Hello!
Most of you have already read this post on my facebook notes. Wanted this to appear here in the first place, but coz of some problem with the blog site, couldn't do so. Finally it's back into action and here's the same post, coming on my blog, for the records! For those who've not gone through this, it all goes on from here....
It’s been ages I wrote a blog, and while watching the live telecast of Barack Obama’s interaction with the college students at St. Xaviers College, there’s something which struck me and have been thinking on it for quite sometime.
I’ll come to the point directly. While interaction, a girl by the name Aashi Jain (if am not wrong) from HR College questioned the President as to why Pakistan is not tagged as terrorists country by the US Govt. And basically this blog-post is for this young lady with the specs (as the President called her) and to everyone else who wants to call Pakistan a terrorist state. And so, I’ll be glad if you can help me pass on this blog to the said girl from HR.
Also, before I begin, just a disclaimer, that I was so engrossed in my own thoughts to what to write in this blog the moment heard the question, am sorry didn’t pay attention to what the President replied. And yeah, whatever my views are on the topic, are my own views, few of them personal experiences, and that do not take these as the facts as I maybe right or wrong, they’re my personal views. Everyone out there reading this have all the rights to oppose or support them.
The simple thing to understand is, why do you want to tag a country as terrorist state in the first place? Just ‘coz its Pakistan, the country with whom India has chattis-ka-aakra? There are few people in the political arena over there who wants to cast as many wounds to India, as they can. Reason? Something they heard about India which was hard for them to buy it. Alas! They created few terrorists group which can be used to create punctures in India. I guess, Jihad is what they call to this thrill in them. But it is only by the little, handful of the ruling class. The common man over there is, is as common as you and me here in India. What they know is to wake up in the morning, work the whole day to earn some bread for the family and sleep in the night, soundly. The only opposition comes when there’s India-Pakistan cricket match. Call these simple people terrorists and then imagine what their condition will turn into.
Rather, will just turn the table for a moment. Who are terrorists? A dictionary meaning for the word terrorists describe it like this : A radical who employs terror as a political weapon; usually organizes with other terrorists in small cells; often uses religion as a cover for terrorist activities
Get to the two son of the soil political parties residing in the state of Maharashtra. They use violence as a method, to harm innocent individuals from other states of the country. Why ain’t these political parties be tagged as terrorists organization? They fit the bill of a terrorist completely? The idea is, it’s only few ruling people who have political interest to create a fortress out of nothing. The common man here as well, in spite of these odds, wakes up in the morning, works the whole day to earn some bread and sleeps in the night, soundly. And similar to this condition in Maharashtra, am sure there are different versions of the same story in every state. The govt around have lot of corrupt individuals. The recent Adarsh Building scam is one of those countless examples for this statement.
With this thing in our mind, how will you feel when a Pakistani stands up in front of the world as asks, “Why isn’t India called a house of terrorist organizations?”
The point am trying to make here is, you can’t simply blame someone, for something. Let me give you an example which can make my point clearer. Few months ago, I visited the valley. Valley, in general as a word, is a direct point of access to Jammu & Kashmir. I had heard a lot about the valley under constant terrorist threat. It isn’t safe to be in the valley as is constant threat to one’s life. Terrorists inhibit there and blah blah. When you hear such news, what kind of perception do you tend to form for the native of J&K. That everyone over there are suspected terrorists? If yes, I beg to differ. When I visited the valley, I surely got the biggest shock. Have expected them to be rude and arrogant and all that. But in reality, Kashmiris were absolute hospitable, humble in personality. Expected the place to be full of army and police personnel, as the news said, but felt it was like any other Indian city where people throng around the market-place, screaming, enjoying. The only difference was the presence of army people at a distance of every 100 mts. The shopkeepers tried to help us find the perfect souvenir with keen interest to know what is going on outside their state, how do we live, etc. Imagine how do they feel when it is said that terrorists inhabit the state of J&K? But in spite, they were humble.
Am from media background and in our curriculum, in one of the subjects (don’t remember which one duh :P ) there’s a debate on whether Media can shape mass’s perspective. And a lot of votes go for the motion which says it does. The mass believes what the media tells you about. Whether it’s a fact or no is another question. And that is what happened with the case of J&K. I believed it to be completely different than what I saw over there. Also, my opinions can be counter-questioned for the amount of time I spent over there to realize what is reality. Whatever the case may be, I will still think J&K to be something what I’ve seen with my eyes than what I hear from the media.
Coming back to the main topic, whether Pakistan should be tagged as a terrorist state, I feel there’s a lot n lot to ponder about before that.
Again I’ll say whatever said, may not be the fact, but are my personal opinion. Thank You for wasting your precious time behind this blog! I appreciate it.
And also, ponder on what Obama said, and so does our very own Prof. Sudhakar SolomonRaj after every peace talks, “How can you make this world a better place to live?”
First of all, amazing post. Very insightful and heartfelt. I largely agree to what you've said. Clearly, the question was inappropriately phrased. But it's a very popular one in the minds of many Indians, Americans and even Brits. India doesn't brand any country as a terrorist state. However, a country like the US which prances around branding scores of nations as rouge regimes and terrorist states would have probably done the same with Pakistan long ago, if it weren't for it's national interests. I think, the question was meant to put the President on the spot regarding US double standards. Although, I do believe she should have framed it better.
ReplyDeleteOf course we, as Indians should NEVER call names. My Pakistani flatmate is one of the humblest guys I know. But it's awkward when we speak terrorism. Media needs to send its journalists to Pakistan to really understand them, so they can better report on them.
I have no clue of Brits, until you said it, Mr Jamaican!
ReplyDeleteAnd since you shifted your base to UK, you'll have lot of ideas on how a Brit will look into this over there.
And about your comment on journalists goin to Pak to understand them so as to better report them, don't know how far this thing will will. Coz that always remind me of my experience of J&K and what I get to read in newspapers...