26/11

What is so strange about 26/11? Why it is called as India’s 9/11? Why so much fuss is being created by media about Mumbai terrorist attack? As we all know that India is so prone to terrorist attack yet we never discuss these recurring attacks but the way terrorist carried out the daring carnage of innocent people on 26/11, it was covered day in day out in TV channels and news papers.

The magnanimity of the 26/11 attack was ferocious & brutal no doubt and we all equally condemn such attack on Indians and Indian cities, yet it has shaken the faith of every Indian of the government and that is why it is widely covered not just by the national media but also the international media. Now these are the common things which we all know, but for me it is not enough, and I am equally amazed the way media has served the Mumbai carnage to the masses.

Let talk why this has amazed me? I do not remember the precise date when terrorist had attacked Jaipur, Delhi, Allahabad, Mumbai local train, Surat and Ahmedabad. But alas the memory of the citizens of this huge country is so short lived that they have forgotten all this not because less people were killed, I mean, “murdered” in these terrorist attack but the target of these attacks were Indian Middle class.

And, though Indian media are fattening their profit margins by telecasting every stupid piece of news for grappling the eyeballs to increase the TRP of their programmes, they remain unconcerned for the great Indian Middle class. Only when the terrorist attack the Upper Middle Class and Upper Class of the India by attacking Taj Palace Hotel or Oberai Trident in Mumbai, then they understood that now the target this time is not Indian Middle Class but the people up live life is the safe / clean corners of the cities across India.

I am not biased against anybody, yet I am making a point, that media should also create awareness about these reality quite often not to frighten people but educating them about the scary reality and also ways to scuttle such incidents by keeping themselves more alert for anything happening unusual in there surrounding. Media should also debate and ask straight from the government about the short term and long term plans they are taking to curb such heinous activity in the country.

If we have the shortage of trained manpower or resources, then just by saying or simply debating, they should also put forward the suggestion in front of the government to take prompt action and make strategy to check such incidents. Information Technology is going to be a big tool to check the security related issues in India.

So, let’s hope that media will one day wake up to the reality and they would going to change the country in the right earnest manner.

Bangladesh – India’s Partner in Eastern Front

India’s eastern front is having three countries viz., Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar. In this article, I will try to cover the Bangladesh. May be in latter articles I will start talking about the Bhutan and Myanmar, which are equally important for Indian government to focus upon. As we know that North Eastern India is inflicted with militancy and every state is having its own problems.

Whether we are talking about Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura or Meghalaya, but barring Manipur and Nagaland, all states are sharing its geographical boundary with Bangladesh. Bangladesh is holding a key position in North Eastern India and Government of India is now on the track of normalizing relations with its eastern neighbor.

GoI (Government of India) should make every possible effort to smoothen the relationship with Bangladesh. As of now, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Begum Sheikh Hasina is sharing a cordial relationship with Indian leadership unlike her predecessor Ms. Khalida Zia, who was vehemently against the India and somehow playing China and Pakistan card with us to equalize the relationship.

We as the big brother should immediately address the concern of Bangladesh and at the same time Government of India should made understand Bangladesh that it is India, who had helped Bangladesh to emerged as Independent Nation from the tyranny of Pakistani’s army. But even now, India remained concerned for Bangladesh and will walk any distance to accommodate the grave concerns of Bangladesh on the matter of trade imbalance, population explosion, health care and food security.

Bangladesh under the visionary leadership of Begum Sheikh Hasina has also extended warm support to India regarding militancy problems in Assam and Tripura. Therefore, it is now India’s turn to start supporting Bangladesh on issues they are looking for India’s support like Electricity, Water, Global Warming and Trade. India is already actively seeking Bangladesh’s support to connect North Eastern India with Bangladesh’s port of Chittagong.

Therefore, mutual understanding and cooperation is required for the fruitful and peaceful relationship with Bangladesh.

India’s Afghanistan Policy

Time is changing fast and so is everything. Storages capacity has increased from megabyte to terabyte. Generation of electricity is increased from kWh to GWh. But India’s policy towards geopolitical issues remains very laggard. Every now and then Indian polity is treated as if it is an out caste amongst the comity of nations.

The recent meeting on Af-Pak issues was attended by countries from all walks of life from European Union to America. But India was deliberately left in the deliberation so that Pakistan can be satiated to a level. It is high time, Government of United States, European Union and Afghanistan should understand that India is one country who is providing what Afghanistan requires most and that is education, infrastructure development and medical care to the affected people of war torn nation.

If India has to strengthen its position in geopolitical issues it has to come out strong and clear on such issues. India is such a great nation, whose record on human rights, regional peace and economic growth is unparallel and on issues of global importance India’s stand always remain non-partisan.

The main reason why India is avoided from issues of geopolitical matters because Indian polity shy away from taking strong stand on such issues. Also India does not register strong diplomatic maneuvers which are often required time and again.

Af-Pak issue is very small yet important for Indian government to stand firm on ground and realize the world that India can’t be taken for granted. Otherwise, its repercussion would be very dangerous for India, who is aspiring to become the regional and then a global power in multi-polar world.

Candid Chinese Chastity & Chicanery

Chinese dragon is virtually purging out fireballs every now and then in the form of pressure tactics. Interesting, this pressure tactics is that it is not coerced at diplomatic level but happening at Line of Actual Control (LAC) for conveying strong message to Indian Politicians and Masses. The Chinese are actually playing the game warily at two levels. One at diplomatic level to resolve all pending disputed issues amicably to present a good face and second at track two level for second line of contact for dispute resolution i.e. at actual point of contention to built-up the pressure to flare up the situation.

Indian leadership fails to find any conclusive solution and hence, seems trapped in this quagmire. From Prime Minister to Foreign Minister to National Security Advisor to Chief of Army Staff, everybody is making comments not “statement” to soothe the volatile situation created because of media hype and hoopla.

But, the time has come for Indian Polity and Diplomacy to take some forward action rather than defensive action against Chinese policy of Chastity and Chicanery. India should deal with Chinese on four fronts to tackle the problem of Chinese intervention and incursion in Indian Geopolitical sphere. They are Trade, Tibet, Taiwan and Xinjiang, just like Chinese “OFF” and “ON”, on Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh (including Tawang), Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir (Aksai Chin only). Other areas of supremacy will automatically tow to India’s favour like Military Supremacy and Chinese overtures of neighboring countries like Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.
It is only Chinese chastity that at one point in time they recognize Sikkim as Indian State and Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh’s borders as International border in the middle sector, and at the same time built-up pressure through incursion by Chinese Army (mind it not so-called “People’s Liberation Army”) on India so as to scuttle peace and border dispute resolution process which favours China by putting India under diplomatic pressure.

It is high time when India should increase its bilateral political, military, trade and cultural relations with all neighboring countries in Indian Sub-Continent like Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. One-to-one interaction at PMO level is pertinent to create amiable environment in neighborhood of India through constructive relationships with these nations.
India should recognize the problems in Tibet and bargain hard to finalize border dispute in North Eastern Sector of India with China viz., Arunachal Pradesh including Tawang and make it very clear to China that Sikkim is now closed chapter and Chinese incursion in Sikkim may restrain India’s relation with China. At no point in time India should shun the topic of Indian sovereignty over Aksai Chin and candidly discusses transfer of Aksai Chin to India, which is under Chinese control since 1962’s conflict.

It is high time for India to move ahead of 1962’s debacle and resolve border dispute with China by settling issues of Aksai Chin, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, which are part of Indian Territory. India should be smart enough to break the chicanery of Chinese by not bracketing Tibet with Aksai Chin, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh as India never annexed these territories, rather they were the part of British India and they preferred to be part of Indian Union forever.