Save India from the same trap as America ran into!

Please please don’t produced such propaganda videos:

They only harden our senses and we loose touch with real problems.

Combodiaization of Pakistan!

Remember Vietnam! At some point of time in the frustration of war in Vietnam, Americans started blaming Cambodia for providing logistic support to Viet-Cong(North Vietnamese) forces. They were not accusing the Cambodian government, not the people but just the land where viet-cong soldiers can walk through. So, American’s have to bomb Cambodia to teach a lesson to the land. Nixon called it ‘a mad man theory of war’. When bombing stopped, a communist army, led by Pol Pot, came out of the jungle. And the year zero begun.

I fear if the history is repeating itself in Af-Pak. Is the next pol pot coming? I have heard Pakistani Taliban are much worse than Taliban.

Conversations with history

Conversations with history is an interview series done by a UC Berkeley prof Harry Kreisler. They also have YouTube webpage. They have more than 100 interviews with very eminent people (academics, politicians, and public servants) of US and also outside of US. I am currently addicted to it. The selection of people is so diverse such that you can get into all sorts of political and social opinions and get to know the people who are behind those opinions.

Here are some samples

The Noam Chomsky: The sophisticated Left

Christopher Hitchens: The ex-left. Now! He defends Iraq invasion. Outspoken atheist

Robert Fisk:  Journalist for a UK news paper, He says “Yes! middle east people need freedom. They need freedom from us (western powers).”

David Harvey: A Marxist

Shashi Tharoor:  Ex-UN diplomat, minister in current govt of India.

There are many other gems in the list. Find yourself.

Passive Invasion of Goa!

I found following video on youtube. A news report of invasion of unarmed Indians into Portugal occupied Goa. Alas, it didn’t succeed and in this attempt 22 dead and 120 wounded. Later, India invaded Goa militarily and Portuguese surrendered. Start watching from 2m07s

It shows depth of the following of Gandhi then, which is very hard to imagine today.

Why don’t some people like Arundhati Roy?

Her sweeping generalization and oversimplification of the problems.  Here is a link to her interview with democracy now.

In her review of the recent conflict against Naxalits, She begun her narrative just before the MNCs started showing interest in the natural resources of the conflict region. She says MNC came in the region and start displacing local people. Local people are resisting this. So, Government is labeling them Maoist. This will give government an excuse to suppress the resistance with the military force. Her analysis strongly suggests a direct causal connection between MNC activities and the rise of Maoist resistance. Therefore, Globalization is bad. She didn’t mention the whole history of Moist resistance in India, which is a key point to understand the conflict. I guess not every problem is straight away reducible to ‘Globalization’.

This makes some people accuse her misrepresenting the reality. Sadly, I have to agree with them. Even though, I agree with general framework of her thought.

Operation Green Hunt: Blood bath is about to begin!!

Another military operation with another cool name. Now! India engages in ‘War against Naxals’. I was wondering why not ‘war on Naxals’.

A quick background, Central India has large area of forest, where huge tribal population lives.  They are 25% population of India.  They are poor and target of hyper social injustice. There people only know government in the form of the police. Police acts with full impunity. Police is hardly distinguishable from goons of land lords. I guess I don’t have to explain you that legal system is also fully rigged. So, this area is a lucrative market for selling communist revolution. During last 60 years, Maoist Communists (aka Naxals) have been leading armed rebellion. They literally want to overthrow Indian government. Their leadership might have been Maoist but most of their recruits hardly know who was Chairman Mao. Mostly, tribal young men join Naxals in a state of desperation. In result, there has been mindless brutal civil war between  police and Naxals.

Recently, this civil war has been escalated. There are multiple theories behind this escalation. One theory says( Tipping-point theory ), Naxals tried to assassinate Chief Minister of a state. In revenge, police unleashed its brutality on the tribes. So, tribal men started joining naxals. Other theory says (Vested interest theory), Government and corporations have developed great interest in minerals under these forest land. They are using one reason or another to force people out of the land. This new wave of brutality is giving Naxals a greater support among tribes.  There may be other explanations. I don’t know which one is true.

Now! Indian army is being deployed. 75000 soldiers will fight ‘Operation Green Hunt’. I am highly worried about upcoming events. Each time Indian arm forces are deployed within India, they are given a special ‘license to kill’. No accountability! Murderous military units are rewarded. If anyone demands accountability then he/she is either anti-national or naive.

I don’t know how to deal with armed rebellion if not military force. Government has to deploy armed forces. The problem is lack of accountability. Kashmir and Assam have left deep scars. There army has been given license to kill and problems haven’t been solved.

Please! Please! Please! Don’t raise armed forces beyond realm of doubt and accountability. It has not solved and will not solve India’s political problems.

LTTE: Reconcile or Regroup

I was visiting london for this weekend. On Sunday in London, I saw a rally of south Indians. It seemed interesting. I looked carefully and I found they were waving LTTE flags. So, they were sri lankan tamils.

I went into the rally and caught hold of a Sri Lankan Girl distributing a news letter “Tamil Guardian” for free. Somehow, I started chatting with her. I asked her many questions,

“Look at that banner, It says Black July’83. what happened then?”

She told me story of 83′riots. Singhals(ethnic group) were suppressing Tamils(another ethnic group) and one day riots broke out and in result many dead..

“What is going on? I thought LTTE is dead.”

“No! It is not. It has been wiped out from Sri Lanka. But there are many supporters around the world.”

“What are you doing here?”

“We are here demanding fair treatment of refugee of recent war and reorganize the liberation movement.”

“Is it possible to keep Sri Lanka intact and keep tamils happy?”

“I am afraid not because Singali Govt will never treat us equal.”

“What is the mood here?  Tamil people are tired of war or they are still excited about LTTE.”

“You can see around. This is a small group. Some times we gather rally of millions.”

“What do you think about Prabhakran?”

She proudly said, “He faught for us. He led the resistance.”

“Do you rate him great man?”

“Humm…”

“Well! in the light of his crimes not only against the govt but also against tamil peoples…”

“Who else was leading? We had no other option.”

“Prabhakran killed all the oposition with in Tamils and even within LTTE”

“Ya! Thats true but still he led us.”

“As you acknoledge that he was not so great man. Why you guys making  a Myth of him here. Look! kids are wearing his T-shirt, yound men are wearing locket with his face on it.  Why do you guys have to create myth. Isn’t it truth good enough?”

“Are heros not everywhere? They help us to mobilize people for our cause.”

“I smell another phase of violence.”

“No! No! …”

Did I tell you that she was really beautiful.