Games India and Pakistan Leaders Play
Just my rambling thoughts on the statements made by India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan following the recent Mumbai blasts,.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Pakistan must prevent militants from launching attacks across the border, after last week’s train blasts in Mumbai. “There has to be a firm commitment that Pakistani territory is not used to support terrorist acts directed against our country,” Singh said aboard his private plane as he headed to the Group of Eight summit in Saint Petersburg.
President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan lamented the Indian attitude in the wake of the recent (Mumbai) bomb blasts and said that any talk of postponement or stalling of peace process would tantamount to a victory for the terrorists. He said the acts of terrorism were very much aimed at achieving the same objective of stalling the dialogue process between the two countries.
People of India and Pakistan are now tired of these routine responses from their rulers repeated with boring regularity ever since terrorism raised its ugly head here almost two decades ago. Whereas people in both countries have shown rare patience, tolerance and restraint.
At times I wonder whether there is some method in this madnesss. Is it because there is now a vested interest in the continuation of this situation for all – the U.S. Administration, and the governments in Pakistan and India? Remember my old thesis – the more the uncertainty in the region the more flourishing sale of deadly weapons, fighter planes and armaments. So go on feeding on the insecurities of the people!!!
It is GREED, pure and simple GREED, that is complicating the situation worldwide. As Mahatma Gandhi once put it so beautifully, and I repeat, “there is enough for everybody’s need in this world…but not enough for everybody’s greed.”
I was in Mumbai when President of India APJ Abdul Kalam (himself a devout Muslim) led the residents of this commercial hub of the country in paying homage to the victims of the serial blasts in local trains that left 200 people dead and hundreds seriously injured on July 11.
At the stroke 6.25 pm on July 18 (at this time the first of the seven train explosions took place), life came to a standstill for two minute — vehicles came to a stop, no flights operated, trains stopped in their tracks, screens in theatres went blank, and shopping malls stopped business for two minutes, in Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Guwahati, Kolkata and several other bustling cities and towns across the country.
As the Mumbai police band played the Last Post and over 270 sirens across the city signaled the start of mass mourning, President Kalam placed a wreath at a special memorial at Mahim railway station. Hundreds turned up at the Churchgate station to pay their homage.
Please note that entire Mumbai (which has high ethnic and religious mix) on that day presented a perfect picture of a dignified mourning — no slogans, no hysterical outbursts, no “kill the enemy” shouts. Only lighting of the candles and offering of flowers.
I am sure that in similar situations Pakistani people do not shout obscenities against India (except motivated by vested interests), at least I have never seen reports to this effect.
So it would seem that the people of India and Pakistan do not hate one another. The wounds of Partition of the two countries in 1947 have virtually healed. Before the division of India and Pakistan into two countries, the Hindus and Muslims lived quite peacefully for centuries.
But will the leaders of the two countries, and the war machine owners/sellers in the West, ever allow the people here to live in peace…and prosper? I think that economic imperatives, and globalisation, will force the leaders and the governments to open Indian – Pakistan borders within five years.
People living in the Indian subcontinent are by and large happy with a modicum of creature comforts. And then there is the famous Oriental spiritual heritage to lean on in good times as well as in times of adversity. A far cry from those who prefer revelling in blood sports and mayhem.
12 Responses to “Games India and Pakistan Leaders Play”
There you have it Swaraaj; Business stops for two minutes for two hundred lives. You have finally found that elusive value of a human life!
Forgive my impetuous manors Swaraaj. It is very good that so far there has been no retalitory slaughter of Muslims by Hindus. Could that possibly have something to do with the train victims being Muslim as well?
I have had no other information regarding the victim’s identities, but I had suspected it was multi-ethnic. Hardly a good reason for stirring up ethnic hatred. One would think killing one group would stir the desired response. Poor planning on behalf of the terrorists, or, could there be some other reason? Anyway, other world events seemed to have put the India bombings at the back of the cue.
This is all about oil Swaraaj. That ever dwindling natural resource that the most powerful in the world are vying for, shifting for, and, warring for.
The reason any of this is necessary, is nationalism. A plural government world. Many nations. Endless national borders. A one world government would make all of this redundant.
It would seem that our natural resources are running out before our species has solved it’s political differences and joined together in the one great likeness they all have in common, being human. We are born human, but we are taught everything else. What is your government teaching?
Poor Salmineo… your avid lustful dreams of Hindu – Muslim slaughter in the Indian subcontinent will never come true. For the simple reason that people have seen through the games of their political leaders, and also the greed of the leaders in the Western world who aid and abet such deeds.
Sorry, but you will have to satiate your appetite/thurst/lust for blood and gore in some other conflict zones. It is a pity that overfed chaps think that geting live horrible reports of murder and mayhem is more titillating than watching a movie from the couch.
after looking at the first picture, i didn’t read the article. damn they’re cute as hell!!!
Swaraaj
It has happened in recent history, it will happen again. Something about Murphy’s Law I should think.
I do not wish for such things Swaraaj.
Are you calling me fat? You should try an anger managment course. I could recommend a good one in Chicago.
And then there is the Parkinson’s Law..Either you have a meaningful and purposeful discussion…Or it turns into something equivalent of a visit to the loo…One sits down…Makes a lot of noise…And then drops the matter!!!
I reported this quote from a speech by Mr Parkinson in The Hindustan Times newspaper in the 1970s (where I worked then) when the good old chap visited Delhi and spake thus…LOL
Incidentally the British, who ruled the Indian subcontinent until 1947, were clever and subtle in creating a wedge betwen the Hindus and the Muslims (which many say ultimately led to the horrible clash between the two communities when India and Pakistan were divided).
This was through the wellknown Imperial policy of Divide and Rule. Now Indians and Pakistanis know well enough how to keep the agents provocateurs at bay.
In comparison with the British colonists’ approach, the US administration’s foreign policy would now appear almost like a sledgehammer approach.
The then British policy (in its colonies) now appear highly sophisticated. (God! What’s happened to the legendary British sophistication ever since Mr Blair took charge?).
The British colonists wouldn’t dream of demolishing a whole building just to catch a “rat”!!!
But when the Cowboy attitude manifests itself in foreign policy/diplomacy then God Save the World! Let me say this, I really love cowboys… but so long I see them in the ranches!!!
Swaraaj, I suspect that sweet little Salmenio will get all the self-gratification that he needs out of the news that members of SIRI have been arrested. Only the mention of the word “Islam” would be sufficent to send him into orgiastic convulsions of “I told you so”‘s with his usual ignorance of the fact that SIRI has been a banned organisation in India for, is it?, 20 years?
It is good to hear a voice of sanity and reason in the ‘Net world of paranoia and bloodsports.
More power to your pen.
Ka whawhai tonu matou.
Swaraaj
Obviously meditation is not working. That anger managment course offer still stands.
Well…oh…I….yes….I agree all about the cowboys and the colonies.
You seem to be consistently suggesting that India has a more peaceful and thereby more successful approach to terrorism, but no evidence of it.
You have quoted Gandhi and suggested that Hinduism were the reason. Again no evidence.
My counter suggestion is that Indians are no more peaceful than any other people on the planet. Evidence bears out that I am right and you are wrong.
Hindu-Muslim violence has occurred in mass several times in RECENT times within India Swaraaj. You cannot blame Britain or Bush for any of it.
Is this “Meaningful and purposeful discussion” enough for you Swaraaj? Or do I need to jump up and down screaming as I agree with you?
the probligo
the probligo
A certain train incident in central India comes to mind. Hindus, disemboweling Muslim women on the street. Shall we also mention something about holy shrines being destroyed?
Why don’t we just dig the whole damn matter up and lay it at Gandhi’s grave?
Surely you are not trying to suggest that the world should follow Hindu leadership in fighting terrorism?
I certainly wish peace for India but I see no evidence that India has the peace market cornered.
So, do youn have anything else to offer?
As I have so far failed in my communications with Salmenio, let me try to be both a Sherlock Holmes and Carl Jung.
Sal’s entire response seems to be conditioned by his single unpleasent experience with one Hindu/Indian businessman who gave him bad time…so for him all that India and Hindus stand for is viewed in that limited prism of hatred.
Sal keeps repeating ad nauseam about “a certain train incident in India comes to mind. Hindus, disemboweling Muslim women on the street.” He seems to have an obsession with this particular incident without providing any details about it.
Murder and mayhem happen in all countries, but even Muslims in India, or anywhere in the world, have not even mentioned about this incident. Or did this incident happen in Salmenio’s dream?
Since I am no Sigmund Freud but only an amateur psycho-analyst, I would cautiously guess that perhaps this is what Salmenio wants should happen to each Indian and Hindu. I wonder why he can’t say so openly.
Finally, is it because President George Bush has befriended an emerging economic super power (and crtical geo-political entity), and Salmenio must attack anyone whom Bush befriends?
I love psycho-analysis…Thank you Sal for giving me an opportunity to hone my skills in that direction.
But I must apologise to others for whom this tiresome digression would be extremely boring and irritating!!! If it is so then let Sal speak whatever he likes and I would keep quite.
No Swaraaj
You make many assumptions, laughable as they may be.
As for Bush, what one arsehole president offers, another can take away.
Remember that wahindi.