Who is afraid of Indo-Pakistan Peace

By V.B.Rawat

(8 July 1999)

 

If you are in India, perhaps you would be completely exhausted by the way

the multi-nationals competing each other on patriotism to the nation. Right

>from the bazaar thugs to the vast multi-nationals every body is donating to

the Prime Ministerís National Defence Fund for the Armed Forces. Though

there are reports in media that the Veterans of 1971 and 1965 wars have

still not got their rightful due.

 

Problem here is not about patriotism, but of continuous threat to peace. In

India no such

situation occur so far since the Indian middle classes, those donating

blood and sending chocolates and pickles for the soldiers, have clearly

demonstrated their love for contempt towards those poor ( valiant for those

who remains in the air-conditions rooms of Delhi and would not like to even

have a glance to these army men during the peace.) And our

valiant army officers, who during the peace time use these poor Jawans for

their personal purposes in their houses, right from asking to clean their

house, polishing their shoes, cooking for them, take their childrenís and

wives for marketing and outing. All these officers take pride in have two

or three Jawans at their house serving their families. Perhaps these are

the legacy of Indian army which is perhaps the only institution following

the British in every steps.

 

War a Social Evil and create chaos :

 

Now, we have heard peopleís concern for the wives and children of Jawans

and hence state government have been declaring compensation for their kith

and kin from RS 5,00000 to RS 10,00000 and plots for houses, agriculture

land and so on and on. Some people have offered to adopt the Children of

the Jawans. Some good souls are carefully thinking of providing

scholarships to the children of the Jawans, who have sacrificed their

lives for the country. So this good gesture is continuing. No such

compensation is in the offing for those brave soldiers who have become ì

physically challengedî. After some

time, when the war would be over, they would become a person of mercy in

their own house, looking for jobs.

 

It is nobodyís surprise that those killed in Kargil have been in the age

group of 18 to 25. A few of them were over 25 but below 30. These Jawans

come from the poor families in the

villages. Most of them married to the girls in the age of six-seven years

junior to them. Hence a Jawan, who has sacrificed his life at the age of

22, has left a widow of 16-17 year

of age, with a possibility of a one year old child or even younger than that.

 

Here come the atrocious form of our society, even when it is involved in

the hypocrisy of Patriotism. You want to dole out money. You want to adopt

a child of a Jawan but you would never want to give an important option to

the widows of these Jawans. You would not want them to remarry ? No, it

would amount to treachery in this age of patriotism. She can not even think

of another man. She has to live with the photograph of her husband all

through her life in white colour with her head covered. She can not wear

ornament, she cannot enjoy freedom. It is her permanent bondage. How long

will we torture such young souls.

 

Have we given thought to this grave issue. As I mentioned in my earlier

article that War is gender bias. Here every parent want a son because they

want to take revenge which only men can take. Ofcourse, war means

exhibition of your masculinity which the societies in the Sub-continent

always love to follow. This war has also exposed our hypocrisy that in this

age, when we claim to have progressed and are on the verge of entering 21st

century, we do not want to talk about issues. We want to dole out money.

This is the cost of our patriotism. The Jawans has to follow the orders of

his elders, right or wrong. There is no question of questioning. The widow

is herself a Jawan. She has to follow norms of society. She is the cultural

Ambassador of Indian society, which predominantly live in villages, which

is ignorant, orthodox , corrupt and castiest, as Baba Saheb Ambedkar had

said long ago. Hence to expect anything radical from this ëpatriotic

societyí to do justice with a young woman who has lost her husband, is a

bit too much.

 

Can scholarship or adoption really help the children of these Jawans ?

Donít they require love of their Papa. Donít they require caring of their

Papa. Moreover, arenít these hapless women human beings who have

aspirations to be loved in this young age. How could they continue to live

the life in the virtual hell which the Indian society is ?

 

But, a spineless political class would not be interested in this, nor the

people. How many

of the unmarried youngsters think to marry those young women who have

fallen victim to this rivalry of the ruling class of the sub-continent.

How many percents-in -laws recognise the need for the remarriages of their

daughter-(in laws). Our main opposition

party is still bringing out hoarding about Sonia that she became Suhagan

here and saw her husband sacrificing his life here and remain here till the

last breath of her lifeí.

Hence, the political parties who are one in opposing womenís right cannot

do justice to this social chaos coming out of war.

 

Years ago, in Bengal when the widows used to commit Sati voluntarily or out

of compulsion, the reasons were clear. After husbands death, her life would

become hell. She would not have any social role to play. She would become

socially outcast, who cannot smile openly. Who has to remain boring with a

grim face, who cannot talk to outsiders and

cannot wear good cloths. And unfortunately, if she is young, then the

alluring eyes of the landlords in the villages would stare at her as if she

is an object.

 

Let those who have been voicing concern over the conditions of family of

Jawans. Can the government of ëChitpawansí initiate a process by giving

support to those youngsters who are willing to marry these women who have a

long life to go. They cannot live the entire life with an adorned

photograph of their husbands. Let them love him even after his supreme

sacrifice but will our patriots and governments think over it. I know it is

a difficult question right now as most of those woman would not be in a

position to reply. But they will have to come in terms after six months or

a year. They cannot make their lives by just remaining in the four walls of

the villages. They will have to come out. May

be we need a Rammohun Roy and Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar right now.

 

War against Peace : The above pathetic story of Indian women is a clear

indication how war can destabilise the society. Right now, it is women,

who has to bear the brunt of the widowhood. After some months, India go for

Polls and in all likelihood, the issue of Kargil is going to be a poll

issue. We will see, Streets, roads, would be named after the Shaheeds.

We will also find that pictures of Bharat-Mata would be made available in

every possible platform. We will see Atal Bihari Vajpayee, jumping in his

feet and speaking the language of Salim-Javed like Nani Yaad Kara

denge..Dushman ke Chhakke chhuda denge..

 

Indira Gandhi in her prime days always used to bring the issue of Pakistan

whenever, she had problems internally. She would go abroad for a few days

and photographs of her meeting world leaders, shaking hands with them would

flash to news-papers, later to be exploited by the Congress Party leaders

in the elections. Atal Bihari Vajpayee has long

studied Indira Gandhi and her politics. There is no difference among the

political parties when the issue of ënational integrationí come. They all

unite. Laloo Yadav said that he would try Vajpayee and George for allowing

the countryís security to be jeopardised. Similarly Congress is also asking

question as how has the ëenemyí intruded in our territory. RSS is also

looking in to it. Uttar-Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh has said in a

public meeting that he is unhappy with the way central government has dealt

with Kargil issue. He want army be given free hand to cross the LOC and

capture POK which is logically Indiaís, as per his thesis, and Indian

Parliament has passed a resolution unanimously to bring back the entire

Kashmir.

 

Now, Indiaís political leadership will never want that Kashmir issue is

settled. Vajpayee cannot go to USA, though he has been speaking with

Clinton, but publicly he has kept this posture that we would not allow a

third party involvement in Kashmir as he know every one is a hawk and

rightists in India when so-called ënationalí issue come up. Congress which

made a mess of it, claims it has the only right to speak about Kashmir and

blames the government for internationalising it ignoring the grave reality

that Nehru went to the UN for the possible solution.

 

War to hide the internal failures of the ruling Indian elite :

 

We call Pakistan a failed state but where do we stand. What does this

Kargil war bring for over 70,000 people who have been displaced and living

in utter sub-human condition in the camps in India and Pakistan. What is

the meaning of this Kargil war for those tribal whose very life is finished

in Sardar Sarovar after August 99 when the entire area would be

sub-mergedÖWhat is the meaning of this patriotism for those millions of

>Dalits and tribal who have been denied basic human rights for long.. they

still clean toilets manually in the villages and are bonded labours. What

about millions of child labour in our country and governmentís apathy to

it. There is no sanitation facilities in our cities and public places leave

alone the slums. There is no law and order in any of Indian state including

its capital Delhi. You cannot get a work done in any government office

unless you pay a hefty amount of money. Bank do not function efficiently

even if they are foreign banks in countryís capital. Police force is

criminal and you cannot trust it for your security. Ministers have earned

huge amount of money. Not only ministers but bureaucrats, small village

leaders, village Panchayat leaders, and even our journalistí friends, no

body is legging behind in utilising his power and position.

 

All, those power-brokers have become patrons of patriotism. Those big

houses will pay

big sum for a ënational causeí and get their tax exempt. More-over, they

will come in the good books of the government. Contributing for the

national fund, for the big business houses is a power game and every body

want to be a party to it. The multi national are

offering coke and Pepsi to our Jawans at the Railway stations and courier

company promising to freely distribute courier to the Jawans at the border.

Our film stars would play cricket match with cricket stars for raising

fund..Even the unofficial fund is getting collected in the name of Kargil.

Part-timers have full time job now, thanks to Kargil.

 

Now, as I said, in the election only, Kargil would be an issue and every

other issue from the utter-failure of our government will be side tracked.

We could not say that the minorities were brutally assaulted this year by

the Sangh Parivar and its allies.. We will forget that there was no control

over the irresponsible ministers. We will forget that this government used

unethical means to survive. Its UP government has record of criminals in

the ministry. We forget charges against Prime Ministerís Son in Law.. We

will forget that government taking measure policy decision during the care

taker period. We will forget that government having no control over the

prices of essential commodities. We will forget prime minister and his

defence minister bending to an Amma in Chennai and she dictating every

thing from there.

 

But as I mention, it is not BJP but our whole political leadership. Mulayam

Singh wanted to take credit for Nuclear blasts while Congress claims it

their achievement, as Indira Gandhi was the first to do it. So coming days,

we will see more such rhetoric and verbal game when people will only

remember Nuclear and Kargil. I do not know how the Swadeshi Sangh Parivar

consider it fit that the friends of Vajpayee are advising him to take

services of a foreign advertising company for the coming election, to

present him as a brand.. Amitabh Bachchan has failed as a Brand but see how

Vajpayee do it.

 

Pakistani Elite need Kashmir to save its skin :

 

The story about the other side of the border is intriguing. Nawaj Sharif

face a real threat from the extremist and fundamentalists organisations

after returning from United States, which they term as a complete

surrender. Parties like Peopleís Party of Benzir Bhutto and that of Imran

Khan are also exploiting the situation and terming it a surrender. Cheap

politics is the part of this subcontinent. Even if Indian and Pakistan

Prime Minister come to an agreement over Kashmir, the rightists of both the

countries would not allow it. Because it become a political question. For

Pakistanís ruling establishment Kashmir is the main issue for their

survival. If India-Pakistan have friendly relationship than there is no

place for such huge spending on army which will reduce the status of our

Generals over there. They cannot prove their utility without Kashmir. The

huge commission that arms deal offer have filled the coffers of these

generals in the Swiss Banks at the cost of Pakistan People. The basic

amenities for them is more important the issue of Kashmir. India and

Pakistan cannot fight endlessly for such issues. Pakistani leadership want

to

communalise every issue as far as relation with India is concern. For

hundreds of children in Pakistan are told that India is a Hindu nation who

were opposed to Pakistan. By shutting your doors for history you cannot

alter the common history of Hindus and Muslims and India and Pakistan.

Pakistan is reality in the same way as it was part of India hence nothing

is more heinous than a crime that Pakistani leadership is inflicting on its

innocent citizens by denying the very word India and its heritage to them.

It can see

hundreds of people being massacred in the streets of Karachi and even

sacred places like Mosques are not safe as there have been numerous events

of firing inside the mosques. Does Islam preach this ? Any body talking of

human rights and freedom of expression is an Indian agent for the ruling

elite as if freedom of expression is the sole domain of Indians and nobody

can have it.

 

If Kashmir issue is sorted out then an important issue of Pakistanís

political debate will end. It will create an atmosphere of bonhomie among

the South Asian communities. If people of India and Pakistan have more

access to each other, it will reduce the tension between the countries and

overcome various misconception about each other created by the

bureaucratic-politico-army nexus. Hence, there are bondage, there will be

more hate propaganda. Pakistan also has become democracy, though curtsy

armed forces yet the issues in such feudal democracy are not good

governance but who can exploit Kashmir.. We will remain hungry unless

Kashmir is our Part, cried Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Similarly, RSS in India

want Akhand Bharat from Himalayas to Kandhar in Afghanistan. Even Mulayam

Singhís Samajwadi party want Akhand Bharat, though this is not right time

for him to go for such rhetoric.

 

Hundreds of youths in Pakistan have pumped in the business of arm intrusion

in the name of Islam. Those who should have been contributing for

Pakistanís economic and social developments have taken to arms in the name

of saving the religion. Islam cannot be saved by these youths. Islam is

not that weak to be saved by such begot. It is a strong way of life. It

emancipated millions of people in the South Asia. It has given a culture to

Indian sub-continent and those want to create religious fanaticism in the

name of Islam, create such hypothesis. Kashmir will remain there for long

as Hindu leadership in India and Muslim leadership in Pakistan need some

thing to whip up passion of the people so that they can rule ? When Kashmir

is the cause, then no body is going to question Nawaz Sharif about the

conditions of minorities in Pakistan. Nobody is going to ask about Ahmadies

in Pakistan.. Nobody will care for the misrule in Pakistan, its draconian

laws to curb Press freedom and Judiciary. Who will question when you have a

bigger cause of KashmirÖ We are ready to die out of hunger but will ensure

that we have nuclear bomb in Chagai and Pokhran.. That is the story..People

of South Asia need to be conscious enough to fight against such misrule,

which always create a problem to for the sake of power.. And sure, be ware

of ëintellectual bankruptsí, the intellectuals who have been offered

lucrative jobs after retirement. They have captured all the platform of

South Asian

people..even solidarity with SAARC nation..be ware of them.