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Neither fish nor troubled water for the dynast of Congress and Tukde Tukde gangs

S Ranganathan
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Neither fish nor troubled water for the dynast of Congress and Tukde Tukde gangs

The dynast and other tukede tukede gangs are trying their best to fish from the troubled water in J&K but the able and efficient governance of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah as Home Minister has done everything possible to ensure peace and tranquility alone prevails in J&K.

When the entire international community supports and applauds PM Modi for scraping article 370, the family members of the dynast and other tukde tukde gangs are opposing to the decision of PM Modi to bring J&K under the ethos of one India. The most sickening and disgusting fact is that the age old party and other tukde tukde gangs are opposing even the idea of hoisting the national flag of India on its 73rd Independence year from J&K. According to those Indian politicians in the pay list of Pakistan, any attempt to hoist our national flag in J&K on the day of independence would amounts to provoke the spirit of Kashmiris’ and hence our national flag should not be hoisted. In fact they want to indirectly support Pakistan and defeat India.

The biggest problem of the dynast and other tukde tukde gangs is that India should not resolve the problem in J&K because in the last 73 years the party of the dynast and its supporters kept the pot boiling and milking all kinds of political mileages from the troubles in J&K. They were least interested in solving the problem or address the real concerns of people of J&K but were interested only in their political dividends and opportunity to loot J&K. But PM Modi and Amit Shah used every strategy possible to solve the crisis and ensure J&K gallop into the new trajectory of growth, development and sab ka vikas.

The fear of the dynast and other divisive forces in India is that if peace and harmony prevails in J&K, that would enhance the image of PM Modi and hence J&K should not be peaceful.  Indians should be very vigilant and watchful of all such political parties. Imagine if such political parties come to power in future, what would have been the fate of India. These political parties wants to loot India, enjoy power and at the same time support Pakistan and separatists. Whereas PM Modi wants to take the vision of New India and development to every person in J&K and ensure a dream life that they were forced to forget in the last 73 years by two families in J&K with the help of Nehru-Gandhi family in Delhi.

Indians should take a firm pledge like Bhishma that they would not only defeat congress party and other tukde tukde gangs in the coming election but also would eliminate all such rotten political parties and their divisive agenda. India to remain firm, stable, decisive and developed, PM Modi must continue as its Prime Minister.

People of India must pledge their unconditional support to PM Modi to take more decisive and firm steps to make India corruption free, free from dynastic politics, nepotism and fear mongering. Unless and until Indians remain together, firm and determined to eliminate congress party and other tukde tukde gangs from Indian politics, we cannot save India.

It is a myth that democracy needs a strong opposition. Good governance by a noble leader needs no opposition and instead need only commitment of people and their unconditional support.

We the Indians on 73rd year of independence must take a pledge that we will remain like an iron wall around the good governance of PM Modi, render our unconditional support and will do everything possible to defeat congress party of the dynast and other tukde tukde gangs from Indian politics.

It is so unfortunate that the congress party of the dynast finds neither any fish nor any troubled water thanks to the able governance of PM Modi. Let us work for a great India, India where no dynastic politics, corruption, nepotism and negativity. Let us support PM Modi to make India a great land.

My journey through Greece, a discovery of India

Sanjay Gupta
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My journey through Greece, a discovery of India

Touring Greece this summer, I found this in the magazine on the flight from island of Crete to capital Athens.

…this land on earth, inhabited and sanctified by the Gods, this land whose history was written and continues over the centuries to be written by people, sent by distant Gods. … you will constantly wonder if the distant Gods settled here or if the people brought the gods from distant centuries, places and planets and settled them here, there to have them far and close to them. These Gods … their creation, a creation that is quintessential of the human mind, of the restless human spirit.

… And you will discover, that by philosophizing like those people, that is, by mobilizing the utmost function of the spirit in search of Gods existence, you will find the path to the truth.

…, that this revolution of the human mind, this struggle between good and evil, between the beautiful and the ugly, amongst all that is contrary, the paths open towards finding of truth about our existence. And on this path, the divine philosophy was founded, the supreme functioning of the human mind to the true God, far from false visions, prophecies and hallucinations away from phobias and prejudices.

…, you will find the ancient Kingdoms that accepted the people from distant lands, who were persecuted by barbaric traditions, by welcoming them and giving them asylum, defying the threats of great stranger.

…, born by gods, conquered looted and mutilated over the centuries by foreign and cruel conquerors. And through this pillage and anguish, within the fire that burned everything, remained a small spark that gave birth once again, to assimilate amongst all, the values of this land.

Bereft of context, one might think of India upon reading this; however, it was written by the CEO of Sky Express describing Greece to tourists. This piece prompted me to further explore Greek history, and soon I found many similarities with our own Indian experience.

Greece was conquered by the Romans and then converted to Christianity by brutal force. Afterwards, Greece was ruled by the Ottoman Turks who perpetrated another barbaric and savage Islamic rule beginning in the 15th century. Pre-Christian Greece is credited with some of the most revolutionary ideas and advances known to mankind. Those same advances are now claimed by the Christian world as their own that they tried so hard to obliterate. Again, we can find parallels here for the claims which the Islamic world makes for many advances in mathematics, astronomy, metallurgy, health, medicines and other sciences that originated in pre-Islamic India.

The similarities don’t end here. To the Ramayana and Mahabharata are the Iliad and the Odyssey, and to the trichotomy of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades.They even have many mythological characters with human bodies and animal heads like our own. Finally, they are proud for surviving Islamic rule and retaining their pre-Islamic characteristics. The Greeks held back the advance of marauding Islamists from dominating Europe just as Indians fought on their western frontier over centuries that was responsible for holding back the invaders of Islam from expanding further in Asia.

Additionally, the Greek countryside continues to have many roadside shrines not unlike our own small temples at every street corner. They have had several periods of puritanical iconoclastic campaigns in their history to remove these images by fundamentalists, a vital link and a reminder of the pre-Christian Greece that the Abrahamic religions often derisively call idolatrous pagan culture. This also reminds me of the various roadside shrines in Mexico and other Latin American countries that the Catholic church in their hatred of native cultures and idols tried so hard to erase. This is similar to the fundamentalist Islamists’ campaigns in the Indian subcontinent against various Hindu temples under their occupation in the past and even Islamic dargahs now.

However, there are also some noticeable differences between how India and modern Greece handled their affairs post-independence. They made a clean break from their colonized past and implemented a transfer of population, not unlike what was proposed by Dr. Ambedkar in India, and avoided the tragic riots and massacres that occurred post Indian independence. They also reclaimed their places of worship immediately after independence, changing converted mosques back into churches and thus avoiding the festering religious controversies that bedevil modern India.

My physical journey through Greece has ended but my discovery of India through Greece has continued. Now read this:

Ayodhya, AD 1528

The destroyers came from out of the desert. Ayodhya must have been expecting them: for years, marauding bands of bearded, black-robed zealots, armed with little more than stones, iron bars and an iron sense of righteousness had been terrorizing the Hindu kingdoms.

Their attacks were primitive, thuggish, and very effective. These men moved in packs – later in swarms of as many as five hundred – and when they descended utter destruction followed. Their targets were the temples and the attacks could be astonishingly swift. Great stone columns that had stood for centuries collapsed in an afternoon; statues that had stood for half a millennium had their faces mutilated in a moment; temples that had seen the rise of the Hindu Kingdoms fell in a single day.

This was violent work, but it was by no means solemn. The zealots roared with laughter as they smashed the ‘evil’, ‘idolatrous’ statues; the faithful jeered as they tore down temples, stripped roofs and defaced tombs. Chants appeared, immortalizing these glorious moments. …

In this atmosphere, Ayodhya’s temple of Ramlalla(infant Ram) was an obvious target. The handsome building was an unapologetic celebration of all the believers loathed: a monumental rebuke to monotheism. Go through its great doors and it would have taken your eyes a moment, after the brightness of an Indian sun, to adjust to the cool gloom within. As they did, you might have noticed that the air was heavy with the smoky tang of incense, or perhaps that what little light there was came from a scatter of lamps left by the faithful. Look up and, in their flickering glow, you would have seen the great figure of Ramlalla himself.

Did they notice this, the destroyers, as they entered? Were they, even fleetingly, impressed by the sophistication of an empire that could quarry, sculpt then transport marble over such vast distances? Did they, even for a moment, admire the skill that could make a kissably soft-looking mouth out of hard marble? Did they, even for a second, wonder at its beauty?

It seems not. Because when the men entered the temple they took a weapon and smashed the back of Ramlalla’s head with a single blow so hard that it decapitated the god. The head fell to the floor, slicing off that nose, crushing the once-smooth cheeks. Ramlalla’s eyes, untouched, looked out over a now disfigured face.

Mere decapitation wasn’t enough. More blows fell, scalping Ramlalla, striking the helmet from the god’s head, smashing it into pieces. Further blows followed. The statue fell from its pedestal, then the arms and shoulders were chopped off. The body was left on its front in the dirt; the nearby altar was sliced off just above its base.

Only then does it seem that these men – these Muslims – felt satisfied that their work was done. They melted out once again into the desert. Behind them the temple fell silent. The votive lamps no longer tended, went out. On the floor, the head of Ramlalla slowly started to be covered by the sands…

The ‘triumph’ of Islam had begun.

This is a prologue to the book published in 2018 by Catherine Nixey, The Darkening Age – The Christian Destruction of The Classical World. I haven’t changed any word but have transplanted the story from Palmyra, Syria AD 385 to Ayodhya, India AD 1528.¹ The only replacements are Athena with Ramlalla, Christianity/Christians with Islam/Muslims and Roman Empire with Hindu Kingdoms. Every time I read through this, I relive my own history. Just change the title and it could easily be Kashi in AD 1669,² Mathura in 1670³ or Somnathª in 725, 1024, 1299, 1395, 1451, 1546 and 1665.

There has been so much destruction and violence committed by self-righteous possessors of ‘one true god’, ‘only true savior/prophet’, ‘only true book’ and ‘only true way of worship’ that the diversity of spiritual and faith traditions around the world is being destroyed. Palmyra destruction described above is more than a millennium old, but we see the same pattern repeated even today with the destruction of Bamiyan Buddhas by Taliban and Palmyra again by ISIS in recent times.

While the physical structures are poignant reminders of what has been lost, the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in the form of diverse languages, native and ethnic traditions, and myriad ways of worship are under attack continuously by zealots facilitated by petro dollars and missionary money. When the world has been turned into a competing marketplace for harvesting souls and dominating the earth by Abrahamic religions, you can see in Greece what could be lost further and forever if India with its critical mass of resources, philosophy and ‘pagan’ worship doesn’t stand for all the native and diverse traditions that are under attack throughout the world, be it in Asia, Africa or Latin America.

References:

¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayodhya_dispute

² https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashi_Vishwanath_Temple

³ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_Janmasthan_Temple_Complex

ª https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somnath_temple

Why the conservative governments are on the rise all over the world

vigoe
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Why the conservative governments are on the rise all over the world

In last half a decade or so, we have seen a rise in ‘conservatives’ coming to power all over the world. I am using the word ‘conservatives’ not to suggest any kind of homogeneity between the different regimes but as anything that is opposed to the ideology espoused by the self-declared ‘liberals’ all over the world. The ‘liberal’ ecosystem has presented a doomsday scenario claiming that the world is moving towards the situation of World War II and a third world war would be imminent if the trend continues, or in short, if they do not come back to power.

To understand this ‘liberal’ world order better, we need to go into a bit of history and understand how did this ecosystem came into being in the first place. After seeing the horrors of the World war II (or may be due to the outcry by the general public), the ‘elites’ and the ‘political class’ of the time decided to pin all the blame on the ‘fascist’ forces who were driven by either the superiority of their own identity like the Japanese or by the hatred for another one like the Nazis of Germany.

They conveniently side-stepped their own moral bankruptcy when they branded a few as ‘villains’ while at the same time forgetting their own horrors of colonization and slavery. They blamed Nazis for killing million of Jews in their hatred but forgot to talk about their own racism which killed millions of South Asians, Indians and completely eliminated the original inhabitants in multiple places including Australia, USA and many others.

They punished the Japanese with a nuclear attack but forgave themselves for their continued support of the evil practice of slavery which shatters all the boundaries of human decency. They chose to speak against the Nanking Massacre but chose to remain silent about Jallianwala Bagh. On top of that, they came up with the condescending phrase of ‘White Man’s burden’ to rub the salt on the wounds of many.

So, this ‘liberal’ world order which had its beginnings in the aftermath of World War II was nothing but a bunch of hypocritical, privileged, elite political class coming together to make sure that their hegemony continues in the new world order that would have inevitably emerged after the disastrous World War II.

This self-acclaimed ‘liberal’ ecosystem tried to take the moral high ground and somewhat successfully portrayed themselves as above the boundations of region, nation, religion, community, etc. and declared themselves humans above all else. This was a hollow argument which meant to state that all those who oppose them are not behaving like humans first and thus are lesser human beings than them.

These ‘liberals’ have co-opted many ideologies in last 7-8 decades which all talk about pitting one group of people against the other. Whether it is the ‘feminists’ which meant to create divide between men and women, or the ‘leftists’ which live in their own Utopian idea of ‘perfect’ world, or any other ‘ists’ which strives to create divide among the people in general. All this was done to remain in power, to be able to decide the future of the world.

The identity politics where the ‘liberals’ have used every possible identity of a person to further their political goals knows no limits be it gender, sexual, religious, race, national or any other. Over the years, ‘liberals’ held sway over the collective intellect of the world, what to be taught, what is acceptable, what is to be condemned, everything was decided by these self-acclaimed ‘liberals’ who had decided long back that they were better than the rest of the humanity. Many joined their cult over the years because hey, who does not want to feel superior to the other human being and look at them condescendingly that when will these barbaric people would rise to their level.

And there were perks too. Since they controlled all the avenues of a society be it colleges, bureaucracy, judiciary, administrative, media or anything else; they could decide who would get entry or who would be shown the door. Every sphere of a civilized society was turned into a ghetto with a selected few acting as the Gods deciding who is worthy to enter the field and who is not. It is for no reason that in most of the countries including USA, India where less than 1% of the population owns more than half of the country’s wealth.

On top of that whoever raised their voices against them including political opponents, terms like Nazis, Racists, Misogynists, Fascists, Communal and whatnot were thrown around with impunity. You want to discuss the larger implication of illegal immigration, you are a racist. You do not agree that one should vote for a woman candidate just because she is a woman, you are a misogynist. You talk about the necessity of preserving the cultural identity of a region, you become communal. People were shot down by the fear of being labelled by these privileged lot.

As the fate would have it, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism since the 70-80s which peeked in the last decade or so, proved to be a challenge which these incompetent lot just could not deal with. For them, every religion was equally bad as every one should follow their cult and its values. So how one deals with such a force which is soaked deep into the religious values of the second most followed religion of the world? They simply could not.

Their answer to Islamic fundamentalism and rising terrorism in the world was to paint all religions as equal with each religion having its own set of fundamentalists and extremists. They came with the theory of “Terrorism has no religion”. Then came the theory of “What is terrorism”. But people were not blind. Everyone could see the difference between the extremists of different religions. Someone following the Jesus to the extreme might coerce or lie to someone to convert him but was not ready to blow himself up to eliminate them completely. Someone belonging to the Hindu religion was not even ready to use any lie or falsehood, forget violent means, to propagate his religion.

Scared of their hypocrisy getting exposed and their decades of hard work getting undone, they started labeling people questioning them about terrorism and its origins as “Islamophobic”. After every terror attack, which have become way too frequent, even before the people could mourn the deaths of their loved ones, even before people could vent out their anger on this illogical violence, the stories of “Islamophobia” would start doing the rounds. Silence the people by shaming them, by labeling them, by branding them – that has been the modus operandi since the beginning.

But now people have begun to see through their tactics. They have rendered the ghastly labels as ordinary by overusing them to silence their political opponents when they ask uncomfortable questions or expose their hypocrisy. And people have begun to see now that the people these ‘lot’ have been labeling as communal, racist, etc. till now are not much different from them. They are one of them who are concerned about the same issues as they are. They have same moral standards as they have. They have same opinions about things as they usually have.

And that is what is leading to people voting for the ‘conservatives’ all over the world. They have seen through the hypocrisy, hollowness, and elitism of this privileged lot which calls themselves as ‘liberals’ but are anything but that in true sense of the word.

Abrogation of Article 370 – A significant achievement

G Indira
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Abrogation of Article 370 – A significant achievement

Now, it’s nobody’s case, in India, to argue for Article 370 along with 35 A (to have remained) as Parliament approved in full majority for the removal of it and even the state governor assented for it. All these years the Congress and other secular parties batted for Article 370 to remain, mainly out of their own appetite to garner minority Muslim votes in the Valley and in the rest of India. It’s they who have made Kashmir a problematic issue and started feeding themselves upon it.

Way back in 1994, Communist-Marxist columnist, Mohit Sen (who is now no more) in his column on ‘Kashmir’s problem’ admitted Pakistan’s role, both in undeclared or not so undeclared war on India, for years together, against India’s unity and sovereignty, has its peak point in Kashmir. He also writes, “It’s not sufficiently realised by very many that the so-called insurgency in the Valley is not aimed so much at detaching it (Kashmir) from the rest of India. That, of course, is one of its targets. But the primary objective is to demonstrate that the Indian national state can be challenged and defeated on its home ground and, even more important, that its very base can be eroded by the increased communalisation of society, first of all in Kashmir itself”.

Look, that piece on Kashmir was written in ’94. Though a Communist (by their very nature Communists are internationalists) , Mohit Sen agreed to and expressed in no uncertain terms the gravity of the issue. From that time onwards to now, the situation in Kashmir aggravated by leaps and bounds with the entry of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, of late, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda in India that have been making inroads and causing terror attacks. Fidayeen attacks of Al Qaeda, lone wolf aggressions, suicide bombers sponsored from across the border have been causing frequent turmoil and loss of lives. So, the abrogation of Article-370 by the government is a bold initiative to put a check on the menacing macabre activities of Pakistani terror groups.

Now that, the special Constitutional provisions of the J&K having been repealed and the state is made into two Union Territories, the government is concentrating on bringing normal life to the Valley. As we are all aware, Kashmiri’s identity is Kashmiriat. That identity should be protected in J&K, now a UT. In any case, the prime minister has guaranteed to that effect in his latest speech. Like every other state: Tamil Nadu has an identity of its own. Similarly, Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and other states have their own identity. Those are specific forms of Indianness. The specificity of Kashmir is its culture of Kashmiriat. The secularists equated wrongly this (Kashmiriat) – an ethnic identity – with that of Muslim identity. To keep up that identity they used to ask for autonomy for the state through Article 370. As a matter of fact, autonomy is not needed to uphold identity, that has been proved in the rest of India.

Discrimination and Differential Treatment: The special status that was given to J&K, was not granted to any other princely state that merged with India during the time of Independence. They ( the princely states) also had signed the identical Instruments of Accession as was done by Raja Hari Singh in the case of Kashmir. The differential treatment was questioned many times earlier. The answer given was that, ‘that particular state (J&K) was not yet ripe for integration’. The time has become ripe in the Republic of India, after 72 years, with the BJP led NDA. For the ruling dispensation to take action, the geopolitical situation is propitious externally and internally the government has the deep desire to improve the state.

35 A is, something that is said to have surreptitiously entered the Constitution with no Parliament approval. This provision has been an impediment for reservations to Dalits and Adivasis in the state, women have also been robbed off their property rights, if married someone (from the rest of India) other than Kashmiris and none of the Indians have a right to buy land there etc. All these privileges given to J&K, defy ‘Equality of citizens’ guaranteed under the Constitution. One may put forth a point that some such special privileges are given to a handful of other states, why not in J&K? But the fact remains that Kashmir-kind of problems have not arisen from them to repeal.

Pakistan is at a fixation: The mainstream parties in India other than the BJP, are always wary of Pakistan. Right now Pakistan is in a dilemma of what to do. All its attempts to internationalise the matter of Kashmir turned futile. Till the other day, Pakistan was day dreaming like: ‘America is going to step in, UN is going to pass a resolution’. It’s all proved to be illusionary.

The entanglement of J&K issue with the United Nations didn’t deter this government from taking the step for integration. The Indian government has done on the Indian side of Kashmir, so, therefore, the US, Russia, UAE and other nations considered it as an internal matter of the country. Why talking about the present, the first prime minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru himself during his address to a special delegation (on Kashmir) said that Article 370 of the Constitution will disappear by getting eroded and eroded (Samvidhaan ki dhara 370 ghiste ghiste ghis jaegi).

When asked clarification about the ex-prime minister (in those days, it was called so) of Kashmir, Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed saying Article-370 of the Constitution to be a permanent provision and Kashmir’s destiny is tied up with it, he ( Pandit Nehru) said his own statement (suggesting erosion Article 370 with the passage of time) was to be taken as the correct one. Hence, the present government corrected a historical mistake. That’s good for the country provided peace prevailed in the Valley in the days and month to come. The government is making all out efforts to ensure that- much needed peace.

Pune floods not natural: Will environment consultants own up?

Ashutosh Pradhan
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“There is nothing more threatening to the health of our economy than climate change, yet frequently there are those defending environmentally destructive activities by claiming they are doing so for the sake of the economy. The truth is actually that the action they are defending would most likely be good for the economy in the short term but in the long term would also contribute to future economic hardship and the risk of massive global recession, not to mention the incalculable costs of human suffering. Perhaps it is time for … the world, to start looking at the long term implications of a damaged environment when mapping out current economic strategies.” Ian Carey wrote in Huffington Post, back in 2012.¹

Cut to August 2019. The Pune suburbs of Baner and Aundh are witnessing extensive destruction of property, damage to the well-being, and also the sporadic loss of lives of citizens, as water is having to be discharged, at one hundred thousand cusecs, across the many dams around. But mistake this not as a natural calamity. It has been a slow and certain turn of events, entirely committed by a collective of motivated interests. Entirely man-made, completely avoidable. The culture-capital of Maharashtra must answer, if it is the culture of reckless debris-dumping, river-raping and hill-hacking that brings her this title.

The extensive and rapid cutting of Tukai hill in Pashan is still hot, where concerned, environment-aware locals exposed the Pune Smart City misadventure and brought apparent violations of BDP (bio-diversity park) lines in the limelight. The HCMTR (High Capacity Mass Transit Route) is another demon of an urban development project set to ruin much of Pune’s hills, murder large old trees, cull biodiversity, destroy recharge zones of the aquifers that quench the city’s thirst. Indian urban development has been more about building apartment blocks over inaccessible tracts of suburban land and getting around the system to acquire connectivity, bought over at all costs, than about building a well-provided urban space which citizens could then occupy. The direct costs are borne out of taxpayer’s money and the indirect and less visible environmental costs are invariably externalised to the future populations of citizens yet unborn.

As with Pashan hill-cutting, road widening is taken up to serve a locality that has severe water supply shortage. A wider road only enables builders to add pricey FSI (floor-space index), build more floors and compress more humanity in under-served neighbourhoods. The truth about urban housing screams of 30% unsold inventory, with Pune shouldering 120,000 unsold apartments, but the planning authorities show no qualms in allowing further construction in a resource-strapped city. Viewed against this backdrop, it is not advisable at all to provide any more new infrastructure, in whole or in piecemeal. It is desirable, on the contrary, that the incomplete water-supply and sewage-treatment projects be commissioned with utmost urgency. The more you try to provide for the city, the worse it gets.

Development activities shooting out of over-eager political manifestos, should move out of city limits instead, and attractive small towns could be built as healthy clusters of a thoughtfully civilised life. Cities that cannot breathe or wash for themselves can offer little by way of meaningful new employment. Instead of repeatedly failing in the attempts to build livable cities and making a mess of the environment in the process, it is worth addressing the real needs of the rural populations desperately seeking to move out, deserting villages, orphaning farms and abandoning traditional occupations.

A prominent union minister is quoted as recently asking citizens to choose between economy and environment. This is an acknowledgement that only one of the two could be served at a time. If the minister was in his right to unilaterally execute urban transport, or any other project, there would have been no need to call for Environment Impact Assessments at all. In reality, since damage to the Environment is a foregone conclusion, consultants are summoned and paid to deliver an EIA. The firms so appointed, are supposed to studiously, objectively and impartially put together their assessments.

But here they exceed their brief and go on to pass judgments. In the over-enthusiasm to proclaim support to their political and financial masters, they go overboard and label environment activists as having ‘misplaced ideological perspectives’. It is argued that “Governments need to invest and people need to support this infrastructure-building spree in the country, till the last person gets access to a basic, decent life.” Really? With the pace of human reproduction far overtaking that of all other departments, the last person will actually never be born, go figure that! The metaphorical last person here, is not a single living soul. It is actually the multitudes of unborn foetuses doomed to perish before their first breath is inhaled. Pollution manifests in all forms and has reached astronomically high levels. Pune’s indices of air-pollution, garbage-disposal, dirt, water-pollution and noise & light pollution are all very high. When they ought to be brought down, each month the indices climb.

This is immensely alarming. Agencies backing environment-crushing projects must not forget that it is the future of the common public that they owe to, not their immediate sponsors, for it is with public money that their bills are actually paid. It is the duty of the consultants to understand long-term, irreversible implications of their advice. In as much as their assessments form the basis of development, they must also stand guarantee against the certain eventual loss of every citizen’s common assets. The most important question then is, whether those waving green flags, have the heart to own up all unfortunate eventuality.

Carbon Dioxide Levels
Vital signs of global warming are irrefutable. [Image: climate.nasa.gov]
As nations moved in time across the age of industrialisation and the consequent rising production of all things material, governments and allied vested interests pitched in to create false demand, driven by advertisements and concerted tweaking of the paper-currency-based economy. They have not only pushed global carbon emissions out of hand, but also in the process, managed to render much of the humanity insensitive to the call of the Environment. Admit it or not, we are now the most gluttonous single species set to destroy all other, and eventually cannibalise ourselves in this mindless glut. The theory of environmental damage arising as adverse impact of economic growth recovering over time, is a spent hypothesis and now utterly useless. Oblique postulates such as these, are invariably rooted in the first world that manages to literally export their pollution over to developing economies by shiploads, even today.

The economy versus environment arguments based thereupon, are therefore downright clichéd. They are out of date, out of time and place. Only the blind, the greedy or the foolish can still cling to them. Every ticking second is dragging seven billion of us to the brink and here are ‘experts’ telling us a tale of how economics prevail over the Environment. If today, an environment consultancy brought in for the purpose, advocates the creation of any large civil infrastructure project, it can only be a reluctant acceptance out of an extreme political compulsion. Nothing in its honest assessment, can make anyone proud. As such, the firms issuing acceptable EIA reports should be extremely cautious, necessarily apologetic and, must consciously refrain from going to town belittling the tribe of well-meaning environment activists.

Extreme weather events are proving what scientists predicted via mathematical models. Warmer atmosphere contains more moisture. As global average temperatures are on the rise, rainfall extremes are becoming more frequent and intense. Common-sense models could explain the phenomena, but such is the viciousness of the impacts of climate change, that one does not have to be an environment scientist to figure out that all is not well. The genesis of all problems lies in planning economic activities with scant regard to the Environment. Without man chasing the mirage of economic prosperity, there would not have been any global warming in the first place. Yet, the perpetual urban contest between economy and environment tends to side with the former. Good sense lies in taking on the challenge responsibly, which effectively means, no browbeating the voices of preservation, and working alongside genuine concerns.

Terrorised with guns, invaded by economy and inundated with floods, the Mumbaikar has been systematically taught over the years, to sing praises of the spirit of Mumbai. But the aware Punekar will not fall into this trap. As long as myopic planners, their self-obsessed consultants and greedy contractors keep gushing over the need for development at all costs, genuine environmentalists will keep raising the flags of concern and do all they can to help skirt disasters; if and until their beloved city lives, that is!

Ashutosh Pradhan

¹ Ref: https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_1398439

Why the MSME endustry is critical to creating jobs and growing the Indian Economy

pranabbhandari
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Why the MSME endustry is critical to creating jobs and growing the Indian Economy

Summary:

Despite some serious challenges, MSMEs have been powering the Indian economy and creating job opportunities for the middle and lower ends of the socio-economic scale.

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) are integral to employment generation, economic growth, and equitable development in any developed or developing country. India is heavily depending on the MSME sector to evolve into the world’s largest and most progressive economy. There have been policy initiatives to promote MSME, the most prominent of which was the MSME ACT 2006 that brought the service sector into the fold of the MSME sector. Sops were provided and registration process simplified in the later years.

The institution of India Opportunities Venture Fund was yet another shot in the arm for the MSME sector. Per ETV Bharat News live, the INR 50-billion fund was instituted in partnership with SIDBI to ensure equity for the sector. Also, the Public Procurement Policy was enacted that mandates government departments to procure at least 20% of their yearly supplies from MSME and 4% specifically from MSME owned and operated by SC/ST entrepreneurs. The union government gave the MSME sector the exclusive rights to manufacture 20 different items.

Wondering why the MSME industry is creating jobs and growing the Indian economy? Let’s discuss.

Job creation at scale:

The MSME sector is labour intensive. Simply put, the labour intensity in this sector exceeds that of the large scale private and public sector enterprises by a margin. Since technology is yet to fully penetrate the sector, most tasks are done manually and hence, more labour required. Plus, starting a micro, small or medium business requires less capital, creating huge employment avenues for the unemployed people, particularly from the lower and middle-income groups.

In fact, with an investment of just one Lakh rupees in fixed assets, about four people can get employment. Unsurprisingly, with over 60 million employments and still counting, the MSME sector is presently India’s biggest employer, second only to the agriculture sector.

Driving economic growth:

With over 8% contributions towards the GDP, MPSE is powering the engine of the Indian economy. The manufacturing and exports sectors are the prime beneficiaries of the MSME sector, as it contributes 45% and 40% to them respectively. Interestingly, the MSME sector contributes more to the nation’s GDP vis-à-vis the agriculture sector, which is the largest employer in India.

Foreign corporations are increasingly sourcing semi-finished products from the MSMEs, leading to qualitative improvements in the processes and systems that MSMEs operate with. According to ETV Bharat, the trend is also attracting foreign investment, helping the economy to flourish.

Ensuring equitable growth:

The wealth distribution in India is not uniform with over half of the entire wealth owned by just 100 individuals. Here too, MSMEs have a definite role to play. Since getting small businesses up and running is relatively easy and less capital intensive, they can be established in rural and underserved areas. About 45% of MSMEs are operational in these areas.

Though equal wealth distribution is still a farfetched idea, MSMEs are at least bringing down regional disparities, and ensuring inclusive growth and more equitable distribution on income.

Paving way for Make in India:

MSMEs are probably the best bet to realize Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious ‘Make in India’ initiative. The initiative simplifies the incorporation process to encourage entrepreneurship, primarily at the grass root. The banks are now forced to consider the loan disbursed to micro and small businesses a priority sector lending. The idea is to ensure easy credit for MSMEs.

Indians ready to flood Kashmir with love

Narasimhan Vijayaraghavan
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Indians ready to flood Kashmir with love

5th Aug, 2019 will go down into history books, like no other date. It has been a stunning series of OMG – Oh My God moments ever since. The more one thinks about what the Modi/Shah duo has accomplished on the withdrawal of ‘special status’ to J&K it has unparalleled dimensions. It has entered the legal, historical, emotional, political lexicon as epochal and an iconic moment that India was only dreaming, but never, ever imagined in her wildest dreams that it would happen in our lifetime. That it happened even while those who saw it all happen between 1947- 1954 (India’s Independence, enactment of Art.306-A (now 470) to Art.35A as a Presidential Notification), many, are alive today, is simply a stunner.

Words fail us in depicting what the Modi/Shah combine has performed. A miracle but real. As information is tumbling out, it has been in the works for long, at least 4-5 years. How they had it all wrapped in secrecy from a leaky State apparatus, conveys a lot about the strength they have infused into the Modi administration. Call it their refusal to share freely with the Media, refusal of Modi to steadfast avoid any Press Conferences, offering free passage to Media men and women used to it in previous regimes, whatever, it has all been worth it by a mile and more J&K territory.

Just follow the Pakistani print and electronic Media for reaction. They are shell shocked. Modi 2.0 has made mincemeat of the United Nation reference, Chacha Nehru so foolishly made, Terms for a possible plebiscite, Shimla Agreement, the whole works. Even the bilateral issue is now confined to whether Pakistan would have to return the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir- POK territory under their hegemony? In one fell swoop, Narendra Damordas Modi along with his second in command (by all accounts) has rendered all Pakistani opposition and response otiose.

Even in the specially called Pakistani Senate joint session, “selected Prime Minister” Imran Khan, as the opposition there taunts him, for being propped up by the military brass, without a majority, the resolution made no reference to Art.370 surgical strike. It was feeble, timid and revealed the bankruptcy in thought and confusion towards a calibrated response. While the Pakistani public, always emotional in their construct vis a vis Kashmiris, is even urging the Government to unleash a Jang- War- shocked with the turn of events and upset with the response from their administration.

Even New York Times, not always sympathetic to Modi’s India, reports that Pakistan today stands even more isolated. The Islamic countries have offered indifferent responses that it was an ‘internal matter of India’, and only insignificant Malaysia and Turkey have expressed solidarity. Pakistan is left to make the usual noises, aware that Kashmir issue is now lost forever. They are left with nothing. For, after the Khulbushan verdict from the International Court, Hague, this could not been timed worse.

There are intelligent and sane voices among Pakistanis, which have identified that the present impasse is of Pakistan’s own making. They have chosen to encourage the spread of terrorism and been host to ‘forty thousand’ of them, as Imran Khan admitted on his recent visit to Donald Trump’s America. Prime Minister and the Army top brass who got ‘direct audience with Trump, a never before opportunity’ were celebrating the occasion when Trump ‘offered to mediate on Kashmir’. Now, locals are blaming Imran Khan and his military backers for ‘blowing the trumpet and waking up the ‘Indian Elephant’.

The reaction from Pakistan is clear proof that Modi is on the right path. It is not time to be jingoistic. It is time for care and action. Rest of India, except for Kashmir valley, has wholeheartedly welcomed the move. The cleavage on the ranks of our opposition vindicates it. Only now the rest of us, are slowly realising what all have been going on in Kashmir, what it means to us culturally, nationalistically and what a regime, Art.35A deviously ticked into the Constitution as an Annexure our Appendix, has perpetrated on us Indians. We have been rudely exposed to the principled opposition from Babasaheb Ambedkar, father of our Constitution, in refusing to agree for ‘special status’ and staging a walk out when Art.306A (370) was passed in the Constituent Assembly thanks to the regretful magnanimity of Sardar Patel to yield to Jawaharlal stupidity to yield to Sheikh Abdullah.

The non application of reservation law in educational and employment avenues, inability of other Indians to buy properties in Kashmir, loss right to property to Kashmiri girls marrying outsiders, those marrying Pakistani citizens having a better right than those marrying Indians, the writ of Union of India and Supreme Court not always running in J&K, and do much more. One by one, the revelations reveal what ignoramuses we have all been lulled into for 7 decades. Most importantly, it is now being exposed that Kashmir itself has gained nothing from the ‘special status’ except as ‘employment opportunities to a couple of families’ as the Ladakh Lok Sabha MP Tsering Namgyal felicitously put it.

It is all very well to celebrate the occasion. Yes, Modi/Shah have performed a constitutional coup of the benevolent kind. India has stood up to the Pakistani bullies and called their bluff. But, let us be clear. Pakistanis will not take it lying down. They are unlikely to pivot to propriety or proper ways. Their anger may propel them to indulge in their only known game. Of training more terrorists and export them and/or support the misguided or willing Kashmiri youth. Peace may be reigning now. But it is admittedly artificial, as Kashmir is under lockdown. When the curfew is lifted and normalcy is set to return would it be a return to the normality of stone pelting and taking on the security Forces.

India should not and cannot afford to lower its guard. Equally, it may be time to show our generosity to the Kashmiri brothers and sisters. We ought not to needle them in their present emotional state, and allow Pakistan to play with it. Our patience will be tested. We need to be stern but not overly so. A strict regime must be tempered with mercy and compassion, as the silent majority is tired and disgusted with the continuing violence and disturbed state. They may be angling to get into the daily routine of the mundane. The tense environment must be failing the common citizen in Kashmir.

It may just be the time for Indian State to tap into it. Yes, it would be tough. Emotions are running high and Pakistani media access and cable networks, may ride on the emotions of the Kashmiri youth. It is sensitive times. Our Security faces have seen it all in Kashmir. This is different. They now know they are dealing with a ‘law and order’ problem, like in any other State or Union Territory of India. They are not under a ‘special status’ regime which constrained them to fight with their hands tied to the back.

Modi 2.0 can rest assured that India is with it. India is ready to move. We are ready to flood Kashmir with our love. We are willing to visit Kashmir and to add to the tourist coffers. Our businessmen and industrialists and Bollywood and Kollywood, ought to make bold, to tap into Kashmir, to provide the local youth employment and necessary distraction they may be actually longing for. It is the frustratingly unemployed ways that was swaying the idle minds with poisonous propaganda wars from across the border. India is willing, ready and loving to move. Indian government must be willing to.

Let us pray god almighty or Allah the Supreme to give our Kashmiri brethren, the mindset and strength of character to see that what had happened is all for the good as Kashmir has seamlessly integrated with India as One Nation, One Flag . Let us tire Pakistan with our co operative ways and bonhomie and camaraderie. Time for us to realise our responsibilities and let the Kashmiris see that we are all with them, now under the same Constitution of India, as one, beginning with Eid, on 12th Aug, 2019- We The People.

(Author is practising Advocate in the Madras High Court)

Transforming Education: International Youth Day 2019

Trilok Singh
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Transforming Education: International Youth Day 2019

Ahead of the International Youth Day (August 12), UN DESA, in collaboration with UNESCO, will be calling for a “transformation of our education systems” to make them more inclusive, equitable and relevant for the 21st-century realities.

It should lead to effective learning outcomes, with the content of school curricula and pedagogy being fit for purpose, not only for the 4th industrial revolution and the future of work and life but also for the opportunities and challenges that rapidly changing social contexts bring, UN mentioned in a statement.

Meanwhile, “Today, we celebrate the young people, youth-led organizations, Governments and others who are working to transform education and uplift young people everywhere”. – UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Historically, The day was first designated by the United Nation General Assembly in 1999, and serves as an annual celebration of the role of young women and men as essential partners in change, and an opportunity to raise awareness of challenges and problems facing the world’s youth.

Read Also, International Youth Day 2018

Transforming education: 2019 Theme

According to a UN official release, This year’s International Youth Day theme highlights efforts to make education more inclusive and accessible for all youth, including efforts by youth themselves. Rooted in Goal 4 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.

It will examine how Governments, young people and youth-led and youth-focused organizations, as well as other stakeholders, are transforming education so that it becomes a powerful tool to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Significantly, The ‘Sustainable Development’ Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. It will address the global challenges that we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. The Goals interconnect and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that we achieve each Goal and target by 2030.

Following the 2019 theme, Inclusive and accessible education is crucial to achieving sustainable development and can play a role in the prevention of conflict. As far as education concerns, it is a ‘development multiplier’ as it plays a pivotal role in accelerating progress across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, be it poverty eradication, good health, gender equality, decent work and growth, reduced inequalities, action on climate or peaceful societies, The UN attributed in a statement.

According to this statement, It (Education) should lead to effective learning outcomes, with the content of school curricula and pedagogy being fit for purpose, not only for the 4th industrial revolution and the future of work and life, but also for the opportunities and challenges that rapidly changing social contexts bring.

The crucial role that quality education plays in youth development is well recognized. In addition, comprehensive youth development benefits society-at-large. However, what is less known is the fact that young people themselves are active champions of inclusive and accessible education.

Youth-led organizations, as well as individual youth, together with various stakeholders and Governments, are concretely transforming education so that it becomes a fundamental tool both for sustainable development and for the full inclusion of various social groups. For instance, youth-led organizations are transforming education via lobbying and advocacy, partnerships with educational institutions, the development of complementary training programs, etc.

In 2018, The theme on International Youth Day was “Safe Spaces for Youth” (Public/Civic/Physical & Digital spaces), where they can come & Unite together, engage & participate in several activities with regard to their diverse needs & interests. As more and more youth grow in a technologically connected world, they aspire to engage deeper in political, civic and social matters, and the availability and accessibility of safe spaces become even more crucial to make this a reality.

While Several Statistics remind us that significant transformations are still required to make education systems more inclusive and accessible:

(1) Only 10% of people have completed upper secondary education in low-income countries;

(2) 40 % of the global population is not taught in a language they speak or fully understand; and

(3) over 75 % of secondary school-age refugees are out of school.

In addition, indigenous youth, young people with disabilities, young women, young people belonging to vulnerable groups or in vulnerable situations, etc. are facing additional challenges to accessing education that respects their diverse needs and abilities as well as reflects and embraces their unique realities and identities, The UN asserted..

Increasing Youth’s Population 

As per the latest UN estimates of the world’s population, In 2019 youth numbered 1.2 billion persons between ages 15 and 24 years, or around one in every six persons worldwide. The number of youth in the world is projected to grow by 7% to 1.3 billion by 2030, the target date for achieving sustainable goals (SDGS).

Around 2065, the world’s youth population is projected to reach its peak, at just under 1.4 billion persons (13%). The share of youth in the total population peaked at 19.3% in 1985. This year, Central and Southern Asia were home to the largest number of youth (361 million), followed by Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (307 million) and sub-Saharan Africa (211 million).

This is the largest youth population ever. Although, more than half of all children and adolescents aged 6-14 lack basic reading and maths skills, despite the fact that the majority of them are attending school. This global learning crisis threatens to severely hamper progress towards the SDGs.

Despite all of this, the temporary increase in the relative size of the working-age population following a sustained decline in the fertility level offers an opportunity for a “demographic dividend”, which may lead to increased investments and an accelerated rate of economic growth per capita. The ability of countries to harness this dividend and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 depends critically on ensuring access to health care and education for all young people, and on providing productive employment and decent work for all, especially youth.

Thus, International Youth Day marked as an occasion to educate the general public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems and to celebrate and reinforce the achievements of humanity. 

Will Pakistan be able to isolate India internationally on Kashmir?

Jai prakash Ojha
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Will Pakistan be able to isolate India internationally on Kashmir?

It’s unlikely that Pakistan will succeed in isolating India internationally after the decision of the Modi government to divide J&K into two Union Territories and remove Article 370 that gave a special status to the state. The reasons are not too difficult to understand with the changing geopolitical realities since the early nineties. India of 2019 is much more different than India of the 1960s or the 1970s. Investment opportunities, huge burgeoning aspiring middle class numbers offering big market and strong robust democratic credentials are something which no nation will ignore. Today multilateral arrangements like UNO, WTO, EU, NATO etc are fast losing their credibility.

Apart from mere ritualism of criticising India which India can easily ignore without having to bear any repercussions, the United Nations can’t offer any solace to Pakistan. Imposing sanctions on India or blatantly seen to be siding with Pakistan in this tussle are the least likely options that US or western European nations or even China & Muslim countries will want to exercise. It is always a wise option to put your eggs in the basket of a rising strong state than in the basket of a failed tottering-towards-its demise state in international diplomacy.

Perhaps the most catastrophic development in the world polity has been the rise of political Islam. Political Islam with its thrust on governance as per Sharia will always be at loggerheads with the modern constitutional secular democracies. Just witness what is happening in the USA and other European countries where the rapidly increasing immigrant Muslim population has posed problems to universal freedom and social & constitutional values of those nations. Attacks by Jihadi outfits have intensified in Europe and the USA and there have been calls for imposition of Sharia in Belgium by Islamist parties.

Radical Islamist attacks in Denmark, London and the twin towers in New York are some of the most outrageous events that have shaken the world and the liberal democratic regimes out of complacency. Even India has suffered Mumbai serial blasts and attack on its Parliament. The failure of the liberal democracies to rein in Islamization has led to the coming to power of Right-wing parties who are whipping up xenophobia and intense hatred against immigrants. It’s not only the violent terror attacks through which political Islam achieves its objectives but also through affecting change in demography by increasing the population of Muslims so much so that the native population is outnumbered.

Political Islam may be anti-democratic but, in some cases, it has used democracy by sheer weight of its numbers to capture power and dismantle free speech and free society. It was this phenomenon that transformed Arab spring to Arab winter very soon. Today there are more than 50 Islamic countries who practise Sharia as universal law within their territories. It is a harsh reality that more than 70 percent of the international refugees are Muslims but isn’t it interesting that these Muslim refugees don’t seek shelter in Arab countries but want to migrate to non-Muslim countries preferably Europe? Why Rohingyas want to come to India? Why Syrians want to go to Germany? There is something more than that meets the eye. It’s not the issue of better development and welfare opportunities but it’s subtle jihad. The desire to Islamise and capture the lands of Kefirs or the infidels is the real reason. After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in 1919, the Islamists realized that they do not possess the military might to capture the infidel lands and spread Islam and hence, they decided to take the demographic route vide increase in numbers through population growth or Conversions.

The entire world understands that J&K is not merely a political problem or a problem related to alienation and development deficit. The real problem is pan Islamization. The PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti sees the removal of Article 370 as an attempt by the Indian govt to change the Muslim majority character of the state by settling in Hindus and Sikhs. The syncretic Sufism is no more the defining trait of Kashmir but Islam in the state is now defined by radical version of Wahabism that has been exported from west Asia. The Left-Congress eco system had adopted an ostrich like approach when in 1989, the Kashmiri Hindus who were an integral part of the composite Kashmir culture, were hounded out of the state and those who refused to budge, were mercilessly murdered and their women raped.

Article 370 lost its meaning the very day when an estimated five and half lakh Kashmiri Pandits were compelled to leave the state. More than 20 lakhs migrants from western Pakistan still reside in refugee camps in Jammu but they have no voting rights and domicile rights in the state. The Kashmiri politicians have no issues when Rohingyas settle there but when it comes to Hindus, they start seeing red. The harsh reality is that the Kashmiri politicians do not want J & K to have Hindu and Sikh population in the state. This is nothing but a manifestation of their desire to convert Kashmir into a land of only Muslims. The destructions of Hindu temples in a place where Shankaracharya stayed and Vaishnav Devi Temple is located, not to forget the Amarnath cave, smacks of a deep-seated conspiracy to delink Kashmir from its Hindu past.

The democratic international community has now begun to understand the game plan of the pan Islamist forces and hence the repulsion towards them in the free societies of the world. No European nation, USA and Russia are going to buy the arguments of Pakistan. Even the all-weather friend of Pakistan, China is confronting Islamic fundamentalists in Xinxiang province and it knows that any leverage given to Pakistan on terrorism is only going to complicate matters in its own backyard.

Article 370 bred terrorism and secession tendencies. In the garb of autonomy, radical Islam was being imposed on the people of Kashmir. Removal of this article will not only foster development by checking corrupt J & K politicians but will also usher in integration and connectivity with the rest of the country. Moreover, it will enable the Govt at the Centre to crush Islamist forces. A nation which has more than 5000 years of civilizational and cultural continuity, a nation where majority Hindus refused to convert and maintained their religious identity despite 700 years of Muslim rule and 200 years of Christian rule and a nation where religion was always a matter of faith, not ideology will never be cowed down by Islamist threats.

Dear Malala, if there’s a Nobel for hypocrisy you would get that too!

Srivatsava Sesham
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Dear Malala, if there’s a Nobel for hypocrisy you would get that too!

October 2012, like all the sane minds of the world my heart also ached when I heard about Taliban shot a school girl for going to school. I thought when this barbarianism will end in this world, what wrong that poor kid has done to be shot at. That day I knew who you were.I prayed to god to give you strength and full recovery. Ever since, you became an inspiration. I always wonder how that small girl got courage to fight against Taliban in Swat. I always used to ask one question, if I was in that position would I go against armed religious bigots? My answer changed each time.  Then I thought maybe she got this courage in the DNA, Maybe she drew inspiration from Zorawar and Fateh even being 9year and 6year old who stood for their rights in front of Wazir Khan. West took you in, gave you new life and enough coverage so world can know about this situation, the problem of patriarchy and religious bigotry,radical ideologies, human right violations might come to light. You went on to get Nobel Peace Prize but still you got struck with same narrative.

After you left the SWAT, there were many atrocities carried out on the people. While you went on creating fund, doing lectures and giving interviews you became the scape goat of good excuse called “we are doing something”.  When you started to propagate right to education for girls then I was inspired by you. A little girl is making difference in this world, but my happiness didn’t stay long when you attributed radicalization to illiteracy. When the whole narrative around you took away the prime point of you being in exile and gone through these circumstances. How can illiteracy be prime reason for radicalization? Laden was educated, Bhagdadi was educated, people who are leaving west to join ISIS are also educated and have the privileged life in their countries even then they are going to pick up arms to carry out a genocide on non-believers of their faith. How education can solve this? Are you trying to say there are good terrorists and bad terrorists? Are you trying to say terrorist who shot you did what he did because he didn’t go to school?  Media always asked how Taliban didn’t want you to go to school, how they killed many children by bombing their schools, but nobody asked you why are they doing it, what was the motive behind their ruthless activities. You being a victim of that brutalization but chose to take a politically correct narrative but couldn’t address the real problem.

Nobody can blame you for not speaking up on all issues, nobody can blame you with what-a-boutary on issues happened before you were born but when you chose to pick up an issue to give your opinion or asking for something on that, at least I would expect you would learn little bit more on the topic. When you released the statement on J&K issue after India abrogated the article 370 of the Indian constitution, I realized how ignorant a Nobel laureate can be. It started with, this issue existed time when your grandparents were young. Sorry Malala, the issue existed when your great grandparents were young. May be nobody around you told the ugly truths of atrocities on Kashmiri women by religious fundamentalists, separatists, pro pak politicians. You claim yourself as South Asian citizen, then I would like to know if the Sindh province is in South Asia or not? If the Baloch province is in South Asia or not, if Myanmar is in South Asia or not, if Sri Lanka is in South Asia or not.

  • When the father of two innocent Hindu girls Raveena and Reena in Pakistan begged in front of police station to save his daughters from forceful marriage and conversion I don’t see a word from the girls right activist like you.
  • When the women in Baloch were dragged out of their homes in broad day light brutally raped and shot dead by the ISI I didn’t hear a word from the Nobel Prize winner.
  • When the women in Iran bravely protesting against mandatory hijab I didn’t see a small appreciation from feminist icon.
  • When the LGBTQ activities are punishable offense in Middle Eastern countries I don’t see a protest from human rights activist like you.
  • When the horrible practice of nikah halala exist to this date I didn’t hear a single complain from the brave girl of south Asia.

When there were terror attacks around South Asia you always took a political stand. Being politically correct is more important to your image than being honest on real world problems. I lost the respect on you long back when you attributed the radicalization to illiteracy. Isn’t it Ironic that you can’t visit your home town even today but worried about peace in all over South Asia, isn’t your home town in South Asia? Don’t you want to go there and lead a happy life with no harm to human rights? What stopping you? You know what was stopping you, same reason stopped lakhs of Pandits from going back to their home towns, thousands of Dalits, Sikhs, Tribals are worried to go back to their hometowns in Kashmir. Out of all I thought you would know better how the fear mongering in society leads to brutality. You could have asked your grandparents about what happened in 1990 to Pandits. You could have asked them what happened to tribal demographics in POK. May be you could have got some sense on this issue unlike any uneducated Pakistani.

I understand you didn’t mention of article 370 issue in your statement and released a statement immediately after India dealt its internal matter.  What is your stand on government putting restrictions to women on whom to marry and whom not to marry?  If they don’t abide the rules they lose right on property. Is this also “illiteracy problem”? What is your stand when the whole country made child marriage illegal and punishable offense but one part said we have autonomy we don’t want that. Why Kashmiri women can’t go to a movie theatre, why there’s not a single theatre, who stopped it, illiteracy? Did you care to check how the minority population valley reduced from 1950s to today, where did all of them go? Disappeared due to illiteracy?

May be you forgot how South Asia is suffering from these religious radicalization because of too much time you are spending on TVs, fundraisers, accepting awards and forgot the ground reality. Do you remember? That your school friends are still in that valley today going through the same suffering. Calling a spade a spade takes courage and integrity. When you faced that bullet I thought you had both qualities in you, you have got the greatest opportunity to be voice of those voiceless girls and women who goes through this patriarchy and religious bigotry every day but you missed your chance. Instead you are happy with the western appreciation and fame. I thought this Malala could be the ambassador to those millions of Malalas in the interior parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan who don’t have privilege to come out on their will but you turned out to be a greatest disappointment. You forgot the root of the problem, you pick up the entirely unrelated narrative, in the process you let that bullet win. You pulled the greatest fraud in recent times, well done.

May the day come, when you realize, Nobel to you not making any girls in Taliban control area to go to school

May the day come, when you realize, ideologies which oppressed women are the real reason for the atrocities

May the day come, when you realize, humanity prosper only by change and maintaining demographic balance

May the day come, when you appreciate, Only a real democracy can help in increasing quality of life. Until then you are the greatest hypocrite of this generation and you justify the problem by denying  there is a problem in first place.

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