DALIT's LIVES ALSO MATTER( updated)

BY K P PASWAN

There is a popular movement known as Black Lives Matter, going on in the US. Blacks were brought from Africa and treated like slaves, till President of US, Abraham Lincoln abolished the slavery.

In India, the situation is just reverse, Dalits, originally known as Shudras were not brought from some other countries. They were an integral part of a particular faith, practiced by majority of the people. The Religion was known as Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma. The word Hindus, was not known till the arrival of the Arabs. Slavery was not widely practiced in ancient India. Some of the historians point to Dass system in practice, but very little is known as the entire Dalits community were denounced as outcasts.

 But in India, it was the British who allowed the Dalits, by a series of laws, the equal status with others. Without the British, the possibilities of Indian Dalits. meeting the fate of Red Indians in US, was certain.  Hinduism, being followed by majority of people, is not homogeneous. This wonderful religion, rich in philosophy is divided into castes and sub castes, the total number of which is staggering.  During the Vedic period, we find division of society based on works, like Brahmans conducting rituals, Vaisey for trade and the Kshatriya for fighting war and Shudra for serving others.Shudras continue to serve others even to day.

Rigidity of Varna (cast) system led to fierce debate over the relevance of different Varnas.  Dominance and debate were the subject matter of such philosophical discourse. In absence of a central authority, dominance prevailed upon debate, and when certain sections of society refused to surrender their privileges, this prepared the ground for emergence of new religion like Buddhism, which preached social equality and denounced the caste system. The debates led to emergence of revelations in the famous Upanishads, which are devoted to find a reason for the presence of the universe. It is unfortunate that such wonderful revelations failed to make ways to poor Shudras, in fact these Shudras were denied the right to study and even listen to their recitation, they were to be killed if found either studying or listening to scriptures..

These interpretations take us very closer to theory of First Cause of the origin of the universe and even scientist, like the founding father of Quantum physics was greatly impressed by Vedanta. In fact, if we compare first cause as mentioned in the Brahamshutra, with the first cause advocated by Christian scholars, we are surprised to find extraordinary similarities.

  When the foreign invaders established their rule, they also noticed this division and the invaders took full advantage and indulged in conversion of the deprived classes, also known as Untouchables. We also find conversion of upper castes, but this conversion was, in most cases forced, and not voluntarily. When foreign invaders entered into India, the country was being ruled by hundreds of small and big rulers, but everywhere, barring exceptions, the Shudras were forced to live in isolation and outside of villages.  During this period, fragmented India witnessed birth of many thinkers like Shankara, Madhvacharya and a few others, who interpreted Vedic scriptures along with Upanishads, in scientific and rational manners and these interpretations are now essential features of modern Hinduism.

 The term Hindu was not known until arrival of the Arabs, who gave name Hindus to those people living in the kingdoms conquered by them. Historians are making different claims about the origin of word Hindu. It was the British who noticed social discrimination and tried to convert Dalits, by giving them equal opportunity, and those not converted, were not denied social equality. In fact, modern system of education was not denied by the British to these outcasts. Whether historians agree or not but, greater India is a gift from the colonial power. Before the British rule, India was divided into thousands of small kingdoms, independent of each other and fighting against each other. These local rulers were mostly cruel and barring exceptions, the Shudras remain in social isolation. Most of these outcasts earned their living by serving others.                                                                    

When the British proposed separate elector system for the Dalits, all the Congress leaders opposed the proposals and accused the British of dividing the society, little knowing that Indian society was already divided. It is noteworthy that when Kemal Pasha of Turkey abolished Ottoman empire, the Congress led by Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest of freedom fighter, opposed it as the Ottoman kings were also designated as Caliphate, meaning the leader of entire Islamic population. But the Ottomans were also  cruel, ruthless and indulged in horrendous killing of subjugated people. Several Islamic states were opposed to Ottoman empire and it goes beyond saying that the great Turkish leader Kemal Pasha knew the unpopularity of the Ottoman empire among the Islamic states and faced no violent opposition from any Islamic country. It is therefore surprising that separate voting system for Dalits was vehemently opposed by Mahatma, who even undertook fasting to oppose the proposal. Ultimately the proposal was withdrawn by the British.

UNTOUCHABILITY. India has in 1950, introduced, a national system of affirmative actions designed to abolish, the legacy of paste. Among its provisions are ones that help Dalits get into place of higher education and reservation in Govt jobs. This led to widespread resentment on the logic, that meritorious students among the upper casts would suffer. Of course, meritorious boys and girls belonging to upper castes must not be allowed to suffer by creating special zones for these students, but nobody should be allowed to establish monopoly without inviting troubles.  Nobody should be allowed to dictate the Dalits and advise them, how and what to eat and how to marry.

BRAHMINS FRIENDS. In every case it is wrong to blame for the sufferings of Dalits to Brahmans. I would like to narrate two incidents. In my area, we were opposed for getting education in the school, situated nearby our village by a particular landlord. So out of anger, seven of us (all Dalits) got admitted to a Christen school at a distance of two kms from our village. Our village is also having a sizeable number of Brahmans, one of the Brahmans was in the army. During yearly visit, he came to know the incident. He called a meeting of the elders and openly threatened to send the landlord to jail. Next day, more than one hundred people from our and nearby villages, flocked the Christian School and forced us to return to village school. Today our village is like a small town with many IAS and other civil servants. One of them reached the rank of Foreign Secretary. The local Church is now a hospital, where most of the doctors are Hindus.

 Second story is more inspiring. Outside the gate of a modern university in Delhi, three aspirants fled, as we could not tolerate the drug addiction among students. Two of the students were Brahmins from South India. The third person happened to be this blogger, a Dalit. Three of us promised to remain in contact with each other.  After three years we met again, in front of a sprawling house for interview. We cracked the examination and this time, a real everlasting friendship bloomed. One of my friends happened to be a grandson of former I.C.S and his father was a senior I.A.S. I visited his home in South India, several times and on one occasion, I started criticizing Hinduism, quoting from scriptures, my friend, his mother, were other members of family, participating in the debate. When I finished, then, my friend’s father and mother smiled and the would-be chief Secretary of a state asked me” OK Son, we are sailing in the same boat, we can abuse, criticize and demands reform in our religion and for this there is no need to convert to another religion. I happened to be a student of physics and I realized that the sky fell upon my head. Next, I concluded that I actually mocked my knowledge of physics, because the sky was not only upon my head but also beneath my feet.  The Brahmin boy who is now my best friend is posted in other side of the earth. His father is no more and I attended his last rites. There is some amount of devotion which is beyond all consideration. Otherwise it is my belief that most of the Brahmins are sworn haters of Dalits.

EVALUATIONS. The social discrimination and untouchability have never stopped. But there is marked improvement in every aspect of Dalits. Some of the upper castes, think that by abolishing reservations in Govt services and educational institutions, unemployment in India will come to an end.  But this is not true. Time has come to rectify the mistake.By conventional measures, the discrimination should have been ended, but suffering continues.  Dalits rarely make daily news headlines

FINAL WORDS Can Dalits be saved? May be, but they cannot save themselves, If the country has any hope of escaping the cycle of violence and discrimination, it will need the constitutional guarantee.  Separate assembly and parliament seats may be created and certain percentage of MPs and MLAs, are to be elected by Dalits voters only. These steps may not reduce the majority (Hindus) to minority which was apprehended when the British stipulated the same proposal. Dalits must not be allowed to live at the mercy of government. The shame of indifference, be reasons enough for actions. It appears that Dalits were borne in tears and perhaps will continue to flow till eternity. Blacks lives matter, but the Dalits lives, perhaps matter more.

BLACK LIVES MATTER .(updated)

.

BY K P PASWAN.

In US, there is a popular movement, Black lives matter , this popular movement may also be called agitation for respecting the Blacks and their rights. It is not proper to accuse all the Americans believing in racial discrimination. Blacks enjoyed powerful position, and one Black was elected as president of US. However, out of contempt Blacks are,sometimes called Niggers which is equivalent to untouchability, used for the Dalits in India.

 Nearly three hundred years ago, Blacks were brought mostly from Africa to the US as Slaves, by the British and other colonial powers, and they were subject to torture, and forced to do hard labor for survival. Thomas Jefferson, the famous President of US. had a large number of Black slaves under his command. It was left upon president Abraham Lincoln to abolish slavery, and his progressive step led to his assassination.Abolition of slavery led to other reforms,including right to education and freedom of speech. But discrimination against the Blacks  did not stop, there were compelling reasons. The US is a country of immigrants. Most of the immigrants are Whites from Europe and these immigrants are habitual anti Blacks, they are also opposed to other non Whites immigrants. 

The birth of Ku Klux Clan, an organization for preaching the supremacy of Whites, enjoy the patronage of Republicans and the Democrats. ANTIFA, an organization,opposing discrimination on the basis of race is supporters of Democrats, while PRIDE BOYS, who oppose illegal entry of immigrants from other countries into US. is attached with the Republicans, But the GOP as the Republicans are called are not against Blacks, but their supporters are engaged in anti Black activities.

It was, Red Indians, the original inhabitants who suffered much from racial discrimination in US,  and ultimately were reduced to minority. Even before the arrival of Blacks in US, the outsiders, torture the natives and Columbus, who discovered America, was prosecuted for his brutalities, committed against the natives. In fact, Columbus brought a large number of natives as slaves to Spain and to the horror of authorities in Spain, a large number of natives were found dead due to hunger and exposure to new climate. At present Red Indians don’t matter much. as we don’t see any agitation launched by them against the Govt.

 George Floyd was a habitual criminal, a drug addict, and certainly not a poor Black. He always saved himself from harsh punishment by pleading guilty.But he was killed by cops for reasons, best known to the killer cop, who has pleaded not guilty, but was convicted. There was cold blooded murder of another Black woman, Brenna Taylor, and motive behind her murder by an American cop, raises serious question, as criminal background of black woman has not been cited as reason for shoot out. 

In some cases criminal activities of a person, where Black or White, is cited as reasons for killing by cops This type of police encounter may be equated with killing of hardened criminals by police in India.  More than sixty percent of the criminals, facing death sentence in India  are Dalits, while some of the killers, belonging to higher castes and facing similar kind of murder charges were acquitted, because the case was argued by reputed lawyers, who are expensive and beyond the reach of Dalit criminals. But that is not an excuse, as hardened and habitual criminals must be punished by a court of laws, irrespective of caste, creed and religion. 

In US, however, most of the killing of Blacks is attributed to crimes committed by them,like drug trafficker,rape etc  and in most of the cases cops were acquitted. Superiority of the Whites over colors is much discussed subject all over the world. Arthur Huntington, US political scientist called it as Class of Civilization in the context of immigration of Muslims and Hispanics to US.Most of the Blacks in US live in isolated areas, and most of them are Protestants or Catholics. Several of the Churches are named after Blacks in other words, they have their own Churches and even Health care Centers.

SPORTS AND BLACKS. It is in the field of popular sports Basketball, where the Blacks excel.In Olympus, the Blacks bag a good number of medals. Arthur Ashe was a famous badminton player, who scummed to HIV. He was not a homosexual, but caught the disease because of blood transfusion. Martin Luther King is also known as Mahatma Gandhi of US,fought against racial discrimination and like Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated by an American known for hatred  for Black. Martin Luther King will always be remembered for awakening Blacks,who are conscious of their rights in a country, known as the mightiest on this planet.

Covid 19 AND THE BLACKS. Corona 19 has badly mauled the Blacks with mounting causalities. This racial conundrum of Covid 19 is still not properly understood by Virologists. Several  social evils  and practices, once prevalent in Africa, persist among the Blacks of US. But these evils known as Occult practices, are found even among the Whites. But the pandemic has picked up Blacks as its worst victims with alarming causality. There is need for further investigation. Blacks are discriminated in other countries of Latin America and even in European countries. Sporadic killing of Blacks are regularly reported from different countries of the world. Security agency and cops who kill these Blacks, justify killing on the ground that the killed Blacks were criminal involved in rape,drug smuggling and even murder of innocent people.Surprisingly most of the cops involved in killing of Blacks were acquitted on the ground, that killed Blacks were not innocent, and were guilty of serious crimes.

BIDEN AND BLACKS.

  The Blacks, generally vote for the Democrats. Republicans also have good number of followers among the Blacks. Donald Trump and his party were generally opposed to stringent laws for controlling Gun Culture. But Donald Trump was not a racist. During his presidency, George Floyd was brutally murdered by the cops, which was followed by huge demonstration all over US. Statues of several Americans, who encouraged slavery in the past, were brought down and Trump proved helpless. But there is no doubt that his group of supporters, known as Proud Boys are anti Blacks.

Once elected,Joe Biden was under pressure to appoint a Black as the next Attorney General to deal with criminal cases related with Blacks. It appears that, instead of dealing such cases in a court of laws,certain groups in the Democrats are encouraging left wing ideology. This left wing philosophy is going to be  an effective  weapons for the Republicans in the forthcoming election for the Congress in 2022.New Pentagon chief also known as Secretary of Defence is a Black. US's permanent representative to UN is a famous Black woman. Biden has given important posts to Blacks, thus acknowledging their experience in managing the new administration.The Republicans, reluctantly supported the stimulus package, as they are convinced that the package would help the illegal immigrants from Mexico, than helping the Blacks and those,badly affected by the pandemic.

EVALUATION.George Floyd's killer was found guilty on all counts, which means not gallows but long term prison, There was tension before the Jury pronounced verdict, The convicted Cop would likely to go in for appeal. It is difficult, but not impossible to end the racial discrimination in US. Both the political parties are filled with politicians, who are racists. The Blacks need many Martin Luther Kings to create ground for reconciliation. The US army consists of a large number of Blacks, who have proved their extraordinary talent, while battling the enemies. Reformers are needed to end social evils responsible for the isolation of Blacks.

Revival of Golden Crescent.(updated)

BY K.P PASWAN.

Modern Afghanistan is the epicenter of Golden Crescent, means harvesting poppy and other habit-forming production of narcotics. Most of the people inhabiting the Golden Crescent and narcotics  are dangerous and menace to human race. Human life does not matter much, and they are often engaged in wanton killing of their rivals and even men in uniform, meant for enforcing laws are not spared. 

INVASION. Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in late 1970 led to the revival of Golden Crescent, which before the invasion was a low-key business with high profit. Afghanistan being a cold and mountainous region has never been self-sufficient in agriculture products. The country is rich in fruit production which is a source of livelihood. They, somehow managed to survive, but needed money to purchase essentials and this led to the emergence of a substantial number of land holders to opt for opium harvesting. With the fall of monarchy, a vacuum was created for the emergence of a central authority. And politician, everywhere in this world, needs lot of money to win even a municipal election. Soviet invasion, led Western powers to bring their deadly weapons to fight the Communists and the Opium growers realized the potential of these weapons to serve their nefarious activities.

 FORBIDDEN LAND. Certain areas of Afghanistan in and around Kandahar, are dubbed as Golden Crescent’ most shameful neighborhood, It was feared that under a civil Govt  Afghanistan would become dumping ground for drug addicts, so stringent laws were made to crush the offenders, who are mostly opium cultivators, Yet after the entry of Taliban, the drug laws were largely forgotten by the international and the Afghan press until earlier this year, when a report published by the Americans, according to this report,the number of addicts registered  has risen from 17000 in 1980 to more than 200000 in 2015, These figures don’t represent real number of addicts.

 A large number of the addicts are women and school going children. Surprisingly most of the Opium cultivators are not zealots in religion, while sending their children abroad for modern education.. But in Afghanistan, these so-called liberals are not only zealots, but enjoy killing Shias, and people belonging to other faiths. Afghanistan cannot become a Tourist attraction because except fanatics and lunatics, there are no places worth seeing. So Afghanistan during a brief period of Taliban’s rule became a leading exporter of drug to Africa and even the USA, eclipsing the Latin American drug cartels

 TRIBES. Afghanistan is inhabited by more than 25 tribes from time immemorial. The Tajiks, Uzbek and Pushto can be recognized by their names and face, other tribes cannot be recognized even by their face unless they introduce themselves.It is lucrative trade cum harvesting of opium that to some extent bind them together.Afghanistan can afford to lose thousands of its people in the name of protecting religion, but the Western nations and US cannot afford to lose even a single soldier, while fighting these lunatics.  Educated among them present themselves as Afghan nationalists, who do not favor a federalist solution to the country’s sectarian problems and all the tribes are eager for provincial election.

POLITICS. Afghanistan was always a failed state and could fail again. Its politics consists of drug lords fighting over drugs. The drug lords also stir up tribal animosity as a tool to recruit more militiamen .  The country was being dominated by two stalwarts Ashraf Ghani, an economist trained in Western country and Dr Abdulla Abdulla, an Eye Surgeon by profession. They belong to Pushtu and Tajik community respectively and wanted to enforce modern jurisprudence, but was hard in a nation where suicide bombers kill judges and drug lords grow rich from the Poppy trade.

Now whole of Afghanistan has been taken over by the Taliban. There is nothing that may prevent Talibans from taking actions against the Drug lords as Taliban cannot survive without drug money.

 Most Afghans are terrified of Taliban, but trust in govt was low too. The ordinary Afghans will not defend the Govt, because they see the state, prisoner of drug lords. So the country is entering dangerous water. Before Taliban take over, ethnic dimension to the election with Dr Abdulla seen as a Tajik and Mr Ghani as Pashto  forced an underlying tension within Afghan society, close to the surface. Afghans often vote in block according to the dictate of local Tribal chiefs and drug lords so irregularities are impossible to detect.

REASONS. It is not difficult to find the reasons for revival of Golden Triangle. Being a landlocked country, Afghanistan remained cut off from the rest of the world, except during the British period of colonial rule in India. Complete isolation resulted in economic stagnation. Small local chiefs made their ways to India by causing mayhem, but we don’t find any attempts by these local chiefs taking interest in welfare measures.

TALIBAN is considered the most ruthless and trigger-happy terrorists, who cannot flourish without lot of money coupled with patronage Drug lords. The entire Taliban is funded by opium growers. Latest technology for refining Opium products is clandestinely imported from Mexico and  other Latin American countries. Curbing of opium harvest in Afghanistan is impossible without the active support of Pakistan, and China. These two countries will never allow any democratic institutions to flourish in the mountainous country. India has practically little role or no roll at all to play in Afghanistan. Every other day we see, top diplomats, participating in TV debates, advocating presence of Indians in substantial number in Afghanistan to combat the growing influence of Pakistan, this is surprising, as the Taliban’s are no friends of India,some of the important functionaries of the present Afghanistan govt are covertly supporting the Taliban. Indian technocrats engaged in development of various projects are likely to be killed once the purpose of killers is served.

  We have not learned any lesson from Lord Auckland’s handling of Afghan war. Thousands of Indian soldiers were starved to death, but the Colonial power failed to subjugate the tribes engaged in illegal activities. Pakistan Govt wisely entered into an agreement with the narcotics traders of Waziristan, as per this agreement, Tribes were allowed to carry their illegal activities going on, in exchange of promise, not to explode bombs in Pakistan and prevent entry of Talibans. 

We are also fed up with Americans, they won't mind kidnapping Noriega, the former president of Panama, who was leader of drug cartel, next the American punished Mexican drug lord Al Chapo, who besides being a drug king, was notorious for committing atrocities against women, and even the killing of Escarole is attributed to a careful planning devised by the pentagon.In other countries,the Americans invoke human rights to support the drug peddlers.

HUMILIATING RETREAT. Russia has not forgotten hasty retreat from Afghanistan when Al-Qaeda, with the help of US and the Western powers fought the Russians and drove them away. Taliban have the most sophisticated weapons supplied by Russia, while for financial support, it is dependent upon the drug lords and Pakistan. Difficult terrain, mountain caves and vast deserts make it impossible for the western forces to act against Taliban in effective manner. 

Lord Auckland’s Afghan war was a monumental failure as the local tribes acted as Clan against the British, and they are acting with same zeal against the Americans. There are reasons to believe that the Russians are offering money to the Taliban fighters’  to kill the Americans. This has been called as Bounty Killing. Afghan’s economy is completely dependent upon Pakistan.

CONCLUSION. America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan even in a phased manner is going to pave way for the rule of dreaded Taliban and above all revival of Golden Crescent. For India, this is a warning in advance for which we are least prepared.

PM, MODI, AS THE LAST OF THE MOHICAN.(updated)

 

By K. P. PASWAN.

Prime Minister of the largest democratic country of this planet is Narendra Modi. For a long time, he hold the post of Chief Minister of a state named Gujarat, which happened to be a prosperous state. Many Pharma giants have their manufacturing units in the state , has many big industries, like oil refineries, soft wares, diamond cutting and above all garment manufacturing units. The state has also so many exporters in finished diamond products, who imports rough diamonds, give different shapes and exports to different countries all over the world, earning much needed hard currency. The minority Muslims known as Bohras are backbone of many industries.

 Gujarat has a rich and memorable past. Foreign invaders from Central Asia came to Gujarat in the past to loot and plunder the prosperity and the famous Somnath temple was damaged and desecrated by these invaders. Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest of the freedom fighter was borne and brought up here and the first Home Minister of independent India was a Gujarat Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel, who gave us what we see as united India, without him geography of India would have been different.

 Then there is another side of the history. The state is famous for atrocities against the Dalits, these poor Dalits cannot scream as they are not allowed to scream

GUJARAT MODEL. Several politicians and some of academics have expressed opinion against Gujarat model of industrial growth, applying in every state of India.  But the real fact is that there is nothing like Gujarat model. There is only a strategy. Gujarat faces the Arabian ocean and have some natural harbors, which exist from ancient times. Some of these harbors have been developed as outstanding ports for carrying out international trade. 

 Gujarati are also very religious. Communal violence erupted, when Narendra Modi was the chief minister of the state. Those who indulged in inciting violence are called communal and those who opposed are dubbed as secular, but the fact is that they are neither secular nor communal but Hippocratic. It is therefore pleasant surprise to find Narendra Modi, an honest man of words heading a democratic India in a professional and rational manner.

  SERIOUS TALK. India has its own fault, the country has high unemployment, a nasty immigrant problem but its health under Modi is commendable, it is not dependent upon foreign aid. It has moderate poverty and the lowest income inequality among industrialized nations. The founding fathers of our constitution were well read, and erudite. The Indian idea of uniqueness, religious tolerance and  freedom of expression came from the West. But the current administration is putting that to the test. Narendra Modi has been dragged into controversy for no obvious reasons. He is accused of favoring middlemen in the  famous Rafael  Arms deal but without any proof, it is like dragging late Rajiv Gandhi also known as Mr Clean into Bofors deal but without proofs.

Than there is so called Farmers agitation, going on in India for a long time A legislation was passed for giving new dimension to agriculture, based on modern technology, but the farmers are demanding nothing less than the withdrawal of legislation.  The so-called farmers agitation has invoked support from some  politician like Justin Trudeau the PM of Canada. There are a few Labours MPs in U K, who had been dubbed by the former PM, David Cameron as either terrorists or supporter of terrorism, these MPs have supported the farmer’s agitation

 J&K . The abrogation of Article 356 has given rise to hopes that  the action would have been applied long ago. One year ago, the insurgents in Kashmir valley were launching not less than 20 attacks per day, now the daily average is less than one or two a day. However the security worry, that improvement may not last long. Some pro Pak groups are already seeking Pakistan's help in rebuilding their projects. At the same time, Indian PM is in no hurry to initiate dialogue with Pakistan or the separatists which is bound to end in failure. Stone pelting was bad and bloody. Now they want electricity and cooking gas back. The question is that, can the PM of India step up and deliver the goods. The danger is the Govt allows pro separatists led by Mehbooba Mufti to suffer, while Pakistan's new-found drift back into the jihadist’s orbit. Patriots began urging their followers to join police and army, the enlistments soared. The drop-in attacks would seem to indicate that many of the newly minted cops were once the part of insurgency. In every counterinsurgency, one of the indicators ultimately some level of success, was that the people who fought you, decided not to fight you anymore. Residents are finally venturing into the streets, trying to resume some semblance of normal life. Townspeople go out of their way on foot and bicycle even under chilly day to buy essentials. Nobel Peace prize has lost its gravity. Two politicians who received Nobel Peace prizes for peace are not preaching peace. Barack Obama preached violence in the Middle East while Abi Mehmet, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and now the PM of Ethiopia is preaching genocide in his own country, then we have Malala Yusufzai, a Pakistani girl, who won Nobel peace prize for reasons not known to anybody in this world, is engaged in hate speech against India and Myanmar. She recently graduated from Oxford without passing any examination ( She did not violate rules) and declared her intention to become the PM of Pakistan.

 CHINA. China has agreed to disengage in Ladakh, that is not surprising. It also does not mean that the China has suddenly morphed into a cuddly panda, There is a hostile newly elected Boss of the Oval Office who has declared that China would not be allowed to fix the international agenda. Any conflict with India means, unbearable collateral damage and the nasty dictator Xi jinping also knows that China cannot sustain prolonged border dispute with India without impacting its booming Stock Market. Majority or near majority of respondents in most countries don’t trust China to act responsibly beyond its border. The country’s standing has definitely risen from the days when China exported revolution internationally and chairman Mao topped world’s rogue’s gallery. While Mao exported Cultural Revolution unsuccessfully, Xi jinping is exporting Wuhan virus with outstanding success.

 ECONOMY. If India lapses into an outright recession due to lock down to contain the Wuhan virus, the impact will be large enough to unravel the global economic story, but any scenario less drastic than the dreaded recession now looks manageable under Modi. Almost, effortlessly, it seems that India has escaped its risky dependence on foreign investments, and credit goes to this PM. 

But India is nowhere achieving economic parity with China, it is so because an open democracy is not compatible with rapid rise in manufacturing activities and people in India are taking streets in on flimsy grounds. Again, some of the noted business houses turned out to be involve in money laundering which resulted in their bankruptcy, but retaining enough money to lead a lavish life somewhere else, but outside India. In China every month, a few powerful businessmen have to face the firing squad, as they were involved in corrupt activities, situation in India is just opposite. Here it is difficult to punish economic offenders as they donate to various political parties.  Several top bureaucrats have amassed huge unaccounted property, but are immune from prosecution as the Govt would not sanction prosecution. Honestly speaking foreign investors dislike India in comparison with China and are migrating to Vietnam to evade Wuhan virus. PM, Mr Modi with a down to approach is working silently. Alternative is not emerging from anywhere.

AND FINAL WORDS.

 Narendra Modi as a PM of this country is a great watchman except, he represents a political  party ,notorious for anti-Dalit stand, otherwise his every move and policy are meant for development of the country. He may not be the last man standing, but more than this, he is last of the Mohican.

 

(Note: Mohican was in real time an American General during Civil War. He stood like a rock against all odds)

 

POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS.(updated)

 

 

 

 By K. P. PASWAN

Recently the US and the EU imposed political and economic sanctions against Russia. What is the offense committed by the former Communist country? The offense is related to alleged poisoning of one Russian Alex Navalny, a dissident of strong man Vladimir Putin.  Navalny is not a big leader, but a habitual economic offender with an impossible dream to head a poor Russia either in the capacity of   PM or President. Navalny was successfully treated in Germany, for suspected poisoning, and the Chancellor Angela Markel lost no time in alleging that the dissident Navalny was poisoned by the Russian government. However, she did not name Putin as a perpetrator of the crime.

 RUSSIA. Russia is already facing several economics sanctions due to its involvement in Ukraine and occupation of Crimea. It must be noted that at the time of Cuba crisis, the than PM of USSR, threaten to bury the West deep into the grave, but situation has changed in favor of the West, and now it was USSR which buried itself,  leaving behind an offspring named Russia.

  By these sanctions, the West hopes that Russia might become normal and that Putin might turn out to be a democrat, but they are wrong. It is true that Russia does not have the old Communist regime’s economic or military might. But Putin’s Russia is more frightening and chaotic.   Russia is a very rich, perhaps richer in every sense except that these natural resources remains untouched. Instead of imposing economic and political sanctions, it might be possible to encourage the Russians to help more with Iran, by pointing out that Iran has no bomb program,  and that it is in the interest on Shia Iran to patch up difference with Israel. Russians are vital for to the West’s efforts over global problems such as climate changes and restraining Iran’s nuclear ambitions.     

 Economic and political sanctions have been weaponized by the Western powers to punish the countries not toeing lines of the US and the EU. But political and economic sanctions are not always effective and in the case of Russia, these are not effective at all, as Russia has nothing to loss. Moreover, such type of sanctions are discretionary and not mandated by International Laws. The US in the past  invaded Vietnam and the Middle East without any reason and there is no international body to indict the US and  impose sanctions’ US is using its heft in the financial system to do some effective bullying.

 IRAN. Iran is badly affected by sanctions. Oil is not the only source of revenue, Iran is manufacturing, on small scale, cars, motor vehicles, garments, and even iron-based articles. Iran is in a position to export these items abroad. By economic sanctions Iran has suffered so much that the present Ayatollah Khamenei declared that for resuming talk with US, all the economic sanctions imposed upon Iran must be abolished. Iran wants diplomatic support for its nuclear programmes in parts of world, where governments are biddable and can be bribed. Iran has concentrated on strengthening Muslims allegiances with offers of oil.  These Muslims countries are in Africa. But by these sanctions it has become hard for Shia Iran to influence Africa’s predominantly Sunni Muslims, who are also receiving regular bribes and aids from Iran’s rivals of Central Asia.  No wonder Iran is forging close trade links with commodity producers in Africa, Latin America and Australia, but economic sanctions have put an end to these overambitious projects. Iran in short has some serious economic problems.

 It is possible that a well-aimed economic sanction persuade the Iranian regime to give up its plan to make nuclear bomb and change its anti Jewish stand. In the long run Iran faces a different type of vulnerability. It is finding it hard to acquire foreign technology to boost productions of its fast depleting oil fields and realize its vast potential as an exporter of natural gas. Iran is angry that Joe Biden has openly acknowledged that the Crown Prince Of Saudi Arabia ordered the killing of his critics Jamal Khasosgi, but refrained from imposing any sanction. Iran is virtually under House Arrest.

 N Korea is perhaps the worst victim of international sanctions. China a great friend of N Korea, is not in a position to help N Korea to recover from economic depression, as China is itself suffering badly from economic sanctions imposed by its formidable rival, the USA. North Korea has only one industry that is manufacturing high quality garments, for which it found vast markets in S Korea and neighboring countries. The small country is famous for another industry, making nuclear arsenals and missiles, but so far, no country has shown any interest in purchasing these weapons, authenticity of which is in doubt. N Korea is half starved and wants economic sanctions must end, if threat of nuking neighboring countries and USA is taken back by a paranoid Kim Jong Un. To feed it self N Korea needs 6 million tones of grain a year, it cannot produce anything like this. North Korea used to depend on World Food Programmer every year,for emergency relief as relentless rain destroys crops, but the sanctions mean closure of such generosity.  So in the case of N Korea even China and Russia have not raised loud voice against  sanctions imposed by US.

 MYANMAR. Nothing is more surprising than the economic and political sanctions against poor Myanmar, which has suffered at the hand of colonial power UK and continues to suffer as the subsequent governments failed to provide basic needs to the people. The latest sanctions against Myanmar was on the basis of China’s support to military takeover. Myanmar was the epicenter of Golden Triangle, but the pendulum has swung to Latin America. The crushing of the popular uprising in the country against the rule of uniformed soldiers is out of question, but it is not the ruling class, but the common people who are going to suffer.  If the military takeover of a civil administration is logic for imposing economic sanctions than Pakistan deserves harsh sanctions, as the entire democratic institutions in Pakistan is being controlled and guided by the military.

 Aung Suui Kye of Myanmar was not succeeding in creating climate compatible with economic growth, and widespread corruption and above all terrorist activities of the so called Rohingya Muslims, who are still dreaming of carving an independent state for them with help from Saudi Arabia. Modern Myanmar may not need the American style of democracy for economic development. Development without security is impossible and the vice versa. For a long time, Myanmar reeled under military, but least development was seen, as there was hardly any day without agitation to restore democracy. Myanmar is very rich in oil and  natural resources, but unfortunately there is no large scale of foreign investment. After coming to power by democratic methods, the Nobel laureate Aung Sue Kyi made cardinal mistake by declaring 'Put the oil money on everyone’s dining table’ she was destined to fail. As the hard-pressed consumers,have listened nearly four decades of the, same slogan and are not easily distracted from worries about jobs and inflation. Latest sanctions are likely to have much impact upon the lives of common people. Along with political and economic sanctions the mighty America is applying financial squeeze separately.The result is going to be very painful for a poor Myanmar.

CHINA. Political and economic sanctions against China, are in the interest of US. These sanctions, have resulted in phenomenal growth of Chinese economy and has benefited American and the German MNCs to keep their investment growing. China favored the former president Donald Trump, who was in the habit of scolding Xi jinping for exporting Wuhan virus.  Xi jinping has allowed neither the cumbersome Communist doctrines nor open democracy to flourish in China.

 FINAL WORDS. Barring exceptions economic and political sanctions must not be used as substitutes of nuclear bombing, or attacking the victims with deadly killing machines. Myanmar is not threatening its neighbors, it has no ambitious programmes of becoming a nuclear power. Rohingya Muslims are not welcomed even in Muslim countries. The EU is shedding crocodile tears for the poverty-stricken Muslims Community. Rich Rohingya Muslims are enjoying luxurious life in Myanmar. There is no logic in imposing sanctions against Myanmar, which is ravaged  by miny civil war, but the mighty US is in the habit of favoring some dictators, while discarding others, not liked by it.