Hitting Below The Belt

Perhaps this is the second time in history when Pakistan, a near rogue country has been hit below the belt by India. The hit has hurt them where they are feeble. The first time India gave them a brutal punch was in 1971 when India brought them down to knee and dismembered the East Pakistan from their map. The recognition for that deed is still remembered by the Indians with pride, and the credit owes to the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Though the pain to Pakistan was very severe and shameful, yet they did not take the lesson. Over the years they keep shaking the patience of the Indian people by provoking with terrorism in different parts of India, cross-border infiltration and slandering against us in international forums. India, by virtue of their tranquility and tolerance, kept their evil neighbour at bay.

Last week when the Indian Premier League (IPL), a monumental cricket forum, has called up their franchise clubs to restrain from inducting Pakistani players into their clubs, all hell broke lose in Pakistan. The perfect punch was hit at the right place, below the abdomen. The whole of Pakistan has cried together, as if all is lost. The Ministers, the Board officials, the former players and the present players in form of Pakistan have created hue and cry, blaming Indian Government and the IPL, as if India has usurped their wealth. It is the height of shamelessness.

Pakistani government and the Pakistani players-in-form had been dreaming of pocketing around hundred million US dollars by playing for the Indian clubs. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is bankrupt, and so is the Pakistani exchequer. So by snatching away their dreams when they felt they were the most sought after, the IPL has hit in the right place. The bad boys in Pakistan are fuming. This time the honour goes to Lalit Modi. The people of India will surely remember him for his deed, for he knows where to hit at the enemy

Pakistan Would Not Have Been Born

On the eve of the Republic Day Celebrations, the bone of contention keeps coming on the mind that what would have happened if persons like Sonia Gandhi had been at the helm of affairs at the time of India's Independence. Wouldn't she welcome Jinnah to become India's Prime Minister to save India from being divided and rescued us from the agony, dismay and horror of breaking the country into three pieces. Happening so, Pakistan would not have born.

In reality, this didn't happen 61 years back. Nehrus and Patels did not have such generosity to invite their erstwhile fellow Congressman Mohd. Ali Jinnah and ask him to rule the united India. Had that been done, no British acumen could have broken apart the country during the historic moment. But that did not happen, and Pakistan had been born with an unquenchable hatred feeling for India.

Allowing Jinnah to become the first Prime Minister of India may perhaps sound ridiculous for many. But an independent and intellectual thought to this may find few takers, if not all. Most Muslims and Pakistanis in particular, still conceive candidly that the Hindus would never have given up leadership to a Muslim ever for a combined India by the sheer majority of population. In that scenario, the Indian Constitution would have been written in a more diligent way to win the hearts of all sections of the society. The head of the government, the Prime Minister would be rotating. The head of the state, the President and the head of the judiciary, the Chief Justice of Supreme court would have more powers and also rotate to accommodate different groups. Had it been so, its people would have been contented with its independence, and India would have become more powerful, self-sufficient and independent than any other nation in the world. We would have thus seen an equal representation of all society in every field which would have been a yardstick for other nations of the world.

If that had happened, the subcontinent, a single nation would have been a terror free, economic and military super power, decisive and more respected throughout the world by the end of eighties, which at present is not. It would then surely keep an edge over China, our irrepressible neighbour, from all fronts because of its democratic lineage and western linguistic advantage.

Be Practical

Again terror was struck on the black 26^th in Mumbai. This time the power and dimension of the threat was much bigger and horrific than what we had seen in the past. Previously, the terrorists had planted the bombs secretly in crowded places, and they could manage to kill 15 to 20 innocent common men, in most of the times. But this time, they had aimed at the very opulent class who stay in five star hotels of Mumbai and many bigwigs became the victims of this bloodbath.. Apart from this, the masterminds had decided to challenge openly to the people and security of India, by facing them head on. They killed whoever came in their way. Unlike in previous occasions, they have pointed their guns this time cleanly on the number of Supercops. This is in fact a desperado act for which India was not truly ready.

Though this kind of terrorism is a henious crime, but one cannot claim that India has won because their security personnel could manage to kill a dozen of terrorists. We have more than 200 casualties and 350 injuries which itself speak of the losses that we have conceded. After all these terrorists acts, it was boldly claimed that we would not bow down to the terror. The media, after every mayhem, maintained that the terrorists could not suppress the spirit of life, the life has illuminated on the very next day. Some of the popular catch phrase we often find on the newspapers and TV channels by the politicians and media men the very next day of the mishaps:

1. The aspirations of the terrorists will never be fulfilled.

2. We will teach them lessons.

3. Life is back to normal.

4. The people of this country are brave enough to face such dastardly act.

5. We must keep peace and not allow them to disrupt it.

6. We must not fall into the trap of communal disharmony.

7. We salute our brave soldiers who lost their lives, and promise to look after their families.

8. Finally, the nation won and the evildoers lost.

9. The govt. will not tolerate this lawlessness.

10. We will see to it that this kind of act never repeats.

11. Terrorism has no religion.

12. We must stand united.

What is the point in saying all these rhetorics at the time of crisis each time we face bloodshed? Do we really mean it? How many times do we visit those unfortunate families who lost their dearest ones? Do we care for those who engage themselves against the terrorists, save lives of people, but didn't die? Not a single politician comes out without their security to the spot of the event and boost the morale of the security personnel. Have they ever roared against the govt. of Pakistan for involving in the act? Never, never. Forget about Pakistan, we do not have the guts to strike even the suspected places of Bangladesh and teach a lesson to the minnows. Shame on us.

After the Mumbai act of 26/11, the nation asks its politicians and the media men not to use these rhetorics again. We can tolerate the incompetence of our leaders because we are used to it. But please do not rub salt on our injury. We cannot endure it, we simply abhor it.