The Laying to Waste of the World: a Memory of I.H Burney

Ladies and gentlemen of chowk,

Allow me to say that despite our disagreements and everything else... I really admire you all!

May this would be news to many here.

The Nexus of the Three....

Jawahar Lal was Delhi`s erstwhile Kotwal Gangadhar`s grandson; and the son of Moti Lal, a resident of the Mirganj district of Allahabad. Jawahar was also a descendant of Raj Kaul, the recipient of the famous land in Delhi where still exists the famous `Nehr` or nullah that bestowed the `Nehru` name to the clan. The award of the land was made by Farrukhsiyar, a grandson of Aurangzeb as a token of gratitude of the Moghuls to Raj Kaul for having betrayed Guru Gobind Singh, which betrayal finally caused the Guru`s loss of life in the hands of two Pathan assassins at Nanded.

``Sanoon Nehr vaalay puul tey bulaakey

``-------````--

tey khorray mahee?

.....................`kinnooooooon dey gayaa``

Some questions were raised on this thred about the Afghan-Kashmir link. Here goes:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1617000/1617541.stm

``Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, for one, normally operates in Kashmir, and links between Afghanistan and armed groups in Kashmir date back to the early 1980s, before the Taleban emerged.

Prominent Kashmiri militants such as Mohammad Abdullah Bangroo, alias Khalid-ul-Islam, fought alongside the Afghan mujahideen against the Soviet occupation.

Likewise, an Afghan militant in the Hizbul Mujahideen group, Akber Bhai, became a household name in north Kashmir in 1992.

Afghan militants who fight in Kashmir are only one foreign contingent among many but for those involved - be they from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey or Chechnya - Kashmir and the Afghan cause are strongly linked as common Islamic causes.

If casualty figures are any indication, foreigners comprise about 30% of the militants operating in Kashmir, most of them Pakistanis or from Pakistan-ruled Kashmir. They are followed by the Afghans.

It has to be said that before the 11 September attacks on America, there was no clear indication of links between Kashmiri militants and the Taleban or Osama Bin Laden`s al-Qaeda militant group.

But since the US strikes in Afghanistan, Bin Laden has become a hero to ordinary Muslims in Kashmir. There he is seen as a symbol of Islamic resistance to a United States which is involved in conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslims such as the Middle East.``

KK Khan 545,

Here we go again, partition was wrong, what it could have been, would have been crap. Pakistan is there for you all to do something with. Find out what can be done, identify some elements of progress.

Here is a list for you, if you are half serious.

1) Create a hero, a symbol of modernity and progress. Abdus Salam. If you are bold enough, write an article, send it to chowk, i know they wont publish it, at least post that in bits on chowk interacts.

If you can do that you have challenged the essence of pakistan today, blasphemy laws that target non- muslims and ahmedia, you have introduced an alien value that kafirs can be heros, you have established that non-koranic education can be of value and can create heros.

The above values will make the young of pakistan like YLH and anNy shake in their limbs. These are the misguided lots, the true children of TNT, who believe that writing about a long dead sher sha suri and food habits are great contributions. Follow the TNt trail, sher sha suri, irrelevance, name calling of jay.

Interesting News:

Yeh Dil Aashikana, first Hindi film in Afghanistan



ARCHANA SHARMA

TIMES NEWS NETWORK



UMBAI: The opening of cinema theatres in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime could bring good business for Bollywood. In fact, Aruna Irani`s, Yeh Dil Aashikana is set to be the first Hindi film to be released in Afghanistan after a six-year ban.

When the Taliban took over Afghanistan, it was the third largest overseas market for Bollywood films, after the United Kingdom and United States.

Aruna Irani has struck a chord with the Afghans ever since Caravan, the `70s film starring her and Jeetendra, was a smash hit in that country. She played a gypsy in that film. In Yeh Dil Ashikana, she plays the hero`s mother.

Director of the film, Kuku Kohli, said negotiations with distributors were through but a few formalities were yet to be completed. He said that he would not like to reveal the names of the distributors of the Afghan territory until a clear picture of government formation emerges.

``We want to donate the film and not sell it. The profits of the film would go for the benefit of Afghani children affected by the war,`` said Mr Kohli.

Film trade analyst Komal Nahta sees the opening of the market in Afghanistan as a Diwali gift. ``Bollywood movies are popular in most Asian countries and Afghanistan is no exception. It may turn out to be a huge market``.

Mr Nahta said it was too early to say how much money would be inolved, but ``it will definitely bring happy tidings to the producers.``

Mr Kohli expects his film to be widely viewed by the Afghan people as it has a scene in which the plane carrying the heroine is hijacked. The film stars newcomers Karan Nath and Jividha.

`` The plane is hijacked for the release of a terrorist who even resembles Osama bin Laden. In the film it is shown that the Afghan people have supported the Indian cause,`` explained Mr Kohli.

Though Mr Kohli admits that the storyline is inspired by the hijacking of IC-814 in 1999 to Kandahar, he said that it was fiction. It is believed that the running of films will improve the state of the theatres which are in a dilapidated condition.

Public Relations Officer, Raju Karia said that as people start going to theatres, its quality would improve and the distributors will make some money, this would augur good trade with Bollywood. ``At present, Ramzan month is on, as soon as it is over, people would celebrate Id by watching Hindi movies.``

Mr Karia elaborated, Pakistan and Afghanistan have massive audiences for Hindi moives but Hindi films are banned in the theaters of Pakistan. `` Afghanistan is a huge market for Bollywood films since they relate to the films as it has a familiar cultural background``.

The film will be released as part of its world premiere. The music is scored by Nadeem-Shravan.

Saxena

(you watch that barbarism where men jump on each and ram into each other...then they run up and down a field with an oblong *thingie * clutched under their arms, much like a happy dog with a bone....)

and your preference is ballet?

`frankly, i`d just leave Afghans to settle their issues and figure out what they want...had they not coddled `

Spoken like an American.. let us ignore the world.. but then the reality hits home... US, Pakistan, India, everyone has a responsibility. You and I have a responsibility as the citizens of this world, and I dont want to spell that out.

I believe in self interest and `live and let live` policies, but eventually the treatment of women in Afghanistan is going to hit home.. as it has to us.. for Pakistan was apathetic to the conditions of the women in Afghanistan, after helping the monsters there... and now where has that taken us?

I can speak for myself... I have done whatever little I could have for the brave afghan women.. even before 9/11 and I will continue to do so in the future... I have nothing but rabid hatred for Afghan men and the vices they brought to Pakistan.. but I think women really know what they are talking about.

-YLH

tvarad

`You are right. The bundle of contradictions that is Pakistan doesn`t need anyone to bring it down. It`s own leadership is doing such a good job of it.`

Keep dreamin` son!

Re: ally

``Pakistani army has very large gonads, complete with the ducts. Thats why they have conquered Pakistan 4 times over.``

that`s about all they are good for...ghar ki billi...why don`t they come and take Kashmir from India?...why did 90,000 of them surrender to the Indian Army in 1971?

your other analogies fall apart because no one other than Pakistan has taken issue with India over Kashmir...there is no international body of support for Pakistan`s stance...every SOB who even mutters something negative about India`s stance over Kashmir wastes no time backtracking...including Powell who had to mince words in Delhi to not offend them...

and you forget that nukes didn`t exist in the past...anyone could attack anyone...not anymore....no one is going to make a nuclear armed India do anything it doesn`t want...and there are a billion Indians who will not give up Kashmir...

http://www.ndh.net/home/bleimann/overview.htm
Chronicle of Events in Afghanistan
Chronological Overview
1990 - 1996

(its a day-by-day month-by-month description )

http://www.nationalreview.com/lowry/lowry112001.shtml

Re Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and the Pakistani Army`s principled policies:

``.. He was Pakistan`s favorite mujahedeen leader during the war against the Soviets, because he was a Pashtun and an Islamic extremist - sort of a Taliban before the Taliban existed. Hekmatyar`s faction in the 1970s became famous for throwing acid on women who dressed in Western clothes. The Pakistanis made a point of funneling U.S. aid to him even though - or, more like it, because - he was virulently anti-American.

When the Communist government fell in 1992, Hekmatyar decided that he would wage a campaign to oust the other mujahedeen factions from Kabul. This he proceed to attempt with artillery barrages that reduced Kabul to rubble and killed thousands of civilians.

And the Pakistanis backed him throughout, even when the civil war harmed their economic interests by making trade routes in Afghanistan impassable.

Ahmed Rashid explains in his book, Taliban:
Pakistan`s policymakers were thus faced with a strategic dilemma. Either Pakistan could carry on backing Hekmatyar in a bid to bring a Pashtun group to power in Kabul which would be Pakistan-friendly, or it could change direction and urge for a power-sharing agreement between all the Afghan factions at whatever the price for the Pashtuns, so that a stable government could open roads to Central Asia. The Pakistani military was convinced that other ethnic groups would not do their bidding and continued to back Hekmatyar...``


``...The Pakistanis eventually dropped Hekmatyar, not because he was killing people, but because he was killing them ineffectually. He was losing the war. The Pakistanis picked up the Taliban instead, who could kill AND degrade women and actually take over the Afghan government.

Now, we get news that Hekmatyar is petitioning Pakistan to let him into Peshawar as a way station to reentering Afghanistan.

Talk of a country ``exorcising its demons`` is usually metaphorical, but Hekmatyar is an actual, living demon. The U.S. should demand that Pakistan keep him out of Peshawar, and do all it can to keep him out of Afghanistan, since he is the one who did so much to wreck Kabul the first time around....``

nasah #533 Why does Chowk have the ``Enter`` page t begin with - why not get down to business with the article listings right away? (As a chowk junkie, I have put the second page in the Favorites list, to avoid having to go through the Enter).

PS: Any bets on when they get Osama (or if they get him)? And whether they will get him dead or alive? Personally, I give it a 70% chance they`ll get him in the next two weeks. And probably as a dead man.

RE: Reply #: 535 ylh

``Wait and see.... these are Afghans. As for me being cornered... India and Northern Alliance even if together cant do sh-t to Pakistan, not that Northern Alliance will join up with India that is.``

You are right. The bundle of contradictions that is Pakistan doesn`t need anyone to bring it down. It`s own leadership is doing such a good job of it.

Reply # 511 RSaxena

[If Pakistani army had gonads, it would come and take Kashmir]

Pakistani army has very large gonads, complete with the ducts. Thats why they have conquered Pakistan 4 times over.

I was talking about the Kashmiris who scare the chickenshit out of the khatri chicken in Indian army.

[Kashmir is still in India...has been for 50 years...and will continue to be.]

Bangladesh was part of Pakistan, Pakistan was part of India, East Timor was part of Indonesia, US was part of Britain...... sexana, when people want freedom, they get it. Just because Mountbatten gave you a piece of land and people to lord over does not mean that they will accept the overlordship for all times.

Stuka..

Rutgers` Football team su-cks... and su-cks bad. I used to go to all their games, but now I abstain from doing so. Though Rutgers has a great stadium and the games are more of a major party than anything else.. I go there to reminisce my Gaddafi Stadium days.

-YLH

Layman

Brilliant:

`In fact, it may benefit Pakistan because the NA, being non-Pashtuns, have no affinity for Pathans on the other side of the border, and may actually respect the Durand line - can someone more knowledgeable comment on this?`

I have been harping this tune for the last 5 years. It was extremely stupid of Pakistan to support the taliban for strategic reasons. Clearly Pakistan`s strategic objectives could have been better achieved if we had helped the Tajiks, Uzbeks and the Hazaras.

There can be two calculations drawn from it

1) Pakistan`s ISI is unconcerned about Pakistan`s well being.

2) Russians got to the N.Alliance first after the war was over, forcing Pakistan and the US to take evasive action.

Clearly Pakistan`s real fault lies in allying itself with the US in the Cold war.

-YLH