GOOD PEOPLE, BAD GOVTS.- INDIA & PAKISTAN
We have 2 main similaraties in India and Pakistan. Corrupt, tainted and merciless politicians in India and All powerful and merciless Army in Pakistan. The second similarity is compassionate people on both sides.
I have been writing quite harsh articles on terrorism exported from Pakistan and how we should deal with it firmly. I still hold this view. I always thought that war was the only solution to the problem. But yesterday, everything in my mind changed. Sanity came to my rescue, that war was not the solution. If we go to war with Pakistan, innocent, common people from both the sides will die and our politicians and army in Pakistan will go to safe havens in underground bunkers, to leave their people die for their misdeeds. The culprits will still be alive. Why should innocent people from both the sides die, for which they are not responsible ?
Yesterday, 11th january, 09, I was invited by Nikko as we call her, I mean Mrs Jasmeet Nayyar, Principal, S.R. Govt. College for Women on a discussion by eminent people " Challenges of terrorism, Role of the religion ". Nikko and her family are old friends of mine. She knew, i would be interested to attend such a seminar, as I keep on writing about such topics. Mrs. Bhattal Of Congress and Capt. Kanwaljit Singh of Akali Dal were part of the speakers, in whom i was hardly interested.
Swami Aginivesh, spoke of his experience, when he went to Pakistan. As the swamiji is always dressed in saffron clothes, his friends in India discouraged him, not to go In unfamiliar teritory, where saffron is most hated. They told him he was going to Pakistan to commit a suicide, specially when he had saffron signature all the time. But he took the risk and still went ahead to visit Pakistan 3 times later. The hosts used to prepare special vegetarian food for him and whenever he went to the market in Lahore to buy fruits and juice, nobody took any money from him, saying that he was their guest. This shows how compassonate people are on both the sides.
What impressed me most, was a touching speech by Asma Jehangir, Chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. I wondered, If Pakistani administration knew the meaning of humans and rights, both, but that is true. She was candid in admitting the failure of Pakistan to deal with state actors and non-state actors, a new terminology which Pakistan uses, these days. She admitted the failure of Pakistan in failing to arrest perpetrators of terrorism in Pakistan. She told the audience that Indian Govt. has been dealing with military dictators for many years but nothing came out of it. She admitted the current civilian govt. in Pakistan is " Lulli- Langri " and was nascent to deal with terrorism as they have no control over the terrorist outfits and ISI in Pakistan. She said that India must give some time to this " Lulli langri " civilian govt, so that it can set its house in order, before it starts delivering.. If India goes to war with Pakistan, it will benefit the Pakistani army the most, who will take centre-stage again, thus dismissing the elected govt. in Pakistan. I think, she had a point and we must look into this aspect, being a democracy.
Imtiaz Alam, Secretary General of SAFMA, admitted openly that lone terrorist, Ajmal Kasab, captured was a Pakistani national. He could find it out in 2 hours, after the attack, from his sources in Faridkot in pakistan, where he belonged to. He reteriated that Pakistan must cooperate with India to get the guilty punished. He was of the view that SAARC nations form a joint investigating agency and have a common court to try such terrorists. These sane voices coming from Pakistan was a refreshing change and are quite different from the denial statements coming from Pakistani govt.
Today i feel that every country has sane and insane people. Pakistan and India are no exception. Asma Jehangir, reteriated that there is a need to keep up the composite dialogue, as that that is what the common man in both the nations want. Terrorism can be discouraged if people continue with exchange programme and dialogue. She advocated relaxed visa norms to improve bilateral relations.
I was quite convinced that war is no solution to the problem. Let people from both the countries interact more and more and isolate the war mongering politicians from both the sides. If this exchange programme continues, common people can do a lot to presssurize both the govts. to deliver on many fronts.
I am of the opinion that let sane voices from both the countries, stage dharanas, encircle their respective Parliaments and establish pressure groups, who can change the mindset of both the govts. If people to people exchange builds up on a large scale, the terrorists who want to divide both the countries can become irrelevant and joint mechanisms can be put into action sincerely, to catch these terror outfits in Pakistan. Remember, there is no greater voice, than the voice of the common people of both the countries.
But punishing the ISI, army and terror outfits, should still remain the top agenda of our govt. Diplomatically or by covert operations or by surgical strikes. Pakistan must deliver.
I have been writing quite harsh articles on terrorism exported from Pakistan and how we should deal with it firmly. I still hold this view. I always thought that war was the only solution to the problem. But yesterday, everything in my mind changed. Sanity came to my rescue, that war was not the solution. If we go to war with Pakistan, innocent, common people from both the sides will die and our politicians and army in Pakistan will go to safe havens in underground bunkers, to leave their people die for their misdeeds. The culprits will still be alive. Why should innocent people from both the sides die, for which they are not responsible ?
Yesterday, 11th january, 09, I was invited by Nikko as we call her, I mean Mrs Jasmeet Nayyar, Principal, S.R. Govt. College for Women on a discussion by eminent people " Challenges of terrorism, Role of the religion ". Nikko and her family are old friends of mine. She knew, i would be interested to attend such a seminar, as I keep on writing about such topics. Mrs. Bhattal Of Congress and Capt. Kanwaljit Singh of Akali Dal were part of the speakers, in whom i was hardly interested.
Swami Aginivesh, spoke of his experience, when he went to Pakistan. As the swamiji is always dressed in saffron clothes, his friends in India discouraged him, not to go In unfamiliar teritory, where saffron is most hated. They told him he was going to Pakistan to commit a suicide, specially when he had saffron signature all the time. But he took the risk and still went ahead to visit Pakistan 3 times later. The hosts used to prepare special vegetarian food for him and whenever he went to the market in Lahore to buy fruits and juice, nobody took any money from him, saying that he was their guest. This shows how compassonate people are on both the sides.
What impressed me most, was a touching speech by Asma Jehangir, Chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. I wondered, If Pakistani administration knew the meaning of humans and rights, both, but that is true. She was candid in admitting the failure of Pakistan to deal with state actors and non-state actors, a new terminology which Pakistan uses, these days. She admitted the failure of Pakistan in failing to arrest perpetrators of terrorism in Pakistan. She told the audience that Indian Govt. has been dealing with military dictators for many years but nothing came out of it. She admitted the current civilian govt. in Pakistan is " Lulli- Langri " and was nascent to deal with terrorism as they have no control over the terrorist outfits and ISI in Pakistan. She said that India must give some time to this " Lulli langri " civilian govt, so that it can set its house in order, before it starts delivering.. If India goes to war with Pakistan, it will benefit the Pakistani army the most, who will take centre-stage again, thus dismissing the elected govt. in Pakistan. I think, she had a point and we must look into this aspect, being a democracy.
Imtiaz Alam, Secretary General of SAFMA, admitted openly that lone terrorist, Ajmal Kasab, captured was a Pakistani national. He could find it out in 2 hours, after the attack, from his sources in Faridkot in pakistan, where he belonged to. He reteriated that Pakistan must cooperate with India to get the guilty punished. He was of the view that SAARC nations form a joint investigating agency and have a common court to try such terrorists. These sane voices coming from Pakistan was a refreshing change and are quite different from the denial statements coming from Pakistani govt.
Today i feel that every country has sane and insane people. Pakistan and India are no exception. Asma Jehangir, reteriated that there is a need to keep up the composite dialogue, as that that is what the common man in both the nations want. Terrorism can be discouraged if people continue with exchange programme and dialogue. She advocated relaxed visa norms to improve bilateral relations.
I was quite convinced that war is no solution to the problem. Let people from both the countries interact more and more and isolate the war mongering politicians from both the sides. If this exchange programme continues, common people can do a lot to presssurize both the govts. to deliver on many fronts.
I am of the opinion that let sane voices from both the countries, stage dharanas, encircle their respective Parliaments and establish pressure groups, who can change the mindset of both the govts. If people to people exchange builds up on a large scale, the terrorists who want to divide both the countries can become irrelevant and joint mechanisms can be put into action sincerely, to catch these terror outfits in Pakistan. Remember, there is no greater voice, than the voice of the common people of both the countries.
But punishing the ISI, army and terror outfits, should still remain the top agenda of our govt. Diplomatically or by covert operations or by surgical strikes. Pakistan must deliver.
posted by vaneet kundra at
Monday, January 12, 2009
5 Comments:
how come sudden change of heart from war to friendship.
Dear deepak,
It is not a chage of heart. Please resd the article carefully. My stance remains the same. But why should innocent people from both the countries suffer for no fault of theirs ? only perpetrators should be punished and punished hard, so that they dare not have an evil eye on our motherland.
I DONT AGREE WITH YOU. PAKISTAN MUST BE TAUGHT A TOUGH LESSON. YOU HAVE CHANGED YOUR STANCE
Oh God! Let peace prevail alround, Amen. But, how shall it happen - only if the basic attitudes and dirty designs of the Pak Army and its ISI were to change, as well as the basic attitudes and conduct of both the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats of both the countries were to change, with a magnanimous aim to restore human values of brotherhood, equality, mutual respect and trust, transperancy, progress in all spheres of education, housing, nutritional food and clothing, health and medicare, employment to each and every eligble citizen of the two nations, and peaceful co-existence with healthy exchange of cultural values and traditions. A good dream?? Of immediate concern are the pak nuclear weapons and/the associated equipment and technology (enough to make dirty nuclear devices) falling into the hands of the terrorist groups. All efforts should be AIMED at dissuading such a thing from happening, while yet avoiding a full scale war between India and Pakistan. All sane pakistanis and Indians should work towards this end, somehow.
Dear Raj & cdr Khilari,
My net connection was down for 2 days, so could not reply. Raj, my stance remains unchanged, but there is a shift from full scale war to surgical strikes. Full scale war would result in innocent people dying in both the countries, for no fault of theirs. Thus, covert operations and surgical srtikes at the core of terrorism should be our motive. Cdr Khilari, people both from pakistan and india are nice people. Both the govts. have successfully buried their voices in search of Roti, Kapda aur Makan. We have poor people on both the sides. Sane voices from both the countries should unite under one banner " PEACE and DELIVER " motto and should compel both the govts. to deliver. Pakistan should hand over the perpetrators of terror and india should deliver in making country safe. There has to be movement of sane voices from both the sides. They should form some kind of joint forum to pressurize their respective govts. Thus, there is a greater need of exchange of people from both the sides and dialogue between them must continue. Only then, with time, we can form a joint forum against terror. BUt giving visas to such people is govt's job and both the govts. should relax visa rules for peacemakers. It is in the the interest of both the countries.
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