Very Indian Eyes

re: Rehan Ansari

I guess in my last cryptic freply I was trying to show how, even you, get the US/THEM, WE/THEY confused when talking in the Indo-Pak context.

regards

re: Rehan

Don`t you see the inherent contradictions in all these statements:

``Overwhelming numbers of her interview subjects` families (ten of the twelve people interviewed so far) are originally from Pakistan.``

They never were from Pakistan. You may mean ``present day`` Pakistan ? Their homeland was never Pakistan. They are refering to an `entity` called India.

`` one who understands what made Haseena Moin click knows what can appeal to an audience that occupies vast stretches of India, the Middle East, England and North America.``

What about Pakistan ? :-)
....and yeah, TanhayiYaaN was particularly great `cause of Marina Khan.

Just taking some Indo-Pak pangaas to get the day going. ;-) I do understand what you you are trying to say in your article, though.

regards
Ashish

rehan

my friend and mentor, ambarish mishra, special correspondent of that rag, the times of india, had high praise for ``woh ladka joh noor jehan pey likhta hai`` when i called him this morning.

amba is an awesome musician/storehouse of information/reporter and i was quite pleased.

regards

aakar patel

does no homepage mean no tasweer? what
Will We Do?

why is it that only You have your picture up on
chowk?

:)

has anybody else wondered or is it just me?

rizvi

Re: Shammi #521

Military men everywhere prefer presidential to parliamentary systems because it fits in best with their training and experience: well defined hierarchies and chains of command. Gen. PM is a member of a minority group which quite a few people in Pakistan do not particularly care for, so as far as that goes, his assuming the Presidency would not exactly stifle minority aspirations (at least not those of minorities in relatively favorable positions). By definition, all majoritarian systems stifle minority aspirations. The solution is often worse than the problem: counter-weighted greater-than-proportional representation systems. Look at the US: how do you think Bush could lose the popular vote and still become the President?

A presidential system with some minority rights/constitutional safeguards could work fairly well in Pakistan or anywhere else as long as the existing laws are enforced. Alas, who is going to enforce them?

Ataturk gained his complete ascendancy over the Turkish people and the Turkish Army by refusing to accept the Allied division of Turkey proper (Treaty of Sevres? Lausanne? where is YLH when you need him?) and fighting the Greeks--backed by the Allies--to a complete standstill and actually pushing them back in places. This was a far greater accomplishment than his role in the Dardanelles campaign--although that is where I believe he made his reputation for incredible personal courage. He could order his illiterate and devoutly Muslim troops to use mosques as stables or warehouses and hang mullahs because they feared/worshipped him more than they did God himself.

Sorry, digressed there.

I think PM is an Ataturk admirer and a reformer but his hands are tied by domestic considerations and his seat is not very secure. I agree that he doesn`t seem to realize that the more he gives in to the obscurantists, the bolder they get.

RE: Scout

Yours truly begs to differ with your generalization. He holds a high opinion about himself (and about yourself, if you reciprocate).

God! I talk like Bob Dole.

Urstruly #46,

They sounded so stern, I got scared.

By the way, I don`t think there are any good apples out there.

re:Scout#45

One bad apple gives a bad name to all other good, juicy and sweet apples. tsk tsk tsk

Chowk Staff and Rehan Ansari,

Sorry about my share of irrelevant posts.

Next time, I`ll keep my reactions to people`s posts here to a relevant minimum.

Chowk Staff and Rehan Ansari,

Sorry about my share of irrelevant posts.

Next time, I`ll keep my reactions to people`s posts here to a relevant minimum.

A few InterActors! have been consistently using the InterAct! space to post messages that have no connection with either the article or the ongoing discussion. In the interest of other readers and writers please refrain from doing this as it diminishes the value of this valuable space. To announce and or voice opinions that are not related to the posted articles you should use the Speakers Corner and the Chowk Forum`s. From our end we will soon provide a service that can allow your to post your impromptu emotions and opinions.

Thank you.

Scout#41

Banjaara is not off the mark. Mohajir have left the politics of idealism long ago. Thanks to Bhutto, Zia and Altaf.

They will go where their interest take them. If their interest is with Islam ki Nazariati or Guphraphiain Sarhadain they will go for it. Time now is for that.

But as evidenced in past, they can go for ``Jinnahpur`` or Asian Hong Kong.

One thing is clear, they are not interested in National politics anymore, but in regional politics. Fatima Surriya Bajia, Jamiluddin Aali, religious right in Mohajir are now ethnic.

banjaara #40,

So sue me :)

scout#22

Responding to Satyavadi#18

``Betay who gives a @#@!! about Altaf Hussain and

the MQM?The MQM is more hot air than substance.

``By the way,most of the mohajir Pakistani,I know are very much loyal and patriotic to Pakistan``.

Scout instead of convincing Satyavadi goes on the

offensive and certifies Altaf and MQM as nothing

but an aberration,which is the typical Govt.line,

and then confirms the loyalty of the mohajir`s

known to her.Sounds like a typical sarkari afsar.

mona#27

She has mentioned five points to redeem the image

of Pakistan in the International fora,however,the

fourth point quote``The MQM has become vociferous with its partition was a blunder and Punjabi domination line.A group of MQM leaders are in India to seek help``.Where is the redemption in this profoundly philosophic suggestion.

regards

How will the NS release affect Pakistan and Pakistanis in the future? Some possibilities:

a. NS becomes pals with Idi Amin (another guest of the Saudis), and like him spends out his remain days in obscurity (comforted by a couple of wives he brought along with him) with an occasional interview with reporters who have nothing better to do. This scenario is Not Likely - NS aint finished yet, I think.

(BTW: Amin was of course a rogue of a different stripe - his torture cells in Kampala have been converted to a hotel (!) where people claim that ghosts of his victims sometimes wake up the hotel guests at night by moaning and brushing against their feet.)

b. NS makes a grand re-entry, his own man, a la Napoleon from St. Elba, ready to pave Pakistan with glorious motorways with rest places every 50 miles, each with an ugly replica of Chagai mountains. Not Likely: NS does not have the kind of popularity, and has too many internal enemies.

c. NS makes a re-entry a la the Bourbon dynasty , beholden to the Saudis and ready to make a deal with Jamaatias. Possible - and we can then kiss goodbye to progress in Pakistan for about ten years.

I wait for thoughts of the sagacious ones on chowk on this question.

translations pls!!!

feeling a bit left out here - what with all the gujarati going back&forth.

regards,

a