.  Some of it is because of a  different system and because it is a different country and  a different  culture. A lot of it is sheer prejudice against an immigrant. It is certainly very hard to be an immigrant. Yet  International Organization for Migration says that there are 200 million migrants in the world today . According to a  Gallup poll another 700 million would like to immigrate if they had a chance.  USA, Canada, Australia , New Zealand and Israel, are countries almost entirely made up of immigrants. Yet each new group faces same or more severe prejudices as the group that passed before them. Violence  against   Indian students in Australia is a glaring example. Here is a group of people who are paying into the Australian economy through their nose by paying hefty  tution fees . They rent  & they consume things by paying for it. This money is generating jobs for Australians .The students are simply gaining education and new skills. A lot of  the time these new skills are used to contribute to and work in the local economy. So they are a net gain to Australia.  Yet they are seen as enough of a threat that merits  them being murdered on the streets as a result of hate crimes!

Canada reportedly lets in the highest per capita number of immigrants every year. A significant number of them are highly educated , experienced and skilled professionals. Yet it does not surprise anyone to find out that the  immigrant cabbie who  is driving you into the city from the airport is in fact a  qualified doctor !

Historically speaking Roma who originally migrated to various parts of Europe from India many many centuries ago are still not considered europeans. In fact Nazi regime killed more Roma people than Jews as their " final solution". Considering that millions of jews were killed on record;  one can only imagine the catastrophe these immigrants have faced since records for them are very sketchy . Even today  these Roma are unwelcome everywhere. They live friendless on the fringes of society and are the first suspects in any murder or theft especially in eastern europe. "Gypsy" is still a word of dishonour.

 Story of  forced migration of the African people is too well known to recount here. Although over these centuries they have given up their original names; original beliefs  and conciously attempted to merge in  the society. People of colour are still far from equality. Obama is a just a window dressing.

The numbers of people who migrate from one country to another  is very high. Several times more numbers migrate from one part of the country to another. Internal migrants face the same barriers as external migrants although the emotional pain is more severe since they expect to be treated better in their own country. Sadly they are not.  Migrants who went to Pakistan from India over 60 years ago ,are still pejoratively referred as "mohajirs" and by all accounts are   untrusted second class citizens in their own country . A country they created themselves. At the time of Partition of India an estimated 12.5 million people migrated from one part to another. Even today just in India alone it is estimated that about 100 million people are internal migrants. Some of them are circular migrants  while others are more permanent. Migrants facing problems while renting homes , getting their children admitted to schools  and even facing open hostility is a common complaint in India. Mumbai , a most vibrant and forward looking city has  paradoxically a strong movement against migrants. They want Mumbai for the locals only. What is laughable is that Mumbai as it stands  today was made by Gujarati traders ,Parsi businessmen and workers from outside.A bulk of them from other parts of India. All of them were migrants to the city . Most of the north India uses the word "Bihari" for a migrant individual from  the state of bihar and eastern UP in India as an "insult" !! As if this was not shameful enough even Indian Home minister  has recently isolated migrants as a source of "crimes"!! Talk about prejudice and we all thought Enoch Powell was dead !

Even in a controlled and restricted society  like China there are an estimated  150 million internal immigrants . This figure is expected to rise to 200 million very soon. Although they live in a " worker's paradise". It is common for  migrant women workers to get fired if they become pregnant. Despite accounting for 40 percent of the urban labor force, China's migrant workers face major inequalities in the cities because of China's two-tiered hukou--or household registration--system. Established in the 1950s, the hukou system kept people tied to where they lived by making government services contingent on their occupation and place of residence. Migrants receive  next to nothing since they are not residents .

People have been migrating from one place to another  since mankind set foot on the earth. Sometime geograpical changes forced their march; sometimes political and social upheavals were the forces. At times it is just the need to earn a living that forces them. Overall I think  in today's world economic reasons are paramount .  I however  suspect there is some  kind of  suicidal in - built urge in a human being to explore , see and risk everything. Just so he can be what he can ! Otherwise  that  struggling cabbie who is a doctor would not be ferrying passangers from the airport. He would be taking the first flight home !

Problem of Plenty !

In a world plagued by acute shortages of  almost everything one needs - access to education; employment opportunities;  affordable housing; health care; food; petrol........... even fresh air to breathe is a little  hard to come by ;it is surprising how there are things in ample abundance. I am faced with one such problem of excesses. Blogging supposes that you will have some subject to blog about.  However there are days when you have nothing to say .  Mind is bereft of ideas . Thanks to  Indian scamsters today  I have  too many subjects to rave and rant about . Trouble is that there are so many  of them I am unable to decide which ones to take up and which  ones to leave alone.

Bollywood is not  exactly famous for any  incisive foresight or  brilliant imagination. Usually they like to lift their  music , storyline and  some times even titles from others - remember 'hari puttar". However this time round  the name  of a movie produced in 1980 titled "Choron ki Baarrat ( Grand Parade of Thieves)" may have  predicted the future with pinpoint accuracy. It is  uncanny that  the movie was  actually made by "citizen" pictures.  It  providentially   summed up my idea in one shot so I  have to acknowledge that  as a source of inspiration . Although an earlier movie with the same title was made in the sixties.

It is really a grand parade of thieves that is looting  the people . Just get these numbers. Let's just say that there are 110 crore Indians. That's 1100000000. Just the 2 G  spectrum scam is believed to be  Rs.1.76 lakh crores. That is Rs. 17600000000000. If we divide this number by the total number of Indians; every single Indian alive has been  cheated  of Rs. 16000 -  just in this scam alone! Believe me that is the number-  do the math yourself and find out how much your family lost . An average family of five has  been defrauded of Rs. 80000.  This fraud has happened  during the watch of arguably the most honest prime minister ever. One shudders to think if this is the situation under the most honest what would happen if he is  in fact less than 'most honest'!!

 Thankfully  IPL 3 was organized well so you got a bang for your buck. Even then there was a  huge falling out of thieves. Otherwise you would never have come to know who is making millions by  investing only "sweat  equity'' and who is milking billions by owning teams by proxy. Actually you still do not know the real story as the commissioner has flown the coop .Other beneficiaries   of course have  closed ranks  and shut the lid tight on the deals.  Undesired ex captains have been fired from all committees . Some names are only whispered  with trepidation and abject fear of  swift reprisals. So "pawarful" are the hidden masters of this scam. 

CWG is another Pandora's box. Skeleton after skeleton is tumbling out of it. This scam is so  masterfully convoluted that  there is no possible number that can be put to it.  There are several agencies involved and monies have been  made to pass  through multiple layers of  many  government departments and sub contractors  of  their indirect contractors. It will be impossible to trace who spent what in which account. Business Today magazine estimated that the Games cost  Rs 300 billion. That is  Rs.300000000000.  This was your money. So each Indian  paid roughly Rs. 275 for this extravaganza.  Jog back your memory and you'll remember how the organizers made every Indian hang their head in shame by their bungling and atrocious mismanagement in  the run up to these games. You will remember that items that cost 1 rupee in the open market were purchased  by them for 3.   That means on an average  2/3 rd  of our money has been siphoned off. where did all  of our money go? who has it?  Some minions are being questioned  now because of  intense public pressure but the main actor of this fraud  has been  allowed to go abroad . Mind you this is not a typical season for traveling in Europe. Summer is long gone and skiing season is far away. In fact he is still abroad  at the time of writing. I strongly suspect he was allowed to go  away freely in order to facilitate  the  total obliteration of  the money trail  in   the labyrinths  of safe tax havens . He will be back  only when you can no longer prove any thing in any court of law ; provided your chosen  government has any interest in finding your lost money for you. Which I doubt. This  is  the same guy  who has plans to "organize Olympics" with your money next ! He will do it too!

Adarsh society where politicians and generals got together and hoodwinked martyr's families out of their  homes is just the tip of the iceberg. Many  other  adarsh societies are yet to come to light . What has come out  in the open  though is the housing finance scam. Initially estimated to be Rs1000 crores. It is still unfolding and you will soon know how many more zeroes you should be adding to it.  There is no end to these scams and this list  goes on and on. Mining scams in karnatka ; dubious  public land grants to family and friend of the people in power . Lands that are all very difficult to put a dollar figure on.  Everything is  drastically under valued in the  archaic land record books . In reality it is several times that valuation. But it is public property  all the same and hence it is  public money that is being looted here. Have no doubts.

There are other kind of scams . Scams that robbed people of their faith  in  the institutions and their trust in the system . Democracy works because state power  is balanced between  it's different organs; judiciary is independent and constitutional rules are followed. If all else fails there is  a free press which informs  truthfully , educates  evenly and takes up cudgels on behalf of the people. Unfortunately scamsters have taken over this last bastion too! Journalists are regularly placing  false stories in the media on behalf of their masters. Editorials are dictated by commission agents.  Interviews are rehearsed  and  answers stage managed to give out only a sanitized version of truth. TV studios are used to broker power sharing deals  and promote the brand image of their political masters. Lobbyists decide who can or can not become a  cabinet minister.  It is hard to decide who is a lobbyist , who is an advertising agent ; who is a journalist and who is pimping his profession. Lines have blurred between them.  Imagine if  a Maneka Gandhi decided to invest in a  KFC franchise!!!!! Nothing wrong in itself but how does it sound to you? And that's  exactly how   influential and powerful media stalwarts have behaved.  They have posed  to us as journalists but acted as brokers and commission agents. My apologies to both brokers and agents ; they are honest  people and comparing  them to these crass apology of a journalist is an  unintended insult to them. Paid news is called  a commercial; biased information is called advertising; using your reach and position to influence events and public opinions  is called lobbying ; being a go- between two parties to form an alliance that will be beneficial  to all three is called brokering.  It is not journalism .  Not by a long chalk. They should not take the public for idiots. I wonder if the advance commission for  that brokerage was in the shape of an undeserved civil honour?  Remember these awards are given in your name .  Do you agree with them? These scamsters want you to believe in their paid commercials as gospel truth. Thankfully this scam has come to surface by  sheer chance.  But check how these people  then ganged up to orchestrate a complete blackout  of this expose' in  both print and electronic media; just so they can  deny you the truth and continue to befool you. Although again it  is just the tip of the iceberg  but now that you  have heard the tapes  and read the transcripts ; what has become of your faith in  the media?

One thing all these crooked scamsters share is a very thick skin. Nothing fazes them.  They  still strut about  and are parading without fear. They are without  any remorse at their attempts in making a fool out of you and have  absolutely no intention of returning a  single red cent.  Just listen to their explanations and you'll be amazed  at what a low opinion they have of people's intellect. They have no respect for  you  because they know you have a short memory and elections are far away. They are  so successful because they have banded together and you are a lone voice they can smother  easily or you are  just keeping quite. They wield the  political power; they wield the power of their media and they wield the punishing stick and they have the money - your money! You only have your voice-  so scream;   your vote-  so vote , do not sit at home; your mind-  so think! What is it that you can do to take back what clearly belongs to you? Just remember the Bollywood movie "Choron ki Baarrat ( Grand Parade of Thieves)" that inspired this blog was made by "Citizens" and you  as citizens will also be complicit if you allow this real parade of thieves  to go unchallenged by your inaction. You then must become the rain that stops this parade in its tracks and have them running for cover.  Each  one  of us is just a drop  but there are 110 crore drops ;  together that'll become a downpour on this parade if you wish it. That was your money ; that was your future ; that was your faith ; that was your innocence ; and that was your hopes they robbed. The scamsters are mocking you . The scamsters are  still laughing at you ! You have to become that rain! You must!!