AUM
A COUNTRY DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
Pakistan is at war. It is not a declared war but everyone, one and all, both the natives and the foreigners know that a war is going on. The Pakistan Army is dead serious on eliminating the menace of terrorism. However, other citizens like teachers, bureaucrats and ordinary citizens are not convinced that the Army is serious about its business vis-a-vis terrorism. Nevertheless, in the heart and mind, a guide escorting some brave foreign tourists is convinced that this is not the best of times to see Taxila’s Buddhist university of yore or the Anarkali Bazar of Lahore today. But he has to earn his daily bread and this is the cleanest way of doing so.
WHERE IS THE ENEMY
It is an undeclared war. No unit has identified an enemy. A circular floated by General Headquarters has just arrived. It defines the enemy and asks all ranks not to have any dealings with the defined enemy. A person, male or female of any age, who challenges the concept and formation of Pakistan and is waging a war against Pakistan or is prepared to wage a war, and with this common intent assembles and organises them to go on a raid to destabilise the country, will be called an enemy of the State of Pakistan and will be brought before a court of law to stand trial. On conviction, such a person will be hanged till death. The body will be handed over to the next of kin for performance of last rites.
Who runs the government of Pakistan? It is a sensitive issue and is never discussed in an open space. In the lighter vein, one may say that three A’s run the show –America, Army and Allah –and in the same order of importance. America has loosened its purse strings and gives a soft loan to Pakistan to the tune of 1.25 billion dollars per year. He who pays the piper, dictates the tune – the age old saying is true to situation even today. Army has run the government most of the time since independence and knows the finer nuances of administration. One of the major reasons why the Pakistan army lost the 1971 war and surrendered unconditionally to India was their distaste for the devilish business of fighting and their penchant for a cushy job like governance of the country. Be that as it may, the Pakistan Army still runs the show by using remote control. There is a civil administration with a President, a Prime Minister and an elected legislature. They know their limitations and do not wish to cross the Lakshman Rekha. No one in his senses expects a powerful Army Chief like General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani to take orders from a playboy President, Asif Ali Zardari. In any case, the two are not on talking terms.
Thus here is a government where the right hand does not know what the left is doing. Here is a country where the people are badly divided on sectarian lines like the Shiite, the Sunni, the Ahmediyas and what have you. The minorities like the Hindus, the Sikhs and the Christians do not matter in Pakistan. Their national flag has a white strip to represent the hapless minorities and that is the end of it. The residents of the tribal belt come under a separate administration called the FATA or Federally Administered Tribal Areas. The British in India had kept them divided so that they gain no political strength. Since Independence on 14 August 1947, the government of Pakistan made no endeavour to improve their educational, economic or political condition and they are where they were more than 62 years ago. Since no effort was made for their integration, the process of disintegration gained momentum. The tribes like Mehsuds, Waziri, Yusufzai, Tadjiks and what have you who were fiercely independent by nature gained more momentum through the barrel of the gun. The British Indian Army of the undivided India had found it difficult to control what is now called FATA through force and they bought their silence through hard cash. The situation is no better now; rather it is worse. The invisible enemy lies in wait for the regular army in the hills and dales, jungles and ravines of the unforgiving terrain of Waziristan.
WATERLOO OF FOREIGN FORCES
Alexander’s invincible phalanxes had found it difficult to hold the ground in the areas called FATA today. The mighty Mughals ruling from Delhi lost the humorist general, Raja Birbal in the process of suppressing the revolt of these tribal people. The tribal loyalties are strong and the entire tribe goes out to the rescue of an individual or a family in distress. Even Tadjiks and Waziris come to the active aid of Mehsuds, notwithstanding tribal rivalries. Of late, Pakistan had been trying hard to play one tribe against the other but had no appreciable success. With modern system of surveillance, an organised regular army has gained more strength. Baitullah Mehsud, the tribal chief and head of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan was thus killed by a missile fired from an American drone while sleeping in the open terrace with his young second wife. While making an attempt to sire a son, he lost his life. His place is now taken over by Hakimullah Mehsud who has vowed a revenge for loss of his predecessor.
As is well known to those who have been following the strategy of the Taliban and the Pakistan Army, it is the United States of America that had been pressurising the Pakistan government to make a decision to eliminate the Taliban leadership and proceed against Islamist terrorism with determination. The Americans increased the aid money to Pakistan but kept an eye on the recipients ’budgeting. It is an open secret that General Kayani is unhappy with the strings attached to the US aid and was in favour of declining to accept it. President Zardari, however, did not wish to alienate the Americans and has accepted both the aid and strings. The US pressure on Pakistan worked and in June 2009 a firm decision was taken to fight it out with a one-time brothers-in-arms, the Taliban. However, it took time to mobilise two divisions of 28000 men and deploy them in the battle zone. Thus it was not until 16 October 09 that a ground attack code named “ Rahe Nijaat”or Road of Deliverance, was launched. The air attacks by helicopter gunships and fighter jets had been going on for quite some time. The troops were needed to hold the ground snatched from the Taliban. Should the Pakistan Army make a decision to penetrate deep into the jungles or the hills and dry ravines, they will have to constantly keep an eye on the Terrain, the Weather and the attitude of non-Mehsud tribes towards the ongoing armed confrontation. The winter is not far behind and a snowfall may be expected in November-December 2009.
PROGRESS OF BATTLE
Let us admit right at the beginning that there is no transparency in the battle procedure and progress of battle. The whole process is opaque. The press briefing by the PRO confuses the scribes more and removes doubts less. Whatever little information comes out of the battle zone is rather scanty and paints only the army in good light. The Taliban is shown as the losing force. However, the press corps knows that had the Army been so efficient and powerful, the Taliban would have been exterminated long ago. But they are still alive and kicking. The government spokesman says that only 17 soldiers lost their life but more than 90 Taliban were killed in a fierce fire fight. Anyway, the media has no means of checking the truth or otherwise of this report.
Some refugees who came out of the dense jungles and ravines did mention that most of the residential areas have been vacated by the local tribesmen. At the same time they did not confirm any large scale movement of army officers and soldiers on footpaths or cart roads leading into the ravines and broken terrain. One may safely surmise that the fierce hand to hand battle between the army men and the tribesmen has not yet begun. It may be mentioned that in 2004 and twice thereafter the Pakistan army had closed in on the tribal people but they were beaten back by the tribal fighters. The Army Headquarters was forced to negotiate and propitiate the tribal fighters every time. Naturally, the Pakistan army officers and soldiers did not cover themselves with glory in these face offs. No wonder, the Army is still testing the waters before taking a plunge. The million dollar question is; how long?
Since the Wajiristan warfront is getting more and more opaque, we have little choice but to sign off for now. We promise to return when there is some worthwhile report to bring to our readers who are real connoisseurs of news and views.
UPVAN, 609, Sector 29, NOIDA – 201303, INDIA. Mobile 0091-9811173590.
Email : sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com Phone ; 0091-120-2454622.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
IS PAKISTAN FIGHTING A PHONEY WAR?
AUM
WAR IN WAZIRISTAN IN LAST TWO DAYS
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
It is the fag end of the battle on the second day in South Waziristan. The Pakistan Army wishes to show to the world that it had the better of the Taliban terrorists. On the other hand the Taliban terrorists are equally keen to exhibit their political prowess and military acumen by pinning down the leading elements of the advancing troops. At the end of the first forty eight hours, there is not much to show on the report card. The Army claims it killed 60 terrorists but does not show any dead bodies of the terrorists. The Army says it lost five soldiers but no body bags have been sent to the native places of the deceased. It is hard to believe that there is Truth in the Army's claim.
Truth is always a casualty in battle. In any case this is not the first time that the credibility of the Pakistan Army has taken a beating.
An independent military analyst will take with a pinch of salt the claim of the army top brass that eliminating the bad Taliban from South Waziristan has all ingredients of a successful military operation. Let us concede the point that a large body of troops, 28,000, is on the offensive and the general officer commanding XI Corps based in Peshawar, Lieut General Masud Alam has been put in command to plan and execute the battles. The army has an experience of combat against terrorists in Bajaur and Swat valley and their weapons, including heavy artillery, are modern; the fire power is effective and demoralising for the enemy. However, the most important factor not to be lost sight of is the fiercely independent spirit of tribesmen of South Waziristan. Right from the days of Alexander no outsider has succeeded in subjugating them after a win in battle. To the tribesmen of the area, the Pakistan Army is not only an outsider, being from the Punjab, but comprises infidels as they are lackeys of America.
Morale is to physical as ten to one; an axiom of the army all over the world. The morale of the terrorists is high as the Mullahs in the mosques exhort them day in and day out to defeat the army soldiers who are servants of an infidel state named the United States. The average soldier is also given lectures in morale but he is not convinced in his mind that the cause he is fighting for is Islamic and will take him to the heaven on attaining martyrdom. No wonder on the three occasions in the past that the army went into action in Waziristan, it lost men and material and per force had to retreat. Generals at higher levels were forced to sit at the negotiating table with the Taliban adversary who are not terrorists in the eye of even some army sympathisers.
Considering these important factors cited above, one will have to take the claims of serious fighting and victory of the army against the Taliban with a pinch of salt. No wonder the foreign news agencies writing about claims of killing terrorists in battle also write that there was no way to confirm the claim. Time alone will tell what is true and what is false. Will the Army run over South Waziristan or will the combine of tribesmen and terrorists vanquish the army that is fighting half-heartedly.
____________________________________________________________________________
Email : sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com
WAR IN WAZIRISTAN IN LAST TWO DAYS
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
It is the fag end of the battle on the second day in South Waziristan. The Pakistan Army wishes to show to the world that it had the better of the Taliban terrorists. On the other hand the Taliban terrorists are equally keen to exhibit their political prowess and military acumen by pinning down the leading elements of the advancing troops. At the end of the first forty eight hours, there is not much to show on the report card. The Army claims it killed 60 terrorists but does not show any dead bodies of the terrorists. The Army says it lost five soldiers but no body bags have been sent to the native places of the deceased. It is hard to believe that there is Truth in the Army's claim.
Truth is always a casualty in battle. In any case this is not the first time that the credibility of the Pakistan Army has taken a beating.
An independent military analyst will take with a pinch of salt the claim of the army top brass that eliminating the bad Taliban from South Waziristan has all ingredients of a successful military operation. Let us concede the point that a large body of troops, 28,000, is on the offensive and the general officer commanding XI Corps based in Peshawar, Lieut General Masud Alam has been put in command to plan and execute the battles. The army has an experience of combat against terrorists in Bajaur and Swat valley and their weapons, including heavy artillery, are modern; the fire power is effective and demoralising for the enemy. However, the most important factor not to be lost sight of is the fiercely independent spirit of tribesmen of South Waziristan. Right from the days of Alexander no outsider has succeeded in subjugating them after a win in battle. To the tribesmen of the area, the Pakistan Army is not only an outsider, being from the Punjab, but comprises infidels as they are lackeys of America.
Morale is to physical as ten to one; an axiom of the army all over the world. The morale of the terrorists is high as the Mullahs in the mosques exhort them day in and day out to defeat the army soldiers who are servants of an infidel state named the United States. The average soldier is also given lectures in morale but he is not convinced in his mind that the cause he is fighting for is Islamic and will take him to the heaven on attaining martyrdom. No wonder on the three occasions in the past that the army went into action in Waziristan, it lost men and material and per force had to retreat. Generals at higher levels were forced to sit at the negotiating table with the Taliban adversary who are not terrorists in the eye of even some army sympathisers.
Considering these important factors cited above, one will have to take the claims of serious fighting and victory of the army against the Taliban with a pinch of salt. No wonder the foreign news agencies writing about claims of killing terrorists in battle also write that there was no way to confirm the claim. Time alone will tell what is true and what is false. Will the Army run over South Waziristan or will the combine of tribesmen and terrorists vanquish the army that is fighting half-heartedly.
____________________________________________________________________________
Email : sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2009
AUM
MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2009 For HILARY MANTEL
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
Hilary Mantel takes us to the 16th century England and lets us have a view of the life and times of King Henry VIII and his Chief Minister, Oliver Cromwell. Never mind the passage of four centuries, a reader, breathes, eats, lives and loves in the pages penned by Hilary Mantel. On reading the historical novel, which she mulled over for two decades and then decided to write, one knows the Tudor England of 1520s and meets face to face with King Henry VIII. The book “Wolf Hall” that brought her the prize money –GBP 50,000 also charts the rise of Cromwell, son of an ordinary blacksmith who advised the king on divorcing the Queen and ably handled the final break of England with the Pope of Rome. England became Protestant for nuptial reasons and not for listening to the call of conscience. The common man walked on the path paved by the monarch.
Mantel,57, took 5 years to write the book. On being nominated for the coveted prize of the academic world, she said” I am flying high through the air.” Now she is working on another novel that will be a sequel to the prize winning book. Wolf Hall is a modern novel and the English prose gives a reader a sense of joy that beggars description.
James Naughtie, Chairman of the judges for the big prize said”It has a vast narrative sweep that gleams on every page with luminous and mesmerizing details.” The book reveals how politics and history are made by men and women. It may be recalled that Wolf Hall is Hilary Mantel’s eleventh book. 48,000 copies of the book have been sold so far. It is expected that the sale will now pick up a fast speed and the number may also go up.
Those were turbulent times in England. After the Tudors were gone, King Charles I ascended the throne. He lived violently and died violently. In the English history, he was the only king who was beheaded by his own people. Of course, the execution was carried out after going through the due process of law. Cromwell rose to power thereafter. He may be credited with the historical fact of making the Parliament supreme and remaining steadfast in seeing that Protestantism continued to be the State religion in England.
Wolf Hall as a historical novel has set a benchmark for the new generation novelists to emulate.
UPVAN 609, Sector 29, NOIDA – 201303, INDIA. 0091-9811173590.
MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2009 For HILARY MANTEL
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
Hilary Mantel takes us to the 16th century England and lets us have a view of the life and times of King Henry VIII and his Chief Minister, Oliver Cromwell. Never mind the passage of four centuries, a reader, breathes, eats, lives and loves in the pages penned by Hilary Mantel. On reading the historical novel, which she mulled over for two decades and then decided to write, one knows the Tudor England of 1520s and meets face to face with King Henry VIII. The book “Wolf Hall” that brought her the prize money –GBP 50,000 also charts the rise of Cromwell, son of an ordinary blacksmith who advised the king on divorcing the Queen and ably handled the final break of England with the Pope of Rome. England became Protestant for nuptial reasons and not for listening to the call of conscience. The common man walked on the path paved by the monarch.
Mantel,57, took 5 years to write the book. On being nominated for the coveted prize of the academic world, she said” I am flying high through the air.” Now she is working on another novel that will be a sequel to the prize winning book. Wolf Hall is a modern novel and the English prose gives a reader a sense of joy that beggars description.
James Naughtie, Chairman of the judges for the big prize said”It has a vast narrative sweep that gleams on every page with luminous and mesmerizing details.” The book reveals how politics and history are made by men and women. It may be recalled that Wolf Hall is Hilary Mantel’s eleventh book. 48,000 copies of the book have been sold so far. It is expected that the sale will now pick up a fast speed and the number may also go up.
Those were turbulent times in England. After the Tudors were gone, King Charles I ascended the throne. He lived violently and died violently. In the English history, he was the only king who was beheaded by his own people. Of course, the execution was carried out after going through the due process of law. Cromwell rose to power thereafter. He may be credited with the historical fact of making the Parliament supreme and remaining steadfast in seeing that Protestantism continued to be the State religion in England.
Wolf Hall as a historical novel has set a benchmark for the new generation novelists to emulate.
UPVAN 609, Sector 29, NOIDA – 201303, INDIA. 0091-9811173590.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
VIRGINITY OF BRIDE AND GROOM
AUM
FAKING VIRGINITY TO FOOL HUSBANDS
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
The Chinese people enjoy a good reputation as inventors of the newest of the new. The invention of gun powder and the paper, among other things, goes to their credit. The famous Chinese silk adorned the body and the bedroom of the high and the mighty like Julius Caesar and his successors in Rome and the pretty women like Cleopatra in Egypt who travelled to Rome to display her best and win hearts of Romans. Now in the 21st century the Chinese have come out with a new fangled device dear to hearts of girls who enjoy pre-marital sex and yet gladden their husbands on nuptial night with an intact hymen. The Chinese invented device costs just thirty US dollars. It is indeed worth buying it.
The artificial virginity kit is marketed by Gigimo, a Chinese company. When inserted it emits a blood like fluid that the gullible husbands believe to be blood coming out of the torn hymen that was intact prior to the groom copulating with the bride. In a conservative society like the ones in the Orient and the Middle-East, the artificial virginity kit is likely to be sold like hot cakes among the fair sex who now feel sexually liberated. The women’s lib movements in various parts of the world, not excluding the Arab world, have given girls mental and physical, read sexual, freedom. The end result is their ending up in bed with a boy friend for experiments in sex. In some cases it may be just a one-evening stand. The virginity, however, is lost and the broken hymen bears testimony to it. The conservative males are not yet prepared to accept a bride on a nuptial night who had had pre-marital sex. The new kit is an answer to this vexing question.
The male-dominated society in the Middle-east has, however, raised a hue and cry against the Chinese invented artificial hymen kit. The opinions expressed by them and carried by the Arabic press pointedly say that the new device will increase promiscuity in the conservative society. Thus the traditional values will go down the drain. Wives who get used to playing deception on husbands may enlarge the area of cheating on their husbands. Where will the moral values go? The female lobby has not yet openly favoured the freedom to buy or not to buy the aforesaid kit. Should they do so, they are likely to be exposed as women of loose morals. The stigma may stay on for life. To quote Shakespeare “All the perfumes of Arabia may will not sweeten the hand ”that committed the sexual sin. Generally speaking the male lobby is vociferous and the female defence is too feeble to withstand this male onslaught.
Is the male who becomes the bridegroom as pure as fresh snow? You never can tell. In this respect our Lord and our Maker did not put a physical device to test the virginity of a man. Thus the male, after committing a thousand sins goes scot free. No stigma is attached to him and no proof lingers on to bother him except his own conscience, if he has one. The male society may be educated on the subject so that they practise perfect equality between male and female in matter of pre-marital sex. It will be dream come true. The Chinese inventors will, however, lament the thought of equality of this kind permeating the fabric of a conservative society. Then their business of artificial hymen kit will bomb and the conservative world will laugh at them.
UPVAN 609, Sector 29, NOIDA – 201303, INDIA. 0091-9811173590.
Email – sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com
FAKING VIRGINITY TO FOOL HUSBANDS
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
The Chinese people enjoy a good reputation as inventors of the newest of the new. The invention of gun powder and the paper, among other things, goes to their credit. The famous Chinese silk adorned the body and the bedroom of the high and the mighty like Julius Caesar and his successors in Rome and the pretty women like Cleopatra in Egypt who travelled to Rome to display her best and win hearts of Romans. Now in the 21st century the Chinese have come out with a new fangled device dear to hearts of girls who enjoy pre-marital sex and yet gladden their husbands on nuptial night with an intact hymen. The Chinese invented device costs just thirty US dollars. It is indeed worth buying it.
The artificial virginity kit is marketed by Gigimo, a Chinese company. When inserted it emits a blood like fluid that the gullible husbands believe to be blood coming out of the torn hymen that was intact prior to the groom copulating with the bride. In a conservative society like the ones in the Orient and the Middle-East, the artificial virginity kit is likely to be sold like hot cakes among the fair sex who now feel sexually liberated. The women’s lib movements in various parts of the world, not excluding the Arab world, have given girls mental and physical, read sexual, freedom. The end result is their ending up in bed with a boy friend for experiments in sex. In some cases it may be just a one-evening stand. The virginity, however, is lost and the broken hymen bears testimony to it. The conservative males are not yet prepared to accept a bride on a nuptial night who had had pre-marital sex. The new kit is an answer to this vexing question.
The male-dominated society in the Middle-east has, however, raised a hue and cry against the Chinese invented artificial hymen kit. The opinions expressed by them and carried by the Arabic press pointedly say that the new device will increase promiscuity in the conservative society. Thus the traditional values will go down the drain. Wives who get used to playing deception on husbands may enlarge the area of cheating on their husbands. Where will the moral values go? The female lobby has not yet openly favoured the freedom to buy or not to buy the aforesaid kit. Should they do so, they are likely to be exposed as women of loose morals. The stigma may stay on for life. To quote Shakespeare “All the perfumes of Arabia may will not sweeten the hand ”that committed the sexual sin. Generally speaking the male lobby is vociferous and the female defence is too feeble to withstand this male onslaught.
Is the male who becomes the bridegroom as pure as fresh snow? You never can tell. In this respect our Lord and our Maker did not put a physical device to test the virginity of a man. Thus the male, after committing a thousand sins goes scot free. No stigma is attached to him and no proof lingers on to bother him except his own conscience, if he has one. The male society may be educated on the subject so that they practise perfect equality between male and female in matter of pre-marital sex. It will be dream come true. The Chinese inventors will, however, lament the thought of equality of this kind permeating the fabric of a conservative society. Then their business of artificial hymen kit will bomb and the conservative world will laugh at them.
UPVAN 609, Sector 29, NOIDA – 201303, INDIA. 0091-9811173590.
Email – sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com
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