Ethnically cleansing terrorists?...
Musharraf's onslaught in Balochistan requires global condemnation

Led to believe by the sycophants that he was the Pakistani incarnate of Kemal Ataturk, Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf continues to do in Balochistan what any 'democratic' country would never do against its own civilians. On one hand harping tunelessly on the "human rights violation" in Kashmir, the General himself on the other hand has launched huge aerial & ground off ensives, consisting at one stage of 21 fi ghter planes, 19 helicopter gunships, 60,000 troops and heavy artillery fire, against Baloch nationalists and civilians. About 2,000 people have disappeared in Dera Bugti and the region has also witnessed destruction of pipelines, continuous bomb attacks and mine explosions.

The General has tried his best to make the world believe that the popular unrest has its linkages to religious extremism of the Wahabbis; and that he is all out to protect and safeguard the world in its 'war against terror'. However, the history of Baloch animosity and the fear of Punjabi domination in this region is as old as Pakistan itself. Historically, the region never associated itself with Pakistan. Leaders like Khan Abdus Samad Khan (Baloch Gandhi) and Ghaus Bizenjo sought an independent, sovereign Balochistan (they pleaded with Indian leaders for support). The oil rich region was denied the same, not only to keep the oil lanes from Persian Gulf to Hindukush first under British and then under American control, but also to keep he Russians out.

The resource rich region, having 44% of land area of Pakistan, represents only about 5% of Pakistan's population. Ironically, apart from getting only 5% of the federal revenue, the natural gas from the local Suigas fields took as long as 30 years to reach the region. Introduction of Punjabis as miners, settlers and traders (more after the building of Gwadar port) is also seen as an attempt to ethnically cleanse the Baloch in their homeland. Like the Mukti Bahini of pre-independent Bangladesh, the Baloch fighters arebeing labelled as 'miscreants' working in conjunction with foreign support (read India). Whichever way Musharraf terms it, serious and urgent introspection and global interventions are needed in Pakistan to stop Musharraf 's noveau ethnic cleansing agenda.

...Or terrorising clean ethnics?
Kurdistan is waiting to explode; what with the huge oil attraction

Are those birth pangs of a new nationstate or another geo-political timebomb ticking? The geo-cultural region of 40 million Kurds is consolidating & waiting to explode. Spread across Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria, the discontinuous "nation" was first promised statehood in the 1920s in the Treaty of Serves. The latter part of the 20th century, however, witnessed heavy state-sponsored oppression under Saddam's regime. In an area replete with oil reserves, the historic opportunity thrown in by Saddam's exit was lapped up with glee. It is reckoned that unexplored reserves within Iraqi Kurdistan amount to 45 billion barrels (of the proven Iraqi reserves of 115 billion barrels) and this adds to the Kurdish government's confidence in the viability of future independence.

Based on that, the Kurdistan Regional Government (as empowered by the Iraqi Constitution) signed a production-sharing agreement with a Norwegian firm DNO in 2004, in a first of many in Irbil. The gamble has, so far, come good as the preliminary studies from the drilling at Tawke No.1 well has shown five reservoirs of oil having an estimated reserves of about 100 million barrels. The logical oil export route is the Turkish port of Ceyhan; but the situation becomes intriguing, given Ceyhan's large Kurdish population at loggerheads with the high-handedness of the existing Turkish regime. Add to that the strong anti-American sentiments in Syria & Iran and a lethal recipe emerges.

Oil has ensured global wars; and one of them seems to be in the making to soon for global comfort...

This east of Bengal has it all wrong
The polity of 'Afghanistan of the east' needs to now focus on society

Bangladesh's recent open support to Hamas, and not so open acceptance to sign the UN Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime, is fast positioning the country towards being labeled an 'Islamic State'. India already suspects that the country is being groomed (or is already prepared) to launch lethal terror exports to South and South-East Asia. There is a global concern regarding Talibanisation of the Bangladeshi polity.

Recently, an Amnesty International report in 2001 noted that Hindus constituting 10% of the population of 130 million have increasingly been attacked after BNP came to power in alliance with Jamat-e-Islami and Islami-Oikyo-Jote. A closer look reveals that humanistic Islam is being turned to 'radical-political' Islam to gain power in a nation where almost 57% of the people are illiterate, 45% poverty stricken, and 48% children malnutritioned (UNCTAD). But the worst can still be prevented. Bangladesh polity must start thinking about socio-economic development more than power play!

When faced with a Tiger, just talk!
The Sri Lankan government should continue sticking to peace talks

The suicide bombing on April 26, 2006, against the Sri Lankan army chief has blown away the semblance of normalcy in the strife torn island nation. As Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka (below) recuperated, the Sri Lankan air force bombarded rebel positions in the North and the East straining the four year cease-fire further. In the intricate ethnic structure of Sri Lanka, the attack can be seen more as an attempt by LTTE to extract the most ahead of the forthcoming Geneva peace negotiations.

In a classic case of damned if you do and damned if you don't, the Sri Lankan retaliation would be used by the Tigers to polarise the Tamil population and en- flame passions in electioneering Tamil Nadu. If Colombo walks into the ambush, then solutions in terms of 'de-facto Eelam' and not within 'the federal' framework would be sought. The Sri Lankan government cannot and should not ignore the negotiation path ever, irrespective of the intensity and number of terror attacks by LTTE. Peace was never brokered using war and death...

The silence is deafening...
North Korea should be actively engaged in negotiations

The last of the triumvirate of 'the axes of evil', the communist ruled North Korea remains secluded and mysterious as ever. Officially at war with the South, the country has recklessly proliferated sensitive missile and nuclear technology to the tomboyish states of the world. Despite being a signatory to the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty), the North Koreans clandestinely transferred enriched Uranium to countries like Libya, Syria, Egypt, Pakistan and Iran.

The nexus was revealed after Libya abandoned in December 2003, its WMD development programs and vowed to break away from the terror nexus. Linkages to the Pakistani scientist, A. Q. Khan also exposed the far reaching tentacles of clandestine exports from Pakistan to Iran. Despite North Korea's current 'quiet' status, unless the world continues engaging its rulers in constructive negotiations, the country would only be encouraged to continue supporting activities that can lead to global imbalances. North Korea cannot be ignored simply because there are the Irans, Iraqs & Afghanistans to contend with; not now, not ever, today or in the future...

Truly tireless losers!
A treatise on cliched tactics, which still hold humongous promise

Sports delights, sports unites and sports exhilarates. The collective identity of a nation is personified in the sporting arena and the performances of few determined men and women build the confidence of the same. Though the Indian tricolour seldom flutters across the international stadia, and the nation representing 17.1% of humanity is most oft en placed at the bottom of the tally.

Save cricket and some brilliance here and there, our overall positioning has been pathetic. India was positioned (much like in the UN Human Development Report) at rank 117 in world FIFA ranking (March, 2006), much behind countries like Rwanda (93), Uganda (97) and Congo (111). Consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers analysed medal performance over the past four Olympic Games and predicted at least 10 medals for India in the Athens games. For the records, India managed just one silver.

So what lies beneath? Behind accusations and counter-accusations, a vicious circle operates. And that entrapment is based on poor infrastructure, lack of economic incentives, un-supportive market structure and lack of role models worthy of emulation. Building in-house world class infrastructure, training facilities & fully residential sports universities should be prioritised. The integration of market forces to sports has the potential of metamorphosing the existing sports landscape. Effective long term strategies assimilating government funding, corporate sponsored facilities & mass awareness through media are imperative to build and augment a base for a formidable sports power. But then, haven't we heard this a million times before?

By the people, of the people, for the...
Recent protests against 'wrongs' is motivating and must continue

It might not at all be considered preposterous to label Rang De Basanti as a new genre of Indian cinema, as Aamir Khan's piece de resistance has definitely touched the simmering discontent of the Indian middle class psyche. The deepest desire to rise against the system's unfairness seems to be gaining ground. For all the voices that go hoarse citing 'Who cares, I don't', it was a counter-thesis to see the sudden rise in national support for Medha Patkar's campaign (Aamir himself being a clear and present supporter), Bhopal Gas Tragedy victims' week-long hunger strike, farmers' anti-WTO protests, public outcry against MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) for its corrupt demolition drive, and the Jessica Lall case retrial.

Even for sceptics, the iconic Aamir Khan's presence at the Narmada Bachao Aandolan meet, and singer Lucky Ali shouting anti- WTO slogans, was an extremely motivating sight to behold. India is waking up, and not necessarily because of either Rang De Basanti or celebrity branding of public protests. One just hopes the much acclaimed Indian democracy continues to instill into its citizens the need to question wrongs, and to en masse support the right. As we mentioned, one just hopes this continues forever...