Sunday, November 14, 2010

Comparing Suu Kyi and Benazir

Some wise person said, "History is written by the winners". cHindu proves that a very insane short sighted media in the modern age is redefining how history is being written. Nirupama Subramanian in her piece Two daughters of the East, their different flight paths details a weird comparison of Nobel winner Suu Kyi and former Pak PM Benazir.
The larger context is vague, since anyone could make a comparison between two people like for example George Bush with Abraham Lincoln or Nehru with Lee Kuan Yew and so on. This article intends no disrespect to the dead but one should look at facts.
Nirupama has portrayed a very favorable impression of Benazir as a leader who tried to transform Pakistan into a vibrant democracy belied by the Army. She seeks to conveniently forget that this is the same Benazir who ordered the support for Kashmir militancy and increased funding to the ISI and growth of the Taliban in the 90s. Or the fact that her husband and current PM Zardari, has by most accounts, been the alleged lynchpin of corruption in the Pakistani Government (think his nickname was Mr. Ten Percent or something).
The expectation was that she and Gen. Musharraf would rule Pakistan together, she as the Prime Minister and he as President. That would have eased the world's conscience as it supported a military ruler seen by the West as essential to its plans in the region. He had become extremely unpopular in Pakistan but Benazir's democratic credentials were to come to his and the world's rescue.

Whats next Nirupama, comparing Rahul with Obama?

3 comments:

Xinhua Ram said...

The writer had the noble intention of entertaining the folks in the geriatric ward. That is all I can think of.

Dirt Digger said...

XR,
Its really a rogues gallery of rabid writers or wacky wierdos. Even media like Fox News or CNN IBN has some balanced journalists. cHindu has no one. Sad indeed.

kuttychathan said...

Pak is another bitch's (Anita Joshua) territory. Why Nirupama strays into her's?