"It is bleak, but look at the world we live in. I don't want to be singing some happy song while people are slitting each other's throats and throwing bombs at each other all over the place. We live in a harsh world. We don't live in a world of tolerance and happiness and music and dance. We live in a world of death and bombs and suspicion and hatred and distrust." - Salman Rushdie in an interview with Professor Gauri Viswanathan, Published in The Hindu Literary Review dated July 4, 2010.
Reductio Ad Absurdum by Aditya Sinha, Editor-in-Chief of The New Indian Express, last week appeared on Friday and Saturday - a lengthy one - the first part appearing on Friday and the second naturally on Saturday.
This time Mr.Sinha touches upon Afghanistan beginning with the introduction of former Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan, Abdul Salman Saeef's Memoir 'My Life With Taliban' which elaborately deals with his memories right from his childhood. His family's escape into Pakistan, the murder of his close relatives by Sabirsha, the then ruler of Afghanistan, his sneak into Afghanistan to join forces with the ememies of Sabirsha and while in Pakistan serving as Taliban Ambassador his arrest by the Pak authorities in the aftermath of 9/11 and extradition to America and serving a four year term in the notorious Gauntanomo prison, the trials and tribulations he had undergone there which according to Sinha was depressing reading. Sinha widely dwelts upon Saeef's vivid portrayal of Pakistan keeping a double face, two tongues in one mouth, its deceitful ways like siding with Arab nations and American and European nations simultaneously, about the wily ways of Retd General Pervez Musharraf preaching secularism and Islamism depending upon circumstances, informations we Indians deduce from the book according to Sinha would in the long run help it to befriend Taliban in Afghanistan who have taken up cudgels against the US forces since 2001.
Mr.Sinha's assertions that no country could ever subjugate the thirst for freedom of Afghan citizens, and naturally US too won't be able to hold on there by fighting them even with much renewed vigour. US knows it better and hence the deadline of July 2011 for withdrawal of troops from the soil of Afghanistan, kind of face saving device. The dismissed General Stanely MeChrystal's strategy of a renewed surge with the induction of 40000 troops couldn't taste success in the South Afghanistan and the same fate is sure to repeat in Kandahar which is a Taliban stronghold about which US is pretty sure.
Hence the deadline of July 2011 set by US govt., the Taliban look forward with eagerness and Pakistan waiting in the wings to join forces with them to take over the reins of power in Afghanistan. With Hamid Karzai turning tables against USA and establishing a bonhomie of sorts with Pakistan, by visiting that country and terming Pakistan and Afghanistan 'con-joined twins' forgetting all the rivalries, all the remnants of a by-gone era.
Mr.Sinha profusely quoting Abdul Salman Saeef's Memoirs 'My Life With Taliban' which castigates in no uncertain terms for Pakistan's deceitful ways invites the attention of Indian rulers to cash in upon this to make friends with Taliban for an upperhand in Afghanistan upon the withdrawal of US and NATO forces of Afghanistan in July 2011.
So far so good.
My mind goes back to the days the eventual withdawal of the erstwhile Soviet Union from Afghanistan and Taliban taking over the rule of that nation. The consequences that followed were shocking, mind-boggling and blood-chilling with the introduction of the so-called 'Shariat Law'. The forcible confinement of women inside the four walls of their houses, taking away all their freedom and lashing, stoning, chopping of organs without any mercy, the summary trials of erstwhile rulers and hanging them in public, so-also the ordinary citizens who according to the rulers were infidels, 'kafirs' in other words, the ruthless destruction of centuries old cultural monuments, in short the wiping away of an entire civilization calling them unIslamic, the ban of music, dance and every kind of art forms, virtually suppressing all individual freedoms. World's largest statue - Balmian Buddha - was demolished and reduced to rubble which the world watched with shock and anger.
As I read elsewhere, Quran never allows such kinds of wicked deeds, it upholds gender parity- treating women on apar with men, pollution free environment, love and care of one's neighbour , education rights to all, - the good things of life propounded by the Prophet.
If the true aspects of Islam as mentioned about is not followed in true spirit , what awaits the Afghan generation in th event of Taliban once again holding reins of power is something hard to imagine. Whether Mr.Sinha mulled over it or not, I am at a loss to find out.
Let it not happen once again across Afghanistan, the only thing we should be hoping for.
Tail-Piece :
The interviewer : Mr. Barack Obama what about your claims of fishing out Al-Quaida leader Osama Bin Laden being captured dead or alive?
Barack Obama : Who is he? I am quite busy. (walks away in huff)
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