This is an old story…. circa 1999. The land of the pure had recently been rid of self serving politicians and a General in jackboots was running Pakistan. Each new General thought democracy ought to be trimmed, watered, manured and groomed like a Bonsai plant. So the land of pure is blessed with a bonsai democracy with many smart generals with great body language pouring scorn on bumbling politicians. When the Kandahar hijack happened in New Year’s eve 1999, we had Pakistan TV beaming live into our living rooms in Chennai. Its’ discontinuance could be ascribed to lack of viewer ship owing to unimaginative programming than the diktat of India’s soft state apparatus. Expert after expert in PTV held forth on how the hijack is a RAW plot and how Taliban has shown maturity etc (Taliban has been variously credited with an overdose of piety not maturity by even Pakistan media until then). I remember feeling outraged at a nation gloating over the misfortune of Indians and propagating wild theories that Indians have done it unto themselves. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were incidentally the only two countries that recognized the Taliban and Indians were at a loose end; not knowing how and with whom to negotiate. Pak TV also came out with this theory that a senior Indian Intelligence official is also present in the plane.
Meanwhile relatives of the hostages paraded before Indian TV asking questions and demanding answers as to what would they have done if a Minister’s daughter was inside the ill fated plane. As expected the hijackers got the release of terrorists in Kashmir’s prisons and India got its’ hostages. It was a day of shame for many of us who watched a nation brought to its’ knees. Pak TV was full of praise for the Taliban for handling the situation tactfully. Stories circulated about how the hijackers treated the hostages mercifully. US Officials commended India for showing restraint in the face of extreme provocation.
Comeuppance came sooner than expected. 9/11 happened. Musharaff, with equal felicity joined the war on terror. ISI (the infamous Pak intelligence agency, the abbreviation once stood for a form of quality certification in India- good thing they did away with that) was now at the front end fighting jehadis in the west and aiding them in the east. Distinctions were drawn as to how freedom struggles were different from terror. Stories were circulated in the western media as to how the ISI chief who went to negotiate the release of Osama actually advised them to dig their heels in- also about how Daniel Pearl’s killer (who incidentally was released from Indian prison in return for the hostages) was in ISI protection before he was turned over when the heat got too much.
Earlier we were talking about split personality of ISI itself. Now we are talking about how the Pakistani state is distinct from ISI. We know that all Intelligence agencies play dirty games. But imagine this. A glamorous gangster, basking in media attention in India, seen with lissome actresses in Sharjah is finally implicated in Indian courts for terror attacks. Going by the track record of the inefficient Indian courts that is saying much. There is also an Interpol alert against him. Well, ISI is said to have given him asylum. (Their media says this as much as ours do.) We always knew that Military Intelligence is an oxymoron. But Pakistanis take the cake for brazenness and suicidal strategy. The world be damned; we will do what we please….
I recently read Ahmed Rashid’s book Descent into Chaos. The role of ISI and their minders have been chronicled well. To think that a Pakistani can be scathing in his criticism of such a fearsome state institution is quite credit worthy. I admire the Pakistani media and civil society greatly because it has matured in circumstances not very propitious for its’ development. (While India’s is turning jingoistic with uninterrupted democracy) Rashid says the Americans have been led up the garden path by the ISI. I don’t for a moment think the Americans were fooled. They have immense capabilities to see through crap. But I wish they would spare us the commendations for showing restraint after Mumbai attacks. We have seen the restraint showed after 9/11. You can build your fortresses and sit smug inside them- Wait until they hit you.
The Americans love the Pakistanis for more reasons than one. The world’s oldest democracy has little patience with other lesser democracies. History shows that they have been comfortable with tin pot dictators and banana republics. While any proposal in the US system has to go through a rigorous vetting system (remember the nuclear deal), they can’t wait so long for answers from other countries. We can’t give them short speeches on how something ought to be debated in the Parliament or passed as a bill or has to go through the courts or regulatory agencies. So Generals in jackboots have an edge over us while dealing with the US system. Answers are fast; action swift, what if some arms and aid go down the drain?
Now the struggle in Kashmir- Indians could be accused of many sins; of rigging elections, of thrusting unpalatable state governments etc. But Pakistan has shot themselves in the balls by diverting the leadership of Kashmiri movement to Jehadis in the nineties, especially when they had a good thing going due to the incompetence of the state. Look at this; All they have to do is put Syed Ali Shah Geelani (the only Kashmiri separatist leader to openly demand accession to Pakistan) on national television in fur cap and white beard swearing to run Kashmir according to Allah ki hukumat. (Islamic rule) and not Fauj’s(Indian army’s). Even a dyed in the wool secularist, watching this mid sip of evening vodka, would vow that India shall hold on to Kashmir for a thousand years, if necessary, to prevent takeover by these jokers. He would say the same if a leader of any other religious persuasion said the same thing. Losing the sympathy of liberal Indian secularist and media takes some effort. - Pakistan, a split personality state, has seemingly achieved the impossible.
States go into denial when they don’t acknowledge the obvious. We, with sixty years of noisy democracy and free press should be able to acknowledge the obvious. There is a fringe group in every state. History is replete with the stories of monsters nurtured by Intelligence agencies. Theirs is particularly more lethal, remains state sponsored and hence more dangerous. Earlier only Indians were shouting hoarse about the ISI. Now the whole world does…
In the context of Malegaon blasts, we have seen the Nationalistic leaders repeating what we have been hearing only from minority leaders & vote bank politicians in the past- That the apprehended terrorists are being denied human rights, they are tortured in custody, confessions are extracted by force etc. When the majority hits back it is a reaction to terrorism. With minority it is just terrorism which has been fed by alienation and social deprivation. At the bottom of it all, violence begets violence. But to expect the Indian Muslim to show his patriotism is unfair. For a moment I imagine myself an atheist born in a Muslim family. I would be furious at any insinuation that my sympathies lie elsewhere and that my loyalties are put to test. Where do I go, for instance? The famous Vaikom Mohammed Bashir, one of the great Malayalam writers was once asked’ What would you do if all Muslims were asked to go to Pakistan?’ He said that he would adopt a Nambudiri (a high caste in Kerala) name and pass himself off as one. No way he is going to Pakistan. I speak Malayalam, not Urdu he said.
As an ex refugee from a liberal Islamic state (Malaysia- which could be ranked right up there as one of the most progressive Islamic state), all I can say is that all forms of chauvinism are bad, while chauvinism of the majority (religion/ race or whatever) is worst. It doesn’t give you a choice. If you are born with an identity, you are doomed to live with it. Criminal acts could be legitimized in the name of popular wish. Such a move could certainly find popular support especially in trying times like these. Malaysians believed that the economic backwardness of Bumiputras (sons of soil- yeah even their language has many common elements with ours) needs affirmative action. Hence medium of education changed to Bahasa Malaya, reservations started in higher education, businesses could be started only with Malay partners etc. The country we left behind had a multiethnic soul. When I went back 30 years later, I could see broad highways, tall buildings: but the soul had gone to sleep.
Our diversity is our strength. A few monsters with spitfire guns cannot kill our soul….
Meanwhile relatives of the hostages paraded before Indian TV asking questions and demanding answers as to what would they have done if a Minister’s daughter was inside the ill fated plane. As expected the hijackers got the release of terrorists in Kashmir’s prisons and India got its’ hostages. It was a day of shame for many of us who watched a nation brought to its’ knees. Pak TV was full of praise for the Taliban for handling the situation tactfully. Stories circulated about how the hijackers treated the hostages mercifully. US Officials commended India for showing restraint in the face of extreme provocation.
Comeuppance came sooner than expected. 9/11 happened. Musharaff, with equal felicity joined the war on terror. ISI (the infamous Pak intelligence agency, the abbreviation once stood for a form of quality certification in India- good thing they did away with that) was now at the front end fighting jehadis in the west and aiding them in the east. Distinctions were drawn as to how freedom struggles were different from terror. Stories were circulated in the western media as to how the ISI chief who went to negotiate the release of Osama actually advised them to dig their heels in- also about how Daniel Pearl’s killer (who incidentally was released from Indian prison in return for the hostages) was in ISI protection before he was turned over when the heat got too much.
Earlier we were talking about split personality of ISI itself. Now we are talking about how the Pakistani state is distinct from ISI. We know that all Intelligence agencies play dirty games. But imagine this. A glamorous gangster, basking in media attention in India, seen with lissome actresses in Sharjah is finally implicated in Indian courts for terror attacks. Going by the track record of the inefficient Indian courts that is saying much. There is also an Interpol alert against him. Well, ISI is said to have given him asylum. (Their media says this as much as ours do.) We always knew that Military Intelligence is an oxymoron. But Pakistanis take the cake for brazenness and suicidal strategy. The world be damned; we will do what we please….
I recently read Ahmed Rashid’s book Descent into Chaos. The role of ISI and their minders have been chronicled well. To think that a Pakistani can be scathing in his criticism of such a fearsome state institution is quite credit worthy. I admire the Pakistani media and civil society greatly because it has matured in circumstances not very propitious for its’ development. (While India’s is turning jingoistic with uninterrupted democracy) Rashid says the Americans have been led up the garden path by the ISI. I don’t for a moment think the Americans were fooled. They have immense capabilities to see through crap. But I wish they would spare us the commendations for showing restraint after Mumbai attacks. We have seen the restraint showed after 9/11. You can build your fortresses and sit smug inside them- Wait until they hit you.
The Americans love the Pakistanis for more reasons than one. The world’s oldest democracy has little patience with other lesser democracies. History shows that they have been comfortable with tin pot dictators and banana republics. While any proposal in the US system has to go through a rigorous vetting system (remember the nuclear deal), they can’t wait so long for answers from other countries. We can’t give them short speeches on how something ought to be debated in the Parliament or passed as a bill or has to go through the courts or regulatory agencies. So Generals in jackboots have an edge over us while dealing with the US system. Answers are fast; action swift, what if some arms and aid go down the drain?
Now the struggle in Kashmir- Indians could be accused of many sins; of rigging elections, of thrusting unpalatable state governments etc. But Pakistan has shot themselves in the balls by diverting the leadership of Kashmiri movement to Jehadis in the nineties, especially when they had a good thing going due to the incompetence of the state. Look at this; All they have to do is put Syed Ali Shah Geelani (the only Kashmiri separatist leader to openly demand accession to Pakistan) on national television in fur cap and white beard swearing to run Kashmir according to Allah ki hukumat. (Islamic rule) and not Fauj’s(Indian army’s). Even a dyed in the wool secularist, watching this mid sip of evening vodka, would vow that India shall hold on to Kashmir for a thousand years, if necessary, to prevent takeover by these jokers. He would say the same if a leader of any other religious persuasion said the same thing. Losing the sympathy of liberal Indian secularist and media takes some effort. - Pakistan, a split personality state, has seemingly achieved the impossible.
States go into denial when they don’t acknowledge the obvious. We, with sixty years of noisy democracy and free press should be able to acknowledge the obvious. There is a fringe group in every state. History is replete with the stories of monsters nurtured by Intelligence agencies. Theirs is particularly more lethal, remains state sponsored and hence more dangerous. Earlier only Indians were shouting hoarse about the ISI. Now the whole world does…
In the context of Malegaon blasts, we have seen the Nationalistic leaders repeating what we have been hearing only from minority leaders & vote bank politicians in the past- That the apprehended terrorists are being denied human rights, they are tortured in custody, confessions are extracted by force etc. When the majority hits back it is a reaction to terrorism. With minority it is just terrorism which has been fed by alienation and social deprivation. At the bottom of it all, violence begets violence. But to expect the Indian Muslim to show his patriotism is unfair. For a moment I imagine myself an atheist born in a Muslim family. I would be furious at any insinuation that my sympathies lie elsewhere and that my loyalties are put to test. Where do I go, for instance? The famous Vaikom Mohammed Bashir, one of the great Malayalam writers was once asked’ What would you do if all Muslims were asked to go to Pakistan?’ He said that he would adopt a Nambudiri (a high caste in Kerala) name and pass himself off as one. No way he is going to Pakistan. I speak Malayalam, not Urdu he said.
As an ex refugee from a liberal Islamic state (Malaysia- which could be ranked right up there as one of the most progressive Islamic state), all I can say is that all forms of chauvinism are bad, while chauvinism of the majority (religion/ race or whatever) is worst. It doesn’t give you a choice. If you are born with an identity, you are doomed to live with it. Criminal acts could be legitimized in the name of popular wish. Such a move could certainly find popular support especially in trying times like these. Malaysians believed that the economic backwardness of Bumiputras (sons of soil- yeah even their language has many common elements with ours) needs affirmative action. Hence medium of education changed to Bahasa Malaya, reservations started in higher education, businesses could be started only with Malay partners etc. The country we left behind had a multiethnic soul. When I went back 30 years later, I could see broad highways, tall buildings: but the soul had gone to sleep.
Our diversity is our strength. A few monsters with spitfire guns cannot kill our soul….
