Will Desert Jasmine wilt away?

Just a couple of winters ago I was so thrilled to see the changes sweeping through the historically troubled and suppressed regions of the Middle East. Tunisia had just been unshackled from Ben Ali’s grip after a month-long largely peaceful protests; Egypt had erupted with large demonstrators congregating in Tahrir Square against the Hosni Mubarak’s iron grasp on governance; the scent of revolution had spread far and wide in the desert sub-continent- whether it was Bahrain or Syria or Libya or Yemen, people were out on streets protesting against their dictatorial regimes; they all wanted Tunisia like freedom – nothing less than regime change!

The mood overall was of fearlessness and cheerfulness. They had shattered the glass ceiling of suppression. And there was no stopping them.

Egyptians ensured that they got what they had wanted, even if the struggle had to be sustained somehow in the face of repression. But the sense of freedom was still faraway for public in other Middle Eastern nations. Bahraini Kingdom did not hesitate in brutal stamp-out of the demonstrations. Yemeni people couldn't hold long in front of the cruel control of their national administration. Yes, there were celebrations in Libya for ousting Muammar Qaddafi – actually capturing and killing him with the US help – after a long fight which had acquired a violent hue ultimately. The Syrian struggle is still on.

All along while the Desert Jasmine was witnessing changes in the surrounding landscapes, the hotbed of Middle East revolution Palestine-Israel borders were keeping relative cool, perhaps because of international attention being diverted to emerging revolting states. Both countries demand for control over their “claimed” territories had taken a back seat, sort of. Or maybe they too were busy watching the unprecedented level of changes taking place in their neighboring nations. However, it is not to discount Israel’s uneasiness over the calm in their disputed land as it was evident in their tries to instigate unrest.

And though I too understood that the lull was before a storm, but I was confident that this time the outcome could be different from all earlier attempts towards freedom in Palestine-Israel conflict. Jasmines will bloom in this holy land too, sometime soon! And I was happy :)

For me the meaning of life is in living, and living “where the mind is without fear and the head is held high”. For me the dignity of life is the most crucial dimension of one’s being. And that is the reason why I thank God for making me a citizen of a democratic country (though there are serious doubts emerging about the degree of real freedom in India as well). But the fact that I can write about it openly – hope no authority or party or person takes offence to any of my “personal” thoughts -  is testimony to the fact that India is an independent country now!

Thinking of and talking about the Middle East – and all such countries in other parts of the world – always left me perplexed. That why was the region perpetually in revolution mode and why no real freedom had been seen for ordinary people even in today’s modern age? This part of the world which was the crucible of civilizations and cultures should have continued to be role model for rest of the population globally. However, sadly and unfortunately, the significance and relevance of most of the things Middle-Eastern have got lost for a larger world. The oil of course remains the sole strongest magnet.

An honest reflection will tell the Middle Easterners that they themselves are primarily responsible for the deteriorating state of affairs in their land. They should have forged a stronger bond among themselves and could have shaped their own destiny much more beautifully. This, of course, does not imply that the life per se is not livable; in fact it is much better than many parts of the world. But, in all honesty, they deserve much better. Using their historic legacy and learning  the structure of governance and state of being could have been inspiration to the rest of the world. United they could have thwarted the attempts of the West – developed nations with insatiable hunger for oil – from venturing into dirty & dangerous oil diplomacy & politics and in the process propping and supporting dictators. More than the ordinary folks, it was the responsibility of various heads of nations to join together in their united pursuit towards geo-political dominance. However, as we know, that could not be a possibility.

Today Israel has provoked Palestine and has re-started almost a war in the Gaza strip. The devastation in the areas is depressing. On the strength of the “Iron Dome” pounding the “enemy’s” places with unrelenting bombing is quite distasteful. Killing hundreds of innocent Palestinians including women and children in name of God-knows-what is reprehensible. As expected, the West is unable to yet again contain the Israeli madness. But what is more unfortunate is the silence in the Middle Eastern states. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Iran and also Iraq besides the smaller ones could have stood up strongly in support of the Palestinians and could have put a brake in Israel’s insanity.

Israel should not forget that the stake on the 'occupied land' is historically with Palestine and only a "live and let live" attitude will result in permanent peace. 

Iran-Iraq, Iraq-Kuwait, Iraq-US, Jasmine revolution, continuing Arab Spring, and of course, the mother of all conflicts – the Palestine-Israel war. These are a few of the contemporary times warfare witnessed in the Middle East. Historically this largely desert land has been beset with battles – most of it among themselves. Elsewhere the world has progressed from a medieval mentality to a modern existence – well almost in certain terms – but this part of the world has remained warped in time. In spite of shared history and religion and culture, the divisions within states have remained glaring. And that is the reason why even in today’s times, the Middle East gets abused repeatedly by the West.

One of the fundamental existential flaws of the region has been its tendency to lean towards religious fundamentalism frequently. The progress which could have put the area on the world map as a dominating power has in fact been stalled consistently by the extremist tendencies of a certain dominant section of its conservative populace. Not to forget that even this situation could have been managed if the Middle East would have stood united. Now, standing united does not imply being governed as one nation state; a regional unity is what it lacks tremendously and to its own peril.

And that is the reason why we see the turmoil re-surging repeatedly in the region. If Tunisia, Egypt and Libya are all facing continuing unrest in spite of them now having democratically elected governments, they returning to crises once again don’t seem a remote possibility. Their first few steps towards democracy seem to be shaky at the moment.

The freshly erupted crisis in Egypt is testimony to trouble-ingrained nature of the Middle East politics. President Morsi’s plans to thwart democratic essence of governance and garner dictator-like powers for himself has to be put to an end by a combined diplomatic effort of rest of the Middle Eastern nations. Else, soon the great state of Egypt will slide into an irreversible downfall. Any negative change taking place in Egypt will augur very badly for the other democracy-aspiring countries of the region as it would set a bad precedent.

These newly minted democratic nations needed full support of the stable Middle Eastern states but we rather see these nations gradually treading the path of religious fundamentalism as was seen earlier in Iran. And if there would have been support, then that would have been ‘unprecedented’!

The contemporary world history is observer to the state of Palestine being abandoned by its powerful neighbors leading to decades of devastating consequences for proud Palestinians. I truly believe that if the Arab world had resisted, the illegally formed state of Israel would not have been able to garner legitimacy. And, even if they did not act then against the Israeli occupation, later with their honest approach they could have successfully implemented the peace accords and the two states solution in the disputed holy land. At the cost of sounding naive in matters of international politics and diplomacy, I simply state that with talks all conflicts can be resolved amicably to both parties satisfaction. Of course, in the process, they also needed to reign in the opposing factions.

The way the world has managed the Israeli-Palestine conflict so far, it seems to keep it going is in interest of many developed nation.

The recent UN upgrade of Palestine to a nonmember observer state is a major step. The resolution to the decades old Palestine-Israel conflict seems a possibility in near future now. Israel expectantly will oppose it tooth & nail and it has already started demonstrating its displeasure openly. However, a united rest of the world – minus the US – will be able to force Israel see the realities and relent.

As the world depends almost entirely for its fuel on the Middle East and for humanity’s sake, it is in the shared interest of the entire world to work towards stability and democracy in the region. The freshly bloomed Desert Jasmine should not be left to wilt away in the harsh desert sun. …  

                         

Congratulations, Mr. President Barack Obama!

Watching you deliver your victory speech tonight I got transported to Grant Park in Chicago where exactly four years ago on the 4^th of November in 2008 you had mesmerized the whole world with your maiden victory speech! You had just created history by becoming the first “black” president of the United States of America and had gained entry into the otherwise forbidden walls of the White House!  

Tonight also it felt exactly the same. Seeing you come on the stage gave me goose bumps. And as you started speaking, my tears started rolling down. My tears were testimony to pure joy! Just like 2008, this year too I was absolutely confident about your chances for the second term. And then I realized how fast the last four years had flown by! I went down my memory lane.

Your journey towards the White House which started with you making a hypnotizing keynote speech at the Democratic Convention in Los Angeles in 2004 brought me into your Universe as an ardent admirer! And I have been a selfless companion ever since, just like billions of your fans all across the globe! Interestingly, and a bit unbelievably, an average Indian was not even aware of your existence back then; they woke up to your presence only in 2008.

Your 2008 nomination as the presidential candidate seemed just a formality from the beginning itself as you were far ahead in terms of qualities and capabilities than all other competing candidates. Nevertheless, as the campaigning progressed, the world along with America got to discover you better. It was almost like witnessing an evolution of Barack Obama, the future president of the United States of America which was going to govern this incredible country of yours for at least next eight years!

“Change You Want” and “Change you can believe in” became synonymous with you! And after a long time people believed in political slogans. They got to greet a genuine leader who was not a politician. The circle of your charisma was not limited to the boundaries of America; your fame had travelled far and wide. The congregation of millions at the Tiergarten in Berlin in July of 2008, waiting patiently for hours to hear you speak live was the proof of you graduating as a world leader. Never before in the history of humanity did any “foreign” political leader have your kind of inclusive influence on people in a faraway land! People’s response all across the globe was simply mindboggling! I and my entire family had eagerly awaited your speech since evening; sleep was the last thing on our mind – and in our eyes – though it was already night in India.             

I fell in irreversible love with you in March of 2008 while listening to your “Race in America” speech in Philadelphia! What a speech it was! Unbelievable! The impact of your words could still be heard reverberating in my heart! That day our bond got cemented forever!

I followed your presidential campaign like a shadow. I joined your mailing list, I read about you extensively on the Net and in your books; you seemed a part of my being; your family members felt like belonging to my family; in my heart and mind, there was no distinction because of geographical & geopolitical barriers. I was no less than a walking encyclopaedia on you!

I distinctly remember the early morning of 4^th November of 2008. I was sleeping when my sister called from Shanghai, accusing me of “still sleeping while your Obama is winning!” And soon my parents and other family members called to congratulate me on your victory! Yes, for them, it was my victory as well! It was as if everybody in my circle had accepted the fact that I had a shared fate with you – just like the billions all across the globe!        

Today also the sequence of events was exactly the same. My sister called me in the early morning to “wake me up” to the election results! My parents and friends congratulated me on your victory! And, today again I cried listening to your victory speech in Chicago!

And I remembered your Toots – your grandmother – who too would have felt exactly the same as she had four years ago – blessing you from up above the sky so high! Wish God had kept her alive for just two more days in ’08 so that she could herself witness the beautiful metamorphosis of her “black” grandson into the 44^th – and 1^st black – president of the United States of America!

And how could I not remember your amazing mother Anne who transferred her extraordinary genes into you and made you what you are today!

Now I wait for your inauguration in January of next year. In fact everything from your earlier inauguration is so fresh in my memory that four years seem just like yesterday. I await you inauguration speech just like I did before.  

“Barack” means “blessed” and blessed indeed is America, and so is the world, with you being there as the president of the United States of America! May God be with you, as always! And, hope to see you soon in India – this time with Shasha, Malia and Bo, besides the First Lady Michelle :) 

Congratulations, again, Mr. President Barack Obama!

Wanted: an International Interlocutor for Iran

It was only yesterday that I came across a thought provoking article in one of the issues of The Speaking Tree from the Times of India and my thoughts on Iran issue crystallized! That the world needs an able international interlocutor to deal with Iran! Now, what should be the qualities of this interlocutor saddled with the immense responsibility to bring Iran to the table?

This international interlocutor should be a Taoist. That’s it! That this international interlocutor should have a comprehensive view of the world, his vision encompassing all possible facets of life. Sounds daunting? Well, no, if the international interlocutor is a Taoist!

International interlocution is an extremely difficult task in which chances of success – sustained success – is rare. We have witnessed many talks fail at the initial stages itself or go on till eternity without any probable solution on the horizon visible ever. Beyond a period the entire exercise starts resembling a time-pass job for the person(s) involved. And with time the matter gets erased from the world’s memory till the topic resurfaces later because of some ‘triggering factor’. And the whole mechanism is reignited… Welcome to the world of international interlocution!

The first UNO Secretary General had famously stated that it is better to jaw-jaw than war-war! He was in his own way defending the infamous state of the United Nations Organization’s reputation of being a place for perpetual talks, and no action! Well, if you take a closer look at the various wars fought in the contemporary times, majority was fought because of gross breakdown of communication between two countries. Though, the intention at the core of conflict predictably & primarily have been the never-satiable desire for wider global control but the igniting force was in almost all instances the breakdown of mutual talks. And if only, and I truly believe in my theory, that if the warring protagonists had decided to sit together and talk majority of the wars would not have taken place.

Now, if you are curiously waiting the unraveling of this much celebrated by now international interlocutor, then here I go, but I want you to simultaneously ponder over this issue.

As we know, international interlocution is an enormously challenging responsibility and the person involved has to be awfully tactful in negotiations. And because the discussions engage humans on both sides, the human angle(s) cannot be overlooked. This international interlocutor is concentrated upon finding a “way out” of the conflicting situation, and there comes the role of his Taoistic capabilities – to look for alternatives. Because while dealing with humans, you cannot afford rigid positions as nothing is black-or-white in life, including in international interlocution. Here comes the belief in Taoism handy as it is based on creating balance amidst imbalance, the latter stemming from the sense of disproportion. And you cannot also rest upon “one-sided” solution for all problems. The attitude of “my way or high way” ruins the process in the beginning itself.

The other aspect is sustenance of the solution reached upon. Because crumbling of peace is almost inevitable in most of the cases - soon after.

Humans, as we know for being one our self, is a complex being. Though all humans share the same DNA sequence but the genes are wired differently in every person. The human behavior and approach are shaped more by the environment and less by the genetic makeup. We see certain characteristics specific to people from a particular region or religion and all is determined by the surrounding ambience. As individuals we may be our own person but when it comes to ‘communities/countries’ we behave in a certain predictable pattern guided by the common belief and value systems – DNA of their country (!). There are cultural factors intertwined. Therefore, same lens cannot be used to diagnose the problem and thus arrive at the solution. The person acting as the international interlocutor has to have in-depth knowledge of the people involved and the historical-cultural background of the countries engaged in the conflict.

And, of course, the international interlocutor cannot have prejudices and biases and predetermined notional approach to the task. The talks have to be conducted in a balanced environment with equal weightage being accorded to both the communicating partners, irrespective of the status of the individual countries on the geopolitical index, keeping the cultural sensibilities of both the sides in view.

The case in point is Iran. So far the world diplomacy has failed to bring this strategically important country to the table. In fact the scenario has become worse and now it has come to the stage of a full blown conflict between both, Iran and the ‘rest of the world’ being positioned exactly opposite to each other. The ‘rest of the world’ – the West led by the US – has pushed Iran to the corner by sanctioning harsh economic and social embargoes and expectedly Iran has reacted by blocking oil supplies to 8 Eurozone countries. Iran has further gone ahead and stationed its missile warheads ready just in case …

Who is to be blamed in this unnecessarily provoked conflict situation? (All conflicts are unnecessary – if you analyze it critically.)

Iran is no saint nation. It has its own sets of problems – not for the ‘rest-of-the-world’ but ironically perpetrated upon its own people, the various manifestations of religious fundamentalists that life of an average Iranian is not something to be vied for. But Iran controls the second largest reserves of liquid gold – Oil! Oil, the life-line of today’s world and which is much more valuable than gold! Ask America and it will be readily willing to swap all its gold reserves for all of the world’s Oil – Saudi Arabia and Iran to start with! The kernel of the ongoing Iran conflict lies here – in the Oil!

Because Iran controls second largest reserves of Oil, therefore, the world – the US mainly – wants to control Iran! And this is no hypothesis. Otherwise, why will the world – the US – have duplicity in its diplomacy while dealing with various nations, many of them rouge and much more fundamentalists than Iran; nuclear arsenals is just one of the excuse to gain so-called legitimate access to Iran’s vast Oil reserves!

On Nuclear issue too, how can the US and other “nuclear” nations preach nuclear abstinence to Iran when they themselves are armed to teeth with nuclear warheads, with a combined capacity to destroy the complete world at least 15 times over? (Well, one can die only once, sadly!) What legitimacy does all these nuclear nations have which gives them the moral-or-immoral authority to curb an independent nation’s nuclear ambitions when it is repeatedly proclaiming its peaceful intents? Even if the fact that Iran fought with Iraq for almost a decade but that does not make it a global threat! And by the way, we all know that both these neighboring countries were pitched against each other to neutralize each other and create a conflict zone in the Middle East to suit global arms dealers’ desires. Both Iran and Iraq got used and abused by the West, including the US. The intention was only one: to gain forever access to their huge Oil reserves in order to satiate their ever growing energy demands. Saudi Arabia, the world knew, was never going to be easy to target, anyway, and that is the reason it has never been eyed so far in spite of being the largest Oil producer.

The argument that Iran is a terror sponsoring state is also hollow. The world knows the creators of Taliban and Al-Qaeda; stretching the reasoning a bit far, dictators like Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi and Hosni Mubarak and others, including financially supporting terror crucibles like Pakistan, are the playthings/grounds of the ‘rest-of-the world’ and not Iran. Thus, painting a purposefully bad picture of Iran and using the same against it in the global arena to garner support and buy legitimacy so as to corner it – for Oil, what else?! - is going to be highly detrimental for the world order.

The solution is to engage Iran in dialogue but with an honest intent and not with a prejudiced baggage. The international interlocutors involved have to have a clear picture of Iran as a nation in mind. They have to remember its ancient history and its evolution through the various historic and contemporary periods and its position in today’s world. Iran is the oldest civilized country of the world and it has a rich Persian heritage of which the Iranians are extremely proud of! Okay, it has gone wayward in modern times due to its now adopted fundamentalistic approach in politics and governance but still it does not get categorized as a rogue nation. Iran is an aggressive nation but its current posturing is more because of its international isolation post its West-fuelled decade long Iraq war – which also gave opportunity for the Islamic extremism to flourish further. Its decision to develop nuclear capabilities indigenously also stemmed from these set of problems.

And if the world wants to engage Iran honestly, then the international interlocutors have to have 360-degree knowledge of its history and culture and religion and its people and its heritage and legacy. This is pre-requisite to a successful interlocution between the ‘rest-of-the-world’ and Iran.

To talk absolutely naive, if Barack Obama picks up his Blackberry and calls up President Ahmadinejad, will not the latter agree to an across the table conversation? (Provided the White House warmongering hawks let the President take this initiative!) The venue may not be Washington or Tehran, but the UN Secretary General’s office can just be the best place to talk! Mr. Ban Ki Moon, are you listening?

…………………………………….

P.S: Iran-Iraq: conjoined neighbors?

The Iran-Iraq connection is divine in spite of the divide. Look at the history of both the neighboring nations and you would understand. The emergence of both the countries is ancient, both being the cradle of civilization. And both have shared similar fate in their evolution, as conjoined entities. Looking at the currently active events in the world of global politics and power, it would not be a prophecy to proclaim that it is the turn of Iran to get battered by the U.S. like its troubled neighbor Iraq…

Why is India incredibly helpless, always?

Terror has struck India again, Bombay to be precise. (Bal Thackeray would want to impose his diktat even today that I say Mumbai instead of Bombay!) And the spectacle in India is absolutely on the expected lines: serial blasts, people killed, chaos all around, victims shifted to hospitals, media frenzy, 24x7 coverage, news headlines screaming “Resilient Mumbai” / “Life goes on in Mumbai” / “Mumbai back at work” / “Indomitable Spirit of Mumbai lives on” / etc. etc., condolences expressed by political leaders in the same words as used post every such previous terror attacks, candle light homage by people, anger and frustration of population – Bombayiites in the current case, again – aired on news channels non-stop, press briefing by security agencies, PM’s “stern” statement that “perpetrators of terror should (?!) be brought to justice”, international condemnation – especially by the US and the UN, visit to hospitals and blast sites by top political leaders, criticism of Pakistan and our own country’s Pak-policy by the Opposition, … and the life will go on, as always, till yet another terror attack strikes Bombay or any other part of India…

This is India. Incredible, isn’t it?

The sequence of events post a terror strike is almost same in any other nation on this earth. The difference, however, lies in the fact that elsewhere such attacks is followed by actions by the government - unlike in India.

In India, on the contrary, crores of taxpayers’ money is being spent to protect the biggest terrorist caught on the Indian soil so far. That is Ajmal Kasab for the world, the terrorist whose remorseless acts of massacres on the night of 26/11 in 2008 is still fresh in mind of public, but our esteem judiciary fails to get convinced that the evidence caught on close circuit cameras are adequate to fast track his verdict and his hanging. It is shocking to see that instead of punishing the perpetrator, our country is hell bent on showcasing its “top of the world” criminal justice system to the world by protecting a terrorist! So what if in the process India has managed to throw away its responsibilities towards protection of its citizens and delivering justice to victims’ families? So what if in the process India has succeeded in sending a strong signal to terrorists all across the world the it is okay to target the country at will because our nation lacks courage to safeguard itself?

This is India. Incredible, isn’t it?

What perplexes me the most is India’s utter helplessness in all such situations!

Why cannot we act tough? Why cannot we tell the terrorists that “enough is enough” and that they stay clear of India? Why cannot we crackdown on terror outfits, within our boundaries and beyond if need be? Why cannot we let our neighbors – Pakistan and other surrounding nations - know that they “behave”? Why cannot we bolster our intelligence systems further? Why cannot we use “actionable” intelligence to fend off any probable attack? Why cannot we work in a coordinated manner to safeguard India? Why cannot we put a functional anti-terror mechanism in place? Why cannot we put adequate pressure on the US to stop supporting – using - Pakistan to suit its narrow global aspirations and in turn turn almost a blind eye to its terror activities? Why cannot we tell the US to stop funding Pakistan till it aborts its terror exports? Why cannot we relook at our foreign policies and forge strong alliances with other important nations and take their support on issues concerning global terrorism, affecting India the most? Why cannot we use the UN platform to put our case strongly in front of the world? Why …???

The swiftness we exhibit in naming all such attack dates as 26/11, 13/7 now – obviously inspired by 9/11 – and then conveniently forgetting about it a few days later to everybody’s bliss is the most disgusting aspect of our dealing with terror attacks.

There are numerous “whys” but before we get answers to all these and more, we will have to demonstrate to the world – and terrorists in particular – that we value an Indian’s life! That we will not tolerate loss of even a single life in hands of a terrorist! That if any terrorist tries to act funny, we will crush the entire terror infrastructure! That we will not permit any breach of our security and safety and peace and that anybody indulging into it will face severe consequences!

But most importantly, we will have to show to the world – and the terrorists in particular – that we will not hide behind the “resilience” curtains anymore! That we will act and act tough!

Ok, all these sound pretty politically patriotic rhetoric; and that is precisely what we have to avoid. We have to act!

By the way, what are all these talks of “resilience” and “spirit of Mumbai”? What do we expect the Mumbaikars to do the day after? Sit at home and watch endless coverage on television? For how long? Is there any other option than going to work the next day? Wouldn’t all of us if caught in a similar situation do the same? Have we not witnessed a similar response in other Indian cities as well? Or, seen people reacting in similar fashion in terror-struck international cities for that matter?

Let us stop indulging into such mindless discussions and even thoughts of “resilience” and “spirit”.

Let us not act victim anymore; instead, let us show courage and act tough against terrorism.

Let us start by hanging Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru immediately. I am sure that if the government is trying to play minority appeasement political card here by putting both of these hardcore terrorists in death “row” - and that is what the GOI is doing exactly - then the Supreme Court should intervene. It is high time. India needs to see justice delivered; and, a closure to 26/11.

I hate seeing India act “helpless” …

World Leaders' Lessons in Dictator Management

Libya is burning and the world leaders are watching. They look as weak as ever and their almost stoic silence is baffling and frustrating. Muammar Gaddafi is killing his own countrymen; his illusion that he has the birthright to stay in power in conflict with Libyans’ wish should be put to an end immediately.

The United Nations which claims to be the custodian of global peace is looking as disunited as always. Even the US, the all powerful nation, is not manifesting any capability to stop the Gaddafi-sponsored carnage. The so-called compulsions of internal politics and governance in the times of economic slowdown are simply excuses. To think that in 21^st century we could be witnessing utter mutilation of humans’ rights and dignity and liberty while the entire world watched helplessly is appalling and not acceptable, and unavoidable. If the so-called global leaders cannot do any thing against Muammar Gaddafi – and all the other dictators - then they should vacate their mantle and let the courageous of the world take over the responsibilities of ridding the humanity from the shackles of stubborn monsters.

The time is still not lost. A lot could be done to oust Muammar Gaddafi. Ban Ki Moon should convene an emergency meeting of all member states and chart a military intervention strategy to stop Gaddafi’s use of violence immediately. Only sanctions will not work; nor will any amount of rhetoric satisfy the world. If force needs to be used then be it. Under the aegis of the UN, an allied force should be urgently sent to Libya to forcefully evict Gaddafi. Barack Obama, besides being the president of the most powerful nation, has the personality and the support of the global populace as a world leader, and, therefore, he should lead the world and support its pro-democracy pursuits. He - along with other global leaders - has to act his role and ensure an “orderly transition” in many parts of the world. He cannot afford to be a mute spectator and abandon the people of the world. And, hollow condemnation is akin to condoning.

President Obama, are you listening? …

……….….

Muammar Gaddafi’s desperate attempt to cling to power in face of fierce opposition to his iron fisted rule is comical in equal measures as it is cruel. Because, if he has read the world history then he should have known that dictators do not survive people’s revolt. It is only a matter of few days before Libyans’ uprising will consume him soon.

……………

Folklore: In gratitude to the US president for not clamoring for his ouster sincerely, the erstwhile Egyptian president had decided to spell himself as Hosni MuBarack! …

……………

But the story or the struggle does not end here. World leaders have to evolve as geopoliticians and equip themselves adequately and become strong enough to deal with the future dictators of the world, if any; narrow ‘national interests’ should not be used as a smokescreen to conduct international diplomacy anymore. The rules of global governance have to be re-written by credible global leaders; they have already tasted the limits of their power and influence when it comes to tackling the world tyrants. And, hope they learn their lessons in dictator management soon…

Nitish Kumar is Bihar's Barack Obama

Never before in my living memory I have witnessed such transformations: of people, of a state and of a country, therefore. In India, I mean. A similar scenario had presented itself in America exactly a year ago when a predominantly white nation had elected a black man – an African-American – to the White House; United States of America had got bewitched by the charm of Barack Obama’s “Change We Can Believe In” theme!

I am sure you must have guessed that today I am talking about Bihar’s Barack Obama i.e. Nitish Kumar.

Like Barack Obama, Nitish Kumar is a God sent Blessing for the people and the state of Bihar. Bihar which had got labeled as a “failed” state is now progressing towards becoming a “developing” state. “Developed” is still not the appropriate word to describe the state-of-affairs there. And bringing Bihar to its current level of existence must have been extremely difficult for Nitish Kumar. Because the world knows the depth to which its erstwhile politicians – Lalu Prasad Yadav & family and many before him – had pulled Bihar to. Bihar, from being the center of the Indian civilization and power, had become a pariah state.

Bihar was the capital of India and had the renowned ancient Indian dynasties Mauryas and Guptas ruling the country from Patliputra – now Patna. How can we not remember Ashoka The Great – the greatest of the Indian emperors - and the great contributions he made to the Indian culture and the world as well from the soil of Bihar! The spread of Buddhism beyond the Indian borders is his credit solely.

The biggest irony is that Nalanda which was amongst the greatest centers of learning in the world was based in Bihar, the same state which today has the highest illiteracy rate in India. Nothing could be more contrasting!

Even in the contemporary India, Bihar has been an important center for politics and has greatly shaped the national polity. Its political trends have set precedents. (India gets its maximum entrants in the public service – IAS – from Bihar.)

How did this magnificent state manage this extraordinary downward spiral?

Bihar’s politicians and its people are to be blamed in equal proportions for its sorry-state-of-affairs. Because Bihar’s people went along with their rotten politicians and aided them in their loot with their continued votes and, in the process, became a partner in bringing the state to its shameful level of despair and dejection. Lalu Prasad Yadav’s 15 long years of tenure as its chief minister – in person and with “proxy” - robbed the state completely and Bihar hit its nadir.

Nitish Kumar’s chief ministership has enormously arrested the decline of Bihar. Not only has he demonstrated his abilities to govern an ungovernable state like Bihar but has also shown to his detractors that he in fact has the capabilities to make the turnaround which has started to show. The recent election has proved that Bihar has indeed moved on: from its caste based myopic politics to development based governance and Nitish Kumar has beautifully orchestrated this transformation.

Nitish Kumar has done very well in Bihar – for Bihar. But it is simply scratching the surface in that immensely potential state. He has the people’s mandate; now he has enormous responsibilities as well. He has to continue with his objectives for a “developed” Bihar. I am sure with Nitish Kumar at the helm of affairs the day is not far when Bihar will get back to its glorious days! And once again it will serve as the “Vihar” (abode) for “Brahma” (the God) – in line with the origin of its name J

Great work, Mr. Nitish Kumar! Keep it up! Bihar is with you and so is India! You can “metamorphose” Bihar.

Nevertheless, one point I would like to make here is that the first thing you must take up immediately is the “education” of your people; “empower” them with knowledge and skills to compete with the rest of the country, and the world. Then only “Bihari Pride” will make sense – as articulated by you eloquently during your election rally…Then only the “Change” will come to Bihar. Then only Bihar will eventually graduate from being a “failed” state to become a “flourishing” state.

………………

P.S.: Wonder what “tip” Barack Obama would have given to Nitish Kumar if they had met during his recent trip to India. Certainly something on “Change We Can Believe In” as both have to continue their remarkable endeavors in their respective “States”!

MSD and Hounds of Mediavilles

(My younger sister is a big fan of Mahender Singh Dhoni and she has him on “Google alert”. She forwarded me the necessary links on Media coverage of MSD’s marriage based on which I am making my opinion here. Also, out of curiosity I made special efforts to watch some of that drama on various channels. Otherwise, I completely stay away from Hindi news channels. Though I understand a couple of regional languages but I don’t torture myself by watching any of them.)

..............................................

Even if – I’m simply making an assumption here - MSD hasn’t read Sherlock Holmes’ spy adventure in Baskervilles, yet he would have easily identified the surrounding hounds of Mediavilles during his marriage! In those “Doon” days the Indian paparazzi phenomenon acquired a new proportion the face of which was pretty ugly. Thankfully the English News channels (I vouch for Times Now, NDTV and CNN-IBN only) maintained their balance otherwise the Hindi ones resembled one big consortium all out on a big game safari! Not that the print was any far behind in the crazy game! And, crazy it was - to use a mild expression!

MSD “faulted” in wanting to have some peaceful and personal moments with his immediate family and close friends during his marriage. Media’s “fault” was it could not digest the fact that in today’s 24x7 news environment it had to lose out on “live” coverage of a “big ticket” event like marriage of the Indian cricket team’s captain. After all, Media is used to getting all-details-provided “special invites” to such celebrities’ weddings.

The funniest part – which was not funny at all - of the whole drama during MSD’s marriage days was the erroneous reporting being indulged into by the Media. Every reporter seemed to have manufactured on-the-spot his or her own version of MSD-Sakshi love story – their childhood, their meeting, their dating and their marriage – their life in totality. Nobody seemed to have any knowledge about most of the things. Still every channel was trying to outdo others by resorting to never-seen-before tactics on television. The “surround scribes effect” was quite hilarious!

I am sure no other “Breaking News” – the “real” ones of big magnitude - would have succeeded in “Breaking” the series of “Breaking News” on MSD’s marriage rituals. The “accuracy” of ritual timings being flashed – ‘broken’ – on the television screen gave an impression as if one was witnessing Olympics sporting events! So what if every channel had a different timing for the same ritual! Every channel was claiming precision of the timings as if they were being fed with updated tweets by MSD himself!

But the biggest problem I had with Media’s “intrusive” journalism – at its worst, I must say! – in those “Doon” days was the “divisive” reportage they had adopted plainly out of revenge. The Media was unabashedly trying to forge a permanent divide between MSD and his team members – all those “unfortunate” and “uninvited” ones. Media’s “divide & rule” policy was certainly unpardonable. The arrogance of the Media was repulsive.

Also laughable was the “response” of a few cricketers to Media’s bait i.e. provocative questioning – Gautam Gambhir in particular. Sadly, though our national cricket team members are exposed to the international sporting ambience, they are yet to graduate to being truly international – global – in their attitude. They are yet to break free from their “Indian” mentality – of being Deewana in Begani shaadi!

Our esteemed cricketers and the esteemed Media need to be made to understand the difference between “personal” and “professional” aspects of one’s life, even if it involves a fellow cricketer or a celebrity. They also need to be regularly updated on the international stature personalities’ weddings: that how those are held, who all are invited and “not” invited, and how the rest of the world – Media included – reacts to a particular occasion.

In fact, today is a big learning day for our Media, and cricketers: The only daughter of the ex-president of the United States of America is getting married. And not every president/prime minister – ex-/current – of all countries, UN officials included, and every diplomat he probably shook hands with on this earth has been invited for Chelsea’s marriage; the entire bunch of current US senators perhaps has also not been invited. And, all hell is not going to break loose on Bill and Hillary Clinton for keeping their daughter’s wedding a private affair and away from the prying eyes of the omnipresent Media.

Even if the western media paparazzi is quite infamous for their extreme brand of “intrusive” journalism, by tomorrow morning the world will know that the “reaction” of the world Media hasn’t been over-the-board even if they were not invited in full numbers: in contrast to the Indian Media’s outrage and outrageous behaviour during and post MSD’s marriage.

In conclusion: Even though the Indian news market and thus the news channels (I have same advice for the print media) have evolved but in numbers only; the Indian Media has to evolve in its conduct as well: from being “hounds” to “humble and sensible”.

Till then: MSD, you did the right thing by keeping the intrusive elements out of your personal celebrations. You are a “public” figure but you are fully entitled to a “private” life and your “personal” life is nobody’s business. Hopefully other celebrities will learn from you. … Congratulations, to you and Sakshi :)

India-US-Pak Triangle and My Umbrella

I was watching Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the over-the-top Foreign Minister of Pakistan at his theatrical best during the joint press conference with his US counterpart recently that the memories of my childhood’s multi-coloured umbrella came rushing in! I smiled, and soon started laughing! It was such a sweet memory, after all :)

I remember I had just started going to school. My parents gifted me a beautiful multi-coloured umbrella. And I instantly fell in love with it. My attachment became so ardent with that little piece of my initial few possessions that it almost became a part of me, my identity. And, if my mother did not bring that umbrella to the near-by bus stop, rain-or-no-rain, sun-or-no-sun, I would stubbornly refuse to walk back home. My obsession with my umbrella soon spread far and wide!

And my umbrella's story reached the ears of my self-styled competitor – yes, a trait so rare at that tender age! - in our immediate neighbourhood where lived a girl little elder to me. That girl had to have everything – yes, everything – which I had: be it dresses or toys or books or … yes, you guessed it right … an umbrella, too!

That girl created a huge fuss and pressured her parents in to buying almost a same umbrella for her! …

So, now you understand why I remembered my beautiful childhood umbrella watching Shah Mehmood Qureshi at his theatrical best in the US?

Well, while S. M. Qureshi’s attempts were quite hilarious and with his antics he had apparently succeeded in amusing Hillary Clinton – though only superficially - the Pakistani Foreign Minister was desperately trying to appease Madame Secretary for getting America to agree to an India-like civil nuclear deal for Pakistan too.

Now you see the connection between the India-US-Pakistan triangular relationship and my childhood umbrella?

In the not-so-easy geopolitical equations between India-US-Pakistan, Pakistan is that little spoilt girl from my neighbourhood who wanted everything that I had as a child, including an umbrella!

Well, on an adult-like serious note, I am sure that the Obama administration is not so naïve to give in to the obsessive demands of Pakistan, ranging from F-16s to military arsenals to monetary aids to civil nuclear deal; anyway, most of which are likely to be aimed against India in all probability. The US establishment understands all too well that Pakistan is a rogue state and is the epicenter of spread of terrorism in the world today. Howsoever crucial Pakistan’s role the US may deem to be in resolving the ever escalating Afghanistan conflict as an important component of its Af-Pak strategy for the crisis-ridden region, it will not let an almost failed nation get access to nuclear energy technology whose usage – abuse – it cannot guarantee for civil purposes exclusively. It would be akin to giving WMDs in hands of a Demon! Pakistan’s repeated proclaims of not being in control of its non-state actors – terrorists, extremists, fundamentalists – go absolutely against its own arguments to secure a favourable nuclear deal – India-like - from its otherwise old ally, the United States of America.

Therefore, India need not worry at all.

Nevertheless, at the end, I must thank Mr. Qureshi for taking me back on my memory lane and let me cherish in my thoughts my beautiful little multi-coloured umbrella!

(The umbrella is still secured at home – though now tattered and faded – along with few other valuables from my childhood.)

………………..

Watching Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s theatrics also reminded me of an age-old adage about “Politics Being the Theatre of the Absurd”! He for sure was an absurdist personified that afternoon!

Pune Terror Attack: Available Intelligence not Actionable Enough?

India was attacked again; this time – on 13th Feb’10 - the city on terrorists’ radar was Pune, almost a twin city of Bombay. And this happened in spite of the “actionable intelligence” available with the concerned authorities. In fact, the intelligence available was so glaring and clear that in order to have ignored it completely must have been a monumental task for the people concerned. Only last week Pune was mentioned – publicly – in LeT’s/JuD’s massive rally in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, held primarily to press their anti-India point, as a sure target for their attack. And the television footage/newspaper transcripts were available with all concerned in India, besides the other relevant and related intelligence reports provided by the indigenous agencies.

Still India kept sleeping. But, why? Nobody knows the answer for sure. Nor is anybody hopeful of getting a credible explanation from the ever-sleepy state government or even the now active Home Ministry.

Without towing the usual line – almost clichéd as far as terror attacks are concerned – of discussions or debates, I want to simply put this point across that when will India acquire a “zero-tolerance” attitude towards terrorism? Like every earlier time post Pakistan-sponsored terror attacks, this time too India is almost muted in voicing its protest. Our country once again is exhibiting its lack of courage in denying the “talking” opportunity – actually cementing our neighbour’s “denial” platform further - to Pakistan which is being paraded in the garb of the so-called resuming of the so-called peace-process-through-dialogues.

India for sure is acting under the US pressure in this regard. My question is: Can’t India hold its stand strongly enough so as not to succumb to any international diplomatic pressures, US’ included, till Pakistan actually “walked its talk” on its fight against terror emanating from within its boundaries? Do we really need to talk to Pakistan, so desperately?

But, then, talk for what?

Haven’t we already talked enough in the past sixty years? Or is it only a charade being put up by India in order to gag the geopolitical hawks – US included – and keep them off its shoulder and in fact keep going with the efforts and pressure on Pakistan for stopping cross-border terrorism?

Even if the answer to the last question is “yes”, my objection is in India getting re-positioned as a “soft” state – and a target for terror, therefore – when it is supposed to be “poised” for superpowerdom. Repeated terror strikes and India’s awfully “soft” and inconsistent responses make it seem hugely vulnerable and highly incompetent for the global leadership role.

Still, the diplomatic pundits in the government want to go ahead with the resumption of the so-called peace talks with Pakistan. Well, I can only say, All The Best. But just remember the GOI: All is not well in India.

On 14th Feb – Valentine’s Day - when the entire world was talking about spreading love, India was battling, once again, the aftermath of yet another terror attack. Unfortunately, India seems to be fast getting used to it. For India, Enough is still not Enough.

God save India.

………………………………………

I had always wondered – actually wished! – why should The Newshour have only 60 minutes? Today, with its special edition, the Newshour did stretch to 120 minutes and it was a pleasant surprise to see it getting aired on a Sunday evening. But honestly, its millions of dedicated viewers will vouch that we had never wanted our wish to come true in this unfortunate manner, for an unfortunate incident. Nevertheless, the 2-hour debate was comprehensive and incisive, as always, in the true Timesnow tradition!