Change in Iraqi policy

After passing resolutions condeming the invasion of Iraq by the Coalition forces, India is now cozying up to the Interim Govt. Iraq’s foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari is to visit India this month.

As a first step, India has offered to train 30 Iraqi electoral officials in India, but the government is clearly ready to go beyond making contributions in procedures and arrangements. The elections, the government feels, are a useful instrument for India tossing its hat into the Iraq ring yet again.
With a declared “hands-off” policy on Iraq surviving the NDA government, India has found itself increasingly marginalised in the global stakes in Iraq and clearly missing out on the action. The bedrock of India’s shift comes from the realisation that Iraq’s stability is in India’s interest which is reaching out to West Asia in a new way. From energy to strategic stability in the Islamic world, India wants a more hands-on role. [India to ‘unshackle’ Iraq policy]

The reality is that Saddam Hussein is not going to come back to power and Iraq has the second largest oil reserves. With so much oil consumption in India, it is better we get friendly with the Iraqi administration.

Now bad movies have a market

2000 years back India projected its soft power to Afghanistan and the result was the Bamiyan Buddhas and the Gandhara culture. Now again India is projecting its soft power and what may result are – some Salman Khan clones.

Among the most popular and controversial features on cable are films produced by India’s prolific movie industry. Bollywood has long been a mainstay here thanks to the similarities between the cultures and the fact that many people in Afghanistan understand Hindi and Urdu. But in recent years, Bollywood has abandoned many old taboos, allowing far more erotic scenes and songs than ever before – though the films rarely push beyond PG-13 Hollywood fare.
Prasant Satapathy, an Indian TV producer working in Kabul, says Bollywood’s influence has been a catalyst for change in the Afghan society. Movies such as “Tera Naam” (Your Name), the 2003 Bollywood hit, for example, flopped in India but was a success in Kabul. The movie became so popular here that it inspired everything from hairstyles to fashion trends, sharpening cultural differences among generations.
However, Supreme Court officials say a murder at Kabul University earlier this month is proof that gang violence portrayed in some Bollywood movies has permeated the youth culture here. A third-year medical student fatally stabbed a freshmen allegedly because he was angry that the freshman had grown his hair out like him.
“What happened was imitating Bollywood movies,” says Mr. Mozhdah. “The boy said you shouldn’t have hair like me. After the incident at the university, we said that what happened was because of the cable. Now we have … proof of that corruption.”
University professors say student gangs are cropping up. And Health officials lay partial blame on Bollywood films for a spike in teen delinquency during the last year, as more young girls are fleeing their families with boyfriends to avoid arranged marriages. [Racy foreign films prompt cable ban in Afghanistan]

Representatives of Kashmiris ?

Small men thrown into big chairs – that’s how Manmohan Singh decribed the Hurriyat leaders. They claim to be the representatives of the Kashmiris, though they do not believe in elections. When the Pakistan Prime Minister visits India, he meets the Hurriyat and do not even meet the actual elected representatives of Jammu and Kashmir.

All the same, no impartial traveller to the Valley in recent years even during the drift could have missed the sheer disregard in which the Hurriyat and its leaders are held by the people, angry and disgusted though they are with the high-handed and often unacceptable behaviour of our security forces. Even in its high noon in the turmoil years, the Hurriyat did not represent, in terms of popular support, a relation to the gun-toting outfits akin to, say, the Sinn Fein and the IRA. The British government’s talks with the Sinn Fein do not, therefore, come as a surprise.
The Hurriyat had no grassroots life, and it did not care to develop one. In any case, this would have been near-impossible, given the mutually antagonistic and disparate orientation of Hurriyat constituents. Its constituents were removed from the culture of traditional mass politics which presumes linkages to the people. The exception among today’s big boys’ is Ali Shah Geelani, a na-turally gifted, strongly pro-Pakistan leader who is influential among orthodox Jamaat-e-Islami sections dispersed across the Valley. Though the Hurriyat does not have many takers within the Valley, its usefulness to Islamabad can not be overemphasised. Its strawmen, the handsomely rewarded naysayers, provide Pakistan the proverbial fig-leaf that no foreign meddler can do without. [Hurriyat Doesn’t Represent Kashmiri Aspirations]

A neat idea

Today is Communist day here at varnam. In some news which warmed the cockles of my heart (located between the left and right ventricle), the Communists in Kerala have been asked to pay for all the hartals they have called for.
Kerala High Court had banned bandhs. So the geniuses there (100% literacy at work) now call for hartals which has the same end result. (This is similar to terrorist groups in Pakistan changing names when they are banned by the US State Dept). It was then that the Bombay High Court came up with this pay as you go Bandh idea. Now the Marx-putras have been asked to shell out Rs. 3 lakh in compensation for 13 bandhs.

Compensation notices were slapped on three stalwarts of the Kerala CPM and 100 others for destruction of public property during shutdowns called by the party or its affiliates.
The Kerala government order was issued on Friday, the day Opposition Trinamul Congress supporters organised a bandh in Bengal.
CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, former Speaker M. Vijaya Kumar and Left Front convener Paloly Mohammed Kutty and the others have been asked to pay Rs 3 lakh for destruction of public property during the 13 strikes called after the Congress-led government came to power in 2001.
The collective compensation demand of Rs 3 lakh is but a drop in an ocean of Rs 10.52 crore Kerala has lost over the last three years in bandhs. But this is the first time anywhere in the country that a government has moved on its own to claim damages and pin responsibility on individuals.
The order also imposes vicarious responsibility on the sponsors of hartals, after forced shutdowns were declared illegal by the Supreme Court. This closes the escape hatch for political leaders who deploy ranks in the streets and disclaim any personal role in the resultant violence. [CPM gets a bill for bandhs]

The Only Fatherland

Sandeep has an excellent review of Arun Shourie’s book The Only Fatherland, which brings into light the anti-national activities of the Indian Communists.

When the Quit India Movement was called by Gandhi, the Communists initially supported it. Why? Stalin had then made a deal with Hitler to share certain European territories including parts of Poland. To achieve this, he sent out through the Comintern, pamphlets that the War was a war between the oppressive forces of capitalism and that the Commies should remain neutral and/or that wherever the forces of capitalism were active (read: European colonies), they needed to be opposed. Thus, Britain=Capitalist, India=British colony, therefore, oppose the British in India. The Indian Commies faithfully compiled. Not just that. In their obsession with The Marxist Gospel, they began to paint patriots–including but not limited to Gandhi–as “vultures, decadent, traitors.” Their struggle was the only true struggle, their way the only way to expel the British, and so on. As evidence, Shourie presents an array of extracts from their party letters, cartoons, and articles. One cartoon shows Subash Bose as a midget being led by Japanese imperialists, another shows him as a cur held up Goebbels. Gandhi is depicted as a kangaroo in whose pouch a frightened JP (frightened by the Commies, of course) jumps right back. And a typical passage that tarnishes the freedom fighters’ reputations:[The Only Fatherland]

Arun Shourie has been taking on the Communists for a long time. In his book Eminent Historians he gave us examples of how Communist historians are attempting to rewrite history to appease Muslims. I have not “The Only Fatherland” yet, but it is moving to the top of my list.

Communist haters!

Here is a question for you. Communist Party secretary Anil Biswas called “X” as people who were opposed to development. Who can “X” be ?
If yor brain has gone into an infinite loop wondering who can be more against development than the Communists, then here is clue. The same “X” beat up some Communists recently.
And the answer is:

In another daring strike in the Naxalite hotbed of West Midnapore, CPM leaders were thrashed, forest bungalows blasted and vehicles used for building roads set on fire last night.

Afghan Treasures

The Bactrian Gold which is speculated to be burried by Bactrian nomads in the first century CE was discovered in 1978. It survived the Soviet invasion, the warring mujahadeen factions and the Taliban rule and was found again in 2003. Recently an inventory was conducted and everything was found to be intact.

In ancient times, Bactrian civilization rivaled that of Mesopotamia. It was a fertile agricultural oasis and a thoroughfare on the Silk Road. Iranian, Indian, Central Asian, Chinese, Greek, Roman, and nomadic cultures encountered one another on the plains and in the capital of Balkh, which the Arabs called “the Mother of Towns.” Artistic and cultural styles fused. Zoroaster first preached monotheism there and King Kanishka commissioned the first human representations of the Buddha there. The poet known as Rumi wrote verses there, and Marco Polo traversed the city on his path to China.

The region was colonized repeatedly. Alexander the Great came to conquer this easternmost outpost of his empire, the last Persian province to fall, and made it his base; his inheritor later traded it to the Indian Mauryan dynasty for five hundred elephants and a princess. Genghis Khan destroyed it with his horde of ten thousand men in the early thirteenth century. “With one stroke a world which billowed with fertility was laid desolate,” the chronicler Juvaini wrote three decades later. And Babur, the founder of the Moguls and a descendent of Genghis Khan, seized the region before he moved on to conquer India.

The treasure may eventually reveal new information about the mysterious span of time between the decline of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom and the rise of the great Kushan Empire. The trove contains many unusual objects. One gold coin resembles no numismatic collection in the world: it depicts a man resting on the Wheel of Dharma, and on the reverse, a lion with a raised paw. Sarianidi hypothesizes that it was minted by the Greco-Bactrian King Agathocles during the interval between Greek and Kushan control.

Another gold coin is stamped with the profile of the Roman emperor Tiberius, minted in Lugdunum in Gaul between 16 and 21 C.E.–the first coin of its kind found in all of Central Asia. Other provocative objects prompt questions about the mingling and syncretism of artistic styles: brooches and figurines depicting Aphrodite show a Kushan interpretation of the goddess’s features–small-breasted, round-bellied, and more serious than her Greek counterpart–but she stands with one arm resting on a column, as was the Hellenistic fashion. [ An Ancient Afghan Treasure is Recovered]

The Los Angeles Times has an article on the Bactrian Gold with some pictures of the treasure. This month’s National Geographic too has an article on Afghan Culture. (links via India Archaeology)

Track III tactics

PILLI POST (Indo-Pak border): Pakistani troops recently encroached upon a 40-metre stretch along the International Border in Samba sub-sector in Jammu. BSF DIG, Jammu Sector, P K Mishra said that Pakistan had removed one of the three pillars and constructed a post at Ballard area on IB. There were reports of high tension between the border guards of Pakistan and India after the Pakistani encroachment.

Talking to reporters after a sector commander-level meeting of the two countries, where the BSF took up the issue, Mishra said the land had been reclaimed. He said the issue would be further discussed between BSF commandant and Wing Commander of Pakistani Rangers on Friday. “We have refixed the border pillar and taken control of our land,” Mishra stated. “There is no question of leaving an inch of our territory,” he added. [India push back Pakistan incursion in Jammu]

Didn’t Kargil also start as a minor incursion ? While Track II diplomacy is going on in Amritsar and Dubai, it is these Track III activities that needs to be taken care of.

Movie Reviews #6

Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle If you have been watching documentaries week after week, this is what you need : A feeble story, heavy metal music, lot of skin, and unbelievable stunts. Terrible, but watchable.
The Incredibles The idea of a dysfunctional American family has been beaten to death in movies and sitcoms (Simpsons, Malcom in the Middle, American Beauty). So the idea of dysfunctional American family with ex-super heroes does not have any novelty. After watching so many Pixar movies, I had great expectations of this movie. But throughout the whole movie I laughed only once (towards the last scene when the little baby morphs into fire). Everyone in the theatre were laughing like crazy, but this movie did not do it for me.
Vasool Raja MBBS (Tamil) This is a remake of the Hindi film Munna Bhai MBBS where Kamal Haasan plays the role played by Sanjay Dutt and Prabhu the role of Arshad Warsi. I hate to say this, but Sanjay Dutt was better in that role. Since I had seen Munna Bhai first, there was this constants comparison thread running in the background and I found the Hindi version better than this one.
Thitthikuthe (Tamil) This movie had a melodious song (Thaayarum Ariyaamal…) sung by Unnikrishnan which I liked. After watching 30 mins of the movie, I was looking for a wall to bang my head.
Nandanam (Malayalam) A servant girl’s faith in Guruvayoorappan translates into her wishes coming true. She sees the hand of the Lord in everything, which others around her do not see. MT Vasudevan Nair had a movie called ‘Ente Swantham Janakikutty’ which revolved around a similar theme of personal faith and seeing what you want to see. This movie has excellent songs too and was a nice Malayalam movie after a long time.
Swapnakoodu (Malayalam) The film has three heroes and two heroines and could have been the world’s first pentagonal love story. But they make one hero tie the rakhee on a heroine. Then they kill one of the heroines. So the problem was reduced to the most often solved mathematical puzzle in Indian films – the triangular love story. Everything ends predictably. Good songs and excellent characters make this a good movie to watch.

Foreigners and US

There is a considerable decline in the number of foreign students entering United States and it is going to affect the country seriously.

Some Americans might say, “Good riddance, it’s their loss.” Actually the greater loss is ours. American universities benefit from having the best students from across the globe. But the single most deadly effect of this trend is the erosion of American capacity in science and technology. The U.S. economy has powered ahead in large part because of the amazing productivity of America’s science and technology. Yet that research is now done largely by foreign students. The National Science Board (NSB) documented this reality last year, finding that 38 percent of doctorate holders in America’s science and engineering work force are foreign-born. Foreigners make up more than half the students enrolled in science and engineering programs. The dirty little secret about America’s scientific edge is that it’s largely produced by foreigners and immigrants.

Americans don’t do science anymore. The NSB put out another report this year that showed the United States now ranks 17th (among nations surveyed) in the proportion of college students majoring in science and engineering. In 1975 the United States ranked third. The recent decline in foreign applications is having a direct effect on science programs. Three years ago there were 385 computer-science majors at MIT. Today there are 240. The trend is similar at Stanford, Carnegie Mellon and the University of California, Berkeley. [Rejecting the Next Bill Gates]

Defence Contractors need engineering graduates (non-software), who are US Citizens and can get clearance. Already it is tough to get plain engineering graduates and with conditions like Citizenship and it will be impossible to get employees who match this criteria. On top of this you restrict foreigners who want to study and you aggravate the issue. The solution for this specific problem is not outsourcing as it pertains to national security. I hope someone pays attention.