With warm regards Gajendra
*Khurshid Kasuri's Mid-Winter Dreams in New Delhi*
* **'It is unlikely Kayani will compromise with India'** Ahmed J. Rashid*
*
http://tarafits.blogspot.com/2011/01/khurshid-kasuris-mid-winter-dreams-in.html
*
*<http://tarafits.blogspot.com/2011/01/khurshid-kasuris-mid-winter-dreams-in.html>
*
Former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri in a lecture in New Delhi
two weeks ago, lauded self congratulatory progress achieved by the back
channels to almost resolving all the complex bilateral problems bedeviling
India and Pakistan since the British partitioned Hindustan. But for
thelawyers movement which derailed president Pervez Musharraf regime
in March
2007,Kasuri claimed , the Delhi born Mohajir General would have invited
village Gah (Pakistan) born Indian PM Manmohan Singh over to Islamabad "for
a long chat and a grand finale marked by a settlement on Kashmir, with an
option for a review of the treaty after 15 years," in MJ Akbar 's words.
.
On resolving the Siachen dispute, Kasuri said, "Siachen has been ready for
many years to sign. It is India's concern as to whether if they move out, we
will walk in... but we had taken care of all concerns. We will not be able
to walk in. That is the bottom line. It will become a mountain of peace as
your Prime Minister said*.** * *"Downplaying criticism that Pakistan Army
chief General Ashfaq Kayani was not in favour of peace talks, Kasuri said
Kayani was "definitely supportive" then and "if he was agreeable to what we
were doing then, there is no reason to doubt he has changed his mind".*
Kasuri spoke to a large gathering of special invitees at Sapru House ,New
Delhi .A Cambridge ( not Oxford) classmate of India's Mani Shankar Aiyar
,smart ex-diplomat ,nationalist ex-minister ,now a member of Parliament (
from artists quota !) ,Kasuri in his rather long and boring lecture covered
all problems between the sub-continent's squabbling siblings .
All these Sisyphus like endeavours and efforts ,covert and overt ,made in
all sincerity are unlikely to amount to much because of the divide and rule
policy followed by Christian Europe and Russia since the roll back from 16
century of Ottoman empire from the Gates of Vienna ( and Crimea) , the
destruction of five centuries old , multi-ethnic , multi-religious,
multi-linguistic empire established by the sons of Ottomans which stretched
from Morocco to the Caucasus , from Hungary to Yemen , and from Crimea to
Sudan ,from which now more than 25 new states have emerged so far and still
counting .Europe used all the strategy and tactics and more including the
divide and rule policy employed ever since the concept of Imperial power
took birth and blossomed in central Asia and west and south Asia .
Kasturi talked of common Geography .Yes, but those dominating Pakistan now ,
though out history have felt jealous of the richer rulers of Hindustan with
their capital on river Jamuna, whether in Delhi or Agra .The religion was
immaterial .They had encouraged tribes from central Asia , when Chauhans
were ruling Delhi ;later invited the Moghuls when Afghans were ruling Delhi
.Then they invited Pathans and Persians when Moghuls were in decline . For
its strategic defence , Hindustan should control Kabul if not Kandahar as
well as was done by early Moghuls .Once Kabul and Kandahar were lost ,
Hindustan became a plaything of invaders. And the Punjabi people joined in
the loot and robbed the invader if he failed .
After the partition of Hindustan in 1947 , Pak sent in raiders into Kashmir,
after the 1965 probing of Brahmin/Hindu nerve first in Kutch , invaded
Kashmir and in 1999 the Kargil invasion by stealth. And of course since mid
1980s under that Mullah in uniform Gen Zia-ul Haq, Pakistan has been
bleeding a hapless India with what is called a thousand cuts .
In the considered opinion of the author ,what Kasuri alleged or claimed is
unlikely to come about any time soon , unless the malevolent influence of
Anglo-Saxons , Saudi Arabia led conservative Muslim states and China
disappears from the sub-continent . Even if the declining US led Western
hegemony speeds up into a USSR like downfall and Washington takes with it
China many a notches down .The author spent most of his diplomatic career
in Muslim countries had to perforce , face , study and counter Anglo-Saxon
divide and rule policy , machinations and propaganda to keep India and
Pakistan in a state of quarrel , tension and almost war and even wars
and; history
of Islam and Islamic states and empires covering Balkans ,West and north
Africa, Middle East ,Turkey and central and south Asia.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall , a triumphant and hubris laden US led New
Rome and its allies broke up multi-ethnic , multi-religious,
multi-linguistic modern state of Yugoslavia and has partitioned Iraq into
Shia , Sunni and Kurdish dominated territories .Earlier Washington led West
had fooled and encouraged Gorbachev into a policy of Glasnost and
Perestroika and then with assistance from the cronies of a drunk or drugged
Yeltsin detached resources rich central Asian republics .Under the charade
of ushering democracy, liberal capitalism and globalization ,West siphoned
away from half to one trillion dollars wealth from Soviet block .In East
Europe West aligned mafias have taken over bringing misery to the
populations (In a Romanian poll 3 years ago ,the much maligned Nikolai
Ceaucescu easily topped as the most important leader in history)
So , following the bankruptcy in the wake of WWII ,London while being forced
to quit Hindustan , with help from a so-called secular Jinnah whose policies
aroused communal passions and riots ( with Brits in attendance ) divided it
into India and Pakistan .(The Bengali speaking East Pakistan split away in
1991.) The division of Hindustan was ruthlessly implemented by arch imperial
servant Lord Mountbatten , who was not beyond exploiting his wife's services
in the cause .As neither Mahatma Gandhi nor Nehru would join any military
alliance to guard western oil wells in the Middle East , the emerging new
source of economic and military power , a weak Pakistan became a necessity .
Kashmir problem was created with the West blatantly supporting Pakistan in
UN and elsewhere to eliminate any chances of any direct land link between
India and USSR / central Asia .That perfidious policy still persists .Since
1947 ,Western leaders led by the Anglo-Saxons and media have sided with
Pakistan and repeat ad nauseam ,'resolve Kashmir ' and how .Even When a
panic stricken and demoralized Nehru wrote to US president JF Kennedy in
November , 1962 for military assistance against China ,the Anglo-Saxons
first wanted the Kashmir problem to be resolved .
Both London and Washington have been since 1947 inimical to India's
strategic interests and remain so .I have been predicting the decline and
fall American hegemony since 2002 .London is bankrupt while Washington is on
artificial respiration amounting to 2,600 billion dollars , which have
nothing to back it and exist only on computer screens . With industry
declining in USA except the flourishing arms industry , this hot money
flowing in and out has turned stock exchanges around the world , specially
in Asia into Casinos .Invested in commodities in league with local fat cats
it has raised inflation around the world , India being a major sufferer .In
Tunisia ,Egypt, Yemen and Algeria there have been riots , with the
pro-Western ruler of Tunisia , cited as an example of the success of IMF
laid down policies, being forced to quit. India has Washcon pensioners in
key economic decision making positions , but poor and hungry Indians (with
70% subsisting on half a dollar per day ) , brainwashed into belief that it
is the result of their karma in last birth are unlikely to follow in Arabs'
footsteps.
Only foolish and sold out Indian Ignoranti hogging India's celebrity and
trivia obsessed TV channels trust and trumpet US policies and interests
.India and China can rise and co-exist together. Before the arrival of the
British East India Company in the late 18th century, the sub-continent's
share in world manufacturing was 24.5 percent in 1750 (and 32.8 percent for
China ).Beijing can expand in the Pacific and elsewhere leaving India alone
and not arming or financing Pakistan misadventures for which Pakistani pay
the price .With almost equal populations, Indian GDP is about $ one
trillion, while China's is almost 4 trillion. Chinese are pragmatic , hard
working and proud nationalists, while the argumentative Indians are looking
for deals , commissions and kickbacks , the new words for *dakhshina* of
Brahmins , now collected by the neo-Brahmins aka rulers a totally immoral
and corrupt political and corporate class who in *bhagidari*-joint looting
have usurped almost all power . Sea the Indian fat cats crowing on corporate
NDTV with Radia tapes corporate go between bringing ill repute to the fair
profession of journalism .Wait for more Radia tapes unveiling many more
corporate agents masquerading as journalists.
If India has given up the idea of getting back its territories from China by
force , it is foolish for Pakistanis to think that they can ever get Kashmir
by force .It is easy for Anglo-Saxons to excite ,encourage and bribe Punjabi
Pakistanis about their bravery and valour which keeps Western powers happy
and Beijing happy too. Look at the number of Pakistanis given posts in UN
and allied agencies compared to more populous Muslim Bangla Desh and
Indonesia .Islamabad is quite happy to carry out Western bidding and use
Kashmiris as cannon fodder ..
Kashmir problem is not like those of Kurds , historically a distinct people
straddling across Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria .Kashmiris are being
exploited like the Kurds in history by neighboring states and outside powers
like Britain, Russia and now USA. Many Kurdish websites post my pieces on
Kurdish problem and resistance .One of them once enquired if I am against
Kurdish Independence .I said no , but its not likely to happen any time
soon. A very senior member of the Kurdish National Front told me that
Washington is not taking any action against the Marxist rebels PKK in north
Iraq under US control since 1991 so that it can use it as pawns against
Turkey. Five years ago ,Turkey had almost broken relations with Israel
because Tel Aviv was training Kurds in north Iraq for possible sabotage
against Turkey and other neighbours Iran and Syria.
Unlike Kashmiris the Kurds till recently had to call themselves mountain
Turks , still cannot use freely Kurdish for education and broadcasting .
Kurdish stone throwing children in south east Kurdish region of Turkey are
given long prison sentences . Yes ,unlike rest of India Kashmiris were not
allowed to allowed to throw up grass roots politicians like Yadavas and Lals
in India's cow belt .New Delhi Brahmins relied on only a few families who
leverage their loyalty to remain in power . Yes in a vicious process
Kashmiris are suffering from human rights violations . So are people
elsewhere in India , leading to insurgencies and revolts.
Disgruntled Kashmir elements are trained , equipped and financed by Pakistan
for its own ends , when it is quite clear that Islamabad has no intention of
agreeing to an independent Kashmir .Why go far ? Just look at the terrible
conditions in Pak occupied Kashmir ruled from the interior ministry of
Pakistan.
In final analyses ,the exchange of delegations between India and Pakistan
and overt and covert talks will achieve little in the current strategic
balance .Yes , sometimes ,it can lower the tensions which Anglo-Saxons keep
on stoking and igniting ,Western media loves it .It cannot mention India and
Pakistan without mentioning three or four wars on Kashmir .Should we mention
when ever there are differences between Germany, France and UK about the
horrors and murder of millions during two World Wars ,including in
concentration camps , where in the very acme of Western materialistic
capitalism , Jews were abused to the last ounce of energy and even their
bones .
How the same corporate controlled US media and London Government BBC spin,
exaggerate and tell lies led by US presidents , vice-presidents ,
secretaries of state and the Lord of them all ,Tony Blair about so called
weapons of mass destruction in Iraq , Baghdad's connection with Al Qaeda and
now lies about Iran's legal enrichment of Uranium for power generation
allowed under NPT which it has signed .
Yes these sometimes bring down the tensions raised by western powers and
media and a false sense of wellbeing .These overt and covert meetings act as
feel good therapy .Kuldip Nayyar can light candles , visit his ancestral home
in Sialkot , so can Lahore born Mani Shankar Aiyar. To believe that the
partition could have been avoided shows total lack of understanding history
and strategic calculus , a special trait of frog in the well ( big one )
mentality of naval watching Indians .Many still continue to live in a fool's
paradise.
*It is unlikely Kayani will reach a compromise with India.*
* *
* *In a news report in Indian Express of 28 January ,Pakistan journalist
Ahmed Rashid Kasuri's assessment about the current Pakistani strongman on
peace with India has been set aside .( Rashid in now more an establishment
journalist .Having delivered lectures at the universities of Bukhara,
Samarkand, Tashkent and Andijan –birth place of emperor Babur in 1998 and
studied central Asian history in Turkey where I spent ten years in two
tenures ,I was amused to read his much quoted first book on central Asia in
1990s .While like orphans , the local ethnic leadership of Soviet central
Asian Turkic leadership ,after having been ditched by Russian Slav
leadership under Yelsin who had removed the carpet under Gorbachev was
planning future of Slav Russian leadership of Ukraine and BeloRussia ,
Rashid was agog reciting the great Tatar, Mongol and Turkish empires and
rule over Russians , forgetting that they had been beaten back into
submission by the Russians by end 19th century )
When asked about Military policy , Rashid replied ; "Currently, the
military is obsessed with (first) Afghanistan and the Taliban and (second)
India<http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/It-is-unlikely-Kayani-will-compromise-with-India/743049/>.
Therefore and unfortunately, the army is not taking the domestic situation
seriously. In fact, with Taliban's increasing power, the high command is
deeply concerned, (it's a threat) that could arouse sympathies. They are
worried that these sympathies are penetrating the security services. Kayani
has an Afghan-obsessed agenda."
About Indo-Pak relations Rashid said ; "It is unlikely Kayani will reach
a compromise with India. He sees India as an activist
army<http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/It-is-unlikely-Kayani-will-compromise-with-India/743049/>,
an enemy. This is a problem for Pakistan as well. Unfortunately, the army is
not looking at domestic issues. It must make peace with its neighbours —
this is a view I have long held. Pakistan's social crisis cannot be solved
without peace with its neighbours. "The situation in Pakistan is dire —
we're in a complete economic crisis. Of course, the only real (and
potential) investor could be India. We need to bring an end to this
isolation. India is investing across the world; it can in Pakistan too. The
liberal society, the industrialists, are crying for engagement. When
relations were normalised five years ago (under Musharraf), we feared
Indian<http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/It-is-unlikely-Kayani-will-compromise-with-India/743049/>
products
would swamp out markets but, Indians like our products too. The old fear,
that India would swallow us economically, is no more. In fact,renewable
energy is a key issue that India and Pakistan can cooperate in. We are both
short of energy — we both need pipelines for instance. These are common
problems and this (economics) can unite us. We need dialogue." On the
radicalisation of the youth and punishment for the perpetrators of 26/11,
Rashid said ; "The radicalisation that we see has been going on since the
1980s since the madarsas took root. But during that period people — in the
establishment — did not give enough focus to them. This development now has
become hugely disruptive. The state did not provide adequate educational
reform, the syllabus has not been drafted adequately."
*2611 Rape of Mumbai *
When ever Washington feels India and Pakistan are getting closer , it can
even participate in events creating acrimony and even warlike tensions .The
2611 rape being a recent example.
It not only allowed 2611 to happen but FBI agent David Headley was an
accomplice and active participant in the universally broadcast rape of
India's commercial and cultural capital , Mumbai .India was not even allowed
to complain .When Indian Home secretary Pillai complained of Washington not
informing New Delhi about Headley visit to India even after 2611, he was
forced to eat his words . The author has maintained that even before the
Wikileaks disclosures that Washington , knew about the preparations of 2611
, with hundreds of its agents crawling around Karachi from where almost 80%
of war material for Afghanistan is sent .The 2611 terrorists were trained
around Karachi and sailed from there .With its agents and command over
communication technology ,Washington allowed 2611 to happen as it angered
the unprepared security apparatus and hapless Indian population ,with both
India and Pakistan running to Washington as in the fable of two squabbling
cats and the monkey .Ask US allies like Turkey and even Saudi Arabia .How
they have been abused and let down. *K Gajendra Singh served as ambassador
of India to Turkey and Azerbaijan from August 1992 to April 1996. Prior to
that, he was ambassador to Jordan, Romania and Senegal. Apart from postings
in Dakar, Paris, Bucharest , the author spent his diplomatic career in North
Africa , Middle east and Turkic countries ( ten years in Turkey in two
tenures ).** * *He spent 1976 with National Defence college , New Delhi ,
established the Foreign Service Institute for training of diplomats (
1987-89), was chairman / managing director of IDPL , India's largest Drugs
and Pharmaceuticals company ( 1985 ** **and 1986 ) and while posted at
Amman( 1989-92) evacuated nearly 140,000 Indian nationals who had come from
Kuwait.** He is currently chairman of the Foundation for Indo-Turkic
Studies.**** Copy right with the author http://tarafits.blogspot.com/* * *
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