~ By Prasanna Karthik

It has been some time since the launch of the “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” and India’s streets are not sparkling clean. To many naysayers and critics, this is an irrefutable testimony attesting the colossal failure of the campaign launched by India’s Prime Minister (PM)NarendraModi. Many critics of the PM and the campaignboycotted the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan as they claimed that the campaign was merely a photo-ops event driven purely by political motives.ThePM of the world’s largest democracy has tobe a politician and every act of his will be covered by the media, but  that does not mean that the PM should shut himself within the walls of his office? Secondly, when an average Indian (which includes the critics of the campaign) picks the broom and sweeps the streets, no journalist would come to takepictures and publicise it. The campaign was clearly an occasion for the average Indian to clean the nation and make a difference without posing for the shutter-bugs.

Nobody believedthat a day’s effort could remove the dirt accumulateddue to conscious negligence and wilful indulgence by a nation of 1.25 billion people over a period of 67 years. In fact, even if the whole of India were to come together and wield the broom on a single day, nothing much would change because sweeping alone is not the solution to India’s cleanliness problem; there are other issues as well such as sanitation infrastructure, garbage bins, waste management, town planning, civic training etc. However, is it advisable to wait till every requirement is in place or should a start be made with whatever is available and intelligent improvements are made as the campaign progresses? For 67 years Indians have waited, allowing theirstreets to stink and the nation to rot.

People committed to a clean India and those who heeded the PM’s call; do not believe that cleaning India is easy; they only believe that it is feasible and that needs to be done at any cost. Sweeping the streets on the 02 October was not an act of tokenism but one of symbolism – symbolising the possibilities Indiacan create if only Indians fire their moral imagination and get their act together. The critics should understand that there are bound to be short comings in the start to this long journey, but criticising is not going to improve things. Viscerally criticising the campaign trough myriad ways of intellectualisation and theorising on the issue, is only a mask to cover intentions to promote oneself at the cost of the nation. Supporters of the campaign should understand that sweeping the streets on a certain day can only be the beginning and never the end.

While politicians are criticized for politicizing issues of national and social importance,by labelling the campaign as a politically one, it is the critics of the campaign who are politicizing it; preventing politiciansfrom doing any good to the society. The dislike for a certain leader should not fester into a hardened opposition to noble tasks. Leaders come and go, however,the idea of India is eternal and the quest for a clean Indiapermanent. It is high time Indians begin to differentiate between a political move and a national movement. Sadly there are manyIndians who would want theirPM to fail, than have their nation succeed.

In India, sweeping is mainly reserved for people from certain social groups; this is inhuman and has to change. The act of coming together and wielding the broom was an opportunity for people from all social groups to challenge a discriminatory norm, by doing a job reserved for social groups that many assume are condemned by birth to take up such tasks. This was an opportunity to get into their shoes (many actually can’t afford a pair though),feel their pain, and change it. All those who criticise this campaign are in a way saying that cleaning is a job reserved for people of a certain social group only. Caste based discrimination is cruel and no social group should be earmarked for any tasks, be it the task of leading the world’s largest democracy or sweeping its streets. However, if people choose to become sweepers not out of compulsion or choice-less-ness but out of their own volition, they still need to be provided the right pay, amenities and technological supportso that their job doesn’t entail loss of human dignity. Sitting back and criticising the campaign will not help anyone move an inch in promoting cleanliness or restoring human dignity.

The campaign has several stages of progress, but its start has been effective. For the first time, the brand ambassador of a national campaign is not a cricketer or a Bollywood actor; but the PM himself and this puts a lot of pressure on the administration at every level. The PM also realises that having him alone as the brand ambassador may not be sufficient and hence he roped in nine other well-known people, cutting across political and social divide, to lead the campaign in their circuits. These nine people are news makers in their own way and can givefurther impetus to the movement by their own actions and by furthering the chain of nominations. So clearly, the campaign was launched not as an event that will peter out in a day, but as a movement which will have its own self-sustaining mechanism and momentum to reach out to every corner of the nation and remove the filth and dirt present there.

When Jacquiline Kennedy, the former First Lady of the United States visited India, the then PM Jawaharlal Nehru invited a snake charmer to his residence to show her snake charming tricks. From there, we have moved on to have a PM who is keen toshow India’s best face to the world. Unfortunately, there are many areas where India and Indians needs to change; fortunatelyIndia’sPM is willing to take charge and lead from the front. But a nation of 1.25 billion people cannot be cleaned by one Prime Minister; but if 1.25 billion people join hands in this noble mission, they can achieve what even the PM cannot achieve. On 02 October, every Indian had the chance.

Now that 02 October  is over, the real job begins. Indians need to commit themselves to keep the nation clean by not making it dirty and by not allowing others to make it dirty. Indian politicians should be held accountable in this area of work. Public must use the communication channels (www.mygov.in) introduced by the PM to share ideas that will make this campaign better. Voters must know who in the political-governance structure is responsible for which aspect of cleanliness and push them to do their respective duties. But before that, Indians need to rise beyond differences of all kinds.

Lack of cleanliness is a huge problem to be ignoredand need to be solved expeditiously.  The PM has given it a time frame of five years; India should not miss the chance.

Prasanna Karthik is a management consultant and the views expressed are his own. 

~ By Guru Prakash

“India is the cradle of human race,the birthplace of human speech,the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most constructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.”   -Mark Twain

Envisioning and building a world movement has always remained one of the chief prerogatives of Indian thinkers. Armed with spirituality and a unique civilization, India has guided the searchlight towards the realization of spiritual development of the world. In the following lines, a modest attempt has been made to draw parallels between the century old historical visit of Swami Vivekananda and the recently concluded tour of the Prime Minister (PM) of India, Shri Narendra Modi, to the United States of America.

As Shri Modi touched base at the John F Kennedy Airport, United States of America, a fresh wave of optimism was palpable among the ambassadorial fraternity of the world. The strategic thinkers and the discourse builders of diplomacy were in complete awe of an individual who is a representative of over one sixth of the humanity. Not only did Shri Modi speak on behalf of his countrymen at the world collegium of leaders in the General assembly of the United Nations, but he also represented the rich and unparalleled cultural and spiritual heritage of his homeland.

The first interface between India and the United States was impervious to the considerations of realpolitik. A Sage through his wisdom formed the bedrock of synergy between the two countries. Similar ecstasy as of today prevailed on the shores of America when another Yogi illuminated the World Parliament of Religions almost a century ago. Swami Vivekananda’s address to the parliament began with ‘Brothers and Sisters of America’ that still thrills the conscience of many. Swami Ji received a standing ovation and substantially reoriented the western notion on Indic knowledge. It was a watershed moment for India that introduced its depth and spiritual prowess to the world. The speech is still regarded as a gospel for religious leaders throughout different faiths and regions. Ideas evolve but values travels through the passage of time. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi today is a representative of similar heritage. India and America have shared an identity based on democracy and development. Although the dynamics of international relations have been redefined with the evolution of prerogatives and policy landscapes, India as a nation has always stood on the unshakeable principles of pragmatic idealism, cultural uniformity and ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’– (World is a family). Barring few exceptions, the two nations have ushered in harmony with a strong belief in uninterrupted growth and development of its region and people alike.

Investment opportunities, defense ties, P2P (People to People) interface, social security of workers are expected to be the priority areas of collaboration between both the countries in the days to come. The PM of India known for his tough but practical negotiating skills is certain to ensure that substantial portion of benefits reach his countrymen without a doubt. The new era of friendship under his able supervision and visionary guidance is set to take this pivotal bilateral relationship to a different level.

The world leaders at the General Assembly of the United Nations and keen followers of diplomacy were eagerly looking forward to hear the PM at UNGA (United Nations General Assembly). Through his illuminating address, he outlined a visionary roadmap for the world free from the scourge of terrorism and elucidated a deliberative forum comprising of all nations, in the name of G-All. Emphasis was rightly laid upon “Comprehensive International Convention on Terror” wherein he urged the leaders to get together and resolve the impasse on terrorism and related disruptive activities that have now become a stumbling block to peace and human development in the world. He added that a misplaced notion of Good terrorism and Bad terrorism is only a tool to mislead the fight against the ghastly act of terror. With the objective of popularizing Yoga at the global platform, he proposed the ‘International Year of Yoga’ which was hugely applauded and supported by the South Asian nations. An unusual display of statecraft was visible when the Prime Minister strongly registered his disapproval of Pakistan’s incessant approach of internationalizing the issue of Jammu & Kashmir. By avoiding a harsh tone he successfully drove home the point that no talk can occur in the shadow of terror and Pakistan should endeavor for an amicable environment to resume the dialogue on any pertinent issue. The social media was abuzz with his speech and a noticeable excitement was palpable. One of the commentators on Facebook termed it as “N.A.M to NAMO doctrine of assertion” in International relations.

After the General Assembly it was the turn of Madison Square Garden to host the PM. As expected he straightway struck an emotional chord with the Indian diaspora. Outlining the avenues of mutual exercises, he listed out three great advantages that are unique to India in the form of Democracy, Demography and Demand. In his quintessential tenor of integrating a pinch of humor to realistic issues, he enthralled the audience of over 20,000 in the garden and more viewing it on special huge screens planted at the exotic Times Square and other places. He reiterated Good Governance and Development have to be made a mass movement similar to the national struggle for independence. True to this, his address was an appeal to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and other overseas citizens to participate in the process of development of their homeland. Merging of OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) and PIO (Persons of Indian Origin) schemes was announced for the convenience and ease of travel for the Indians residing in America. Apart from removing the regulatory bottlenecks, the Prime Minister also enlightened the audience on the recently launched ‘Make in India’ campaign. India will graciously welcome everyone with red carpet. By terming 21^st century as the Indian century, he enthused optimism in every one present. The PM also reinforced that, Climate Change is imperative for Sustainable Development. He outlined that home for all by 2022 and ending financial untouchability are among the important commitments of his Government. The address culminated with huge cheers and applause for the unmatchable grace of the Shri Narendra Modi.

With the requisite level of faith and hope, we are destined to rekindle the meaningful engagement with the United States of America. The fusion of age-old spiritual wisdom with modern dynamics of development can indeed do the needful. The abiding faith and consolidated resolve of the oldest and largest democracies will set an example of sustainable development and inclusive growth for the world.

Guru Prakash is a Research Scholar at University of Delhi. He has been a Research Associate at Indian Foundation.  The views expressed are his own.

~ By Ram Madhav Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to set foot on US at around 2 PM today. Hours before his arrival in the US, excitement is palpable everywhere. PM Modi is not the first Indian Prime Minister to visit this country, nor is he going to be the last. Yet his visit, maiden one after becoming the Prime Minister of the world’s largest democracy, has generated tremendous interest and interest among not only the Indian American community but also among the US Law-makers, administration and the government.

Shri Narendra Modi is visiting US after a stupendous victory three months ago in the world’s largest democracy where an electorate bigger than the population of USA and Europe has used its democratic right of franchise to elect him as their leader. He pulled off a sort of revolution by securing majority to the BJP on its own thus forming a coalition government that is absolutely stable and strong. PM Modi’s support base includes all sections of Indian society, most importantly the youth. He represents the aspirational young population of India.

Naturally the expectations are that through this visit PM Modi will rejuvenate Indo-US ties that have slowed down in the last few years due to various domestic and international factors. During his visit to India in 2010 President Obama had called for making Indo-Us relationship “the defining partnership in the 21st Century”. The US administration certainly looks up to PM Modi’s visit for such a major leap forward.

For PM Modi this is not a bilateral visit alone. He is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday. The world leaders are keenly looking forward to his address to the UNGA and his position on various international issues. Pakistan Prime Minister’s speech, scheduled for a day early, is likely to touch upon a raw nerve or two too. Besides, PM Modi has bilateral meetings lined up with a few important heads of nations. However the bilateral part of the visit that takes place on 29-30 September is what the people in India and the US are eagerly looking forward to.

Prime Minister’s engagements include meetings with business leaders, investor companies and Indian American community. He is also scheduled to meet President Obama for a Summit Meeting followed by meetings with Vice President, Speaker etc. Thus his visit includes G2B – Government to Business and G2P – Government to People agenda besides of course G2G – Government to Government agenda.

PM Modi’s USP is his single-minded focus on India’s economic development. He has set his eyes on the goal of making every Indian rich in a few years from now. Towards that end his government is pursuing a number of economic policies that have the power of propelling inclusive economic development. As part of his drive to strengthen India’s economic basics he is also scouting for INVESTMENTS to flow into India.

He did it in Japan and with China; and he is expected to do the same here in the US. For sometime now India’s economic climate has been vitiated so much by wrong policies that the investor is scared to look at an otherwise goldmine-like MARKET in india. PM Modi’s biggest challenge is to bring back investor confidence in India. He has to reassure the global investor that there won’t be any sudden taxation regime changes.

There is considerable enthusiasm in the business community in US over his visit. They had seen him as Chief Minister of Gujarat successfully pursuing development-oriented economic policies that have benefited his people greatly. They expect him to do the same at the national level as Prime Minister. This forms his G2B engagement in US.

His G2G engagement is also crucial. As two world’s important and big democracies, India and US have many shared objectives and concerns. Besides economics India and US share a major common concern in the form of terrorism. Terrorism is an enemy of democracies. It is a global menace now. Both our countries have been working together on issues of terrorism and homeland security. Furthering this cooperation in fight against global terror is an important issue for both the governments.

There is a need for the US to review its policy with regard to addressing this global terror network. We have the epicentre of global terror in India’s neighbourhood. The US must keep in mind that a stable and strong government in Afghanistan is critical to addressing the menace of terrorism.

India and US have been cooperating in defence related sectors too. India is committed to strengthen its defence establishment in view of the regional environment it is forced to live in. There is no clash of interests for both our countries in this regard. However the US shouldn’t see India merely as an export destination for defence equipment. PM Modi is keen on making India a manufacturer not only of consumer goods but also defence equipment. His Make in India campaign includes both high-tech and low-tech industry. The US can use technology transfer route to boost India’s defence industry.

The most important factor in Indo-US relations is the more than 4 million Indians living in this country. They are greatly excited over the visit of PM Modi. He is going to address them on Sunday at Madison Square Garden. It is a basket ball stadium and the biggest available one in New York with a seating capacity of about 20,000. The stadium is already overbooked for PM Modi’s event being hosted by Indian American Community Foundation. The fact that no other world leader has ever attempted such a big event in New York goes to show the popularity of PM Modi and the enthusiasm of the Indian American community to meet and greet him. A large number of Congressmen are also expected to turn up at the event to greet Modi.

Prime Minister Modi today represents a new India of 1.2 billion self-confident Indians. The US administration and the world leaders will see a leader who is himself confidence personified. And they will learn to deal with a new India – youthful, energetic and eager to grow and progress. India’s rise is a good news for all those who care for peace, stability and prosperity in the world.

And Prime Minister Modi is the leader destined to script that growth story for India.

Ram Madhav Varanasi is the General Secretary of Bhartiya Janata Party and the Director of India Foundation. The views expressed are his own. 

By K.N. Pandita

Indian Army estimates that 200 armed jihadis are waiting along the Line of Control (LoC) to sneak into Indian Territory, 31 of these have already managed to infiltrate.

Even when the valley was reeling under the ravages of unprecedented floods, jihadis made several bids to push many of them across the line. These bids were however, neutralized. The infiltration bids increased soon after the BJP led NDA government took oath of office. At the swearing in ceremony, where SAARC leaders including Pakistan’s Prime minister Nawaz Sharif participated,  the prime ministers of India and Pakistan jointly spoke of containing terrorism in the region.

A gradual change in the idiom of General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi could be discerned when perfunctory hints emanated from Islamabad that bilateral talks with India would be resumed.

To offset any talks, non-state actors in Pakistan revived Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) orchestration and its reverberations were felt along the LoC. Unprovoked firing in some sensitive sectors along the LoC and even across International Border (IB) in RS Pora sector assumed threatening proportions.

Pak agencies subtly scuttled foreign secretary-level meet by predicating it with Pak High Commissioner’s invitation to the separatists and secessionists for a meeting in Delhi, thereby scoring a point against Islamabad.

The Pakistan Army, alarmed by the insistence of new government in Delhi to meaningfully pursue bilateral talks with the democratically elected government in Islamabad enfolding 26/11 culprits and the new approach theory to bilateral relations, decided to settle its score with the bugbear of Pak democracy.  Military coup was out of question as neither Americans nor the Saudis would take it.

The Army was already peeved with Nawaz Sharif for treating Musharraf, its former Chief with disdain. Hence it pressed into service the option of mobocracy. Logjam continues around the seat of the government.

Allowing the stalemate to linger on, the Army, which had been making serious efforts for quite some time to draw a wedge between the Punjabi and Pushtun ethnic groups of Tehreek-i-Taliban-i-Pakistan (TTP), succeeded in the time-tested mantra of divide and rule.  A statement from the chief of Punjabi chapter of TTP, Asmatullah Muawiya on September 5, 2014 declared that his group would no longer operate in Pakistan but would actively join hands with Afghan Taliban and fight against the American propelled government in Kabul and the American presence in Afghanistan. TTP Commander, Abu Baseer denigrated Muawiya by asserting that he always had links with Pak agencies.

Before joining TTP, Muawiya was a commander of Maulana Masood Azhar’s terrorist group, Jaish-i-Muhammad. Following differences with Jaish in the aftermath of Lal Masjid operation of 2007, Muawiya parted ways with Azhar and went to the tribal areas with dozens of his comrades.

He formed his faction of terrorists claiming that he wanted to avenge the killing of jihadis in Lal Masjid operation by Pakistani security men. He named his faction Jundu’l-Hafsa after the name of girls’ seminary Jame’ul Hafsa attached to Lal Masjid.

Jundul-Hafsa carried out many terrorist attacks independently, which included attack on foreign mountaineers at the base camp of Nanga Parbat at an altitude of 4200 m, on June 22, 2013 and an attack in September 2013 on a church in Peshawar killing 80 Christians, while offering mass.

After becoming part of TTP, Muawiyeh had become the chief of its Punjabi chapter. In 2003-4, General Musharraf, the then President of Pakistan, directed the Punjabi Taliban conducting jihadi activities in Punjab to wind up. The Punjabi Taliban, comprising mostly the youth from Punjab and POJK split into two. One group migrated to Waziristan where it raised the banner against Pakistani army.

It is noteworthy that in the initial stage of drone attacks, Americans avoided attacking TTP groups in Waziristan, in the hope that they would not make a common cause with Afghan Taliban. But when Pakistan declared that all members of TTP were the enemies of Pakistan, American drone attacks started targeting the hideouts of Punjabi Taliban as well.

But before the American drones could pound TTP, Pakistani ISI had relocated the Afghan Taliban and Al-Qaeda elements in TTP from Waziristan to Kurram Agency where they enjoyed security.

The simple objective of Pakistan in categorizing all TTP as its enemy was to help disperse the Afghan Taliban either to Kurram or to safe havens in Afghanistan wherever they could find it. Then after the purge it could take on the remnants of TTP easily and hunt them down one by one.

Obviously, Kabul government took care of those elements that were forced to withdraw to Afghan territory in the face of Pakistan army’s heavy attacks on TTP which ultimately reduced it to shambles.

Having finished the TTP in Waziristan, without causing harm to much of the Afghan Taliban, which had taken refuge in Waziristan against the NATO attacks, Pakistan army achieved the twin objectives of liquidating anti-army TTP, and retaining anti-Kabul lever in its hands in the shape of Kurram-based Afghan Taliban.

On the other hand, this strategy found replication in the shape of Maulvi Fazlullah, the commander of TTP, who having positioned himself in Kabul is patronizing the anti-Pakistan army elements that are temporarily located or concentrated in Afghanistan.

Until Aug 13, 2013 Punjabi chapter of TTP remained under TTP. During that period Asmatullah Muawiyeh had twice come to Indian part of J&K clandestinely and also travelled to Afghanistan to take stock of the ground situation there. The dream of Islamic Caliphate is very much alive in the heads of these jihadis.

Last year, TTP expelled Muawiyeh after he had issued statement regarding PML-N government’s proposal for peace talks without prior approval from the central leadership. He had welcomed Nawaz Sharif’s proposal for dialogue after urging Pak militants to respond to the offer.

In all probability, the inference is that Pakistan Army will, in slow degrees, induct its protected and patronized hordes of Afghan Taliban into J&K and thus give a new turn to jihad in J&K. Border violations and unprovoked firing could be a precursor to that scenario.

In this broad and rather grossly intertwined regional strategic scenario, ISI has played the master card by winning over Muawiya and through him declaring the end of hostilities against Pakistan by Punjabi Taliban. However, the story does not end there. In his statement, Muawiya said that while he would work in the interests of Islam and in propagating its true teachings, he would join in fight against Kabul regime and the Americans now sitting in Kabul.

Reports indicate that through the instrumentality of Haqqani network, Muawiya’s group will move to Afghanistan and join hands with the Afghan Taliban in bringing down the Kabul regime and throwing out the Americans and finally giving proper shape to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan or the Caliphate of Khurasan.

Haqqani is an old time stooge of ISI and for long has been acting as per its commands.

Professor KN Pandita is the former Director of the Centre for Central Asian Studies at Kashmir University, Srinagar. The views expressed are his own.

~ By Sudarshan Ramabadran

The Indian Armed Forces have killed two terrorists in Machchil Sector, North Kashmir on September 17 and all this while without in any way slackening their vigil, as on date they have simultaneously distributed food to over 1.2 lakh persons in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K)  and ensured treatment to over 75,000 people through various medical teams.

At a time when The Indian Armed Forces and National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) have earned appreciation internationally for carrying out relentless humanitarian tasks in J&K, nefarious designs have emerged to pull out all stops to ensure that the people of J&K, in no way identify with India and its armed forces. These designs have been carefully timed and unleashed by the selfish separatists who under the false garb of “azadi” seek to please their handlers from across the border.

Hafeez Saeed’s tweet attack

To begin with Hafiz Saeed, an evil mind who enjoys absolute patronage from Pakistan never leaves an opportunity to unleash an attack on India through words or arms. As soon as the unfortunate floods struck J&K, Saeed launched his tweet attack. In a series of tweets, the 26/11 Mumbai attacksmaster mind Saeed made bizarre accusations against India. He tweeted, “India has used water to attack Pakistan, we are in a state of war. India’s water aggression must be taken to the UN Security Council. If India’s Ladakh dam project is completed, even Islamabad will become unsafe. Indian water terrorism is more lethal than its Line of Control (LOC) violations.” The opportunist Saeed wasted no time to reiterate the Azad Kashmir stand in a subsequent tweet which was carefully worded as an attack on the Indian Government, “Occupied Kashmir cannot be looked after by the Modi-led government, what it can do for those in Azad Kashmir? Give them Freedom if you may”

Though Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif did acknowledge and offer his support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to jointly rehabilitate those affected in Pakistan occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJ&K), there was not a single step from the Pakistani dispensation to come down hard on Saeed or even a gag order against himfor provoking India during such a calamity. In fact, Pakistan’s envoy Abdul Basit’s recently stated that Saeed enjoys the complete support of Pakistan and is a free citizen,“Hafiz Saeed is a Pakistani national so he is free to roam around. So what is the problem…he is a free citizen so there is no issue as far as Pakistan is concerned. Courts have already exonerated him. There is no case pending against him.”

This despite India’s countless dossiers to Pakistan on 26/11 attacks as well as US’ bounty of $10mn on Saeed.

Geelani’s appeal to Pakistan

Taking cue from Saeed was none other than Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani.Take this for a partnership, Geelani and Saeed appeared in the same debate on a Pakistani news channel, where Geelani began spewing venom, “Armed forces are busy rescuing their own personnel, tourists and only a few Kashmiris, in that order”. He added that, “Indian Army and media are insulting Kashmiris by taunting them about being saved by those whom they pelted stones at once.”

Hang on; Geelani did not stop here, he further explained, “Indian Army men were moving around in boats with TV crews only to stage an act of rescuing a few locals for the purpose of publicity and propaganda”

When we just thought where was Geelani headed, here comes his appeal for help from across the border, where he asked Pakistan to take out time from its internal strife and contribute to the ongoing rescue efforts in J&K, “Pakistan must showcase the cause of floods to the UN as well as other Islamic countries”. Citing this he asked Pakistan to mobilize funds for J&K.

Yasin Malik joins the bandwagon

Next up, we had the man who hadpreviously shared the dais with Hafiz Saeed. Yasin Malik led a gang of crooked elements and forced ailing lady patients to get off an Army relief boat despite strong criticism of the shocking move by women in the area. Malik told the Army patrol to leave the patients and withdraw from the area. When the Army patrol boat returned, Malik told the boat patrol to get the patients off and leave. He claimed the Kashmiris do not want the Army rescue efforts to continue. Women in the boat and in the vicinity protested loudly at this insane act by a bunch of goons even as Mir, an aide of Yasin Malik, shouted at the ladies in Kashmiri and forced them to be silent.

Irony has it, this is the same Yasin Malik who is accused of killing four Indian Air Force Officers in J&K in the 90s and come the floods, he is rescued by the Air Force personnel!

If this is not enough, desperate separatists have also ensured to instigate people to take to stone pelting. Reports have emerged that aircrafts and helicopters flying across J&K have suffered damages due to stone pelting.

The nefarious design is clear; separatists are pawns in the hands of their handlers from Pakistan. Under the false garb “azadi”, they will go to any extent to destabilize J&K for the benefit of their vested interests. Anti India disruption is their sole aim. Negating these nefarious designs and facing innumerable hurdles of disruption, the Armed forces have not till this second brought the rescue efforts to even a mini pause. So much so, nationals from Pakistan have expressed their gratitude to the Indian Armed forces for restoring a bridge in their ongoing rescue efforts.

While a lot of criticism has come the Indian Army’s way with respect to Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), countless men continue to put their lives in danger to ensure relentless rescue efforts continue with an objective that they will reach every single individual stranded. All of India wishes and prays that anti national elements like the separatists continue to be kept at bay and J&K bounces back to normalcy soon!

Sudarshan Ramabadran is a Research Assistant with India Foundation. The views expressed are his own. 

– By Alok Bansal 

The attack on Pakistan’s Naval Dockyard on September 6, which is celebrated as Pakistan’s Defence Day, was a landmark event. The naval dockyard is a highly sensitive security zone, where naval ships, submarines and auxiliaries are not only berthed, but also repaired and built. It undertakes all indigenous construction projects like Missiles Boats, Mines Counter Measure Vessel and Agosta 90-B Submarine. So shocked was the Pakistan’s security establishment with the attack that the whole news was kept under wraps for two days and even today the details of the attack have not been made clear.Little news that has trickled out reveals that the terrorists had not only infiltrated through the dockyard, but also targeted PNS Zulfiqar, a Chinese built frigate of the Pakistan Navy (PN). The involvement of many naval personnel and claim by newly created Qaedat-ul Jihad or Al Qaida in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), as well as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of involvement,has raised suspicion that the terrorists wanted to hijack the ship and take it out to sea.  A fully armed warship with terrorists at sea can be an extremely potent weapon that can be used to target any unsuspecting ship at sea including the US warships in Gulf. AQIS has subsequently claimed that a US supply ship was the target.

Fortunately, for Pakistan, the naval commandos responded promptly and in the ensuing encounter killed three terrorists while apprehending seven terrorists alive, while one petty officer of the navy was killed and six others sustained serious injuries.  Five 9mm pistols, three intercoms, four suicide jackets, two detonators, handcuffs and other ammunition was recovered. The main accused is believed to be Owais Jahhrani, a former naval officer, who wasexpelled from the force in 2013 for his rigid religious views. He died during the attack and is the son of an Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police from Karachi. Subsequently, three other naval officers were arrested at Mastung in Balochistan enroute to Quetta, from where they were planning to escape to Afghanistan. The arrests have also been made at the Ormara Airbase. Accomplices were also arrested from Swabi, south Punjab and interior Sindh.  The whole investigation process has been kept under wraps as the security forces do not want the international community to know that radical virus has afflicted Pakistani Armed Forces. The security establishment  has been so sensitive about propagation of such facts that investigative journalist Syed Saleem Shehzad was brutally killed in 2011 for publishing a story which highlighted the presence of Al Qaeda cells within the PN.

However, despite the attempts to brush aside such acts under the carpet, the attack on PN Dockyard has not been a one off act, but just one incident in a series of terrorist attacks where members of the armed forces were involved. Every single attack on a military installation bore clear marks of collusion by elements from within.  Many Pakistani Air Force (PAF) and army personnel including six officers were convicted for attempts on General Pervez Musharraf in December 2003.  An army soldier, Abdul Islam Siddiqui, was hanged on August 20, 2005 after an in camera Court Martial for triggering an explosion to target Musharraf in Rawalpindi.  On another occasion, an anti-aircraft gun was discovered on the flight path of General Musharraf’s plane, when he was taking off from Rawalpindi Air base on a pitch dark night.  There were also occasions when Army and Air Force officers preferred being court martialed than to fight the Taliban.  In one of the most bizarre case, 200 armed security personnel were taken captive by 20 militants in Federally Administered Tribal Areas(FATA).  There have also been numerous instances of sabotage in the PAF to prevent aircraft from being deployed against the militants.  In one of the many attempts on Musharraf, over 100 Air Force personnel were convicted and three were sentenced to death. One of those sentenced to death was Adnan Rasheed, who was housed in Bannu Jail, till TTP decided to break open the jail and release all the prisoners.  Immediately after his release Adnan led attack on PAF station at Kamra.

Former army personnel were also involved in the attacks on GHQ, with the possible collusion of insiders. In 2010, two former army officers along with two serving officers including a colonel were convicted by a court martial for planning an attack on the Shamsi airbase, which was being used by the Americans to fly their drones.   The attack on PNS Mehran was another case of collusion by serving personnel.  Kamran Ahmed, a former naval commando and his brother Zaman Ahmed were arrested for aiding the attackers.  Another marine commando from Waziristan, who had been posted at PNS Mehran, was arrested in January 2011 for having links with Al Qaeda and Taliban. During an in-camera briefing, the parliamentary committee on defence was informed that three Navy officers, one sailor and four other personnel had assisted the terrorists.In fact in order to identify the personnel with terrorist links within the Navy, the Navy has decided to re-interrogate those Naval officers who had been arrested for their alleged involvement in Mehran.

The growing radicalisation of the Armed Forces is nothing but a manifestation of the growing extremism in Pakistani society. As radical militant outfits thrive in Pakistan, they share their recruitment base with the armed forces. Consequently, most of the inductees into the armed forces are already imbued with the radical hue and as they live in the same society, the radicalisation further increases.   Various religious organisations with puritanical zeal like the Tableeghi Jamaat or Al Huda have liberal access to military personnel and their families. Similarly, pan Islamic outfits like Hizb-ut Tehrir, which do not believe in Westphalian concept of a nation state, have also made deep inroads into Armed Forces. Once a person has been moulded in a particular ideology by these organisations, it is not very difficult for the militant organisations to recruit him for their cause. There has been large number of cases, where officers and men from the military have resigned to join the radical outfits.Although all the three armed forces have been affected by the menace of radicalisation, the impact is more pronounced in PN and PAF, probably the regimental system of the army has succeeded in mitigating the impact of radicalisation to some extent.

Though the military leadership in the last decade has tried to cleanse the forces of radical elements and has succeeded in purging overtly religious generals.  However, the junior officers and other ranks by and large reflect the prevailing views of rapidly radicalising society.  Many of them still believe that the war against Taliban is America’s war and have serious reservations about fighting them.This is bound to create rifts within the military,which is the glue that binds a fissiparous state like Pakistan. However, the immediate concern for the international community is the prospect that there could be some closeted militants in Strategic Planning Directorate (SPD) of Pakistani Army, which is tasked with guarding Pakistan’s nuclear stockpile.

Alok Bansal is the Director Centre for Security and Strategy, India foundation. The views expressed are his own.

There are many ways of travelling from India to America. One of them is via Japan. That indeed is the quickest way to the richest parts of USA, the west coast; and the only option if you are headed towards the heart of America’s strategic presence in the Pacific, Hawaii.

The Pacific, overlapping the Indian Ocean, is far closer to us than the Mediterranean or the Atlantic. Our popular, and policy, reflexes so far have been so embedded in attitudes formed during the British Raj that we have stopped thinking of the Pacific as the bridgehead to anywhere. Japan, China, Australia and America are Pacific mercantile and military powers.

This quadrilateral is at the top of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy. September 2014 will sparkle in the history of Indian diplomacy. Modi began the month with a triumph in Japan. He returned to welcome Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, with whom he signed a significant civil nuclear deal that will permit the sale of Australian uranium to India. Within two days the leaders built a rapport that will prompt a quick return visit to cement a vital relationship. In the third week of September, Chinese President Xi Jinping will arrive in Delhi to add important building blocks to investment as well as security cooperation.

When in the last week of September Prime Minister Modi goes to the White House, India will not be a supplicant nation. America will converse with an empowered India.

All sides are never equal in any multilateral partnership, but harmony is essential for the careful construct to hold. India and Japan may have stronger bonds than India and China, but the three Asian giants know that they have much to gain by maximising complementary strengths and minimising conflict zones. It is this matrix that can turn the 21st into an Asian century. This is the rationale and objective of India’s “Look East” policy; and if you look far enough into the east, across the Pacific, you can see America.

For those few in Delhi who also want to “Look West”, my suggestion is: Don’t. Unless you are looking for trouble. If the east is vast with economic opportunity, the immediate west, beginning with Pakistan, has become a wasteland bloodied by multiple civilian wars, and a base to terrorist clans that have only one mission: to spread chaos within the civilised world in the name of frenzied theocracy. Terror is Pakistan’s principal export; and now there are other forces in borderless countries itching to compete in the violence stakes.

For decades Pakistan has done everything it could to smother economic cooperation with India, even as it fortifies a wall that blocks India from Afghanistan and central Asia. India no longer has time to fritter on a catastrophe disguised as a country.

India may not be alone in reaching such a conclusion. Pakistan’s oldest ally, China, has delinked India from Pakistan. Xi Jinping has cancelled the Pakistan part of his south Asia tour because of the  “security situation”. Left unsaid is that this threat is seeping into China through its Muslim-majority Xinjiang province. China has a future to build for its people, and Pakistan is not present on such a
route map.

Modi will carry some news from the immediate west of India when he talks to Obama: bad news. Al Qaeda, which did not die along with its founding father Osama bin Laden, has declared formal jihad against India, along with a host of other nations. Those who provided sanctuary to Osama continue to provide a safe haven for his remnant disciples, so it would be unwise to dismiss this threat as a gesture from a desperate maverick in search of rhetorical relevance. Al Qaeda feels sufficiently reinvigorated to open yet another front in the multi-pronged proxy war that has been waged against India ever since 1947. The malevolence and intensity of this proxy war varies, but never its purpose.

Obama might seek passing comfort in distance; he leads a nation that is tired of carrying the international military burden, after having secured its frontiers. India does not have that luxury. The interesting variable is that Beijing has sat up to think. The Chinese do not reveal their worries readily, but they cannot hide the growing fret-lines anymore. When Prime Minister Modi’s National Security
Advisor Ajit Doval visits Beijing in the coming days for preparatory talks, he will — hopefully — be discussing more than tensions along the Himalayan border between India and China. Al Qaeda might, in fact, be the weak link in terrorist chains nurtured within the homeland of terror. Other, stronger, and even more vicious groups have emerged within the Sunni south-west and west Asia.

The message from India, Japan, Australia and hopefully China is that we will not permit the commanders of chaos to prevail. We want the joy of a garden, not the ghosts of a graveyard.

The article is written by M J Akbar. He is the national spokesperson of Bhartiya Janata Party. The views expressed are his own. 

In his first address to the members of both houses of the 16^th Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, President Pranab Mukherjee outlined the BJP led NDA Government’s commitment of eliminating poverty. This was followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to both the houses who reiterated that the, “the poor have the first right to the government’s resources”. Unlike the previous Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, who stated that the government’s resources first belong to a specific community.

Cut to 2014, after the election of a stable government, the nation witnessed the synergized vision of both the President and the Prime Minister through their respective speeches. Having observed Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Chief Ministership in Gujarat as well as during his election campaign, a discernable factor that comes across strongly is that his eyes are strongly set on the future while shaping the present. In order to drive towards his long term vision, short term goals are envisaged and designed.

Completing 100 days in office, the BJP led NDA Government has taken effective strides with an impetus on rural development to eliminate poverty.

Swachch Bharat by 2019

For the first time from the ramparts of Red fort on August 15, we witnessed a Prime Minister making sanitation a national issue. Ending open defecation is the first and the most essential step to fight and eliminate poverty. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over Gujarat in 2001, one of the decisive steps he took was to ensure adequate toilets were built specifically for girls in schools. Therefore it does not come as a surprise that the Prime Minister has urged MPs to contribute to building toilets for school girls through their Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) funds.

Health experts will agree that cleanliness will not only contribute to end innumerable diseases but also to tackle the silent epidemic of malnutrition. Notably, the mission to end open defecation for a clean India by 2019 as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi found an unusual backer in Jairam Ramesh, former Rajya Sabha MP from the Congress and Rural Development Minister, who said “I have been saying that making India open defecation free should be a national junoon, a national obsession, now Mr. Modi is taking that forward with his Swachch Bharat Mission.”

Sansad Adarsh Gaon Yojana

Apart from contributing to policy making through legislations, MPs now have an important responsibility, i.e., to develop one village in his or her constituency into a model village. Though complete details of this programme is awaited on October 11, Jai Prakash Narayan’s birthday, the vision behind the programme is that MPs have to develop one village a year, or five during a full parliamentary term. The scheme, though launched this year, will be fully operational only in fiscal 2015-16, and after 2016, “a parliamentarian should develop two more villages by 2019.” Clearly the programme is envisioned to ensure MPs are rooted to their constituencies. In the socio-political set up in India, examples are galore of those leaders who were not rooted to their constituencies being uprooted by the people. In that sense, Sansad Adarsh Gaon Yojana is a welcome move.

Reinventing MGNREGA

Reinventing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) as a productive programme reiterates the government’s commitment to the poor. The UPA government initiated MGNREGA in order to provide 100 days of employment per person in rural areas. Instead of disbanding the programme, the BJP led NDA government came out with guidelines and budgetary provisions to reinvent the programme. The government has reinvented MGNREGA with two key objectives; one is to provide employment as promised, and two is to ensure that the programme enables creation of assets which the villages can later acquire. Anyone nuanced with rural development will know this is an incredible value addition and a big plus.

 ‘Poor first’ at WTO

In his meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry, Prime Minister Modi stated that one of the biggest challenges in front of his government was to tackle poverty and he believed that it’s the Governments’ duty to address the problems faced by the people belonging to deprived sections. These words to John Kerry came soon after India vetoed the passage of the World Trade Organization’s first trade facilitation agreement. At the very outset, the Government was clear that ensuring food for its people is a priority. True to this, the Indian government sought permanent protection to its food subsidies from WTO caps, which incidentally found no takers. This was after; India reiterated that the grains procured to fight hunger shouldn’t be included under WTO restricted subsidies.

And guess what, surprisingly, India’s decision was vindicated when a UN body, the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) backed its decision. IFAD maintained that ensuring food for its people is of significant importance to a nation.

Ensuring Purchasing Power through Jan Dhan Yojana

During his campaign prior to Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had emphasized that one of the most vital duties of his government will be to ensure purchasing power to the poor. Yes purchasing power to the poor, and this was rarely highlighted or for that matter discussed or debated by the media.

Successive governments have promised financial inclusion, but till date none have translated their words into action. Banks have just not been able to expand their facilities in rural areas; there are numerous cases where women have to travel close to 80-90 kms to reach their banks from their villages.

Jan Dhan Yojana is an apt of example of not just financial inclusion of the deprived sections of the society but also ensuring these sections have access to banking facilities as well. Broadly, Jan Dhan Yojana aims to ensure purchasing power to the poor, imbibe the habit of savings, and lastly weed out corruption, as there will be no intermediaries involved.

Empowering villages through Digital India

Some of the words which come to our mind when we ask someone about infrastructure development include development of roads, ports, and airports to name a few. But rare are the governments which have been focused at connecting every village with optical fibre networks. ‘Move from High ways to Information ways’, this is the precise vision with which the BJP led Government has embarked on the much acclaimed Digital India programme. The programme seeks to prepare India for a knowledge future.

The aims of the programme include, developing a digital infrastructure which can deliver can government services, a real time financial transaction platform for citizens, and to digitize all documents. The Government has enlisted specific targets, which is to ensure broadband connectivity to 2.5 lakh villages and making as many schools Wi-Fi enabled by 2019. With the Government’s intentions being to develop states in order to develop India, the ambitious goal of delivering all government services in less than four years seems prospective and definitely achievable.

In one of his notes left behind in 1948, Mahatma Gandhi said, “I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man or woman whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will he or she gain anything by it? Will it restore him or her to a control over his or her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and yourself melt away.” In these 100 days, what is clearly discernible is the BJP led NDA Government under Prime Minister Modi has thought through the aforesaid test to design and reinvent programmes to eliminate the menace of poverty.

 The article is written by Sudarshan Ramabadran. He is a Research Assistant at India Foundation. The views expressed are his own. 

The Pakistani military operation Zarb-e-Azb, launched against the Taliban in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) is now in its third month.The Pakistan Army is committed to take on militants of all hues, particularly the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its foreign allies such as al Qaeda and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). The US is hoping that they will also dismantle the Haqqani network and other Afghan based groups operating from NWA against Afghanistan. Public support for the operation remains high, but militarily, much remains to be done. Despite claims of success by the Pakistan military, the ground reality is more sobering.

In spite of the fact that ground troops have been operating in the area for quite some time now, the Pakistan Army’s reliance on aerial strikes remains paramount. The Army continues to claim success through aerial attacks using fighter jet aircraft, but no such success has been claimed by ground troops. High-speed aircraft have great relevance in conventional conflict but have limited application in confronting small groups of insurgents. The claims of the Army are hence suspect and in all probability are highly exaggerated. In any event, no leader of consequence has either been captured or killed in the army operation. All that has happened is that the militants have been displaced for the time being from the territory they were holding.

Having a safe territorial base to operate from is certainly an advantage for the militants. It permits them safe bases for recruitment, planning, training and execution of operations against the state. To that extent, the loss of a sophisticated physical terror infrastructure, where they enjoyed facilities to make bombs, manufacture weapons and train recruits is a serious setback to the militant groups that were operating out of NWA. However, the loss is by no means crippling. Dispersal of militants has not affected their core strength, which remains intact. Regrouping to a different area is simply a matter of time. As an example, the TTP reconstituted itself in NWA after being ejected from their strongholds and ancestral homeland in the Mehsud tribal areas of South Waziristan in 2009. In the instant case, Taliban fighters have moved into the Shawal Valley and to areas such asDattaKhel sub-district, home to the Hafiz GulBahadur Taliban faction with which the Pakistani government has maintained a long-standing truce. It is not clear whether the Army will open yet another front to hunt down the displaced TTP, IMU and al Qaeda fighters. Many militants have also fled further west into Afghanistan, where the Pakistan military will not be able to reach. The Afghanistan government is embroiled in its own battles and has neither the capacity nor the desire to look into Pakistani concerns with respect to such fighters.

How Pakistan deals with the Haqqani network will indicate its sincerity in eradicating terrorism from its soil. However, Pakistan is unlikely to target the Haqqani network as they view the group as their strategic assets in Afghanistan.It is no secret that since the start of Zarb-e-Azb, no Haqqani fighter has been killed or captured over the course of the operations.Reports indicate that the Haqqani network had relocated to Parachinar in Kurram Agency, even before the start of Zarb-e-Azb, sometime in May this year. Kurram Agency is surrounded by Afghanistan from three sides and is closest to Kabul. It makes sense for Pakistan to support the Haqqani network, as they would be valuable assets in any Afghanistan configuration, post the withdrawal of US forces by end of 2014. Officially, the Haqqani network is part of the Afghan Taliban led by Mullah Omar. However, the group maintains distinct command and control systems and has close ties with the Al Qaeda and other foreign extremists in Pakistan.

North Waziristan, where operations are currently underway, is but one base of the militants. As of now, the networks of various militant groups such as the TTP, al Qaida and Haqqani, has spread far beyond North Waziristan to tribal areas such as Mohmand and to Kunar and Nuristan provinces in Afghanistan. Metropolises like Karachi too are severely affected. For the Pakistan state to win its war against terror, it will have to pursue these groups throughout the length and breadth of Pakistan, where they have support.

Pakistan’s counterinsurgency doctrine advocates the use of aerial strikes, artillery bombardment and employment of armour for conduct of operations. The mass evacuation of local populations therefore takes place to facilitate military operations. The Pakistan Army did this earlier in the Swat Valley and in South Waziristan Agency (SWA). However, success of any counterinsurgency operation has to have the support of the local population. A displaced population whose homes have been ravaged, looted and reduced to rubble is unlikely to extend any form of support to the Pakistan military when they return. In NWA, the conflict has forced a million people from their homes as recorded by the Pakistani authorities. The number of internally displaced persons (IDP) is possibly even higher, as the figures from the camps established by the Pakistan government do not take into account those that fled west to Afghanistan. More importantly, most Taliban fighters from all groups left the area well before the launch of operations by the Pakistan Army. Many also slipped through with the fleeing IDPs.

The long-term prognosis for the region is therefore bleak. The Pakistan military will perforce have to remain deployed in the areas they have cleared of militants, to prevent the return of militants. In the earlier operations conducted in the Swat Valley and SWA, the Pakistani Army continues to maintain a heavy deployment of troops. The Pakistan Army lacks the capacity to deploy in each and every area where militants are operating. To do so, they would have to raise a very large counterinsurgency force to combat terrorist activity, but the Pakistani economy, already at the break point, will not be able to absorb such expenses. The future hence looks bleak. The war is far from over. It has perhaps only just begun.

The article is written by Major General Dhruv C Katoch (Retd) who is the Director of Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS). The views expressed are his own.