cHindu request nominations for Best Fiction Award 2010

We the writers on this blog would like to nominate the following for the cHindu best fiction awards:
Best Paki-loving writer: Sidd V
Best Loony Judicial writer: Hon. Kris Iyer
and last but not least,
Best "Editor": LiC

Let us know who else should be nominated for the Fiction Awards :)

Digvijay Alleges RSS Received Funds From ISI!!

In case anyone was thinking this was from The Onion, it is not. This comes from Congress leader Digvijay Singh in an interview in the latest issue of Frontline:
"The same ideology and the same people can set up an organisation under a different name. The RSS itself has more than a thousand organisations. Similarly, the Lashkar-e-Taiba, too, has a front organisation that does charity work. It is the people behind this ideology – whether Hindu or Muslim – who have to be closely followed and investigated. For example, elements within the RSS itself have alleged that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Indresh Kumar were receiving money from the ISI [Inter-Services Intelligence]. I am not alleging this. I think all these allegations should be closely investigated."[emphasis added]

Never mind the comparison of RSS with LeT, a favorite leftist trope these days but Mohan Bhagwat and Indresh Kumar receiving ISI funds? Is this a complete fabrication or is he repeating an allegation someone else made? Who exactly are these "elements with the RSS itself" that he refers to? It seems too wild and absurd to be worthy of comment but still, has the RSS said anything about this?

Turning a blind eye to the WikiLeaks release

In what can be termed as predictable by cHindu standards, the editorial Probe the policy, not the leak was quick to blame the US Govt's policy in Afghanistan and missed the bigger picture. India's interests of national security in the region lie firmly with a stable democratic Afghanistan which is unlikely to happen until Pakistan (and its ISI minions) stop interfering in the Afghan war by supporting the Taliban.
Wonder how long it will take Sid V and his boss LiC to talk about the real issue, how Pakistan is stabbing the US in the back while setting up India to fight the terrorists from Af-pak?

NATO Withdrawal and the Fiction of Resolving Afghanistan through Diplomatic Conferences

The Hindu repeats its prescription for an immediate withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan and an international conference leading to a pledge of non-interference in Afghan affairs along the lines of the July 1962 Neutrality of Laos declaration as the way forward. I repeat what I had written in an earlier post about why this suggestion is contrary to Indian interests in Afghanistan and why such conference pledges cannot be enforced and will bring neither peace nor stability to that state. One need look no further for proof than the Laos declaration itself which failed to halt the civil war in that country. The suggestion that such a declaration may "pave the way for an Afghan solution to nation rebuilding - one that will hopefully reject the Taliban" is bewilderingly naive and ludicrous. If the Taliban could have been stopped through declarations, it would surely have happened a long time ago.

The suggestion serves Pakistan's interests which has assiduously nurtured the insurgents as numerous reports including the most recent one in today's NYT make clear. A withdrawal of foreign troops may very well happen with the souring of the public mood in the NATO member countries but it would be a greater disaster if done precipitously as The Hindu asks for. Any definite departure date will only prepone the civil war which is likely to ensue in the aftermath. In fact, with Obama's 2011 drawdown date and the conference's aim to transfer all control by 2014, there are real signals that parties have begun to prepare for this eventuality.

This is not to say that attempts to reconcile the divergent interests of Afghanistan's neighbors and India should not be attempted but that hard task is not going to be made any easier by a withdrawal. Quite the contrary. This very difficult task may be, if at all, slightly easier with NATO troops still firmly entrenched in the region.

Presently, it appears that Pakistan does not perceive a democratic Afghanistan to be in its interests and believes it can prevail with the help of its proxies. Any solution to the conundrum must squarely address this perception either by altering it through diplomatic persuasion or by raising the costs of pursuing efforts towards this end. The former route has been the preferred choice but has yielded no results and besides a few drone attacks, there is little political support for the latter. At the moment, there is no real hope of a change in that deadlock which means the fate of Afghanistan will probably be once again determined in future by force. Hopefully, India too is preparing for a post-NATO Afghanistan. It remains to be seen whether India will go back to supporting the erstwhile Northern alliance along with Iran and Russia in any civil conflict or will attempt to find allies among the Pashtun groups this time.

Mount Road declares independence from Chennai.

The International Court of Justice took a very radical decision when it upheld the separation of Kosovo from Serbia. This will probably lead to more states asking for separation.

The long-awaited ruling — which the court took up after a complaint to the U.N. from Serbia — is now likely to lead to more countries recognising Kosovo's independence and move Pristina closer to entry into the U.N. Kosovo's statehood is backed by 69 countries but it requires over 100 before it can join the U.N.
Announcing the decision, the Court of Justice President, Hisashi Owada, said international law contains no “prohibition on declarations of independence”. Though both Belgrade and Pristina had said they were confident of a ruling in their favour, speculation began to emerge a few hours before announcement in the Hague that the decision — which is not legally binding — had gone Kosovo's way.

The interesting words here - "Legally binding". Does that mean that me and my friends in Avadi or Thenkasi can apply for secession with the Hague and start printing Tam-rupee notes with photos of Monkeys and Politicians?

N.Ram exercises his 'free' speech

Kanchan Gupta wrote about how 'free' media is maligning the RSS. N.Ram needs no invitation to exercise his freedom. The secular investigators found that the Godhra train was gutted by spontaneous combustion. It would be surprising if these secular investigators did not find a way to lead the terror trail to the heart of the Sangh. But the one point everyone is carefully avoiding is educating us on Hindutva terror. What exactly does Hindutva terror mean? Who cares as long as it serves the political purpose of the establishment to crush the already weak opposition.
The Hindu : Today's Paper / OPINION : Hooliganism pure and simple

But equally, there is no denying that the Hindutva terror trail is inching towards the heart of the Sangh.

N.Ram says burqa is oppressive

In what must be one of those rare moments when chindu says anything mildly critical of Islam, N.Ram says burqa is unquestionably an oppressive garment that seeks to keep those who wear it imprisoned behind a screen. Quick, print out copies of this and distribute it to the mullahs and those islamic rage boys who deliver instant justice.

N.Ram says burqa is oppressive, keeps those who wear it improsined behind a screen, backward looking, misogynist, antithesis of liberté, égalité, fraternité and against national motto of France. Phew! And the downside to banning the burqa is radicalisation of muslims. The argument against the ban is terribly weak. By allowing burqas, it is discouraging the integration of muslims into the French society and promoting ghettoisation, eventually leading to radicalisation. France better stand up for the humanitarian values that define its nation. N.Ram will of course never get to do that because he is an appeaser of islam.

The Hindu : Today's Paper / OPINION : To ban or not to ban

The burqa (not to mention the niqab) is unquestionably an oppressive garment that seeks, as Mr. Sarkozy pointed out, to keep those who wear it imprisoned “behind a screen.” It is nowhere prescribed in the Koran but has been imposed on millions of women by sections of the clergy — all of them male — who have interpreted religious texts to suit their backward-looking religious or political agenda. That many Muslim women seem willing to embrace the veil ... speaks more of their successful co-option in a misogynist project that is the antithesis of liberté, égalité, fraternité — values that go back to the French Revolution and are the proclaimed national motto of France.

‘Free’ media tars RSS with fiction

People complain of criminalisation of politics. But it could not have come to this stage if not for a greater criminalisation of media. Media is emulating such extraordinary standards of corruption that the politicians know they can wash away their sins even without a confession. In the present scheme of things, media is at the top of the food chain, having politicians for breakfast. At the bottom of the food chain are hindus. And when it comes to hounding the hindus, both the media and politicians gang up. Lets not get to the rabid dogs, the violent pigs and the unscrupulous hyenas.

The zealousness with which media followed the Sadhvi Pragya Singh case, the Kanchi Shankaracharya case, or Swami Nityananda case and the ease with which it brandished the label "hindu terrorism" is appalling. We have repeatedly pointed out on this blog how hindus have been demonised and how islamic violence has been justified. The media has equated freedom with absolute freedom with no accountability, and in reality, there is no one to cage this media monster.

The
Pioneer > Online Edition : >> ‘Free’ media tars RSS with
fiction

But what is objectionable is the attempt to
disguise biased writing and distortion of the truth as “freedom of
expression”. The ongoing campaign of calumny to demonise the RSS and
denigrate Hindus by painting the first as a sponsor of terrorism and the
second as a community of terrorists is by no stretch of the imagination
‘freedom of expression’. Nor does media have the freedom to malign or
defame individuals and then seek shelter in its presumed immunity from
scrutiny.

Had it not been so, our
‘free’ media, a large section of which thrives on ‘paid news’, would
have reported that the investigating agencies have failed to come up
with any evidence to make their charges against Sadhvi Pragya Singh
Thakur and Colonel Srikant Prasad Purohit stick. ... That it’s been two years since they were
arrested and have been in jail without being prosecuted or formally
charged.

Naxalism is being thrust upon us

this is in response to mouly's comment on indian state being responsible for naxalism:
we do have our fair share of problems and people have different ways of responding to adversity. but it is interesting to note that naxalism originated in bengal in 70s when it was among the top few most prosperous states in the country. and it found resonance in andhra which was not in the bottom half in terms of state patronage, poverty or law enforcement. goes to show that naxalism did not germinate in state failure alone.

once the ideology found its roots, it is easy to see how naxalism spread to those parts reeling under anarchy but i wouldnt attribute naxalism to state failure within the indian context. equally, it is easy to see how naxalism could have been nipped in the bud had the state been strong.

but as XR has said, it is the marxists who tend to attribute the birth or naxalism to state failure. it appears as a lame excuse to justify their existence and their fight against the state itself. "you created me because you failed, so i am going to fight against you" is a poor justification. instead, "you created me because you failed, so i am going to compensate for your weakness" is a more constructive approach. the latter is representative of indian ethos. this is the reason why we see citizen initiatives where the state has failed miserably in providing basic amenities. this is the reason why we dont see a million mutinies a day like in china. naxalism does not have any basis in indian culture; it is being thrust upon us and is trying to find some legitimacy.

Gratuitous advice from V.R.Krishna Iyer

The senile old man is back again, this time giving gratuitous advice on tackling naxalism. VR Krishna Iyer says the state failed, leading to extremism. So, when exactly did the Indian state failed? Did extremism exist before that point? Was there extremism even before the state came into existence? Why dont we link naxalism to emergency, when the Indian state did actually fail?

Wrong analysis can only lead to wrong conclusions. Getting into peace talks with naxals who refuse to put down their arms did not yield any results in Andhra Pradesh. Armed conflict with the state is now an intrinsic aspect of the naxal movement.

Finally, Swami Agnivesh is that useful idiot whom the Christist missionaries use for their subversive activities. No wonder VRK Iyer treats him as a darling.

The Hindu : Today's Paper / OPINION : An appeal to India's conscience

Inevitably, when the state failed the confidence of the people they took to the streets, to the jungle and to lawlessness. Terrorism was the next step, ubiquitously shaking up peace and the sense of safety and development. This is the genesis of Naxalism, Maoism and other forms of extremism.

Selling Pakistan as India's friend

Coming back after a long absence, I'm not surprised to see cHindu becoming Pakistan's propaganda machine.
There were multiple articles portraying the epicenter of world terrorism as a friend of India starting with an editorial by LiC - China, India, and Pakistan
LiC states -

Presidents Zardari and Hu Jintao jointly pledged to fight the “three forces” of extremism, terrorism, and separatism. However, there was no official word from China on its nuclear cooperation with Pakistan, although it is definitely on the cards.

He goes on to defend China's track record with Pakistan stating,

It is true that the relations Pakistan has with China are the best it has with any country in the world. They have withstood the strain of shifting international relations for more than 60 years. However, it is by no means a problem-free friendship.

Perhaps providing one nation with nuclear weapons is indeed a deep act of friendship.
The next article is another love Pakistan article by Suhasini Haidar - Ending the zero-sum game. The entire article goes on to summarily state that Pakistan is a huge victim of terrorism claiming multiple attacks on minorities as examples. However the writer takes a passive stand ending the article with a vague statement,

eventually, it is only in Islamabad's realisation that working against the LeT and other anti-India groups is in its own best interests that would change the discourse from its unproductive past.

The next article Transnational terror needs cross-border cooperation - by Sandeep Dikshit and Anita Joshua. This is another apologist article wringing its hands that Pakistan's internal operations were tied down because of internal social problems prevent Pakistan from acting on LeT and JuD.

Even if there is actual cooperation, Hafiz Saeed remains an irritant and from what most security experts have to say, this will keep festering as Pakistan can ill afford to repeat a Lal Masjid. Explains Imtiaz Gul, author of The Al Qaeda Connection and Executive Director of the Centre for Research and Security Studies: “There are political and social compulsions; can we deal with the fallout in case Saeed is ‘harmed' in any way? We are still suffering the consequences of the Lal Masjid operation [July 10, 2007] involving a small group that has now resulted in the Ghazi Force. Taking on the LeT would probably result in far graver consequences [hence the tolerance, and reluctance to crack down on them]. How do you deal with the hundreds of thousands of students at Jama'at-ud-Da'wah [JuD] madrasas if they were to see the state coming down hard on them?

Perhaps its time for cHindu to change its tagline to National Paper of China and Pakistan...

Beijing is national news

When chindu is saying Beijing is national, you begin to wonder which nation it is referring to. At this rate, very soon, I am expecting chindu to say, "We, the Chinese".

Religious indoctrination in Kashmir

This is the kind of honesty and introspection we expect from chindu too. There is no point trying to black out islamic violence or projecting it in some form of non-religious, peaceful protest against some form of marginalisation. The violence in Kashmir or the terrorism perpetrated by LeT, IM, SIMI etc is arising out of an ideology rooted in Islam. We need honesty and courage to acknowledge and fight such dangerous ideologies. At the moment, it appears as if we have fallen into the islamist trap which is keeping the ideology glued to religion.
The Hindu : Today's Paper / OPINION : Kashmir's politicians must act

He sharply criticised those who perpetuated a culture of hate by telling their children they had no future in a “Hindu country.” This is the kind of honesty and introspection needed if a way forward is to be found.

CPI(M)'s terrorist links

It is time to start to calling for a ban on CPI(M).
The Pioneer > Online Edition : >> Cynical politicsweak state

One of the senior-most police officers from the State, Mr Tomin J Thachankary, was found visiting Gulf countries and meeting several fugitives from the law who are wanted for their links to the Indian Mujahideen. ... The police officer has found support from Kerala’s Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan.

Britons uneasy with Islam; chindu upset

Hasan Suroor is surprised at the poll findings in Britain on Islam. He uses the opportunity to do some propaganda for Islam and there is always space for such propaganda in chindu. Suroor tells us so much about the bunch of people carefully selected to be the face of Islam. But Suroor avoids telling us is the other side of the story: why do Britons hold such negative attitude towards Islam although it is not evidently visible in public sphere and what could it mean to future of muslims in Britain? May be he could choose a few faces from among the protesters who shouted slogans against the soldiers coming home from Afghanistan.

Dragging in Americans and comparing muslims with other immigrant groups is unbecoming. Such attitude has been the trend in chindu for a while now. In an eagerness to pander to muslim sensitivities, all decorum of decency is being discarded.
The Hindu : Today's Paper / OPINION : British Muslims: countering negative images

But what about Muslims themselves? Have they ever asked themselves why
the whole world appears to be against them? It is a bit like the
Americans who never tire of moaning how everyone is against them but
seldom pause to ask: why?

Indeed, in many ways, they are more culturally integrated than some of the apparently more “secular” immigrant groups.

Machiavellian theories on terrorism

This article compares chindu and Pioneer articles on Hindutva terror. We did notice how Praveen Swami showed eagerness in propagating speculative theories on hindutva terrorism.

http://cbcnn.blogspot.com/2010/02/praveen-swami-plumbs-depths-of-yellow.html
http://cbcnn.blogspot.com/2010/02/tilak-started-hindutva-terrorism-says.html
http://cbcnn.blogspot.com/2010/04/from-praveen-swami-with-hate.html

(Hat tip: KHR)