Say no to war
by Raza Rumi
Little did we know that the imminence of war between India and Pakistan would once again become a possibility, howsoever faint or misguided? The ruling political junta in India is talking war following the media frenzy over Mumbai carnage. Once again it is time to be ‘tough’ with Pakistan. This is a surprise given that the interlude of peace under General Musharraf and all the offers of conflict resolution were either stalled by the red-tapism of Indian bureaucracy or a victim of political inaction. At home, we have the air-force planes hovering the wintry skies of Lahore causing consternation not only to the peaceniks, shrinking each day, but to the overwhelming majority of the common citizens. After all what have they got to do with the power game in Islamabad and Delhi, the media hysteria or even the terror cartels?
True that circumstantial evidence points to the fact that the metaphor of our times, Ajmal Kasai socially upgraded as the Urduised Kasab, is linked to the little Faridkot in the Pakistani Punjab. However, much of the international community has reminded India that there is little or no evidence of any direct involvement of the Pakistani state let alone its fragile civilian government. Yet, the rhetoric of unilateral strikes by the Indian foreign minister and now the venerable Sonia Gandhi is having the right effect here. Of war mongering, preparedness assessments and the much trumpeted security strategy through the nuclear option.
As citizens, we often wonder what is our fault to experience yet another phase of uncertainty and war-hysteria? Why is it that the peoples of the subcontinent are always a pawn in the hands of powerful establishments and imperial games? The plain truth is that war is devastating and will resolve none of the thorny issues faced by India and Pakistan. If anything, for Pakistan, the three wars with India over the past six decades bear testimony to this truth; while one of these wars only dismembered Pakistan. Jingoism must recognize its limits.
The most horrifying of prospects, a nuclear war, is currently being argued as if the weapons of mass destruction are a child’s play. TV anchors are screaming on top of their voices about Pakistan’s readiness for a nuclear war. The masculine, aggressive war machismo only conceal or underplay the ugly truths of a nuclear war. If there is, God forbid, such an eventuality, it will wipe out almost all of Pakistan and much of northern India. In numerical terms the hundreds of millions, fodder for egos and militaristic nationalisms in South Asia, cannot deserve such a treatment in the twenty-first century. This madness must stop; and the media, in Pakistan as well as India, has to give up the negative regressive leaps that it has become so fond of taking.
By fuelling the nuclear hysteria and displaying bravado, the Indo-Pak media industries are trivializing the lethal, long-term consequences for humanity that a nuclear confrontation will result in. When the supreme leader of RSS calls for a nuclear war against Pakistan, such idiocy is similar in its perversity to TV heroes in Pakistan who weave tales of national pride by bragging about the capacity and capability of nuclear weapons under Pakistan’s control. This is absolutely ridiculous. A real war will annihilate generations and those who had nothing to do with it in the first place. This sheer powerlessness of citizenry is shocking across the borders.
Security of India and Pakistan is not related to nuclear capability. The internal faultlines that have not been corrected over decades are more explosive. Lack of opportunity for the underclass, lower-caste Indians, including the Muslims, will continue to make India an insecure and violent society. In Pakistan, the endemic marginalization of the smaller provinces, the tribal belt and rural poor will continue to feed the suicide factories. There is little emphasis on such dilemma and instead the cosmetic, FOX News style skin-deep worldview has become a replacement for policy debate, engagement and public education.
The peoples of Pakistan and India do not war. But the ruling elites in both the countries are hell-bent on chanting war mantra to prove their machismo to their right-wing fringes. A population of one and a half billion cannot be hostage to such adventurers and chess-board players.
Arundhati Roy and others in India, quite bravely, have urged the Indian state and society to look at the monster in the mirror and many observers in Pakistan have also taken an unconventional line in this dangerous game of legitimizing aggression, violence, the deadly nuclear weapons and their usage. But these are views that are in a minority and the monsters of jingoism and nationalism have unleashed their ire against such voices of sanity. Not surprising for the nation-state business in the subcontinent where we have three constructed nations armed with weapons and managed by the leftovers of the colonial bureaucracy.
This is not occasion for war or mobilisation of troops and missile-pads. Deterrents are not meant to be launched. Why can’t the two governments sit down and tackle these issues. They are not kindergarten students that require the mediation of third parties and agenda-laden sections of international community. If the Indians feel that they have been wronged, allegedly, by Pakistani non-state actors, they should hand over well documented evidence and leads to their Pakistani counterparts. And, the Pakistani state should extend full cooperation and address the issues taking corrective actions, some of which have already been taken in compliance of the United Nations diktat.
There is no alternative to dialogue and engagement here. If India thinks that it can strike and Pakistan thinks that they can use their nuclear capability then both are wrong.
History will not be kind to such short- sightedness. More importantly, the future of generations is at stake. It is time to make it clear that war mantra has to be abandoned by the myopic, power-hungry elites of India and Pakistan.
All My Posts, India, India-Pakistan History, Indo Pak peace, On Pakistan, Published in the NEWS, War, human rights, media
Unfortunately, this Mumbai attack is a game changer and you are right that the common man on both sides do not want a war. But this time, if Indian Govt treats the situation as it has done before, it will be just like appeasing the Nazis.
Many people (and I do not include the false messiahs of the downtrodden like Ms. Roy) both want good relations and peace but they cannot live like this anymore.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmV07AleMPI
I do not know if there will be war and I pray it does not take place but in so many years there has never been a time when I have felt that I am understanding the jingoism on this side of the border. Ordinary Indians do not care for people like Hamid Gul etc who spew venom nor for people like Narendra Modi on this side. Those are people who play politics. But that does not mean that they do not feel the strong anger (on the one hand it is directing inside but also outside)
Bade ZARF ka muzahera kiya., Raza Rumi ne…
In an exhausted, exasperated moment I had written 2 days back that India must conquer Pakistan and Bangladesh. It may have hurt a few friends… which is natural… as everyone has “self-respect”. I understand the delicate nature of things… Raza Rumi is a liberal soul… and must have felt bad… but he pubilshed my comment verbatim without editing it.
Musalmaan ke Lahoo mein Hai Saleeqa Dil-Nawaazi Kaa…
Murawwat… Husn-e-alam-geer hai.. Mard`aan-e-Ghaazi Kaa !
(Iqbal)
Do not look at what a leader “says”. Look at what a leader “does”. I think war is coming. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has met the 3 Service Chiefs… THRICE… during the past 1 month… all the while uttering “There will be no war… etc”… I think India is “preparing” for an offensive.
This is an un-wanted, un-necessary war… An avoidable tragedy… but some vested interests will go ahead and execute it.
80 years of hatred injected by the RSS into the Indian Psyche is bearing fruits. BJP is polling 40% of the popular vote in India… and people say :”Well… It is a fringe element”. How ? Fringe elements poll 40% of the vote ! Hunh !
Indians can prove their “Machismo” only against Muslims (inside India., for instance J&Kashmir… Maliana, Meerut; Aligarh., Moradabad., Bhagalpur., Mumbai 1992., Gujarat 2002., Malegaon., Nanded., Kanpur., etc.). Newly formed Hindu muscles (physical and financial) are flexing and there is a desire to “display” !
The Indian public is consistently fed hatred (24×7) Star TV (Murdoch achieved what Muslim Kings could not in 700 yrs !)., and Zee-TV are doing very dirty work. If war is imposed, where would it lead to ?
My basic argument (not formed on the spur of the moment., a blast., or a riot) is that Pakistan and Bangladesh are not “real” nations. There is a “Nafrat ka Rishta” an EMBRACE OF HATRED. Not a day passes in India without cursing Pakistan, 24×7. India cannot live without hate for Pakitan (and vice-versa). What does this signify… it signifies one basic fact., that this separation is un-natural.
Non-state actors (like LeT, Jaish etc in Pakistan) and Semi-State actors (like RSS/BJP; VHP; Durga Vahini; Bajrang Dal; ABVP; etc. have the ABILITY to push their respective societies into WAR.
Narendra Modi said “every action leads to a re-action” ! The comic part is that the “action” (Godhra) was also executed by the RSS., and the “Re-action” (Genocide Gujarat 2002) was also executed by the same party ! So one party alone (RSS) is doing both the action and the re-action !
Internally, Pakistan is getting weak too. A war may solidify and bring diverse forces together and forge unity… but that would be temporary. After the war., they would fight again for “kursi” ! Will there be an Indo-Pak war every 20 or 30 years ! (to give vent to the muscles… and machismo ?). That is a very basic question.
The worst-case scenario i see is.. that a war coming.. that will do extreme damage on both sides. If Pakistan goes., it will not just melt away silently. A re-drawing of the map would become inevitable. Pakistan could break into 4 states and a 5th state of Jammu & Kashmir will come into existence. It would be naive to imagine., that there would be a war., and if things are pushed beyond a “level” or red-line… and it leads to a nuclear holocaust… that one party would be a TOTAL WINNER and emerge un-scathed. There will be a price. J&K will have to be alienated.
RSS wants exactly that. RSS and Savarkar are least interested in Hindus or Hinduism. They want power. Savarkar was a “sadist” and a mentally sick person… like the terrorists of LeT. Savarkarian mindset has conquered Indian hearts and minds (BJP has 40% popular vote.. i remind you again). Hinduism has become nothing but “hatred for Islam”., raping Muslim women, killing their men, occupying their proeprty, kiling their kids., stealing their utensils / TV and jewelry ! That is what Sadhvi Pragya is saying openly :
Kya hame aapko ishaara dena padega… Nirmaan ke liye DHWASTA karna ani-vaarya hai ! (Do we have to give you a hint ? Destruction is vital for re-construction !).
LeT and Jaish must be eliminated., along with their Madrasas. But along with them., RSS must be eliminated too., along with its 100,000 Saraswati Vidya Mandirs., its Shakhas., and its Terrorist Camps like the Bhonsle Military School, Nasik. Kasab the terrorist (whether he is from Pakistan or Indian State of Gujarat., whatever… ) must be hanged… but so must Babu Bajrangi… and DG Vanzara… You cant hang Kasab., while you award Bharat Ratna to Sadhvi Pragya and Param Vir Chakra to Lt. Col. Purohit. If that is done., then the Mahabharata will go no.
Terrorist attacts will go on and on and on., even after the destruction of Pakistan. Only Good Governance., Social Justice., and Rule of Law can bring calm to a society… and that calm acts as a shock absorber… People should have FAITH in the SYSTEM… Once the faith in the system is gone (how can there be faith in the system that has cops like Vanzara., and politicians like Modi and leaders like Togadia and soldiers like Purohit ?)… people take justice in their own hands… Aggreived hearts look for death…
India is the major player… the dominant party. It must introspect within., and save India from Hindutva. Otherwise its a free-fall. In the short-term there will be a victory… a destruction (Dhwasta kar dena)… etc… but peace will not reign in the land.
For peace to reign : Social Justice and Rule of Law… Choose between RSS and the Idea of India. The 2 are incompatible.
Does anyone else have any experience with this?