M J AKBAR is very very angry

[Guest dada_rocks]

'Pakistan will have to pay a heavy price' http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/02mumterror-pakistan-will-have-to-pay-a-heavy-price.htm M J Akbar is one of India's best-known journalists and commentators, someone with a deep insight into the Indian people and their mindset. In this first-person, as-told-to piece, Akbar discusses the Mumbai attacks and their relevance for India. Many people forget that India is a tough nation. Toothless leaders have turned India into a soft nation. People forget that India has fought back Muslim terrorism in Kashmir; Sikh terrorism in Punjab, Christian terrorism in Nagaland and Hindu terrorism in Assam, and amongst the Naxalites [images]. We have had everything thrown at the Indian nation State. Still, we have stood up. The people of India have shown the courage and ability to believe in their nation and to fight back. But the completely impotent leadership of five years have turned a tough country into a soft State. I am very sad. I keep feeling that if they protect India as they protect their leaders -- whether it is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [images] or Congress President Sonia Gandhi [images] -- I think I would be safe. Today, India's leaders are safe and India is in panic. On what India's response should be: India's proper reaction would be possible if we understand the extent of the disease. If the disease is cancer, you can't apply band aid. After making a complete mess of security issues for five years by asking Shivraj Patil [images] to go finally we may have a home minister who doesn't comb his hair and change his clothes. But we want something more than that. If it is cancer, we need chemotherapy, a much more serious exercise. It needs a legislative and executive framework. It needs political mobilisation. People are numbed. The Indian people have no leadership. You have a prime minister. Did you see him when he addressed the nation? Nobody knew if he was addressing the nation or having a cup of tea? He looked serious, but he didn't talk to us about our anger and about our anguish. I think this administration is tone deaf to the anguish of the people. They just cannot understand what the people are going through. They just don't understand our pain or our anger. The most important thing is that, perhaps, we have politicised not only the instruments of the State like the police but we have also politicised the understanding of the nature of the problem. I think the very first thing to do is to ensure security so that it prevents the next attack. If any attack takes place under someones job should go. Don't come to me with alibis. On the terrorists getting local support: I am an Indian Muslim and I am very proud of both, being an Indian and a Muslim. I do not see any contradictions. This is my land and I have nowhere else to go. But can I say because I am an Indian Muslim that no Indian Muslim is involved? Can you, because you are a Hindu, say that no Hindu is involved? We have to behave like Indians first. Not as a Muslim or as a Hindu first. Because we need Hindu votes and Muslim votes and because this government thinks that it needs Muslim votes so it has been in complete denial. Do you think that these people came across from Pakistan and had no support in Mumbai? It is not possible. It was a huge operation. Ten people hit nine places and you killed nine of them. You want to say that they went from place to place? Who knows some of them must have slipped away to create new sleeper cells to hit us six months later. They are hiding things. I would like to believe that there was an underworld connection. Because, Karachi and Mumbai are also linked by drug smuggling. The culture of criminals is aggression. It comes naturally to them. It is not easy for you and I to become aggressive, however angry we are. It does not come naturally to us. These are people who are trained psychologically in aggression. They have no respect for the State. They have no love for the country. And they have no respect for authority. Why? Because the only face of authority is the corrupt policeman. The criminal gives money in the morning and money in the evening. Why should he have respect for somebody he gives bribes to? For the guy from the underworld his understanding of the Indian State and authority is corruption. He has no patriotism to stop him. Why would he not join hands with the terrorists? In any case, he belongs to another world. We have not even begun to address and discuss this. On the Pakistan factor I am tired of giving Pakistan a long rope on some excuse or the other. Everybody is saying this will happen if we do this, that will happen if we do this. Our relations with Pakistan will go, then, let them go. What has our relations with Pakistan brought us except violence and terror? Why should we be in charge of saving Pakistan? For what? Every time they turn around and they say they want evidence. Now, finally we have evidence. I have been an editor for 35 years from the age of 23. From that time on, since the days of General Zia-ul Haq, I have been hearing 'Pakistan is asking for evidence'. We asked for withdrawal of their support to the movement for Khalistan, they said, 'Oh, we don't know anything about it.' On Kashmir, they kept repeating where is the evidence. Benazir Bhutto [images] came, she asked for evidence. Nawaz Sharif came, he asked for evidence. I think Pervez Musharraf [images] asked for less evidence. Now again, they are asking for evidence. There is a terrorist in Mumbai, captured and arrested. How much more evidence do you want? If what he is saying is not evidence, then how can you get more evidence? This government is in its 11th hour. Now they will bluff the people to protect their votes. There is no time left for them. The agony of departure will be hard from this government. On the reaction in the West The US and Britain have a vested interest in telling India to look within. Why? When Americans die then they can send their air force 7,000 miles and bomb every country to smithereens. But when Indians die, they tell us no, no, you must be patient. You must act like a swami and a yogi. Why? Is an American life more precious than an Indian life? Why should we keep listening to them? But we have a government that keeps listening to them all the time. We don't get tough. The last time we got tough was after the attack on Parliament. We took some tough actions under Operation Parakram and then there was a certain lull. Three years ago, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was able to tell President George W Bush [images] that there are no terrorists amongst Indian Muslims. That means that lull continued. Pakistan must be made to realise that it will have to pay a heavy price. Not necessarily through war, but a heavy price will have to be paid in loss in trade, in cancellation of orders and other engagements. They should pay a heavy price in terms of people to people relations. I am not saying you can freeze a relationship to death, but the message must go out that if there is a crime there will be a penalty. You just can't get away with it. Let the Pakistan government cooperate with us. But look at how the Pakistan government has buckled down and we are sitting here whimpering. They want to send some lowly officers to India. For what? Even Pakistan is treating the Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi government with total contempt. They know how weak it is. Delink Hindu-Muslim relations and Pakistan Look, you must not confuse the Pakistan issue with the Indian Muslims issue. Their so-called alienation or their economic deprivation is not linked to the issue of Pakistan. Indian Muslims have nothing to do with Pakistan. They have absolutely no sympathy for Pakistan. They know that Pakistan was the biggest mistake committed in the history of Indian Muslims. They know it. You can ask anyone in Baroda, Bihar or Mumbai. They know how they are suffering the backlash of all the consequences of cross-border terrorism. Today, they fear retribution from the government, they fear retribution from popular disenchantment and anger. They feel helpless. They feel afraid. We must understand finally that it is not so much the 'local people', it is the local underworld that is involved in anti-India activities. In 1993, who were involved in terrorism? The underworld. Why have you not done anything about it? The State turns a blind eye to the police and corruption. I don't know how many readers smoke hashish and other stuff, but I am accusing them of cross-border terrorism. Drugs come to India from Afghanistan via Karachi. What we can do as individuals If whoever is responsible for protecting the nation fails, then he or she should not be allowed to continue in power. That is the toughest and sharpest message we can give. You can tell that you may be a soft State, but we are a hard people and we are hard voters. We are not going to forgive you for your lies and deception and for your waffling. How many blasts do we need to understand that? When Jaipur [images], Ahmedabad [images], Mumbai and Delhi [images] happened no one who was genuinely guilty was caught. We have to understand now that corruption has eaten away vitals of this nation. It is the biggest danger to the security of India. It is not just the case of some spectrum being sold to someone by some minister in. Everyone who is corrupt get out! It Is a failure all around. We have to be extremely practical and pragmatic. There is great deal to be depressed about as an Indian. Frankly speaking, I feel very angry and upset. I am never upset by the behaviour of our enemies. I am only upset by the betrayal of those I trust. M J Akbar, editor-in-chief, Covert magazine, spoke to Sheela Bhatt

[Lurker]

And a double Yayyyy to the man from Bihar..Also one of my favorite Editors/scribe. Should be given an important role at center..along with Arun Shourie another favorite.

I have been an editor for 35 years from the age of 23. From that time on, since the days of General Zia-ul Haq, I have been hearing 'Pakistan is asking for evidence'. We asked for withdrawal of their support to the movement for Khalistan, they said, 'Oh, we don't know anything about it.' On Kashmir, they kept repeating where is the evidence. Benazir Bhutto [images] came, she asked for evidence. Nawaz Sharif came, he asked for evidence. I think Pervez Musharraf [images] asked for less evidence. Now again, they are asking for evidence.

Hahaha I cant beleive I wrote exactly that in a different thread today.

[Guest dada_rocks]

Chalo we agree on something those two are also my favourite although I do find myself in disagreemnt with M J Akbar every once in a while..

[Desi Cartman]

Im also angry ... Manmohan isnt ...

[suraj]

And a double Yayyyy to the man from Bihar..Also one of my favorite Editors/scribe. Should be given an important role at center..along with Arun Shourie another favorite. Hahaha I cant beleive I wrote exactly that in a different thread today.

Hope that happens

[Guest dada_rocks]

Whether congressi will get the message or nto depends on assembly election results.. f they mamage to hold on few states then for all practical purpses status quo of rank inaction wil continue......... I always wonder why the fccuk peole talk polticization of this or that as if it were bad .. To me it means that issue has some poltical father by virtue of the fact thatsome people care about it.........Polticians don't raise issues which has no backing on the ground. Ever heard of indiain polticians talking about whetehr panda mated this year or not, they don;t because indian peopple don;t care about this issue........ Bring me more polticisation not less......... Inaction of political parties over any issue is the direct result of the depolticisation of the issue.. So I crave for more polticisation not less

[Chandan]

I agree with every word this article!!

[putrevus]

wow , he is very correct, first and foremost these politicians who have corrupted the very fabric of our nation should be held accountable, We had so many terrorist attacks on our country, and till date we have never prosecuted anyone and this one too will pass and they will make people forget this tragedy too, this cannot continue and we need some strong investigation and do justice to all those victims. after 9-11 at least american people know who commited those crimes and who were behind those , we have no such information on any tragedies. how can you explain those substandard bullet proof vests which costed brave lives, which ever company produced those vests should be taken to court and whoever was involved in should be tired for murder.

[Fontaine]

I know people are angry at the politicians, but seriously, that anger should be directed at Pakistan. The politicians can be taken to task after this situation with Pakistan has eased off but right now the main focus needs to continue to be on Pakistan. You can't criticize and not support the Indian government right now and then say it's weak. We need to keep a united front against these idiots across the border.

[Guest dada_rocks]

I know people are angry at the politicians, but seriously, that anger should be directed at Pakistan. The politicians can be taken to task after this situation with Pakistan has eased off but right now the main focus needs to continue to be on Pakistan. You can't criticize and not support the Indian government right now and then say it's weak. We need to keep a united front against these idiots across the border.

I am happy that they are angry at politicians btu someone should keep reminding them it;s they who have elected those guys so indirectly they are cross with themselves.. yeah yeah in case of candle wielding elite their inaction their cavalier attitude toward democratic election has elected those who they think are inept.. time to get *****es moving at least on the day of election

[Guest dada_rocks]

http://dailypioneer.com/141412/Government-can-survive-criticism-but-not-ridicule.html Government can survive criticism, but not ridicule MJ Akbar We have enough evidence: There is a cabal of cyber terrorists employed by mobile phone companies to destabilise the honourable Government of Mr Manmohan Singh with evil jokes. Who else could be manufacturing those SMSes that begin to circulate whenever opportunity arises? This is a professional hit job. This is not the work of amateurs. If stand-up comedians like Jay Leno can hire professional gag-writers, so can mobile phone companies, since each SMS-joke that is circulated means revenue for hungry coffers. The Government seems to be as impotent against gagsters within the country as it is against gangsters from across the border. We had hardly blinked upon hearing that our smug Finance Minister had become even smugger after being transferred to Home Affairs when a solemn SMS landed on my machine: “Let us pray that Chidambaram succeeds in bringing down terrorism the way he has brought down share prices.” If this is not sedition at a moment of national crisis, then please let me know the meaning of sedition. The gagster, moreover, has the temerity to be subtle. This is not one of those ha-ha husband-wife jokes. This is serious stuff. This was followed by a committee effort, for I cannot believe that only one gagster dreamt this whole bit up: “Chidambaram’s report card after 6 months. 1: Police to people ratio increased from 14 per lakh to 14.0012 per lakh. How? One million commit suicide due to inflation. One lakh die in explosions, 25 lakhs in crime and accidents, three million migrate out of India due to fear. 2: Holding and folding dhoti time reduced by 5%. Big productivity gains. 3: Duties of all DGPs outsourced to FPOs, Home Guards, Excise Department and his ex-Harvard associates. 4: Police to be paid in oil bonds only. 5: RDX imports attract higher penalties. 6: Duties slashed for substandard bulletproof jackets. 7: Service tax to be imposed on Bangladeshi infiltrators at border crossings. 8: Visa entry tax imposed only on Nepalis. 9: 25% entry tax on all AK series rifles and all types of grenades. 10: If you still survive… then see you in 2009! But be ready for tax on your happiness and survival!” I have been wondering about that phrase “If you still survive…” Is that a double entendre? At one level of course the gagster was referring to you and me, and the bleak possibilities of our survival against gangsters. But could he be also, obliquely, referring to bleaker possibility of Mr Chidambaram’s survival as Home Minister? Note that the report card was limited to six months. Why? I sense something sinister here. Has he already drawn the conclusion that this arrangement will end before six months? What are the facts? No matter how long Mr Manmohan Singh and Ms Sonia Gandhi drag out the life of this dying Government with virility injections that turn out to be too watery, they have to hold general elections by April. That is it. In 15 weeks at the outside, and probably within 13 weeks, the great electoral contraption will begin to whirr. This means that the Election Commission will declare the season open around mid-March, after which the Government really becomes a holding operation. Expect results in the first week of May. Is the gagster saying that this lot in Delhi will not return to power? A fellow gagster certainly thinks so. I quote: “We have taken care of the men who came by boats… Time now to sort out the idiots who came by votes.” Mumbai predictably evoked anger. This gag was not quite a gag, but rose from the heart: “Forgiving a terrorist is left to god. But fixing their appointment with god is our responsibility.” Laughter may be the best medicine for anger, but there are times when you do not want the relief of such medicine. Have some of the gagsters gone too far? The SMS about the Kerala Chief Minister cannot be printed in a family newspaper. But it did very well on SMS, for whom laws of libel have not yet been invented. I wonder if politicians understand one law of public affairs. Everyone can survive criticism. And no one can survive ridicule (Mind you that's why my insistane over the years on ridiculing the religious tenets nonsese no marks for guessing which religion got the tamp most). The gagster flourishes only when ridicule is the only weapon left in a democracy, until the day of voting arrives. There is a point at which the gagster can run out of gags. After a week of dithering, when Maharashtra was effectively without a Government despite being in the throes of its most serious crisis, the Congress finally installed a new Chief Minister, Mr Ashok Chavan, and its ally, Mr Sharad Pawar, made Mr Chhagan Bhujbal the Deputy Chief Minister. The SMS that followed was not a gag: “Chhagan Bhujbal, a man who was single-handedly responsible for the complete decay and corruption in the police force and was removed for his involvement in the Telgi scam has been rewarded to head the Home Department (sic) again by the NCP. So much for the show of force by Mumbaikars. We should not take this lying down. Forward this message to as many as possible.” Dear Mumbaikars, I am doing my bit. -- MJ Akbar is Chairman of the fortnightly news magazine Covert

[Willow_on_fire]

Im also angry ... Manmohan isnt ...

Manmohan's emotions are controled by Italian Gandhi bahu called Sonia gandhi...Manmohan is a disgrace to Sikhs in general...he is of the same Zail singh mould...bloody gutless characters who can never make indivudial decisions....since Manmohan was hand-picked by Sonia Gandhi...I simply feel sorry for this sheep.

[Desi Cartman]

Manmohan's emotions are controled by Italian Gandhi bahu called Sonia gandhi...Manmohan is a disgrace to Sikhs in general...he is of the same Zail singh mould...bloody gutless characters who can never make indivudial decisions....since Manmohan was hand-picked by Sonia Gandhi...I simply feel sorry for this sheep.

He is not meant for this job and on top of that he cant take any decesion without asking Sonia G ... He was a top finance minister but he is not pm material ...

[veer]

He is not meant for this job and on top of that he cant take any decesion without asking Sonia G ... He was a top finance minister but he is not pm material ...

then he owes country a resignation... but then who is PM material..?? (except Modi.. )

[Desi Cartman]

then he owe country a resignation... but then who is PM material..?? (except Modi.. )

Thats what I wonder .. We have leaders like Mayawati and Lalu ..

[Lurker]

You can't criticize and not support the Indian government right now and then say it's weak. We need to keep a united front against these idiots across the border.

I will disagree Fontaine. The time is to do internal introspection first before we do external. Look at it this way, if worse happens and we go to a war, would you like to go to a war knowing the internal mechanism is totally corrupt and useless?? That is a recipe for disaster. Internal introspection is what is the need of the hour. And lets not concentrate only on politicians. Lets also concentrate on Bureaucrats. IAS coterie has screwed up India worse than politicians. We are quick to say Bhujbal didnt do this, or Shivraj Patil for that matter, but guess who runs the show in the end? There is little point in making the Project Manager resign when the members of the team are all cr@p anyway. A new PM will hardly get a differnt result. xxx

[Guest dada_rocks]

I will disagree Fontaine. The time is to do internal introspection first before we do external. Look at it this way, if worse happens and we go to a war, would you like to go to a war knowing the internal mechanism is totally corrupt and useless?? That is a recipe for disaster. Internal introspection is what is the need of the hour. And lets not concentrate only on politicians. Lets also concentrate on Bureaucrats. IAS coterie has screwed up India worse than politicians. We are quick to say Bhujbal didnt do this, or Shivraj Patil for that matter, but guess who runs the show in the end? There is little point in making the Project Manager resign when the members of the team are all cr@p anyway. A new PM will hardly get a differnt result. xxx

I full concure but more often than not politicians by desing keep their ineeficient corrupt stooge on position of power where it matters most.. first criteria always is whether so and so bureaucrat passes the stooge test then come the ability.. this is the root cause...... How many times have we seen some police office some breacurat thrown into wilderness if heéshe had shown some gumtion to take on the dysfunctional corrupt machinery..

[Lurker]

I full concure but more often than not politicians by desing keep their ineeficient corrupt stooge on position of power where it matters most.. first criteria always is whether so and so bureaucrat passes the stooge test then come the ability.. this is the root cause...... How many times have we seen some police office some breacurat thrown into wilderness if heéshe had shown some gumtion to take on the dysfunctional corrupt machinery..

I agree with you to an extent, but not completely. Do politicians use IAS(or for that matter IPS) officers for their interest? 'course they do. However you can not corrupt a person who doesnt want to be corrupted. Atleast in most cases. Even in this corrupt environment we have officers who have been taintless and un-influenced by the politicians. Mant of the IAS officers end up becoming a stooge in order to further their career. It is a quid pro quo. Just as it is astounding to see illiterate politicians have property, and assetts, worth millions and billions similarly it is also strange how 20-30,000 Rs earning Public "servant" enjoy the kind of lifestyle that most of these IAS officers do. xxx

[Guest dada_rocks]

I agree with you to an extent, but not completely. Do politicians use IAS(or for that matter IPS) officers for their interest? 'course they do. However you can not corrupt a person who doesnt want to be corrupted. Atleast in most cases. Even in this corrupt environment we have officers who have been taintless and un-influenced by the politicians. Mant of the IAS officers end up becoming a stooge in order to further their career. It is a quid pro quo. Just as it is astounding to see illiterate politicians have property, and assetts, worth millions and billions similarly it is also strange how 20-30,000 Rs earning Public "servant" enjoy the kind of lifestyle that most of these IAS officers do. xxx

See majority of people are nto willing to suffer for their honesty ( that's basic huma frailty) and if do not punish them for their honesty they will reman honest and diligent in their duties.. thsi is where the corrupt dysfunction system comes in picture.. WE can't expect Kishore Kunaal and Gautam every day we have to accept that majority of peopel start as honest and if they are penalised for their honety they will remian so.. Some who otherwise wud have remained honest resign and join the corrupt system at the same time there are others who turn bllind eye to it but they themselves do not indulge into it only few have moral fervour to take the system on on at any cost.. this is your usual statistical distribution of the character in any society .. we can't wish this away.. OTOH in political class more or less each and everyone are corrupt.. If we are crying today about it then wait 20-30 years and see for yourself how things change for gutter when the present bunch of student leader (read bonafide crimnals) graduate to be MLA and MP.. It's so painful to find that at oene time Arun Jaitley used to be delhi university president and go check today some ganagster might be in that pposition .. Here parents are guilty too .. For instance for sometime I flirted with the idea of fighting bhu student body election... .. My father got wind of it and my plans were grounded there and then......