USA’S ANOTHER VIETNAM

Aditya Sinha, Editor-in-Chief of The New Indian Express (NIE) is well-known for his sense of humour. He has proved it beyond doubt through his column ‘Reductio De Absurdum’ in NIE. Quite heartening in the sense that nowadays our citizens, sorry, citizens the world over are gradually getting tired of bursting out laughing on hearing the standard wits of recent times. Pathetic indeed.

Unfortunately they cannot be blamed for this lack of ability to laugh during these turbulent times. That must be the reason for even Aditya Sinha turn to serious writing occasionally. This is true of every human being in day to day life. A comedian in a film or drama or a clown in a circus all carry with them a bundle of woes over their shoulders even while evoking others, I mean the spectators, to laugh and enjoy to their hearts’ content through their actions, costumes, mannerisms, appearances and comments.

While writing about the simmering Afghanistan, USA’s role there, the Taliban-Al-Quaida nexus and Pakistan’s duplicity in its approach to USA, Afghanistan and India, it was no wonder Mr. Sinha sounded very serious without a trace of humour. The Afghan imbroglio has turned out to be a hot topic of discussion across the globe as it involves three important nations, all of them except Afghanistan, nuclear powers. As Chinmay R Garekhan pointed out, the issue of Afghnistan has even forced others at least for the time being ignore the more than six decades old Palestine-Israel dispute.

Barack Obama’s announcement before the world to make an exit from Afghanistan in 19 months’ time was heartily applauded by Pakistan, particularly ISI, Pakistan’s Iner Services Intelligence agency. Pakistan always hopes for the early exit of US and allied troops to achieve their ulterior motives about which all of us know.

On flipping through the pages of Afghan history we can very well find out that Afghanis never tolerated another country’s domination of them and they went to any great lengths to fight for the freedom of their country and fought till they achieved their goal.

Mr.Sinha rightly points out in his column the freedom loving nature of an average Afghan by mentioning the exit of Britain thrice, even the erstwhile Soviet Union in 1989 and now US and allied troops facing the heat. Other nations like Britain and Germany had already got tired of fighting the Taliban-Al-Quaida there on finding no positive results. Gordon Brown, British PM whose popularity rating is at its lowest ebb and his New Labour Party’s exit from power is a conclusion foretold in the fast approaching elections will be ready to save his position and his party by withdrawing troops at the earliest. Germany’s Angela Merkel during the eve of the previous election had already done it and managed to save her place the second time. And now Obama has also got tired.

But to save face- remember his and his predecessors vow to nab the Al-Quaida leader Osama Bin Laden dead or alive- for a last push 30000 more troops are to be flown to Afghanistan in order to wreack as much destruction as possible at the North West Frontier of Pakistan where the hard-core terrorists are embedded in their safe havens and then beat a retreat in 2011.

Mr.Sinha nurses no doubt, the US retreat will make Islamabad quite happy and Kabul will soon come under the rule of Pakistan. Their intention will be according to Mr.Sinha, installation of Mulla Omar at the helm, who is known for his Pro-Pakistani approach. Mr.Sinha is of the view that for the sake of Mulla Omar, ISI may even go to the extent of fishing out Osama Bin Laden and may hand over him to US.

If such things are to happen as predicted by Mr.Sinha, the worst sufferers will be approximately 3000 Indians who are involved in various developmental works in Afghanistan like building roads, schools, electric facilities and hospitals.

Mr.Sinha points out to pre-empt such an eventuality, ie. To keep Pakistan away from Kabul soon after the retreat of US troops India must take control of Kabul.

India is already bogged down with myriad problems internally as well as externally from terrorist hydrae to Maoist menace, communal venom and sons of the soil policy. A lot more. At a time like that, as an observer I do not think it feasible to intervene in the affairs of a neighbouring country, which is the virtual negation of our established foreign policy.

More over our jawans already burdened with saving our country from the traditional enemies, who brave inclement weather in the dangerous terrains 24X7 if deployed in a terrorist infested country where even the super power finds it difficult to contain these elements and seriously pondering over an exit route, it is really unimaginable the disastrous consequences our nation will have to pay for it. Our brave jawans are our invaluable treasure.