Separatism in Kashmir

The problem in Kashmir is a colonial legacy, the legacy of communalising the society to rule. Kashmir is a Muslim majority region the main reason for demand for separate state. In ancient India this region was known as centre of Buddhism. This blogger believes that Article 370 was a blunder it prevented assimilation of the region from the benefit of growth and isolated the people from pluralist influence, this was exploited by extremist elements. Hindus in kashmir were systematically eliminated (consider the appalling condition/rights of minorities in many Islamic countries starting with the Saudis). Although this blogger is in favor of self determination by people anywhere in the world in here there is a cause of worry. Muslim extremists have a juvenile world view of superiority and god given right to rule themselves through religion, clearly it is not self determination for common people but a clever ploy of fundamentalist to create a muslim ‘holy land’, the loss is of kashmiriyath, the loss is of inclusive tradition. Secondly this kind of move will have serious repercussion on Muslims in India since this is not about people but religion, so definitely Hindu power brokers will exploit this emotive issue. Why are Ladakis or people from Jammu not inclined for separatism?.

Religion is known many a times to poison its follower against the other when the other becomes minority the job is easy. They generally don’t tolerate pluralistic traditions even going against the local norms and values. Most religious fundamentalists whether Muslim, Christian or Hindu come from these surroundings. So even though the Kashmiris have nothing against hindus they were cleansed, so who is doing this?. Who are training the young Kashmiris on using weapons? Muslims or for that matter Hindus, in Bangalore or Delhi when don’t get water or electricity or other basic needs don’t shout for separate country. Kashmiris are not the only one who find themselves in the wrong end of security forces infact most people in India don’t have very positive view of police force. So what is so special about Kashmiris this blogger fails to understand other than the fact that it is Muslim dominated and has been kept isolated from other communities for 60 years.

This blogger is tired of “muslims as a victim” on the contrary the victims of Islam instigated invasions through out the history as also terrorism through bombs in the contemporary world are quite significant as compared to other religions, albeit local happenings add the fuel. However one may say that terrorism has no religion the fact is there are people who are ready to kill and religion has provided them the alibi. Also if followers of one religion are found to be involved in many violent activities it is but natural for man on the street to be suspicious of all people belonging to this religion. Prejudices are sometimes reaction to event around the person it may not be possible for people to take egalitarian worldview all the time particularly when they feel threatened. Further if I belong to a community whose members are committing heinous crimes then I should understand the context of prejudice towards me rather than react in belligerence, the onus is on me. The West may have space for such belligerence and they do have better law and order system but in poorer societies these suspicions can produce deep fractures. India today faces most from religion instigated acts of violence next probably to Iraq. In the meantime politicians worry about their vote bank (which is expected ditto Corporate worry about profit. CSR is basically brand building exercise. Is Market making the world more selfish and crude??. A study is needed on this. The man in suit maybe providing a suave alternative but beware). So some politicians blatantly support SIMI while others support Hindu fundamentalists.

The Muslim as victim has been quite hyped after the 9/11 because of misguided policies of Bush, this is what is being exploited by extremists for power. Common people following Islam do suffer and many suffer terribly first due to poverty second through prejudices. Many therefore get further marginalized and so exploited. Another irony is that this predicament of poor Muslims is exploited by pretenders in elite Muslims generally found next to power centers who fill in the gap as representing these Muslim masses. The truth though is that they have absolutely nothing to do with the reality of common people (if you study Indian history you will see that elite Muslims like Brahminical variety never really had to face any significant problem. They wallowed in extravagance and self inflicted degradation).

Kashmir just happens to be on the fault line. This is not about common people or their voice; it is about peddlers of religion. Peddlers have quite successfully sold the vision of paradise to Kashmiris. The fact is it is going to get difficult for common people. The power brokers on both sides are in for a terrific time. In the meantime more soldiers will die more kashmiris will die.

Post Script: Kashmir where it all began: A personal account

This blogger is into traveling and visiting new places. Sometime back used to spent almost four months in a year on traveling for months at a stretch now though I have reduced to specific periods of the year. I have traveled to almost all part of the country. Although my traveling started quite early (few months after I was born I was moving from Cochin to Assam!!) the place I first visited alone was Kashmir!!. Now that is what we can say incredible. Kashmir was in a way coming of age for me, the fun of travelling alone.

I probably was around 17, when I took this journey in the longest train route- Kanyakumari to Jammu, I got in from Trivandrum. The train stopped for hours at what was then Madras and although I was strongly instructed not to venture from the bogie, I went out and took a walk through Moore market (this market, bloggers will recall got destroyed in a major fire). It took me three to four days to reach Jammu (i recall early morning in the Pathankot railway station the news was about assasination of Zia and there was animated discussion in the bogies on who could have killed him). We were staying in Udhampur, a week later few guys known to us were going to Kashmir in a van so I joined them. It was a scenic journey we had a breakdown so ended up pushing the vehicle for few Kilometers. In the meantime there was a light snow, I recall stopping at a hotel on the outskirts of srinagar where we ate from the big tava itself!!. I met some fierce looking soldiers at Jawahar tunnel. I stayed for the night at probably the biggest house ever (just like the one we get to see in the movies), the fellow was a military contractor (that’s where the money is dear!! For details Dick Cheney would be much help. Soldiers die, people die but some people will always make money. Ever wonder why defence contractors and arm dealers are mostly related to senior officials. Nanda BMW car hit case is well known basically because it happened in delhi the important thing for me here was his father was a arms dealer and that his grand father Admiral. Not at all a coincidence. They know where the lick is, it is anybody’s guess whether national security was compromised). The family I stayed with, I recall was extremely courteous; the guest room was a like a five Star hotel- the servants serving hot milk before going to sleep and waking with bed coffee. Next day though I shifted to Army mess that was a familiar surrounding to me.

For two days I roamed around Srinagar going for long walks and boating at Dal Lake, even going for a late night movie. Although I was told not to eat from outside I did venture out (I am a big fan of Kashmiri wazwan. There is a small shop in Nizamuddin delhi I drop in for Rogan josh and pounded spicy meat balls in curd-goshtaba. There is also one at dili haat that rarely opens. Then of course at the Kashmiri stall at annual trade fare, Pragathi maidan). It was a great experience and I guess I got hooked to it and have been traveling since. Kashmiri people are quite friendly it is the outsiders who fill them with poison not to mention apathy of government.

The day Grandmother stopped telling stories

Grandmother's legs were like

branches of dead tree.

Sometimes

I thought she sprout out of mud

and that her fingers

grew from the corners.

Then one day she did a trick

and dug herself

into the mud.

Absurd scribbling

Switching the bulb in the dark

Hands faltering
in the darkness of the night
for a support
the doorknob
the wall
the switch
then falters again
and stumbles.

The matrix of memory
shifting
reshifting
floating with no reference.
Weary mind plays the trick,
imagine there is a wall
imagine there is a switch
imagine a new world.

It's Raining !!!

I have always been excited about rain and rain and rain!!!. And rain on beach is one incredibly beautiful happening.

Exultation is the going
Of inland soul to sea,-
Past the houses, past the headlands,
Into the deep eternity!.

Few years back during the southwest monsoons I stayed on a beach with a small glimpse of the ocean for nearly two months. It was a costly place, by my standards, but I got an off season discount (incidentally "off season" is the best time to travel). I carried a trunk of books…poetry, fiction.

The soul selects her own society,
Then shuts the door;
On her divine majority
Obtrude no more.

That was the first time I read Emily Dickinson!!!.

I also became friendly with guys who were into deep sea fishing. After the rains they invited me for a night of fishing in the sea. One look at their boats and I refused. Believe me their life is in as much danger as any soldier at the border.

When in chennai a decade back northwest monsoon was spectacular. Once I was the only one (except few fisherman who had just landed from the sea) on the entire stretch of marina beach during one heavy rain lastly for few hours. I also was lucky to have an access to coast guard beach. So you can say I had a beachy stay!!. Sometimes I went to play cricket too with local youngsters on Sundays. It was very shocking to know that hundreds of people were swept away by the tsunami from the very spot. Today I read that another major earthquake is expected. Something terrible is churning in the earth.

Mangrove trees are an effective defense against the fury of nature. That is the reason for concern about Andhra Coast (kakinada) where the second largest mangrove forest in India is located and how it is been destroyed by the ship breaking industry. The toxic pollutant (particularly ballast water) creating an havoc in the region. There has also been enough documentation on threat to workers from pollutants and appalling working conditions. It is time that this industry is contained. There are series of extensive articles by Mr. Dilip D'sousa on the world's largest scrapping site of ships: Alang. It is a suggested read to know about workers conditions in such places.

Golden boy Bindra !!

So finally India has won a gold medal at Olympics. It feels great !!!. This blogger was quite coincidently following the event. It was very keenly competed event, although Bindra started fourth in the finals. He kept his grit with consist performance 10.5-10.6, he was in the second spot then he became first, next he scored 10.1 so got tied for first spot. Then came the clincher, probably his best shot of the day- a 10.8 near perfect. Following this event was tense for me wonder how that boy handled it!!. It is amazing strength of mind. Truly remarkable. We can learn lot from him. It is very true of most sportspersons irrespective of any country. It is great fun watching them.

Indians tend to do exceptionally well when it comes to games needing concentration. But not many people get the opportunity. After all how many of us have handled a gun or for that matter even seen an event like this!!!. This blogger has maintained that Indian sports should be brought under Indian Army. The sports ministry should be held by retd defense chiefs (retired senior Defence personnel need be involved in much more active role, they are exceptional people. Country needs their service and most are very ready take up this challenge). People who excel in international sports need be given honorary defence title. This gives respectability and boosts the morale. Army could start something on the line of military school- the sports school, so that talent is identified at the earliest and nurtured. Army has all the international facility and infrastructure. Sports needs disciplined and scientific approach, the diet requirement has to be taken serious care. Army personnel are exceptional in handling these, they also have a very challenging and competitive environment (this would also be inspiration for Army personnel and their children also). If one looks at the people who have done well in sports they mostly seems to have some connection with Defense (like Dhyan chand, Milkha Singh, Rathore, the boxers, rovers, hockey players and so on. Not only that most Coach do have Army background). That clearly means they had the opportunity but think of some millions of people who never could get that opportunity despite being talented. If they had the opportunity and given all the facility, probably the country might have had twenty Bindras now at Beijing. Think of PT Ushas who could not make it.

This blogger had seen some exceptional sport people in Kerala. In kerala even the school district sport meet is given such an importance that most Malayalam media give significance, it is main news (when was the last time the so called ‘national channel’ given any importance to these events). Kerala has a culture of sports unlike most other States. But since people are not very rich the facilities are primitive, further many young people take sports as means for gaining employment. It is about surviving and its quite tough out there. This blogger also suggests that earnings of cricketers/actors from ads be severely taxed-and given to other Sports, since they earn so much money in few seconds because of the population and nothing to do with talent. It is quite disproportionate.

Sports in Delhi like everything else is about big lick by uncouth manipulative people. It is a business of officials to promote themselves at the expense of sports and sportsperson. Kalmadi it seems will continue for ever!! Sports should be freed from the clutch of politicians and small timers who have absolutely nothing to do with the sports.

Trivia: This blogger is a keen follower of sport events, I recall during delhi Asian games we had bought TV and I fell ill for the entire period of the games. Didn’t go to school for three odd weeks watching all the games. People thought he was having some serious disease and all kinds of tests were conducted, nothing came out but the boy looked very ill. Then the games got over and presto he is normal and back to school!!!.

Taking on the Left

There is a brilliant painting of “bombing of Guernica” by Picasso .This blogger happened to visit Picasso exhibition at National Museum, Delhi but unfortunately this one was not there, later I came to know that French had problems with Picasso. Anyway it was great experience for me, I saw the ‘blue period’ and ‘pink period’ paintings as also that brilliant sculpt of the goat (I visited twice to have a good look, thankfully there was not much crowd, primitive Delhi has other preoccupations!!...like for instance squatting around the power centre to wait for crumbs to fall you never know when what is falling- also referred to as networking, the business of licking. Some have passed this talent on to next generation!!!. Apart from politics, business …the soft target is culture. So we have lots of pretentious mediocre people doing the round hawking secularism, freedom and so on to catch the attention. It is not about what you speak-that is absolutely easy when God has given tongue and face to mime, it is about what you gain by what you speak. The lick is big in the capital of a country with more than billion people).

I also recall buying Picasso painting cards that has since adorned my wall! Gen. Franco’s Nationalist forces heavily bombed and completely destroyed Guernica killing hundreds of people. In the meanwhile Soviets were asking money from the Republicans to fight the Nationalists! As is the case Communists generally mutate into manipulative clique that eventually loose touch with reality and soon turns onto its own people. The case of Bengal is just an example. The worst is to follow in Kerala, thugs at lower level who caused maximum damage to common people in the name of communism in 80s and 90s, they even had “noku coolie” which meant they have to be paid even to look at others doing work! I have seen these scoundrels in action at personal level when I was a kid, every time we came to kerala we experienced this. Further the ideological shift from Left to Right is as easy, this too I have seen with people around. The fellow who quoted Marx few years later is exaggerating religion, it sometimes make me laugh! Ideologies lack soul, the reason why the shift is immediate (photo taken from the Net).

The Left leaders in Bengal and Kerala represent two end of spectrum, wherein in Bengal they are still the brown sahibs of 50s quoting English poems and eulogizing bourgeoisie passions et al cricket, recently though with proletariats catching up on cricket the comrades sahibs in Bengal had early advantage! Bengal remains one of the most backward region with low human indices and poverty, and absolute lack of social mobility with squatter most conveniently ensconced themselves for proletarian cause. As expected when the time has come to give way to others the arrogance is not astounding. 

Tribute to Solzhenitsyn

Alexander Solzhenitsyn who died the other day was Russia’s most well known contemporary writer. He had to face the atrocities of Communist regime under Stalin even spending eight years in forced labor camp. The critic of barbarism of totalitarian Soviet Union formed the basis of most his writing. One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich (1962) brought the monstrous evil of Stalin’s labor camp to the world. Other writing includes Gulag Archipelago, Cancer ward and so on. Later in his life as he moved to west to escape tyranny he came to disdain soulless capitalism.

These lines from Gulag Archipelago "It was granted to me to carry away from my prison years on my bent back, which nearly broke beneath its load, this essential experience: how a human being becomes evil and how good. In the intoxication of youthful successes I had felt myself to be infallible, and I was therefore cruel. In the surfeit of power I was a murderer and an oppressor. In my most evil moments I was convinced that I was doing good, and I was well supplied with systematic arguments. It was only when I lay there on rotting prison straw that I sensed within myself the first stirrings of good. Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart, and through all human".

The shock and disillusionment towards policies followed by Soviet Union regime just before the world war two is well known. The case of happenings in Spain civil war is poignant wherein instead of supporting peasants and workers; Soviet supported Franco and his subsequent tyranny. This forms the backdrop for the story The Incident at the Krechetovka Station. Zotov- the protagonist, an enthusiastic upright young soldier realizing that all may not be well with his country (Solzhenitsyn also served in the Army briefly). He in his naïve eagerness demands to be send to Spain as a private soldier, least aware how the mechanism of the State is working to quell what he passionately feels for. “‘We must remember the general atmosphere at that time’ Zotov said heatedly. ‘The Spanish civil war, the fascist reaching the Madrid students settlement, the international brigade, Guadalajara, Teruel !. It was difficult to stay still. We clamored fro intensive course in Spanish, but they gave us German course instead. I got a Spanish teach yourself book and start studying it instead …I felt we were vitally involved in the Spanish situation and that our revolutionary conscience made it impossible for us remain in the sidelines. But I found nothing of sort in our newspaper, and wondered how I could get over there”…..“And then one day I read …from some French journalist who among other thing wrote ‘Germany and USSR look upon Spain as testing ground for warfare’”.

This line from his Nobel Prize acceptance speech is very pertinent “But for the whole of mankind, compressed into a single lump, such mutual incomprehension presents the threat of imminent and violent destruction. One world, one mankind cannot exist in the face of six, four or even two scales of values: we shall be torn apart by this disparity of rhythm, this disparity of vibrations. A man with two hearts is not for this world, neither shall we be able to live side by side on one Earth".

End of History??

Is this end of history (Fukuyama)?. The triumph of liberal democracy has happened?...Maybe no. The last men of history are here..its time to drag them back into history. ...now before you guys start screaming creeeep...its like this i got some time to read American history(?!)..well just timepass....but been a great experience to go through the history of triumph of the culture of the eye and ear ..of Faulkner (challenging the official American culture of triumph), Bellow, Langston Hughes (what happens to a dream deferred), Morrison (marginal experience), Salinger (spiritual life could be reconciled with an art of gaiety), Raymond carver (what we talk about when we talk about love), Twain as also Tennessee Williams (about lives in relentlessly commercial world).....so on

Reading the political history stumbled upon this incredible person a man who was instrumental not only in American Revolution but also the French revolution !!. A man whose influence was such that he is described as a ''turning point of the history of free thinking''. Unfortunately he was sidelined as leftist atheist (he had absolutely nothing to do with commies). A man who wrote to do good is my religion...humanised religion and its ultimate philosophical and ethical results have not yet been reached (Religion of humanity is a beautiful read). His obituary read he had lived long did some good and much harm. Thomas PAINE landed in America in his late 30s, decrepit after a life of obscurity and failure in England . He wrote the famous pamphlet ''Common sense'' which created the momentum for freedom struggle as also influencing the ''Declaration of independence''.

Common sense he said was nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments and common sense. It starts with the line “ These are the times that try men's soul... ..the cause of America is in great measure the cause of all mankind ". Common sense was an inspiring vision of independent America as an asylum of freedom This faith carried through Lincoln's determination to wipe out slavery as also Woodrow Wilson’s attempt to use conflict as a crusade for democracy. This is the faith which guided the settlers into great modern nation which unfortunately in recent times has slipped into all time low. Consider this arrogant stance of ''final umpire’’ (Sr Bush) on soviet crisis as also the most recent aggression of Iraq, in this context Paine's lines are so prophetic (common sense on king of England’s speech).

....that the man whose ignorance and obstinacy first involved and still continues the nation in the most hopeless and expensive of all wars, should now meanly flatter them with the name of free people and make a merit of his crime , under the disguise if their essential rights and permanent interests, is something which disgraces the character of perverseness ...these are the words which impress nothing but the ears and are calculated only for the sound.

This definitely cannot be the end of history, there are too many repressed forces...the killing of teenage ''aborigine'' in Australia and subsequent violence is only an indicator, Fukuyama's ''remarkable consensus'' is far from reached.

Post script: this piece was written in Feb 2004, those were the days when the world was experiencing the aggression of Iraq by Bush, vigored with his reelection. Iraq was a serious blunder; this blogger like majority of people around the world was shocked.

Lots of things have happened in the world since then. Apart form other things Bush on his way out, thankfully. But our man was quoted as saying that “he will sprint all the way to end”, don’t know what its mean but attacking Iran (that will be very serious mistake) or other violence helps Republicans. When 9/11 happened Condalisa Rice was quoted as saying “so how do we capitalize on this?”. Don’t know whether its true but yes they did maximum their opportunity (ditto how Market driven people work “seize the opportunity”. These cause maximum damage for self gain). Iraq is now a big shopping mall for merchants of death. McCain is a war hero, and hero’s are supposed to lead from front- whatever that means, but yes you cannot lead from front when there is no “front”! The reason why belligerence helps to capture power. Fear works to cower the voters to certain mindset. That disadvantage collective world. That is disadvantage humanity.

In the meantime in an unprecedented step Australia and Canada has apologized for its past treatment of aborigines.