Remembering Munish

DM,

Sorry.......hope Prof. Puri`s friends and family remain brave and positive. As an aside JK taught me.

#113 by khamkhwa. on January 5, 2006 6:43pm PT


now i hear


Hear from the voices in your head?

...over 100 interacts denouncing muslims and pakistan for the murder of the professor and now i hear it had nothing to do with isi or pakistan...shame on you people for wasting my time...

I think so in every large country there will be disgruntled elements. Exploitation of these elements by foreign power will always be considered an act of war. More terrorist acts are traced to these countries, more will be the legitimation of pre-emptive strike. As I have written many times. Crusades have really never stopped. Interludes in crusades were when the west was regrouping or fighting with itself. The attitude that everything is fair in war and it is okay to tap into unpatriotic citizenry for this is very cynical attitude. It can be used by any country to subvert any country.

DM,
Sorry to hear the loss of your friend. Though I did not know your friend but I had heard about him thorugh some other Mathematics Professor at IIT.

May his Atma find Rest!

further to #109 allama iqbal i think was pointing to something similar in his famous couplet:

jis khet se dahaqaaN ko mayassar na ho rozii
oos khet ke har Khoshaa-e-gandum ko jalaa do

rough translation:

(the land that does not produce food for the worker
burn all the wheat on that land)

although beautifully stated, even this couplet does not fully address the broader issue of human rights. This is because man does not live by bread alone. human rights are an even broader concept, and includes the right to be left alone. And any ideology (nationalism, hindu or muslim chauvinism) that does not seek to serve these rights can burn in hell.

#108 Politicians, bureaucrats and national leaders reflect the basic values and attitudes of a society. So, the ``bunch of b@!#$@ds`` as you accurately refer to these characters in fact applies to any one of us who is more concerned with some half-baked ideology of nationalism than with the rights of the individual.

In other words, for anyone for whom AJK (Azad Jammu and Kashmir. i.e. the glorification of the state, or of religion for that matter) takes precedence over the rights of AJK (Average Joe Kashmiri, i.e. respect for the rights of the human being). Of what use is a state or a religion if it does not serve the welfare of the individual?

#96 tahmed2: ``However, I think the issue of the well-being of the average Abdul Joe Kashmiri (AJK), is not just a ``good sentiment but impractical`` but an area where there IS a black and white. I saw the pictures of kashmiri families re-united after 50 years and it made my blood boil to think that these poor people suffered for the incompetence and sins of the politicians and military of both countries. What right does any individual (no matter if he is a president of pm or ``freedom fighter``) have to deny the right of some other individual to live in peace and security?!! ``
I share your sentiment. Being separated from family for decades on the other side of the border/LoC, and never seeing them again, though you know they are just a few hundred km away, not being able to afford the circuitous route or the cumbersome visa procedures, can be heart-breaking. It is not just people on either side of the LoC who are going through this. It is also people in Punjab, Rajasthan, and even places like UP/MP/Bihar from where people migrated to Pakistan. Politicians and especially bureaucrats are a heartless bunch of b@!#$@ds.
The irony of the Kashmir situation is that, had the residents of the valley not `revolted` in 89, their voting power would have forced the Indian govt to find ways and means to enable easy cross-LoC travel. Especially given the coalition govts of the past few elections, even small parties whose support is essential, can accumulate a lot of power and get things done. But if you pick up the gun...

re:#97 by labyrinth1
You, like many Pakis, live in the world of your own making that is far removed from reality.
Nation states do not give up territory that easily, not to terrorists.
Kashmir will remain a part of India. India may have to accomodate Kashmirirs by giving them more autonomy, that is all.
Sridhar

re:#93 by HP
So, u want Kashmiri self-determinaiton.
How about
self-determinaiton for other ethnic groups in Pakas they think they are being targeted by the Punjabi Army or dominated by Punjab.
(The dominant Punjabis have never succeeded in forging a Pakistani national identity. Balochistan, Pakistan`s largest province, has chaffed under the iron fist of Islamabad. (When I asked my cab driver here in London if he was Pakistani, he replied indignantly, ``I am not Pakistani! I am from Balochistan!``) Pashtuns in the North-West Frontier Province have long dreamed of an independent Pashtunistan with their ethnic cousins across the Afghan border.)
(Pakistan`s eastern wing, now Bangladesh, won its war for independence in 1971, but 3 million Bengalis died in the process. The Punjabis have suppressed past rebellions in Balochistan and would do so again.)
How about right of self-determination for Pakhtoons in the form of
Pakhtoonistan?
Kashmiri ethnicity is strong and sees itself seperate from Indian nationalism but it has the opportunity to submerge its ethnicity within Indian national identity without losing it, just like many others like Tamils,Punjabees (Indian), Gujaratis have done.
I have always believed that Indian Army should leave Kashmir the day terrorism from Pak stops. Internal terrorist acts can be tackled by the elected state govt in Kashmir.
Idea of nationstate is new but ethnic communities (like Kashmiris, Afghans etc) have lived for many centuries. Nation state (like India) has today welded many such communities under one umbrella, creating a rule of law so all can move towards progress. If Kashmiris want to opt out of the union, such a demand should come not out of the barrel of the gun but through the ballot. I think India is already moving towards granting Kashmir substantial autonomy (like the pre-1952 level), so they should have nothing much to complain about.
Sridhar

re:#87 by ahmadzai
Considering that much of terrorism now-a-days traces its origin to Pakistan (directly or indirectly), i would not be surprised if Bangalore killing too has some Paki connections. Clear proof is lacking at present, so i will be silent on the subject until i see a clear proof.
Sridhar

re:#67 by HP
RAW has been accused of involvement in Balochistan. Stoking the fire mainly. But i must say nobody can beat a Paki when it comes to screwing oneself. You guys screwed up in Bangladesh. NOw, u guys are repeating the same mistake.
Sridhar

re:#63 by sadna
India`s weakness is exploited by Pakis and others.
The quesiton to ask would be: if a Hyderabadi muslim is involved in the act, what was his motivation? Why was he feeling alienated with India? If one`s house is in order, few would dare cast an evil eye.
Sridhar

re: #61 by bbabu
(There is no evidence that the killing was done by a political or religious group of any agenda. It is pure speculation.)
Looks like u are right.
All i am hearing is some connection with LeT, blah, blah,blah. Nothing concrete so far. I would not pronounce this as anything connected with Kashmir or Pak until more evidence surfaces.
It is no doubt a dastardly terrorist act.
Sridhar

re: this article
Dost Mitterji,
It must be a great loss to you. We all read the report and felt very sad.
Sridhar

#97 by labyrinth1 on January 4, 2006 11:58am PT


Kashmir Bane-ga-Pakistan ( Insh`Allah tu Tallah )


Allah hasn`t inshed in the past 50+ years..What makes you think your batting average is about to improve in the next, say, 50 years or so...