Sunday, January 20, 2002		Books

A shoddy cut and paste job
Review by Harbans Singh

Inside Afghanistan — End of Tailiban era? by L.R. Reddy. APH Publishing, New Delhi. Pages 1+345. Rs 795.

THE preface claims that "in this study for the first time an attempt has been made to critically examine the genesis of the crises in Afghanistan, its historical roots, conflicting geopolitical interest of big powers in the post-cold war period". It also claims that it "does not stick to old dogmas" but presents a "picture in totality and close interrelationship of various factors", and holds out the promise that it would provide a whole range of answers — from what is Taliban to who is Osama bin Laden and why he wants to destroy America. The book, therefore, recommends itself, writes L.R. Reddy, to the experts on Asia, diplomats and policy-makers of the developed countries.

It is not long before the reader will realise that a trick has been played on him. A trick which offends the intellect and should be condemned in the strongest possible manner. Much of what has been printed in the book is what an average newspaper reader already knows. The little that he or she does not know too is a reproduction from other sources which have been acknowledged only in the appendices. Even they belong to an era and times which have very little influence on present events. The autocracy, tyranny and corruption of the late 19th and early 20th century Afghanistan in no way explain either the rise of the Taliban and its surrogate mother Al Qaeda or even how Pakistan might have thought that grievous injury can be inflicted on India if the traditional route through Afghanistan is blocked for reaching India.

But then except for making tall claims, Reddy has made very little contribution in making any analytical attempt to either understand Afghanistan or offer tangible solutions to the baffling equation of the Taliban, Al Qaeda and Pakistan’s ISI.

The first chapter consists of data and statistics of Afghanistan, while the second deals with its chronological history from 50,000 BC to April 2001. These events have neither been analysed nor correlated.

The third chapter is, perhaps the only readable one since not many might have cared to critically examine the Soviet war in Afghanistan. Reddy had the chance of recommending his intellectual integrity if he had disclosed the sources and authors who wrote that chapter but he has not availed of it. If he is willing to claim it as his own, he should have acknowledged the source of other pieces. He should read the first line of the preface where he says the book has been "compiled".

The most shoddy part is the fourth chapter which deals with the biographies of Afghan political figures. On pages 77-78, we are introduced to Najibullah and the last lines say, "He has refused to step down (as demanded by the mujahiden) but indicated his willingness to permit national elections and accept the results." Is it too much to expect from a "compiler" to inform the reader the source and the year when these lines were actually written by someone else?

Chapter 5, "Taliban in Afghanistan" should explain the phenomenon of the Taliban; instead it merely informs us that it is a which "group comprises Asians trained in religious schools in Pakistan" who soon enough captured Kabul. This is followed by a list of 29 restrictions imposed by them on women and a further list of 17 restrictions to be observed in general.

Chapter 6 on Osama bin Laden is a jumble of cuttings and clippings from various newspapers, of course without acknowledgement. Much of it is repetitive and overlapping. One loses count of the number of times the year of his birth is mentiioned. The compiler has not even cared to notice that the story wherein it has been claimed that Osama could find refuge in many places, including Kashmir, has been repeated at two places, though it must be admitted, from two different newspapers. This pervades all through the book.

On page 89, we are told that Mullah Mohammed Omar owed his and the Taliban’s rise to the fact that he and his students — Taliban — hunted down to punish mujahiden who had raped three Afghan women. However, explaining Mullah Mohammed Omar and Taliban on page 149, the compiler says, he was outraged by a deadly tank battle between two rival commanders who fancied the same "handsome" boy and this pitched the Taliban on to the centre stage.

Inexplicably, the compiler has without any apparent reason or provocation chosen to acknowledge newspaper clippings in Chapter 9, though here again he lacks consistency as some of them have been recognised only by the source of their origin rather than the newspaper or the news agency. He must also be complimented for being honest enough to acknowledge on page 293 that the Appendix I is from "Under the Absolute Amir of Afghanistan" by Frank. A Martin, written in the 20th century, though again one is left guessing if the same goes for Appendix II and III or are they extracted from some other book.

Finally, this book should come as a great inspiration to all the librarians of the newspapers. More competent among them can produce such books on all hot topics instantly at the command of the publisher. The book is also exorbitantly and unjustly priced at Rs 795.