AUM
INDIAN ARMY CHIEF TASTES BRITISH AUSTERITY
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
General Deepak Kapoor, top most commanding general of the Indian Army went round the defence establishments of the United Kingdom to update his knowledge about what was cooking in India’s former colonial master’s kitchen. The British Army Chief also drops in off and on to take a look at the Indian army that his ancestors had raised, trained and led into battle. After all old colleagues on back slapping terms must visit each other’s country to compare notes. Absolutely fine and traditional.
When the British officers of high and middle ranks visit their old units and regiments they are looked after well. There is wining and dining galore. The officers mess hosting the dinner or lunch takes out its finest silver collected or captured in post victory loot euphemistically called spoils of war. With great pride young officers narrate the regimental history in battles won or lost from Ghazni to Ghaza and from Faizabad to Flanders and associate the silverware to the places and events of historical importance. The menu of the meal to be served for the British officers is scrutinized not only by the president of the mess committee who also doubles up as the second-in-command of the outfit but also by the wife of the commanding officer who had done a course in cookery in her school days. The mess havildar or the steward is briefed and briefed again that chicken legs must be soft but meat and bone must remain intact. When the commanding officer declares that everything is ship shape the British officers are ushered in and treated like Maharajahs. The Indian hospitality puts its best foot forward.
Let us move to the Kensington Palace in London, UK. General Deepak Kapoor, Chief of the Indian Army Staff is on an official visit and is invited by his counterpart General Sir Richard Dannatt to an official get together. Indeed, Kensington Palace is an important place and some of the Royal family members including Prince Charles and his family lived there. Foreign dignitaries are also entertained there in a place earmarked for the purpose. As a matter of protocol the Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Shiv Mukherjee was one of the dignitaries invited. Was there an army band in attendance to play some martial music? Not sure if it was there or was cut out as the first step in British austerity.
It would be a good idea to take a look at the menu for the visiting dignitary, the Indian Army Chief. What would you like to drink, the host enquired of guests. Without waiting for a reply he signalled wine to be served. My goodness! What a cheap wine it was. Tasting is believing. In India nothing short of a single malt Scotch whisky would be served on an important occasion like this. Mind you the incident being narrated took place before boycott of Scotch whisky following premature release of the Lockerbie bomber and his royal reception in Libya. Anyway, good guests do not crib and the Indian Army Chief is well known for his good manners. The main meal followed. Entry and starter need not be mentioned in detail as the column space is limited. It is understood from reliable sources that General Kapoor was served a meal consisting of” pastry, cheese and salmon”. The insiders confide that it was bought off the shelf from a mass retail chain. No further comments, please.
A word on cost of the meal would be in order. It cost GBP(Great Britain Pound) 5.15 per plate. You see the British Army does everything with aplomb, be it making love or fighting a war. Indeed in these days of recession, austerity in hospitality must be observed meticulously. Never mind if the guest goes home hungry and diplomacy goes down in dumps. After all the British themselves recount the saying “penny wise Pound foolish”; whatever that may mean.
Address. UPVAN, 609, Sector 29, NOIDA – 201303, INDIA.
Mobile : 0091-9811173590. Phone : 0091-120-2454622.Email: sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
WHO predicts 'explosion' of swine flu cases
AUM. may I request that my comment "A KNOWN DEVIL IS BETTER THAN AN UNKNOWN DEVIL - be put on my Blog - VAJRA. Thanks.
Swine flu is known devil and the new vaccines are unknown devil.
I sign off for now.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Sunday, August 23, 2009
INS VIRAAT IS A TOOTHLESS TIGER
AUM
INS VIRAAT AFLOAT BUT HOW LONG?
The Indian Navy is proud of her sole aircraft carrier, Viraat. Rightly so. The first aircraft carrier,Vikrant is now a museum piece and houses a museum of sorts to enlighten citizens on the history of the Indian Navy. Thank God, she did not become a floating hotel as the proposal of an enterpreneur was. remember the 1971 war India fought against pakistan and dismembered the perennial enemy. In that war INS Vikrant had actively participated and pounded military targets in the then East Pakistan with success. Well, it is history now.
INS Viraat filled the vacuum created by departure of Vikrant to a great extent. She has Sea Harrier jump jets that take off from her flight deck and also land vertically while the carrier is on the move full steam ahead. Quite a feat indeed to take off and land on an airfield that is afloat and on the move. Pilots of Sea harrier have to be really good at map reading on sea too.
Initially the carrier had a complement of 30 jet fighters on board.Over a period of time the number is considerably reduced. Some crashed and some were worn out and some became unserviceable for technical reasons. I am sad to say that a naval fighter pilot Lieutenant Commander Saurav saxena was killed when his Sea Harrier crashed on a training flight from the base in Goa this week. The number of fighter jets is reduced further and the tally today is just eight single seater fighter jets and three twin seater trainers. Of the initial tally of thirty, half of the fighter jets were lost in accidents and were never replaced for one reason or the other. A sorry state of affairs indeed!
INS Viraat was in the dry dock for an extensive repair and a major refit. The aim of the exercise was to enable the 50 year old aircraft carrier slog on for an additional period of five years. The plan was fine but had a major snag. Did anyone think of procuring fighter jets to complete a strike force of thirty machines. The forward planners are not to blame because as per original plan both INS Viraat and Sea Harriers on board were to be decommissioned by 2009. However, that was not to be because successive governments were indecisive on new procurements.
Imagine an aircraft carrier without its attack elements- the fighter jets. It is like fielding a tiger in battle without its teeth. Sad scenario.
A Carrier Battle Group of two aircraft carriers is the immediate requirement of the Indian Navy to make her presence felt in the Indian Ocean and surrounding waters. With China making aggressive moves in the Indian Ocean, it is high time our planners and decision makers woke up and took decisions that make India militarily strong.
Submitted by Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant , VSM
INS VIRAAT AFLOAT BUT HOW LONG?
The Indian Navy is proud of her sole aircraft carrier, Viraat. Rightly so. The first aircraft carrier,Vikrant is now a museum piece and houses a museum of sorts to enlighten citizens on the history of the Indian Navy. Thank God, she did not become a floating hotel as the proposal of an enterpreneur was. remember the 1971 war India fought against pakistan and dismembered the perennial enemy. In that war INS Vikrant had actively participated and pounded military targets in the then East Pakistan with success. Well, it is history now.
INS Viraat filled the vacuum created by departure of Vikrant to a great extent. She has Sea Harrier jump jets that take off from her flight deck and also land vertically while the carrier is on the move full steam ahead. Quite a feat indeed to take off and land on an airfield that is afloat and on the move. Pilots of Sea harrier have to be really good at map reading on sea too.
Initially the carrier had a complement of 30 jet fighters on board.Over a period of time the number is considerably reduced. Some crashed and some were worn out and some became unserviceable for technical reasons. I am sad to say that a naval fighter pilot Lieutenant Commander Saurav saxena was killed when his Sea Harrier crashed on a training flight from the base in Goa this week. The number of fighter jets is reduced further and the tally today is just eight single seater fighter jets and three twin seater trainers. Of the initial tally of thirty, half of the fighter jets were lost in accidents and were never replaced for one reason or the other. A sorry state of affairs indeed!
INS Viraat was in the dry dock for an extensive repair and a major refit. The aim of the exercise was to enable the 50 year old aircraft carrier slog on for an additional period of five years. The plan was fine but had a major snag. Did anyone think of procuring fighter jets to complete a strike force of thirty machines. The forward planners are not to blame because as per original plan both INS Viraat and Sea Harriers on board were to be decommissioned by 2009. However, that was not to be because successive governments were indecisive on new procurements.
Imagine an aircraft carrier without its attack elements- the fighter jets. It is like fielding a tiger in battle without its teeth. Sad scenario.
A Carrier Battle Group of two aircraft carriers is the immediate requirement of the Indian Navy to make her presence felt in the Indian Ocean and surrounding waters. With China making aggressive moves in the Indian Ocean, it is high time our planners and decision makers woke up and took decisions that make India militarily strong.
Submitted by Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant , VSM
Saturday, August 22, 2009
PEOPLE PREVAILED TERRORISTS TROUNCED
AUM
PEOPLE PREVAILED TERRORISTS TROUNCED
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
Kabul to Kandhar and Hindu Kush to Helmand- the story was the same with shades and colours varying. The ballot had beaten the bullet in the national elections in Afghanistan to elect a President of the country and 420 members of provincial assemblies. Of the 17 million registered voters only 40 to 50 percent turned up to exercise their franchise as per an unofficial estimate. Of a score plus in the fray for the post of the top executive, only two are serious contenders. The present incumbent Hamid Karzai , a Pashtun educated in USA and a former darling of Washington now professing an independent foreign policy; and Abdullah Abdullah an ethnic Tajik from the northern Afghanistan who is a soft spoken eye surgeon and once was a foreign minister under Karzai. The latter is not predicted to win but will become a stumbling block for the former and may force a second ballot within two weeks of the counting of the first. More on that a little later.
TALIBAN TERRORISTS MISCALCULATED
The Taliban terrorists had deliberately leaked their sexed up plans of infiltrating into the capital Kabul and southern city of Kandhar to launch major bombings and stage gun duels to disrupt polls. Nothing of that sort happened. They did manage to attract attention by making a tally of 76 in gun firefight and bumping off 26 compatriots. The tally did not go up because the Afghan security forces were on full alert throughout and they were ably backed by the NATO forces. Killing of two Taliban terrorists in Kabul and capture of their third colleague proves the high degree of preparedness to beat terrorists back and not let them disrupt the polls. Of course, if one looks at the figure of voter turnout one may concede the point that Taliban terrorists succeeded in instilling fear of losing life or limb if people dared to exercise their right of franchise. The threat of terrorists was that if they see Afghan men and women with fingers sporting indelible ink as a proof of voting, the fingers would be cut. Everyone knows that terrorists have no compassion and they may go to any length to intimidate the law abiding citizens to prove that the government of the day is non-functional. On the other hand the Kabul administration backed by the Obama administration was equally determined to ensure a free and fair poll without violence. In the opinion of impartial observers who toured the booths in the North and the South, the Afghan elections could be termed as fair and open. It is a soothing feeling to know that terrorists did not succeed in severing fingers bearing indelible ink as a proof of participating in the democratic process.
Women in the Afghan society are by and large non-entities. However, they made their presence felt in all major cities. They were not much in evidence in rural areas and non-descript towns. The first woman to vote in Kabul was none other than the wife of President Hamid Karzai. She was calm and composed and betrayed no sign of fear of terrorists. Indeed both the husband and wife voted in a polling booth near the Presidential Palace and had been provided a heavy security cover. Moreover, there were two women candidates too in the fray. The political observers do not rate their chances of making a dent in votes of serious candidates as high. Anyway they will go down in history as women candidates who challenged established male candidates in a male dominated Islamic society. As mentioned earlier in another despatch by this correspondent one of the female candidates always dressed as a man to merge in the milieu. We must give due credit to women voters too. Wearing Burqas or just head scarves they came out of the house despite Taliban warning and exercised their franchise. One may safely surmise that the Afghan social set up is undergoing a change for the better. A word of warning to the progressive elements in the society should be sounded. The bearded Mullahs of the old and archaic school may be down but they are not yet out.
OUTCOME AT HUSTINGS
The polling is over. It had started at 7 AM and went on till 4 PM on 20 August 2009. At some booths extra time was officially allowed to make up for the administrative delays. In any case, all those who had lined up in the booth before the expiry time were allowed to vote. Where do the Afghans go from here? Well, a success is a success, howsoever moderate it may be. The age old saying is – Nothing succeeds like success. Despite the low turnout 50 percent or so compared to 70 percent or so in the first presidential election in 2004, 9.5 million Afghan men and women have voted this year. Who can ignore their preference for a democracy? Not even the Kalashnikov wielding terrorists. The people’s power is stronger than the terror power. In Afghanistan the power now comes out of the ballot box and not out of the gun. The social and political environment is undergoing a change. What will be the outcome of this poll? It is hard to predict but we may speculate.
The South has not come out to vote in full strength. The Pashtoons live in the southern Afghanistan. Comparatively speaking the North has been more enthusiastic in going to the polling booths and voting. But we cannot be oblivious of the fact that there are more voters among Pashtuns than among Tajiks and they can tilt the balance.The Tajiks, Hazras, and the warlords like General Rashid Dostum live in the North. So does Abdullah Abdullah. Of course, Dostum has pledged his support to Karzai despite the latter being a Pashtun. One wonders if the old tribal loyalties are now crumbling like the Berlin Wall. The results alone will tell. The manual counting has begun but it may not be before early September that results are out unofficially. If Karzai succeeds in getting 50 percent or more of the total votes polled, he will be declared a winner and enjoy a second term in office. If he fails there, then there will be a second round of voting between the two candidates polling the highest number of votes and standing first and second. Thus karzai and Abdullah may stand eyeball to eyeball once again. The voters will have a second opportunity to choose the President of Afghanistan. Political pundits wish to bet on Karzai as the winner in the second round. May I suggest that we stay neutral and keep our fingers crossed for peaceful poll in October 2009 or whenever. May God be with both Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah! May God be with the people of Afghanistan in their fight against the Taliban terrorists!
UPVAN, 609, Sector 29, NOIDA – 201303, INDIA. Mob. 0091-9811173590.
PEOPLE PREVAILED TERRORISTS TROUNCED
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
Kabul to Kandhar and Hindu Kush to Helmand- the story was the same with shades and colours varying. The ballot had beaten the bullet in the national elections in Afghanistan to elect a President of the country and 420 members of provincial assemblies. Of the 17 million registered voters only 40 to 50 percent turned up to exercise their franchise as per an unofficial estimate. Of a score plus in the fray for the post of the top executive, only two are serious contenders. The present incumbent Hamid Karzai , a Pashtun educated in USA and a former darling of Washington now professing an independent foreign policy; and Abdullah Abdullah an ethnic Tajik from the northern Afghanistan who is a soft spoken eye surgeon and once was a foreign minister under Karzai. The latter is not predicted to win but will become a stumbling block for the former and may force a second ballot within two weeks of the counting of the first. More on that a little later.
TALIBAN TERRORISTS MISCALCULATED
The Taliban terrorists had deliberately leaked their sexed up plans of infiltrating into the capital Kabul and southern city of Kandhar to launch major bombings and stage gun duels to disrupt polls. Nothing of that sort happened. They did manage to attract attention by making a tally of 76 in gun firefight and bumping off 26 compatriots. The tally did not go up because the Afghan security forces were on full alert throughout and they were ably backed by the NATO forces. Killing of two Taliban terrorists in Kabul and capture of their third colleague proves the high degree of preparedness to beat terrorists back and not let them disrupt the polls. Of course, if one looks at the figure of voter turnout one may concede the point that Taliban terrorists succeeded in instilling fear of losing life or limb if people dared to exercise their right of franchise. The threat of terrorists was that if they see Afghan men and women with fingers sporting indelible ink as a proof of voting, the fingers would be cut. Everyone knows that terrorists have no compassion and they may go to any length to intimidate the law abiding citizens to prove that the government of the day is non-functional. On the other hand the Kabul administration backed by the Obama administration was equally determined to ensure a free and fair poll without violence. In the opinion of impartial observers who toured the booths in the North and the South, the Afghan elections could be termed as fair and open. It is a soothing feeling to know that terrorists did not succeed in severing fingers bearing indelible ink as a proof of participating in the democratic process.
Women in the Afghan society are by and large non-entities. However, they made their presence felt in all major cities. They were not much in evidence in rural areas and non-descript towns. The first woman to vote in Kabul was none other than the wife of President Hamid Karzai. She was calm and composed and betrayed no sign of fear of terrorists. Indeed both the husband and wife voted in a polling booth near the Presidential Palace and had been provided a heavy security cover. Moreover, there were two women candidates too in the fray. The political observers do not rate their chances of making a dent in votes of serious candidates as high. Anyway they will go down in history as women candidates who challenged established male candidates in a male dominated Islamic society. As mentioned earlier in another despatch by this correspondent one of the female candidates always dressed as a man to merge in the milieu. We must give due credit to women voters too. Wearing Burqas or just head scarves they came out of the house despite Taliban warning and exercised their franchise. One may safely surmise that the Afghan social set up is undergoing a change for the better. A word of warning to the progressive elements in the society should be sounded. The bearded Mullahs of the old and archaic school may be down but they are not yet out.
OUTCOME AT HUSTINGS
The polling is over. It had started at 7 AM and went on till 4 PM on 20 August 2009. At some booths extra time was officially allowed to make up for the administrative delays. In any case, all those who had lined up in the booth before the expiry time were allowed to vote. Where do the Afghans go from here? Well, a success is a success, howsoever moderate it may be. The age old saying is – Nothing succeeds like success. Despite the low turnout 50 percent or so compared to 70 percent or so in the first presidential election in 2004, 9.5 million Afghan men and women have voted this year. Who can ignore their preference for a democracy? Not even the Kalashnikov wielding terrorists. The people’s power is stronger than the terror power. In Afghanistan the power now comes out of the ballot box and not out of the gun. The social and political environment is undergoing a change. What will be the outcome of this poll? It is hard to predict but we may speculate.
The South has not come out to vote in full strength. The Pashtoons live in the southern Afghanistan. Comparatively speaking the North has been more enthusiastic in going to the polling booths and voting. But we cannot be oblivious of the fact that there are more voters among Pashtuns than among Tajiks and they can tilt the balance.The Tajiks, Hazras, and the warlords like General Rashid Dostum live in the North. So does Abdullah Abdullah. Of course, Dostum has pledged his support to Karzai despite the latter being a Pashtun. One wonders if the old tribal loyalties are now crumbling like the Berlin Wall. The results alone will tell. The manual counting has begun but it may not be before early September that results are out unofficially. If Karzai succeeds in getting 50 percent or more of the total votes polled, he will be declared a winner and enjoy a second term in office. If he fails there, then there will be a second round of voting between the two candidates polling the highest number of votes and standing first and second. Thus karzai and Abdullah may stand eyeball to eyeball once again. The voters will have a second opportunity to choose the President of Afghanistan. Political pundits wish to bet on Karzai as the winner in the second round. May I suggest that we stay neutral and keep our fingers crossed for peaceful poll in October 2009 or whenever. May God be with both Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah! May God be with the people of Afghanistan in their fight against the Taliban terrorists!
UPVAN, 609, Sector 29, NOIDA – 201303, INDIA. Mob. 0091-9811173590.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
SECOND PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN AFGHANISTAN
AUM
NAMASTE PRESIDENT OF AFGHANISTAN
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
Gandhari,queen of Hastinapur and wife of King Dhritrashtra of Mahabharat fame hailed from Gandhar that is Kandhar of today. Panchali or Draupadi was from Paanchal on the turbulent borders of the Punjab and the kingdom extended to Afghanistan. The area is as turbulent today as it ever was. We Indians of today feel rather close to the Afghans of today as we are each other’s kith and kin – the loved ones. Never mind our different faiths and mode of prayer. Notwithstanding a long passage of time since the days of Gandhari, Indians and Afghans are closer to each other than Afghans and Pakistanis are. Their being votaries of Islam matters little when self interests clash. So you see our greeting the President of Afghanistan has a long and chequered history behind it that cannot be wished away by a new nation like Pakistan. The Afghan Presidential election is just knocking at the main door and the Indian interest therein is quite logical.
ELECTION SCENARIO
Three thousand donkeys will carry election material like ballot papers, ballot boxes, allied equipment and so on to polling booths set up in remote areas of difficult terrain that are inaccessible to vehicular traffic. A donkey is the most reliable beast of burden and is least demanding. The election officer cannot ask for a better load carrier than a donkey and he has got as many as he wishes to have. Of course, the ever increasing fear generated by Taliban terrorists looms large over the election scenario, irrespective of the type of terrain. So be it. All presidential candidates have to face the danger and they, including female candidates, have chosen to brave bullets. In a male dominated Afghan society, a female candidate chose to don a male dress – a baggy salwar, a long shirt, a coat to cover her pistol and a black turban. She goes out and mixes with men and women albeit separately and asks for their votes to become President of the war torn country. She knows that her chances of reaching the Presidential Palace are rather thin but canvasses seriously regardless. That is the new spirit of democracy for which the Americans take the credit. They are not wrong.
The present incumbent of the highest office of the land is Mr Abdul Hamid Karzai who is in the fray for a second term of five years. He is an American educated technocrat who has won the trust of the Obama Administration like that of Bush before. Being a Pushtoon himself, he commands the respect, if not love, of the biggest section of Pashto speaking Afghans. The Pashtoons make 42 percent of the 33million Afghan population. Karzai commands the respect of some influential warlords and drug barons too. It sounds strange but it is true. Just before his first presidential election campaign in 2004, he had received support of ex-warlords; at a price though. This year too he is receiving full support of Abdul Rashid Dostum, a whisky drinking communist warlord who fought against the Soviet invasion but had to go into exile as he had become too big for his boots. He jetted back from Turkey in the nick of time to be beside Karzai in his hour of need. However, the Americans and Europeans are neither comfortable nor happy about Dostum wielding power in the next government dispensation. Karzai has pleased the Shiite population too by helping enact a law where a Shiite husband can deny food to his wife if she does not comply with his sexual demands and desires. Shiite Muslims make 20 per cent of the population of Afghanistan. Shiite husbands are now Lords of the Ring and they love it. Their votes are for Karzai and there are no two opinions on the subject.
As of now Abdul Hamid Karzai is likely to win the Presidential election. It is assessed that he will get 45 per cent of the votes polled. But that is not enough as a candidate must poll 50 percent or more of the total votes polled to win outright. If no one succeeds, there will be a second bout between the two candidates who have polled the highest number of votes. The supporters of Karzai are making a bid for the win in the first time poll. They are canvassing hard and winning more political heavy weights as allies. Karzai has even granted Presidential pardon to economic offenders and drug peddlers to extend the area of his support. He may, however, alienate law abiding citizens and foreign powers if he proceeds with pardons for known criminals. Indeed he will be doing a tight rope walk until the votes are counted and results declared. A strict check must be kept on harvesting poppy seeds and trading in other deadly drugs to win the war against Taliban terrorists who are presently staging a comeback.
Abdullah Abdullah is the next strong contender for the office of the President. A soft spoken eye surgeon, he has the support of the Northern Alliance and is also counting on the support of the Tajik ethnic minority because Karzai has the support of Pashtuns. Indeed the Taliban terrorists also enjoy support of Pashtoons. In fact the Taliban terrorists are by and large Pushtoons. Since inception of Afghanistan the Pashtun Kings have ruled the land but after the Soviet army withdrew it was the Tajik ethnic minority that bagged most of the plum posts in the Army, the Police and the Administration. They form only 24 per cent of the Afghan population and support Abdullah Abdullah who was once the Foreign Minister under Karzai. His supporters say that an outright win for Karzai will mean fraud against Abdullah Abdullah and in that case they will have no option but to take to streets. In Kabul it means bloodshed unlike in Tehran because every house in Kabul owns a Kalashnikov and plenty of ammunition to go with it. In the last rally addressed by Abdullah Abdullah in Kabul the large crowd listened to him with rapt attention and promised to convert the support into votes. Time alone will tell who voted for whom.
A PEEP INTO FUTURE
The Taliban terrorists have already announced from rooftops that they would not allow the Presidential election to go on smoothly. There have been blasts at important strategic points. No one is sure what will happen next. The surge in the NATO forces is to ensure a smooth sailing for the Presidential election. For the West Abdul Hamid Karzai is still the best bet. The Pushtoons may support him willy- nilly. The American Army is keen to get out of Afghanistan as early as possible. On the other hand the top American General is predicting a long stay there for the troops. General David Petrayes who has a successful ground experience of war in Iraq is in favour of the NATO troops staying put in Afghanistan to make the AF_PAK policy of USA a success. It is in their interest that Karzai registers a win in the first round to buttress the military position of the West. All said and done, the volatile situation may continue notwithstanding Karzai’s return to the Presidential Palace as the Man in Command.
Address: UPVAN 609, Sector 29, NOIDA – 201303 INDIA. Phone -0091-120-2454622
Mobile : 0091-9811173590. Email : sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com
NAMASTE PRESIDENT OF AFGHANISTAN
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
Gandhari,queen of Hastinapur and wife of King Dhritrashtra of Mahabharat fame hailed from Gandhar that is Kandhar of today. Panchali or Draupadi was from Paanchal on the turbulent borders of the Punjab and the kingdom extended to Afghanistan. The area is as turbulent today as it ever was. We Indians of today feel rather close to the Afghans of today as we are each other’s kith and kin – the loved ones. Never mind our different faiths and mode of prayer. Notwithstanding a long passage of time since the days of Gandhari, Indians and Afghans are closer to each other than Afghans and Pakistanis are. Their being votaries of Islam matters little when self interests clash. So you see our greeting the President of Afghanistan has a long and chequered history behind it that cannot be wished away by a new nation like Pakistan. The Afghan Presidential election is just knocking at the main door and the Indian interest therein is quite logical.
ELECTION SCENARIO
Three thousand donkeys will carry election material like ballot papers, ballot boxes, allied equipment and so on to polling booths set up in remote areas of difficult terrain that are inaccessible to vehicular traffic. A donkey is the most reliable beast of burden and is least demanding. The election officer cannot ask for a better load carrier than a donkey and he has got as many as he wishes to have. Of course, the ever increasing fear generated by Taliban terrorists looms large over the election scenario, irrespective of the type of terrain. So be it. All presidential candidates have to face the danger and they, including female candidates, have chosen to brave bullets. In a male dominated Afghan society, a female candidate chose to don a male dress – a baggy salwar, a long shirt, a coat to cover her pistol and a black turban. She goes out and mixes with men and women albeit separately and asks for their votes to become President of the war torn country. She knows that her chances of reaching the Presidential Palace are rather thin but canvasses seriously regardless. That is the new spirit of democracy for which the Americans take the credit. They are not wrong.
The present incumbent of the highest office of the land is Mr Abdul Hamid Karzai who is in the fray for a second term of five years. He is an American educated technocrat who has won the trust of the Obama Administration like that of Bush before. Being a Pushtoon himself, he commands the respect, if not love, of the biggest section of Pashto speaking Afghans. The Pashtoons make 42 percent of the 33million Afghan population. Karzai commands the respect of some influential warlords and drug barons too. It sounds strange but it is true. Just before his first presidential election campaign in 2004, he had received support of ex-warlords; at a price though. This year too he is receiving full support of Abdul Rashid Dostum, a whisky drinking communist warlord who fought against the Soviet invasion but had to go into exile as he had become too big for his boots. He jetted back from Turkey in the nick of time to be beside Karzai in his hour of need. However, the Americans and Europeans are neither comfortable nor happy about Dostum wielding power in the next government dispensation. Karzai has pleased the Shiite population too by helping enact a law where a Shiite husband can deny food to his wife if she does not comply with his sexual demands and desires. Shiite Muslims make 20 per cent of the population of Afghanistan. Shiite husbands are now Lords of the Ring and they love it. Their votes are for Karzai and there are no two opinions on the subject.
As of now Abdul Hamid Karzai is likely to win the Presidential election. It is assessed that he will get 45 per cent of the votes polled. But that is not enough as a candidate must poll 50 percent or more of the total votes polled to win outright. If no one succeeds, there will be a second bout between the two candidates who have polled the highest number of votes. The supporters of Karzai are making a bid for the win in the first time poll. They are canvassing hard and winning more political heavy weights as allies. Karzai has even granted Presidential pardon to economic offenders and drug peddlers to extend the area of his support. He may, however, alienate law abiding citizens and foreign powers if he proceeds with pardons for known criminals. Indeed he will be doing a tight rope walk until the votes are counted and results declared. A strict check must be kept on harvesting poppy seeds and trading in other deadly drugs to win the war against Taliban terrorists who are presently staging a comeback.
Abdullah Abdullah is the next strong contender for the office of the President. A soft spoken eye surgeon, he has the support of the Northern Alliance and is also counting on the support of the Tajik ethnic minority because Karzai has the support of Pashtuns. Indeed the Taliban terrorists also enjoy support of Pashtoons. In fact the Taliban terrorists are by and large Pushtoons. Since inception of Afghanistan the Pashtun Kings have ruled the land but after the Soviet army withdrew it was the Tajik ethnic minority that bagged most of the plum posts in the Army, the Police and the Administration. They form only 24 per cent of the Afghan population and support Abdullah Abdullah who was once the Foreign Minister under Karzai. His supporters say that an outright win for Karzai will mean fraud against Abdullah Abdullah and in that case they will have no option but to take to streets. In Kabul it means bloodshed unlike in Tehran because every house in Kabul owns a Kalashnikov and plenty of ammunition to go with it. In the last rally addressed by Abdullah Abdullah in Kabul the large crowd listened to him with rapt attention and promised to convert the support into votes. Time alone will tell who voted for whom.
A PEEP INTO FUTURE
The Taliban terrorists have already announced from rooftops that they would not allow the Presidential election to go on smoothly. There have been blasts at important strategic points. No one is sure what will happen next. The surge in the NATO forces is to ensure a smooth sailing for the Presidential election. For the West Abdul Hamid Karzai is still the best bet. The Pushtoons may support him willy- nilly. The American Army is keen to get out of Afghanistan as early as possible. On the other hand the top American General is predicting a long stay there for the troops. General David Petrayes who has a successful ground experience of war in Iraq is in favour of the NATO troops staying put in Afghanistan to make the AF_PAK policy of USA a success. It is in their interest that Karzai registers a win in the first round to buttress the military position of the West. All said and done, the volatile situation may continue notwithstanding Karzai’s return to the Presidential Palace as the Man in Command.
Address: UPVAN 609, Sector 29, NOIDA – 201303 INDIA. Phone -0091-120-2454622
Mobile : 0091-9811173590. Email : sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com
Saturday, August 15, 2009
INDEPENDENCE DAY AT RED FORT
AUM
INDEPENDENCE DAY AT RED FORT
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
The Prime Minister reaches the red Fort Delhi at 7.20 AM; he inspects the Inter-Services and Police guard of Honour; he reaches the ramparts and addresses the Nation for 40 minutes or may be more depending on the skies, says Jai Hind with the crowd of school children and goes home. The Media is in full attendance and they faithfully inform the countrymen of policy statements, if any. We all head home and look for a cup of hot tea brewed by the lady of the house. For most of us of the British Raj days the Independence Day means much more. It sends us down the memory lane and a sense of nostalgia sets in.
How can I not remember the Quit India movement of 1942 when as a young boy not yet in my teens, I came out of my classroom encouraged by bigger boys and headed for kutchery to shout slogans against the British Collector and others of his tribe “Quit India”. The mercenary police beat us with batons but undeterred we kept on saying “VANDE MATARAM VANDE MATARAM”. The big boys bled as they were badly beaten but held the tricolour high .IT WAS A SIGHT TO SEE AND ADMIRE. At the kutchery the senior students were arrested and sent to jail; we the junior ones were admonished and told to go home and have some mother’s milk. I had the inner satisfaction that I too told the foreign masters to quit our country. That they did five years thereafter. All Indians celebrated Independence with great gusto. Of course, the partition of Bharat Mata had left an emotional scar and a deep wound difficult to forget. Then as now, the main celebration was held on the ramparts of the Red Fort Delhi. Sad to say the enthusiasm of yester years has faded over a period of time. A true patriot feels bad about it but that’s the way it is.
Unbelievable but true it is that no Tricolour was hoisted by Pt Jawaharlal Nehru on ramparts of the Red Fort Delhi on 15 August 1947. That great day it was done in New Delhi. A day later Nehru went up the ramparts and hoisted the new National flag and fulfilled the wishes of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Indeed every Independence Day has been seeing the incumbent Prime Minister do this national duty with great aplomb. It would be interesting to recall various Prime Ministers do it a number of times, some just once and one not even once. Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru walks away with the cake with a tally of 17. His daughter Smt Indira Gandhi is close behind with a total tally of 16 in two parts : 11 times in the first innings, was voted out of power, staged a political comeback and ascended the ramparts five times in the second innings. In between was Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri who unfurled the flag twice. An elevator was installed for him as he was forbidden to ascend the stairs on medical grounds. Now there are two to accommodate the growing number of sick but important people. Care has been taken to see that the walls of the elevator match the architecture of the fort so that it does not look like an eyesore. Now every Prime Minister uses the elevator to go up but some come down the ramparts using stair case.
A reader may be waiting with baited breath to find out the name of the Prime Minister who did not have an opportunity to perform this sacred national duty even once. It was Shri Chandra Shekhar. Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee did it six times and he is bracketed with Dr Man Mohan Singh.I recall that over these years Dr Man Mohan Singh’s Hindi has improved tremendously. Rajiv Gandhi and Narsimha Rao did so five times each, Morarji Bhai twice but he is in good company with Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri. Among those who just opened an account and returned to pavilion are: Chaudhary Charan Singh, Sarvashri Vishwanath Pratap Singh, H.D.Devegowda and Inder Kumar Gujaral. Indeed the list makes an interesting reading and speaks volumes about the party politics in Parliament. Of course, what they all said need not be mentioned separately for each. The bottom line in each speech was a Promise to the common man to ameliorate his living condition but not much was done thereafter. Some promise makers were dethroned as they descended the stairs; never to ascend again. Indira ji was a singular exception.
As a commentator I feel that the Prime Minister should not take too long to say what he does not mean. Some do not have the magic number to back their words, someone may not muster support within the party as other stalwarts treat him as an usurper of the throne that did not rightfully belong to him. A long speech does not go well with the audience on the spot who sit in the sweltering heat of August in Delhi or in torrential rain depending on the whim of El Nino. The global warming is mentioned in the passing but no need to fan it with a copy of the Independence Day programme printed on thin paper. Most of the senior bureaucrats who could not skip the ceremony and had to put in an appearance by order, just ignore the promises made by the Prime Minister. They know from experience that passing a law in Parliament is one thing and having it implemented just another. “The twain shall never meet”. Indian babus just echo Rudyard Kipling. Will education come within reach of an urchin on the street? Don’t be silly, so they say. Pray, what happened to the Act of Parliament banning child labour. Just go to any eatery in the national capital or NCR and the Truth will prevail over promises made from ramparts of the Red Fort. A Prime Minister who has blessings of the most powerful lady east of Suez will just recount names of Nehru, Gandhi(forget the mahatma) and think that he has earned his daily bread. Thus the gap between preaching, precept and practice is widening day by day. Perhaps a peaceful revolution is required to deliver the goods.The right to resent and protest against a government diktat is enshrined in the constitution and judiciary protects it like the assets of judges.
Lip sympathy is paid to victims of Islamic terrorism. The new economic terror factor is not even touched lest the vote bank is lost. Just preserve your place in power and worry not about the nation or the common man. Let them fend for themselves. Let the lentil be sold at Rs 100 per kilo; just announce from house tops that there is enough food stock in government godowns. Just exhort the state governments to use all laws against hoarding but allow the Food ministry to be the biggest hoarder. Let the finance people say that inflation is now zero or in minus, don’t worry if the prices of common vegetables and fruits render them beyond the reach of common man. Indeed paying lip sympathy to the common man pays rich dividends. So why bother about implementation of plans to ameliorate his condition. Let the plans remain on paper and save the Chair.
Address : UPVAN 609, Sector 29, NOIDA –INDIA. Mob. 0091-9811173590.
Email- sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com Phone -0091-120-2454622.
Monday, August 10, 2009
WISHED TO SIRE A SON BUT
AUM
WISHED TO SIRE A SON BUT...
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
Baitullah Mehsood was a dreaded name on both sides of the Durand line that separates Afghanistan from Pakistan. Son of a small time cleric, Mehsood earned a notoriety for himself as a terrorist who had no remorse in killing adversaries and also those who toed a softline. For him what mattered was just spreading the word of Allah as enunciated in Qurán and illustrated by the life led by Hazrat Muhammad, sallallah wasale wasallum. The world beyond that did not exist for him. If anything existed and flourished without obeying the order of Allah, it deserved to be destroyed. Indeed, Baitullah Mehsood was a dangerous man to be in the vicinity. Pakistan encouraged him initially but found later that the Frankenstein monster was spreading its tentacles far and wide. In the second phase of love and hate relationship between a failed Islamic State and a bandit like Jehadi the closeness was too uncomfortable to be ignored. Pakistan chose, nurtured, trained and cohabited with Mehsud until the American intelligence agency, CIA announced a whopping 5 million US dollar reward on his head. The battle scenario changed thereafter.
A SON A SON ANYTHING FOR A SON
In the tribal areas of Waziristan and frontier tract the tribesman celebrate birth of a son with gunfire. Mehsood did not get a chance to do so. He had three daughters who came to the world unannounced and uncelebrated as per custom. The terror god took a second wife. He had an ardent desire to sire a son but had not succeeded so far. He was diabetic too. Nevertheless, he always desired to cohabit with his second wife to go through the natural process to father a son. He was too busy to go into niceties of sex life. He would just have it anywhere anytime with his newly wedded wife. After all he was just 35 years old and had married a pretty girl, daughter of a minor cleric of the region.
On the fateful night, he was in his father-in-law’s mud plastered house to be with his second wife for the whole night. The heat was sweltering as is generally the case in that part of Pakistan. He chose to sleep on the roof of the ground floor on a couch out in the open. His second and pretty wife was sharing the couch with him. It was both pleasure and pain.
The Americans came to know of it. After all they run Intelligence services that claim to be efficient, next only to Mossad of Israel. The drone, that pilotless aircraft famous for being tasked to do anything that a normal snooping aircraft does, was soon ordered to the place in question. The powerful cameras fitted in the drone zeroed in on the Mehsood couple lying out in the open. The computer targeted the devastating missiles called Hellfire and locked on to Mehsoods. The command came from thousands of mile away control centre in Nevada, Fire. In no time the missiles hit the target with accuracy. All was over for Mehsoods. All that was left was debris and pieces of human flesh. The most dreaded terrorist of Pakistan had met his doom the way he had planned and executed the end of life for others. It was a matter of rejoicing for those who had been hunting him for quite some time.
What an irony of fate. The top terrorist had wished to sire a son but death came rushing to court him. Thus common man’s faith in the Divine Justice was strengthened. Atheists became believers.
Address. UPVAN 609, Sector 29, NOIDA-201303. India. Mobile : 0091-9811173590. Email. Sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com
WISHED TO SIRE A SON BUT...
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
Baitullah Mehsood was a dreaded name on both sides of the Durand line that separates Afghanistan from Pakistan. Son of a small time cleric, Mehsood earned a notoriety for himself as a terrorist who had no remorse in killing adversaries and also those who toed a softline. For him what mattered was just spreading the word of Allah as enunciated in Qurán and illustrated by the life led by Hazrat Muhammad, sallallah wasale wasallum. The world beyond that did not exist for him. If anything existed and flourished without obeying the order of Allah, it deserved to be destroyed. Indeed, Baitullah Mehsood was a dangerous man to be in the vicinity. Pakistan encouraged him initially but found later that the Frankenstein monster was spreading its tentacles far and wide. In the second phase of love and hate relationship between a failed Islamic State and a bandit like Jehadi the closeness was too uncomfortable to be ignored. Pakistan chose, nurtured, trained and cohabited with Mehsud until the American intelligence agency, CIA announced a whopping 5 million US dollar reward on his head. The battle scenario changed thereafter.
A SON A SON ANYTHING FOR A SON
In the tribal areas of Waziristan and frontier tract the tribesman celebrate birth of a son with gunfire. Mehsood did not get a chance to do so. He had three daughters who came to the world unannounced and uncelebrated as per custom. The terror god took a second wife. He had an ardent desire to sire a son but had not succeeded so far. He was diabetic too. Nevertheless, he always desired to cohabit with his second wife to go through the natural process to father a son. He was too busy to go into niceties of sex life. He would just have it anywhere anytime with his newly wedded wife. After all he was just 35 years old and had married a pretty girl, daughter of a minor cleric of the region.
On the fateful night, he was in his father-in-law’s mud plastered house to be with his second wife for the whole night. The heat was sweltering as is generally the case in that part of Pakistan. He chose to sleep on the roof of the ground floor on a couch out in the open. His second and pretty wife was sharing the couch with him. It was both pleasure and pain.
The Americans came to know of it. After all they run Intelligence services that claim to be efficient, next only to Mossad of Israel. The drone, that pilotless aircraft famous for being tasked to do anything that a normal snooping aircraft does, was soon ordered to the place in question. The powerful cameras fitted in the drone zeroed in on the Mehsood couple lying out in the open. The computer targeted the devastating missiles called Hellfire and locked on to Mehsoods. The command came from thousands of mile away control centre in Nevada, Fire. In no time the missiles hit the target with accuracy. All was over for Mehsoods. All that was left was debris and pieces of human flesh. The most dreaded terrorist of Pakistan had met his doom the way he had planned and executed the end of life for others. It was a matter of rejoicing for those who had been hunting him for quite some time.
What an irony of fate. The top terrorist had wished to sire a son but death came rushing to court him. Thus common man’s faith in the Divine Justice was strengthened. Atheists became believers.
Address. UPVAN 609, Sector 29, NOIDA-201303. India. Mobile : 0091-9811173590. Email. Sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com
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