Archive for Archive for April, 2008
Hanging Afzal…
Arundhati Roy’s Op Ed piece in Hindustan Times (December 23) evoked my curiosity and admiration for the courageous person. She touched several raw nerves.
The death sentence on Mohammad Afzal Guru has also been a sentence on our frivolous societal behaviour. We have been deluged by floods of reportage, comments, display of anger, hatred, and [...]
In the name of the law
The national shame of the ‘encounter’ killings of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kausar Bi by the Gujarat police’s anti-terrorist squad and the arrest of three IPS officers may have shocked a few activists and media analysts. But, by and large, it has not moved the people of India. Events prove that even the war [...]
A Bird’s Eye View of Internal Security Scenario
A nation’s march towards sustainable progress intrinsically depends on security ambience that increases comfort level of its citizens. Security is a multilayered concept. Besides capability to protect the country from external aggression and internal disturbances social, economic, environmental, class, gender etc securities define the contours and core of the security status of a nation. In [...]
BLINDED MICE & JEWEL OF INDIA
Twenty-sixth January visited to remind us that we had given to ourselves a Republic with democratic and secular dispensations. Long live the Republic and long live the Crown of Homo sapiens’ exalted civilisation.
India was the Jewel of the Crown of Britain too. It was studded with modern age jewels like Tilak, Lal-Bal-Pal, Gandhi, Subhash [...]
KOSOVOS IN INDIA?
I am not seeding a new idea. I am sharing not only the idea but concerns and apprehensions expressed in several world capitals over the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo, a breakaway Albanian Muslim majority province of Serbia. Normally a distant Muslim province of 2 million people of which 10% are Orthodox Christian Serbs, [...]
MY KHAKI DEMOCRACY - An Intervention
The latest national shame, as revealed under judicial intervention, of the “encounter” killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kausar Bi by Gujarat police ATS cell and arrest of three IPS officers may have shocked a few activist and media analysts. It has, by and large, not moved the people of India irrespective of the [...]
National or Internal Security
During a recent encounter with a representative of the US Department of Homeland Security, the important Capitol cog tried to explain to me that India’s Internal Security concerns were confined to narrow indigenous problems. The USA, on the other hand, linked threats to its homeland security with malevolent forces from the Islamic world, Jurassic remnants [...]
Old men and their Official secrets
They were once in positions of power that made them privy to strictly classified information. Ketan Tanna probes into the lives of retired men who know too much
When a man lies to his wife about where he is going, he is not always headed to his lover’s nest. Sometimes, it is just a state [...]
Pakistan’s Intelligence: Present & Future
Some sensible and humourous Pakistani friends say: every country has an army; in Pakistan, the Army has a country. In most countries, the people own everything; in Pakistan, everything is owned by the Army.
This comment does not require elaboration as history of Pakistan proves beyond doubt that the Armed Forces and their ancillary tentacles [...]
Pakistan’s Kashmir Herringbone
Another February 5, and Pakistan has shed shady tears by observing Kashmir Solidarity Day. A national holiday was declared by the government as a sop to the Kashmiri people.
The government and political leaders reassured the people of Kashmir (IHK) of continued political, moral, and diplomatic support. Prime Minister Mohammed Soomro’s message was read [...]
Sachar Cream and Lost Indian Dream
Recently a “right reactionary Hindu” Patriot’s Forum has filed a PIL in the Supreme Court challenging validity and legality of the Sachar Commission Report, which has recommended plethora of concessions to the “minority” Muslim community. Though the Constitution and the Legal system of the country are silent about the definition of ‘minority’ the governments in [...]
SAMJHOUTA BLAST IS NOT THE FOURTH BATTLE OF PANIPAT
The devastating explosion and resultant fire in the Samjhouta Express on 18th February has exposed another ugly chasm in India’s security and intelligence armour. No doubt, all railway trains are soft targets and the mammoth paraphernalia that go in preparing a train of coaches, maintaining security at platforms thronged by thousands of passengers and [...]
Taslima, the bravest woman
Recently my publisher sent some papers in Bengali font with a footnote that I should translate a new book of Taslima Nasreen into English. The printed pages spewed fire and brimstone against the male dominated Muslim society and abominable plight of women. Strong feelings against male masochism expressed in easy flowing colloquial Bengali sounded very [...]
