Loud Thinking

Archive for the ‘India Peace and Pakistan’ Category

My old comments on a TOI news of 21 September, 2012 and latest observations of a senior US army general about the influence of the Indian army over its government.

Greatness of a general doesn’t lie in waging and winning a war. Rather, in avoiding the war.

Indian Army chief opposes PM’s trip to Pak (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Army-chief-opposes-PMs-trip-to-Pak/articleshow/16482507.cms#write )

Here, I Remember what Winston Churchill said about the generals, “war is too serious a business to be left to the generals”. Adding to that I will say “peace is even more serious a business to be left to the generals, who by their training are mostly prone to their myopic and tunnel vision.”

I wonder, if the Berlin wall would ever have been removed, if the decision was left to the generals.

So Gen. Bikram Singh should also know that it’s not Siachin, but the future of 1.5 billion humanity of sub continent which is at stake. If, the blood has been shed on a foolish act in the past, why not take action to stop further shedding of blood, for the noble cause of peace & eradication of ignorance and poverty, in the sub continent.

The thinking of such generals, can delay the emancipation of Indians and Pakistanis, but can never permanently deny the divends of peace to such a large world population, which is no more interested in continued acrimony, between the two neighboring countries.

Now,the peace loving people of both the countries have decided once for ever, that they will no more remain the prisoner of the past.

If any body wants to observe the dividends of peace between the neighbors, just look at Europe, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Now, I invite the attention of all those people towards the following eye opening comments of a senior US army general, reported on 29 July, 2013 by the TOI, who say within and outside Pakistan, that Pak army is very influential in exercising its authority over the civilian governments in Pakistan, with reference to the major policy issues of the country.

WASHINGTON: The Indian Army is by far the most influential in the Asia Pacific region, a top American General said as he stressed on the importance of building military-to-military relationship between the two countries.

“As is in many of the Asia-Pacific countries, the army is the dominant service in those countries. India is a prime example. It is by far the largest service. It is by far the most influential,” US Army chief of staff General Raymond T Odierno said.

Link:- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Indian-Army-most-influential-in-Asia-Pacific-region-US-General/articleshow/21465988.cms

An appeal to the PM Pakistan, to make conditional, the grant of the MFN status and the normalisation of relations with India, with the withdrawal of Indian military and para military forces, from the occupied Kashmir and the Siachin.

India kills unarmed protestors (a must read letter published on 21 July, 2013 by the daily “Pakistan Observer”

Professor Kabil Khan

Sunday, July 21, 2013 – This is with reference to the news of six unarmed protestors that were killed when the Indian security forces opened fire upon them. The mindset of the Indian army is evident from its brutal handling of the innocent and unarmed people of Kashmir and the grotesque manner in which they are maimed and killed. It is also reflective of the collective Indian psyche that has legitimized the use of brute force in order to attain and maintain a dominant status in the region.

After acting as a brute force, with full blessings from its government, the Indian army has surelyforgotten how to act as a civilized one. To raid a seminary in the holy month of Ramadan where Muslims are more emotional and sensitized towards religious activity, is nothing but sheer mischief making on the part of the Indian soldiers.

First the Imam of a mosque was harassed and the holy Quar’an desecrated upon which the local people were fired upon indiscriminately when they protested this act of brutal violence. This, manner in which the Indian forces operate is surely nothing new as they are regular customers of HR violations. And all this is being done with the relentless support of the institutional culture of moral, political and juridical impunity. Indian writer and human rights activist Arundhaty Roy states that India will suffer because of what it has done in Kashmir. That the “troops involved in various heinous crimes including custodial killings, disappearances, rapes and declared accused through FIRs and other reports have evaded action which has resulted in making them habitualoffenders. These habitual offenders when deployed in other states will commit the same offences against innocent people.”

—Peshawar

Pakistan must emulate india in providing food security to the poor.

Indian Cabinet clears ordinance to implement Food Security Bill
A Times of India report.

PTI | Jul 3, 2013, 07.00 PM IST

Cabinet clears ordinance for Food Security Bill

NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday decided to come out with an ordinance to give nation’s two-third population the right to 5kg of foodgrain every month at highly subsidized rates of Rs 1-3 per kg.

The Cabinet, which had last month deferred a decision on the issue, approved promulgation of an ordinance to implement the Food Security Bill, sources said.

With this, India will join select league of countries in the world that guarantee majority of its population foodgrain. At Rs 125,000 crore of government support, the food security programme will be the largest in the world.

The ordinance is being promulgated just weeks before the scheduled monsoon session of Parliament. Even after the ordinance, the bill will have to be approved by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

The ordinance, which will guarantee 5kg of rice, wheat and coarse cereals per month per person at a fixed price of Rs 3, 2, 1, respectively, will come into effect after President Pranab Mukherjee signs it.

However, about 2.43 crore poorest of the poor families covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) scheme under PDS (public distribution system) would get legal entitlement to 35kg of foodgrains per family per month.

Officials said the ordinance will be presented to the President on Thursday. Once the President signs it, rules will be framed. The programme will be rolled-out from August after state governments prepare the beneficiary list.

The scheme will take at least six moths to cover the entire country, they said.

China has really made a Maamoo of India. Never ever an armed to teeth nuclear nation has been so hapless and miserable.

It is just unbelievable how India is tamed and now behaving like a wet cat.

Indians are now remembering a Chinese saying “”Respect the strong, blackmail the weak”

A Times of India news

Chinese are not going to vacate Ladakh anytime soon, strategic experts feel

Link:- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Chinese-are-not-going-to-vacate-Ladakh-anytime-soon-strategic-experts-feel/articleshow/19804826.cms

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singhhad tried to soothe a frazzled nation by saying that the Chinese incursion into Depsang Bulge in eastern Ladakh on April 15 was a “localized” affair, and the government had a plan to resolve it.

But strategic experts believe this latest round of border problems between India and China is the most serious till date, and unlike the government, they don’t think the Chinese are going to vacate any time soon and that this may lead to other similar face-offs in other sectors along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Bhaskar Roy, Chinese security expert, says, this time India has not depended on its own strength to stand up to China. There is a Chinese saying, “Respect the strong, blackmail the weak”.

Former foreign secretary, Kanwal Sibal, observes, while the PM has suggested that the matter should not be escalated, the fact that the Chinese ambassador was summoned by the foreign secretary has already done so. Any Chinese intrusion across any point at the LAC will always be a local affair and hence, says Sibal, the implication is that the Chinese can keep doing it and we will keep reacting to it like this in the face of “uncompromising attitude of the Chinese and their determination to question our sovereignty.

Strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney says, it will be nationally demeaning if either foreign minister Salman Khurshid’s visit to Beijing on May 9 or Chinese Premier Li’s Keqiang trip to India on May 20 takes place while the intruders stay put and fortify their positions. Singh has given only comfort to the aggressor by his remark that the intrusion was a local affair, he says, with Beijing welcoming his comment. “To make amends, Singh should at least signal that good-neighbourly ties demand respect for the territorial status quo and that he hopes Beijing will withdraw its intruding troops so that Khurshid’s Beijing visit and Premier Li’s New Delhi stopover can go ahead,” he says.

Jayadeva Ranade, another China expert, says, this intrusion was unprovoked, but this is not an “isolated” incident, as the government is trying to show. There have been similar incursions in many areas along the LAC particularly since 2008, he says. “Beijing remains transparently unmoved by the adverse media publicity and damage it has caused to India-China relations. It has neither moved to resolve the situation despite three flag meetings at the level of local army commanders and communications from New Delhi requesting resolution. Beijing has thus made it abundantly clear that it will defuse the situation only at a time of its choosing. Beijing’s stance confirms too that the stand-off is not a local incident provoked by the action of a local commander, but one initiated with the full knowledge of China’s senior leadership,” Ranade explains. He says that the timing may be coinciding with Singh’s Japan visit and probably be a signal from China warning India against New Delhi’s Tokyo outreach. “Beijing is adept at using a blend of threats and promise of military retaliation to deter an adversary from taking actions contrary to Beijing’s interests,” he adds.

While the PM’s statement would appear to substantiate the Indian official position that the conflicting perceptions of the LAC in the Western sector has resulted into this situation at the Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), says Alka Acharya of the Institute of Chinese Studies, an early resolutiondoes not seem imminent. “To that extent it is localized in northern Ladakh, south of the Karakoram Pass. But to the extent that it has brought about a situation which earlier “intrusions” did not, it has to be treated with more than the usual response,” she says.

“In many ways, the responses have been initiated but the manner in which the talks are continuing, an early resolution does not seem imminent. We appear to be reaching the point where both sides are upholding the position that they are operating in their own territory- question is will both agree to restoring status quo ante,” she adds.

India and BCCI must apologise over chemical attack on the captain of visiting Pakistani blind cricket team in India.

India has a history of terrorism with visiting Pakistani cricketers. Earlier, in the 60’s the finger of Pakistani legendary batsmen Hanif Muhammad, was cut during the teams tour of India and no one got punished.

Now India has resorted to chemical terrorism against the captain of blind Pakistani cricket team Zeeshan Abbasi, with a conspiracy to murder, by killing him with acid, in disguise of drinking water in a bottle, served at break fast, in a five star hotel.

Today it was acid, tomorrow it can be poison in the food. And then Indian media will say poison accidentally got mixed with food. Is this the way Indians treat their guests?

Indian responsibility of the security of the Pakistani players can’t be put under the carpet with the excuse of accident. Did they cut the finger of Hanif Muhammad by an accident. All such acts are 100% deliberate, else by now the Indian government and the BCCI would have unconditionally apologised.

However, more shameful is the reaction of Indian media, which is calling it as an accident. And more abhorrent is the silence of Indian government, BCCI (board of control of cash in India) and the ICC (Indian Cricket Conference). Under the circumstances, the England cricket team members, touring India, are advised to excercise extra caution during their stay in India, as they are touring a country heavenly infested with terrorists, who can go to any length to punish the visiting players, if they are giving a resounding drubbing in the matches to the Indians. It is a well known fact that Indians are the worst losers.

Government of Pakistan and PCB must demand an immediate apology from the Indian government and the BCCI, failing which, the impending tour of our cricket team must be cancelled (else our team must take along all its food and drink requirements from Pakistan) on the grounds of un-precedented life threatning and most probably, delibrate security breach.

The FICA (Federation of International Cricketers Association) must also take cognizance of this chemical attack on a Pakistani cricketer, before other foreign players are targeted with food poisoning etc.

 

Honourable Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani.

A.O.A.

The whole Pakistani nation salutes you for sacrificing fatherly love over your duty to the national cause, by deciding to visit India on the invitation of Dr. Manmohan Singh, to meet him at Mohali, on the occasion of semi final ICC Cricket ODI World cup 2011 match.

Mr. Prime Minister, this decision will always  be remembered in the annals of history as a monumental choice of duty above parental love.

Here I am reminded a very famous quote whose first part aptly applies on you, ” A statesman is a politician who places himself at the service of the nation. A politician is a statesman who places the nation at his service “

While thanking you for this high act of patriotism, we pray for an early recovery of your son from his illness as well as, total success in your voyage of peace to India.

 
A vast majority of the peace loving people have  welcomed the news of Indian Prime Minister’s invitation to the Pakistani leadership  to visit India, on the occasion of cricket world cup semi final match, between Pakistan and India, to be played at Mohali on 30 March, 2011. It is earnestly hoped that this meeting will not only be a harbinger of peace between the two neighboring nations, but will also be a huge performance incentive for both the cricket teams, playing what is being billed as ‘Mother of all matches’.
 
Moreover, it is hoped that this historic opportunity of meeting, between the two democratically elected prime ministers, will also be utilized as a turning point, for genuine and authentic progress towards peace and harmony, between 1.5 billion human beings of two nuclear armed neighbors. It must be absolutely clear to every person that both of us have no choice except peace, whether we accept this fact today or 100 years hence. However, movement towards peace needs taking small but meaningful steps.
 
In this regards, besides other major issues of Kashmir, water, Siachin, Sir-Creek and anti-terrorism cooperation, the following smaller issues may also be given due importance, to show tangible progress in relations between the two neighbors.
 
1. Visa regulations to be changed to allow visit of people to any city, without restrictions, in both the countries.
 
2. Trade between both the nations should be given top most priority.
 
3. Relatives of prisoners should be given preferential visas.
 
4. Exchange of cultural, educational, trade/business and sports teams should be accorded top priority, for strengthening the people to people bonds.
 
5. Indian cricket team must visit Pakistan immediately after the world cup, to play a series of T20 matches.
 
6. As promised earlier,  BCCI must use its influence on ICC, to restore visits of foreign teams to Pakistan. And to show its resolve, a T20 tournament should be held ASAP in Pakistan, to be played amongst Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka national or A teams.
 
7. Direct air, rail & road traffic to more Indian and Pakistani cities should be opened without delay. Moreover, people wanting to visit both the countries by car, may also be allowed to travel by own transport.
 
8. Telephone rates are very high between the two countries, which should be rationalized according to the international tariff.

9. All television channels news papers & magazines should be freely available in both the countries, without any restrictions. 

Wishing & praying for a historic success to peace and cricket,  on the occasion of this highly awaited sports event of the century, which demands declaring of a holiday in both the countries, for its people to enjoy the witnessing of this mega event, in company of  their near and dear ones. 

The following poem written by my late father, Syed Shahab Uddin Ahmad (1919-2000) former Lecturer of Chemistry, Aligarh Muslim University,  Principal, Charmical Degree College Rangpur (East Pakistan), Academic Registrar, Rajshahi University (East Pakistan), G.M. Lyallpur Chemicals & Fertilizers Limited (PIDC & NFC) Jaranwala & General Manager, National Fertilizers Corporation of Pakistan,  was originally published in the DAWN in early 40’s. Later on, this poem was also published by Syed Sharif Uddin Peerzada,  in a book titled ” UNPARDONABLE CRIME OF JINNAH ” in October 1942. One of the rarest copies of this book is with me.

” P A K I S T A N “

They say  ’tis  “vivisection”

Of the Indian nation

In an unknown fashion.

 

It is an idler’s dream,

A confused scream

For a selfish scheme.

 

‘Impracticable’

‘Unimaginable’,

Is how they babble.

 

And when meet their seers,

With crocodile tears

They expose their fears.

 

But these are morbid libels

From sworn but feigned infidels,

Wearing varied labels.

 

Preposterous, pretentious,

Hypocritical notions.

Disguised resolutions.

 

Phantastic desire.

To be India’s sire.

Is what they aspire.

 

In the name of democracy,

With numerical supremacy,

Is their game of diplomacy.

 

But we can’t be daunted

By sarcasms taunted.

Or vain fears haunted.

 

We want India’s deliverance,

To save it from decadence.

And without a vengeance.

 

A home for us secure.

Also for them quite sure.

Without a basely lure.

 

On justice, fairplay, equity

Behold Pakistan’s quality

Won’t it stand till eternity?

 
 

 

(I wrote this article exactly a year ago, is being reproduced for the lovers of the game, on the first anniversary of the world record, created by Sachin Tendulkar)

Many congratulations to Sachin Tendulkar for creating a unique world record, of scoring a double century in an innings of an ODI. It is a well-deserved honor earned by a batsman (Sachin Tendulkar ) adored by the followers of the game, transcending the geographical boundaries of their nations. Without doubt, the feats of Sachin are a testimony to the fact, that he is the greatest player, ever produced, by the glorious game of cricket.

In fact, cricket is truly a game of peace. It is the only game where player of one team, ties the shoe laces of the opponent member of the team. Under the circumstances, millions of cricket lovers of Pakistan and India have been denied, for more than sufficient gap of time, the pleasure of witnessing high class cricket duels between one of the finest cricketers, the game has ever produced.

We the cricket lovers, demand from both the governments and their respective cricket boards, to immediately restore cricketing ties between the two teams. Initially, we can play three tests five ODI’s and two T20 matches series in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai stadiums in the first available slot of time. Both the teams can also experimentally, play a night test match in the proposed series. Thus, turning a new leaf in the annuls of the game.

I am confident that, by the resumption of cricketing ties between Pakistan and India, a lot of animosity will also be removed in their current tension riddled ties. In this regard, it is very aptly said that the most ailing nations have developed a functional blindness to their own defects. They are not suffering because they can’t resolve their problems, but because they can’t see their problems.

The leadership of both the countries must realize that only peace and friendship, not war, can break the shackles of poverty and terrorism, so rampant in the sub-continent.