SRI LANKA'S VICTORY;LESSON FOR WORLD

                            END OF LTTE AND ADVENT OF NEW

                                         DAWN IN SRILANKA

 LTTE Chief’s death marked the end of 26 years long war of Sri Lankan Army with LTTE. In other words we can say that Sri Lanka has won the Military war against world’s more powerful, organized and deadly terrorist organization, the LTTE. The dead body of LTTE Chief Virupillai Prabhakaran has been identified by the Lankan Army, the video footage of which has been shown on the electronic media to the world giving a message that they have the caliber to win and courage to fight unto death.

 

The victory has unfolded many success stories of Sri Lankan army and many such stories would be authored in the years to come in their glory. The last couple of months had been particularly very tough and challenging for the Sri Lanka in view of the growing concerns of international community about the alleged gross human rights violations by the army. The huge exodus of Tamil civilians from the war zones had has been a matter of serious concern for the government as well as international aid agencies like UNHCR and International Red Cross Society. The exact number of causalities during the 26 years of incessant war including deaths in the fresh offensive from January, 2009 would never be known, but time would help heal this wound soon, provided the Tamil problem is solved within the frame work of Sri Lankan territorial integrity and sovereignty.

 

The war fought by the Lankan army is a lesson for every Nation which is facing the problem of Terrorism including India. It is also a lesson for West and particularly America who is still to win and bring the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan-Pakistan to a logical conclusion.

 

The 2^nd Gulf war started   some ten years back by Barrack Obama’s predecessor George Bush is yet to be won even when Saddam is dead and the country is ruined. 9/11 humiliated America and it fought back with skirmish. Afghanistan under Taliban was attacked by USA under the false banner of NATO and forcibly retrieved consent of UN. The Taliban were deposed and Mullah Md Omar was dethroned. Initially USA thought that the war is over and it would show to the world that the America cares for the third world. It started so called reconstruction of Afghanistan, a task that will never be finished. The war against Omar and Osama-bin-Laden, the Al-Qaeda chief was termed as ‘Global War against Terror’. The USA undoubtedly the best and most powerful armed forces in the world with unmatched fighter planes, most lethal artilleries, heavily protected armored vehicles most sophisticated anti-terror equipments and other weapons blended with world’s best trained marines have yet to kill either Osama or Mullah Muhammad Omar. The ongoing seemingly unending war in Afpak territory is being fought with following military strengths-

There are 38,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, including three combat brigades and non-combat troops. Their numbers were bolstered by the recent arrival of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the Army's 10th Mountain Division, which has begun operating in eastern part of Afghanistan. There shall be additional deployment of 17,000 troops, as assured by Obama in his maiden Presidential speech. A force of 8,000 Marines, consisting of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade was further reinforced in Afghanistan. All the NATO countries are engaged in this war in one way or the other but What to talk of victory, Americans have yet to see Osama and Omar physically. They have so far failed to trace their hideouts and movements. The American army has been thoroughly demoralized when Taliban took Swat, Buner in Malakhand, Mingora etc under its suzerainty and posed an existential threat to Pakistan. 

One the other hand, Sri Lanka, with a meager total numerical strength of 1, 70,000 troops has been fighting against LTTE, one of the most organized and well trained terrorist organization which has been banned in as many as 32 countries for the last 26 years without any moral and material support of International community. In fact the international community including America influenced UN has always castigated and demoralized Sri Lanka on this issue. If the comparison is drawn between Al-Qaeda and Taliban on the one hand and LTTE on the other, it can be easily understood that LTTE is the most modern, well organized and hierarchical on lines of Military structure of modern state, disciplined and most committed, whereas; Al-Qaeda and Taliban are ill trained, less organized and ill disciplined. In fact the duo is more a militia that anything else inculcated with medieval cultural and military ethos.

Is it not very surprising to see that the world’s best army is not able to defeat the medieval band of mercenary militia?

The victory of Sri Lankan army over LTTE has necessitated USA to rethink over its war techniques and strategy of military operation against Al-Qaeda and Taliban. It is well said that success has many fathers and failures have only orphans. The international community which had been criticizing the Sri Lankan government over alleged human rights violations have now extending congratulations on the killing of Prabhakaran. The public jubilations in Sri Lanka is such that when Miliband, the Foreign Minister of UK criticized Sri Lanka for its alleged atrocities, he was burn in effigies. The international communities especially the West including American have to understand that protecting sovereignty and territorial integrity are the inalienable and non negotiable rights of and Independent Nation.  India must learn a lesson that a half hearted fight against Terrorism is like injuring a poisonous snake and letting it prepare to a fresh offensive, obviously which is more lethal and dangerous. We will have to re-think our Kashmir Policy and our strategy of fight against Terrorism. The political commitment and unshaken rocky resolve to uproot terrorism is the unfinished task of our successive governments. Amongst the priorities of the new UPA government should also be to crush the terrorists and terrorism in all its form. Let the world shed its crocodile tears, after all if the Nation itself is at stake who and why does one talk about diplomacy, human rights and international communities’ criticism and pressure. If Sri Lankan why not me .

WHO WILL CARE FOR GANDHI?

(BAPU,WHO WILL UPKEEP YOUR LEGACY?)

One week ago, Gandhi again came in news but not for any satyagraha movement or non-violent sermons. This news or better call it an out cry was centered around some of his belongings which were put to auction in Antiquorum Auctioneers at Manhattan in USA on thursday the 5th March,2009.

All what happened, that a film maker and peace activist, James Otis had in his possession some belongings of Mahatma Gandhi, which he wanted to put to auction through the Antiquorum. He had wanted to spend the money coming out through this auction for pacifest causes. When the news of this auction broke, it snow balled in a tempest all around in India. The Indian government as well many organisations jumped into the fray but not to buy back gandhi's pricelsse belongings like steel framed spects, a pair of sandals, a bowl and a pocket watch, but to get the auction cancelled. Otis, the peace lover was hurt and wanted to stop the auction but it was too late and the auction went ahead as per schedule.

Vijay Mallaya, the liquor magnate and a Indian business tycoon participated in the auciton through his representative Tony Bedi who became the highest bidder and the belongings were sold to Mallaya at $1.8 Million. The tempest was rested now. Mallaya is expected to bring back these items of Mahatma within a couple of weeks. The delay in handing over of the items is due to certain legal formalities which has become necessary because of some legal wrangles.

This episode has raised certain issues which unfortunately are full of ironies and paradoxes. The Party in power, the INC claims to be the real successor of Gandhi and boasts of carrying forward the legacy of Mahatma and Gandhi-Nehru family is in power, though behind the curtains, but it too could not buy Gandhi's items back. Second parodox is that Gandhi had been a champion of prohibition throughout his life but his belongings are bought back by a liquor magnate, what a contrast. Well no one can say that patriotism is the repository of those who falsely call themselves as champions of nationalism. This episode has once again revealed that India resides in Indians rich or poor, political or apolitical educated and iliterates alike. 

$1.8 million is not a huge amount for the items of Mahatma, infact they are priceless. The energy which the government wasted in getting the auction stayed, should have been channelised in buying back these items.

Many organisations, institutions and many political parties run on the name of Gandhi,unfortunately no one come to his rescue, what a shame! The political parties that always make an issue out of trivial things,but alas! this time no one except a patriot business man saved the nation from being stigmatised.

There are hundreds of items of our great leaders in this country, uncared and unattended, but who cares for them? However,as soon as these items reach out to the hands of foreigners, they become pricesless. Is it a mark of our colonial mindset or something else?

who did win and who did loose

hello countrymen,

I hope, many of you must have seen the proceedings of Parliament on 21st and 22nd of this month. The motion of confidence ,moved by Dr.Manmohan Singh was passed by clear cut majority. The kind of abnoxious scenes, which were witnessed by billions of Indians and many people across the world, certainly lowered the image and prestige of Indian Parliament. It was a black day for Indian democracy as well as Indian Parliament. The power brokers and 'dalals' have ushered in a new but nasty culture in Indian politics which is not palatable to a common man. The entire episode has been written by people like Amar Singh, Prakash Karat, A.B.Bardhan, Satish Chandra Mishra, etc. and interestingly none of them are Members of Loksabha. The vote of confidence was won by the Government and naturally, it will continue to be in the office for the remaining period,but it seems to me that the people has lost faith in the democracy. It is very sad and unfortunate for every one of us. Afterall, it is the people and citizen who are important, because it is they who keep democracy alive and moving and not the parliament which keeps countrymen moving. When Indian parliament was not in existence, people were very much here. Therefore, let the people's faith and cofidence be intact, otherwise no motion, whatsoever will be able to keep democracy alive. I, therefore, feel that undoubtedly, the government won but people lost.

Om Prakash Yadav

Democracy in Nadir

Hi Countrymen,

Ours is democracy and we are naturally proud of it. Many of us are very inflated to see the economic data regarding India's robust economic growth. It is however a matter of debate that wheather or not India is really poised to become an economic power, but certainly there is no denying the fact that inter personal and inter reginal economic disparities have widened. It is a fact that about one lakh Indians have become HNI but it is also a fact that about 70% of Indians are not able to spend even Rs/-20 per day on themselves. Largest numbers of undernourished children still live in this very country.

Apart from that if we look at the present political development which is taking place in the name of Indo-US civil nuclear deal, we can well imagine that to which direction is our democracy going ? You see the high voltage political dramma, which is being played by the political parties in the name of nuclear energy, you will easily understand that the real issue is lost in the mist of political gimmicks. The most intereresting or you can better say the most sad part of the entire episode is that the important players in this political game are those who have never been elected by the electorates. The fate of the government is not being decided by the " we the people" but by those who have not won and fought the ward councillor's election also. For example, Mr.Karat, who is self style champion of interests of common man has not contested election of even 'Mukhia', has become the spokesperson of millions of Indians. Bardhan, Yechury, D.Raja, Amar singh, Dr Manmohan singh, and a host of such leaders are deciding the fate of this Nation who are not even directly elected by the citizen of this country. Cannot and shouldnot we, the Indias ask from them that who have given thr authority to play with the nation. This is perhaps the irony of this country. The parliament and especially the Rajya sabha has become an elite club of few hundres of people. The politics has become corporatised in such a way that every political party is being run by the people who do not have thing to do with common people. This is a very dangerous trend and every one of us should serious think over it. I am of the opinion that let the backdoor politics be shut down by winding up the socalled 'upper houses' both at union and state level. Enact law to close the entry into the lower house for more than two times. By doing this, we can allow more and more new people to enter into the arena of politcs which hitherto is the monopoly of a few priviledged persons. I have the first hand experience that how in the State of Bihar when reservations were provided for women and SC,ST and OBCs , the violence in the election drastically came down. Let more and more people and especially those who are marginalised, to come and participate in the mainstay of the nation, because political participation does not mean becoming followers only, rather it requires power shiring. This will help in reversal of the process of alienation and disillusionment and can help solve problems like naxal and extremism also. Time has come when the democracy should be made set free from the handcuffs of few power brokers and be made a real democracy. Otherwise, there shall be no significance of the word " we ,the people " in our constitution.

Let this message be trickle down to all Indians

your's

Om Prakash Yadav