WHEN WILL INDIA CELEBRATE DIWALI?

        Bikash Choudhury



My apartment lit up tonight

People say Diwali

Went out, felt, touched and smelt joy & happiness in the air

Long queue at sweet stall,

Children & young, mob cracker shop

It is all colors and lights on the street,

Homes all bright and beautiful with humble Dias,

Cheers flowing into the street,

But, I see young boy on the job still,

Family live under the sky on the street,

Ganga and Yamuna flow no more with eternal water,

Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai full of garbage,

When will India celebrate Diwali?

When will India celebrate Diwali?

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PAKISTAN HEADING TOWARDS ANOTHER MILITARY COUP?

BIKASH CHOUDHURY

American Military draw down in 2014 from Afghanistan is getting closer and Indian Western borders are hitting up. Last few months has seen a spurt in Indian casualties, both armed men and civilians with persistent violations of cease fire from Pakistani side. At one time Pakistani rangers are targeting over 50 Indian borders posts in Jammu & Kashmir; which can’t be considered an isolated incident. As Pakistan Prime Minister just before his American tour pleaded for American intervention on Kashmir issue. It was same Nawaj Sharif who publicly claimed to pursue the peace process with India during elections and also took the position that Pakistan Prime Minister would remain the boss (final arbiter) of Pakistan and not the Army Chief. However, just before his swearing in ceremony as Pakistan PM; Pakistan Army Chief Mr. Kayani met him and subsequently Nawaj Sarif had a climb down from his high horses and never repeated his formulations on India or Pak Army. What went wrong? What transpired between a reticent army chief and PM designate? Apparently, army chief would have put the PM in the making under notice on India and Pak Army/ISI. The recent desperation of Pak PM on Kashmir and his visit to America was an exercise to buy insurance from US President against its own army. Pakistan army is quietly planning to take over the country, once Americans pull out of Afghanistan to install a Taliban regime in Afghanistan with tacit American blessings. Therefore, Pak Army now deliberately wish to engage its political establishment in fire fighting in its eastern borders with India in order to dump it as and when it suits their strategy. History of over sixty years is replete with example of Army Coup in Pakistan that precedes a war or skirmishes with India. Will this be different this time? Only, time would tell.

However, Pakistan PM has been gullible enough to play into the designs of his own army and preparing the highway for his own exile from the country. Alternatively, Nawaj Sarif could do one thing; instead of dividing the country in four parts; he could divide the Pakistan Army in four geographical divisions with a full flezed General as Chief of Staff under nominal operational control of Pak Army Chief and guided by Pak PMO; while designing a suitable matrix organization for dual control over defense forces and with superiority of civilian Pakistani political leadership. And, at the same time it can deploy the army with full responsibility to tame the Jihadi elements inside Pakistan to weaken both to assert the political superiority.Nawaj Sarif should also use his political acumen to get all  the political parties in Parliament behind him to make Pak Army less Political and more professional; which should in the supreme interest Pakistani people. Last, but not the least, Pak PM should choose the next chief justice of Pak Supreme Court very wisely.

DOES PAKISTAN MERIT MILITARY AID?

Bikash Choudhury

American President Barak Obama was livid at Syrian onslaught on its own people with Chemical weapons; so much so that America was ready for a military strike on Syria without UNSC approval, which was averted eventually with intervention of Russian leader. However, successive US Presidents have generously provided Military Aid to Pakistan. That was instrumental in creating the TALIBAN which took over Afghanistan and gave sanctuary to Al Qaida leader for executing 9/11 that took over thousands of American lives in New York. Pakistan has also been responsible for aiding and abating terrorism against India for over sixty years that took almost million Indian lives. Why American establishment has so far ignored such blatant act of terror, in spite of classic and patented Pakistani duplicity? Adding insult to injury, American Govt. has just now released $1.6 billion USD to Pakistan as Military & Economic aid. Past experience of over half century if any guide then a large chunk of all aid to Pakistan is appropriated by Pakistan Military and also the same is routed to other Jihadi elements in clandestine manner. These Jihadi elements run organized terrorist campaign against India. Further, with each additional financial assistance Pakistani Military is getting stronger and democratic institutions relatively weaker; therefore, Pak Military lord over Pak foreign policy in South Asia and Strategic interest of Pakistan much against its democratically elected Govt. and its people. As a result of which Pakistani people are getting poorer and its military much richer. There is confusion in the minds of ordinary Pakistanis; if Pakistani Military mandate remains only to its territory or also to its people and their supreme interest.

                               Pakistan currently needs socio-economic aid only to revive its economy and strengthen its democratic institutions and not Military Aid. American people must not enhance their own ‘total debt’ while financing the military profligacy of Pakistan; which is targeted against peace loving and innocent Indian citizens at Indian Western Borders.

BORDER AGREEMENT WITH CHINA--COMMUNICATION WITH PMO

Esteemed Prime Minister,

I wish to draw your kind attention on the subject.

1.While, I welcome the finalization of Border Agreement with China; a doubt lingers in the mind about the objective and intention of China in pursing this agreement with so much urgency. Will they keep the word on border agreement? or choose to discard at the time of their choosing and advantage as they had done before on "Panchaseel Policy"? Further, with this agreement on place India may loose flexibility to flex its muscles on "Tibet" as and when it is required.

2. Hope PM would entice Chinese to Invest in Indian Infrastructure sector and bring their technology, management and efficiency to RAILWAYS, ROADS, BRIDGES, BULLET TRAINS,PORTS AND SEWERAGE SECTOR IN INDIA.

Thanking you.

Kind Regards,

BIKASH CHOUDHURY

ACTIVIST

BHUBANESWAR

INDIAN PAK POLICY NEED REVIEW

Bikash Choudhury

India always has had a reactive policy on Pakistan since Independence over a good sixty years. With recent developments, India aught to review its policy on Pakistan and that should be a “proactive” one keeping in view the complexity and attitude of Pakistan polity. In spite of recent success of democracy in Pakistan with election of one democratically elected Govt. assuming office and peaceful transfer of power; Pakistan, remains a very dangerous place in the World. As the “Frankenstein-Taliban” created by Pakistani establishment earlier to remote control Afghanistan is now attempting to engulf and take over Pakistan completely. Further, the conflict and turf war between three important wings of Pakistan along with abject poverty in the countryside, acute power shortages and poor economic growth could eventually drive the death knell into the Islamic State of Pakistan—could disintegrate sooner than later; which may not be in the interest of peace loving India and the World outside.

Unlike India, Pakistan has consistently followed one policy against India—that is of animosity; and wishes to hurt India deeply and extensively. After loosing face four times in the past in a direct conflict; Pakistan has realized its own limitation in conventional warfare and therefore, it has chosen to use ‘pin prick strategy of thousand cuts’ in Jammu & Kashmir with active promotion of insurgency through infiltration & terrorist strikes, further aiding and abating home grown terrorist in India to create mayhem in the Indian cities and towns while pumping fake Indian currencies to sabotage Indian economy.  Pakistan has also recently introduced a brand new policy of ‘deceit’ to hoodwink the Global diplomatic community by orchestrating their desire for “peaceful dialogue” while sporadically sponsoring heinous military actions on the borders to provocate Indian military and border security forces.

It is now about time for India to respond in ‘kind’ resolutely and matching “diabolic” tactics of Pakistan with equal or more “diabolical” strategy. India should continue the peaceful dialogue process with an objective to broad base its engagement with larger and larger social groups and Pakistan citizens with the help of economic, cultural and public diplomacy; insisting on results in a time frame. A strong trade and cultural ties could make conflict that much unproductive. At the same time India has to adopt a “take out strategy” impeccably followed by Israel to hurt the enemies (non-state actors) inside the enemy territory in planned tacit covert operations. At the end, India needs to explore and exploit the “fault lines” inside and between Pak Army, ISI and in the Political establishment. However, India should encourage and strengthen democratic Institutions in Pakistan; as a liberal democratic Pakistan would be in the larger and long term interest of India and World at large.