Military cares; does the state?

Thursday, 27 October 2016 | Deepak Sinha | in Oped 1 2 3 4 5 2 Only dead soldiers get treated better, but that too not in all our States. An individual who dies after consuming illegal hooch in West Bengal, for instance, gets the same compensation that was offered to a martyr of the Uri terror attack. It’s a sad state of affairs There is a paradox here, though I cannot quite get my head around it fully. Suddenly, a host of politicians, journalists and analysts seem to have suddenly transformed themselves into a unique mix of professional surgeon and baseball player. All they seem to be talking about are the surgical strikes conducted by our Special Operations Forces (SOF) in the recent past. If for a moment, we are to believe all that is being said by them, you could be excused for thinking that these strikes were akin to keyhole surgery with robotics, LCD screens and all. The truth of the matter is that there were never any surgical strikes conducted at all, at least none in the manner they have been portrayed. True, our forces certainly infiltrated into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). We are not quite sure how deep they penetrated, but certainly more than the 200 metres that Pakistani author Ayesha Siddiqa suggests in The Wire. You don’t actually have to be a genius to figure out that it is easier to engage targets 200m in depth from our own side of the Line of Control (LoC) without committing SOF on the ground. They then raided positions occupied by jihadi elements and those of the Pakistan Army protecting them causing unspecified damage. The special operatives involved were not sterilised surgical instruments but human beings, undoubtedly well trained and motivated, but not immune to fear and stress that operating in life-threatening environments entail. They were lucky this time to return to safety of our lines with no casualties except for an odd individual suffering unspecified injuries due to a mine blast. But, what are we to believe about these tough youngsters 10 years from now if any of them then suffer anxiety attacks, flashbacks or insomnia and find it difficult to relate with friends or family? Not just these boys but others exposed to danger on a regular basis at Siachin, in insurgency operations and a myriad other places and tasks that only a few have ever heard of, let alone seen. Neither our Government nor our medical authorities seems to have heard about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and would have is believe it is the figment of someone’s imagination. Never mind that the rest of the world seems quite conversant with this syndrome and considers it as debilitating as any physical injury and treats it as such. The US military, for example, believes that between 12 per cent and 15 per cent of those who have participated in combat are impacted by it in any year and has a centre for assisting veterans in combating this scourge. As a matter of fact those in the medical profession or Government here are neither ignoramuses nor lacking professional acumen. Unfortunately, they lack empathy and are utterly callous, simply because they have never been exposed to it in their air conditioned environs. Is it any wonder then that members of the Seventh Central Pay Commission, the Government and even some ignorant quacks, including a former Director General of the Armed Forces Medical Services, believe that there is a necessity to curtail the allowance authorised to military veterans who retire with disabilities. The shamelessness of this is not in the fact that the allowance is being curtailed, but that he would receive just about a quarter of what a bureaucrat would receive, if say, he slipped and fell in the bathroom and fractured his hip or whatever. Danger it appears, comes in many forms and those closer to Delhi seem more exposed to it or why else are they eligible to get more money? Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar have lately been attempting to change perceptions about their shoddy treatment of the military and set the record straight about the issue of disability pension, other outstanding sixth and seventh Central Pay Commission anomalies and even one-rank-one-pension. But like most, if not all, politicians, they have been less than truthful in all that they have claimed. Their motivations are not difficult to understand, given the forthcoming State elections, and being human their attempts to mislead may not be forgiven, but can be overlooked. While surgical strikes may be an election winner for Modi and the BJP and attempt to forcibly claim it as their own, the future for the special operatives who actually made it happen and the rest of the military gets only bleaker. The vast majority of them will continue to be forced to retire between the ages of 35 and 40 years with little prospect of a decent second career and lower pensions than their compatriots who joined the police or the Central Armed Police Forces. As for those who retire with health issues, they may all not be lucky enough to receive disability pensions, especially those suffering psychological injury and will have to live with the reality that their sacrifices was not good enough as that of their civilian counterparts. Only dead soldiers get treated better, but that too not in all our States, as the kin of those from West Bengal will sorrowfully tell you, if you care to ask them. An individual who dies after consuming illegal hooch there gets the same compensation that was offered to a martyr of the Uri terror attack. Clearly, a sad reflection of the darker side of vote-bank politics and the Chief Minister’s untrammelled hunger for power at any cost. Amongst all the gung-ho patriotism, it is time you asked yourself as to why, among all Government services, it is only the military that needs to advertise for volunteers on television and radio, and is yet unable to overcome the 25 per cent shortfall in officers. That tells us a whole lot more about the attractiveness of the military as a career, than any of the speeches that Modi can give extolling their bravery and sacrifice. Until the Government does something concrete to change this state of affairs, his speeches about them are really all hot air

Cyber technology as potent terror tool in jihadi hands

Thursday, 27 October 2016 | Prabha Rao | in Edit 1 2 3 4 5 0 Local franchises of terror groups with access to basic Internet resources, can increase the scale of propaganda and training content, and make anticipation and prevention of terror attacks difficult, writes PRABHA RAO From its very inception in July 2014, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)/Daesh utilised cyberspace for propaganda and recruitment in a manner that was both innovative and extremely hard to counter. There is an active digital jihadi group within the IS which has designed effective Android Apps, and used the comparatively secure end-to-end encrypted instant messaging app Telegram, (and to a lesser degree, WhatsApp) for propaganda, weapons procurement, and to direct and publicise lone wolf/wolf pack attacks. As entry into its communication networks is difficult, prevention and countering of such terrorist acts is one of the most challenging tasks confronting intelligence and law enforcement agencies. The cyberjihadis (several groups such as the Cyber Caliphate, and three United Cyber Command have been identified) have proved their expertise on the dark web and have set up several websites for recruitment and tutorials on weapons-making, which can be entered only on invitation. The UCC has been able to hack (April 2016) into the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security, and several other federal agencies in the US, and has obtained data of around 43 personnel and put them on a so-called Kill List, which was circulated through a channel on the Telegram, Al Nashir. While the IS has not acted on the Kill List so far, the expertise of the hackers is cause for disquiet. Also, serious attempts have been made in the past one-and-a-half years to establish covert secure, encrypted financial networks. The Paris (November 13, 2015) and Belgium (March 22, 2016) attacks underscored the danger of encrypted messaging. In both cases, security agencies were unable to get any advance information of the terrorist strikes, despite several perpetrators being on their watch-lists. In September this year, an IS-affiliated group, Cyber Kahalifah, began to advertise the use of a lesser known technology, the ZeroNet, as the safest mode of communication. The Zero Net, which is in the public domain and can be downloaded free of charge from https.zeronet.io, is a web-hosting platform which decentralises the hosting of content and allows for asymmetric encryption of domain names and addresses. It offers an unprecedented degree of anonymity. For instance, normally, a website is hosted at a server, and is allotted an IP address, or a series thereof. Users, identifiable by their own unique IP addresses, communicate and interact with the website by specifying the web address (url). Then, a DNS (Domain Name Server), directs the user to the IP address of the website the user wishes to access. Data can then be exchanged between the user and the website. The ZeroNet, on the other hand, can host a single website in a number of locations (for example, user computers), by leveraging Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks, the most notable of which is BitTorrent. In P2P networks, users (called peers) communicate and share data directly between one another, as opposed to communicating via a central server, as is the case with most websites. A server, called Tracker, connects peers to one another and handles requests for transfer(s) of data. Other differentiators are that ZeroNet ensures the fidelity of the websites themselves is maintained through asymmetric two-way encryption. Authors of a website receive a private key, which enables only he/she to make changes to the website, while interested peers receive the public key (analogous to a website url) which allows them to access the site. This has two consequences: First, the entire build of the website remains on the author’s computer, and not on any server; and second, there is guaranteed verification of the creator of the website and any files downloaded therefrom. The ZeroNet also offers full Tor compatibility, which means that IP addresses can be masked, adding another layer of security. Moreover, ZeroNet claims that it can be used over non-Internet networks as well, such as Bluetooth, which would be a valuable enabler forjihadi networks. Finally, content can be distributed remarkably quickly, and very likely scales with the number of visitors and seeders of the site. Cyber Kahalifah has set up a website on ZeroNet, which in late September gave calls for lone wolf attacks in various countries, and directed visitors to an application called ‘Alrawi’, designed by the IS, which works on Android platforms for logistic and monetary help. The IS’s English online magazine, which had been called Dabiq, has been suspended and the group has brought out a replacement, Rumaiyah(Rome). The Rumaiyah contains explicit exhortations for violent action in the Dar ul-Harb and unsurprisingly has been posted on the ZeroNet. Given the above backdrop, the use of ZeroNet by the Islamic State terror organisation and other terrorist groups is of great concern. With the IS facing international bludgeoning in Iraq and Syria, it is likely that it will lose Mosul and Aleppo sooner rather than later — and possibly Raqqa will follow. The exodus of foreign fighters from the region is now very evident, and the re-migration of a sizeable section to the Af-Pak region is a possibility. The IS is attempting to establish itself in Afghanistan through its franchise, the Wilayat Khorasan, and has been able to attract some Indians there, notably the group of 21 young people from Kerala. One of them, Sajjer Mangalachari Abdullah, from Kozhikode, has now been identified as a key IS recruiter, and is reportedly functioning from Nangarhar in Afghanistan. Attempts to radicalise vulnerable sections are ongoing in India, and the National Investigation Agency has been able to intercept scores of such individuals. International jihadi inter-connectivity could result in the ZeroNet gaining traction in India through these networks. From an Indian security standpoint, this is of particular concern: Local franchises of terrorist organisations with access to even meagre Internet resources, could increase the scale of propaganda and training content, and make prevention and anticipation of terror attacks a Herculean task. Agencies involved in monitoring and law enforcement need to urgently familiarise themselves with the working of ZeroNet, as jihadi groups have shown considerable fleet-footedness in adapting to technological challenges. The Indian state cannot afford to be out of sync on this issue. (The writer is senior fellow at the Delhi-based Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses

The lung cleanse ...something you can do out of the comforts of your own home ....detoxification and elimination is everything when it comes to creating good health , healing , losing weight and building strong immunity ...

The lung cleanse ...something you can do out of the comforts of your own home ....detoxification and elimination is everything when it comes to creating good health , healing , losing weight and building strong immunity ... Lung Detox This Friday #lungcleanse Previous night - soak 1 tbsp fenugreek ( methi) seeds in half cup water Wake up to 250ml warm water with lemon and a dash of cayenne pepper Drink the fenugreek water and chew on the seeds. 10 mins later – 2 cloves of garlic crushed and consume with 1 tbsp raw honey or manuka honey Steam Time Boil some water , put into a large bowl, add 5-10 drops of pure eucalyptus oil or 1 drop peppermint oil, cover your head with a towel and do steam inhalation for 5 mins..gentle, deep inhalations and slow exhalations. Breakfast as normal, but add 300 ml fresh carrot juice with 1 tsp pure cold pressed coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil. Magic Lung breathing exercise ( below) Post breathing exercise prepare a liter of the following concoction and have one cup warm. Magic Tea – 1 inch piece ginger /1 tsp dried ginger powder, cinnamon stick, ½ tsp basil/tulsi ( fresh/dry), 1 tsp oregano dry ( or fresh leaves) , 3 pepper corns, 2 crushed elaichi, ( optional , 1 -2 cloves crushed garlic), 1/4th tsp fennel seeds, pinch of ajwain, 1/4th tsp jeera ( cumin) Boil for 10 mins and simmer, strain and sip warm ( can add pure honey or jaggery to sweeten) Lunch ( as normal) 30 mins post lunch – 250 ml lemon water with dash of cayenne pepper 2 hours later - 300 ml fresh carrot juice with 1 tsp pure cold pressed coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil plus evening snack 30 mins later: Magic breathing exercise followed by cup of lung tea concoction. Light walk or yoga 30 mins before dinner: 250 ml lemon water with cayenne pepper Dinner plus 300 ml carrot juice as above Post dinner: 30 mins – one more cup of lung tea 1 hour before bed – steam with 5-10 drops of eucalyptus oil for 5 mins Castor oil pack or rub ( details below) for 30 mins Before bed – magic lung breathing exercise , meditate , sleep Notes Magic lung breathing cleanse 1. Take a standing position. Keep your arms at your sides and your feet slightly apart. Relax. 2. Take a few deep breaths and exhale through the nose. 3. Now breathe in through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth until you cannot exhale anymore. But do not stop here, because there is still air remaining in your lungs. Some of the air remains in the lungs and is not replaced as we breathe. Now, force your diaphragm to exhale all the air from your lungs with wheezing. Several times exhale through the mouth with a “ho, ho , ho ho, ,,,,” until you feel there is no more air in the lungs. At this point you will feel you have pulled in your belly toward the spine. Through the nose, slowly inhale fresh, clean air in your empty lungs. Fill your lungs with air completely, and then hold your breath for 6 seconds, counting them slowly. At this point, the oxygen has filled your lungs. Again exhale through your mouth until there is no air left in your lungs and repeat the “ha...ha...”to expel the stale air out of the lungs. Repeat the whole procedure as many times as you like. Besides purifying the lungs, this exercise has another benefit: your stomach will eventually become strong and toned skin will look radiant with a glow as you have helped remove excess carbon dioxide. Castor oil pack – Get a good quality castor oil. Warm a cup of it. Soak a flannel in it and squeeze, and apply over the chest/lung area//keep for 20 – 30 mins, can add a heat pad if you wish over it..do this to loosen chest mucous. You can also just rub warm castor oil deeply and gently into your chest area and lie down, and then put 2-3 drops of the oil in your belly button/navel area , and rub some oil within a one- two inch perimeter around the belly button and let it be..it will automatically soak in Avoid dairy and white sugar and processed foods on this day

चिनी बागुलबुवा By pudhari

| Publish Date: Oct 26 2016 काळ बदलतो तसा जमानाही बदलत असतो. संदर्भही बदलून जात असतात. त्यामुळे एका काळातील कौतुकाची गोष्ट नंतरच्या काळात कालबाह्य होऊन गेलेली असते; पण काही लोकांना काळाबरोबर बदलता येत नाही. साहजिकच अशी माणसे कालौघात बाजूला फेकली जात असतात. जशी माणसे बाजूला पडतात, तसे काही विचार भूमिकाही संदर्भहीन होऊन जात असतात. ते विचार रहात नाहीत, तर अंधश्रद्धा वा समजुती होऊन जातात. मागल्या तीन दशकात असेच जागतिक संदर्भ बदलले आहेत. सोवियत युनियन राहिलेले नाही आणि अमेरिकाही आता जगातली महाशक्ती उरलेली नाही. काही मूठभर जिहादी दहशतवादी अमेरिकेच्या बलाढ्य फौजेला जेरीस आणू शकतात, हे सिद्ध झालेले आहे. म्हणूनच 1970-80 च्या जमान्यातून बाहेर पडून नव्या जागतिक मांडणीच्या चष्म्यातून जगाकडे स्वच्छ नजरेने बघण्याची गरज आहे. चीन तेव्हा होता तितकाच आजही बलशाली असला, तरी तीन दशकांपूर्वी शेजार्‍यांना दमदाटी करणारा चीन, आज तितका मस्तवाल राहिलेला नाही, व्हिएतनामसारख्या इवल्या देशाने काही महिने लढाई करून चीनला गप्प रहायला भाग पाडले, अशी आजची वस्तुस्थिती आहे. म्हणूनच 1962 च्या पराभवातून भारतीयांनी बाहेर पडून, आजच्या चिनी वास्तवाची दखल घेतली पाहिजे. त्यानुसारच त्या देशाच्या बळाचे मूल्यांकन केले पाहिजे. पाकिस्तानच्या पाठीशी चीन उभा आहे म्हणजे काय, त्याचेही मूल्यमापन त्याच नव्या मोजपट्टीने करण्याची म्हणूनच गरज आहे. आज चीन पाकच्या पाठीशी उभा असला, तरी चिनी समाज त्या राजकीय मैत्रीला तितका प्रतिसाद देणारा राहिला नाही. प्रसंगी दहशतवादी संकटाला सामोरे जाण्याची वेळ आल्यास चीनलाही पाकविषयक भूमिका बदलणे भाग पडू शकते. ही निव्वळ कल्पना नाही. चिनी सोशल मीडियाचा कानोसा घेतला तर त्याचीच प्रचिती येत असते. भले चीन अरबांची वा पाकची बाजू घेत असेल; पण सामान्य चिनी माणूस मात्र मोठ्या प्रमाणात जिहादी दहशतवादाच्या विरोधात बोलत असतो. जगभर बोकाळलेल्या हिंसात्मक घातपाती घटनेमुळे तिथे पाकविरोधी भूमिकेलाही मोठा प्रतिसाद मिळू लागला आहे. किंबहुना त्यामुळेच चिनी लोकसंख्येतला नगण्य वाटणारा मुस्लिम घटक आणि बाकीचे चिनी समाजघटक; यांच्यात वितुष्टाचे प्रमाण वाढत चाललेले आहे. त्यात एखाद्या मोठ्या जिहादी घटनेची भर पडली, तर चीनला पाकचे राजकीय समर्थन करणेच अशक्य होऊन जाईल. त्यालाही भारताच्या बाजूने उभे रहाणे भाग पडेल. कारण मोठ्या प्रमाणात चिनी नागरिकच पाकविरोधात मैदानात येऊ शकतील. पाकमधून तशी कलागत काढली जाण्याचा अवकाश आहे. मग चीनच पाकला धडा शिकवण्यापर्यंत कोलांटी उडी मारू शकतो. अलीकडेच जी-20 देशाचे संमेलन चीनच्या झिंगझॅन्ग प्रांतात झालेले होते. तेव्हा पाच देशांतील पर्यटकांना त्या प्रांतातल्या कुठल्याही हॉटेलात प्रवेश देण्यावर बंदी लागू करण्यात आलेली होती. त्यात सीरिया लिबियासह पाकिस्तानचाही समावेश होता. कारण चीनमधील मुस्लिम लोकसंख्या मोठ्या प्रमाणात याच झिंगझॅन्ग प्रांतामध्ये वसलेली आहे. चिनी समाजात प्रामुख्याने 56 वंश आहेत. त्यापैकी हान वंशाची संख्या मोठी असून, बाकीचे समाज किरकोळ संख्येने आहेत, त्यापैकी दोन कोटी हुयी आणि उयघुर अशा दोन वंशाचे चिनी प्रामुख्याने मुस्लिम धर्माचे आहेत. ती लोकसंख्या मुख्यत: पश्‍चिम चीनमध्ये आहे आणि त्याच्या दक्षिणेला पाकिस्तान, तर पश्‍चिमेला कझाकस्तान वगैरे देश आहेत. त्याच कझाकस्तानमध्ये असलेल्या चिनी दूतावासावर अलीकडेच जिहादी घातपाती हल्ला झालेला होता. त्यानंतर चिनी सोशल मीडियात प्रक्षोभक प्रतिक्रिया उमटलेल्या होत्या. अशा मुस्लिमविरोधी प्रतिक्रिया वा भाषेला चिनी सरकारी अधिकृत माध्यमात प्रतिबंध आहेत; पण सोशल मीडियात खुलेआम जिहाद व मुस्लिमविरोधी भडक प्रतिक्रिया व्यक्त होत असतात. काही प्रतिक्रिया तर मुस्लिम विरोधासाठी इस्रायलचे टोकाचे समर्थन करणार्‍या असतात. त्या जागतिक चिनी राजकारणाला पोषक नसल्याने, त्याला अधिकृत व मुख्य प्रवाहातील माध्यमात प्रतिबंध आहे. तरी सोशल मीडियात जबरदस्त प्रक्षोभक मतप्रदर्शन चालू असते. साहजिकच जगात कुठेही जिहादी घातपात झाला, की चिनी सोशल माध्यमात मुस्लिमविरोधी व प्रामुख्याने चिनी मुस्लिमांच्या विरोधात प्रतिक्रिया उमटतात. त्या बघता फार काळ चीनला पाकिस्तानचे समर्थन करण्याची स्थिती आज उरलेली नाही. ही बाजू विचारात घेतली, तर चीनला पाकशी फार काळ राजकीय जवळीक ठेवणे अशक्य होणार आहे. अनेक चिनी मुस्लिम आधीच पाकमधून जिहादचे प्रशिक्षण घेऊन मायदेशी परतलेले आहेत. त्यांना आवर घालताना चीनच्या नाकी दम आला आहे. बलुची स्वातंत्र्यवाद्यांना भारताने चिथावणी देण्याचे डावपेच अलीकडे खेळले, तसाच प्रयोग चिनी हान बहुसंख्येवर करण्याचे काम हाती घेतले; तर चीनला घरचे थोडे होऊन पाकची साथ सोडण्याखेरीज पर्याय उरणार नाही. अजून तरी भारताने तशा काही हालचाली केलेल्या नाहीत; पण तसे काही प्रयत्नही होत नसतील याची आपण हमी देऊ शकत नाही. 15 ऑगस्टपूर्वी बलुची असंतोष भारत हत्याराप्रमाणे वापरण्याच्या सज्जतेत आहे, याची कुणाला खबरबात होती? मोदींनी लालकिल्ल्यावरून बोलताना नुसता उल्लेख केला आणि बलुची बंडाला तोंड फुटले. मग चिनी बागुलबुवा कितीकाळ चालू शकेल?.

स्वदेशी’ हेच राष्ट्रीय धोरण असावे!

स्वदेशी’ हेच राष्ट्रीय धोरण असावे! October 25, 2016056 भारताचे, पाकिस्तान आणि चीन या देशांशी कधीही चांगले संबंध नव्हते. ही राष्ट्रे शेजारी राष्ट्रे असल्यामुळे या देशांशी आपले सहकार्याचे संबंध असावे, एवढीच भारत सरकारची अपेक्षा होती. आपण आपल्या वैयक्तिक जीवनात शेजार्‍यांशी चांगले संबंध असावे, यासाठी बरेच प्रयत्न करतो. परंतु, शेजारी जर वाह्यात स्वभावाचा असेल तर त्याच्याशी दुरूनच संबंध ठेवण्याचा आपण प्रयत्न करतो. शेवटी आपल्याला, या वात्रट शेजार्‍याबरोबर, आपण राहतो त्या समाजाचा व इतर चांगल्या शेजार्‍यांचा विचार करावाच लागतो. मनात अशा शेजार्‍यांचा राग असतो, परंतु नेहमीकरिता हा राग प्रत्येक पातळीवर दाखविता येत नाही. कारण त्या संदर्भातील काही पथ्ये सामाजिक बांधिलकी म्हणून सांभाळावी लागतात. आज एका बाजूला आपण चीनच्या उत्पादनावर बहिष्कार टाकण्याचे आवाहन करतो आहे. त्यासाठी देशात विशिष्ट वातावरण निर्माण करतो आहे आणि दुसर्‍या बाजूला महाराष्ट्र सरकार, भारत सरकार चीनशी आर्थिक व तांत्रिक संदर्भातील करार करीत आहे. त्यावर बहिष्कार टाकीत नाही किंवा ते करार रद्दही करीत नाही. सर्वसामान्य जनतेला हे एक ‘विरोधाभासा’चे उदाहरण वाटते आहे. भारताने केलेल्या ‘सर्जिकल स्टाईक’पासून भारत आणि पाकिस्तानचे संबंध अगदी उघडपणे खराब झालेले आहेत. परंतु, हे संबंध शासकीय पातळीवर फक्त ‘संरक्षणाच्या’ संदर्भात विकोपास गेलेले आहेत. ‘गोळीचे उत्तर गोळीनेच देऊ’ हा त्यातील टोकाचा मार्ग स्वीकारणे भारत सरकारला भाग पडलेले आहे. त्यातूनच पाकिस्तानच्या विरोधात भारतीयांनी पावले उचललेली आहेत- ‘‘पाकिस्तानचे कलाकार, गायक यांनी भारतात आपले कार्यक्रम सादर करण्याचा प्रयत्न केल्यास, आम्ही त्या कार्यक्रमावर किंवा त्यांचा सहभाग असलेल्या चित्रपटावर बहिष्कार टाकू.’’ अशी उघड धमकी भारतीय जनतेने दिलेली आहे. अशा प्रकारचे धोरण भारत सरकारने निश्‍चित केलेले नाही. आंतरराष्ट्रीय पातळीवर विचार करता, असे टोकाचे धोरण भारत सरकार घेऊ शकत नाही. आपल्याला ज्या प्रमाणे समाजाचे भान ठेवून, शेजार्‍याशी विरोध करावा लागतो तसेच जागतिक वातावरणाचा विचार करतच सरकारला पाकिस्तानचा विरोध करावा लागतो. परंतु, भारतीय जनतेला असा विरोध उघडपणे करता येतो. कारण त्यांच्या मनात त्या वेळी केवळ ‘भारत’ असतो! त्याचप्रमाणे चीन हा देश पाकिस्तानच्या बाजूचा आहे. त्यामुळे भारत सरकारही या देशाचा विरोध करीत आहे. परंतु, हा विरोध टोकाला जाऊन करता येत नाही. आंतरराष्ट्रीय नियमांचा, कायद्यांचा आणि परिस्थितीचा विचार करूनच, मर्यादेच्या आत राहून हा विरोध भारताला करावा लागतो. परंतु, भारतीय लोक चीनच्या वस्तूंवर अगदी उघडपणे बहिष्कार टाकू शकतात. हा बहिष्कार टाकताना त्यांना चीन, अमेरिका, इतर देशांचा विचार करण्याची गरज नसते. ‘चीनच्या वस्तू खरेदी करू नका,’ असे भारत सरकार उघडपणे सांगू शकत नाही किंवा चीनशी केलेले व्यापारी करार ताबोडतोब रद्द करू शकत नाही. पाकिस्तान आणि चीनला विरोध करण्यासाठी अशा परिस्थितीत भारतीयांनीच समोर येणे, आंदोलन करणे गरजेचे असते. अशी आंदोलने सरकारलासुद्धा पसंत असतात. चिनी वस्तूंवर भारतीयांनीच बहिष्कार टाकला, तर भारताची चीनमधून होणारी आयात कमी होईल आणि त्याचा वाईट परिणाम त्या देशाच्या अर्थव्यवस्थेवर होईल. चिनी उत्पादनावर बहिष्कार टाकणे तसे सोपे आहे. कारण चिनी वस्तू दिसावयास छान आणि स्वस्त वाटत असल्या तरी टिकाऊ नसतात. शीघ्रनाशी असतात. त्यापेक्षा थोड्या महाग टिकाऊ वस्तू भारतातच तयार होतात. त्या घेणे सयुक्तिक ठरते आणि त्यामुळे भारताचा व्यापार वाढू शकतो. लोकांना रोजगार मिळतो. चीनच्या ‘यूझ ऍण्ड थ्रो’ वस्तू काही कामाच्या नाहीत, नुसत्या फसव्या असतात. चीनशी आपले संबंध चांगले नाहीत म्हणूनच नव्हे, तर ‘स्वदेशी वस्तू खरेदी केल्या पाहिजेत,’ हे आपण भारतातील लोकांनी कायमचे धोरण ठरविले पाहिजे. हे धोरण सर्वात चांगले आणि ‘निकोप’ धोरण आहे. त्याचा आपण व्यावहारिक धोरण म्हणून स्वीकार केला पाहिजे, तरच त्याचे ‘राष्ट्रीय धोरणा’त रूपांतर होईल. भारताच्या विकासाकरिता अशा राष्ट्रीय धोरणाची नितान्त आवश्यकता आहे

चीनी वस्तू म्हणजे "मेड इन चायना‘. या वस्तूंची खरेदी म्हणजे एक प्रकारे पाकिस्तानला मदत करण्यासारखे किंवा आपल्याच पाठित खंजीर खुपासण्यासारखे आहे. यामुळे आपण सर्वांनी मिळून चीनी वस्तू खरेदी न करण्याची शपथ घेऊयात. पर्यायाने देशाच्या अर्थव्यवस्थेवरील आक्रमण थांबवून देशसेवा करूयात.

उरी हल्ल्यामुळे आणि त्यानंतर भारताने केलेल्या "सर्जिकल स्ट्राईक‘मुळे भारत आणि पाकिस्तानमधील संबंधांमध्ये तणाव निर्माण झाला आहे. हा तणाव दिवसेंदिवस वाढत चालला आहे. पाकिस्तान शस्त्रसंधीचे उल्लंघन करून सीमेवर गोळीबार करत असून, आपले जवान हुतात्मा होत आहेत. तर दहशतवादीही पुन्हा पुन्हा भारताच्या सीमेत घुसखोरी करण्याची हिंमत करत आहेत. पाकिस्तानचा मित्र देश म्हणजे चीन. भारताविरुद्ध कारवाया करण्यासाठी चीन पाकिस्तानला सहकार्य करत असल्याचे वेळोवेळी सिद्ध झाले आहे. "शत्रूचा मित्र आपला शत्रू‘ या न्यायाने चीनही भारताचा अप्रत्यक्ष शत्रूच आहे. याशिवाय भारतामध्ये कोणतीही वस्तू आणि उत्पादने आली की हुबेहूब तशीच, अत्यल्प दरातील, बनावट उत्पादने भारतात उपलब्ध करून देत चीन भारतीय अर्थव्यवस्थेवर हल्ला करण्याचा प्रयत्न करतो. या साऱ्या पार्श्‍वभूमीवर सोशल मिडियावर सध्या चीनमधील भारतात विक्रीसाठी उपलब्ध असलेल्या सर्व वस्तूंवर बंदी घालण्याचे आवाहन करण्यात येत आहे. त्यासाठी नेटिझन्सनी मोहिमही उघडली आहे. चीनच्या वस्तूंवर आपण पूर्णपणे बहिष्कार टाकला, तर एकाअर्थी नाक दाबल्यास तोंड उघडू शकेल, अशी अवस्था पाकिस्तान आणि चीनची करता येईल. त्यामुळे सोशल मिडियावरील या मोहिमेत सहभागी होऊन चीनी वस्तूंवर बहिष्कार टाकणे योग्य ठरणारे वाटते. दिवाळी सण सुरू होत असून विद्यार्थ्यांच्या सुट्या सुरू झाल्या आहेत किंवा होत आहेत. दिवाळीच्या खरेदीसाठी महानगरांसह, शहरे, उपनगरे आणि ग्रामीण भागातही ठिकठिकाणी फटाक्‍यांपासून शोभेच्या वस्तूंपर्यंत विविध प्रकारचे आकर्षक स्टॉल्स उभारलेले दिसत आहेत. त्यामध्ये भारतीय वस्तूंसह चीनी वस्तूंचाही समावेश आहे. एकाबाजूला ही परिस्थिती. तर दुसरीकडे भारत-पाकच्या आंतरराष्ट्रीय सीमेवर दररोज गोळीबाराच्या घटना घडत आहेत. आपले सैनिक दहशतवाद्यांच्या आणि सीमेपलिकडून येणाऱ्या गोळ्या झेलत आहेत. भारतीयांचे संरक्षण करणारे आपले शूर जवान रात्रंदिवस पाकिस्तानी सैन्याला व दहशतवाद्यांना जोरदार प्रत्युत्तर देत आहेत. यामध्ये आपले काही जवान गोळीबारात जखमी होत असून, हुतात्माही होत आहेत. पाकिस्तानचा मित्र देश असलेल्या चीनच्या वस्तूंवर आपण पुर्णपणे बहिष्कार टाकल्यास आपला पैसा चीनमध्ये जाणार नाही. यामुळे चीनला काही प्रमाणात जरी आर्थिक फटका बसला तरी एक प्रकारे देश सेवाच होईल. प्रत्येकाने सीमेवर जाऊन लढाई करून, देशसेवा करण्याची गरज राहणार नाही. यासाठी आपले जवान पुरेसे आहेत. चीनमध्ये एलईडी, एलसीडी, शोभेचे दिवे, मोबाईल, फटाके, शोभेच्या माळा, खेळणी, संगणक, मातीची भांडी, पतंग व मांजे, रसायने, औषधे व कपड्यांची मोठ्या प्रमाणात निर्मिती होते. सण-उत्सवादरम्यान चीनी वस्तूंवर बहिष्कार अन्‌ स्वदेशीचा वापर करण्याचा प्रत्येकाने निर्धार करायला हवा. सोशल नेटवर्किंगवरून चीनच्या वस्तूंवर बहिष्कार टाकण्याची जोरदार मोहिम सुरू आहे. या मोहिमेला मोठा प्रतिसाद मिळत असल्याचे आकडे सांगतात. शोभेच्या वस्तू असोत अथवा रोजच्या वापरातील वस्तू. चीनमधील उत्पादने विकत न घेण्याकडे ग्राहकांचाही कल दिसू लागला आहे. चीनमधील वस्तूंपेक्षा भारतीय वस्तूंना प्राधान्य मिळत आहे. ग्राहकांची मागणी पाहून विक्रेतेही जास्तीत जास्त स्वदेशी वस्तू विक्रीसाठी उपलब्ध करून देत असल्याचे चित्र बाजारात पहायला मिळत आहे. यामुळेच की काय दिवाळीच्या पार्श्‍वभूमीवर चिनी वस्तूंची विक्री 40 टक्‍क्‍यांपर्यंत कमी झाल्याचे वृत्त नुकतेच प्रसारीत झाले आहे. परंतु, 40 टक्‍क्‍यांचा आकडा हा 100 टक्के झाल्यास प्रत्येक भारतीयाला नक्कीच अभिमान वाटेल. चीनी वस्तू म्हणजे "मेड इन चायना‘. या वस्तूंची खरेदी म्हणजे एक प्रकारे पाकिस्तानला मदत करण्यासारखे किंवा आपल्याच पाठित खंजीर खुपासण्यासारखे आहे. यामुळे आपण सर्वांनी मिळून चीनी वस्तू खरेदी न करण्याची शपथ घेऊयात. पर्यायाने देशाच्या अर्थव्यवस्थेवरील आक्रमण थांबवून देशसेवा करूयात.

Surgery In The Eastern Theatre Centre talks loudly about the cross-LoC strike, but hushes up anti-insurgency ops at the Myanmar border. A ground report.

Surgery In The Eastern Theatre Centre talks loudly about the cross-LoC strike, but hushes up anti-insurgency ops at the Myanmar border. A ground report. DOLA MITRA • ‘Hot pursuit’ of Northeast militants into Myanmar has been taking place since June 2015 • These surgical strikes—there was one in late August—are with Myanmar’s cooperation • Security personnel say such cross-border attacks have dealt a crushing blow to militant tactics *** “You should head back to Imphal before nightfall,” warns an Indian army officer at a camp in Moreh, the remote town in Manipur which lies right atop the India-Myanmar border. “The gates along the highway will shut by five,” he says. “Besides,” he adds under his breath, “it’s not very safe.” Evening was descending over the surrounding hills. The personnel, who had been guarding the border posts through the day, had begun to move back cautiously towards the camp in a group, guns slung over their shoulders, eyes watchful. “The possibility of danger, of an attack, lurks every moment of the day and night,” explains the officer. “Even when we have retired for the night.” The pre-dawn terror attack which killed 18 Indian military officers in Uri along the LoC on September 18 has put the focus on a tactic followed by insurgents—to move in when soldiers lower, even for a short while, their guards. India’s res¬ponse to the Uri attack has also made a counter-insurgency strategy a matter of open, national debate: that of ‘cross-border surgical strikes’ or ‘hot pursuits’. The official government position on the ‘surgical strike’ is unequivocal—India has insisted, in the face of demands at both national and international levels for ‘proof’, that cross-border strikes did take place across the LoC, on launch-bases of terrorists. Yet, New Delhi has remained ambiguous about similar cross-border surgical strikes in Myanmar. For, in reality, even as recently as in late August, Indian army personnel were conducting ‘hot pursuits’ in Myanmar. But the government and the army has draped it in secrecy. Outlook’s investigation on the Indo-Myanmar border reveals a web of overt denials and whispered admissions. Additional Director-General of Public Information, Colonel Avijit Mitra, outright denies that cross-border strikes were carried out in Myanmar. But visits to ground zero—the “launching pads” of these cross-border counter-insurgency strikes on the India-Myanmar border—tells a different story. An official of Assam Rifles, the paramilitary force gua¬rding the border with Myanmar, did not just corroborate recent reports of operations conducted INS¬ide Myanmar to flush out terrorists, but explains the differences in dynamics between militants based in Pakistan and those in Myanmar. “Unlike Pakistan, deemed to be an ‘enemy’ state, Myanmar is a ‘friendly’ nation,” he says. “Therefore, unlike the rec¬ent surgical strikes in Pakistan, the pursuit of Indian insurgents who esc¬ape into Myanmar are coo¬perative in nature, with both nations working together to combat militancy.” Indeed, confirmation that such operations were part of a tacit agreement bet¬ween the two countries to jointly fight insurgency comes from a Myanmar government official, who disapprovingly tells Outlook that ‘leakage’ of such classified information in the public domain is ‘unhealthy’ for India-Myanmar relations. Conversations intercepted in Moreh and satellite images of insurgent camps in Myanmar’s jungles,led to last year’s counter-insurgency attack. Interestingly, when the first such cross-border strike into Myanmar was reported on June 9, 2015, it had initially not been denied by India. Rajyavardhan Rathore, Union minister of state for inf¬ormation and broadcasting, had declared that the strike took place ‘deep’ inside Myanmar. During a cabinet committee on security meeting on June 5 attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, NSA Ajit Doval and army chief Dalbir Singh Suhag had been granted permission to allow Indian soldiers to go on a hot pursuit of NSCN-K insurgents after receiving intelligence that they had fled across the border into Myanmar after gunning down 18 soldiers of the Dogra Regiment on June 4. New Delhi played it down only after Myanmar publicly expressed displeasure at the chest-thumping, pseudo-patriotic bluster that had inevitably followed the ‘covert’ operation. Outlook met up with some of the soldiers who claim to have taken part in the several cross-border strikes into Myanmar since June 2015. They all enthusiastically exp¬lain how the strikes have boosted their morale and created a benchmark in cou¬nter-insurgency strategy. A member of an Assam Rifle team which conducted one such operation this June says, “It was very fru¬strating for us not be able to chase them to their shelters. After carrying out attacks they would escape to Myanmar through por¬ous jungle borders. This has been their strategy. They relied on the differences in international military and government regulations. It had worked in their favour.” He points out that they chase insurgents till the edges of the border, which often runs through dense jungle. “To have to stop without being able to go further because of the border, which is often just an invisible line, defeats the purpose. The insurgents are lawless, have no such boundaries and are emboldened by what they perceive as our shortcoming. After we launched our cross-border offensives, this has changed.” The secrecy associated with these operations is, however, reflected in the ignorance of non-border personnel. An Assam Rifles officer stationed at ‘10 miles’—so named as it is situated 10 miles from Moreh—asks Outlook: “How is it possible? Myanmar is a different country. How can we be allowed to go in and conduct operations?” At Moreh, the deep banks of the Minal river provide some semblance of a visible demarcation of the border. It is a natural boundary that carves through a landscape of undulating, tropical forests. Only a yellow placard at the foot of an iron bridge over the river, with ‘India-Myanmar Friendship Road’ printed in bold, black letters, indicates an international border. The road was constructed in 1997 by the Indian Border Roads Organisation, which has maint¬ained it since its inauguration in February 2001. It is part of a planned highway which will connect India to Thailand via Myanmar and was envisaged by these countries as a way encouraging trade. More importantly, the road stands as a symbol of a friendship treaty signed in 2010 between India and Myanmar, which forms the backdrop of the cross-border counter-insurgency arrangements. The India-Myanmar border isn’t as neat as that demarcated by the Minal. In fact, it often snakes its way through neighborhoods and markets in such a way that an old Partition staple—the backyard of a house lying in ano¬ther nation—is not uncommon. No one put it better than 40-year-old Amida Begum of Moreh, the wife of a porter who works at the local railway station. Drawing water from the village well loc¬ated in Myanmar, she says, “I live in India, but bathe in Myanmar.” For northeastern insurgents, this easy accessibility to a land where they had no identity, least of all as wanted militants, was a boon. And, as Moreh would amply show, escape routes hardly need to be little-known forest tracks. At Gate Number 2 at Moreh, a busy market thrives on the no man’s land. You can buy and sell in Kyats or Rupees, which is valued as much as US Dollars by locals. “We love it if you pay in Indian currency,” chuckles Htutu and Htay, two sisters from a Thamplapoki village in Myanmar, who run a shop selling Burmese herbs and other goods. The very mention of insurgency, counter-insurgency and hot pursuit, however, erase the smiles from their faces. “We don’t know anything about it. We don’t want to get entangled into such things,” they say grimly. Kalu, who sells t-shirts, is more forthcoming. “Everyone knows that Indian insurgents move through these markets. They hide in the local jungles and come here to buy provisions. They are humans after all; they need food and clothes. But then there is no way that we can recognise them. They don’t wear t-shirts saying, ‘Catch me, I am an insurgent’, you know,” he laughs. “That’s for the Indian Army to find out.” Joel, 24-year-old from Moreh, says that armymen “only go after insurgents if they themselves are attacked. They do nothing to protect us from UG threats.” The Indian army do have intelligence officers posted in the markets. “Inte¬lligence gathering is the first step in counter-insurgency operations. It is esp¬ecially important for cross-border operations, which are conducted after top-level diplomatic dialogue between countries, are enabled by a set of permissions and approvals and are expensive. The pursuit has to be foolproof,” says an officer. Sources claim that conversations intercepted in the Moreh market, along with satellite images of insurgent camps in jungles in Myanmar, led to last year’s counter-insurgency offensive. “There is no visa requirement for the first four hours of a visit to Myanmar for Indians. You have to pay Rs 100 for a ticket. If you are intent on getting lost in the country, it’s not that difficult. This is especially true for insurgents who have shunned mainstream life and given up legitimacy,” the officer adds. In recent times, of all the major insurgent groups operating in Manipur--as well as other Northeastern states--the most problematic for the Indian military has been NSCN-K and People’s Lib¬eration Army, which were behind the attack on the Dogra Regiment in June 2015. “Many insurgent groups currently operating in the Northeast are no longer guided by ideology, but have degenerated into common criminal gangs who loot, rob and kill for money,” explains an army intelligence officer. “But these two groups, by and large, still adhere their original objectives, which acc¬ounts for the support they receive in terms of finances, arms, ammunition and other equipment from international sources. They have a strong base of trained and motivated militants, whereas many others are man¬ned only by youth who have often been coerced into joining them.” The officer declines to name the countries involved in funding and aiding these groups from across the border but says, “Think about India’s traditional enemies. In its western border it is Pakistan. In its eastern borders it has had military skirmishes with China.” Intelligence officers in Moreh point out that ‘hot pursuits’ are just one aspect of counter-insurgency in Manipur. “Most of the guerrilla warfare is taking place in our own land. The enemy is within and lurking in every corner. If not an armed militant, at least an informer or a supporter or a sympathiser—there could be one or more of these in every household here. Armed counter-offensive is not the strategy to deal with these forms of insurgency. Here you are dealing with unarmed civilians who are insurgents at heart. You have to engage with them in ways that you have to devise as you go along. It cannot be pre-planned or executed like a surgical strike,” says an officer. Throughout Manipur and Nagaland, where NSCN-K presence is the strongest, the possibility that a family member could choose the path of insurgency looms large. ‘UG’, short for ‘underground’, and a byword for militant acts, is a common word here. Along the banks of the river at Moreh, a group of boys loiter, doing nothing. “They could be UGs,” warns the Meitei driver from Imphal. They are Kukis, the dominant tribe in remote Chandel district in which Moreh lies. When we ask them their views on a host of issues, including insurgency and counter-insurgency, grievances pour out against authorities in New Delhi. “They don’t care about us,” complains Kikim, a 24-year-old driver’s assistant. “We are treated like foreigners. That’s why many become UGs. Though we have not,” he adds quickly. The boys unanimously suggest that the army and the paramilitary are self-absorbed. Joel, also 24, complains that “they only go after the insurgents if they themselves are attacked. They do nothing to protect us common civilians from threats from UGs.” Army officials don’t endorse this view but acknowledge the “sense of alienation” that has contributed to the rise of at least a few of the insurgent groups, especially those fighting for independence. Hou Kho, the 32-year-old chief of New Shijang village along the Minal in Moreh justifies the struggles of the Kukis, including those of the Kuki National Army as a “fight for the protection of the poor people”, paralleling the Maoist raison d’etre. “Unlike Kashmir, where the INS¬urgency is being bred across the border in Pakistan, this is home grown militancy, borne out of disgruntlement. The counter-insurgency dose here would be imp¬a¬rting education, providing employment and engaging militants in mainstream life,” says the intelligence officer. Locals don’t deny that this could be the solution. “What good is this artificial barrier going to do?” says Abida Begum, pointing to an incomplete wire fence which Indian and Myanmar authorities started to erect along a stretch of the border at Moreh. The project was abandoned midway because villagers on the Indian side complained that it was eating into their space. “The way to hold on to India’s youth and stop them from going astray is by giving them a reason not to,” says Abida. On those parameters, many feel let down by the Indian state. A commando of the Nagaland-based militant outfit, NSCN-Muivah, which is currently under a ceasefire with the Indian government, told Outlook, “We identify more with China than India. We look more like them, our food is similar and so is our religion. Also, mainland Indians make us feel different.” The last border gate at Moreh, manned by the Indian military, closes behind us as night falls. The highway, swathed in darkness and leading down to the valley, towards Imphal, is now practically des¬erted. “Only the UGs come out now; we don’t want to encounter them,” whispers the driver, speeding away

Pakistan will win any war against India By Shehzad Ghias

Published: October 3, 2016 India has been threatening war against Pakistan but there is no war in which India can ever beat Pakistan. No Pakistani is afraid of war: Everyone is brave enough to put up a status online asking for war. As long as I do not have to fight in it, I support every war. If it makes me feel better to upload a cover photo with the Pakistani flag, why should I care about helping to create social conditions where thousands of people can die? I do not even care about causing accidents on the road after painting both my car’s windscreens green and white. Indian authorities seize ‘Pakistani boat’, detain 9 crew members off Gujarat In many ways, I am also a soldier. I have waged a war against India for a decade in Facebook comments. I am particularly proud of all the times I have referred to ‘India’ as ‘End ya’. In every cricket match after India loses a wicket I tweet the following: “In dia? Nahee, out dia.” Do you think a country full of people who can come up with such hillarious puns can be defeated by a country where Katrina Kaif can win the Smita Patil Memorial Award? Pakistan will win any war against India. World War I, World II, The American Civil War; we have never lost any war against India. In fact the worst Pakistani performance in a war was by the actors in Bilal Lashari’s Waar. Even there we beat India. Anyone who saw the movie Border and thought no one can make a worse propaganda movie underestimated the power of Pakistanis. There is a reason why we have the best spy agency in the world. Every single boy in Pakistan is trained in spy missions. Trying to pick up a girl from her house in Karachi without her mother noticing is nothing short of a James Bond mission. You have to disguise yourself as the driver, strategically park the car at an angle where her mother cannot spot it from the roof and if anybody approaches at a moment’s notice be ready to scream out, “Khuda ki kasam behan hay meri.” China blocks river, sets off alarm bells in India For years the WWE has tried to warn us of the nefarious designs of India’s spy agency by screaming out to us ‘RAW is WAR’ but we never listened. We were blinded by uncle Aman’s daughter Asha and steamrolled by the Samjhota express. Too long have we danced to the beat of India on all our mehndis and dholkis; too long have we asked our barbers to give us the Shahrukh Khan haircut; too long have we tried hiding our bellies in Salman Khan endorsed white ugly vests. It is time we say enough is enough and engage in an all-out war against India. Every Pakistani is equal to 60 Indians and 2+2 = 22. We will beat India on the cricket ground. We will beat India at the border. We will go to Mars and beat their satellite there. So what if we do not even get water in the most posh area of Karachi? Beliefs are stronger than science and I believe we will win. I am sure Agha Waqar can build us a satellite that runs on water. Nawaz Sharif will beat Narendra Modi in an eating contest. Shahid Afridi will beat Sachin Tendulkar in a ‘will not retire’ contest. Humayun Saeed will beat Shahrukh Khan in a ‘will still play a 20 year old in movies’ contest. Atif Aslam will beat Himesh Reshamiya in an auto tuning contest. Bilal Khan will beat Katrina Kaif in a more fake British accent contest. Imran Khan will beat Arvind Kejriwaal in a ‘trust me, we can still win’ delusion. Mubasher Lucman will beat Arnab Goswami in a shouting match. Every memon will beat Bappi Larri in wearing more gold in public. Hamza Ali Abbasi will beat Subramanian Swamy in jingoism. Every wall being used as a public toilet in Pakistan will defeat the Swachh Bharat movement. Pakistan Army rubbishes India’s claim of ‘surgical strikes’ along LoC We are the more hip choice for people worldwide. Pakistan – the new and improved India. We can build six Taj Mahals – even if that means spending no money on building schools and hospitals. If it means being better than India then I am sure all people dying from lack of adequate healthcare will understand. India better not challenge us to another war. There is no way they can defeat us. We will have applications pending for visas for other countries. Every Pakistani will be willing to fly a plane over India, all the way to Australia for safe asylum. India cannot isolate us from the West. We are the West. Every geographer in the world will tell you that Pakistan is closer to the West than India

I am shocked and appalled by the video clip I was sent today where Sagarika Ghosh is seen speaking about the Kashmir disturbance in front of an American audience and is heard calling Burhan Wani a soft target brutally killed by the Indian Army!-Ashali Varma

How can Burhan Wani be called a ‘soft target’-October 23, 2016, 11:54 pm IST Ashali Varma I am shocked and appalled by the video clip I was sent today where Sagarika Ghosh is seen speaking about the Kashmir disturbance in front of an American audience and is heard calling Burhan Wani a soft target brutally killed by the Indian Army! Burhan Wani would have been considered a deadly terrorist even by American standards and would have got the same treatment when found by the US. I know this as I have lived and worked as a journalist in the US for a decade. The facts, which any veteran journalist like Sagarika should know is that Burhan Wani was a commander of the Kashmir-based Ḥizb al-Mujāhidin (HaM). He was involved in killings of elected Panchayat leaders. His Facebook photographs showed him proudly displaying a machine gun and dressed in army-like fatigues along with his friends. He stood with all the accouterments of warfare with his buddies thumbing a nose at the Indian state and a democratically elected government. Like the ISIS he was good with social media and attracted many young Kashmiri’s on Facebook. But the fact remains, he belonged to a deadly organization. According to Wikipedia the Ḥizb al-Mujāhidin, meaning “Party of Holy Warriors” or “Party of  Mujahedeen”, founded by Muhammad Ahsan Dar in September 1989, is a Kashmiri separatist group. It is designated a terrorist organization by  India, the  European Union  and the  United States, active in Jammu and Kashmir  since 1989. The current supreme commander of the group is Sayeed Salahudeen. Recently he is supposed to have said that Indian should be nuked so Pakistan can get Kashmir. I wonder why would anyone call him a soft target? In addition, she says, his killing was a test case for yet another brutality by the Indian Forces. What does she mean by yet another? The Indian Army is not involved in the civilian day to day policing of Kashmir but are on the borders to prevent a hostile neighbour from attacking India and preventing militants crossing over. The “HaM” holds a pro-Pakistan Ideology and was also involved in the ethnic cleansing of 500,000, Kashmiri Pandits during the years that militancy peaked in the valley from 1989 to early 1990s. This is vividly described in a book written by several Kashmiri Pandit families that have been displaced. A Long Dream of Home, The Persecution, Exodus and Exile of Kashmiri Pandits, is a chilling account of how 500,000 Indians were made to leave their home in a period of a few short months. Kashi Nath Pandita writes that first slogans were shouted in all neighbourhoods: “Kashmir has become Pakistan and We want our Kashmir: without Pandits, but with their women. Then the mobs roamed around stone-pelting their homes. Suddenly, their Muslim friends stopped talking to them. At night the loudspeakers blared from mosques asking all Pandits to leave the valley or get killed. Then he describes the blatant threats: Al Safa, the Urdu newspaper of Srinagar, published the first ultimatum issued by a militant organization. The headline read: Pandits should leave Kashmir in 36 hours. One by one, the Pandits shut their shops in Amira Kadal and other places in the city. Then the most dreadful and awful incidents began to take place. Each day a Pandit was shot down by a militant. Lassa Kaul, the Director Doordarshan was gunned down outside his house…Rattan Lal Kaul, Deputy Director of Food and Supplies was also killed in his office…Bhushan Lal Razdhan, my next door neighbour was gunned down in his home because he happened to be the stenographer of the Governor. I came to know that his assailants were hiding in the balcony of the house of a Muslim, just opposite his house and were closely watching his movements. Then the Pandits started to leave.” Lawyers, doctors and people who represented the Pandits were viciously targeted and paid with their lives. To think this happened in India under the nose of the central and state government is shocking. Why did they let this happen? Where was the security? Why wasn’t the media there to highlight it? And why have the Pandits languished for 26 years in displaced peoples’ camps? Where was Sagarika Ghosh — should she not bring up the facts of how terrorist organizations backed by Pakistan drove out 500,000 innocent Kashmiris in 1989 and the early 1990s by scare tactics and there was no Indian Army there to protect them? Why does she not speak of the whole issue as a journalist should? The situation today, is foreboding and for once, the government has brought up Pakistan’s human rights abuses and killings in Baluchistan and Gilgit. The world already knows that Pakistan exports terror but now India has enough clout to tell the world what Pakistan does within its own borders. Taslima Nasreen, the Bangladeshi writer said as much in a recent interview with TOI said about Indians: “I’ve noticed that liberals and leftists are generally very critical of Hindu fanaticism – but not of Islamic fanaticism. Islamic fanatics are against human rights, women’s rights, free speech and democracy. Islamic fanatics are against everything Indian liberals stand for but liberals strangely sympathize with them. They have a distorted the concept of secularism.” This, in a nutshell, is why Kashmir is the mess it is today because even the liberal media reports the issues in a biased way. Giving Pakistan a handle to justify its terrorism. It is easy to forget about the victims of 26/11 for journalists who were not gunned down by Kasab and his companions. They were not present either when Maoist killed 70  jawans. Nor have they ever spent months on the Siachen glacier protecting our country. Nor are they in any way related to the policemen and CRPF  jawans  who died fighting terrorists in Parliament attack. For that matter, these journalists are not even involved with protecting our borders where militants kill soldiers on a daily basis. So as an Army brat, I wonder how they can dare to comment on the Indian army. I just wonder how they would feel if death stalked them daily in the forests between Pakistan and India?I wonder if they have heard of the Patriot Act in the US. Are they living in some cuckoo land even after 9/11 and 26/11? Do they not know that if you say anything like what they have said about Burhan Wani, about the 9/11 terrorists, they would be put away without much fuss—and no newspaper or TV channel would dare to say one thing in their favour much less say and write on how innocent the young men were. Terrorists are not soft targets! They may look young and innocent to you but when you face their bullets, I can assure you, you will feel differently. I wonder if they have heard of the Patriot Act in the US. Are they living in some cuckoo land even after 9/11 and 26/11? Do they not know that if you say anything like what they have said about Burhan Wani, about the 9/11 terrorists, they would be put away without much fuss—and no newspaper or TV channel would dare to say one thing in their favour much less say and write on how innocent the young men were. Terrorists are not soft targets! They may look young and innocent to you but when you face their bullets, I can assure you, you will feel differently. In addition, some journalists fight for the rights of students who hold a rally to say: -‘Tum kitne Afzal maroge, ghar-ghar se Afzal niklenge’ -‘Pakistan zindabad’ -‘Kashmir maange azaadi, ladkar lenge azaadi’ -‘Kashmir ki azaadi tak, jung rahegi-jung rahegi’ -‘Bharat ki barbaadi tak, jung rahegi-jung rahegi’ -‘Afzak ki hatya nahi sahenge’ I find the lines above very scary and extremely worrying for our security. It takes very little to turn one person into a terrorist. It does not even need brainwashing but just a belief that the state is wrong and should suffer the consequences. Go through Kasab’s interrogation, he did it for money! He did not even hate India. He did not study in a Tony university rallying up people against India. He was just a very poor kid who got recruited by the LeT and once he got in he realized he could not get out. He knew too much. Thus, whichever way you see, it Burhan Wani belonged to a terrorist group that wanted Kashmir to be a part of Pakistan and was helped by the Pakistani ISI. The drama, with the help of Pakistan, playing out in the streets of the valley is dangerous and not political by any means. It is as dangerous as the bombings and terror attacks in Turkey, Paris, Nice and Brussels and good journalists will realize this and not try to excite foreign attention by calling Burhan Wani a soft target and the Indian Forces brutal. But then some journalists want their fifteen minutes of fame and will say anything to get it! Author-Ashali Varma Freelance journalist Ashali Varma has authored the biography of her father late Lt. Gen. PS Bhagat — ‘The Victoria Cross: A Love Story’. She was executive producer with the International Commentary Service Inc, New York in 1990. She was the executive publisher of The Earth Times, New York (1992- 98). She has also worked as the editor of Choices Magazine, United Nations Development Programme. She writes on various issues including human rights, population and sustainable development.

Loaded with terrorism, mother-ship will sink Monday, 24 October 2016 | Balbir Punj

| in Edit 1 2 3 4 5 1 New Delhi must play its cards well and give up hopes of Beijing helping in any global action against the mother-ship that spews terror and pollutes peace. It must tell China of the limits of India's friendship The internal contradictions in the official reactions of China at the Goa Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s apt description of Pakistan as the “mother-ship of terrorism” are too evident to be missed under doublespeak. Beijing may shed (crocodile) tears at the “sacrifices” Pakistan has had to make due to terrorism, but the price that Pakistan had to pay for terrorism was largely because it had inducted terrorists from the streets to its policymaking corner rooms. But why has Islamabad been branded as the mother-ship of terrorism? The answer lies in the communalised mindset that led to the demand for Pakistan by a large section of pre-independence Muslims. After partition, the architects declared their real aim: “Ladke liye Pakistan, hanske lenge Hindustan”. The pro-partition Muslim leaders, who had mesmerised their masses into believing that an Islamic India was within their grasp very soon with partition as the first chapter of a return to the 16th century political map, subsequently lost to more radical Islamic leadership. Theocratic Pakistan, split in various competing Islamic formulations, has emerged as a petri-dish of terror in the world today. Within months of its birth, Pakistan planned a quick takeover of Kashmir through a masked tribal uprising. It was almost on the verge of success but was deprived of its coveted prize through a swift manoeuvre of the Indian Army and timely political decision of the Dogra king, Hari Singh. In the very first decade after Pakistan came into existence, it was evident that the game of the Pakistani leaders of grabbing India was not going to be achieved. It was the frustration of the mullah-led masses out of this and the Pakistan Army’s need to rehabilitate itself in the public eye of Islamism-honed masses that joined hands to end the civilian rule through the assassination of then Pakistani Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan. General Iskander Khan took over the reign. Soon after Pakistan was formed, Mohammed Ali Jinnah passed away leaving behind leadership vacuum. That was the beginning of the mosque-military alliance which has dominated Pakistani politics ever since. The military benefitted when Pakistan joined the America-led alliance aimed against the Soviet Union. The US offered an unending flow of arms, ostensibly to stop the Soviet spread out. Washington, DC refused to listen to India’s warning that the only aim of the Pakistan Army was to target India. Taking advantage of the trauma India suffered in 1962 at the hands of the Chinese, Pakistan’s Army-led Government launched the surprise 1965 attack with modern arms and planes obtained under American assistance. It did not bargain for what followed under Lal Bahadur Shastri. Islamabad’s Army was once again in a swirl after this defeat. India marched forward in democracy and the Pakistan Army was unable to return the Government to civilian rule, as the eastern wing of Pakistan became increasingly restive under a Punjabi dominated-Army and politicians tried to impose Urdu and suppress Bengali culture there. This led to increasing demand for the separation of the eastern wing that was culturally, economically and intellectually far ahead of the dominant Punjabi milieu. Despite the horrible suppression of the Bengali people by the Pakistan Army, Washington remained steadfast in its support to the Army-led regime. But all the American arms and support could not save the Pakistan Army from a decisive defeat when the Indian Armed Forces and the Government under Indira Gandhi disregarded even the US threat to deploy warships in Bay of Bengal and liberated Bangladesh. This was the third setback to the Pakistani military as the saviour ofjihadi ambitions. It also led to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, for a time Prime Minister as the civilian rule returned for a short interval, defining the winning strategy against India as the ‘thousand cuts’ on India’s body that would bleed India to death. The jihadi brainwashing of Pakistan’s teen generation through a string of ultra orthodox madrassas was General Zia-ul-Haq’s answer to prevent any return to civilian rule. The Constitution was reframed to make any deviation from Islamic cleric rule punishable by death. This was the beginning of terrorism with official support. The Zia strategy to promotejihadi ideology to consolidate the Army regime has resulted in terror becoming both a challenging extra-constitutional power in Pakistan politics and also a part of the state policy in dealing with ‘kafir’ India. Pakistan-American scholar Shaza Nawaz has described the Army as an “an institution that has been, and remains, the centre of gravity in Pakistan”. But the same Army, having generated and nurtured thejihadi terror modules as instruments of state policy, now finds — as often happens in all ultra-radical societies — that the devil it had created and nursed, has gone out of control and occasionally has an agenda of its own. The agendas of the two ideological cousins — Pakistan Army and terror outfits there — over-lap, and clash as well. So the terror modules and their creator, the Pakistan Army, at times are on the same side; and can be pitted against each other, depending on the occasion. The Chinese advice to India to pursue negotiations with Islamabad is pointless, as Modi, after repeated attempts at persuading his Pakistani counterpart to reopen talks, has found that Nawaz Sharif is no longer the deciding power centre in that country. Any Government in New Delhi would be closing its eye to the reality of China now finding a good and willing client in Pakistan in the pursuit of its own global ambitions. China has entered a stage where it wants to be the table for two, with the US, to share how to run the world. Washington has refused to concede that stake to Beijing and is busy in building up alliances with other Asian nations to counter the global assertions of Beijing. China has discovered a deep interest in Pakistan to counter this, especially a growing US-India-Japan-Australia strategic alliance. Prime Minister Modi has been offering President Xi a hand of friendship on equal terms, but Pakistan is a willing surrogate— and why should not Beijing use it by huge infrastructure investments in Pakistan to gain a southern opening into the Indian Ocean! New Delhi has to play its cards well and give up hopes of Beijing helping in any global action against the mother-ship that spews terror and pollutes the climate for peace. It must tell China of the limits of India’s friendship. Having seen the double-talk of ‘bhai-bhai’ days, New Delhi will not be double crossed again