This is a “book”:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0300089023/jksobservat-20/103-6452404-6211035 is a comprehensive look at the Taliban movement, both in terms of their history and from the angle of various players involved in Afghanistan. The author Ahmed Rashid was based in Pakistan covering the region for many years and the book is the result of his interviews with various members of the Taliban.
The book covers the story of the Taliban from their origin in refugee camps in Pakistan to their takeover of Afghanistan, with some generous help from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. It details the autrocities committed by the Taliban against other ethnic minorities and is also very critical about the various edicts issued by the inexperienced Taliban like the ones which made women prisoners inside burqas.
According to the book, even though the Taliban implemented a strict Islamic Law for their citizens, they were involved in many anti-Islamic activities. For one, they revived the cultivation of Opium Poppy. According to Rashid, even though it is against Islam to consume or produce intoxicants, the Taliban justified it saying that Opium was consumed by kafirs and Afghanis consumed only heroin which was banned. Another point that Rashid makes in this book is that even though Islam does not allow a dead body to rot in public, the Taliban did not allow the bodies to be buried when they went around butchering people in various cities they conquered.
The last section of the book talks about the new great game in the region. The area around Caspian Sea has a large reserve of untapped oil. But that region is landlocked between Russia, Iran, and the Central Asian Republics and present transportation issues. There was lots of money to be made if the gas could be transported to the Arabian Sea. But for that to happen there had to be a regime in Afghanistan which would ensure safe passage of the gas.
California based Oil Company UNOCAL proposed the construction of a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan. Their competitor was Bridas from Argentina. Both the companies tries to woo the Taliban. The Taliban mullahs were invited to visit United States and Argentina. While in the United States, the Taliban also visited the State Department and asked for recognition of their Government.
UNOCAL would have gone ahead with its plan but for the feminist movement in United States. The feminists were opposed to the an American company supporting a regime which ill treated their women. At that time President Clinton who was having a large women vote bank also did not want to lose it. As a result the UNOCAL project fell through.
This is one book which should be compulsory reading for all Indian diplomats and media personnel. There are many points they can emphasize in their presentation of India’s case and to point out the specifics regarding the role of the Pakistani Government and their Intelligence Agencies in the creation of this monster. This is a book which should be read by any one interested in Afghanistan and the politics of the region. With so much money at stake, there is going to be lots of political re-alignment and action in this region for many years. This book will provide all the background information required for understanding the politics. I sure am going to buy this book.
Ancient Ship
A “900 year old ship”:http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_831662.htmlhas been found in a rice field in Kerala
bq. The ship is made of local Indian wood but the craftsmanship is not, leading experts to suggest it was made by ancient Chinese, Japanese, Egyptians or Arabs.
bq. After carbon-dating tests on the ship’s wood, a local variety called Anjili, Gopi said: “We believe the ship to be approximately 920 years old. But the techniques used in making this vessel are definitely not Indian.”
But how come the experts cannot say if it is Chinese, or Japanese or Egyptian or Arabian ? Do all of them have the same style of ships ?
Revenge for Colonialism
The Guardian has “an article”:http://www.sulekha.com/redirectnh.asp?cid=319613 on outsourcing which it thinks is the reversal of colonialism
bq. Britain’s industrialisation was secured by destroying the manufacturing capacity of India. In 1699, the British government banned the import of woollen cloth from Ireland, and in 1700 the import of cotton cloth (or calico) from India. Both products were forbidden because they were superior to our own. As the industrial revolution was built on the textiles industry, we could not have achieved our global economic dominance if we had let them in. Throughout the late 18th and 19th centuries, India was forced to supply raw materials to Britain’s manufacturers, but forbidden to produce competing finished products. We are rich because the Indians are poor.
bq. Now the jobs we stole 200 years ago are returning to India.
Fire – II
Now there are more fires burning. Some fires have combined together and are causing massive destruction. Gray Davis has “declared emergency”:http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/news/102603_AP_r2_cal_fires.html in two counties. There have been atleast 11 deaths so far. Out of that two people died in the car trapped in flames. 500 homes have been destroyed.
We were out doing groceries and the sun was up, but it was burning through the smoke which has filled the sky. So the sun has an orange color, like during sunset.
All local channels are now providing round the clock coverage and that’s the only thing we are watching.
When did Mahabharata happen ?
bq. The eclipses and planetary observations of the Mahabharata should belong to 1493 BC to 1443 BC of Indian history. The war should have taken place in 1478 BC with an error bond of one year, Dr R N Iyengar from the department of civil engineering at Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, said.
This is a “new date”:http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/oct20/n1.asp proposed for the Mahabharata War. Dr. Subhash Kak wrote “an article”:http://www.sulekha.com/expressions/column.asp?cid=305835 on the same issue in Sulekha and his conclusion was
bq. This leaves us with the dates of 1924 BC and 3137 BC. I don’t think we have evidence at this time to pick one of these two as the more likely one. If one gives credence to the Puranic genealogies, then 1924 BC would be the time for the War; if, on the other hand, we go by the astronomical evidence related to the Vedas and the subsequent literature, then 3137 BC remains a plausible date. If the pre-Nanda Puranic lists are not accurate for the regnal periods, then the War will have occurred a few centuries later than 1924 BC.
This is an issue I had investigated deeply. If you want to know the exact date of Mahabharata, then read my article “When Did Mahabharata Happen?”:http://www.sulekha.com/expressions/column.asp?cid=305815
(thanks ashwini for the link)
Fire!
We come back after “our vacation”:https://varnam.org/archives/000259.html and find that it’s “fire all”:http://msnbc.com/news/983543.asp?0cv=CA01 around us.
bq. Since it began Tuesday, the fire in the foothills of San Bernardino County has damaged or destroyed seven homes, said Bill Peters, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry. About 1,700 people had been evacuated, according to county sheriff’s spokeswoman Sandy Fatland.
We live about 40 miles away from San Bernadino and Rancho Cucumonga. The sky is filled with smoke and the sun was not visible during daytime yesterday. Actually while driving back from Las Vegas, we saw this fire on the mountains and did not think much about it. Forest fires are common here during summer. This one seems to be out of control now and houses are being destroyed.
Road Trip
We are off on a road trip with friends to (1) Grand Canyon (2) Las Vegas and (3) San Diego. The aim of this trip is to visit all the popular tourist spots. Last time I visited Grand Canyon was in 1999. This time I will see if there has been more erosion in the region. Last time I did not make any money in Las Vegas. This time I do not expect miracles. So blogging will resume after a week.
Global Terrorist in Pakistan
“Last Month”:http://ushome.rediff.com/news/2003/sep/24pm2.htm
bq. Asked about gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s presence in Pakistan and whether India will take it up with Interpol, Advani avoided a direct response and said the Central Bureau of Investigation Chief P C Sharma is leaving to attend an Interpol conference.
bq. On Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf repeadtedly denying Dawood’s presence in Pakistan, Advani said: “I know that…we have in fact conveyed to them even the telephone numbers he [Dawood] uses. Sometimes he is in Karachi, sometimes he is in Islamabad.”
bq. About the recent statement of a Pakistani minister confirming the gangster’s presence and business interests in Pakistan, the deputy prime minister said: “It only confirms what we have been conveying to the world all these years. It is an official confirmation or rather official admission of something we have been saying for years and which was till now being denied by Pakistan, including by the head of the state. He [Musharraf] formally denied it to me,” Advani said.
Finally what Pakistan and Musharraf has been denying has hit “them hard”:http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=33578
bq. The US Treasury Department tonight announced that Dawood Ibrahim alias Sheikh Dawood Hassan is a ��specially designated global terrorist�� with a Pak passport and a Karachi address.
bq. In one stroke, not only does this nail Pakistan�s lie and put its President General Pervez Musharraf under pressure to deliver Dawood�one of the 20 most wanted by India�it also puts the terrorist label on the D-company and its network in South-Asia, especially the Mumbai underworld.
Global Terrorists in Pakistan ? Looks like the Uncle asked Musharraf to do something and he did not comply. The pressure tactics come out.
Define Irony
bq. “Is it true that you can see the Great Wall of China from space?” asked an eager television interviewer.
bq. Yang answered: “Erm, no.”
Irony: Chinese Astronaut, “not being able to see”:http://www.sulekha.com/redirectnh.asp?cid=319406 Great Wall from Space
Book Review: Tricky Business
After a long time I finished reading a work of fiction — “Tricky Business”:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0425192741/jksobservat-20 by “Dave Barry”:http://davebarry.blogspot.com/. This one was very engrossing, even though it was whacky as usual, and I am sure it will soon be made into a major motion picture, like his previous book “Big Trouble”:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1587889285/jksobservat-20
This book is the story of a bunch of odd people who get on a ship called Extravaganza of the Seas to go off the Florida Coast to gamble. It is also the story of how this gets messed up with a drug smuggling operation. Then it gets all crazy as people start shooting each other on the stormy night and there are naked people running in between. It is one hell of a ship ride. You have to read it.