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Friday,
July 19, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Man of destiny USA defends Pakistan
HARI JAISINGH |
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Slim news & trim views
Why Pakistan failed to become a democracy
Musharraf’s words contradict actions
Appeasement of the gods to bring rain
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Man of destiny The Republic of India’s President –elect is Dr Abul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam. The Missile Man, as he is fondly called, will be the first scientist to occupy the highest position in not only the world’s largest democracy but also in any democracy around the globe. Half a century back when India became a republic, it chose the veteran Rajendra Prasad to guide its destiny. At that time the country needed the humane touch of a person who could heal the wounds of Partition as well as formulate the basic principles of nationhood. The majesty of the then President’s personality and his qualities of head and heart reflected the country’s dreams and aspirations. The new
millennium has its own man of destiny —- Dr Kalam— and he fits the bill exceedingly well. In an era in which science and technology are all set to propel millions of people out of the morass of poverty, a scientist is well suited to be the helmsman. However, what mark him out even among the best of scientific brains in the world are his vision and commitment to harnessing the engines of growth of the new century for the benefit of the country. Even though the President of India functions through the delegation of power, Dr Kalam’s presence at the top will affirm the country’s tryst with destiny via a well-honed scientific temperament. The First Citizen will hopefully typify other citizens’ quest for the rediscovery of India through a million vibrant throbbing ideas that will change our world, as we know it now. Dr Kalam’s election is more than symbolic in many ways. It shows to the world the truly democratic and equal opportunity character of the nation’s polity. Through grit, determination and excellence in his chosen field, Dr Kalam, the son of a poor boatman of Tamil Nadu, has risen to occupy the glittering heights of Raisina Hill. His elevation is not only a tribute to the qualities of the man himself but also to our democratic process wherein excellence fetches its own rewards. It offers an example once again that anyone, irrespective of caste, religion, economic status and gender, can rise to the top if the person has the dedication and the sincerity to work towards the realisation of his dream. This is as much true about Dr Kalam as it is about Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, whose election to the second highest position in the land is now a mere formality. Though unlike the President-elect, Mr Shekhawat has had schooling only till Class X, he can boast of a track record that has earned him titles like “a political genius” or “the lion of Rajasthan”. He has been a man of the masses and has displayed his political acumen time and again. He is perhaps the only politician who has won elections from all parts of Rajasthan and had once managed his minority government successfully. His commitment to development can be evidenced from his innovative formulation of welfare schemes like the Antyodaya Yojana during his tenure as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan. So, while Dr Kalam is more of a thinker, Mr Shekhawat is an out -and- out doer. He will bring his vast experience of the nitty-gritty of doing and influencing people to the Vice- President’s office. Hopefully, he will complement the President-elect in igniting minds and refining the will of the government of the day to take care of the people’s expectations. |
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USA defends Pakistan The worst fears of the global community have come true. The USA’s fight against terrorism is selective. It never was and never will be interested in waging a true global campaign against the many variants of Al-Qaida. The world had been misled into believing that after September 11 the USA would behave differently. By the time another September 11 is with us, as an anniversary of a dark chapter, President George W. Bush would have shed all pretence of showing even simulated anger over acts of terrorism that do not damage American interests and threaten American lives. Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani is not the first Indian leader to have demanded a ban on terrorist organisations that receive training and funds from the ISI for creating periodic September 11s in Kashmir and elsewhere on Indian soil. The demand that he made in the course of the debate in the Lok Sabha on the latest incident of terrorist killing in Jammu and Kashmir that Pakistan should be declared a terrorist state too is not new. However, the coercive diplomacy that was invented for isolating Pakistan at the international level has only made the USA come out openly in support of its “stalwart ally”. Yes, US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher did not mince words in stating emphatically at the routine Press briefing on Wednesday that “as far as putting Pakistan on the terrorism list, just to point out again Pakistan has been a stalwart ally in the fight against terrorism”. American aggressiveness has no respect for global sentiments or the English language. Who has the gumption to challenge a statement made by even a petty official in Washington? And Mr Boucher enjoys a fairly important position in the American political and diplomatic hierarchy. So, when he said that infiltration across the Line of Control is down ever since Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf pledged to stop it permanently he was daring the global community to prove him wrong. What he left unsaid was that the Indian complaint was bogus and that Pakistan was not responsible for the latest incident of mass killing in Jammu. All that he had to say about the killing of 28 civilians was that “India and Pakistan should exercise restraint and take steps to reduce violence in the region”. In the eyes of the US Administration India is not a victim of Pakistan-sponsored acts of terrorism, but a country that was unnecessarily creating tension. Make no mistake about the real objective of the USA’s campaign against global terrorism. It is meant to protect American interests and American lives. India is wasting its breath by constantly nudging the USA to take the global campaign against terrorism to its logical conclusion by launching attacks on terrorist training camps and their hideouts in Pakistan. America is the world and the rest of the world can do nothing to make White House see things fairly and objectively. President Bush made no bones about the fact that American lives were what mattered most while unfolding a strategy not for protecting members of the global community from terrorist attacks but just those that lived in the USA. The plan would require an investment of several billion dollars for providing protection to every single American against the threat of biological attacks. It would take decades for it to be introduced. In a manner of speaking President Bush seeks to place his country under an impregnable protective shield. That would make his task of turning other regions into Afghanistan easier. Make no mistake about America’s long-term objective. It is to make the globe salute the star and stripes while flags of lesser nations are trampled over. As far as India is concerned, it will indeed have to learn to fight its battle against terrorism on its own. It is pointless trying to mobilise global opinion in favour of a tough stand against Pakistan so long as the USA is with it. |
USA, India and Pakistan The massacre of more than two dozen civilians the other day is yet another grim reminder of the fact that cross-border terrorism is very much alive and kicking, notwithstanding the claims to the contrary by General Pervez Musharraf and his supporters. The Pakistani dictator has mainly been playing to the US gallery, and understandably so. He is ever willing to placate Americans just to collect as many good conduct certificates as possible from them with the sole objective of keeping himself in the business of power in the face of growing challenges to his position from the jehadis and disgruntled political elements in Pakistan. General Musharraf knows that in today's global scenario the words of the USA alone count. In his strategy to please President Bush, the General ensured speedy trial and conviction of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, kidnapper and killer of US journalist Daniel Pearl. Three of his accomplishes were awarded life imprisonment by Pakistan's anti-terrorist court after a three-month trial. Well done, General Musharraf! Uncle Sam will have reasons to be impressed by his quick action against the Islamic fundamentalists responsible for the gruesome murder of the Wall Street Journal newsman. In this terrorism-ridden setting what is regrettable is the Pakistani President's cold-blooded indifference to Indian pleas for handing over some of the dreaded terrorists living under the protective shield of Islamabad. He has refused to respond to repeated requests from Indian leaders for their repatriation. As for Americans, he loves to bend over backwards for his sheer survival in his own country. How ironic!. India need not grudge General Musharraf's pro-US syndrome. All the same, the world community ought to see through the General's dubious games so that the global war against terrorism remains well focussed and in the right perspective. The USA cannot afford to be selective. Terrorism is terrorism whether it strikes in New York or in Jammu. The Pakistani dictator thrives on anti-India hysteria while selling the western world the "genuineness" of his desire for friendship with this country. This has been quite a nerve-racking phenomenon for Indian leaders. Fathoming the Pakistani mind, for that matter, continues to be a major headache for Indian experts and diplomats. Very few leaders here can see Pakistan in its true colours. The question is not of who is a hawk and who is a dove, but of getting the facts straight and evolving a right approach and responses. The real question that comes up in the corridors of power is: "what lies behind the General's half a smile". Alas! There are no ready answers available to this question. The Indian dilemma is part of its bitter experience in the past. As External Affairs Minister, I doubt if Mr Jaswant Singh could fully grasp the Pakistan factor in foreign affairs. Mr Yashwant Sinha is probably no better in understanding the Pakistan mindset simply because those at the helm of affairs in Islamabad are not straight-forward persons. They always play games, both with the gun and the sugar-coated hand. In the circumstances, what is needed is a clear perception of whatever Pakistan does and whatever it proposes to do. It has to be cool, calculated and crude assessment. Everything emanating from Islamabad has to be taken with a pinch of salt. If we accept this proposition, it will probably be easier for South Block to work out proper responses to Pakistan-sponsored problems faced by this country for the past five decades. Of course, the ground realities must be constantly kept in mind. Equally crucial is the firming up of varied options to meet various situations at different times. In the first place, in the conduct of foreign policy we ought to give up adhocism in dealing with Pakistan. There should be no place for ad hoc thinking or response in regard to Islamabad. Second, New Delhi must evolve both short-term and long-term policies and strategies and initiate moves according to its priorities and overall national interests. It needs to be appreciated by South Block that India as a major power must set the pace for events. This is possible if Indian policy-makers are dynamic, forward-looking and flexible in setting the agenda for bilateral relations. Third, it is absolutely necessary that Indian ministers and diplomats stop giving lopsided and contradictory statements such as whether there is an increase or decrease in Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism or whether parleys with General Musharraf should get started or not. There has to be a degree of discipline on who says what. Otherwise, Indian diplomacy will increasingly become a laughing stock. What can be more shameful than the statement by one minister which talks of increased terrorist activities while the other minister says exactly the opposite of it! This does not reflect well on the country's image and governance. While routine announcements can be left to spokespersons of the External Affairs Ministry, major declarations should come either from the External Affairs Minister or the Defence Minister or the Prime Minister himself. This is necessary to send the right signal and message to Islamabad and the rest of the world. True, in today's complex world, everything is a matter of adjustment. It is for South Block to gear up its publicity and projection machinery and communicate Indian viewpoints effectively. This is not a one-time job. Looking at the nature of complications and the never-ending Pakistani propaganda, India has no choice but to keep its diplomats on their toes so that they do their homework properly and keep the world leaders informed about what is what and who is what. There is no need to be apologetic about what the country stands for. It has only to vigorously pursue its national goals and objectives with determination. There has to be a sense of pride in the values of liberalism and secularism the country stands for. If there are aberrations in functioning as it became visible during the disquieting Gujarat developments, we must explain to the outside world the socio-economic complexities and must not hesitate to say "sorry" if the situation so demands. There are no shortcuts to nation-building. We ought to think solving pressing problems of communalism, poverty, deprivation and socio-economic imbalances. That is a separate matter. What is relevant here right now is the handling of conspiracies often hatched by Pakistan. This is absolutely important since 70 per cent of the country's problems at the social, political, economic and military levels directly flow from the dubious games, including the proxy war, played by Pakistan's Generals and fundamentalists. Take the problem of cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The country lacks the right focus and fighting spirit, whatever might be the domestic compulsions. Going by the speeches of government and opposition leaders in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, I am sorry to say that they do not properly understand the problem. Nor have they a clear perspective of the Pakistani gameplan. It is unfair to debunk the government for "lacking vision" in tackling terrorism. One does not require a vision to cure this kind of cancer. What is needed is political will, the requisite determination, intelligence input and focused action by the security forces. The question here is not of raising the Pakistan phobia, but mustering courage and calling the Pakistani bluff. What is regrettable is that both the government and the Opposition have politicised the problem to the detriment of the security forces. The latter cannot deliver in the prevailing politically polluted atmosphere. For, lopsided postures can only weaken the nation's resolve, especially of the security forces. It needs to be realised that under a clear-cut political directive, the security forces have to be given a free hand to deal with the problem of terrorism. Of course, every act has to be performed with transparency and accountability. Equally vital is the supply of modern equipment to fight militants and check infiltration. The moot point is: do the security forces have proper equipment to deliver the goods? Take the case of sensors. Are the ones proposed to be coming from the USA suited to the Kashmir terrain? Perhaps not. It is a fact that the border routes are difficult to manage because of deep ravines and lofty mountains. Still, had the Indian security forces launched operations on a massive scale they could have sent the right signal across the border thereby discouraging the ISI and other agencies engaged in pushing terrorists into the state. What is equally disquieting is that New Delhi and Srinagar continue to be oscillating between confusion and uncertainty to the advantage of Islamabad. Be that as it may. If President Bush means business and wants to put an end to global terrorism, then the USA and other western powers should ensure that all Islamic extremist groups and militant organisations are dismantled, not selectively but in totality, especially in Jammu and Kashmir. American leaders ought to be more responsive to Indian fears than has been the case so far. It is a fact that elements in the ISI and in Pakistani Islamic groups continue to help the Al-Qaeda and diehard Taliban fighters with two objectives. First, to use them in Kashmir. Second, to keep the Pashtuns divided. For, Pakistan views Kabul as a client state against New Delhi. India will have to find its own answers to break the Pakistan orbit as well as its nexus with militants. A lot will depend on the US role and the determination and focused will power of Indian leaders. |
Slim news & trim views There has been a major “middle mix-up” in our family. While, I have been mulling over the shrinking “middle” in the current “New-age” mini-newspapers; my dietician wife has been fuming over my ever-expanding, middle-aged, middle. And it’s all got to do with the new “slim news” and “trim views” international look, media mantra — that almost all national dailies have now draped themselves in. The days of flabby news and bloated views are perhaps over; and it’s time now to tighten your column-belts and acquire the fashionable “Twiggy” look in print! It’s both good news and bad news. First the happy lot. Most wives are singing homilies to their hubbies to shape up in keeping with the times. And while they are delivering their sermons, they are actually getting to see their audience also; earlier wrapped up as mummies in newspapers on breakfast tables. The newspaper boy is also a jolly kid, as he had to now cart a smaller pile for door-to-door delivery. But his joy is short-lived, as he soon discovers at the end of the month, that most readers have now doubled up their subscriptions — with all those “invitation-price” seductions. The real guy laughing all the way to the bank is the news agent, as he discovers that clients have now multiplied, amoeba-like, from one-paper readers to multiple subscribers. Another happy lot is the legion of daily commuters carrying their newspapers in the bus or the local train. Now there is more elbow-room and less unwanted rubbing of shoulders with fellow readers, as they spread out their clipped broadsheets. Moreover, there are fewer raised tempers and heart burnings, when the habitual “free-loader” on the back row vanishes with your copy. Someone else is sure to have left back one of the three economy-rate newspapers he was carrying. Also, there is now less congestion of loos during rush hour in homes with large families. With smaller papers to muse over, there is a clear saving of time one can spend on the “seat of learning”, for soon you will be in a “flushed” state of mind. On the flip side, I see very few grumblers left really. Yes, your old-fashioned raddiwallah may initially lament the possible reduction in his monthly collection. But, he too will soon get over the blues; when he finds that there is, in fact, an enhancement of the kilos in his sack; as people now have heterogeneous collections of newsprint to dispose of. And frankly speaking; even we compulsive “middle” writers will be secretly happier churning out 450 words of “inspiration and perspiration” — than toiling out the earlier longer piece, stretching our limited imaginations beyond the middle-level horizons. So, here, I shape up with a smart, short middle! |
Why Pakistan failed to become a democracy There was hardly any difference between Ram and Rahim in India. Or so we believed. They belonged to the same race, spoke the same language and shared many things in common. And yet they decided to part ways. But while one created the largest democracy in the world, the other created the worst democracy. How can we account for this contrast? That the Indian Muslims were less developed compared to their Hindu brothers? Wrong. The Muslims were rulers of India for almost six centuries. And they were certainly highly developed in a material sense. The point is: it was not economic development — shall we say per capita income? — which determined the outlook of a polity. Had it been so, the Arabs must be a highly democratic people today. But they are not. On the contrary, they are among the least democratic. The answer lies in religion — in the culture and way of life of a people. More money flows into the Arab world than to any other region. And with the injunction on human equality in Islam, the Arabs should have developed a more equitable society. But they have not. The “Arab Human Development Report 2002” (a UNDP project) says that one in five Arabs lives on less than two dollars a day, that the per capita income growth of the region in a mere 0.5 per cent, which is one of the lowest in the world and half the Arab women are illiterate, their participation in politics and economics being the lowest in the world. As for the lot of Arab youth, 15 per cent of them are unemployed, which explains why Arab society is throwing up Bin Ladens, men ready to die. Obviously, this state of affairs is not for want of resources. Then what is it due to? The UNDP report states: the Arabs lack three things: freedom, knowledge and woman power. The world of Islam does not encourage freedom to think and the pursuit of knowledge has never been a highly desirable objective among Muslims. As for women, who play a major role in other religions, this is denied to the Muslim women. In fact, by keeping them under severe constraints, Islam has denied itself the benefit of their contribution to society. The Arabs, in turn, have passed on their “diseases” through their religion to the rest of the Muslim world. Be that as it may, there were other reasons why democracy failed to take root in Pakistan. They were local. It will be recalled that the Pakistan movement had little impact on the Muslim majority areas of India. (Punjab, NWFP, Sindh, Baluchistan.). Its greatest impact was where the Muslims were a minority. These regions came under intense political and democratic process, while there was hardly any political process in regions where the Muslims were in majority. In fact, Muslim landlords used to dominate over these regions. They did not even allow the Muslim League to operate in their areas. These areas were notorious for their anti-democratic traditions. And because the Muslim League had little influence in the Muslim majority regions, it was not particular about the holding of elections. When partition did take place, the Muslims, where they were in a minority, refused to migrate! Thus the area which constituted west Pakistan never went through the political process, not to speak of the democratic process. In 1947, Pakistan had a higher proportion of army men compared to civil servants. This forced Pakistan to make use of army men to carry out civil service duties. This is how the Pak army came to enjoy a share of power. In the past over half a century, there had been free and fair elections in Pakistan only twice — in 1953, when the Muslim League was wiped out in East Pakistan, and in 1970 when the Awami League of Mujibur Rahman won the all-Pakistan election. In both cases, the western wing of Pakistan refused to accept the popular verdict. Thus, from its very inception, Pakistan was caught in a dilemma: while the majority of its population hailed from East Pakistan, power lay in the western wing. And the Western wing was determined to prevent power passing into the Eastern wing. In fact, the Western wing preferred military rule to rule by the Eastern wing. No wonder, power came to be shared in the Western wing by the bureaucracy, the military, big landlords and the nascent bourgeoisie. And the Muslim League failed to emerge as a viable political party. Jinnah was a towering personality. The bureaucracy and the military could not have challenged him. But he died in September 1948. (In India, Gandhiji also died the same year.) With the murder of Liaquat Ali Khan, the feudal-military oligarchy became the dominant power in west Pakistan. It is said that the Pak army had deep roots in Punjab villages. Naturally, the recruitment centres, officered by Punjabis, exercised tremendous influence on Pakistan’s life. As far as tribes of NWFP were concerned, they too were intimately linked to these recruiting centres. Naturally, they too preferred a military regime. In the system of parliamentary democracy, the political process was divisive. The appeal was to classes, sects and regions. In the face of this divisive tendency, the army alone was seen as a uniting force. As long as America was the financier, fundamentalism was kept at bay in Pakistan. But once money began to flow from Saudi Arabia and Libya, fundamentalism came with it, more so Wahabism, a sect known for its orthodoxy. It was opposed to democracy. Not this alone. It intensified the sectarian strife among Pakistanis. In Pakistan, Islam is not a religion. It is a political ideology. It is used as an instrument of power. When Pakistan broke up, there was again a heart-searching. But it was short-lived. It was given up once the petro-dollar flood began to flow in. With the seizure of power by General Zia-ul-Haq and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, fundamentalism became the raging ideology. The Taliban became the symbol of everything anti-democratic. Musharraf is a legatee of this anti-democratic legacy. He cannot (and will not) challenge it. The anti-democratic tradition is too deep-seated in Pakistan. |
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Musharraf’s words contradict actions Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s “appeal” last week to foreign terrorists to leave the country directly contradicts the actions of his administration, both military and civil, which have been providing shelter and assistance to the members of the erstwhile Taliban administration and al-Qaeda operatives to carry on with their jehadi activities. The killing of seven persons, — three members from the law enforcing agencies (one of them from the ISI) and four al-Qaeda operatives — in an encounter with the local police in Kohat near Peshawar earlier this month is not an isolated incident where the terrorists have been carrying on their activities in connivance with the Pakistani administration. Intelligence reports in Delhi, which directly point to the double speak of the Pakistan President and his lack of intention to rein in the jehadi elements operating from his country, suggest that the administration was not only providing the terrorists with the necessary shelter but also actually allowing their meetings where the terror mastermind Osama bin Laden and the likes of Omar Saeed Sheikh have been eulogised. While a large number of al-Qaeda and Taliban top leaders (16 of al-Qaeda’s 25 and 21 out of 27 of the Taliban) have either been captured or killed during the operations by the allied forces in Afghanistan, sources said that the majority of the survivors were settled and leading a comfortable life in the cities of Peshawar and Quetta in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). Not only was the ISI maintaining a close link with them but the local administration was actually providing them with all facilities and amenities. More importantly the cadres with the help of the local administration, the ISI and the local sympathisers were lying low with the basic purpose of looking for opportunities to perpetrate spectacular acts of terrorist violence particularly against the US interests. According to intelligence reports, earlier last month former top ranking Taliban and al-Qaeda operatives, all wanted by the US government, had gathered at the Jalozal Afghan refugee camp, 19 km from Peshawar city, to attend a funeral of their former colleague. Among those present were Abdul Rahman Zaid, the Taliban’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Gen Jalil Yousafzai and Maulvi Aga Jan, both defence ministry officials of the erstwhile Taliban administration and Maulana Sami-ul-Haq of the JUI. Osama bin Laden was eulogised as a true patriot and it was announced that despite all efforts the US forces would not be able to catch him. Similarly, earlier this month a meeting of the United Jehad Council was also convened, with the support of the local administration, to discuss the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the coming assembly elections in the state. There have been various such meetings but the Pakistani authorities, despite giving assurances to the USA and the UK, have failed to act. Intelligence reports say that thousands of Arab and Chechen militants have crossed into Pakistan over the past five months. About a thousand hardcore militants are said to be present in the highlands of North and South Waziristan in Pakistan. Reports said that the members of the banned militant organisations were regrouping under the banner of Lashker-e-Omar, a collective of the hardcore jihadis and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi activists who apparently draw inspiration from Omar Saeed Sheikh. It is suspected that Lashkar-e-Omar had already formed “fidayeen” squads to launch attack on the foreigners, particularly the US and UK citizens present in Pakistan. |
Release of gurdwara prisoners As many as eleven out of thirteen elected Sikh members of the Punjab Legislative Council have so far resigned their seats on the Punjab Legislative Council as a protest against Government not having acted upon the Council's resolution of the 21st March demanding the release of the Gurdwara prisoners. The resigning members intend to seek re-election on the issue of the release of the prisoners to enable Sikh electors in the Province to record their verdict in regard to this matter of vital importance in a manner which will leave no doubt in the mind of the Government as to the strength or unanimity of public opinion on this question. |
Appeasement of the gods to bring rain Every night, scores of women take off their clothes and till the fields stark naked in parts of Uttar Pradesh. With no trace of the annual monsoon that has dried up fields and is beginning to fail crops, this is their way of appeasing the rain gods. The bizarre ritual has been reported from the Chakrapur area of Etawah, a sprawling district not far from the Taj Mahal monument. Officials admit the delayed monsoon is beginning to cause problems, but they are not aware of the naked farming. One local official did admit: “There is a common belief in the villages that King Janak (father of goddess Sita) and his wife themselves ploughed the fields at night naked when his kingdom faced a severe drought. And the heavens soon opened up.” With a drought lurking in large parts of central and northern India, village folk seem willing to try anything to please the rain god Indra. Even around Lucknow, the state capital, large groups of people have organised “yagnas”, to pray for rain. At one ceremony local politicians presided over rituals lasting four hours. Similar reports are pouring in from Farukhabad, Kanpur and Rae Bareli. In Madhya Pradesh, thousands of Muslims offered mass prayers in an open ground hoping it would rain.
IANS Second baby from dead husband A British woman who became a cause celebre five years ago gave birth on Wednesday to her second baby conceived with sperm from her dead husband. Diane Blood, who won a long court battle in 1997 giving her the right to use the frozen sperm, gave birth to Joel Michael by a caesarean section at a hospital in Sheffield, northern England. Blood (36) was initially refused permission to use sperm taken from her husband as he lay in a coma in 1995, dying of meningitis. Officials argued she did not have the written consent of her husband, Stephen. That ruling was, however, overturned on appeal and she was given permission to have treatment outside Britain — in Belgium, where doctors gave her in-vitro fertilisation. She gave birth to her first son, Liam, in December 1998. In February, she said she loved being a mother so much, she had decided to undergo treatment at the same hospital outside Brussels for a second time. She said at the time that her husband would be “absolutely delighted” to know that he had two children. Blood said earlier this year her only regret was that her children’s birth certificates would not list her husband as the father. A hospital spokesman confirmed that Diane and her family were still petitioning the government for that right.
Reuters |
That is my suffering, O friends, The breath is away from the Beloved. I do not like the breath, That means separation. That is my anxiety O friends, The breath is away from the beloved. The breath is pleasing That moves with the beloved.... Breath without the beloved.... Is a treasure lost..... — Sufi Qalandar Hazrat Sai Qutab Ali Shah. From A Sufi Galaxy
*** Thou art in me, I am in Thee; As lightning is in clouds, O Beloved! Eyes wept all night, O friends! They rained in profusion, They ceased not doing so even at dawn; Eyes have learnt the manner of weeping from rain. He who proclaims Love has a halter round his neck, Sachu! this body and soul be sacrificed over the Beloved! —From Kalyan B. Advani, Sachal Sarmast
*** Unconscious I was Love woke me up. —Shah Abdul Latif, Sufi saint.
*** Love resolved firmly, Lovers sing songs of ana-al-Haq The seekers are truly brave, They lose the self and are pleased — A Sufi song
*** One day the murshid gave me cup of ecstasy, And I drank it. Saqi did me great favour, He offered me a cup of love, Lost reasoning and consciousness. I enjoyed the blessed union, My broken heart was revived As I drank the cup of love. —Hazrat Sai Hadi Baksh. *** Not in the sky, not in the midst of the sea, nor in the caves or the mountains, nor anywhere else on earth, is there a spot where a man may be freed from the consequences of an evil deed. The evil done by self, begotten by self, originating in self, grinds a fool even as a diamond grinds a hard jewel. —The Dhammapada |
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