Although Australia has joined hands with the US to train Pakistani soldiers in the on-going “war-on-terror”, there seems to be a great deal of doubt and confusion with regard to the success of this mission.There is an excellent article by Greg Sheridan, Foreign editor, The Australian, under the heading “Unhappy Marriage With Pakistan”.
The immediate cause for concern in Australia is the imposition of Sharia law in Swat Valley, close to the capital Islamabad, and the rehabilitation of A.Q. Khan, described as “single greatest proliferator of nuclear weapons technology to rogue states in the history of the human race.”
Greg Sheridan writes of “Australia’s problematic relationship with Pakistan, but more than that he writes of the divided nature of Pakistan itself, which can’t decide whether it is fighting the Taliban or fighting with the Taliban.”
Sheridan noted: “Foreign Minister Stephen Smith is just back from Pakistan and this week made an important ministerial statement about Australian policy towards Islamabad. We are increasing virtually all forms of civil and even military aid. We are bringing more Pakistani officers to train, not least in counterinsurgency, in Australia.
“What are the facts about Pakistan at the same time as we are increasing our aid to it and hoping, once more, that this time it is really, really serious about countering the extremism, incompetence and corruption that is eating its own society? First, the Pakistan Government has made a deal, in part with the Taliban, to allow the imposition of full sharia law in the Swat Valley, which is very near to the capital, Islamabad.
“As Smith noted in his ministerial statement, these deals have not worked in the past. They have always unravelled but only after allowing the extremists a good chance to consolidate, to enjoy rest and recreation, to rearm and reorganise themselves. Meanwhile, the hapless Pakistani army, dreaming of tank battles against India, does not know whether it is fighting the Taliban or embracing it.
“Australian government policy towards Pakistan is probably the only policy Canberra could pursue: engagement, assistance and blind hope. Almost certainly, however, it won’t work.” (Read the full article here…)
Does this also apply to the US, or Western, policy in Pakistan?
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.