The Goldstone Report – A Study in Bias

Israel is appalled and disappointed by the report published on 15 September 2009 by the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Gaza Fact Finding Mission. The Report unfairly describes Israel’s defense of its citizens as war crimes, while ignoring the deliberate strategy of Hamas to operate from within or behind the civilian population. Read more

New Government’s Iran dilemma

General Elections in India are in last leg and next week people’s verdict will be wide open. In wake of an anticipated fractured verdict the deadlock for the formation of new government could extend for few weeks but it seems quite clear that it would be either Congress led government or BJP led government at the centre. South Asia forum has specific information that two national parties has  agreed upon to this point that regional satraps would not be allowed to lead the coalition and they will be forced to support either of one in national parties. Read more

Political Islam in the offing

Few weeks ago I predicted in my article that this general election is pregnant with a hidden message of Muslim assertion in coming days with alignment of leftists and Islamists as well.  Above mentioned article was written when not even first phase of voting in general elections took place. Now till date two phases of general elections are completed and voting pattern of Muslims in various states has been known.  The Most populated state Uttar Pradesh has shown some trend of Muslim voting which tells story in itself. Read more

What will be the message of general elections?

India has been gripped under fever of general elections as after one week first phase of voting in few constituencies will take place. Being the largest democracy of the world general elections in India always has some curiosity across the world. For last six decades India has proved credibility of its democratic institutions as well as maturity and it has received praise and respect for its successful functioning of these institutions. The final result of 15th Loksabha will come out on 16th on May and verdict of people will be wide open but it is quite clear that process of formation of the new government will last long just like Israel where several political groups come together to form a government and it took few weeks to materialize. Indian next parliament is very much going to receive fractured mandate and no single political party or formation will be able to muster the majority figure of 272. In this article election results which have been supposed will not be discussed because it is quite clear that anything could happen after elections and any political group or party could go in any camp irrespective of its ideological leanings except of two things that Congress and BJP will not join each other  and Left parties will not join BJP. Read more

War on Terror and has turned into war between Obama and Osama

Since new president Barak Obama has took reigns in United States few things has changed. One of them is the security atmosphere in South Asian region as well as priorities of new administration of Oval office in this region. Last week when president of United States Barak Obama announced his new policy towards Afghanistan and Pakistan which has also been  called Af-pak policy it was first chance to judge the diplomatic competence of this young charismatic president of United States.

I want to remind readers that I was one of the rarest of rare in India to predict that policies of Barak Obama will not be helpful for India. My prediction was based on a reason that Barak Obama has some different design in his mind as for as south Asian region is concerned and this design is based on the regional solution. Although president George W Bush has done not any favor to India in its fight against cross border terrorism but he filled all the dots of local Islamic separatist groups in one global jihadi ambition but Barak Obama is going to deal the situation of Islamic terrorism not merely as an ideology but according to local geo-political realities. To some extent from theoretical point of view it seems very lustrous but its consequences are different. Read more

India is under secular emergency

The young leader of BJP and and its loksabha candidate for Philibhit in Uttar Pradesh  Varun Gandhi who surrendered before court on 28th of March now has been booked under NSA( national security act) for inciting hatred among communities  and some other allegations. According to district administration of Philibhit this harsh and punitive act has been imposed on Varun Gandhi because he made a speec h in Philibhit 0n 5th and 6th of March which is provocative and at the same time he also become instrumental in inciting the mob on 28th of March to take law in its hands  before courting arrest in Philibhit disrtict.

This whole episode unfolded somewhere in first fortnight of March when some Television channels telecasted a socalled CD of the speech of Varun Gandhi in which he made some remarks on some community which has been denied by Varun Gandhi and demanded the forensic investigation of those socalled CD which has been allged as have voices of Varun Gandhi. Immediatley after some parts of CD were telecasted Election commision in India took that CD and after seeing the speech of Varun Gandhi  gave an advisory to the BJP not to field Varun Gandhi as its candidate as prima facie it seems that Varun Gandhi tried to incite haterd among communities. It was unprecedented advisory from Election Commision in history of republic India and BJP cried foul on this advisory and fall havily on Election commission for encrocahing its territory. Read more

Why strong Indo-Israel relation is needed

One week ago South Asia Forum organized a seminar on the issue of “challenges before India and Israel and areas of co-operation”. This was first public exposure for this think tank which came in existence last year with a vision to make India super power with larger role in South Asia and global politics. This think tank is manifestation of an ambition of youthful and energetic voice which wants development and security but in last few years this world has become so insecure to live and without security one can not think of development.

Now time has come to discuss on these matters frankly to insure security for our generation and next generation. When people talk about prevailing situation of insecurity everywhere in the world they talk about vague issues but could we say with an authority that this situation of insecurity is merely a result of unemployment, frustration and acts of some misguided youths. No, we can not say this and if we are saying this it means either we are trying to be politically correct or we are unable to read the situation. South Asia forum is an effort to break the taboo of political correctness and shed out pseudo liberalism. When we talk about pseudo liberalism it identify those elements in society who are aware of problem, its symptom and some times also support the ways to fight it out but when it comes public platform they start echoing the words of political correctness to build their image as liberal. Read more

Are we living in the era of Islamic censorship?

In last few months three important developments took place which were although directly not related with each other but they have some connection between them. First, just before Indian economic capital Mumbai was attacked by Islamic terroists on 26 November last year the largest Islamic body OIC approached the supreme law making body of the world UN with a resolution to make it compulsory for the countries of this world to declare vilification of prophet of any religion as illegal as well denouncing the efforts to use term Islamic terrorism in reference to terrorism.

Second, Government of Nederland decided to prosecute president of a political party of this small European state for hurting the sentiments of Muslims with his film “Fitna” based on some controversial ayats of Quran. After the decision of government of Nederland Geert Wilders decided to visit few European countries with message of his controversial film and United Kingdom was one of them. Geert Wilders was banned from UK government and was told to refrain himself from entering into the borders of Britian. Geert Wilders tried to defy the government orders but he was arrested at the airport and expelled from Britain. Geert called this development as a great set back to the freedom of expression. Read more

They will burn their fingers

They will burn their fingers this was first spontaneous reaction I found from an analyst having some academic stake in Middle Eastern affairs about the possibility of success for the mission of George Mitchell special envoy appointed for Middle East from newly elected American president. This reaction was very much in consonance with me as I don’t see much difference in situation after much hyped Mitchell mission is started.

Here I have picked the issue of Mitchell because new administration in America has promised some new initiatives and breakthrough in troubled regions Middle East along with South Asia has prominent place in them. Decision of appointment of George Mitchell as an envoy for Middle East was very much anticipated and the same thing was true with envoy of South Asian region Richard Holbrook. But million dollar question is still unanswered how much success they would have in their mission and above all what new they have in stock. Since oath of office of new administration in America Obamamania is gradually evaporated with some new ground realities and a wonderful orator has to deliver from his action rather than his glorious words. Read more

Being politically incorrect

In India it is very unusual and abnormal to write anything in support of Israel because doing so is something portraying itself as politically incorrect. In present circumstances when Israel has waged a war against Hamas in Gaza strip and analysts along with political commentators are busy in writing big articles it is less important to be included in that list but few aspects of this problem has not been addressed so far.

Being a secular and liberal democracy India always has adopted a middle path in Arab-Israel struggle although it always preferred to be seen in favor of Arab camp but for a long time every effort were going on from out of government channels to keep Israel in good humor also. But it is really paradox for Indian democracy to follow the principle of political correctness and secularism in the context of every action of Israel against its hostile neighbors. Since birth of Israel India adopted the policy of condemnation of every act of self defense of this lone Jewish nation along with other Arab nations and European countries. Read more

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