The politics of issues that unite us

There are many things that fragment and divide us. These are handy tools for politicians and parties to subvert the will of the people. It is ironical that even while democracy is about what people can agree upon - not what they can disagree upon. The politicians are successful in keeping us largely distracted by playing up these differences instead of building on what unites us as a nation. Let us root for a directly elected chief executive of government (you can call the position anything you like - prime minister isn't too bad). He can be checked and balanced by a parliament elected as it is currently. No prizes for guessing which constituency or special interest group such an elected CEO would have to serve! What are the chances of Dawood or any other criminal backed politico rigging the whole national vote? Only then the chosen leader would have the mandate to weed out the undesirable influences like criminals, fixers, touts and scamsters that are our elected representatives today

50 Days - ACT NOW!

50 Days.

50 days have passed since 26/11, a blatant violation of a sovereign India and the ideas she stands for.
Increasingly it is clear, that Pakistan has been equivocating all the time and terror is a key instrument of their state polity and policy. All we have been witnessing is stalling, fudging and denials using semantics, and Oscar Worthy performances of injured innocence from a pathetic cast of cardboard crew.

Pakistan shall do as is its wont.

The pertinent question before India and Indians is: What do we, as a nation do now ?

Let us admit that we have carried our vain Nehruvian follies too far, and also acknowledge the fact that Pakistan is a hostile neighbour that is at war with us even if by unconventional means.

The state policies in Pakistan are unlikely to change towards any known benchmarks of civilization any time soon. It is a long way off from economic or socio-political stability and needs an external threat to string together its notion of nationhood and if that can weave in Islam too, so much the better since they then have a connect with Jinnah and his rationale for their nationhood. Kashmir or any issue handy would do very well, thank you.

What would a country do when at war with another?

Cease all exchanges, diplomatic, trade, cultural and raise its defences.

The defences that we need to build up in this kind of conflict would need to be built around predicting, preventing and also remedying terror. This means a completely different level of sensing, equipping, training of forces and military and political leadership.

Let us also recognize that the Taliban and Al-Qaeda stand just 450 Kilometres from Srinagar (NOT the border or LOC ) and that is a very small distance from an unconventional and toxic enemy that has the ability to recruit, arm, support and propel fighting units into our territory in any guise.
The talk of any let up in Kashmir is plain stupidity on our part.

This malignant force is fully capable of displacing civil administration in Pakistan with active collusion of state forces in any part of Pakistan and is not bound by any conventional limitations.

Let us also not discount their willing accessories in Pakistan and India in the form of the underworld and the other anti national forces operating on the principle of enemy's enemy being a friend.

Let us also recognize another key force multiplier readily available to this enemy.

The Indian underworld with is epicentre in Mumbai is an ardent facilitator of no ordinary means, that makes things possible for them. It enjoys a very high level of political patronage in India, which is obvious from the fact that we have been utterly unsuccessful in extraditing or taking out Dawood and his henchmen who remain safely ensconced in the same neighbourhood as Mr.Zardari and his gang in Karachi.

Not only that, they still manage to control a crew in Mumbai, what should essentially be hostile territory for them. It is plain common sense that these desperadoes are able to do so only because they are secure in the knowledge that they have an umbrella over them.

Isn't it ludicrous that Indian intelligence and security forces are unable to drive mortal fear into these operatives when they can easily do so for other citizens of this country? The identities of these key operatives are well known to the law enforcers who in other cases can be a law unto themselves.

Contrast this with the retrieval of Nazi war criminals by Israel from all corners in the world when it counted and subjecting them to trials in Israel.

The focus of common citizens of this country needs to be decriminalizing the politics of our country and getting rid of these hyenas who protect these desperadoes, through the ballot. This is going to be the acid test for us as ordinary Indians this coming poll.

The media needs to play a very important role in asking the right questions without fear or favour to help the public identify these treacherous individuals in the guise of politicians and public servants, who for their vested interest have been nurturing these criminals.

This is the clear and present danger.

No longer can we abdicate our responsibility and expect the rest of the system to deliver what they have been encouraging either by omission or commission for all these years.

As for dealing with Pakistan, let us not allow it to occupy undeserved mind space and
Just deal with it as we would with an enemy until it shows any serious intent of following a policy of mutual respect and accepts internationally accepted norms for responsible nations as the benchmark for its conduct.

Supporting civil movements in uncivil countries in no ones obligation and cannot be demanded as a divine right. Let them do the right things before acting righteous.

Let us also deliver a brief but mighty reminder that we shall support our intentions with actions and deliver justice to them at their doorstep if forces inimical to peace choose to engage us or our anywhere in the world through violence.
Justice too needs a calling card when the other party is deaf and delinquent.

Terror and 2009

Our neighbors on each border espouse varying degree of hostility to us a s a nation.
The change in dispensation augurs well for a resolution on the east.
While we may talk about this being aided and abetted by forces that have a rabid anti India posture we need to examine and calibrate our approach to relationships with each of these nations with whom we were in step not so long ago and understand why they should now be indifferent if not insidious to our security concerns
Is there something about us that threatens them or are there other reasons for us to take a good long look in the mirror?
Is there something that makes them see us unlike we perceive ourselves, a liberal, peaceful, fun loving, compassionate and accommodating people whose leadership is often willing to do foolhardy acts of charity in the hope of being seen as statesmen.
It does sound a bit cowardly to raise such issues at a time when we should have been pounding targets in Pakistan that are the cradle to a vicious lunatics who are threatened by peoples' ability to make their own choices.
Nevertheless we would also have to examine these aspects of the problem simultaneously and if we in our rise to a greater global impact and sidestep the kind of moronic mistakes that the US seems to have a penchant for.
Most of what we are fighting today is the fruit of these two naieve approaches.
What are the principles that must govern our foreign policy and indeed our domestic choices in the way we govern ourselves?
The results of mistaking tactic and strategy for principles are there for all of us to see.
The certainity that is obvious is that change is urgently needed.
Let us ask ourselves these questions singularly and collectively.
The answers are too important to put off for tomorrow.

Malodorous Cocktail

The bestselling sleaze cocktail that was concocted and perfected in the bar that is Maharashtra Politics by a rogues gallery of chief ministers between crime, business and politics has now spilled across the tableau of India. It has also gone malodorous and is choking the nostrils of the political masters in Delhi who turned a blind eye for their own ends.
Just like criminalization of politics marginalized he politicians themselves in India, the politicians in Pakistan now stand marginalized by their terror proteges.
The harvest season is here.
The tragedy is that the bill is always footed by the average citizen of these nations who is artless to the ways of these rapacious rascals.
If there are any sane or well intentioned leaders around and indeed capable of action the time for a purge is now.
If there are none, as i fear, god save this country.
While the people will eventually triumph, as good always trumps evil, in good measure if not completely, the transition is neither painless nor self propelled.
The time that this transformation will take is indeed going to be proportionate to the price that we are willing to pay in terms of personal and social change.
Now is the time for deep introspection and getting out of the victim mentality and resolute action.
Are we still going to sit on the sidelines and wait for an angel in white to appear while we curse the cussed?
Or are we going to decide to sully our hands and pick up the shovel and go to work?
Are we going to ask righteous and intelligent questions and pump up the rhetoric or speak to the conscience and fight the good fight?
Are we going to retire or inspire?
Loving is a lot of work, more so when you love a country and not just an individual.
Let us consign to the dustbin or history these un-worthies that are hectoring us about their righteousness from their pulpits in New Delhi that have Z+ security rings, shielded by our brightest and best sons and daughters, while their own are busy gracing the Page-3 circuits secure in their pompous pedigree.
The toil is going to be long and hard, tears will flow sometimes in agony and other times in joy.
Self doubt will gnaw at us when we pause for rest and look behind on the distance we have covered but we must claw on forward.
Betrayals may happen again but then, but descend into the garbage heap round the corner we shall not.
We're made of sterner stuff.We are Indians.