Another hogwash!
The US does not intend Iraq to unite as nation again

(column by Saurabh K Shahi)

Bush is losing Iraq & that too in a rather ungracious manner. The desperation of the American administration over Iraq is clearly visible nowadays. The US is haplessly trying to appease the same Bathist elements in Iraq, who they had earlier condemned as destroyers of Iraq. Recently, the United States gave a tacit approval for a new policy in Iraq and that will allow low-level Baath Party officials in Iraq to serve in the government. The agreement signed by some of the top Shiite, Sunni & Kurdish leaders endorses an upcoming draft bill that, if passed, will help relax rules preventing most of the members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party from holding government posts. According to American officials, the law is aimed at encouraging disenchanted Sunni Arabs to support what is being called the “Shiite-led government.” Easing the ban on Baath members is among the benchmarks the US has demanded as a condition for continued support to the Iraqi government. The deal also talks about holding regular provincial elections, an important clause pushed by United States - and help security forces in stopping the bloodshed. Reforming the law has long been considered a top priority of the Iraqi government, but the political parties have disagreed on the best course of action. Many Shiites & Kurds have objected to allowing Sunni ex-Baathists into jobs related to national security and are nervous that they could regain dominance in the government.

Earlier, in April 2003 the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) headed by US Army top-brasses had de-bathised the Iraqi establishment. CPA Order 1 held that: “Full members of the Baath Party and its subsidiary wings are hereby removed from their positions and banned from future employment in the public sector. These Senior Party Members shall be evaluated for criminal conduct or threat to the security of the Coalition. Individuals holding positions in the top three layers of management in every national government ministry, affiliated corporations and other government institutions shall be interviewed for possible affiliation with the Baath Party and subject to investigation for criminal conduct and risk to security.” Talking to B&E, noted conflict resolution expert at Centre for American Progress, Brian Katulis said, “The move by the Bush administration to lift the ban on the former Baath party members is an act of desperation aimed at achieving even a small appearance of progress in advance of a major White House report to Congress on Iraq. In 2003, the Bush administration committed a major mistake by dismissing the Iraqi army and telling even the lowest level members of the Baath party not to come back to their jobs, and now more than four years later, they are trying to correct this mistake.” Meanwhile, the spokesperson of Baath Party, Abu Muhib al-Baghdadi, dismissed the draft legislation, saying his group would not deal with the Iraqi leadership until all US & foreign forces leave the country. He termed the resolution as a “trap” laid down to make Sunni resistance dysfunctional. In the end, all these manipulative gestures from the Bush administration are guided by the domestic political considerations and are hardly aimed at improving the ground situation in Iraq. Perhaps the Democrats could provide a more viable solution to the country.

(End of Saurabh K Shahi column)

The polls are here, so are the Maoists!
Hopes of free, fair and non-violent elections in Nepal are receding

(column by Mayank Singh)

Much like the Indian Marxists, the Nepalese Maoists, too, are acting tough, making it difficult for the government to implement crucial policy decisions. In a recent attack on the government’s decision to hold elections on November 22, 2007, the Maoist chief Prachanda has asked for the postponement of the exercise till April 2008. Calling the entire efforts of the government a mere “drama”, Prachanda insists on making it “real”. However, little did Prachanda understand the implications of his statement, because the moment he uttered it, criticism from various sections within the Maoist organisation have begun to flow in.

It was the Maoists, who had earlier forced the government to announce the dates for elections. Therefore, the Maoist chief’s recent musings have only added further confusion to the prevailing political conditions in Nepal. However, the Nepalese government is already contemplating an early election in the country as per the schedule. The issue of election dates has invited dissension within the Maoist ranks. This lack of unison can lead to an escalation of violence in the Himalayan Kingdom. Apparently, the Maoists are also losing control over the Young Communist League (YCL), which is the armed wing of the Maoist party. “With the government also failing to provide adequate law & order facilities, the election scenario is likely to be violent,” Nihar Nayak a Nepal watcher with IDSA told B&E. With every passing day, the trust among the various political factions is gradually getting eroded, which hardly bodes well for the future. Prachanda has already asked his party’s student wing to protest for their demands. One only wishes that sanity & true democracy return to Nepal soon.

(End of Mayank Singh column)

People’s power!
Military must relinquish power

Ever since the eviction of the British from Myanmar, democracy has continued to elude this tiny Asian nation. With inflation constantly on the rise, poverty increasing & freedom of speech fully curtailed, the people are yearning to let the Tatmadaw (the Myanmar military) know their plight and allow them to provide them with the necessary economic infrastructure to grow. However, the recent hike in the gas prices by the State Law & Order Restoration Council (SLORC) has acted as ‘last straw on the camel’s back’ – certain sections came out on streets, just a few furlongs from Yangon, the country’s political capital.

Suave, Spartan & non-saleable
A product of the student movement, Karat is a leading light in Indian political thought process

(column by Rajeev Singh)

Karat, with his “cultivated polished exterior”, “is a king-maker whose kings turn out to be clowns…”, stated an open letter addressed to Karat by a group of party comrades. But despite such innuendoes, he is a respected man because he is not an ordinary politician. He is neither a stylist nor an opportunist. His Spartan lifestyle & his educational background distinguish him from the run of- the-mill politicians. Certain sections of the media say that he is a hard nut to crack, especially when it comes to the issue of India getting closer to America, either economically or militarily. Drawing conclusions from the tough stance Prakash has adopted on the 123 civilian nuclear agreement with the US, his detractors say things like, “His mind (is) the last repository of ideological fossil,” or “He can’t be bullied into moderation.” Beyond doubt, Prakash is a die-hard Marxist, who draws his inspiration from strong leaders of small nation states like Hugo Chavez & Castro, but ideologies oft en have to take a backseat in the prevailing political scenario in India. He fully realises that the only chance for the Left in India is to cooperate with the mainstream centrist political parties, lest the communists remain confined as regional actors. Prakash, as the ideologically driven 56-year-old General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is said to be devoid of any personal ambitions. But his rather strong affiliations to the party and its objectives make him ferociously ambitious to see to it that the hammer & sickle gets painted on the pan-Indian wall.

The soft spoken comrade was born in Myanmar in 1948. His initial Marxist training began at the Madras Christian College, from where he entered the Communist movement in the 1960s. From there, he went on to do his Masters’ in International Relations from the University of Edinburgh. At Edinburgh, Prakash was rusticated for participating in the anti-apartheid protests. His leadership skills came to fore at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, where he became instrumental in forming the Student’s Federation of India – the youth wing of the CPI(M). Having joined the Marxist party in 1970, Karat’s intellectual capabilities endeared him to E. M. S. Nambood-iripad. Prakash also got the opportunity to work as an aide to another CPM stalwart, A. K. Gopalan. During the 1975 emergency declared by Indira Gandhi, Prakash remained underground for around one and- a-half-years. He was arrested twice during the period. Aft er joining the party’s Polit Bureau in 1992, Karat rose to become the most powerful communist in the country in 2005. He, along with his wife, Brinda Karat, formed the ‘Red Power Couple’. Their commitment to Marxism has led to them to sacrifice having any progeny. Besides being a politician, Karat is also known for his writing skills as an editor cum author. And while people may not agree with his ideologies, they would hardly question his commitment to them!

(End of Rajeev Singh column)