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.