Eradicating Terrorism: Groping in the Dark
Ram Puniyani
November 26 terror attack on Mumbai shook the whole nation like never before. The society and state have been putting in their best to see that measures are taken where by the terror acts don’t repeat. So traumatized has been the nation that every conceivable measure is being given a serious thought for the safety and security of society.
To begin with the condolence for the dead was expressed through number of events, candle light march, human chains, all religion prayer meetings and area networking has come up in a very visible fashion. In many of these protests the anger against politicians had a free for all expression, at places sometimes overtly and sometimes covertly the fear of Pakistan and ‘Jehadi’ terrorists has been the running thread of the protests. The misplaced call for war against Pakistan is the part of this phenomenon only. The state, the central Government in order to show that something is being done, passed a law, empowering the state as if that will deter the terrorists, who generally come with the full readiness to die. The state is blowing hot and cold, sometimes threatening war and at others talking tough and less often also saying that war is no option.
State is also reviewing the quality of bullet proof jackets, increasing airport security and the security of coast line. Civic society groups have been undertaking workshops for disaster management, a university went on to declare a two year course against terrorism. The best amongst these have been the mohalla committee initiative to cement peace between different communities.
One recalls that after most of the severe phenomenon of violence the civic society has responded with great concern earlier also. Be it the post Babri demolition Mumbai riots or the Gujarat carnage 2003, for a good bit of time socially oriented and concerned individuals and groups sprang into the relief, rehabilitation and intercommunity amity work. This time there is a lot of ferment and a part of it does hold Pakistan as the culprit of the attacks of terror. The measures taken by state though some of them welcome, the measures of civic society groups, related to intercommunity amity are very valuable. But how far will they go?
It seems that the knee jerk reaction after the phenomenon is more focused on the symptoms of the phenomenon. Tighten security, have better bullet jackets and have stringent laws. There is not much attempt to go beyond the obvious to unravel the truth of sectarian and terrorist violence. Surely sectarian violence is due to some political groups baking their bread in the divisive politics, the ground for which is prepared by the hate ideology, spread of misconceptions and distorted view of the minorities, their history, their present. So, as lot of groups and individuals correctly talk about peace, about need for amity, their attempts do not reach to the core issue of fighting against divisive politics, the attempt to unravel the truth about minorities, their present, their’ past.
The communal violence and emotive issues give more strength to the communal parties, who in turn give bigger space to their affiliates who work at cultural and religious level to increase the communal divides and weaken national integration, further paving way to still worse violence in times to come. Not only that, their intensity has been worsening every next time they are staged. Gujarat was worse than Mumbai and Orissa has been more horrific than Dangs. The trajectory of communal violence has clearly shown that all the efforts by state to curb it have been misdirected; the social initiatives have been serious but probably not hitting the target in the effective way. One means the communal congruence of right wing ideology during last three decades.
As far as terrorist attacks are concerned, the formulation that All Terrorists are Muslims has been the understanding on which policies are made and implemented. With the result that the real causes of terror are not taken up for treatment of the disease of terrorism. From 1993 onwards terror attacks have been occurring, stringent laws or other wise. The deeper injustice has been giving raison de tre' to the repetition of these attacks. Here also the attacks have been worsening, the Mumbai one being worst so far.
If we see a bit more seriously, the real causes of terrorism have not taken up for fighting against. The popular perceptions stops at Al Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba being the real cause obviates the need to see beyond Al Qaeda etc. It prevents us from seeing the role of US imperialism in bring them up and using these groups for US’ political-economic gains. So all anger, protest against Pakistan and accompanying factors gets major importance. One misses the point that terrorism of AL Qaeda variety has roots in US policies of control over oil resources. It is due to those policies that these groups were propped up to fight Russian armies occupying Afghanistan. One has to see beyond the obvious to realize that this type terrorism has its genesis from the deeper political designs. The indoctrination of the radical groups which began due to this policy of US can not be fought against merely by strengthening some more laws and by new set of weapons.
Pakistani society is as much a victim of this dastardly phenomenon as India is. Terrorists always are looking for the holes in security through which they operate and their biggest advantage is that they are indoctrinated to the extent that they are willing to stake their all, including their lives to do what they have been doing. On similar wave length operates the terror attacks by Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and other of her group. These Hindutva warriors have also been indoctrinated into hating others for the sake of their avowed goal of Hindu Rashtra. So where do we go, what direction we give to our concerns to ensure that terror attacks do not occur.
First and foremost, all places where injustice prevails, where democracy is stifled in a shortsighted way, those places become a rich fertile ground for breeding of terrorism. The one planted by US, Al Qaeda type, needs to be fought at global level. US is to be made accountable for much of this cancer which has spread in the area. While firmly dealing with the present terror set ups, democracy also needs to be made strong in Pakistan itself. One sees the subtle difference in the utterances of democratic elements in Pakistan and the Army-ISI-Mullah combine. The global peace movement has to ensure that the United Nations comes to the fore and stops the hegemony, the imperial behavior of US in particular. No measure short of restoring UN, making US follow the wishes of global community, a more democratized United Nations will suffice. This rejuvenated UN has to take up the global issue of terrorism, and put a brake on one sided, arbitrary US policies. US war on terror, and those who go by that, need to be put on the margins and entire charge of global interventions taken up by UN.
While draconian laws are no solution to the problem, it is likely they create and intensify the problem. The mantra of ‘tighten the security’ has not yielded any success in preventing it. The core point is to see that the concerned civic society makes its stand clear, that terrorism’s roots lie in injustice on one hand and US policies on the other. We need to raise our voices against injustice and US hegemony both to see that over a period of time the terror menace is eliminated by and by.
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Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Invoking India's Fuhrer
Invoking India’s Fuhrer
Industrialists call for Modi to be the Prime Minister
Ram Puniyani
During the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investment summit (December 2008), the top industrialists cheered their fellow captains of industries calling for Narendra bhai to be next Prime Minister. It is claimed by the organizers of this glittering function that it could solicit an investment of 12 Lakh Crores in Gujarat. It is another matter that the analysts point out that this data is a make believe fiction. A Right to Information, RTI, filed to find the actual investment in Gujarat shows that out of the committed investment of previous summit only 23% materialized, and the current data has been fudged to include the existing ongoing projects and some projects which fall in the kitty of central Government. While some investment has taken place and some has been committed a deliberate hype has been created in the figures to create an image of Gujarat as being number one state of India due to the leadership of Modi.
Why the industrialists are going gung ho about Modi needs to be understood as it has dangerous portents for the country. Gujarat is a state which has been ruled by BJP from last over a decade. It was already amongst the more developed states of India, even before BJP came to power and even before Modi took over as Chief Minister. What has happened during this last decade?
Two major processes have been observed. One relates to the issues of human rights and other to the indices of socio economic progress. Gujarat’s human-rights record is abysmal and shameful to say the least. It is a state where complicity of the state in the communal violence, under the leadership of the chief minister, has been most blatant. The Post Godhra Gujarat violence has been a new low in the arena of atrocities in this century. Even before the truth of Godhra incident came to surface Modi gave signals for anti Muslim pogroms and the RSS affiliates co-opted the poorer sections to butcher the Muslim minorities. The same was followed up by attacks on Christians. The tiny Christian minority of the state faced unprecedented riots on the eve of many a Christmas celebrations, especially in the Dangs district.
The victims of Gujarat violence are wandering even now and the studies show that over five Lakh Muslims, who have been affected by the violence, have been helplessly readjusting to lack of facilities and proper rehabilitation. At another level state has been slipping in its record of condition of weaker sections of society. It now stands behind Orissa and Bihar in children’s education (Annual Status of Education Report, 2008, IE Jan 15). On the hunger index it is again amongst the ‘critical’ areas of the World, the hemoglobin levels of women of child bearing age women has fallen badly (Third round of National Family Health survey report 2006). Overall the large section of Gujarat society has been faring badly.
There are regular reports in the newspapers about farmers’ suicides and increasing atrocities on dalits in Gujarat. As far as women are concerned it is during last 15 years or so that sex ratio is declining and Gujarat has joined the infamous low sex ratio states-Haryana, Punjab etc. The atrocities against women are reflected by the cases of gang rape and mass rapes as came to light in Patan. And this is being projected as number one state in the country!
Industrially also after the total shutdown of textile industry now the diamond industry is declining, thousands of small industrial units have shut their shops, and employment levels are falling. One can safely conclude that in Gujarat, a small section of ‘Shining India’ is progressing at the cost of large sea of Gujarat people who are suffering.
The case of Nano factory in Gujarat will make the matters clear. The tax payer’s money has been siphoned off to this factory, huge loan at the rate of 0.01%, continuous free water supply has been provided and the vast chunk of 1100 acres of land has been given to this factory, no stamp duty, no registration fee! In economic terms analysts have calculated that each car rolling out from Tata factory will have the subsidy of 60000 rupees. This pattern of memorandums of understanding (MoU) make it clear that Big capital is fond of Modi as he is acting as their agent to siphon off public money into their coffers, all in the name of development. Robin Hood used to rob the rich to distribute it to poor, here is a leader robbing average tax payer to feed the rich.
Do the industrialists not see the worsening plight of the state under Modi’s leadership? They know as much about the state of affairs of Gujarat as is known, but they are not bothered about worsening plight of school education, violence against women, dalits and issues of this type. For the Capital, the likes of Tata, Ambani and Mittals, the World is there so that they can make their profits, can live the life of luxury and affluence, and this luxury can also be there for a small circuit. As BJP slogan went in the last general elections, they ape to create a small shining island around which sea of misery and deprivation should survive to serve the interests of the industrialists and their cohorts. The current state of affairs for big industrialists is similar to what existed in Germany. The worsening economic crisis, gradually needed that they repress the human rights, the weaker sections of society with ruthlessness so that their so called ‘development’ can persist. And Hitler’s call to eliminate Jews gave them that message that here is the right horse to back. If you are repressive for ‘outsiders’, you will repress the ‘insider’, the labor, the dalit, and the marginalized with equal ferocity.
Modi’s terror against minorities has given the signal to Industrialists that here is a man who can bloat his chest with pride while maiming and butchering the weak. Here is the man who has ‘clear politics’, politics in the service of affluent, who can cleverly flaunt the label of ‘development’ while internal rot sets in and the Human rights are trampled mercilessly. It serves them right. So they are all ga ga about Modi. Ashish Nandy, the reputed social scientist, after meeting Narnedra Modi said that Modi has a classic fascist persona. That did come to light for every body to see during Gujarat carnage. And his facilitating the path for Industrialists has reinforced the message that this man is capable of trampling democracy and preserve the interests of the Big Capital.
It may sound a bit far fetched to compare this RSS pracharak turned chief minister with the greatest tyrant in the contemporary history. But similarities are staring in our face. Hitler adorned the ideology of German Nationalism to oppress the Jews, Trade Unionists, communists on one hand and workers on the other. In the process he did abolish democracy and adopted a militarism which was a prelude to the destruction of the German state. Modi already has been indoctrinated in the Hate ideology of RSS, in the concept of Hindu Rashtra and militaristic, aggressive attitudes towards neighbors. History can be a big teacher if we want to learn.
In the long term Hitler, Modi, German Nationalism and RSS ideology may sound solutions to Big Capitalists and section of affluent middle class, but surely nation is not just these big guns and not just aggressive attitude towards neighboring states. This is sure recipe for disaster in the long run. Modi’s problems with BJP, Advani, Shekhavat apart, he has shown the worst of fascist mind set, that’s why the ilk of Ambani and Mittlas are trying to promote him as the next Prime Minster.
What is needed is that we revive with all vigor the values of freedom movement, the equality of all religious communities, the liberal space for struggle for democratic and human rights. The Industrialists’ tubular vision does not permit them to have a look at society as a whole and that’s why a section of them promoted Hitler in Germany and a section of them is invoking the Indian version of Hitler, Narendra Modi.
Industrialists call for Modi to be the Prime Minister
Ram Puniyani
During the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investment summit (December 2008), the top industrialists cheered their fellow captains of industries calling for Narendra bhai to be next Prime Minister. It is claimed by the organizers of this glittering function that it could solicit an investment of 12 Lakh Crores in Gujarat. It is another matter that the analysts point out that this data is a make believe fiction. A Right to Information, RTI, filed to find the actual investment in Gujarat shows that out of the committed investment of previous summit only 23% materialized, and the current data has been fudged to include the existing ongoing projects and some projects which fall in the kitty of central Government. While some investment has taken place and some has been committed a deliberate hype has been created in the figures to create an image of Gujarat as being number one state of India due to the leadership of Modi.
Why the industrialists are going gung ho about Modi needs to be understood as it has dangerous portents for the country. Gujarat is a state which has been ruled by BJP from last over a decade. It was already amongst the more developed states of India, even before BJP came to power and even before Modi took over as Chief Minister. What has happened during this last decade?
Two major processes have been observed. One relates to the issues of human rights and other to the indices of socio economic progress. Gujarat’s human-rights record is abysmal and shameful to say the least. It is a state where complicity of the state in the communal violence, under the leadership of the chief minister, has been most blatant. The Post Godhra Gujarat violence has been a new low in the arena of atrocities in this century. Even before the truth of Godhra incident came to surface Modi gave signals for anti Muslim pogroms and the RSS affiliates co-opted the poorer sections to butcher the Muslim minorities. The same was followed up by attacks on Christians. The tiny Christian minority of the state faced unprecedented riots on the eve of many a Christmas celebrations, especially in the Dangs district.
The victims of Gujarat violence are wandering even now and the studies show that over five Lakh Muslims, who have been affected by the violence, have been helplessly readjusting to lack of facilities and proper rehabilitation. At another level state has been slipping in its record of condition of weaker sections of society. It now stands behind Orissa and Bihar in children’s education (Annual Status of Education Report, 2008, IE Jan 15). On the hunger index it is again amongst the ‘critical’ areas of the World, the hemoglobin levels of women of child bearing age women has fallen badly (Third round of National Family Health survey report 2006). Overall the large section of Gujarat society has been faring badly.
There are regular reports in the newspapers about farmers’ suicides and increasing atrocities on dalits in Gujarat. As far as women are concerned it is during last 15 years or so that sex ratio is declining and Gujarat has joined the infamous low sex ratio states-Haryana, Punjab etc. The atrocities against women are reflected by the cases of gang rape and mass rapes as came to light in Patan. And this is being projected as number one state in the country!
Industrially also after the total shutdown of textile industry now the diamond industry is declining, thousands of small industrial units have shut their shops, and employment levels are falling. One can safely conclude that in Gujarat, a small section of ‘Shining India’ is progressing at the cost of large sea of Gujarat people who are suffering.
The case of Nano factory in Gujarat will make the matters clear. The tax payer’s money has been siphoned off to this factory, huge loan at the rate of 0.01%, continuous free water supply has been provided and the vast chunk of 1100 acres of land has been given to this factory, no stamp duty, no registration fee! In economic terms analysts have calculated that each car rolling out from Tata factory will have the subsidy of 60000 rupees. This pattern of memorandums of understanding (MoU) make it clear that Big capital is fond of Modi as he is acting as their agent to siphon off public money into their coffers, all in the name of development. Robin Hood used to rob the rich to distribute it to poor, here is a leader robbing average tax payer to feed the rich.
Do the industrialists not see the worsening plight of the state under Modi’s leadership? They know as much about the state of affairs of Gujarat as is known, but they are not bothered about worsening plight of school education, violence against women, dalits and issues of this type. For the Capital, the likes of Tata, Ambani and Mittals, the World is there so that they can make their profits, can live the life of luxury and affluence, and this luxury can also be there for a small circuit. As BJP slogan went in the last general elections, they ape to create a small shining island around which sea of misery and deprivation should survive to serve the interests of the industrialists and their cohorts. The current state of affairs for big industrialists is similar to what existed in Germany. The worsening economic crisis, gradually needed that they repress the human rights, the weaker sections of society with ruthlessness so that their so called ‘development’ can persist. And Hitler’s call to eliminate Jews gave them that message that here is the right horse to back. If you are repressive for ‘outsiders’, you will repress the ‘insider’, the labor, the dalit, and the marginalized with equal ferocity.
Modi’s terror against minorities has given the signal to Industrialists that here is a man who can bloat his chest with pride while maiming and butchering the weak. Here is the man who has ‘clear politics’, politics in the service of affluent, who can cleverly flaunt the label of ‘development’ while internal rot sets in and the Human rights are trampled mercilessly. It serves them right. So they are all ga ga about Modi. Ashish Nandy, the reputed social scientist, after meeting Narnedra Modi said that Modi has a classic fascist persona. That did come to light for every body to see during Gujarat carnage. And his facilitating the path for Industrialists has reinforced the message that this man is capable of trampling democracy and preserve the interests of the Big Capital.
It may sound a bit far fetched to compare this RSS pracharak turned chief minister with the greatest tyrant in the contemporary history. But similarities are staring in our face. Hitler adorned the ideology of German Nationalism to oppress the Jews, Trade Unionists, communists on one hand and workers on the other. In the process he did abolish democracy and adopted a militarism which was a prelude to the destruction of the German state. Modi already has been indoctrinated in the Hate ideology of RSS, in the concept of Hindu Rashtra and militaristic, aggressive attitudes towards neighbors. History can be a big teacher if we want to learn.
In the long term Hitler, Modi, German Nationalism and RSS ideology may sound solutions to Big Capitalists and section of affluent middle class, but surely nation is not just these big guns and not just aggressive attitude towards neighboring states. This is sure recipe for disaster in the long run. Modi’s problems with BJP, Advani, Shekhavat apart, he has shown the worst of fascist mind set, that’s why the ilk of Ambani and Mittlas are trying to promote him as the next Prime Minster.
What is needed is that we revive with all vigor the values of freedom movement, the equality of all religious communities, the liberal space for struggle for democratic and human rights. The Industrialists’ tubular vision does not permit them to have a look at society as a whole and that’s why a section of them promoted Hitler in Germany and a section of them is invoking the Indian version of Hitler, Narendra Modi.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Bouquets, Boots and Bush
Bouquets, Boots and Bush
Ram Puniyani
During the press conference in Iraq a Iraqi journalist, Muntadhar al-Zaidi, in an act of
protest, hurled his shoes at George Bush. (December 2008) One does not know how the American President took it but one knows that the Iraqi people, were very elated at this insult hurled on their aggressor. Since the second Gulf War, 2003 the condition in Iraq has been worsening rapidly to disastrous proportions. By the way, one must introspect and correct the terminology, war. It was not a war; it was an invasion by the US on Iraq.
Just to recapitulate US, in its dreaded role as the global imperial power has been attacking country after country in a reckless manner. After the collapse of USSR, the other super power, the US has pursued its ambition of controlling and exploiting oil of the gulf region nakedly, apart from its overall hegemonic behavior all around. The US governments irrespective of their being Republican or Democrat, have been keeping the US war machinery on the boil. Many a countries in the gulf region have been the victims of US designs. Iraq in particular has come under the chopping block since the Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait. Iraq as such had been supported strongly by US during its war against Iran. During that time Saddam Hussein not only waged the war with Ayatollah Khomeini’s regime but also committed atrocities on the helpless Kurds in Iraq. These deeds of Iraq were staunchly and materially supported by US, as at that time for US, Iran was supposed to be the major problem in the region. This more so after the Ayatollah overthrew the US puppet regime of Raza Shah Pehlvi.
After the Iran-Iraq war ended in1988, US felt that the large army it had helped build in Iraq will be a threat to its domination in the gulf region and should be demolished. Iraq foolishly walked into the trap laid by the US. Through its allies in the region Saudi Arab and Kuwait, it put severe economic pressure on Iraq, which made Iraq think of invading Kuwait. When Saddam Hussein talked about his plans to US ambassador April Glaspie, she categorically stated that ‘we have no opinion on your border dispute’, meaning there by, you are free to go ahead, we won’t interfere.
As soon as Iraq invaded Kuwait and declared that Kuwait is the 24th state of Iraq, US jumped to shout that Kuwait Sheikh’s sovereignty has been violated and that Iraq will be taught a lesson. Iraq pledged to withdraw its troops. Ignoring that, US went for a decisive strike, blockading Iraqi soldieries, who were willing to withdraw, and stopping supplies to Iraq. Betraying the worst of imperialist greed Iraq was bombed by US, its electrical systems and sewerage plants were destroyed, with the result that millions of Iraqis perished due to war, the accompanying sanctions and spread of diseases. Blinded by its greed the US secretary of state Madeleine Albright affirmed that all this destruction was worth to save the Sovereignty of Sheikh of Kuwait.
After the 9/11 2001 and the consequent attack on Afghanistan, US came back to old goal of expanding its hold on oil zone by occupying Iraq. It decided to build up its case of attacking Iraq by declaring that Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction. UN, though not a political force any more, deputed its inspectors to find if Iraq had such weapons. None could be found. That was not to deter the tyrannical empire. It went ahead with its preparations of the war. It went on to add the excuse that Iraq is supporting Al Qaeda. It was a common knowledge that Saddam had no link with this organization, which any way was the creation of US itself. As a prelude to war US leaders started saying that Iraqi people are fed up of the tyrannies of Saddam and they need to be liberated. Dick Cheney, the US Vice President went on to say that US troops will be welcomed as the liberating forces by Iraqis and will be greeted with bouquets. A good pretext was laid; a sense of mission was put on as the mask.
The invading US armies were resisted but the resistance fell through against the might of the formidable army. Still resistance was on through various forms till the total occupation took place. The occupying army unleashed a reign of terror for which the US leaders need to face the court of human conscience. The tip of iceberg of atrocities was displayed to the horrified world when it saw the US army torturing Iraqi soldiers. In Abu Ghraib prison they were stripped naked and made to form a human pyramid! Arrogance of the occupying army of the most democratic and civilized state of US! An international jury, disturbed by the goings on in Iraq, put together a tribunal, International tribunal on War crimes in Iraq (2005). This Jury of Conscience from 10 different countries heard the testimonies of 54 members of the panel of Advocates who came from across the world, including Iraq, the United States and the United Kingdom. This global civil initiative came to an end with a press conference at the Hotel Armada where the Chair of the Jury of Conscience, Arundathi Roy, announced the Jury’s conclusions, “The attack on Iraq is an attack on justice, on liberty, on our safety, on our future, on us all.”(http://www.worldtribunal.org/main/?b=93)
Why is the world witnessing such a massive erosion of human values, the trampling of international norms, conventions? US after its humiliation in Vietnam had decided not to send its armies to outside countries for some time and during that time, to counter the Russian occupation of Afghanistan, it propped up Al Qaeda type terrorists. From last three decades its aggressive designs are rampaging not only the countries of the world but also the spirit of humanism as a whole. The undermining of United Nations by US arrogance has been a major reason contributing to miseries of the World today. US actions to couch its politics in the language of religion, to prop up the theory of Clash of Civilizations, to demonize Islam and Muslims can be regarded as one of the worst sins against humanity in contemporary times.
As per US claims that wherever it intervenes it brings in democracy, lesser said the better. Earlier when the Colonial powers came to plunder the colonies they wore the mask of ‘civilizing mission’, of carrying the burden of civilizing the colonies. Now US while pursuing its role of plundering the oil resources of the world is putting on the mask of ‘exporting democracy’. Let’s remember democracy or for that matter no social system can be exported. USSR in it’s hey days was claiming to export socialism. Social systems can nurture themselves if they develop from within. What British colonial powers did in India was to plant the poisonous seeds of communalism and what US is doing in countries it invades is to bring in sectarianism. It has, during its occupation, promoted ethnic and tribal cliques. It has heightened the divides on the lines of Shia-Sunni, and other narrow identities. The economic condition of Iraq has worsened and the number of lives lost due to US misdeeds runs over millions.
It’s a shame that in the name of civilizing missions, exporting democracy etc., few powerful nations have brought in misery to these victim states in particular and human society in general. It is high time the world wakes up to the threat of this barbarism, the brute force trampling and causing miseries all over the World. The need for democracy amongst the nations, the concept of non alignment at global level and strengthening of United Nations through World Peace movement is the need for the hour. Bush rightly deserved the humiliation for what his/US policies have brought in to Iraq. Muntadhar al-Zaidi, who threw his boots, is rightly being hailed as a hero by Iraqis and many others. What US administration wanted to believe that it will get bouquets, was a make believe to invade. The boot it is getting now is what these invasions deserve. The crime against Iraq and humanity as a whole, is one of the serious tragedies of our times.
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Issues in Secular Politics
Jan 2008 I
For Circulation/Distribution
Ram Puniyani
During the press conference in Iraq a Iraqi journalist, Muntadhar al-Zaidi, in an act of
protest, hurled his shoes at George Bush. (December 2008) One does not know how the American President took it but one knows that the Iraqi people, were very elated at this insult hurled on their aggressor. Since the second Gulf War, 2003 the condition in Iraq has been worsening rapidly to disastrous proportions. By the way, one must introspect and correct the terminology, war. It was not a war; it was an invasion by the US on Iraq.
Just to recapitulate US, in its dreaded role as the global imperial power has been attacking country after country in a reckless manner. After the collapse of USSR, the other super power, the US has pursued its ambition of controlling and exploiting oil of the gulf region nakedly, apart from its overall hegemonic behavior all around. The US governments irrespective of their being Republican or Democrat, have been keeping the US war machinery on the boil. Many a countries in the gulf region have been the victims of US designs. Iraq in particular has come under the chopping block since the Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait. Iraq as such had been supported strongly by US during its war against Iran. During that time Saddam Hussein not only waged the war with Ayatollah Khomeini’s regime but also committed atrocities on the helpless Kurds in Iraq. These deeds of Iraq were staunchly and materially supported by US, as at that time for US, Iran was supposed to be the major problem in the region. This more so after the Ayatollah overthrew the US puppet regime of Raza Shah Pehlvi.
After the Iran-Iraq war ended in1988, US felt that the large army it had helped build in Iraq will be a threat to its domination in the gulf region and should be demolished. Iraq foolishly walked into the trap laid by the US. Through its allies in the region Saudi Arab and Kuwait, it put severe economic pressure on Iraq, which made Iraq think of invading Kuwait. When Saddam Hussein talked about his plans to US ambassador April Glaspie, she categorically stated that ‘we have no opinion on your border dispute’, meaning there by, you are free to go ahead, we won’t interfere.
As soon as Iraq invaded Kuwait and declared that Kuwait is the 24th state of Iraq, US jumped to shout that Kuwait Sheikh’s sovereignty has been violated and that Iraq will be taught a lesson. Iraq pledged to withdraw its troops. Ignoring that, US went for a decisive strike, blockading Iraqi soldieries, who were willing to withdraw, and stopping supplies to Iraq. Betraying the worst of imperialist greed Iraq was bombed by US, its electrical systems and sewerage plants were destroyed, with the result that millions of Iraqis perished due to war, the accompanying sanctions and spread of diseases. Blinded by its greed the US secretary of state Madeleine Albright affirmed that all this destruction was worth to save the Sovereignty of Sheikh of Kuwait.
After the 9/11 2001 and the consequent attack on Afghanistan, US came back to old goal of expanding its hold on oil zone by occupying Iraq. It decided to build up its case of attacking Iraq by declaring that Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction. UN, though not a political force any more, deputed its inspectors to find if Iraq had such weapons. None could be found. That was not to deter the tyrannical empire. It went ahead with its preparations of the war. It went on to add the excuse that Iraq is supporting Al Qaeda. It was a common knowledge that Saddam had no link with this organization, which any way was the creation of US itself. As a prelude to war US leaders started saying that Iraqi people are fed up of the tyrannies of Saddam and they need to be liberated. Dick Cheney, the US Vice President went on to say that US troops will be welcomed as the liberating forces by Iraqis and will be greeted with bouquets. A good pretext was laid; a sense of mission was put on as the mask.
The invading US armies were resisted but the resistance fell through against the might of the formidable army. Still resistance was on through various forms till the total occupation took place. The occupying army unleashed a reign of terror for which the US leaders need to face the court of human conscience. The tip of iceberg of atrocities was displayed to the horrified world when it saw the US army torturing Iraqi soldiers. In Abu Ghraib prison they were stripped naked and made to form a human pyramid! Arrogance of the occupying army of the most democratic and civilized state of US! An international jury, disturbed by the goings on in Iraq, put together a tribunal, International tribunal on War crimes in Iraq (2005). This Jury of Conscience from 10 different countries heard the testimonies of 54 members of the panel of Advocates who came from across the world, including Iraq, the United States and the United Kingdom. This global civil initiative came to an end with a press conference at the Hotel Armada where the Chair of the Jury of Conscience, Arundathi Roy, announced the Jury’s conclusions, “The attack on Iraq is an attack on justice, on liberty, on our safety, on our future, on us all.”(http://www.worldtribunal.org/main/?b=93)
Why is the world witnessing such a massive erosion of human values, the trampling of international norms, conventions? US after its humiliation in Vietnam had decided not to send its armies to outside countries for some time and during that time, to counter the Russian occupation of Afghanistan, it propped up Al Qaeda type terrorists. From last three decades its aggressive designs are rampaging not only the countries of the world but also the spirit of humanism as a whole. The undermining of United Nations by US arrogance has been a major reason contributing to miseries of the World today. US actions to couch its politics in the language of religion, to prop up the theory of Clash of Civilizations, to demonize Islam and Muslims can be regarded as one of the worst sins against humanity in contemporary times.
As per US claims that wherever it intervenes it brings in democracy, lesser said the better. Earlier when the Colonial powers came to plunder the colonies they wore the mask of ‘civilizing mission’, of carrying the burden of civilizing the colonies. Now US while pursuing its role of plundering the oil resources of the world is putting on the mask of ‘exporting democracy’. Let’s remember democracy or for that matter no social system can be exported. USSR in it’s hey days was claiming to export socialism. Social systems can nurture themselves if they develop from within. What British colonial powers did in India was to plant the poisonous seeds of communalism and what US is doing in countries it invades is to bring in sectarianism. It has, during its occupation, promoted ethnic and tribal cliques. It has heightened the divides on the lines of Shia-Sunni, and other narrow identities. The economic condition of Iraq has worsened and the number of lives lost due to US misdeeds runs over millions.
It’s a shame that in the name of civilizing missions, exporting democracy etc., few powerful nations have brought in misery to these victim states in particular and human society in general. It is high time the world wakes up to the threat of this barbarism, the brute force trampling and causing miseries all over the World. The need for democracy amongst the nations, the concept of non alignment at global level and strengthening of United Nations through World Peace movement is the need for the hour. Bush rightly deserved the humiliation for what his/US policies have brought in to Iraq. Muntadhar al-Zaidi, who threw his boots, is rightly being hailed as a hero by Iraqis and many others. What US administration wanted to believe that it will get bouquets, was a make believe to invade. The boot it is getting now is what these invasions deserve. The crime against Iraq and humanity as a whole, is one of the serious tragedies of our times.
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Issues in Secular Politics
Jan 2008 I
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