We talk about physical health on a daily basis, but we just forget the mental health when it comes to total well being of an individual.
Most of the people think that the mental health and its wellness is just a myth and there is nothing like that in real life. It’s not the problem of just one person, it is the universal problem and most importantly, when it comes to countries like India, where even after so much of development, the awareness and knowledge about mental health is lacking among the citizens. We should try on an individual level to raise the knowledge about this issue, starting from within our family, our friends, our colleagues.
This will surely help us to decrease the number of suicides, as about 8,00,000 people die due to suicide every year and a lot more of patient gets admitted to mental asylums.
When we search online about “The solutions of depression” there comes a dozen of points to get rid of your depression, like, doing regular exercise or yoga, getting enough sleep, eating healthy food, meditation, visiting a psychiatrist etc, but before doing all this, the main thing is to identify that either a person is suffering from any mental health disease or not. For this to happen, proper awareness about the problem should be there and one should be able to discuss it with his/her close ones.
So, we should take an oath that from next time onwards, whenever we will feel low, unmotivated or depressed, we will talk about it and seek help. We will not ignore it, as our mind is the governing body of our organ system and we don’t want it to get damaged or face any difficulty.
Lately, there appears to be a sense of perplexity in aftermath of terrorist attacks that the perpetrators were “rich and well educated” it appears unbelievable that socially and economically emancipated individuals would wilfully embark on these barbaric missions. This stupefaction stems from the myth that terrorism is the makeshift of only the illiterate and poor, which is because the phenomenon of terror is often misunderstood. To win against them requires a fundamental change in how we define and respond to terrorism.
WHITEWASHING TERRORISM
Many global influencers and pseudo seculars like Malala tried to whitewash terrorists saying terrorism is caused due to poverty and illiteracy trying to blame society for their barbaric doings.
But is terrorism really due to these said reasons? no, let’s have a look into the most notorious terrorists we have ever known and their educational background. The key conspirator of the 9/11 twin towers attack BIN Laden – a civil engineer, Yasin Bhaktal – an engineer, Mohammad Asghar – a software engineer, Hafeez Sayeed- dual master’s degree, Yaqub Memon- C.S . In Rajasthan, 12 SIMI terrorists who were apprehended were all engineering students and very recently a man who tried to enter GorakNath temple with a sickle and injured two cops and security is an IIT’an.
These pseudo secularists will always be emerging for supporting these criminals in one way or the other. They say that terrorism is due to poverty and illiteracy, if it is proved otherwise, then comes the victim card. For it is their age or gender, if not, it is the father being a school headmaster, or the terrorist himself will be mentally unstable. How far do they go to save these terrorists? and for what? Providing them legal help with our hard-earned money, at cost of our lives?
news article about a recent terror attack
While addressing the Vishwa Bharati convocation ceremony, the PM said “Many people who are spreading terror & violence across the world are highly educated and highly skilled. It’s not about ideology but the mindset,”.
The new crop of attackers has taken a high intelligence quotient and resources to the frontline. Not only will they be better educated and resourced in their origins, but also be more resourceful in their lethality. The local elements in terror folds operate like gangs with no centrally organized hierarchy or command structures, hence, terror hubs like Pakistan play a key role in coordinating and organizing them.
The challenge lies in handling them effectively through the legal instruments of the State. Studies across the world have revealed that a robust legal framework involving effective prosecution of these entities can scale down terror activities and win the trust of society. Implementation of NRC and CAA across the country effectively can also immensely help in this field. The govt should ensure hunting down not only terrorists but also the sources which lure and recruit the youth into these terrorist organisations .
During the ongoing fraternal fight between two former Soviet Union republics in Eastern Europe, the world has been witnessing another unique clash between two democratic titans -largest verses oldest- though they are directly not involved in the war being fought far away from their geographical existences. One is India, a developing and growing economy in Asia; while other one is the super power America in developed West in North America. The world leaders instead of visiting, talking and counseling to battle ravaged countries and their leaders to settle the bloody dispute are found gate-crashing in New Delhi as if India is primarily responsible for the war –though unfortunately for alleged political reason one of Indian regional party owner-cum-head blamed Indian PM for the war- or India holds the key to the war.
Trigger to write this column is a tweet dated 05.04.2022 of Gerry Shih, the US’s leading and influential newspaper The Washington Post India Bureau Chief, that I quote “Modi on ‘same page as China on the issues of human rights, climate change, the treatment of religious minorities and freedom of expression …. claims of Western hypocrisy emanating from Indian diplomats could well be coming from Chinese diplos’ @SushantSin.” Gerry Shih tweet is in response to a column in The Caravan under title “The Ukraine crisis spotlights the West’s need to understand India’s democratic decline” authored by one Sushant Singh, now a Senior Fellow at Centre for Policy Research and a visiting lecturer at Yale University, the US. Countering Shih’s tweet former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal tweeted, “WP (The Washington Post) would love the absurdities in this article (means in Sushant Singh’s article in The Caravan) coming from a kindred spirit targeting his own country with Yale connection in mind. No one with iota of intellectual honesty can bracket India and China on issues mentioned. Shih expelled from China enjoying India’s freedom.”
It is a different matter that Gerry Shih, the agent of US media, one of the major pillars of the world’s oldest democracy i.e. the US, has got intellectual amnesia when he bracketed India and China in his tweet in so far as freedom of expression is concerned forgetting that he was expelled from Beijing for his writing against China domestic politics while in New Delhi nobody in government note his blatant criticisms of India’s policies including his above quoted tweet.
Let us discuss Ivy League categorized Yale University’s democratic credentials. On May 24, 2016, The Economics Times reported and I quote, “Three institutions (that includes Yale University) are ‘engaged in unlawful discrimination against Asian-American applicants to their colleges’ and participate in a ‘covert and insidious scheme to enforce race-based quotas in college admissions’ in violation of the US Constitution.” This author sincerely hope The Washington Post India Bureau Chief, Yale University Indian origin visiting Lecturer and The Caravan editor must be aware of Yale’s this aspect.
Sushant Singh in his column narrated in great details the constraint India faces in so far as ‘not abandoning Russia’ in ongoing war, yet he bracketed India and China over Russian invasion of Ukraine and blamed ‘India’s decline of democracy’ for the same forgetting the fact that in diplomacy ‘national interest matters’ irrespective of the country’s governance system. Even he has not quoted the supports of democratic Japan and Australia -two QUAD members apart from India and the US- to India for latter’s stand over Russia-Ukraine war in all bilateral and multilateral forums including UNO. May I ask to Sushant Singh, The Caravan and Gerry Shih: Has democracy declined in these two countries? Or since Sushant Singh not written and Gerry Shih not commented, the democracies are well placed in these two countries? But certainly fact is in diplomacy ‘national interest matters’ irrespective of system of governance.
The US-led Western democracies want India to condemn Russia for its invasion and join their economic sanctions while they, though partly responsible for Russian aggression, have not fully cut off their commodity imports from Russia to save their economies from monstrous inflationary impacts. India imports 80% of her crude oil requirement. Due to war impacted increase in fuel price, inflation in India is sky-rocketing. And the opposition parties in India have a vested interest in increased inflation in-the-round-the-year elections democracy. Here, therefore, a question may be raised: Is there Western vested interest in inflation in India? This may not be ruled out in view of the Western countries and their democratic institutions are not happy with present government which refuses to toe Western line of thoughts on several issues which are inimical to Indian civilization ethos.
The West including the US should not forget that India is the only democracy among the under-developed and developing countries which has not only retained her geography of the time of independence but also retained her democratic credential since then, and growing. Its all-round growth has contributed to world peace (India is one of the world’s biggest contributors to UN Peace Keeping Forces), protection of human rights (by fighting with Western backed Pakistan liberated Bangladesh and its people from brutal occupation), saved lives and supplied relief for people affected in natural disasters (Tsunami, etc.), worked for rehabilitation of terror affected country (Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, etc.), saved billions of lives by way of supplying drugs (including the US and other western developed countries) and vaccines during alleged China exported Covid19 pandemic despite domestic opposition of political outfits, opposition leaders, media and civil society who are in fact found darlings of the Western and the US based democratic institutions, and helped build democracy in her neighborhood such as in Maldives and Afghanistan, etc. Here, it is found very imperative to tell that after defeat of Pakistan in 1971 war, India could have retained Bangladesh a la China did in case of Tibet, Xinjiang, etc., but did not. And America handed over a burgeoning democracy in landlocked Afghanistan to Islamic terrorist organization called Taliban, which facilitated al-Quada to wage terror war against the world’s only super power in 2001 causing death of 3000 people in one go and hit Pentagon, on August 15, 2021.
In view of the above, it was required that the democratic countries and their functionaries should understand each others’ problems and constraints. Now, democratic India has been facing both external and internal challenges. India’s external challenges are from authoritarian China and Islamic terrors, and internal challenges are from both Right and Left extremists supported by external forces inimical to Indian civilization ethos which has got new impetus with coming to power of new regime that is wedded to core democratic value system that allowed American freedom of expression advocate Gerry Shih to bracket India and China on issues such as human rights, climate change and the treatment of religious minorities forgetting the US own shameful records over all these issues.
The US and the West want India to condemn Russia, a steadfast Indian strategic ally, for her aggression on Ukraine, and join their economic and trade sanctions. Have they including Ukraine condemned China when latter attacked India’s unarmed security forces unprovoked in 2020 ignoring 1993-96 agreements to maintain peace on LAC?
So it is better for the West to stop defaming Indian Democracy using intellectually bankrupt Indians if want to fight authoritarian communist ruled China, the major threat to world’s human rights, climate change, minorities right and freedom of expression so-called very dear to Western value system. Yes, it is to note that India opposes war, prefers diplomacy over war and bloodshed and condemns the civilian massacre at Bucha and supports the call for an independent investigation of the same.
Washington Post propagandist Rana Ayyub posted a coded tweet on Monday Morning, with the caption “4am at the Ayyubs”, attaching a pic of a decorated living room with a TV playing a video of a seemingly nondescript moulvi.
However, Indian twitter users noticed a connection between the figure on TV and cross border terror events that transpired in Texas, USA recently, raising alarm about the intent behind the tweet. Was it an broadcast of solidarity with islamists who will miss Israr Ahmed’s extremist preachings – that were so far easy to access, but now deleted by Youtube moderators?
According to a report by London based weekly The Jewish Chronicle, YouTube had recently removed the channel with 2.9 million subscribers that curated Israr Ahmed’s monologues that preached hatred and violence against Jews and their religion.
The investigative piece, published in the backdrop of a accountability crisis in the content moderation teams of Youtube, outlines how moderators failed to act on red flags raised on the incendiary content of islamist preachers like Israr Ahmed, Tariq Jameel from Pakistan and Wagdy Ghoneim from Egypt.
Youtube’s failure to moderate jihadi content
After a link between the Texas Synagogue attacker and Israr Ahmed’s channel was discovered by The Jewish Chronicle, a whistleblower from a content moderation firm provided evidence to the publication that youtube had not taken action on a report submitted by him on 28 October 2021, highlighting Israr Ahmed’s videos – 76 days prior to the terror attack. The perpetrator had watched Ahmed’s videos prior to taking four people hostage in a Texas Synagouge on January 15, as informed by persons close to the culprit to the publication.
After the whistleblower’s testimony was provided to Youtube, It removed the channels that curated Israr Ahmed’s content for violating their Hate Speech policies and supporting violent extremism. But the months long delay in their action against the content had direct real world consequences – the attack in Texas.
The Perpetrator of the Synagogue attack
Four people were taken hostage by Malik Faisal Akram, a British National with Pakistani roots in January at a Synagogue in Texas, USA. Washington Post reported that the culprit was already known by British Police and Intelligence services. The motive was established to be a prisoner release – that of Aafia Siddiqui, the notorious “Lady al-Qaeda”.
Before Akram was fatally shot by US Federal Bureau police, the hostages escaped without harm. Prior to the attack, Akram had watched inflammatory videos from Israr Ahmed’s youtube channel.
Reactions to the Suspension of Ahmed’s Channel
Since Israr Ahmed’s channel had millions of subscribers, mostly from the Indian Subcontinent, the deletion of the channel did not go unnoticed, and triggered discussion, outrage and condemnation among ‘moderate’ and radical muslims on social media, as reported by Pakistani site “The News” and Indian news site “Siasat Daily”, which caters for urdu speaking audiences. The owner of Israr Ahmed’s channel, the organisation Tanzeem-e-Islami posted on twitter that they would commence legal action to restore the channel.
Asalamu Alaikum WrWb. Removal of the Dr. Israr Ahmad Official #YouTube channel is a blatant act of #Islamophobia. Tanzeem-e-Islami has commenced a robust legal and procedural action in response to this shameful act on all relevant and concerned platforms. Was Salam pic.twitter.com/KB5wpA8gNl
Some Indian twitter users noticed Ayyub’s tweet which prominently featured the jihadi motivational speaker Israr Ahmed and assumed self radicalisation was a daily routine for “liberal Muslim” Rana Ayyub. However, the context of Israr Ahmed’s channel getting deleted recently for inspiring a terrorist event that happened across borders was only picked up by a few twitter users.
That Rana Ayyub would show solidarity to such a personality and openly tweet about a terror inspiring preacher does not come to a shock to most in light of Ayyub’s recent run-ins with the law. However, the international support for Ayyub’s actions, mostly from “Liberal”, “Journalistic”, “Freedom-loving” group of think tankers and vested interests flashes a spotlight on the agenda behind such actions.
People in Ukraine are going through tremendous hardship. People all over the world are saddened by the news of loss of lives and destruction of properties. They are the one facing the brunt right now and probably Russians will face different types of hardships, at least in the near future, through the economic sanctions. Everyone else is, more or less, sitting on the fence or in the gallery, and watching the events unfold.
The question is why all diplomatic negotiations failed and why the war could not be averted? Moreover, where does India stand here? India has already abstained from the UNSC vote on deploring Russia and India has taken the absolutely right step here. When drum beats of war fade a little, there must be someone, who took a neutral stand, to mediate between two waging sides. India can take a crucial part there. In order to understand how the world landed in this situation, we need to follow some events of the last few decades. Calling Putin, a fascist, a new avatar of Adolf Hitler is just a lazy escapist idea taken directly out of some mainstream media outlets. No, I am not a Putin apologist. There is no doubt Putin has demonstrated enough totalitarian behavior in Russian domestic affairs. Here I will provide a brief and dispassionate description of some of the American foreign policies that will help us to understand both sides better from a neutral standpoint.
Monroe Doctrine and Cuban Missile Crisis
Monroe Doctrine was first brought into effect in 1823 by US President James Monroe. It defines the Western Hemisphere as the area of American influence. Originally it was designed in order to keep the European colonialists away from setting up bases in the Western Hemisphere.
United States of America has been involved in multiple military imbroglios in the Latin America on the basis of this doctrine. In early 1900 during the Venezuelan Crisis, United States locked its horn with three European powers – Britain, Germany and Italy to protect Venezuela from European intervention and retain its own influence. During the Cold War America trained multiple rebel groups in order to fight Soviet friendly government in Nicaragua.
The most famous one was the Cuban Missile Crisis that brought US and Soviet Union very close to a nuclear war. USA wanted to overthrow Soviet friendly Cuban communist government. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), authorized by US President John F. Kennedy, carried out multiple covert operations against Cuba and planned to topple the government by 30th November 1961. The project was named ‘Operation Mongoose’.
In response, Soviet planned to install several nuclear capable missiles in Cuba to deter America from the intervention. Soviet ships carrying the missiles were enroute to Cuba. Once the news reached Whitehouse, America threatened to launch full-blown war if missiles were installed in Cuba. Crisis deepened to a critical level and finally secret negotiations happened between the two parties. Finally, the Soviet ships turned back and America agreed to remove the missiles it had installed in Turkey targeting Soviet. A threat of war, possibly a nuclear war, was avoided.
Now, we need to ponder if America does not allow any adversary to build up military bases near its shore and ready to start wars, why would any other nation be expected to allow it? In the case of Ukraine, if it becomes part of NATO, American missiles will be right beside the Russian border.
What was Putin’s demand before start of the war? Firstly, a legal commitment that Ukraine will not be part of NATO. Secondly, NATO to withdraw forces from Russian borders to where they were stationed in 1997, before the eastward expansion. Were the negotiations so difficult? It could avert a war and the humanitarian crisis that we are seeing today. New York Times reported on 2nd February that “basic message to Moscow was American and NATO resolve not to bow to Russian demands”. If Russian action today is unjustified and act of aggression, isn’t refusal to achieve a diplomatic solution an act of incitement too?
Wolfowitz Doctrine
It is an unofficial name given to America’s defense planning guidance published in 1992 by US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Paul Wolfowitz. Later it was incorporated into foreign policy principles of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. It was officially called ‘Bush Doctrine’.
It makes clear announcement that after dissolution of Soviet Union, America must “prevent the re-emergence of a new rival” and ensure that it remains the only superpower. Both the doctrines advised to use unilateralism and use of preemptive war to suppress rise of any other nations. It is very unequivocal in this regard, “Finally, we must maintain mechanisms, in concert with our allies, to deter potential aggressors from aspiring to a larger regional or global role”.
The doctrine also mentions the risk of having a resurgent Russia. It states “Russia will remain the strongest military power in Eurasia and the only power in the world with the capability of destroying the United States”. We might be surprised to see such audacious and inflammatory ideas in official documents of a country. The idea is a direct challenge to the sovereignty of other nations. But if we go by the examples that America has set, especially post-WW2, it is not that surprising. It has been involved in direct wars or in secret missions to topple governments almost all the time in one corner of the globe or another. As per a report by Al Jazeera, USA has established over 750 military bases in 80 countries. Over 173,000 US troops are deployed to different countries.
Is this not naked aggression and incitement to conflict? Possibly, instead of containing Russia, if America tried to cooperate with it at an equal level, Ukraine situation may not have snowballed into today’s crisis.
NATO Expansion
Before the dissolution of Soviet Union in December 1991, Russia was promised that NATO will not expand eastward. NATO started with 12 member countries in 1949 and had already grown into 16 countries before 1990.
When Germany Unification was on the table, US Secretary of State, James Baker met Soviet President, Mikhail Gorbachev on 9th February 1990. There it was agreed that NATO juggernaut will not move to the east beyond West Germany where NATO was already present.
“We understand that not only for the Soviet Union but for other European countries as well, it is important to have guarantees that if the United States keeps its presence in Germany within the framework of NATO, not an inch of NATO’s present military jurisdiction will spread in an eastern direction”, James Baker told Gorbachev.
Current Russian President Vladimir Putin has referred to this conversation multiple times recently during his speech. Though American argument, at present, counters it by saying that the commitment was made in terms of not deploying NATO troops in East Germany only and no commitment was given that NATO would not expand to other countries.
In another instance, on 17th May 1990, NATO general Secretary, Manfred Woerner made a speech “The very fact that we are ready not to deploy NATO troops beyond the territory of the federal Republic (West Germany) gives the Soviet Union firm security guarantees”. Would it be really wrong, if Russia now asks the West to keep this promise, asks for this security guarantee? Did America and NATO keep this promise? Absolutely not! Post-Cold war, NATO expanded 5 times and kept on coming closer to the Russian border. Count of member countries increased from 16 in 1990 to 30 at present. Three more (Ukraine, Georgia, Bosnia & Herzegovina) are in various stages of membership process.
European NATO Countries (in Blue) as on 2022
Russia protested multiple times. President Boris Yeltsin said in 1997, “We believe that eastward expansion of NATO is a mistake and a serious one at that”. In 2008, Vladimir Putin objected vehemently, “appearance of a powerful military bloc on Russia’s border would be taken as a direct threat”
Not only Russia protested this expansion, many Western experts warned America. “Beginning of a new Cold War. It is a strategic mistake”, said American diplomat and historian George F. Kennan. American secretary of Defense, Robert M. Gates warned in 2008 when NATO planned to include Ukraine and Georgia in the alliance. “Trying to bring Georgia and Ukraine into NATO was truly overreaching. This move was a case of recklessly ignoring what Russians considered their own vital national interests”, said Mr. Gates.
NATO expansion only means further expansion of American military bases in even more countries and a threat to others who are not a part of this group. Because, the United States of America is the primary security provider of this alliance. In 2021, USA spent 811 billion dollars in defense. Whereas rest of the 29 countries together in NATO spent 363 billion dollars. It is another way of conforming to the Wolfowitz Doctrine of maintaining American supremacy.
Where Do We Stand?
India has very rightly taken the neutral step. It is not just about our dependence on Russian arms export and its maintenance. It is even more than our decades long strategic partnership with Russia where they helped us numerous times when we needed it badly. We cannot forget Russia’s support with Kashmir issue, Goa liberation, India-Pakistan war during 1971, India’s nuclear test in 1998 or more recent event of Article 370 revocation. America and the West in general took a very different stand almost all the time. We need to remain neutral for even a bigger reason. American foreign policy of unilateralism and refusal to allow a multi-polar world will only increase its conflict with rising China. India falling into the American lobby will put us in direct conflict with China. Whereas Russia being a close friend of both India and China, may help diffuse Indo-China tensions. Why should we fight somebody else’s battle?
Written by Samudra Roy Chowdhury
Writer is a software professional with keen interest towards Indian history and current affairs. He runs his own blog www.indicvoices.com
कई फाइलें ऐसी हैं जो अभी खुलना बाकी है, खून अगर तन में है तो अभी उबलना बाकी है।
Cinexplex के नारे बस दीवारों से लौटेंगे, हर गली-चौराहों पर हुन्कार तुम्हारा बाकी है।
मित्र कौन है शत्रु कौन, आंख खोल कर देखो, गद्दारों के दरबाजों पर श्रीराम लिखना बाकी है।
जो रोटी देश की खायें, तुमको पापी बतलाये, ऐसे नमकहरामो को दण्डित करना बाकी है।
मन्दिर का एक दीप हर ओर प्रकाश कर सकता है, अन्धों के घर के आगे मशाल जलाना बाकी है।
सौहार्द की बातें जो करते हैं, माला में उलझे रहते हैं, नारायण चक्रधरी हैं यह उन्हें समझाना बाकी है।
आतंकी तलवारों पर जाति अंकित नहीं होती, दलितों को अब “जोगेंद्र” [1] कथा सुनाना बाकी है।
उंचे चाहे बंगाले हो, लोहे के दरबाजे, पहले भी सब टूटे हैं, यह याद दिलाना बाकी है।
हम राणा के बालक हैं, गुरू गोविन्द के शिष्य, दरिंदों-शैतानों के सर को अभी झुकना बाकी है।
हाल के दिनों में कुछ घटनाएं बहुत तेजी से घटित हुई। 10 मार्च 2022 को भारतीय जनता पार्टी को चार राज्यों में बहुमत प्राप्त हुआ, 11 को “The Kashmir Files” रिलीज हुई, 14 मार्च को हिजाब पर कर्नाटक हाईकोर्ट का निर्णय आया और बाबा का Bulldozers तेजी से काम पर लग गया। दूसरी ओर, पश्चिम बंगाल में एक बार फिर हिंसा शुरू हो गई और राजस्थान हिंसा में एक कदम आगे बढ़ गया।
उत्तर प्रदेश के चुनाव परिणाम से यह सिद्ध होता है कि मुसलमानों का वोट polarize हुआ [2]। उन्होंने एकजूट होकर समाजवादी पार्टी को वोट दिया (79%)। बहुत सम्भावना है कि मुस्लिम नेताओं/ मुल्लाओं के तरफ से निर्देश आया हो। तभी तो ओवैसी के भड़काऊ भाषणों, प्रियंका के बड़े-बड़े प्रलोभनों के बाद भी मुसलमानों के वोट केवल समाजवादी को मिले।
हिन्दुओं के कुछ विशेष जातियों ने भी समाजवादी पार्टी को एकजूट हो कर वोट दिया। वह यह फिर से भूल गये की गलबहियां दे कर आप के साथ घूमने वाले सबसे पहले आपका ही गला घोटेगें। प्रगतिशील समझने वालों का शव ही पहले गिद्धों का निवाला बनता है। यही प्रकृति का नियम है। जो डाली झुकी रहती है वही पहले नोची जाती है। वैसे भी अगर समाजवादी पार्टी (उत्तर प्रदेश में) सत्ता में रहती तो कुछ वर्षों में यह पार्टी मुस्लिम अपराधियों के हाथों में चली जाती। मुलायम सिंह का 1993 में कारसेवकों पर गोली चलवाना, आजम खां के कहने पर 84 कोसी यात्रा पर रोक लगाना, कांवड़ यात्रा पर रोक लगाना, इत्यादि क्या पार्टी में मुस्लिम वर्चस्व के संकेत नहीं हैं [3], [4]? वैसे भी समाजवादी पार्टी मुस्लिम समुदाय के प्रति दयावान रही है [5]। इफ्तार पार्टी में टोपी पहन कर बोटियों को चबाते नेताजी को आप ने देखा होगा, परन्तु क्या इन नेताओं को गोवर्धन पूजा करते देखा है? शायद नहीं?
सत्य तो यह है कि “जाति” का राग गाने वाले नेता कभी भी अपनी जाति से जुड़े नहीं रहते। और यह अंबेडकर, मुलायम, पासवान से लेकर तेजस्वी यादव तक चरितार्थ है। जाति से बाहर विवाह करके क्या अपने जाति से विश्वासघात नहीं करते?
सत्य तो यह भी है कि इन नेताओं की “दुकान” बन्द होते ही, ये यहाँ की जनता को छोड़ अपने बच्चों के साथ विदेशी कोठियों में छिप जायेंगें। जैसा की पाकिस्तान में होता है। भारत में रहना उनके लिए अभी तक इसलिए सम्भाव है क्योंकि चारा डकार कर भी ये खुले मंच से उपदेश दे सकते हैं।
दूसरी समस्या हमारे बुद्धिजीवियों (?) और इतिहासकारों की है और यह जग जाहिर है [6]। इधर कुछ वर्षों में इनके चेहरे का मुखोटा उतर चुका है।
मेरा सभी सनातनी धर्म-गुरुजनो से करबद्ध निवेदन है कि अपने अनुयायियों को समाज, देश, धर्म एवं संस्कृति के प्रति सजग होने के लिए प्रेरित करें [7]। हम राधे-श्याम के प्यार और भक्ति में कुछ इस तरह डूब गये हैं कि कुरुक्षेत्र के श्रीकृष्ण का शंखनाद नहीं सुन पाते हैं। धर्म के प्रति सजग होना सर्वथा अवश्यक है। यह देश की संस्कृति तथा सम्प्रभुता के लिए भी अवश्यक है। ज्ञान, ध्यान, योग से अर्जित उर्जा का सदुपयोग करना ही धर्म है। अकर्मण्यता नपुंसकता है, अधर्म है। हम “वसुधैव कुटुंबकम्” के जाल में फंसे हैं और एक वर्ग देश की संस्कृति को समाप्त करने के लिए तत्पर है। हिन्दू साधुओं को आपने “ईश्वर-अल्लाह” का भजन करते सुना होगा। क्या किसी मौलवी को राम-नाम का जाप करते देखा है? मस्जिदों के अजान पर हिन्दू विद्वानों को अपना प्रवचन रोकते देखा होगा। परन्तु क्या मस्जिद के अन्दर भारतीय संस्कृति पर कोई चर्चा हुई है?
मस्जिद से Voting instruction आ जाता है परन्तु देश की संस्कृति की रक्षा एवं उत्थान के लिए हिन्दू गुरुजनो का कभी कोई दिशानिर्देश नहीं आता है। सत्य तो यह है कि जाति का झंडा उठाने के पहले, सड़कों पर भजन गाने के पहले, देश की संस्कृति का दीप जलाना होगा एवं उस दीप की ज्योति की अविरलता के लिए मशाल भी थामे रहना होगा। मंदिर की घंटी एवं गाय के गले की घंटी दोनों देश के संस्कृति के डोर से बंधी हुई है। याद रहे, फूल पाने के लिए झाड़ियों को हटाना ही होता है।
युवावर्ग को भी यह सदा याद रखना चाहिए कि किसी भी Residential complex के Steel gates आततायियों को रोकने में समर्थ नहीं हैं। जिस बंग्लादेशी को आप घर की सफाई के लिए बुलाते हैं उसे गला घोटते कितना समय लगेगा [8]? अपना, परिवार तथा समाज की रक्षा के उपक्रम आपको ही करने होगें [[11]। कोई भी प्रशासन एवं व्यवस्था यह नहीं कर सकती है। यह तभी संभव है जब हम अपने संस्कार, धर्म एवं अधिकार के प्रति सजग रहें।
देश के कई राज्यों के सीमावर्ती इलाकों में मदरसों की तेजी से बढती संख्या और बिगडते जनसंख्या संतुलन से खुफिया एजेंसियां चौंक गई हैं।
यहां पर तेजी से जनसंख्या के आंकडों में परिवर्तन हो रहे हैं। उत्तर प्रदेश, उत्तराखंड, पंजाब और बिहार में सीमाई इलाकों में ऐसा खासतौर से देखने को मिल रहा हैं, जिसने खुफियां एजेंसियों और राज्य सरकारों की चिंता को बढा दिया हैं। गौरतलब है कि पडोसी देश नेपाल से भारत के रिश्ते दोस्ती वाले रहे हैं।दोनों देशों मे रोटी-बेटी का रिश्ता रहा हैं,धार्मिक और मैत्री एवं आस्था को नया आयाम देते हुए बिहार के जयनगर से नेपाल के जनकपुर तक ट्रेन सेवा का शुंभारभ भी किया गया हैं। लेकिन,मौजूदा समय में एक बात सरकार और खुफिया विभाग के लिए चिंता का विषय बन गई है, वह है सीमा से जुडे भारतीय जिलों मे मदरसों की तेजी से बढी संख्या और जनसंख्या का बिगडता संतुलन। बीते कुछ वर्ष में उत्तर प्रदेश, बिहार और उत्तराखंड में नेपाल की सीमा के पास मदरसों और मस्जिदों की संख्या में बहुत वृद्धि हुई हैं।
भारत के सात जिलों से सटी नेपाल की 550 किलोमीटर लम्बी सीमा जनसंख्या संतुलन के लिए संवेदनशील होती जा रही हैं। कुछ प्रमुख समाचार पत्रों में छपी जानकारी के मुताबिक कुछ क्षेत्रों मे मुस्लिम आबादी में तेजी से वृद्धि हुई हैं।मदरसों और मस्जिदों की बढी संख्या भी चिंता का विषय हैं।खुफिया इकाईयों ने यहां आबादी के बिगडे संतुलन को लेकर चिंता जताई है। गोरखपुर और उसके आसपास के जनपदों से सटी नेपाल की सीमा अधिक संवेदनशील बताई जा रही हैं।
एजेंसी को मिली जानकारी के अनुसार वर्ष 2016 के बाद नेपाल सीमा से सटे भारतीय क्षेत्र में बिना मान्यता वाले मदरसों की संख्या बढती जा रही हैं। सिद्धार्थनगर जिले में वर्ष 2000 में 147 मदसरें थे जोकि बढकर 597 हो गए हैं। इनसें से 147 का पंजीकरण ही नहीं है। जबकि,महाराजगंज जिले में मान्यता वाले 252 मदरसें संचालित हैं, लेकिन 84 किमी लम्बी नेपाल सीमा पर इनकी संख्या डेढ गुनी से अधिक हो गई हैं। वहीं,महाराजगंज जिले के लक्ष्मीपुर क्षेत्र के कई मौलाना नेपाल के विभिन्न मदरसों मे पढाने जाते हैं।सीमा से सटे नेपाल के रूपनंदेही और नवलपरासी जिले में कई मदरसें हैं। बेलासपुर मे बडा मदसरा हैं। उधर,नेपाल के भैरहवा में स्थिति मदरसें में पाकिस्तानी खुफिया एजेंसी इंटर सर्विसेज इंटेलीजेंस(आइएसआइ) के एजेंट के रूकने की सूचना पर दो वर्ष पूर्व पुलिस ने छापेमारी भी की थी।
सिद्धार्थनगर सीमा से सटे दो-तीन किमी क्षेत्र में बीते दो दशक के दौरान चार गुना से अधिक मदरसें बढ गए हैं।खुफिया जानकारी के अनुसार भारतीय क्षेत्र में सीमा से सटे नेपाल के कृष्णानगर मदरसें में वर्ष 1998 में चार कश्मीरी युवक पकडे गए थे,जिनके तार आइएसआइ से जुडे बताए गए थे।नौगढ में 119 तो शोहरतगढ में 102 मदरसें हैं।मदरसों का संख्या और उनके संचालन पर दोनों देशों के अधिकारियों मे चर्चा होती रही है,लेकिन चंदे से मदरसों के संचालन पर रोक न होने से कार्यवाही नहीं होती हैं।
उत्तर बिहार के नेपाल सीमा से सटे मधुबनी,पूर्वी चंपारण,पश्चिमी चंपारण और सीमामढी जिले में 10 वर्षों मे मदरसों की संख्या बढी हैं,खासतौर से पूर्वी चंपारण में।नेपाल से सटे रक्सौल,रामगढवा,आदापुर, छौडादानो प्रखंड के विभिन्न गावों मे छोटे-बडे 149 मदरसें थे,बीते 10 वर्षों में 16 नए बने हैं।कुल मदरसों मे से मात्र नौ ही निबंधित हैं।इन क्षेत्रों मे हिंदुओ के मुकाबले मुस्लिमों की जनसंख्या दो गुनी बढी हैं।इन इलाकों से सटे नेपाल की स्थिति में ज्यादा बदलाव आया हैं।दोनों देशों की खुफिया एजेंसियों की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार नेपाल के परसा,बारा और रौतहट जिलें मे 300 से अधिक मदरसों का निर्माण हुआ है,इनमें 45 तो बीतें पांच वर्षो के दौरान ही बने हैं।यहां, मुस्लिम आबादी भी तेजी से बढी हैं। पश्चिम चंपारण के मैनाटाड,गौनाहा और सिकटा प्रखंड के अलावा बगहा दो प्रखंड का वाल्किमीनगर नेपाल की सीमा से सटा है।इन इलाकों मे मदरसों की संख्या 45 हैं।
पलायन भी वजह,संसाधनों पर कर रहे कब्ज़ा
सुरक्षा एजेंसियों के अनुसार भारत से लगते नेपाली जिलों में आए जनसांख्यिकीय बदलाव में अहम वजह पलायन हैं। नेपाल के मूल निवासी पलायन कर दूसरे शहरों में काम के लिए गए,लेकिन एक समुदाय विशेष ने वहां के संसाधनों पर कब्ज़ा कर लिया हैं। बीतें 10 वर्षों मे इन्होनें खुद को इतना सक्षम बना लिया है कि सामजिक,आर्थिक व सांस्कृतिक व्यवस्था को भी प्रभावित करने लगे हैं। सुरक्षा एजेंसियों के अनुसार आइएसआइ नेपाल के रास्ते उत्तर प्रदेश, बिहार और बंगाल में सक्रिय हैं। जून 2000 में भी भारत-नेपाल सीमा पर तेजी से बन रहे धर्म विशेष के स्थलों से सावधान रहने की चेतावनी जारी की गई थी।
सुनियोजित तरीके से बनाया जा रहा गलियारा
भारतीय सुरक्षा एजेंसियों के अनुसार बंग्लादेश, बिहार, नेपाल, उत्तर प्रदेश, हरियाणा, पंजाब और उत्तराखंड के मध्य सुनियोजित तरीके से समुदाय विशेष के लिए गलियारा तैयार किया जा रहा हैं।साजिश पाकिस्तान को इस गलियारा से जोडने की है। बीते 10 वर्षों में शरणार्थियों के नाम पर बडी आबादी इस गलियारे में शिफ्ट भी की गई हैं।
रिपोर्ट: अभिषेक कुमार ( Political & Election Analyst / twitter @abhishekkumrr )
अक्सर लंबी यात्राओं की शुरुआत सही दिशा में बढ़ाए गए छोटे-छोटे कदमों से होती है. यात्रा में हमें ऐसे साथियों की आवश्यकता होती है, जो उसी समान प्रतिबद्धता से कार्य निष्ठ होकर हमारा साथ दें. अब इस कथन को देश के सबसे बड़े राजनीतिक दल भारतीय जनता पार्टी (भाजपा) के सन्दर्भ में रखेंगे तो ये कथन और अधिक स्पष्ट हो जाएगा. भाजपा की स्थापना 6 अप्रैल 1980 को की गई. वर्ष 1980 में एक बीज के रूप में प्रफुस्टित एक दल आज एक विशाल वट वृक्ष बन चुका है. यूँ तो राजनीतिक विश्लेषक भाजपा की जड़ें भारतीय जनसंघ में तलाशते हैं, लेकिन अगर हम कहें कि भाजपा जनसंघ का एक सारगर्भित तथा वयस्क स्वरुप है तो इसमें कोई दो राय नहीं होगी. स्थापना के शुरूआती वर्षों में भाजपा पर तथाकथित तौर पर “सांप्रदायिक” तथा “ब्राह्मण-बनियों-राजपूतों” की पार्टी होने के आरोप मढ़े गए लेकिन बदलते समय के साथ भाजपा की स्वीकार्यता समाज के हर तबके में बढ़ी जिसके साथ इन आरोपों का कोई औचित्य नहीं रहा.
अब सवाल है कि भाजपा को अन्य दलों से क्या अलग बनाता है? इसका उत्तर हमें भाजपा के सुसंगठित कैडर, गतिशील नेतृत्व, दमदार कार्यप्रणाली के साथ पार्टी में “स्वस्थ लोकतंत्र” की मौजूदगी में मिलता है. वर्ष 1984 के आम चुनावों में महज 2 सीटों पर सिमट जाने से लेकर 2021 के आम चुनावों में अकेले 303 सीटें जीतने तक भाजपा की ये यात्रा काफी ‘रोचक’ रही है. भाजपा की यह यात्रा पूरी तरह राजनीतिक विश्लेषकों के अनुसार ‘अप्रत्याशित’ है. स्थानीय स्तर पर छोटी इकाईयों के गठन तथा सफल संचालन से लेकर चुनावी प्रबंधन की बारीकियाँ, आगे आने वाले समय में, भारतीय राजनीति के अध्ययन में रुचि रखने वाले शोधार्थियों के लिए काफी शोधपरक होंगी.
हाल ही में संपन्न हुए ५ राज्यों के विधानसभा चुनावों के परिणामों में ४ राज्यों में भाजपा ने फिर से विजय हासिल की. २०२४ के बड़े आम चुनावों के मद्देनजर भाजपा की यह जीत शायद आने वाले सुखद परिणामों की आहट है. उत्तर भारत के राज्यों में पैठ जमाने के भाजपा का अगला लक्ष्य दक्षिण भारत में जीत हासिल करना है. इसकी सुगबुगाहट हमें पिछले काफी समय से देखने को मिल रही रही है. दक्षिण भारत के सबसे बड़े राज्य कर्नाटक में तो भाजपा सत्ता पर काबिज है.
आज भारतीय जनता पार्टी की स्थापना को 42 वर्ष पूर्ण हो गए हैं, तथा, कम से कम फिलहाल तो राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर भाजपा का कोई “उचित विकल्प” जनमानस को सुहाता नहीं दिख रहा है.
If nation is an imagined community, then the idea of a nation is a narrative that most people buy. The said narrative is set by the ruling elites, while the media and academia are entrusted to take it to the people and convince them of its truthfulness. The narrative is not permanent. As time passes by, things change, people change and so do narratives. A narrative that is considered final – the gospel truth, becomes an ideology. If enough people subscribe to the ideology with fervour of zealots, it can also claim to be a religion. Problem is that those who have benefitted by the prevailing narrative – the status quoist, don’t want the narrative to change. Even if it no longer reflects the reality.
The current idea of India, regardless of whether you’ve read Sunil Khilnani’s book or not, that is subscribed by most journalists (especially English language), academia and even judges is Marxist-Nehruvian. The narrative is great, but it is also biased and therefore flawed. It identifies India’s faultlines and it also provides a prescription for its remedy but erroneously tells you that only one type of force is bad for the country. Unfortunately, rather diabolically, it presupposes the aggressors and victims. It tells you what kind of news is to be highlighted and what kind of must be omitted or whitewashed. For the narrative is to remain unscathed, for the battle is always about the control of narrative.
Not just a film
The movie, rather a docudrama – The Kashmir Files, is in the news because it has shaken the foundation of India’s post-independence narrative. Those in position of influence thanks to that narrative and those who believe that setting narrative is their monopoly and guarding it their religious duty are flabbergasted. More so because the film, which they thought would be inconsequential (perhaps due to the filmmaker’s record), ended up becoming a blockbuster without much promotion. I suppose the overwhelming majority of people were simply shocked or numbed by what was shown in the film. Many kept sitting in their seats when the film ended, unable to move due to the film’s effect. And so they had to talk about it and get more people to watch it.
Detractors would have you believe that it promotes hatred. How? By showing the truth? Perhaps that is why our history books have thoroughly sanitised. Maybe the real reason they are dismissive of the film is because it runs counter to the narrative they have set over decades. Of course, those in the knowing, know that much worse had taken place in the valley during those years. Even Kashmir’s history is not on the side of the detractors.
What made the detractors, the guardians of the secular India’s narrative, uncomfortable, even angry, was that the oppressors and the victims were not who they had taught people to believe all these years. The thought influencers think people are not capable of thinking on their own. So, they have to be told what to think, whom to vote and when to feel ashamed of their identity. Again, this applies to only one religious community of India. Their narrative is sacred, questioning it would be akin to blasphemy. Sometimes they get White coloured Westerners to support their narrative, because how can a native question the intelligence of a person of White race. They know everything.
Demography dictates behaviour
India is a land of paradox, it’s true. The vocal minorities who always lament about their grievances about not getting equal treatment, about being oppressed, when living in Hindu majority states, don’t have a good record about their own conduct in the state in which they are the majority community. Example of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Mizoram are some, but more will follow. Fair to assume that the demography of a region has significant influence over the behaviour of communities that reside there. Manipur is a classic example of this. Meiteis who used to be the majority community, have virtually become minority in their state due to unchecked migration from Myanmar. Even their demand for constitutional protection by conferring ST status, is not making any headway due to fear of offending Kukis and Nagas. 2022 census, if not tampered with, is likely to produce some shocking results about changes in demography.
Some demography change fears are real, some imaginary. The imaginary ones are more dangerous because its purpose is to scare people and prod them towards violence. That is how amendment of article 370 was interpreted by the beneficiaries of conflict industry in Kashmir. As if people are sitting with packed bags and money to settle in Kashmir. Perhaps the proponents deliberately forgot why people migrate – in the hopes of finding peace & prosperity or violence? The real demography change is silent. It happens over a period of time and when achieved, is virtually irreversible.
Is there any justice in the end?
To write well, one has to know well. I’m sure the Kashmiri Hindu community, those who have been wronged and are the aggrieved, can write about their suffering, anger and quest for justice much better than I will ever be able to. Some have done it; more will do so in due course of time. But the question remains can the victory of Islamist forces, the victory of idea of Pakistan, be reversed in Kashmir and justice be done to the Kashmiri Hindu community?
The Kashmiri Hindus have been asking only for justice, not for any revenge. Sometimes justice has to be retributive. But the Indian state that failed them and chose to felicitate the very terrorists who carried out the ethnic cleansing of Hindus in valley, makes you wonder, if there is any hope for justice? The mass murderers were received and celebrated as honoured guests because the very narrative, that I mentioned earlier, made them into Gandhian saints fighting for freedom. That is nothing but a big lie. But such is the power of narrative setting, it can convince people that terrorism and brutal repression and ethnic cleansing is a peaceful struggle for freedom. The bitter truth is that it pays well to be anti-India. It gives you money, influence, and power. Who would want to give that up?
Politics Trumps Conscience
Guardians of current narrative of idea of India have a problem with calling ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus a genocide, which what it was – an attempted genocide. Reminded me of Armenian genocide in Turkey and the difference between Senator Obama and President Obama. While a senator, he made a passionate case for recognition of Armenian genocide by U.S. government. But when he became president, he acted as if he had never heard of it. Maybe for him relations with Turkey held more importance than acknowledging the truth. Thankfully, the genocide has been recognised by the current U.S. president.
A group of people when displaced from the land that gives them their identity are not likely to preserve their identity and memories beyond a few generations. More so if they are in insignificant numbers and are scattered, which is the case with Kashmiri Hindus. Therefore, the sense of urgency and the question – can the government reverse the genocide of Kashmiri Hindu community by Pakistan sympathetic Islamists in valley and resettle them with safety and security?
The friends and neighbours, who collaborated in the cleansing, now seem eager to have them back, at least in front of the camera. Although worth mentioning that most still believe in the Jagmohan conspiracy theory, so I wonder if they actually sorry for what was done to their Hindu neighbours. In my opinion, they know, the majority knows, that most Kashmiri Hindus are not coming back. Ethnic cleansing is an irreversible process. But I’ll be glad to be proven wrong.
As the path breaking and a brutally honest film The Kashmir Files, continues breaking records at the box office, deflating bloated egos of the Bollywood Biggies and exposing the false narratives of the Left Liberals, my thoughts take me back to the Kashmir where I lived the formative years of my life as a school boy and later as a soldier.
I intend keeping it short due to the time and space constraints. So, I will not dwell into the ancient history of Kashmir and how the land inhabited cent percent by Hindus once upon a time is now predominantly a Muslim land. I am not opening those files of Kashmir. I am not opening any files actually except for the ones that are embedded in my memory.
My early memories are of the 60’s when I was studying in the junior wing of Presentation Convent school, Srinagar. Israelis had bombed a mosque in a neighboring country and so the local Muslims first stoned the school premises and later burnt one of the buildings. I remember some of the classes including mine were temporarily shifted to the youth hostel. We missed palatial ambience of the school and cursed the culprits even as the fire was declared accidental.
Sometime around that time in the late summer of 1967, Srinagar witnessed another prolonged period of chaos due to protests by Kashmiri Pandits, for a change. The Parmeshwari Agitation, as it’s commonly called, started due to an alleged kidnapping of a Pandit girl by her Muslim co-worker. You may want to read an interesting article about the agitation here: https://kashmirblogs.wordpress.com/2019/07/22/parmeshwari-agitation-1967/
Later, when I shifted to the famous Tyndale Biscoe school, located near the more famous Lal Chowk, things became even more interesting. Whatever would be the cause of protests, stone pelters – yes, they have always been there – would invariably target the school building. However, live action that I once witnessed happened in the Bakshi Stadium, where I had gone to watch an Inter – University Football match between Punjab University and the Kashmir University. In the first half, when the local team scored a goal, the crowds went berserk and understandably so. In the second half, the visitors scored an equalizer and there was silence all around except for a bit of cheering from the Punjab team supporters, mainly the local Sikhs.
So far so good. However, towards the end of the match, the Punjab team scored another goal and that infuriated the crowds. There weren’t many stones around I guess, so some of them started throwing chairs and some were seen rushing to the playing arena. The police – I think it was CRPF – somehow managed to protect the players even as people became more violent. Tear gas shells were fired and sensing more trouble, I scooted from the scene and reached home. Later, police fired to disperse the crowd and there were a few casualties. So much for a football match.
My school wasn’t the only place of action. I lived near Hari Singh High Street in downtown Srinagar, an area dominated by local Punjabis. Real action in which one was personally involved would happen there. We, the non – Kashmiris had occasional street fights with the neighbouring Kashmiri boys. Surrounded by hostile neighbours our situation wasn’t much different than that of Israel and we fought with the Israeli spirit.
These occasional incidents and sloganeering for azaadi apart, overall the Kashmir in the 60s through better part of the 80s, was pretty peaceful. However, there was always an undercurrent of tension, if not outright animosity, between Kashmiri Muslims and the rest and one had got used to hearing “Indian dogs go back”. Things started getting really hot in 1987 after the state assembly election was held and Farooq Abdullah was reappointed as the Chief Minister.
The election is widely perceived to have been rigged and is believed to have led to the militancy in Kashmir. Of course, as is well known, Pakistan did all she could to add fuel to the fire. But then Pakistan provided active support to militancy in Punjab as well, so how come it succeeded in Kashmir and not in Punjab? There could be many reasons but mainly there’s only one. Think about it. The answer is not hard to find.
