Madam Commissioner's Extraordinary Life: An Autobiography or Public Relations?

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

The book Madam Commissioner: The Extraordinary Life of an Indian Police Chief by a retired IPS Officer Meeran Chadda Borwankar is extrordinary for two reasons: silence and evasion. This IPS Officer had served  the Maharashtra Police for nearly 4 decades and retired as the first wo,man Police Commissioner of Mumbai, an achievement. The reader expects a great deal from a person with such a range of experience who has risen from the ranks. However we are disapponted.

The author served in Maharshtra Police in 1993 wnen the Mumbai bomb blasts in 12 places took palce to which Sharad Pawar in his wisdom added one more making the numner 13. As a responsible citizen she should have given us some explanation regarding the 13 bomb blast. Sharad Pawar is on record saying thst he invented the 13 bomb blast in a "muslim" locality to defuse the "communal" situation. What a pathetic excuse to interfere in a crimianl investigation on a brutal terror attack on innocent citizens. If she is silent on the matter of the 1993 terror attacks, she is equally silent om the Mumbai attacks launched from Pakistan which witnessed 3 days of blood and mayhen in Mumbai: 26/11 attacks in 2008. Given the controversy over the attack stirred by by the Congress leader, Dig Vijaya Singh, clarification on this controversy would have been welcome. Silence on such important matters is not a good option.

Her book follows the standard protocol of any Police/Officer autobiography. Recruitment, recollection of training and early posting, marriage, birth of children, district posting, rise in the hierachy and the trials and tribulations of high office. In the case of this particular Officer she seems to have successfully pursued the infamous Jalgaon Sex Scandal in which a number of local policicians were involved. The speed with which she managed to arrest and prosecute them suggests that the accused belonged to the Shiva Sena and therefore the National Congress Party regime had no hesitation in unleashing the full force of the law. Of course when the BJP and Shiva Sena came to power many cases involving the Shiva Sena were withdrawn. Madam Commissioner does not say anything about the nexus between the crimnal underworld represented by the likes of Dawood Ibrahim and the Police. Guns and explosives were brought into Mumbai under the very nose of the Police. And the silence of Meeran Borwankar is rather eloquent. Curiously, the Mumbai Police effectively foiled an attampt by Shri Ajit Doval to send trained personnel to track down and punish the 1993 Mumbai Blast crimianls. Meeran's explanation that they were only intercepting Chota Rajan gang members does not sound convincing at all. 

Another issue on which she maintains stratregic silence is on the Vohra Committee Report which went into the close nexus between Maharashtra politicians and the Mumbai undersworld. It is obvious that the impunity with which the underworld operated was possible only due to political patronage across the ideological spectrum. We have already pointed out how Sharad Pawar did not hesitate to lie and prevaricate in orcer to defend the identity group involved in the 1993 blasts in which 265 citizens were killed. I have no hesitation in saying the the rise of Narendra Modi has ended the menace of Islamic terror in India.

On the whole this is an interesting book. But the reader cannot exoept any major expose.

Henry Every: Pirate and Nemesis of the Mughal Empire

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

Henry Every

  The late 17th century was the Golden Age    of Piracy, and it was a global             

  phenomenon that essentially linked the          Indian Ocean to the Atlantic World.              Historians have now started exploring the    interconnections and linkages between          Piracy in different parts of the world.            Piracy as a state policy was instituted by      the English Crown during the reign of the    Tudor Monarch, Elizabeth I who                    encouraged Sir Francis Drake and John        Hawkins to prey upon Spanish ships sailing from South America to Spain. The South Atlantic became the theatre of English piracy sometimes called delicately as privateering, an arrangement in which the Crown protects the privateer in return for a share in the plunder and of course, deniability. Unfortunately, Sir Walter Raleigh another favorite of Elizabeth did not realize that the Stuarts were anxious to preserve their friendship with Spain and was executed at the insistence of the Spanish Ambassador.

The pirates of the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean operated on what can best be described as contested spaces, the Caribbean and the Islands of the Indian Ocean, particularly, Madagascar. Here pirates found both facilities to have their ships repaired and recruit for future ventures. The Governors were notoriously corrupt and provided facilities for pirating expeditions. From the Caribbean the New England states of the US were within reach and pirate circuits soon spread to North America as well. It is against this historical background that we can situate the most infamous pirate of his age, Henry Every sometimes called Benjamin Bridgeman. Along with Captain William Kyd who was tried and executed at Tyburn, Henry Every too was the subject of a whole series of ballads and chapbooks, the product of the nascent print culture. Daniel Defoe also wrote a biography which was a huge success, King of the Pyrates. Though Henry Every operated in the Indian Ocean, unfortunately his name is largely forgotten in History.

On September 8th, 1695 the largest ship in the Mughal fleet, Ganj-i-Sawai was attacked and captured by the English pirate, Henry Every. Born in Devon in 1653 or so, Henry Every joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman and in 1694 mutinied and took control over the ship Charles II which he renamed Fancy. He sailed to Madagascar where two more pirate sloops joined in. Every avoided English and Dutch shipping and turned his attention to Mughals who plied their vessels from Surat to Mocha and thence to Mecca. The ease with which the Mughal ship was captured along with its accompanying flotilla of 3 or 5 smaller ships shows that the Mughals were a land based power who did not comprehend the importance of naval power. They seemed to have had no concept of lordship over the oceans. 

The Mughal Historian Kafi Khan in his record has referred to the incident and states that the Mughal King Aurangzeb was beside himself with rage when he heard that his granddaughter and members of the harem were captured and possibly abused: "After having remained engaged for a week in searching for plunder, stripping the men of their clothes, and dishonouring old and young women, they left the ship and their passengers to their fate". Kafi Khan goes on to say that the King ordered the Superintendent of the Port of Surat, Itimad Khan to punish the factors of the English East India Company. However for reasons that are still obscure, Imitad Khan did not enforce the royal order in its severity. He kept the English in confinement and soon released them. Even this was too much for the English who soon took revenge by seizing Mughal Officials and the Grand Mughal could do little over this challenge to Mughal authority and prestige. Like India's response to the 26/11 Attack, the Mughal response too was tepid and extremely tame. Finally trade concessions were extended even to Bengal after the East India Company gave vague assurances of bringing Henry Every to "justice". Except the Proclamation declaring Henry Every a fugitive there is no evidence that the East India Company or the English pursued him eagerly.

Where does the saga of Henry Every end. He seems to have lived out the rest of his life peacefully. The Mughal princess disappears from History though there are unsubstantiated rumours that she married one of her captors, an early instance of the Stockholm Syndrome. As for the treasure, a few coins discovered in Rhode Island in 2014 suggests that at least a part of the loot was hidden in New England making the Atlantic-Indian Ocean circuit complete.

India's Most Wanted Killed in Pakistan: The truth behind the killings

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

Till now around 16 most wanted terrorists have been killed within Pakistan by unknown gunmen. The question that is being asked is a simple one: Is India behind the string of killings. This controversy has gained added salience due to the insinuation  of the US Deparment of Justice official that India, or some individual named Nikhil was behind an attempt on the life of the Kaliastani terrorist, Pannu. Let us take one issue first. India certainly has the intent to punish terrorists who roam the world scot free. But does India have the capability to launch kinetic strikes against terrorists. 

In the world today only 2 States have the capability of launching kinetic strikes against enemies, Israel and USA. MOSSAD is well known and the CIA has organized subversive strikes all over the world, the Nord Stream Pipeline being the most recent. India's  R&AW which was founded in 1968 has acquired information and itel gathering capacity. Its Electronic surveillance, particularly along the borders and the Coast is impressive and over the years has built its Humit network in certain countries, particularly Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. However, it does not have the capacity nor the capability to launch assassinations and targeted interventions in any part of the world. Perhaps Nepal is the only country in which the R&AW operates with a fair degree of latitude. R&AW has cooperated with Bangladesh in identifying and transporting Mujib's killers who had sought refuge in India and successive Governments chose to ignore their presence. Of late the organization has increased its footprint in the Myanmar border region and the purpose is only to protect India. The collapse of the Myanmar Army would be a serious blow to India's aggressive counter insurgency strategy. I do not want to reveal more.

Returning to Pakistan, the death of the known terrorists is hardly a cause of concern. But India is being blamed for the death. While India does have the intent, capability is another matter. Further, the Government of India security apparatus reports directly to the Prime Minister through Ajit Doval and given the complex situation in diplomatic arena and the rapid rise in India's international stature, it is very unlikely that the Government would resort to illegal kinetic measures. R &AW has collected a great deal of information about terrorists and their network and it will not share this with either USA or Canada. India is only a beginner in the game of Big Power politics and will not jeopardise its goals early in the game. So obviously India is not directly involved. Deniability is very important and it takes time to build layers of deniability.

From 1999 onwards, when Benazir Bhutto came to power, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has been encouraging terrorism in Kashmir and has built up support among identity groups in Uttar Pradesh and Kerala and Tamil Nadu. I K Gujral in 1997 as the appointed unelected Prime Minister,  to his eternal shame, had compromised Indian intelligence and so India was not able to either respond  and take adequate measures. The Kashmir Genocide was the result of I K Gujral's policy of appeasing Pakistan by disarming Indian intelligence and in Iran too Hamid Ansari as shown in Mission R &AW the same tragedy unfolded. 

The spate of targeted killings began in 2021 when an attempt was made on Hafiz Saeed. This terrorist escaped death and has been in hiding ever since. He is a UN designated terrorist and almost all terrorists killed during the course of the past year have been associated with (1) Laskhkar-e-Taiba, (2)  Hizbul Mujahideen, and (3) Jaish-e- Mohammed. Masood Azhar who was freed in exchange for the passengers of the hijacked AI 814 to Kandhaar in December 1999 is presumed to have died in the Balakot strike, though the R&AW has not stopped tracking him. Raheem Ullah Tariq associated with J-e-M was killed on November 13th in Karachi. Akram Gazi L-e-T killer was eliminated on November 9th near a town in Pakistan occupied Pashtunistan. Kwaja Shahid was kidnapped and executed in PoK. This man was involved in the attack on an Indian Army Camp at Sunjerwan in Kashmir. Shaid Latif who belonged to J-e-M and was the plotter behind the Pathankot attack was killed by unknown gunmen in Sialkot. In September Riaz Ahmed the mastermind of terror attacks in Kahsmir was killed in PoK. In Karachi Mufti Kasim Farooqi who had shifted to a new location was traced and killed. A month earlier, Hafiz Saeed's right hand man, Hussein Arain was killed in Sindh. IN Rawalpindi, in March 2023 Bashir Ahmed Pir of the Hizbul Mujahideen was eliminated. In Karachi again, Khalid Raza of the ul-Badr- Mujahideen was killed. Nepal too has witnessed the killing of India wanted terrorists like Lal Mohammed. 

India clearly and categorically denies involvement in these killings. And I have no reason not to believe what the Government of India says. As I have said, there may be intent but capability is a totally different order of magnitude. It is likely that a groups of Army Officers in Pakistan who are not favorably disposed towards the regime in power there are behind the killings and they may get assistance from patriots.

Emmauel Le Roy Ladurie (1929 - 2023) An Assessment and a Tribute

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

Dr Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie died in Paris at the age  of 94 a long life filled with admirable contribution to medieval history and a stalwart of the "Annales" School of French Historiography. Of course the fact that his father served as a Minister of Agriculture under the Vichy regime in no way stands in the way of international recognition for his work. In fact as I have argued elsewhere it is about time to reassess the ideology of "collective guilt" imposed by Charles de Gaulle after his "Victory: march with the Allies in 1945. But this fact serves to underscore the complex relationship between the French Historical Establishment and the post "Liberation" French State. 

Dr Le Roy Ladurie

  Ladurie is a rock star among             Historians and his stellar reputation   rests on his Montaillou: The Promised Land of Error a study in which he used  the Inquisitorial Records to uncover the   pattern of culture and popular belief ina small mountainous village of just 250 peasants who came under the gaze of the Roman Catholic Church due to their apparent interest in the Cathars, a Christian movement that was declared heretical by the Catholic Church. Marriage patterns, familial ties, land control and ownership and relationship with the Clergy and its "errors" then as now are scandalous, Though published in 1978 this book still remains a classic study in what the French call mentalite`. 

This particular book has had a very wide impact and it has reshaped the field of agrarian and medieval history in significant ways. This was the first major work that used Inquisitorial Records to probe deeper questions of faith and religion in a medieval peasant society. As many scholars since have pointed out, the French peasants were usually unlettered and the records may at best reflect the scribes' perception. Here were have what Ranajit Guha in his classic paper, "The prose of Counter Insurgency" called History against the grain. Le Roy Ladurie followed this book with one of the classic statements on Historiography, The Territory of the Historian. Unfortunately this book remains almost undiscovered by students of medieval History. Another early book that must be mentioned is Times of Feast, Times of Famine a book in which he used the records of grape harvest to make a study of climate chamge and variation in medieval Europe. 

In 1580 a Carnival in Romans turned into a violent riot in which the leading citizens of the city of Romans attacked and killed craftsmen who were generally adherents of the Protestant faith. This event took place eight years after the 1572 Hugenots Massacre on St Bartholomew Day. The ferocity and the intense scale of the violence unleashed was unprecedented and the Historian puts in in the context of economic, cultural and social changes that were sweeping through France. 

This book is a study of the Platter Family which transitioned from sheep rearing to High social status profession within a single generation. Based on Family Records preserved in the Archives at Montpellier this work is an important contribution to the social history of early modern France. And the Peasants of Languedoc is a classic work of medieval agrarian history. 

One question that needs to be asked as Historians grapple with the methodological sophistication and grandiose sweep of Annales is the, apparent uniqueness of the French Method of History. Most of the world and certainly most of the non white societies lack historical documentation of depth and range that we see in France and other white states. The lack of resources itself should alert Historians to the fact that it is is not possible to replicate the Annales in other countries, certainly not in India. Second why do the Annales School of Historians stay away from Modern History. Is it because in the medieval period France was undefeated and was the proud centre of the European civilization.

The death of this great Historian is a loss and we mourn his death.

 

India's Experiment with Democracy: The Life of a Nation Through Its Elections: A Review

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

India's Experiment with Democracy: The Life of a Nation Through its Elections

S Y Quraishi, IAS (retd)

New Delhi: Harper Collins 2023

Shri S Y Quraishi I A S (retd) has written a hastily written book on Indian Elections in which all the talking points of George Soros and his Merry Men who scream about India being a flawed "democracy" in which "back sliding" of norms has become endemic are sprinkled in ample measure all through this badly written and sloppily edited book. We expect some quality from men who hold high Constitutional Office and I am sorely disappointed having perused the turgid pages hoping for insight and elucidation. And both were not forthcoming, unfortunately.

As the Chief Election Commissioner during the Man Mohan Singh regime, Shri S Y Quraishi for reasons that are quite obscure fails to highlight the two most important dangers faced by Indian Democracy: Corruption and Dynastic Politics. His tortured attempt to gloss over the conviction of Rahul Gandhi for his conviction in a criminal case of defamation shows bias in favor of the Congress and his insinuation that the case was instigated as vendetta makes one wonder about the quality of his judgement. He cites the Lily George judgement and is certainly aware of the consequences that stem from conviction. The purchase of criminals over Indian politics is hinted throughout the book but there is studied silence on Shahabuddin and Atiq Ahmed, the two most egregious instances of criminals masquerading as leaders. Giving more powers to the Election Commission of India to disqualify candidates is hardly a solution as this provision is likely to be used selectively on ideological grounds. Identity politics is reprehensible in whatever form it takes.

Apart from overweening bias, the book is flawed in that it takes a standard instrumental line when it comes to Democracy, Elections and Politics. The Indian Constitution does not mention Political Parties or their role in the affairs of the State and hence we can raise the question is the multi party democracy that flourishes in India alien to the letter and spirit of the Constitution. If political parties are not mentioned then it logically follows that defection cannot be regarded as an offence as the Constitution does not recognise the existence of political factions. This point is not addressed by Shri Quraishi though one of his predecessors Shri Navin Chawla thought it prudent to let the cat among the pigeons. Political Parties get legal status only through the enabling legislation, Representation of Peoples' Act. The founders of the Indian Constitution were perhaps aware of the ill of party democracy and hence avoided even according political parties constitutional recognition. 

The  Prime Minister has spoken of One Nation one Election as a solution to the constant election fever that grips the country. The Media has the distracting habit of reading election results as though state elections are referenda on the Central Government. This vital debate is not addressed except in a perfunctory casual manner. He rightly rejects NRI voting right but seems to bend towards allowing migrant voters the right to vote. Elections is India are in a federal context and the individual state must remain the locus of elections. On the Model Code of Conduct Shri Quraishi seems to think that giving it statutory powers will enable the Commission to be more effective. I think this will only lead to more litigation on the implementation of the code. 

Shri Quraishi seems to give far too much importance to Political Parties. May be for the Election Commission of India they remain its prime clients. However, political parties with a few honourable exceptions, have failed to maintain inter party democracy, failed to submit their election accounts to the Commission, failed to nominate candidates with good track record, and most have circumvented democracy by openly embracing dynastic fascism as the norm. Regional political parties are particularly prone to this tendency. And he has also failed to investigate the pernicious and corrosive practice of distributing money to the electorate. The Tirimangalam By election brought this before the Nation. And the author is discreetly silent on the huge sums of money seized during Elections. In Tamil Nadu, container lorries stuffed with currency notes were seized and till this day we do not know how the Election Commission of India disposed off the case. And the example of the Sivagangai Parliamentary Election result is still a lingering sore. Quraishi ignored all substantial issues dealing with money and crime in Indian elections. 

There is a great deal of repetition in the book. Passages are repeated verbatim and this only shows bad editing and poor writing and drafting. On page 218 and pg 222 we find the same sentence repeated dealing with corrupt practices. We find such instances throughout the book. It seems this hastily written book is designed to reinforce the George Soros and its affiliate Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) propaganda against India. India will remain a democracy in spite of the  poison emanating from white societies and their ideological partners and sepoys. 

Why should India and its former Election Commission have a  view on the elections in USA.  On pg 288 he write that President "Trump sought to cancel the 2020 election results an declare himself the victor". This is absolute nonsense. Trump sought to raise questions about the legal validity of the elections and nothing more. We do not expect a functionary of the Election Commission to accept uncritically the talking points from Washington Post and New York Times. His laboured effort to defend Muslim social practices as followed by Taliban in Afghanistan is not worth dealing with as a religion is judged not by what it preaches but what it practices. In any case that is an exercise in futility as far as the indigenous people of India are concerned.

This is a bad book. Written in a style that is full of North Block officialise and we are left with the wisdom that the Chief Election Commissioner ranks higher in the pecking order as seen in the Warrant of Precedence compared to a Principal Secretary. Hierarchy once again. 

Natalie Zemon Davis (1928-2023) A critical assessment and tribute

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

Dr Natalie Zemon Davis
1928-2023

Dr Natalie Zemon Davis was a rare historian in that he combined a vigorous prose style of writing with a flair for elucidating the unexpected and the spectacular. Crafting a taut narrative while keeping her eyes close to the primary sources is a talent that only the best among historians possess and these days when Historians compete with the "Social Scientists" for writing bland turgid jargon ridden semi literate prose, the stylist in Dr Davis stands out stark and clear. Her death on the 21st of October came as a shock to her admirers all over the world and I count myself as one such.

Dr Natalie Davis was a Jewish American Historian and as such gravitated towards the "progressive" side of American politics. Unlike the radicals of today whose radicalism is expressed primarily in a radicalized aesthetic, Davis and her husband, Chandler, face the raw brutality of the American State during the McCarthy Era when a campaign to root out "communist"   subversives was pushed through with the same passion with which the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion agenda is today being touted today. Davis and her husband who was a Professor of Mathematics were stripped of their passports and Chandler even spent six months in Prison for refusing to accept a subpoena and pleading the fifth. Certainly her politics was progressive. In 1959 she took her PhD for the University of Michigan and spent the rest of her life at Princeton University. Her Culture and Society in Early Modern France, Return of Martin Guerre, Fictions in the Archives and Trickster's Tales are important contributions.

Today the field of History has declined into a morass of post colonialism with the subjective and the unverifiable elevated as categories of understanding the past. Narrative and event oriented analysis of reality has given way to dense "thick descriptions" cast within a cultural/anthropological construct are seen as alternatives to the grounded histories that the Historical Method and its application creates. Memory, Culture, Society are the banners under which the New History associated with Carlo Ginsberg, Natalie Zemon, Ladurie and others marched. But these broad and almost undefinable concepts stretched Historiography almost to breaking point and in the cracks various kinds of splintered Histories sprouted based on identity, ideology and ideas. Dr Davis has not directly confronted these "post colonial" challenges.

Davis served as the President of the American Historical Association and her address History's Two Bodies remains a classic. Her death is a loss to the profession in the true sense.

Yaroslav Hunka and the "Nazi" Chimera: Can he be called a WAR Criminal

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

Yaroslav Hunka is 98 years old, He is in extremely poor health. And frail. He was at the behest of the Speaker of the Canadian Parliament, Anthony Rota, given a standing ovation for having fought  for Ukrainian Independence against Russia. Of course this does imply working on behalf of the Germans. The Canadian Press and Politicians promptly started a campaign of self righteous indignation that threatens the stability of the Justin Trudeau regime. Let us look at the facts.

Canada has always been "permissive" as Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar pointed out recently in the context of the reluctance to repatriate serious offenders an criminals to face trial. Soon after World War II ended, Canada took in refugees from Europe and did not screen the immigrants for Nazi antecedents. At least 6000 Ukrainians were allowed entry along with a  considerable number of Germans. By 1948 the two Anglo Saxon powers, Britain and USA decided that USSR was a great threat and that there was no point in pursuing past enemies when one more loomed large. The Nuremberg Tribunal was abandoned and by 1950 even the prohibition, largely on paper, of keeping out Nazis was dropped from the category of those denied entry into Canada. After all, Nazis had a proven record of being anti communist.

It was against this background that Yaroslav Hunka entered Canada and his Nazi past was not discovered even though Professor John-Paul Himka has used his papers to document atrocities that were committed against Jews. Surprisingly the State of Israel has not made a public statement on the controversy nor has it demanded the extradition to Israel to face charges. This should give us reason to stop and pause and not be carried away in the cacophony emanating from Ottawa. 

The Government of Canada appointed the Deschenes Commission in 1985 to investigate the infiltration of Nazis into Canada and it specifically looked into the charges against the Waffen SS to which Yaroslav Hunka belonged and concluded that the Waffen SS did not commit WAR CRIMES. While they did participate in violence against Jews and Poles, the Commission clearly stated that war crime charges cannot be brought against those who were part of the Waffen SS. This division served in Galicia and was involved in ethnic cleansing the Poles who had settled in the region after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire following World War I. White politicians, academics and media propagandists are sensitive to the anti Semite trope and hence the unwillingness to go into the details. As a non white I have no such blinkers.

I am not suggesting that Hunka was innocent and does not have blood on his hands. He certainly does but I am only clarifying the point whether he can be considered a war criminal as he is alleged even by George Galloway, whose opinions are usually grounded in research. 

There were groups that participated willingly in arresting and transporting Jews from Ukraine and these groups associated with the OUN, Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and its armed wing, UPA, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army were deeply anti Semitic and their participation in the Holocaust is established. The case of John Demjanjuk makes this point clear.

There is no reason to join the collective chorus against Yaroslav Hunka. He is certainly an unsavory fellow  with a shady bood soaked past. But the Canadian Law has always been apathetic to criminals and that explains the presence of gangsters, drug lords, Mafioso, Nazis and internationally wanted terrorists in Canada. Right from World War II Canada has been permissive in its immigration policy.