My Thoughts on India & Pakistan Celebrating 60 Years of Independence

Exactly 10 years ago, my family and I were celebrating India's 50th Independence Day in Jaipur. Exactly 60 years ago, India got its Independence from the UK, and broke-up into three parts: West Pakistan, India, and East Pakistan. Twenty-four years later, in 1971, East Pakistan became its own nation-state, Bangladesh. Two of the three are celebrating their Independence from the British this week; yesterday Pakistan, today India. And even though all three parts have been Independent from the British for the same length of time, there couldn't be greater contrast in their progress since then (or lack thereof in the case of two of them).

Yesterday, President Musharraf focussed on terrorism in his Independence Day speech, while India's first, and newly elected female President, Pratibha Patil, focused on spreading the benefits of economic growth to all. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, went a step further and said "the best is yet to come" and made concrete promises about eradicating "malnutrition within five years". Poor Mushie, he was reduced to defending his foreign policy motives ("I see everything from Pakistan's point of view. Now if Pakistan's point of view suits America, all right.") and re-assuring his people that America would not attack them ("I am 200% sure that these [comments] are neither at official nor at government level"). 200%!


The two greatest men of Pakistan and India, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. It is ironic that the two English-trained lawyers who fought for two different great causes, originally came from the same area in Gujarat, India.
Though Indians may not look favourably upon the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and his fight for an independent Muslim state, (though he was hardly a practising one himself!), I am quite satisfied with the fact we Partitioned. Imagine if the people and politicians of modern India, would've had to deal with all those extra Islamic extremists in Pakistan and Bangladesh? Thank you very much, but I think we've got enough problems of our own... internal terrorist threats included, but I'd argue that none of them are as grave as the problems that affect our neighbours. At least with Naxalite rebels and ULFA extremists, you can negotiate an economic and political solution. But with Islamic extremists, it is much more difficult to negotiate a settlement when the Quran is non-negotiable.

The fact that India has only a Muslim minority, makes it all the more difficult for Islamic extremists within India, to rise-up with popular support. 60 years ago, the Muslims in Greater India did have the popular majority in two parts of the country and got their piece of the pie. Though ironically, they were inspired and led to this freedom by a secular, pork-eating, wine-drinking, non-Urdu-speaking, non-religious moderate leader, Jinnah. But just because Jinnah didn't practise Wahabism, didn't prevent him from fighting for the rights of his religious community. My hope is that Indians will one-day recognize the fact, as I have come to see it, that Jinnah was actually a great leader who fought for a worthy cause, but without intending to, contributed to the creation of a monster. Not enough is written of it in mainstream history books, but the fact remains, Jinnah was ultimately inspired to fight for an independent Muslim state in South Asia because of Atatürk's success in uniting and modernizing a poverty-ridden, outdated Muslim society in nearby Turkey. Even today, President Musharraf extols his ambition to lead Pakistan back to the future by following the example of Atatürk. Unfortunately for us Indians, and now even the world (since 9/11); Jinnah died of TB in 1948, a year after Pakistan's independence. Jinnah would've been Pakistan's Nehru. An idealistic statesman, committed to establishing a modern democratic state, but without a clue about economics.

I admit, this is an extremely simplistic analysis, and ignores Jinnah's role in "encouraging" Afghan rebels to invade Kashmir, immediately after Independence. This led to the First Indo-Pakistani War (of 1947), the Kashmiri Maharaja's cry of help to Indian Prime Minister Nehru, and the subsequently controversial, Instrument of Accession (to the Indian Union), in October 1947. It also ignores the worrying dictatorial methods of Jinnah, both during the fight for Pakistan, and upon his elevation to Governor-General at Independence. And there are obviously many more reasons why Indians can harbour negative feelings against him, but I think it is better to draw conclusions based on what has also happened in Pakistan since Independence. In that light, it is obvious that however much trouble Jinnah might've directed at India, it would've been in our interests for him to have modernised and de-extremised his Islamic-majority Pakistan. That is how we should judge history. Not just by what happened then, but also by how things have turned out, (and could've been). It is ironic then, that Musharraf also draws parallels to Atatürk's Turkey today, just as Jinnah did more than 60 years ago. We Indians may not like Musharraf for his perceived hatred towards secular, non-Islamised India; but as I said about Jinnah, Mushie is our best bet to modernise and control Pakistan's extremism. But unlike Jinnah, he doesn't just have dictatorial tendencies... he is a dictator!

On that rather bittersweet note, I'd like to congratulate both India and Pakistan on their 60th anniversaries. India-Pakistan Zindabad!

Crikey! Why Politicians Should Never Be Believed: Anywhere and Everywhere

17 months ago, the Australian Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, said his government would not sell uranium to India ("We don't have any current intentions of changing our policy"). He also said that if Australia did sell uranium to India then "it raises questions, of course, about Pakistan and then it raises questions about Israel", which on the face of it, was a legitimate concern. He then went on to say that "If we were ever to change it in the future that would be a matter that would require very careful examination. There'd have to be extremely compelling arguments for ... either this government or any future Australian government to do that and I haven't heard those compelling arguments. If you ever did, you would have to be very satisfied that in doing so, it didn't detract in any way at all from the NPT treaty. And you'd have to be pretty persuasive in not extending the same privilege to Pakistan & Israel."

It now appears that Downer has carefully examined the issue, heard the compelling arguments, been very satisfied in doing so, convinced it doesn't detract in any way at all from the NPT, and (*deep breath*) is prepared to be pretty persuasive in not extending the same privilege to Pakistan and Israel! :) One wonders how knowledgeable of foreign affairs, Foreign Ministers, anywhere and everywhere, really are before they get the job. Because it looks to me as though Downer's doing all the learning on the job. Which from an Indian perspective is working out extremely well, but Pakistanis are no doubt up in arms ("We won't consider selling uranium in Pakistan, because Pakistan has a long record of proliferation"), and the Australian Labor Party has responded in kind to the proposed sale ("Labour, which is riding high in the polls, will cancel any such nuclear deal with India if it won November's general election.")

As an Indian that has no respect whatsoever for the NPT, I welcome the change of heart with open arms. And who knows? The first sales might occur just as the Indian cricket team sets sail (or airborne, as is the case these days) for the Antipodes this Christmas. Oh, and Downer, it's the NPT. Not the NPT Treaty. Common error made by all and sundry, but it will be overlooked in the grand scheme of things. Even if you are Australia's longest serving Foreign Minister ever! Fair dinkum mate, and keep up the good work!

And just so everybody knows why Australia is in the news, it's because they own 30-40% of the world's uranium reserves!

20 Years In Oman -- A Journey in Full-Circle

Wow, I nearly forgot about this, even though I'd been planning to make a post about it for several weeks. Exactly 20 years ago, on August 15, 1987 (incidentally India's Independence Day); dad, mum, and I (but not my sis because she wasn't born yet), arrived in Oman for the first time! Not surprisingly, it was a very sunny day, though I only know that from what my parents have told me, but I do remember staying in the Holiday Inn for the first few days. Interestingly, the last place my parents and I lived in before moving to Oman, is the exact same place from which I'm making this post! Unfortunately, all the photos I have of our first few days in Oman, all of them taken at the Holiday Inn (including a few of Al Khuwair, as it was then, a desolate suburb, from our hotel window), are still in Oman. I've sent word to my sis to bring them with her on Saturday. If she does, rest assured I will share them with you.