Everyone knows that Indian politicians are amongst the most corrupt in the world and the name of Spectrum King A Raja, Sukh Ram, Laloo Prasad Yadava and the late unlamented Narashima Rao are icons of filth, corruption and sloth of the worse kind. Yet the Indian people did not once punish them and the political system found place for them in the Lok Sabha. The only minister who was hauled up for crime was the Jharkhand leader, Shibu Soren and even he was ultimately let Scot free. The Spectrum King A Raja has made at least 50,000 crores and all that the chief courtier of Sonia can say is that he is innocent and the CBI is answerable only to the Prime Minister and therefore Spectrum King will go the Shibu Soren way. How much did Karthik Chidambaram make in the last few years and yet no response from the political class. However it is over eager to prosecute a tribal leader even when he is in the hospital,.
It seems Chidambaram has declared war on tribals: in the name of anti naxalite counterinsurgency he wants to eliminate the tribals from their rich forest land and hand over the areas to companies which serve the interests of Karthik and Co, I have always said that unless the people of India decide that the Indian Constitution does not contain any mention of the word Party and throw out the rascals who stand from organised thug gangs called recognised political parties the country has no future.
I am sure that Koda has made money. And so have 99.9% of the MPs. So why discriminate by invoking the law selectively.
This blog reviews books, politics and international events from a distinct perspective. Book reviews will be interesting to everyone with a lively interest in the world around. I am a trained Historian with a PhD in Medieval History from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Major Nidal Hasan and the Massacre at Fort Hood
The horrific incident at Fort Hood, Texas, should come as a wake up call to all those in the American academia who promote identity based politics:Gays, lesbians, minority, sexual preference, etc etc. Now the Muslim identity is becoming increasingly problematic in the USA and I believe that years and years of promoting identity politics has left the country without the means of even admitting to itself that the Islamic identity clashes head long with that of a secular nation state. The US media is already concluding that Major Hassan's crime does in no way reflect upon the patriotism of the Muslim-American population. May be so. My point is that the growing alienation of the Muslims from the mainstream of western collective life is contributing to the sense of unease and the killings in Fort Hood stems from that feeling of unease.
Let me at the very out set condemn in the strongest possible manner the violence against the army men and women at Fort Hood. My point is not to justify the crime but to say why it happened. Major Nidal by all accounts was being radicalised and his peers at Walter Reed had drawn attention to a presentation he made in which he seems to have justified suicide bombings. If this was indeed the case why did the Army not pay any attention. The practice of identity based sensitivity forced the authorities to turn a blind eye to the increasing radicalisation of one of their own. In a conflict between secular law and identity based Faith based customs the Army must enforce the secular law and in the name of minority rights it cannot permit the radicalisation of its members.
Major Nidal seem,s to have been harassed for his Muslim beliefs and humiliated for practicing his religion. By the same token, if an army man or woman is humiliated the authorities concerned must make a full and complete inquiry and set right the fraying human relations. This is absolutely essential in a heterogeneous army.
Finally, it would be a good idea not to deploy Muslims in the Army to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan as they would have to fight fellow Muslims. Secularists may not understand this, but practicing Muslims put faith above politics and the State.
Let me at the very out set condemn in the strongest possible manner the violence against the army men and women at Fort Hood. My point is not to justify the crime but to say why it happened. Major Nidal by all accounts was being radicalised and his peers at Walter Reed had drawn attention to a presentation he made in which he seems to have justified suicide bombings. If this was indeed the case why did the Army not pay any attention. The practice of identity based sensitivity forced the authorities to turn a blind eye to the increasing radicalisation of one of their own. In a conflict between secular law and identity based Faith based customs the Army must enforce the secular law and in the name of minority rights it cannot permit the radicalisation of its members.
Major Nidal seem,s to have been harassed for his Muslim beliefs and humiliated for practicing his religion. By the same token, if an army man or woman is humiliated the authorities concerned must make a full and complete inquiry and set right the fraying human relations. This is absolutely essential in a heterogeneous army.
Finally, it would be a good idea not to deploy Muslims in the Army to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan as they would have to fight fellow Muslims. Secularists may not understand this, but practicing Muslims put faith above politics and the State.
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