An Indian salute for President Musharraf

These are only words - we have heard plenty

of them from Musharraf. Officially Pakistan

gives only moral and diplomatic support to

``freedom fighters``, Taliban, etc., pre 9/11, post

9/11, pre 12/13, post 12/13 and in today`s

speech.

Indians with an IQ above 80 (yes, there are

many brain-damaged Indians) will be

watching Musharraf`s actions and

disregarding the words. The words have

never corresponded to reality at any time any

way.

-Arun Gupta

Pervez Musharraf`s speech was music to many ears
including mine. The question now is, will he be successful in this ``New Jihad`` against ignorance,
poverty and bigotry?
It is time that Pakistan was reclaimed from these
Fundo fruitcakes that have appeared on the scene during the past two decades.
My humble advice to Indians today is ``Don`t do something stupid like start a war!``

Ras

PS: Now all that Musharraf and his Govt. needs to do now is release PPP workers like Naveed Qamar, to put that country back on the track to democracy.

Unlike Oct 12, 1998, He Had No Choice on January 12, 2001. Nevertheless it is good that he had no choice this time. His speech falls much short of expectations and aspirations of the people of Pakistan. He must has categorically stated that the policy of hostile posture with little probability of achieving anything vis-a-vis Kashmir was a failure and a public apology must have been made to the people of Pakistan for the ramifications of military inspired policy. His organization is mostly responsible for Pakistan falling behind India in GNP as well as economic growth rate.

Mush, apologize to the people of Pakistan while making a u-turn of failed policies!

. . . and after accepting your salute, will he stand on the BJP ticket for Parliament of India from Chandni Chowk?

. . . now that would be a coup! Since Pervez Musharaf is born in Delhi, he could probably (legally) at least file his papers from there.

. . . but then, what would poor Imam Bukhari do?

Now Follow the Salute with withdrawl from the borders and begin negotiating the terms under which Kashmiri will be free.

Harish,

PM has my congratulations too...and many of your setiments are also mine. Therefore, in the interest of pragmatism, I would re-iterate that there`s many a slip between a cup and a lip. That is not at all to throw cold warter on all this justifiable warmth (if anybody interprets it as such, they can go to hell), but to caution everyone so that this time around peace that has eluded us for so long may become a reality.

My cautious felicitations not only to PM but to all Pakistanis as well (except for those fukcing jihadis who will forever burn in hell)...they deserve to live in peace...and we deserve to live in peace...together, as friends and neighbors.

When some time back it seemed that we may actually go for an all-out war, and when it appeared even remotely possible that some Pakistanis may get hurt (I was prepared to take Indian casualties...since for an angry 24 hours after the attack on the Parliament building I had agreed with Shankar that India could take no more bleeding by treacherous Jihadi rats), I realized how far I would go to avoid war, not out of cowardice (as some despicable and blinded-by-hatred fools would have the world believe) but out of love...love for Pakistani people...who are as wonderful as any other.

Good article, Harish.

I understand Musharraf quite well mainly because, knowing what I know about him through the media, my psychological make-up and thinking is not much different than his.

Give Musharraf time and he will clean up Pakistan and purge the country of those who have taken the disgraceful and destructive path of extremism and violence. He will turn Pakistan into a tolerant, moderate, modern and progressive Muslim (not Islamic) state it ought to be, a country at peace within and without.

It was over a year ago that I wrote in one of my posts at Chowk that Pakistan needed chemotherapy to purge itself of the cancer of the Talibans and the Kashmiri Mujahedeens. That therapy has begun. India--and Pakistan--could not have asked for a better surgeon than Musharraf to rid Pakistan of the cancer.

I, for one, agree with the pressure India has applied on him. The pressure has given Musharraf an excuse to expedite--and become even more ruthless in dealing with it--what he was going to do anyway. What I hope is that India does not do anything foolish, like start a ``limited`` war. That will not do any good to either Musharraf or Pakistan, and certainly not to India.

``Pakistan first, everything else second.`` Long Live Pakistan.

I owed it to Pervez Musharraf to hear (not just read) him before passing judgment on his speech. My overall reaction is that (BIG) IF words alone count, then Indians and Pakistanis should be pleased with Musharraf`s words. A change in direction, and a new journey seems to have begun. It will take many years to retrace the steps that India and Pakistan have taken over the previous 54 years, but a start has been made. Pakistanis should be pleased that he has decided to cleanse its society of jahils, and to directly, without mincing words, highlight the internal dangers that face Pakistan. Indians, because he has, in effect, promised to end cross-border terrorism (which was India`s biggest demand in the demarche delivered to his government) and has not shut the door on extraditing Indian nationals on the list of 20. The Pakistani nationals on the list are, in any case, covered by his promise to end cross-border terrorism, so India need not press too hard on the fate of the leaders of JeM/LeT. Musharraf was direct, but he avoided defining what `terrorism` means -- thus leaving him wiggle room in the future. India will remain concerned on two counts -- a) whether or not his words will translate into measurable actions and results, and b) insisting on keeping hostage the normalization of Indo-Pak ties to Kashmir.

The latter, to me, is reflective of a flawed strategy. It is, in effect, a declaration that India will be viewed as a hostile power, unless she accomodates Pakistan`s views. 54 years of holding this position have taken Pakistan nowhere with regards to India, in fact, Bengali separatism hardened after the `65 war. Given the ideologically, diametrically opposite views on Kashmir, no party will yield ground to the other if the other is viewed as an `adversary`. The deadlock can only be broken if negotiations are conducted between `friends`. After all, no father will give away a daughter to an adversary, but will to a `friend`, and friendship is cultivated by finding common ground on other less contentious issues. The consequences of this strategy raise one unique possibility -- that knowing that it is flawed for the reasons described above, Pakistan (rather, Musharraf and Pakistan army) DOES NOT seek a solution on Kashmir for reasons that one can only speculate on.

India, should, be prepared to take bold steps as well (as Vajpayee seems to be considering given his statement -- `you take one step, we will take two`). India should reward words with words, and actions with actions.

A few things that stood out in the speech were the fact as to how similar the problems that India and Pakistan need to address are, and how the General`s diction would be completely at home in downtown Delhi. Hearing Musharraf describe the problems that face Pakistan, one could not but feel that many of the same plague India, and should both countries not find common ground to work together on this basis? Lastly on a minor point, Musharraf is not a natural orator -- he struggles with words (and takes recourse to English when his Urdu fails him) -- no politician (Indian and Pakistani) will ever be caught doing this.

Re: addendum to my previous post

This article by Farrukh Saleem `Pakistan first` reflects my ambivalence stated in my previous post that Musharraf`s `Kashmir first` agenda does not have popular support in Pakistan:

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/jan2002-daily/13-01-2002/oped/o2.htm

I think he has a bigger chance to succeed on the domestic front (registering madrassas, students, mosques etc.) than in stopping activities of jihadi groups. For this he surely needs cooperation from ISI?

it is interesting that he made no reference to Simla `72 or Lahore `99 while harking back to UN resolutions a few decades before that; equally interesting is that he referred to the ``baggage of history`` and to ABV`s comment about 2 steps for every step. The ``kashmir is in our blood`` was probably a calculated pr move (as were sundry references to the prophet etc).

I think the next few months (many of the deadlines were before april) will tell how effectively he can get support for his new policy directions.

The simplest thing he could do is probably round up the 14 Indian Nationals (or some sub set) in the list and have them deported pronto. Of course, if I were Dawood, I wouldn`t be sitting still.

But all in all, the speech was well crafted and well delivered. How well the message went down with Pakistanis is something only time will tell.

Harish: Nice piece. Musharaff does seem to be the man to do the job.

btw: What is this about ``India’s most famous bad poet`` and (going across the oceans) on the ``rudely tasteless star and stripes``. I happen to love both of these. They play the music and and Mushy sings...and the bearded ones hide in their damp, dark holes and wonder why God permits all this singing and laughing and dancing under the sun!! (Excuse the hyperbole: I got inspired by your excellent article).

Guru Ji maharaaj -- please check your diction before fussing about the typos in one of your chelaas like hamidm`s reply.

For example this gem of a sentence -- ``Congrats Rao on this master piece....keep writing! Dont be bothered by stupid and ridiculous comments of people like hamidm. hamidm please write a article on your OWN for us.`` -- has three glaring MISTAKES:

master and piece -- should be one word masterpiece -- ``hamidm please write ‘a’ article’ -- should be -- hamidm please write -- AN article ----- and finally -- if you really want to be a literary nitpicker -- ‘Congrats Rao` -- should be three words -- Congratulations rat`s Rao:-)

just a passing suggestion.

#11 shammi

My feeling is that if india were to acknowledge the truth that kashmir is a disputed territory, progress can be made in other fronts. We may think that kashmir (all or parts of it) is indian territory, but pak disputes that is a fact that we ought to acknowledge neverthelss. So what has changed since agra? Mush has allowed that pak would not be a launch pad for jehadis. That remains to be seen. In the meanwhile we ought to stand down militarywise.

On Harish`s article, Mush has indeed grown into the role that the US has scripted for him. I personally do not trust the man but i do believe that his fate is tied to listening to the US. India may not like 3-rd party mediation on kashmir but that`s coming anyway. The camel just inserted its nose into the tent.

Jihadis have a nasty habit of wrecking the most inspiring of ideas. Look at what the Hamas suicide bombers have done to the reputation of the Palestinian struggle. A few years ago Arafat used to be feted at the White House and capitals of the world; now he is in the dog-pound because of them. Will Musharaff end up in the same boat or worse?

``Now Follow the Salute with withdrawl from the borders and begin negotiating the terms under which Kashmiri will be free. ``

Not so fast...currently, the Army is at not at full deployment ie. the units are at gathering points and not at actual positions on the front line. That is where we are staying for the time being, and Pakistan is welcome to do the same since no one grudges them the right to defend what is theirs.

If there is concrete evidence of things changing on the ground, India has no reason to attack. Therefore, if Pakistan is sincere, there will be no war.

India must keep in mind though that these changes are not yet institutional, and are the dictate of but one man. While it is prudent to give Mushraf time, and not do anything to agravate the situation, we must all beware of a repeat of Simla where Bhutto hoodwinked a gullible India.

Above all, we must remember that while we may be wily Brahmins/Banias, the UrsTrulys and Ali#1s of Pakistan too have Baniya blood running thru their veins since they are all convertees in any case ;)

Harish and the doves,

Your article was more adulatory than a critical or even a casual analysis. It was written by a mesmerized fan who hears only half the things and the rest is filled by colorful imagination.

Going by past records, Pakistan’s present promises are no better than promises made in Tashkent or shimla. If resounding defeats could not alter their course, how much can a mere threat of war do? Musharraf is good at wriggling out of situations. What he is trying to stop now are exactly the things he stopped elected govts. from doing. India must not let its guard down. After years of baffling quietness by Indian govts. this is the first time India has stood for itself. It should not let go off its enemy because of a mere televised address.

I am quiet confident nothing much is going to change. Yes, it they walk one step towards peace we`ll walk two. And the same towards a war.If Kashmir runs in Pakistani bloods, then it runs more in ours. It is we who are facing it all directly. They are facing only its consequences. It is time to remind them (Pakistanis) that meddling with Kashmir will come at a cost. And we will decide the price and when they will have to pay.

Pullu