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The External Affairs Ministry said India was ‘appalled’ by the assassination of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. An Israeli Air Force helicopter gunship fired three missiles and rid the Palestinian militant movement of its “spiritual leader” a few days ago.
Why? This killing would only accelerate the vicious cycle of violence in the Middle East. But shouldn’t we leave that to Israel, which would bear the brunt of Palestinian outrage and human bombs. Or should we object to killing of terrorist leaders by any country and call it appalling?
Yes you read right. Yassin was the leader of a terrorist organisation that turned teenage boys and young girls into live bombs. A woman would walk into a restaurant and blow herself to kill people. A boy would get on a bus and blow up himself to kill 20 other office-goers for the Palestinian cause.
While the world must offer unflinching support to the Palestinian people in their struggle for end of occupation and their right to live in peace, it has to distinguish between the struggle and mindless killing of innocent minds.
Sheikh Yassin is from the same extremist school of thought as Ayman al-Zawahiri, Ossama bin Laden’s right hand man. Al-Zawahiri went on to found the Islamic Jihad in Egypt, which has ended up killing hundreds of thousands of Egyptians, including Anwar al-Sadat. He and Osama bin Laden have founded the world’s biggest terrorist organisation —al-Qaeda.
Yassin began Hamas, which has been involved in an armed struggle with Israel. He was the modern-day mastermind of suicide bombings. He was no Yasser Arafat, who also is headstrong and has even led an armed struggle.
But Arafat accepts that negotiations do happen and that enemies do sit across the table and talk.
Yassin never believed in peace.
He was wrongly referred as a spiritual leader. He was the leader who did not recognise Israel’s right to exist. He wanted all of the land for Hamas. He wanted to send death to Jews. In the process, he ended up killing more Palestinians than Israeli Jews. Death caught up with him.
The world has been outraged over the use of children as soldiers in wars in Africa. Yassin was not just using them as soldiers but also as weapons. The world is better place without a terrorist mastermind like him. His death can’t be so appalling. His death saves the world the pain of hundred other deaths.
Sunday, March 28, 2004
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Toffee is poisoned kid!
The US decision to designate Pakistan as a Major Non-NATO Ally evoked strong reactions in India, first in Opposition and then in the government. The latter didn’t question the US decision but objected to not being kept in the loop.
NATO is North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, a group of countries in Europe led by US who treat an attack on a member as one on all. Then there are countries which are not in NATO but get defence aid from the US on priority like Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand and the Philippines. Pakistan has just joined this club.
So should we behave like the child who didn’t get the toffee?
The answer is NO. We ain't no kid.
Immature reactions borne out of our Pakistan-hyphenated view of the world has led Uncle Sam to give India the same status. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, when asked at a press briefing on Monday about Washington's recent decision, said: “I think we made it clear that we’re willing to explore the same possibility of similar cooperation with India.”
Should we be happy that we too would get toffee? Answer is NO. We ain't no kid.
The US decision to make Pakistan a MNNA, as some newspapers abbreviated the status, should not worry New Delhi. It’s Islamabad that has to worry about this.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher says: “This decision underscored the importance of Pakistan's role in the war against international terrorism, particularly in the continuing fight against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.”
Well, and the timing too underscored a lot of things. The US-Pakistan Army joint action in the South Waziristan and parts of NWFP has led to unrest among the local population.
These areas have never known or recognised any Pakistani law or government, though they are part of Pakistan. Today they see Pakistani political agents, Pakistani military and US troops in overdrive in their villages and hillocks.
The US believes these tribals have protected and sheltered its enemy no. 1 Osama bin Laden. The unrest in these areas could have rippled on to other parts of the country. The MNNA was to turn the talking point while the gunbattle raged in Waziristan. To make Pakistanis be proud of something they have and India doesn’t. The toffee.
The treaty would just help calm the Pakistani Opposition, which had been accusing President General Pervez Musharraf of “sellout”. Now the general can claim he is getting good price. But he must not forget the status comes with a price tag. US troops are permanently stationed in most of the so-called MNNAs including Japan. The US already has considerable US military presence in Pakistan. This treaty would legitimise it.
If you have foreign forces based on your land, history has it, the perception of security may be high, but in reality sovereignty is compromised and so is defence.
The toffee is poisoned, kid.
NATO is North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, a group of countries in Europe led by US who treat an attack on a member as one on all. Then there are countries which are not in NATO but get defence aid from the US on priority like Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand and the Philippines. Pakistan has just joined this club.
So should we behave like the child who didn’t get the toffee?
The answer is NO. We ain't no kid.
Immature reactions borne out of our Pakistan-hyphenated view of the world has led Uncle Sam to give India the same status. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, when asked at a press briefing on Monday about Washington's recent decision, said: “I think we made it clear that we’re willing to explore the same possibility of similar cooperation with India.”
Should we be happy that we too would get toffee? Answer is NO. We ain't no kid.
The US decision to make Pakistan a MNNA, as some newspapers abbreviated the status, should not worry New Delhi. It’s Islamabad that has to worry about this.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher says: “This decision underscored the importance of Pakistan's role in the war against international terrorism, particularly in the continuing fight against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.”
Well, and the timing too underscored a lot of things. The US-Pakistan Army joint action in the South Waziristan and parts of NWFP has led to unrest among the local population.
These areas have never known or recognised any Pakistani law or government, though they are part of Pakistan. Today they see Pakistani political agents, Pakistani military and US troops in overdrive in their villages and hillocks.
The US believes these tribals have protected and sheltered its enemy no. 1 Osama bin Laden. The unrest in these areas could have rippled on to other parts of the country. The MNNA was to turn the talking point while the gunbattle raged in Waziristan. To make Pakistanis be proud of something they have and India doesn’t. The toffee.
The treaty would just help calm the Pakistani Opposition, which had been accusing President General Pervez Musharraf of “sellout”. Now the general can claim he is getting good price. But he must not forget the status comes with a price tag. US troops are permanently stationed in most of the so-called MNNAs including Japan. The US already has considerable US military presence in Pakistan. This treaty would legitimise it.
If you have foreign forces based on your land, history has it, the perception of security may be high, but in reality sovereignty is compromised and so is defence.
The toffee is poisoned, kid.
Thursday, March 11, 2004
Holi goes to court
The Supreme Colour Court Monday issued notices to the Election Commission of India and nearly 157 political parties for violating the Unified Colour Code by holding Election in the time of Holi. According to the code, all Indian festivals would maintain a comfortable distance from one another.
Holi the festival approached the court early today though it had announced its intentions on Sunday evening itself. By Sunday evening it was becoming clear that many participants were busy planning political rallies and some were mixing Holi with politics.
The Election Commission and all the major political parties have denied the allegation and said it was Holi that fell in the midst of democracy's biggest festival. Two of the biggest political parties termed Holi's allegations ridiculous saying technically the Election Fest was occurring over a month after the Holi.
Holi, on the other hand, claimed the colours of politics clashed with its colours and blamed the lacklustre celebrations on the parties.
It also attacked the parties for showing bias towards some colours and criticised them for politicising a festival meant for all Indians.
At a press conference called today: "The BJP's mix of saffron 70 per cent saffron and 30 per cent green is a sham. It is nearly 93 per cent saffron." Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati were rapped for monocracy in colour scheme. Holi said: "What's with this one colour per party thing, huh? It's nothing but dividing colours."
Holi also criticised the Congress for what it called fooling people. "This party has 33 per cent white, which is not a colour used in Holi. In fact, white is not a colour."
Congress spokesman Capall Fibbal said that Holi needed to brush up its general knowledge. "I think this Holi fellow meant black. White is a colour. Truth is white is the root of all colours and when all colours meet they become white. Black on the other hand means absence of any colour."
Other festivals including religious ones like Diwali and Dussehra have supported Holi's stand. Mahashivratri refused a comment saying it was a non-issue. Makar Sankranti was not available for comment.
Holi the festival approached the court early today though it had announced its intentions on Sunday evening itself. By Sunday evening it was becoming clear that many participants were busy planning political rallies and some were mixing Holi with politics.
The Election Commission and all the major political parties have denied the allegation and said it was Holi that fell in the midst of democracy's biggest festival. Two of the biggest political parties termed Holi's allegations ridiculous saying technically the Election Fest was occurring over a month after the Holi.
Holi, on the other hand, claimed the colours of politics clashed with its colours and blamed the lacklustre celebrations on the parties.
It also attacked the parties for showing bias towards some colours and criticised them for politicising a festival meant for all Indians.
At a press conference called today: "The BJP's mix of saffron 70 per cent saffron and 30 per cent green is a sham. It is nearly 93 per cent saffron." Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati were rapped for monocracy in colour scheme. Holi said: "What's with this one colour per party thing, huh? It's nothing but dividing colours."
Holi also criticised the Congress for what it called fooling people. "This party has 33 per cent white, which is not a colour used in Holi. In fact, white is not a colour."
Congress spokesman Capall Fibbal said that Holi needed to brush up its general knowledge. "I think this Holi fellow meant black. White is a colour. Truth is white is the root of all colours and when all colours meet they become white. Black on the other hand means absence of any colour."
Other festivals including religious ones like Diwali and Dussehra have supported Holi's stand. Mahashivratri refused a comment saying it was a non-issue. Makar Sankranti was not available for comment.
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