Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Home Blog Page 5894

Gujarat Congress’ official website welcomes its newest leader Hardik Patel by displaying a photo from his sex tape

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Gujarat Congress’ official website welcomes its newest leader Hardik Patel by displaying a photo from his sex tape

Mirroring their National President, Rahul Gandhi, who is prone to slip-ups on a routine basis, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee had a gaffe when it sought to welcome the newest leader in their fold, Hardik Patel.

A few days back, Hardik Patel, who rose to fame after spearheading Patidar agitation in Gujarat and was found guilty for causing riots, officially joined Congress in presence of its president Rahul Gandhi. However, the Gujarat Congress Pradesh Committee website had planned a different welcome for Patel.

Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee welcomes Hardik Patel

The website of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Pradesh Committee welcomed Hardik Patel with a still which appears to be lifted from one of his sex videos that went viral a few months back.

The Gujarat Congress official website has an interesting history of lashing out at Congress. Earlier, they had called Congress a party of thugs and asserted that the party looted India for 70 years.

Perhaps, if this is how new leaders are greeted on joining Congress, one can expect why most of them are jumping the ship now.

Voters’ list claims: Arvind Kejriwal and several AAP leaders summoned by Delhi court over defamation case filed by BJP leader

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Voters’ list claims: Arvind Kejriwal and several AAP leaders summoned by Delhi court over defamation case filed by BJP leader

The Additional chief metropolitan magistrate Samar Vishal of Delhi’s Patiala House Court on Friday summoned Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other Aam Aadmi Party leaders on April 30 in the defamation case filed by BJP leader Rajeev Babbar.

Babbar has sought to proceed against Arvind Kejriwal, Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Gupta, MLA Manoj Kumar and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Atishi Marlena for harming the reputation of BJP by blaming it for the alleged deletion of the names of voters from the electoral rolls in Delhi. Babbar had further alleged that Kejriwal had used social media to incite people against BJP.

The court had earlier taken cognisance of the defamation complaint filed against Kejriwal and others by Babbar.

“All the accused made accusations against BJP in a calculated manner with the sole intention to portray a negative image of BJP in relation to the voters belonging to certain sections of society viz. Bania, Poorvanchalis, Muslims etc. The reputation of the complainant has been damaged beyond repair,” Babbar had said.

In December 2018, Kejriwal had alleged that the BJP got 30 lakh votes deleted.

On January 22, 2019, the BJP Delhi unit filed a criminal defamation case against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP members for allegations leveled by Kejriwal against the BJP of deliberately deleting names of lakhs of voters from the electoral roll in Delhi.

Terming the allegations as ‘unfortunate and false’, the BJP had stated that adding or removing voters from the electoral roll is the responsibility of the Election Commission and not of any political party.

The BJP had also knocked the doors of the Election Commission demanding de-recognition of AAP as a registered political party from the Election Commission.

In the latest, the Delhi police have launched an investigation on a complaint filed by the Election Commission regarding AAP calling people and lying that BJP has deleted their names from the voter list.

As reported earlier, the AAP call center, allegedly, has been making phone calls to people in Delhi the telling them that BJP has deleted their names from the voter list, and Arvind Kejriwal was restoring their names. Several people have reported receiving such calls, and some of them posted recordings of the calls on social media also.

After people raised objections on the misleading calls they received, the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi had requested the Delhi police to investigate the phone calls that many people in Delhi have been receiving telling that their name has been struck off from the voter list.

The Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal recently accused the BJP President Amit Shah of harassing its call center employees after the Delhi Police commenced the action on the Election Commission of India’s request to take “requisite action” against those making ‘misleading’ phone calls to people about Delhi’s electoral roll.

After Delhi voters, now BJP leader Vijay Goel gets phone call saying BJP removed his name from voter list

OpIndia Staff
-
0
After Delhi voters, now BJP leader Vijay Goel gets phone call saying BJP removed his name from voter list

The mysterious phone calls to the voters of Delhi, alleged to be the strategy of the Aam Aadmi Party, seems to have not even left the senior functionaries of the BJP as senior BJP leader Vijay Goel has now received a similar call stating that his party has ‘removed his name’ from the voters’ list.

According to reports, Union Minister Vijay Goel on Thursday claimed that he received a phone call alleging that his own party, the BJP, had got his name deleted from the electoral rolls and it is Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has restored Goel’s name back into the list.

The senior BJP leader, a former president of the Delhi unit of the party has now moved the Chief Electoral Office to lodge a complaint against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its convener Arvind Kejriwal. The Minister said that he received a call five days ago, where a person informed him that the BJP has deleted his name from the electoral list but Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal has added his name back into the list.

There have been several such allegations directly pointing against Aam Aadmi Party for calling voters to inform that their names had been deleted and Arvind Kejriwal had gotten their names back to the list.

A twitter user @akash15 had released a telephonic conversation on social media where the caller can be heard telling him that he is from the Aam Aadmi Party and he called to inform him that his name had been removed by the BJP from Delhi’s electoral rolls. He added that Arvind Kejriwal had gotten hold of the list of the names removed after a lot of difficulties contacting the Election Commission and that he will call him again later for updates on the matter.

Similarly, Akali Dal MLA, Manjinder Sirsa, had released a telephonic conversation on social media involving one of his acquaintances where the caller narrated a similar story.

Following this incident, the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi had asked the Delhi police to probe these incidents. In a letter written to the Delhi Police Commissioner on February 2, Election Officer Manoj Kumar said that they have various written complaints in this regard, and prima facie it appears that the matter needs to be thoroughly investigated.

The Aam Aadmi Party, after being rejected by the Congress for an alliance in Haryana, Delhi, and Punjab, has been desperate and is allegedly indulging in such acts to create a false impression against the BJP, which had won all the seven seats from Delhi in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Netizens use #RahulKiDalali to question Rahul Gandhi after OpIndia expose about his dubious links with arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Netizens use #RahulKiDalali to question Rahul Gandhi after OpIndia expose about his dubious links with arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari

Twitter India is replete with #RahulKiDalali tweets as an increasing number of aware users have started raising questions on Rahul Gandhi’s links with the shady arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari after Opindia published its explosive expose.

Recently, Opindia had exposed the unscrupulous link between the Congress President Rahul Gandhi and dubious arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari. Rahul Gandhi had purchased 6.5 acres of land located at Hassanpur, Palwal from HL Pahwa for a sum of Rs. 26,47,000. Pahwa was involved in numerous other land deals with Robert Vadra and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and often, he bought back these same lands at inflated prices even though his cash balance was negative. In this, he was assisted by CC Thampi who is closely associated with arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari.

As the story gathered steam after Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Smriti Irani picked up the Opindia report to slam Gandhi scion and his dubious links with CC Thampi and Sanjay Bhandari, Twitter denizens trended #RahulKiDalali to shed light on the murky deals largely ignored by a section of mainstream media outlets.

A few of the Twitteratis used the hashtag to expose Sanjay Bhandari’s murky deals in the past under the auspices of UPA government.


One Twitter user emphasized how the dubious land deals by Rahul Gandhi were swept under the rugs by major news outlets save a few.


Several Twitteratis sought explanation from Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who has conspicuously remained silent ever since Opindia published the expose.


Some had the Twitterverse in a split with their unparalleled wit and humour.


Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party have remained inexplicably mute on the revelations. The Congress party had come out with an unofficial response that accepted the land deal, however, failed to comment on the dubious link.

Day after Bhim Army Chief met Priyanka Gandhi, he threatens to repeat Bhima Koregaon like violence

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Day after Bhim Army Chief met Priyanka Gandhi, he threatens to repeat Bhima Koregaon like violence

A day after Congress General Secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh (East) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad, the latter has now threatened to indulge in violence by resorting to similar acts like Bhima Koregaon violence if their demands are not met.

“If our demands are not met, if we are ignored, then Bahujan Samaj has the strength and the audacity to repeat Bhima Koregaon,” said Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar.


Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad is also stated to contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the Varanasi seat. Reportedly, he has asked the SP-BSP alliance to show the seriousness of their fight against the BJP by giving a ticket to Kanshi Ram’s sister to contest in the upcoming elections.

Interestingly, the threats to destabilise the society just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections comes after his meeting with Congress party leader and Rahul Gandhi’s sister Priyanka Gandhi. The open threat by the left-wing forces allegedly aided by the Congress party against the Upper castes and other nationalist forces may create a volatile situation across the country, which helps the Congress party to mount an attack against the Narendra Modi government for failing to conduct peaceful elections.

Bhima Koregaon was well-planned violence orchestrated by left-wing self-proclaimed Dalit activists under the garb of celebrating the 200th anniversary of a battle at Bhima Koregaon battle on 1st January, which had resulted in a British victory over the Peshwas and spun by the so-called historians to be a victory of the Dalits over Brahmins, which prompts such annual celebrations.

The controversial Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani and anti-national sloganeer Umar Khalid had attended the event where Mevani was allegedly seen inciting people to indulge in ‘street battles’. Months later, the Pune Police had arrested more than 10 ‘Urban Naxals’ from various parts of the country for not only planning the violence at Bhima-Koregaon but also in a plot to assassinate the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Indian forces carried out joint ops with Myanmar Army, wiped out terrorist camps near Mizoram border

Shashank Bharadwaj
-
0
Indian forces carried out joint ops with Myanmar Army, wiped out terrorist camps near Mizoram border

Just weeks after India carried out a ‘non-military pre-emptive’ strikes deep inside Pakistan to secure itself from another Islamic terror attack, the Indian security establishment has conducted a similar pre-emptive co-ordinated operation along its Eastern borders to secure the country’s vital interests, according to reports. A joint operation by Indian security forces and Myanmar security forces has successfully destroyed camps of terrorist groups present across the Indo-Myanmar border.

The Indian security establishment sensing a security threat launched a coordinated operation along with Myanmar Army to avert a major security threat by preventing members of a terrorist group of Myanmar from sneaking into India, reported The Assam Tribune. These insurgent groups, often aided and abetted by inimical forces operating from sanctuaries in India’s neighborhood, especially China, are considered to be a threat to strategic Kaladan Multimodal Transit project, a US$484 million mega-project connecting India’s land-locked North-eastern region to the sea.

The Arakan Army, a Myanmar based terrorist outfit, part of the Northern Alliance in Myanmar, which is a conglomerate of four insurgent organizations, are trained along with the Kachin Independent Army in Kachin, Northern Myanmar area bordering Yunan province of China. Reportedly, these groups had moved from Northern bases to Southern Rakhine province to southern areas, which had brought a bit of worry to India’s security establishment. Reportedly, the movement of the Arakan Army towards the south of the country increased in 2017 and it was estimated that they were able to set up at least 10 terror camps across the international border in the Rakhine state of Myanmar in 2018.

These terrorist groups have travelled nearly 1000 km from areas adjoining the Arunachal Pradesh to Mizoram border to set up camps across the International Border.  Most of the camps were located across Border Pillars 1 to 9 along the Mizoram-Myanmar border. Intelligence inputs had indicated that some members of the Arakan Army were also planning to sneak into India. The setting up of camps of the insurgents caused serious concern for both Myanmar and India, which led to the security forces of both the countries to chalk out a plan for launching a coordinated operation against these groups.

It is reported that in an operation that began on February 17 and ended on March 2, after days of coordination and preparation, all the camps of the terrorist groups have been destroyed. Even makeshift camps made by the Arakan Army were burnt down.

Assam Rifles, which secures the India-Myanmar border, along with Special Forces of the Indian Army is said to have closely co-operated with the Myanmar Army. Reportedly, the Indian Army personnel did not cross the international border but properly secured it to ensure that the insurgents do not cross over to India when the offensive was launched by the Myanmar Army personnel. Indian forces had coordinated with their Myanmar counterparts in intelligence sharing and planning, reports say.

The movement of the Arakan Army towards the south had raised suspicion regarding their motives as there were no reports of these terrorist groups attacking the Rohingyas present in the Rakhine state. However, the Arakan Army, alleged to be backed by China, may have been working to sabotage Kaladan Multimodal project, by setting up camps across the region. The Indian construction workers engaged in the implementation of the Kaladan project were feeling threatened because of the activities of the Arakan Army insurgents and there was every possibility of the insurgents posing a serious threat to the project.

The Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project is a project connecting the eastern Indian seaport of Kolkata with Sittwe seaport in Rakhine State, Myanmar by sea. In Myanmar, it will then link Sittwe seaport to Paletwa in Chin State via the Kaladan river route, and then from Paletwa by road to Mizoram state in Northeast India. Once completed, the KMMT would allow goods from eastern Indian ports such as Kolkata to reach India’s north-eastern states more cheaply.

The project would also enhance economic ties between coastal Indian urban hubs and the Myanmar economy, an attractive prospect for India as Myanmar’s 60 million people begin to consume more foreign goods. It will also serve as a cornerstone to India’s “Act East Policy” aiming to expand India’s economic and political influence in Southeast Asia.

Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, courtesy: civilsdaily.com

Sandwiched between Bangladesh to the west, Myanmar to the east and Bhutan and China to the north, the northeastern states of India remain geographically isolated from the rest of the country. Although the states of Northeast India is politically, economically and culturally vital to the country, its geo-strategic influence is the most crucial aspect of all the above.

Northeast India has an extraordinarily important international strategic dimension and is a vital part of the nation’s defence architecture. It is not only India’s land bridge to South-East Asia but also a gateway to regions beyond. However, North Eastern India has been facing problems of insurgency for near five decades. Political instability in the northeast was very much exploited by India’s neighbours particularly China for its geopolitical reasons, as well to add disruption to India’s most geographically sensitive point.

However, things are now settling down and peace started to prevail thanks to the socio-economic development of the region along with a sense of political autonomy these states enjoy. Since 2014, a lot has changed in the region, especially on the socio-economic front, which has prevented these insurgent groups capitalising on the vulnerabilities of the people of these regions. The present government has given a huge impetus to the infrastructure development in the region by building railways networks, bridges, which has brought a massive change in lives of the people, making it is easier to the people of the region to connect with the mainland.

Discussion around ‘politicisation of Army’ deeply flawed: An apolitical army does not mean a disenfranchised Army

rohitagarwal
-
0
Discussion around ‘politicisation of Army’ deeply flawed: An apolitical army does not mean a disenfranchised Army

The politicisation of the Armed Forces is a phrase being bandied about a lot in the recent past. I have personally been trying to figure out what exactly people using this term are implying. Lt Gen CS Panag, a former Army Commander and prolific writer/commentator, writes in a recent piece, “Politicisation implies that the armed forces identify with a political ideology or a political thought-process and start exercising influence in the affairs of the state. Military advice on national security becomes biased as does its actions with respect to internal security. This does not augur well for a multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-religious society that requires a secular and apolitical military.”

However, the examples he cited of this phenomenon – “… exploitation of the latter (military) for electoral gains. Military-themed political posters and politicians campaigning in military fatigues“. To me, these examples sound more like ‘militarisation of politics’ than ‘politicisation of the military’.

The proponents of this theory, including Gen Panag, express apprehension of India going the Pakistan way if this trend continues. I’m confused, because on one hand there’s fear that the military leadership is so weak that it is providing ‘biased military advice on national security’ to pander to the political interests of the ruling party, while on the other is the apprehension that the same weak military leadership will rise and go the Pakistan way. It’s a paradox – if a chief flexes his muscle he’s a danger to democracy, and if he listens to the government he’s political.

My own perception of the issues involved is as follows. Armed forces in the subcontinent have evolved from the imperial Indian Army and inherited the same ethos at the time of independence. It was considered taboo for anyone in the army to have any political thoughts or opinions since domestic politics was limited to the freedom struggle. It was natural for a colonial power to want to keep the army, the primary weapon of colonial power, as far away from such political thought as possible. They had learnt the lessons from the Mutiny of 1857 well.

With the transition of India into a democracy, the soldiers also transitioned from being subjects of a colonial monarchy to citizens of democracy with voting rights. Yet, for decades, these rights remained theoretical. Continuation of a culture of considering anything ‘political’ as abhorrent, low awareness or interest in politics and systemic inefficiency of the postal ballot system kept approximately thirteen lakh servicemen (about 1% of the electorate) and their families disenfranchised.

Yet, in a democracy, an apolitical army does NOT mean a disenfranchised army. And for each soldier to arrive at an independent decision and be able to cast his (or her) vote, political awareness is essential. So we are at a point today where, thanks to the internet and smartphones, every jawan is abreast with the latest news, and has a political opinion. Axiomatically, so does every officer, including the chiefs of the armed forces. Yet, it would be incorrect to call the armed forces politicised because it comprises of individuals with political opinions of their own. I strongly believe our traditions, legacy and ethos enables us to separate personal opinions from professional obligations, not allowing the former to affect the latter.

The nature of democracy is such that different political parties will form the government at different times. Once a party is in government, its ideology and priorities dictate government policies. The armed forces are amongst the instruments for the execution of these policies – as much as the diplomats, Railways or the Highway Authority. Undoubtedly, they are the most ‘impactful’ instrument and thus have to be used with due caution and deliberation. Yet, they are bound to act in accordance with the directions of the government – irrespective of whether the chiefs or the rank and file are in alignment with the views of the political party in power. It is their job to translate the government’s directives into actionable courses of action, and it is for the government to select a particular course. If any of the service chiefs disagree with the government’s decision, they can register their dissent by resigning. Disobedience is not an option. At least not without starting down a slippery slope, the kinds that Gen Panag is probably warning us about. And to suggest that the inputs provided by the services would be engineered to suit the political interests of the party in power is to imply a lack of moral uprightness in the military leadership.

Given the history of our armed forces being the strongest upholder of democracy in the past 70 years, the Gen is being a tad unfair to those who have succeeded him in high places within the ranks. He’s assuming that current or future incumbents would not be as steeped in democratic values as previous generations. Or not strong enough to be forced into actions that may be detrimental to national interests, purely for political gains of their own or of the ruling party.

The fact that carrying out air strikes was presented by the then air chief as an option after the 26/11 Mumbai attack shows that the option was not something that the airforce came up with to “identify with a political ideology or political thought process“. It was a viable military option and was presented to the government then, as it was after Pulwama. The Manmohan government chose not to exercise the option, and the Modi government did. The decision was theirs’ respectively, as were any resultant blame or accolades. The Indian Air Force, needless to say, carried out its job professionally, as it would have done had it been given a go ahead in 2008.

The Balakot airstrikes were the military execution of a political directive. It was a quantum shift in our policy for response to terrorist attacks. If the government who made that policy shift wishes to cite it as one of its achievements in appealing to voters during re-election, I don’t think it construes “exploitation of the military for electoral gains”.Of course, I agree that acts using uniformed personnel on political posters or politicians campaigning wearing combat fatigues are ridiculous and should not be done. In any case, the Election Commission has put a stop to the practice of the former through a directive.

Our forces are as apolitical as they have been, and I am confident they have the resilience and organisational strength to remain so, even if some future regime tries to actually politicise it. And if you are curious to know what could happen in such an eventuality, I have written a fictional account of it in my book “Riding the Raisina Tiger“.

Tamil Nadu govt issues notice to Chennai college for hosting Rahul Gandhi event after Model Code of Conduct came into force

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Tamil Nadu govt issues notice to Chennai college for hosting Rahul Gandhi event after Model Code of Conduct came into force

The Stella Maris college in Chennai seems to be in trouble for hosting Rahul Gandhi for an event in the college. On 13th March, the Congress president had interacted with approximately 3000 students of the women’s college.

Now the Directorate of Collegiate Education in Tamil Nadu has issued to notice to the regional joint director of the college to explain why the college campus was used for a discussion involving a political leader when the Model Code of Conduct has come into force for the Lok Sabha elections.


The Election Commission of India announced the dates for Lok Sabha elections on 11th March, and immediately after that, the Model Code of Conduct became applicable as per election laws. According to guidelines issued by the EC under the Model Code of Conduct, use of educational institutions including their grounds for political campaigns and rallies is not allowed. This includes government, aided and private educational institutions.


The notice says that as per newspaper reports, political leaders interacted with students of the college. As the Model Code of Conduct for Lok Sabha elections has come into force, how this was allowed, the college is asked to reply immediately.

Yesterday the BJYM Tamil Nadu unit president Vinoj Selvam had lodged a complaint with the election commission against Rahul Gandhi for using the College campus to talk to students when the model code is in force.


He had also complained about comments made by Rahul Gandhi during the event, and demanded that EC should prevent the Congress party and its leaders from making unverified allegations against rivals.

Australian senator’s controversial statement: Holds immigration and ‘violent ideology’ of Islam responsible for Christchurch attack

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Australian senator’s controversial statement: Holds immigration and ‘violent ideology’ of Islam responsible for Christchurch attack

Christchurch was today ravaged with multiple terror shooting attacks when terrorists reportedly entered the Masjid Al Noor mosque and Linwood mosque and opened fired at the people who came to offer their prayers there. The attack has so far claimed 49 fatalities and about 48 people have been severely injured. In the aftermath of the attack, Senator Fraser Anning of Queensland has issued a contentious statement stirring a massive controversy.


Condemning the acts of violence and the terror attacks in unequivocal terms, Senator Anning reflected upon the reason for the youth in Australia and New Zealand to embrace such violent methods against the immigrants. Anning asserted that the growing presence of Muslims in Australia and New Zealand has fanned the fears among the local communities.  Rubbishing the clichéd liberal-response of lax ‘gun laws’ responsible for the attacks, he held the immigration program which allowed a large number of Muslims to settle in the country guilty for the dastardly attacks in mosques in Christchurch.

Anning went on to reason that though the Muslims have been the victims of today’s attacks, the violent ideology professed by Muslims has killed thousands of people world over in the name of their religion. “The entire ideology of Islam is the violent ideology of a sixth-century despot masquerading as a religious leader, which justifies endless wars on anyone who opposes it and calls for the murders of non-believers and apostates,” Anning said.

Senator Anning concluded his statement saying that those who follow a violent religion and support the call to destroy the non-believers shouldn’t be surprised when someone takes their words and responds to them in kind.

The flawed fantasy of a ‘Friendly Pakistan’: Indian liberals’ absurd optimism

Saket Suryesh
-
0
The flawed fantasy of a ‘Friendly Pakistan’: Indian liberals’ absurd optimism

The aftermath of Pulwama Attack and Balakot revenge has left the forces in the opposition of Narendra Modi in total disarray. And when we say, opposition, it is not only limited to the political opposition. We have large opposition to what PM Narendra Modi is and what he represents, which comes from the elite, intellectual mob. This is the section which is often so excited to pull Modi, and, in the process, even India down that I believe, that they would even be distributing pamphlets and erecting election billboards if only they did not consider manual work beneath them.

Having hopped from one narrative to another amid the scenario which moved a dizzying pace, they have settled down now to become a chummy-chummy pal of Pakistan. There are people in the opposition party who began questioning our own army, asking the number of terrorists killed and even leaders like BK Hariprasad of the Congress going to the extent of suggesting that the martyrdom of almost fifty soldiers was staged.

Yo-yoing between discrediting the Balakot Airstrike within Pakistan to hit at Jaish terror training outfit, now with around 263 confirmed killing, Rahul Gandhi, now bereft of his favourite Rafale issue, came with a gem of the return of three terrorists during the Kandahar Plane Hijack. As is his wont, he safely ignored the lives of more than a hundred-fifty common Indians which were saved in the exchange, then supported by all political parties, including the Congress. He also forgets that two years after a hundred-plus Indians were killed in 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Congress government released Twenty-Five dreaded terrorists to Pakistan as a goodwill gesture. There was no tangible advantage that this release offered to India as a nation. Who benefited is a question, Rahul Gandhi should answer, now that he raised the issue.

Congress got an India to rule in 1947, with a huge amount of innocent trust from the people of India. So they did not question Nehru as he went around appointing his own people in critical positions, shrugging off open cases of corruption and nepotism. Rahul is used to such an unquestioning nation with unwavering loyalty and slavish sensibility. Alas, times have moved on. If you ask about Masood Azhar, you will be questioned on the terrorists you released without any national benefit in the picture. He possibly assumed that he will be able to further the Pakistani agenda, knowingly or unknowingly, which keeps on advocating business-as-usual, slowly with Say-No-To-War, Peace, Nobel-for-Imran and various online polls comparing the PM of a secular state with the PM of a proudly Islamist state. Unfortunately, again caught by vigilant nation, now Rahul Gandhi will move to another leg to do his piece with Pakistan dance.

Peace with Pakistan, though is a tantalizingly beautiful idea; it is hardly possible at this point of time. Those who are arguing of Business, as usual, are either on-board with Pakistan’s stated policy of using media and narrative to discredit democratically elected Government of India and return to business-as-usual so as to continue with their strategy of making India bleed with a thousand cuts. Nostalgia oftentimes makes people forget the painful aspects of the past.

It is all good for the Americans, who went to a war on the basis of fake news and the British, who swore revenge when two British soldiers were attacked in London, to preach peace to us over the martyrdom of 45 Indian soldiers. It is our war and we need to fight it. I am more surprised by the absurd optimism of some of our own people. They will arrange and re-arrange the whole structure of Pakistan to eventually find one person we have not yet spoken to and then invent the reason of unrest between India -Pak on the lack of dialogue between India and that particular person. As we find that, of all their undoings, Pakistanis largely stand together as one entity, the people and the politicians, solidly behind the Military. I have not heard any Pakistani politician making many runs after Imran Khan asking him to prove that no terrorist was killed in Pakistan. It is a country bound by hatred and insecurity and holds tightly to its centre.

It is high time we stop fooling ourselves from these outlandish notions that the Army doesn’t want peace, but political leadership does, or that both do not want peace with India, but people do. These three are not distinct separable entities. Pakistani military props that leadership which it finds aligned to its terror policies, and people elect those politicians, they agree with. The hatred and insecurity on which Pakistan is built keep it together. A huge amount of effort is made by the media, paid or unpaid, to establish the civilized image of a nation which has turned thoroughly rogue.

We can not count much them to give the real picture. Those who never stood up for the harassment of the Press in the hinterland of India, cannot be expected to be honestly reporting something as vivid as the beating up of The Times reporter and writer of The Wrong Enemy,Carlotta Gall, as she wrote in her book in 2006, “When one of the muscle men grabbed my handbag from me, I protested. He punched me twice, hard, in the face and temple, knocking me over.” Those whose stomachs churned over jostling in Patiala Court will not feel a thing. They will keep on telling India that Pakistanis are just like us and continue attending Literature festivals there.

The premise that Pakistanis are just like us is inherently wrong. They were, possibly once, but not anymore. This is nothing but a dishonest attempt to hyphenate India-Pakistan. Economically, India is a Trillion Dollar economy as against Pakistan whose largest stock exchange, Karachi Stock Exchange stood at the market capitalization of 89 Billion USD as against Dhaka Stock Exchange Market Cap of $320 Bn and BSE at 1.4 Trillion USD (2016). Forget the Sherwani-class which gifts Pashminas to Indian intellectuals, the literacy rate of Pakistan is abysmal 59% against Indian 72%.

When partition happened in 1947, it had a different meaning for India and Pakistan. On Indian-side we had leadership which had been preparing for self-rule through the centuries. On Pakistan side, it was a set of unprepared men who suddenly found themselves sitting with the unexpected spoils of an unjust war. Pakistan keeps lamenting that they got on the wrong side of the bargain, but they have no one but themselves to be blamed. The British had proposed a neutral arbitrator in Both the dominions to facilitate the smooth transfer of legitimate treasury and to help the establishment of functioning Government.

Against all advise, Jinnah rejected the option of Lord Mountbatten as the Governor General for the initial years. As per British records, Jinnah could not accept any role less than that of Governor-General in the nation he believed to be his creation. This was further aggravated by their Military action in Kashmir. You cannot expect to attack a nation and then expect her to continue to fund you.

The elections which paved the way for Pakistan with an overwhelming win for the Muslim League and the foundation of Pakistan is based on Islam. It is not a benevolent version of Islam. It is a version of Islam which threatens to engulf everything which is, well, non-Islam- Language, culture, ethnicity. Pakistan came into being as a South Asian Nation attempting to become an Arabian nation. A 2009 British Council Survey mentions 72% young Pakistanis believe themselves to be a Muslim first and a Pakistani second. The fanatic element in Pakistani society has increased, not decreased over the years and there is a good reason for it. In 1947, Pakistan had 137 madrassas, by 1995, the number went up to 3900, 7000 in the year 2000 and exponentially increasing to 35000 by 2016. Students in these madrassas study Islamic philosophy and are trained on an outdated curriculum. Students passing out of madrassas are not trained for modern occupations and need more madrassas to be gainfully employed. One can only imagine the kind of citizens such bodies churn out.

The overwhelming fanaticism of Pakistan infected every arm of the nation. Where else you have top scientists talking about harnessing the power of Djinns to solve energy scarcity and a Judge of High court refusing to call Hafiz Saeed a criminal for killing Hindus since Hindus were occupying the Kashmir. The last democratic leader, with whom feverishly feminist Indian TV anchors some time back proudly posted pictures, ordered TV anchors in Pakistan to wear hijab. It is understandable that one cannot choose neighbours.

But let us remember, Pakistan is not the only neighbour India has, while it may be the most notorious. We have other neighbours. India would do way better to call out the nefarious designs of those setting the Aman Ki Aasha narrative, pulling out the Massod Azhar episode to corner the government. And keep the window on the North -West Frontier closed for some time. Maybe, someday, Pakistan will be able to come out of shadows of the blunders of the past. Maybe, someday, it might decide that it is a country which was never needed at all.

(Reference: ReImagining Pakistan- Hussain Haqqani; Partition- Barney White-Spunner)

1...5,8935,8945,895...6,968Page 5,894 of 6,968

Contact: [email protected]

About us

News and opinion website that brings you reports and narrative from a perspective often ignored or suppressed by the mainstream media of India.

Follow us

© OpIndia.com