E D I T O R I A L   P A G E

PERSPECTIVE

GUEST COLUMN
First war of 21st century to combat terrorism
T. V. Rajeswar
REACTING with rage to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, President Bush declared that the USA would go all out to crush the terrorists and went on to describe it as the first war of the 21st century. Since international terrorism is the biggest menace of the 21st century, it is only apt that this scourge should be dealt on a war footing.

The Durban meet on racism and American response
Darshan Singh Maini
THE holding of the historic Durban conference on racial discrimination and related problems in which almost all important countries and NGOs were represented was a rare occasion for collective reflection with a view to identifying the present issue where it exists in its more vicious form, as also an occasion for sorting out the ironies of history.

PROFILE

Harihar Swarup
Reclusive spiritual leader of Taliban
AMERICA is fighting two elusive Islamic zealots in Afghanistan — Osama bin Laden and Mullah Mohammad Omar, reclusive spiritual leader of the Taliban movement. While Osama has reportedly left on horse back to rugged and most inhospitable mountains of Afghanistan along with 500 of his staunch Arab supporters, Mullah Omar is virtually invisible. His photographs do not exist and he is seen by only two non-Muslims; very few of his 20 million countrymen have a glimpse of him. Omar is, perhaps, one of the most improbable characters in Afghanistan’s history and he holds the key to Taliban’s destiny and also linked with it is the fate of Pakistan.

DELHI DURBAR

Back to strobelights for Vajpayee’s boys
PAKISTAN President Gen Pervez Musharraf appears to have triggered off a race of a different kind in the subcontinent. With the General consistently fighting his battle in the media ever since the Agra summit, the Vajpayee Government has decided to beat him in his own game. After his triumphant breakfast meeting with Indian editors in Agra, Musharraf was all over Pakistan television last week explaining his position to his countrymen.

• Cautious Congress
• IT’S lunch time
• Fashionable dogs
• Misplaced loyalty

DIVERSITIES — DELHI LETTER

Humra Quraishi
Heart-rending tales of Afghan refugees
THERE are confusing signs here on the US build-up. For one thing, there are efforts to reach out to the Muslims. US Ambassador to India Robert Blackwill had invited some Muslims comprising religious leaders and two civil servants —one a senior ITPO official and the other a former vice-chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University, now with the GOI. For another, our political interests are trying hard not to de-link religion from the terrorist acts. And in case the build-up escalates into a full-fledged war, the worst victims would be the Afghan refugees here.

READERS’ RESPONSE

Sentinel of democracy
APROPOS of Syed Nooruzzaman’s write-up “The print media: distortions and new challenges” (September 9), journalism is, indeed, a calling of its own kind, representing the highest social and human values. If properly discharged, it has the unparalleled potential to serve society, the nation and the mankind. It is because of this that the Press has been bestowed, explicitly and implicitly, special guarantees and protections in the constitutions of most democratic nations. No other profession enjoys this privileged position.

PERSPECTIVE

GUEST COLUMN
First war of 21st century to combat terrorism
T. V. Rajeswar

REACTING with rage to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, President Bush declared that the USA would go all out to crush the terrorists and went on to describe it as the first war of the 21st century. Since international terrorism is the biggest menace of the 21st century, it is only apt that this scourge should be dealt on a war footing.

The idea of seizing civilian aircrafts originated from the Palestinians when during the late 1960s a series of hijackings took place. The hijacking of civilian aircraft as a method of protest by militants has since come to stay. The terrorists in Punjab had resorted to them extensively and the bombing of the Air India jumbo jet Kanishka was the worst of them all. The bombing of the Panam jet and its crash at Lockerbie in Scotland at the instance of suspected Libyan terrorists was yet another serious case in which the USA and its allies carried out sustained investigations and brought the accused to account. In the Indian sub-continent, the first hijacking was of an Indian Airlines aircraft by the Kashmiri militant Hashim Qureshi in 1971. He diverted the aircraft to Lahore where a mob led and instigated by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto destroyed the aircraft. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi promptly took advantage of the event and banned flight Pakistani aircraft across India which crippled Pakistan’s efforts to control the freedom movement led by Mujibur Rahman of East Pakistan.

However, what was witnessed on Sept. 11 in the USA was a quantum leap in terrorism when suspected Islamic terrorists seized Jumbo jets heavily loaded with fuel and used them as huge speeding petrol bombs. This was a new form of terrorism which was not anticipated and its invention and use were extremely diabolical. Detailed planning had gone into the entire scheme of bombing the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Preliminary investigations by the FBI and other agencies show that as many as 50 terrorists were involved and the brain behind the entire operation is believed to be Osama bin Laden.

The Taliban are known fanatics as shown by so many acts of extreme vandalism and cruelty such as the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas, the persecution of the Christian workers who came to help the poor and needy in their country, etc. The Taliban connivance in the hijacking of IC 814 from Kathmandu to Kandahar was noticed when the hijackers were given sophisticated fire arms by the Taliban after the plane landed there. The Taliban regime does not deserve any mercy. The war against terrorism should, therefore, begin in Afghanistan with concentration on the Taliban extremists and the elimination of Osama bin Laden. The USA and the NATO should consider moving the United Nations to station an international force in Afghanistan and bring peace and succour to suffering people after eliminating the Taliban regime.

Should the war against terrorism be confined only to Afghanistan or West Asia? Some of the West Asian states have been declared as rogue states and if any of them is involved even remotely it is bound to attract heat during the coming events. Can Pakistan be allowed to escape its responsibility, however, remote and indirect it may be, in the evolution and sustenance of the Taliban regime, which in turn has been protecting. Osama bin Laden and his terrorist activities?

President Musharraf of Pakistan appears extremely worried. His declaration that Pakistan would whole-heartedly support international effort to put down terrorism wherever found is utterly hypocritical. Does Musharraf really mean what he says and if so what about terrorism promoted and pushed across the borders into India day in and day out? Pakistan has been maintaining over 100 training centres within a depth of 50 miles all along the LoC and in the PoK. The terrorists are trained, motivated and pushed into Kashmir continuously. They come through Nepal, Bangladesh and from several other foreign countries.

The intelligence agencies have reportedly identified at least 75 ISI modules entrenched all over the country. Most of them have been trained in handling explosives and weapons. The Government of India and the States are fully aware of these lurking dangers. Sooner or later, all of them will have to be rounded up. There is a legal lacuna especially after the expiry of TADA. Difficult times cry for urgent measures and, therefore, an ordinance for introducing necessary legal teeth to equip the security forces may have to be contemplated urgently.

Musharraf has persistently refused to recognise the prevalence of cross-border terrorism supported by Pakistan during his Agra Summit discussions. He did not even admit the larger than life presence of Dawood Ibrahim in Karachi. The Pakistani magazine ‘Newsline’ has now given full details about Dawood, Chhota Shakeel and Memon, all wanted in India as accused for the 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai. A country like Israel would have sent a squadron of aircraft from Jamnagar to fly to Karachi and bomb the residence of Dawood Ibrahim as well as those of his criminal cohorts. But India had not resorted to such bombing even in respect of Naga and Mizo camps across the Indian border in Myanmar in the past.

Likewise, the proxy war of Pakistan initiated by President Zia began in 1989 and the training camps all along the LoC within Pakistan are known to India. India could have bombed them. India had often talked of the right of hot pursuit but it was never done. After India and Pakistan became nuclear states in 1998, the atmosphere has changed. Musharraf’s adventure in Kargil became possible because he was confident that India would not carry out a diversionary attack in the Chhamb sector or across Lahore as it would lead to a nuclear war.

Musharraf announced soon after his coup that the activities of Islamic terrorists in Kashmir was jehad and it did not amount to terrorism. He has consistently propounded this theory and went to the extent of saying at his press conference in Islamabad on July 20, that if India did not have the good sense to leave Kashmir, the jehadis would do an Afghanistan on it and Pakistan could not restrain them because they were freedom fighters. Does Musharraf still adhere to this thesis while condemning international terrorism?

For the Islamic militants like Osama bin Laden, the attacks carried out in USA on Sept 11 were nothing but jehad. The Jehadi elements based in Pakistan had been consistently bracketing India, Israel and the USA as their targets. Bakht Zameen Amir, Al-Badr stated at a press conference at Mardan on Oct 25, 2000 that jehad had become the foremost duty of the Muslim community against Israel, the USA and India which understood only the language of sword.

Musharraf should be asked to prove his sincerity by closing down all the terrorist camps as the terrorists trained in these camps had also been seen in places like Chechnya, Bosnia and Kosovo. A Pakistani, Yusuf Ramzi involved in the bombing of the World Trade Center of Feb 26, 1996. India should, therefore, seriously consider taking up the question of eliminating the Pakistan bases for terrorist training in consultation with the United States. This initiative should be taken now particularly since there is also the danger of the Kashmir militants being tempted to copy the latest kamikaze aerial attacks of Islamic militants in the USA and pose even greater danger to India.

Events have now moved swiftly, with the USA seeking Pakistan’s help as the frontline state for mounting its attack on Afghanistan. Musharraf has seized the opportunity and put forth his demands while conceding the American demands. It is a great irony of history that after twelve years America should again use Pakistan’s soil to launch a war — only it is not covert but an open one and it is not against Russia but the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. India’s security interests will be hopefully taken care of by the USA in the process, despite Musharraf’s efforts to pre-empt it. At the end of it all, if King Zahir Shah’s regime is ushered in to bring peace to the unfortunate country, India would also be immensely benefited. The king was, and hopefully still is, a good friend of India and the militancy threat across the border would be considerably reduced.

The writer is a former Governor of West Bengal and Sikkim.

The Durban meet on racism and American response
Darshan Singh Maini

THE holding of the historic Durban conference on racial discrimination and related problems in which almost all important countries and NGOs were represented was a rare occasion for collective reflection with a view to identifying the present issue where it exists in its more vicious form, as also an occasion for sorting out the ironies of history. For apart from the apartheid virus in open and disguised forms, there was the question of the US background of black slavery, its consequent affluence, a fact the more sensitive Americans acknowledge, and feel ashamed of their past. And this feeling of guilt has been the subject of many a great American novel, play and film. But the brash, aggressive average Yankee thinks that the American shores represent the finisteria, and that no one else matters in the world. It’s this complex problem that my muses have taken up for a brief inquiry.

The final Durban draft was toned down to placate the USA and save Israel from some kind of indictment, but the Arabs rejected it out of hand. And it’s again an example of history’s lethal ironies that the Jewish race which has been the world’s most exploited, hounded race, and the white Christian’s quarry should have not to face changes of racism against the Arab people whose land they now occupy. The Jewish case, in fact, defies any rational analysis, for it’s beyond history and beyond time. A question of God’s will and of the metaphysic of ambivalence. In the United States, the Jewish people remained a despised fallen species till the community, a most industrious, brave and intelligent set of people anywhere in the world started taking hold of the American economy and media. And they became a recognisable force in the US Senatorial and Presidential elections, otherwise the anti-Jewish hatred is so vividly dramatised in the American novel from Saul Bellow to Philip Roth and others.

In fact, the Americans suffer from their guilt complexes: of the decimation of the Red Indians virtually who became the natives disposed, of the black slavery which particularly in the South created huge problems of miscegenation and bastardisation. Faulkner’s novels are a traumatic experience for those not familiar with Jim Crowism, Klu Klux Klan and such monstrous indulgences.

So the Durban conference in a most disturbing manner helped bring out the hidden, Freudian side of the American corporate psyche. Though the conference exacted an apology from the European nations for their slavery story of shameful oppression, the Americans, on the whole, remained impervious, indifferent. Thus, our present article is but a brief peep into those dark days which the American mindset wants to push under the carpet. And thus over a couple of centuries, the Americans have developed character qualities which at the common level tend to brashness, aggression and hauteur. Since my examples are often taken from American literature, these traits are thus more dramatically to be seen in their classics.

I’ve so far only cited examples of white American writers, but the more disturbing and truthful accounts of that chapter of humiliation in American history is to be found profoundly fictionalised in the novels of Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Ralph Alison, Alex Hailey — to the Nobel Prize winner, Tony Morrison. The Harlem horrors and the Southern trauma make up an unmatched requiem for her people down the centuries. The buried fues in their hearts do ignite into a blaze, as for instance, in that little prose essay, Fui, Next Time by James Baldwin. Personally, I have seen in New York and in America a deep smouldering hatred for the Whites, and one never knows when the black anger may explode.

The Durban conference is obviously used here as a massive metaphor for American doublethink and double act. And that’s why to reach the heart of the American guilt complexified by several events at home and abroad, we have to return to those thinkers who studied the American character in a socio-scientific manner. Toquiville, the French Count’s well-known words: “The Americans stink with pride” in a larger context can be linked with Max Weber’s classic study of American Prostestantism, money-mania, greed — and the achievement complex. In fact, the Church was not only hand in hand with the merchant classes and the upcoming tycoons in industry, but was also a protector and sanctifier. The making of money, it was argued from the pulpit was God’s own wish, and it was a blessing. However, as it nearly always happens, the primal purity is lost en route and gross deviations and distortions block the vision. This is precisely what happened in the 19th century America, and in the 20th century, “the Land of Promise”, though still a “Mecca” for peoples all over the world steadily degenerated into Dollar Land. In the end money became not the means but the end. Some American pragmatists of vision like William James wrote insightfully to clear up the spiritual fog, but the American economy had by then taken over the soul of America.

However, there’s, believe it or not, millions of American homes in which the primal idea of innocence — of Eden art the Fall — has a strong pressure. During my own Harvard assignment (1969-70) and later, I saw this in scores of places — farm houses, remote settlements etc. It’s this loss which the more sensitive Americans continue to mourn, and there is a note of nostalgia in their word and thought. Such residues have an abiding presence. That’s why despite America’s present policies of realpolitik, there’s enough hope for the lost dream to be recovered gradually.

If I’ve moved from Durban to the American soil, it’s clear why I do so. For our aim is to highlight American postures at international conferences where there’s a strong urge to have the American point of view accepted; the hurt sensibilities of other nations have no place in the calendar of their calculations. Now it’s for that sensitive, radical America which has to re-assert its presence. It may be noticed that the American Presidency under the Democrats has had nearly always a higher moral stature — from the legendary FDR to JFK, and Bill Clinton. I haven’t forgotten Clinton’s misdemeanour in the White House and his rhetoric of survival amidst a number of lies. But even his Presidency would be remembered as a great Presidency for what he did for education and healthcare and jobs in America, and for playing the elder statesman abroad — his memorable visit to India is still fresh in our memory.

The Bush Presidency, a deeply conservative administration has already reneged on several international treaties — from the anti-missile/Star War project to the lethal chemicals, field mines, nuclear testing, environmental damage etc, and this, in reality, shows two Americas, a hard-nosed retrogressive nation and a radical force for changes and advancement in the world. It’s the latter which ties up with the Great Dream, and the Americans have to keep lighting candles to honour that shrine.

America at this moment in history is only a viable mixture of diverse races, cultures and religions, a democracy that does work fairly efficiently at home. However, it has yet to graduate to a higher state; it has to become a civilisation. And civilisations take a long, long time to materialise.

This article was written before the terrorist attacks in the USA. This kind of atavistic evil has been aptly described as the “imagination of disaster”. Thus, this article has to be read within the parameters of its own arguments.

Stand on Sonia’s citizenship vindicated
Surinder Singla

WHILE putting the seal of approval on the citizenship of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, the Supreme Court has finally laid to rest the superfluous controversy that the country was plunged in by some politically motivated people. The bogey of Mrs. Gandhi’s citizenship was finally aborted by the Supreme Court in its recent judgment where it upheld the validity of her citizenship certificate awarded to her under the provision of Section 5(1) of Citizenship Act.

The fact that the petitions were filed after 20 years of the grant of Indian citizenship to her and after she successfully contested parliamentary election only shows the ulterior political motives of various political forces opposing the Congress.

In the broadest perspective, it may be appreciated that many of the Indians abroad, be they in the USA, Canada, UK, Fiji or anywhere else, have proved themselves accomplished and capable enough to absorb themselves not only in the business life or technology revolution of their adopted countries but also in their political and public life. They have wholly adapted to their deliberately chosen countries and cultures, amalgamated themselves with it, and on the part of their adopted lands, have also been accepted as part and parcel of their soul and conscience. In their effort towards such fusion, they have not restricted their thinking and beliefs to their Indian roots and origins. They have travelled much beyond and merged with the true ethos of their adopted nations. However, it is of great relevance and logic that as we take pride in such Indians representing the political offices of such other countries, what prevents us from showing the India’s traditionally known open-mindedness and generosity of spirit to a person of outside origin, similarly placed in India and chosen by the citizens to be their elected leader in an openly fought democratic election -- not from one but two constituencies.

Mrs. Gandhi, having chosen to marry the son of the former prime minister of India, must have carefully thought of adopting India and its multi-ethnicity and diverse cultural society as her own. She willingly gave up her earlier Italian identity while being the daughter-in-law of Gandhi family. She absorbed herself totally with them -- sharing their joys and sorrows like a dedicated member of the first family. Ever since her marriage, she has shown her

maturity and wisdom in the process of adapting to the Indian way of life -- her new home. Be it during the life of her mother-in-law or during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure as prime minister or for that matter during her political self-exile after the tragic assassination of her husband.

Literally implored by the mass of ordinary Congressmen and Congresswomen and sucked into active politics, she has displayed herself with an unprecedented dignity and stateliness both as the leader of the largest political party or as the leader of opposition in Parliament. In fact, her speeches outside the country, of late, have represented the best of India at global stage than even those of Prime Minister A. B. Vajpayee and have advocated the cause of India much more effectively with Non-Residents Indians abroad as also the foreigners.

Now, having forced her out from her seclusion into the arena of active politics, she was put on test to prove her credentials as an Indian by raising the bogey of her citizenship. Nurturing of such dissenting tones by senior leaders like P.A.Sangma and supported by Sharad Pawar on the ground of her non-Indian origin smacked of deceit and treachery so alien to the multicultural ideology that the Congress has been so proud of. The sensibilities of Congressmen was adulterated by a sinister campaign to eject her out of the mainstream of the Indian leadership. It was a double-crossing conspiracy to pull the very carpet laid to welcome her from under her feet. While we are all so boastful of Congress heritage and ideology that has embraced all and sundry, it was really painful to see the fabric of Congress tear apart by this act so very unusual to it. The polity of Congress surely took a strong beating when these senior leaders left the party in the wake of their political greed. Their attack was not only confined against Sonia and Congress polity but at a larger plane against the latent virtues of Indian tradition and heritage that has taken pride in the amalgamation of religions and cultures. Ultimately as it turned out, this attack that was borne out of a desire for political gluttony of these leaders rather than any legitimate grievance of the political leadership of Mrs Sonia Gandhi being a hurdle to Indian nationhood, got blunted.

Such mischievous and politically motivated acts certainly did not get the mandate of a pluralistic and a secular society like ours in the final analysis. The very fact that she won the Lok Sabha elections from two places, so diverse and varied from each other, only goes to vindicate the opinion of ordinary Congressmen and proved the mass acceptability that the Indian public bestowed on her. The assorted mix of public, right from down south to central India put their faith in her leadership in no uncertain terms while returning her as their representative to the august house of Indian Parliament by huge margins.

This was followed in the Assembly elections that followed thereafter where the huge mandate of the public was reinforced. There cannot be any better and bigger credential of love and affection that she carries on her shoulder from that time onward. The Supreme Court has only put its seal of legality on her and finally laid to rest the pricking campaign.

India has truly acknowledged Mrs Sonia Gandhi as their bahu who has been accepted to take over the role of the leader of the family.

The writer is a former Member of Parliament.

PROFILE

Reclusive spiritual leader of Taliban
Harihar Swarup

AMERICA is fighting two elusive Islamic zealots in Afghanistan — Osama bin Laden and Mullah Mohammad Omar, reclusive spiritual leader of the Taliban movement. While Osama has reportedly left on horse back to rugged and most inhospitable mountains of Afghanistan along with 500 of his staunch Arab supporters, Mullah Omar is virtually invisible. His photographs do not exist and he is seen by only two non-Muslims; very few of his 20 million countrymen have a glimpse of him. Omar is, perhaps, one of the most improbable characters in Afghanistan’s history and he holds the key to Taliban’s destiny and also linked with it is the fate of Pakistan. The 42-year old stocky Taliban supremo did not give his “darshan” at the crucial assembly of the clerics in the presidential palace in Kabul last week. His speech was read by a representative.

One-eyed, bearded and black-turbaned, Mullah Omar is the head of the Taliban Government, supreme commander of faithfuls and wields all powers. One of his eyes was blown away in a gunfight with Russian troops, and his eyelid is stitched shut. The gaze from his good eye is hawk-like, unrelenting, say those who were fortunate enough to see him. To question him is like committing a sin. During the “jehad” against the Russians, his favourite weapon was the rocket-propelled grenade. Today, the blind faith, in what he believes to be “Islam”, is the driving force behind him.

Early this year, Mullah Omar’s orders to destroy the Bamiyan Buddha, bearing testimony to history that Afghanistan was a Buddhist centre before the arrival of Islam in 9th century, shook the conscience of the world. The Taliban supremo’s explicit orders were: “the Buddha statues were insulting to Islam and should be destroyed”. The devout son of a poor farmer from Mewand district of southwest Afghanistan, Omar is not a great Islamic scholar; his studies were interrupted by the jehad against the Soviets in which he was wounded four times but, as he had told his followers many times “abiding faith in Allah kept me and my followers alive”.

The elusive Mullah is known among the bands of his rabid followers as “Amirul Momineen” (commander of faithfuls) and every Afghan has to obey his decree. One reason why the hard-line Islamic movement remained united and strong is said to be presence of the supreme leader whose authority cannot be challenged. He has unbelievable hold over his Islamic militia and he is both revered and feared by the people. He treats his heavily armed men in the age group, ranging between 18 and 30, as his disciples and, exercises authority of an “Ustad” over them; can even hit them. Soon after Taliban captured Kabul, he slapped the local commander of his garrison. The Commander’s fault: found talking to “kafirs”, four of whom were foreign correspondents including a woman.

He abhors foreigners and talks to them (only if it is absolutely necessary) with his face covered with a thick veil. When someone close to him asked him why he does so, the Mullah’s reply was: “I do not want the “napak nazar” (unholy sight) of “kafir” (infidel) to fall on my face”. Though worst type of religious fundamentalist and a diehard, Mullah Omar is a family man. Contrary to Islamic tenet, he has married only once and has a young son, who like his father, is also a committed Taliban. When asked by someone few years back why the Taliban Government supported poppy cultivation in Afghanistan and drug smuggling on a large scale, he sternly remarked: the drug is meant for “kafirs”.

Having been educated in Islamic “Madarsa” (school), Mullah Omar himself became a “Ustad” (teacher) at Miram Shah town of North Western Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan and took to teaching. Soon he came under the spell of Harkat-e-Inqalabi-e-Islam, meaning movement for Islamic revolution, spearheaded by Moulvi Mohammed Nabi Mohammadi. He was one of seven Afghan Mujahiddin groups who fought in the “jehad”, actively backed by Pakistan and U.S. Soon he developed sharp differences with Nabi Mohammed, having been disgusted with power struggle among the Mujahiddins and the corruption and crime they perpetrated.

Mullah Omar came to Kandahar and took to teaching, starting his own “madarsa”. An incident changed the course of his life again. A few women were kidnapped by a Mujahiddin commander with the complicity of the Governor and raped. The outrage infuriated the Mullah and he again took to arms, organised local people and wanted to wreak revenge on the culprits. The Governor managed to escape but the local commander was executed. Omar became a hero.

He took full advantage of the situation, organised students of his religious school and preached that Mujahiddins were corrupt and unislamic while Talibans were pious, will bring peace, prosperity and stability. Mullah Omar’s movement became very popular and, heading the Taliban militia, he captured Kandahar in September, 1994. He had, till Osama’s men allegedly attacked twin World Trade Tower in New York, full backing of Pakistan’s ISI. As the war clouds are gathering over Afghanistan, the Taliban, unlike in jehad with erstwhile Soviet Union, are left with no allies.

DELHI DURBAR

Back to strobelights for Vajpayee’s boys

PAKISTAN President Gen Pervez Musharraf appears to have triggered off a race of a different kind in the subcontinent. With the General consistently fighting his battle in the media ever since the Agra summit, the Vajpayee Government has decided to beat him in his own game. After his triumphant breakfast meeting with Indian editors in Agra, Musharraf was all over Pakistan television last week explaining his position to his countrymen. He had no hesitation in making some very uncharitable remarks against India in his latest televised address. Whether he was able to reach his audience remains to be seen but his public outburst has had attentive listeners in the United States. US commentators can now be heard observing that India was upset with Pakistan’s decision to support the US and that the US was wary of involving India as it did not want to become a party to the politics in the subcontinent.

With Pakistan threatening to overtake the Vajpayee government in the publicity game, the Indian Government has chalked out a new strategy for the media. Senior ministers have been asked to aggressively defend the Government’s stance in the media. The change was perceptible when the other day External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh dropped by at a regular media briefing of the ministry and answered all the questions. It was his second interaction with the press within a week. So much so that a stage came when the minister asked if all the questions were over? He also promised to meet the media on a regular basis from then on. He lived up to his promise earlier than expected as the very next day he was meeting the press again. Is Musharraf listening?

Cautious Congress

It is not the Vajpayee Government alone which is fumbling for the right response, the Opposition Congress too seems to be having this problem. Despite being in the opposition, the Congress has been behaving a little too cautiously. Its reactions have not been spontaneous even on events as momentous as of the past few weeks. And often, the words seem to hide more than they seek to convey. Following the terrorist attack on the US cities, the Congress was extremely guarded in saying what the Indian government should do or not do. Party leaders would not say if India should allow its military facilities to be used in a possible US attack on Afghanistan. The party also did not instantly react to certain “intemperate remarks” Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf made against India in his televised address. At the CWC meeting convened to discuss the emerging situation in India’s neighbourhood following threat of US strikes against Afghanistan, the Congress just about shed a little more light on where it stood. The party said it favoured a “broad-based international coalition as envisaged in the resolutions passed on September 12, 2001 by the UN Security Council and the General Assembly.” Party leaders later clarified that their support primarily was to an “ideological coalition” against terrorism and not to a military coalition. Now, can terrorism be defeated without exercising military option? Also the party seems to have erred in giving out the correct dates of the Security Council meeting.

IT’S lunch time

Lunch time in Government offices often reminds one of suited babus sitting with their tiffin boxes or grabbing a quick bite from a highly subsidised canteen. The description is no more apt for senior civil servants in the capital. Tehelka or no Tehelka, the senior officials of the government have five star hotels in the city as their favourite haunts for a quick lunch. Officials from the Ministry of External Affairs to those in the PMO, babus from the Finance Ministry to those from Rural Development, all can be seen queueing up at the various restaurants that are housed in the several five star hotels in the city.

Official vehicles line up at the porches of the hotels just after 1 pm dropping the bosses at the hotels. Interestingly, some of the faces are so well known even to the durbans (doormen) that they can be seen exchanging a few words with them before getting into the hotel. One wonders who pays for these luncheons? Going by the adage that there is no free lunch, are the bills paid from the official expense accounts, or given complementary by the hotels, or again are some people close to the officials picking up the tab?

Fashionable dogs

Lap dogs are the latest and welcome entry to fashion shows in the Capital. At a recent show held at a five-star hotel to launch a new range of fabrics women models attired in bright red and blue scot weave check skirts walked the ramp holding adorable small-breed dogs on leash. The dogs certainly appeared more nervous than what they would at a dog show. The choreographer perhaps seemed inspired by universal advertising appeals where women, children and animals figure on the top.

Misplaced loyalty

The Supreme Court judgement on the issue of Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s citizenship was another occasion for the frontal organisations of the party to prove their loyalty to the party’s reigning deity. The All-India Mahila Congress put up a hoarding near the AICC saying: “Desh ki karodon mahilaon ko badahai, Soniaji ne nagrikta paee.” The Mahila Congress enthusiasts who put up the huge hoarding did not know if Mrs Gandhi had been bestowed citizenship or her citizenship had been confirmed. And till last count, days after the Supreme Court verdict, the hoarding with blatantly wrong message continued to deck the roundabout near the AICC office and Mrs Gandhi’s residence.

Contributed by T.V. Lakshminarayan, Prashant Sood, Girija Shankar Kaura and Tripti Nath.

DIVERSITIES — DELHI LETTER

Heart-rending tales of Afghan refugees
Humra Quraishi

THERE are confusing signs here on the US build-up. For one thing, there are efforts to reach out to the Muslims. US Ambassador to India Robert Blackwill had invited some Muslims comprising religious leaders and two civil servants —one a senior ITPO official and the other a former vice-chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University, now with the GOI. For another, our political interests are trying hard not to de-link religion from the terrorist acts. And in case the build-up escalates into a full-fledged war, the worst victims would be the Afghan refugees here.

As I walked in the Lodi Gardens the other day, people were seen staring at an Afghan refugee family sitting quietly under a tree. Not long back in these very gardens, I had overheard a well known hotelier rebuking an Afghan refugee child for running past him. I can’t help but repeat what activist-cum-publisher Urvashi Butalia had told me: “though more than half of Delhi’s population has been refugees at some stage, they are immune to the refugee problems...”

Again there are confusing reports on whether these Afghan refugees are supposed to report and register at the Home Ministry’s Foreigners Division or whether their being registered with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is sufficient. Incidentally, they survive here on the monthly dole provided by the UNHCR. While interacting with them, you would hear the heart-rending tales of how parents have been separated from their children, or of spouses in search of each other or their siblings, apparently separated at the borders. They have been facing hardship to make both ends meet.

Meanwhile, Kashmir continues to be in focus. On September 24, some well known women’s groups of New Delhi are holding a day-long discussion here on the `Muslim women and the burqa’. Interestingly, a senior Hurriyat leader had been categorical in his remark that the burqa diktat has been issued by a group to ``divert the people’s attention from the real issues ...'' Let's see how much distraction this discussion will spell on the mood of the day — gloomy and despairing as signs of war are round the corner.

Khushwant Singh

With the injunction lifted from the publication of Khushwant Singh’s autobiography, "Truth, Love and Little Malice'', we can heave a sigh of relief. There is freedom of the Press and there is respect for the written word. It is after six years that Khushwant won the injunction case against Maneka Gandhi.

Last Tuesday, his friend and well known social activist Reeta Devi of the Kooch Behar royal family called me up a little past noon to tell me the great news. In the evening, we went across to congratulate him but he was surrounded by the crew of various TV channels. We finally caught up with him at his friend Prem Kirpal’s home. Kirpal (90 plus) is perhaps Khushwant's oldest friend. ``My friendship with Prem Kirpal has been longer than any other, over 60 years, circumstances threw us together in Lahore, Delhi, London, Paris and back again in Delhi'' and he makes it a point to visit him at least once a week.

Obviously, Khushwant is thrilled with the verdict of the Delhi High Court and soon we should be seeing his autobiography on the shelves. It is being published by Dayal.

And if you think that Khushwant is sitting back, all relaxed at the age of 86 years, you are mistaken. For he is in the midst of writing yet another novel on the superstitions and myths that rule our lives and minds.

READERS’ RESPONSE

Sentinel of democracy

APROPOS of Syed Nooruzzaman’s write-up “The print media: distortions and new challenges” (September 9), journalism is, indeed, a calling of its own kind, representing the highest social and human values. If properly discharged, it has the unparalleled potential to serve society, the nation and the mankind. It is because of this that the Press has been bestowed, explicitly and implicitly, special guarantees and protections in the constitutions of most democratic nations. No other profession enjoys this privileged position.

However, this privilege also enjoins upon it an equally great responsibility — the responsibility to treat the profession as public trust; to do all it can to watch, defend, protect and promote the public trust yet considering doing so as its own reward, to remain uncompromising in the face of all odds in ensuring the fulfilment of the public’s right to know, to present the facts fairly, objectively and boldly, and to improve upon itself a self-denying ordinance of not using the power for furthering its own interests. In sum, it is the responsibility of the print media not to treat its freedom as a licence.

Functioning as they should in the public interest and on behalf of their readers, editors and other journalists would not like to adopt ways of unearthing facts which will be regarded by public as reprehensible. However, there may be readers who enjoy sensational stories, say, of crime and passion and political manoeuvre, which sell newspapers. Certain newspapers pay a high price to get access to such material. For certain newspapers commercial success as highlighted by the author may be a goal and a justification. But such journalism can become morally contemptible.

No doubt the newspapers face a big challenge to help awaken people by informing them. The times are grave. Public thought has not caught up with the meaning of the many forces now bearing down on the people’s well-being. These things must be clarified and communicated. Facts and ideas must be identified. Boldness and vision are needed.

K. M. Vashisht, Mansa

II

This has reference to Syed Nooruzzaman’s write-up “The print media: distortions and new challenges” (Sept 9). The Press Council has listed ten definite advantages of electronic media and 31 weaknesses of print media (newspapers). In my view: ‘taking to dishonest means of gathering information’ is a common weakness of both — our print and electronic media as is evident from the recent Tehelka’s expose.

In the ongoing debate and discussion, the ethics of Tehelka’s investigations are being questioned. Sex videotapes have precious little bearing on Tehelka’s own story. Their story was about “corruption” in governance and not about “sex” in governance. One feels uncomfortable with the methods employed by Tehelka to uncover the terrible ills in public life.

In my view, any resort to deception must be directly linked to the larger purpose of investigations and the ends must justify the means. The Press Council rightly laments the growing cannibalistic tendency among big newspapers, resorting to tactics like price wars and gift schemes. I feel the newspapers could not and should not be run as business. Business-oriented un-healthy practices belittle the significance of a newspaper as the watchdog of society.

Sadly, most of the larger newspapers are falling prey to populist journalism by printing nude and seminude photographs, obscene advertisements, salacious reading material in the garb of advice and generally trivialising the news. Our newspapers must give the right stuff to the reader for his/her mental exercise and food for thought as has been highlighted in this write-up. People are really getting sick and tired of commercial journalism as is being pandered by some of the larger newspapers.

Onkar Chopra, New Delhi