Do we even need to discuss Kashmir with anyone else, its ours after all

Time and time again the Kashmir issue comes up in the press. The latest furor was cause by the views of Shri Prashant Bhushan that he aired openly. 

His view was somewhat simplistic – “people have a right to decide” – nothing wrong with that per se – it’s an utopian thought. Though it leaves us with an issue / the definition of “people” is quite vague. Which “people” will decide exactly what ? This posting is a result of my Kashmir visit as couple of months ago. It is a bit directionless, but nevertheless my views in light of the recent news.



The Valey of Kashmir – The Most Prized Real Estate On Earth

Minority Appeasement

Part of the issue is minority appeasement – this is encouraging the ultras , in exactly the same way that the Bihar CM refuses to speak against the Indian Mujahedin or Mulayam refuses to acknowledge SIMI, Indian politicians have chosen to ignore separatist activities in Srinagar – this should not be tolerated – its okay to demonstrate, it okay to express opinions – but as soon as you speak about seceding from the state – that is illegal and the leader needs to be arrested following the letter of the law (and each time till the miscreants get the message) – India should not be scared of Geelani or Malik or others – Geelani did not need house arrest – it accomplishes nothing – he should have been sent to Tihar – only then would he have learnt. 

And the message should be simple – no excesses – if you break the law, you will go to jail in accordance with the law – the same should be applied to demonstrators who turn violent (but directed more at the leaders who encourage the violence) – but no excesses after all we are dealing with Indian citizens with the same rights as other Indians.

Minority appeasement so far has not helped. It in fact has kept the minorities poor. In the US for example, there is minority quota for the Native Indians – of course, no prizes for guessing that they are the worst off community. I remember during Hanukkah , people with Jewish skull caps were all felicitated – was this an appreciation of their religion – I don’t think so. It was an appreciation of their economic prowess , their economic wealth. Their control of Wall Street and the Media in the United States. If you want to help the minorities , educate them – bring all up to a certain standard to that they can earn and think for themselves and create wealth – but minority appeasement is not that , it is simply using the minorities as a Vote bank – simply put, use and throw.

Partly the problem is one of marketing in which it seems the ultras are better than the law makers. Lets say there was a terrorist organization and it called itself (a name I have made up for example sakes) “United Front of Poor And Hardworking Souls” (like the Aam Aadmi slogan is being misused by the Congress and the BJP of late) – would you ever believe that such an organization could commit crimes ? No – Similarly Mujaheddin means soldier of Islam – a nobel cause from the sound of it. 

Lawmakers should only use acronyms or numbers when referring to terrorist organizations and perhaps it should name its police units better to ensure moral support from the masses (all masses) including keeping people informed (via media). The battle against terror is to be fought both with guns and guile and probably more of the latter.

Special Rights For Kashmir / Perception

This is more than half the problem. Open any checking account in a bank in Delhi – there are special rules for people from Jammu & Kashmir. There are special rules for phones from Kashmir including lack of usage of any one-time passwords, etc. If we are to do national integration, we should fully implement it – why all these exclusions for people from Kashmir – this is the fault of Delhi law makers for sure.

Article 370 needs to be quashed. More so there is another law (referred to as the “J&K bill 2004”) that disbars kashmiri women who marry outside the state – their ability to buy land in the state and other property rights – how can this stand in a country like India

Sometimes, I think we in India need to get our “head out of our as*es” – Kashmir is India, but the perception on the streets is not so – this has to change !

Plebiscite – Yes, Kashmir needs plebiscite

But not how everyone thinks. Srinagar is a small village essentially – a very small suburb of Gurgaon, etc – this small village cannot hold the rest of India hostage. 

Kashmir belongs to India and Indians need to decide. Some weak kneed politicians angling for some minority vote gains cannot be allowed to make the decision for India – YES *if* there should be plebiscite – there should be a pan-india vote asking all Indians if they wish to allow Independence of Kashmir and based on that vote , the decision should be made once and for all. 

Geelani is one man – his processions have a thousand or so – how can the country like India be held hostage to this ? 

As Mr. M J Akbar has said – when the British left , there was only the scope for creation of India and Pakistan , no third country – and the ruler of Kashmir signed the Instrument of accession – so where is the issue? The main outstanding issue in my opinion ,is the illegal possession of Gilgit, Baltistan and other areas by Pakistan

So In Summary What is the Kashmir Problem ?

In my book, the current issues (aka the Kashmir problem) are :

a) Law and order – caused by appeasement policies in Srinagar – this is intermittent though. Geelani causes it every now and then. Yasin Malik has of course decided to get married and live in bliss (did he not vow celibacy at one point ?) – maybe shaadi.com and the ability to date across borders changed his mind – I believe he has married some red-haired liberal artist – and, of course, one hardly hears of him any more – probably romancing on the Dal lake and why not.

b) Militancy – This is largely under control – I was vacationing there a few weeks ago. It was as peaceful and beautiful as described. Yes, the airport security was a bit of a nuisance. But clearly people who complain have not traveled abroad. In the US when you are asked to strip down to your “chaddis” – you will know. Its not the the Srinagar airport security is more stringent. It is that the airport security elsewhere in India is lax.

But there may be trouble brewing. The “War on Terror” is ending in Afghanistan and U.S. troops are bound to leave. Will this have any effect on India – time will tell. But one needs to be cautious on our borders. In far away Andaman islands, a newspaper had recently highlighted this risk. While most of the Delhi newspapers were busy focusing on Katrina Kaif’s (the “kashmir” focus of the masses) love interest.

c) Tourism – A beautiful place like Kashmir needs a lot more tourists. People are dependent on it. A couple of forts , historical monuments (Hari Parbat, Pari Mahal, etc) are still occupied by the Army – there is perhaps no need for that. Let historical monuments be used as centres of tourism and not as military barracks. I am not advocating the Army leaves or anything close to that – if a border area needs the army it should be there – but there is no need to take over some of the important historical monuments.

What was surprising was that I was able to visit the Hazratbal mosque with ease – there was hardly anyone there in a monument of such importance. Hazratbal should be one of the most important monuments in Islam having one of the three relics of the Prophet – I would have thought there would be mile-long line – Kashmir could do with a lot more tourism.

d) Womens Rights – Scrapping of the 2004 Land bill – this is totally against equality and would not stand any legal scrutiny

e) Scrapping of Article 370 – 370 is not an umbilical cord, it is more like the appendix or a wisdom tooth that is no longer required. There should be no argument on it – a Presidential ordinance can scrap it and it should be done away and dealt with – life will go on without interruption. The “problems” caused by the scrapping is just a paranoia that has been created.

f) Return of Gilgit and Baltistan – In discussing with Pakistan if we begin from the thought that we want the rest of the land back – that is a far better starting point for negotiations than simply going to one’s knees (and talking about the LOC) – and if fact this is not even a point for negotiation – we actually do want it back.

And frankly, why do we even need to discuss Kashmir with anyone else, its ours after all!

A TRIBUTE TO CHATRAPATHI SHIVAJI

Article posted by https://www.facebook.com/ananthakrishnan.ramanathan.3/posts/1173492692690865

A TRIBUTE TO CHATRAPATHI SHIVAJI ON HIS DEATH ANNIVERSARY !!!
( MY HERO )

A young prince is seated on the throne. His soldiers have brought a handcuffed Patil (a village chief) before him. Patil, with a thick and long moustache, had dishonored a helpless widow. In a stern and majestic tone the young prince announced the judgment, “cut off his both hands and feet!! This is the least punishment for the crime he has committed”. All present were taken aback at the firm devotion of the prince to justice. Not only were they wonder-struck but also pleased beyond measure. The village people began to say to one another: ‘Ah! Look! How devoted to justice our young prince is!? He is not in the least afraid of the wicked people. He is kind and loving towards the poor, the downfallen and the wretched. He is ever determined to help them and to protect them. What is more, he regards all women as mothers!

Don't you wish to know who this young prince was? He was none other than Shivaji. At the time of this incident he was just fourteen. In another incident…… in Nachani village of Pune province, a ferocious and huge cheetah was creating nuisance. He used to attack villagers suddenly and run away into the jungle. Scared villagers ran to Shivaji for help. They cried, “Save us from this wild animal. He has killed so many children. He attacks us especially in the night when everyone is sleeping”. After patiently listening to the villagers, he said, ‘don?t worry!! Calm down. I am here to help you”. Shivaji, along with his chieftain Yesaji and few soldiers, went to the jungle. As soon as the cheetah appeared, Shivaji's soldiers frightened and backed off. But Shivaji and Yesaji bravely confronted the Cheetah and killed him in no time. Villagers rejoiced and hailed, “Jay Shivaji!!”

Shivaji's father's name was Shahaji. He was always away from home, fighting wars. How he became aware of this fearless and unique nature of his son is itself an interesting story. On a certain occasion, Shahaji took his son to the court of the Sultan of Bijapur. Shahaji and all others touched the ground thrice and saluted the Sultan. He asked his son Shivaji to do the same thing. But.....! Shivaji stood erect with his head unbent. He seemed to be determined that he would not bow down to a foreign ruler. He walked back from the court with a lion-like gait and bearing.

You may ask: how did Shivaji acquire all these noble virtues - courage, heroism, love of the motherland and love of Dharma? Even when he was a little child, his mother Jijabai used to tell him stories of heroes, of saints and sages who appear in the Ramayana, and the Mahabharatha. She taught him all about Hindu Samskars and patriotism. As Shivaji listened to these tales of heroism and Dharmik deeds, he grew more and more eager to be like Rama or Krishna, Bheema or Arjuna. His teacher and guide, Dadoji Kondadev was a great man. He not only taught Shivaji about all kinds of warfare tactics but also about politics and good administration. Both, Dadoji Kondadev and Jijabai, carved his personality.

Though Shivaji was a prince, he enjoyed playing with anyone of his age and easily mixed up with the common peple. Soon, he became the heart of all. At the age of twelve, he and his friends took the oath of defeating foreign rulers and establish swarajya where people can live fearless and happy and follow their dharma. At the young age of sixteen, he started raising his own army. In the same age, he captured one of the forts. It was the fort of Torana. Another meaning of Torana is garland. Jijabai proudly said, ‘look! Shivaji has brought us a garland of independence!”.

As Shivaji grew old, he fought many wars and defeated several lieutenants and commanders of foreign rulers. While fighting with the enemies, he put himself in a grave danger very often. He not only established his independent sovereign against all odds but also undertook reforms to make his people happy. He inspired and united the common man to fight against the tyranny of foreign rulers such as Aurangjeb, by inculcating a sense of pride and nationality in them. Isn't it great about Shivaji? Sant (sage) Ramadas was his spiritual guru (teacher). He sang in praise of Shivaji: “The land and its Dharma have been uplifted. A kingdom of bliss has arisen.”

After reading the thrilling and inspiring tale of Shivaji, don't we feel that we too should follow the example of Shivaji? Why is this so? It is becauseShivaji underwent all hardships for the sake of his country, for the sake of its Dharma. He did not care for his own life and quite often entered the very jaws of death. Till his last breath, he lived for his country and for the Dharma of the Hindus. It is nearly three hundred years since he died but the memory of this great man lights up the torch of inspiration.
--
Aano bhadra krtavo yantu vishwatah.(- RIG VEDA)
"Let noble thoughts come to me from all directions"

Accounts of ancient India as provided by visiting foreigners

Some of the most stunning accounts of ancient India are provided by visiting foreigners along with the Indian literature of the time which is a major source of learning about the contemporary socio-economic practices.

Indica by Megasthenes : Ambassador to the court of Chandragupta Maurya. His excerptstell about city made up of mainly wood. Wooden Boundries around Rajgriha,Society divided in 7 major socio economic group including Philosophers,Artisans, Military, Shepherds(Chandragupta was himself a shephard by caste), farmers and Administrators.

Pliny described the drain of wealth from Europe(greek) to S Asia or India. This is evident from the issuance of Gold coins during the times of Kanishka. Indian Textiles and spices were famous all along the Silk Route. We imported Horses, Wine and pearls from Europe and Middle East.

After the spread of the Buddhist religion, Chinese travelers came to India in big numbers to collect religious books and to visit holy places of Buddhism
Fa Hein: He was the first Chinese Buddist to travell to India during the Golden age of Chandragupta II. He mentioned that droughts dont occur in the Empire(which is considered as exaggeration) but still it implies people were satisfied. He mentions a class called Chandala. They lived outside town. And came only to scavange. People shut their gates when they used to come. This proves the prevelence of Untouchability; So no Golden age for Sociologists.

Huan Zang: He wrote that he was once robbed on his way which indicates that during the Empire of Harsha trade routes were not secured and centre started to weaken. He told Harsha was very generous and religious (But it is believed he was sponsered by Harsha). An incident is mentioned where Harsha has called a sort of council of Buddhist monk to present them gifts and chaos happened where some one even tried to kill him . He provides wide excerps of Nalanda and spent considerable time there.

Persian Travellers after the attack of Turks
Alberuni (Al-Briuni) travelled to India to learn about the Hindus. He criticised Indians of being arrogant in sharing information. He illustrated the inhuman practice of Sati among Rajput Dynasty. But he was impressed by the wealth of the nation.

Al Masudi, mentions the excellence of Indians in Mathematics.
Abdur Razzaq a persian Ambassador visited Vijayanagar during the reign of Devaraya II. He was overawed with the size and grandeur of the city of Vijayanagar. He wrote, “The city is such that eye has not seen nor ear heard of any place resembling it upon the whole earth”.

Marco Polo arrived on the Coromandel Coast of India in AD 1292 . He entered the kingdom of the Tamil Pandyas near modern day Tanjore, He mentions that according to customs Kings used to sit on Earth. On his asking why they do so the King replied Everyone comes from this earth, works on it and dies here. So they are considered austere rulers. He described the place as the most spendid province of the world. He mentions most of the pearls and gems are produced in Pandayan Empire along with Ceylon (Sri lanka). Cotton was mostly worn both by rulers and subject due to intense hot climate. The king took pride in not holding himself above the law of the land and people travelled the highways safely with their valuables in the cool of the night.

The Persian traveler Abdur Razzak who visited in the 15th century described vijaynagar as follows " The city of Vijayanagar is such that the pupil of the eye has never seen a place like it, and the ear of intelligence has never been informed that there existed anything to equal it in the world"

Portuguese Traveller Domingo Paer was overwhelmed by the greatness of the city. He mentions that no city of Rome is comparable to Hampi. Gardens, Architecture, Military were massive. He mentions of a market where you can buy anything from vegetables to precious Gems. Jewellery was a norm in Indian Families. Market was frequently visited by the members of royal families.

It is said Vasco De Gama filled his ship with spices and earned 60 times the money his entire voyage cost.

When Nader shah invaded India he looted ship full of wealth worh 13 crores. and Kohinoor which according to him was as precious as " If a stone is thrown in all 4 direction and covered with a gold coin will be incomparable to its cost".

But Sufism and Bhakti also tells us that people were unhappy of caste system (Meera Bai) . They wanted to lead a simple life. Corruption was rampant ever since the times of Mauryas. Common men led a simple life. Totalitarianism was prevelent,Prostitution was legal, People enjoyed Wine. Education was given due importance till the arrival of turks. Agriculture and Trading were the main professions. Taxes were high (upto 50%, later on).