Who blinked first? South or North? A billion dollar question. Whoever blinked first on Tuesday,2 Marines and 2 Civilians of South Korea killed in the North Korean artillery fire. Situation still remains volatile, the nations across the globe watching with shock and Ban-Ki-Moon, UN Secretary General appealing for calm to both Koreas.
Tuesday’s attack was triggered by South Korea’s military exercise in the Yellow Sea, which was not to the taste of North Korea especially due to the provocation by South Korea while the military exercise was in full swing by crossing the disputed waters according to media reports. At the very outset North Korea had wanted South Korea not to engage in military exercise but South Korea was defiant. That must have boiled the blood of North Koreans which culminated in the firing and eventual killings.
US, South Korea’s all-weather friend is also enraged, natural, has warned North Korea to stop the ‘game’ and USS Washington, its aircraft carrier has already proceeded towards the Korean waters certainly an intimidating tactics on the part of USA. As North Korea’s big-brother China incidentally its neighbour, protector and provider of aid that North Korea badly needs is very much in the picture watching the developments in the area, North Koreans are unlikely to buckle under US pressure tactics. US knows for sure that only China is better placed to prevail upon North Korea and that has prompted US Asst. Secretary of State, P.J. Crowley to advise China to interfere in the matter to avoid a showdown.
Be it North Korea and South Korea, be it India and Pakistan, be it Israel and Palestine like the Biblical characters Abel and Kayen each finds pleasure in squabbling with the other ultimately leading to spilling of blood. Since Biblical period or even before it the case is same, reasons however remaining elusive. Even in Hindu Epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, such characters are countless and it is a tedious task to dwell upon such characters and the historical background.
Today - 26/11/10 - incidentally happens to be the second anniversary of the bloody carnage perpetrated by ten Pak militants belonging to the dreaded terrorist outfit, Lashkar-E-Taiba (LeT) of the neighbouring brother country Pakistan at the very heart of Mumbai – South Mumbai – gunned down 166 innocents belonging to not only India, but citizens belonging to US and Israel. Terrorists never care who is who and with beastly pleasure attack anyone and everyone whom they come across killing and maiming hundreds and hundreds. Details of the blood-chilling carnage need not be repeated as it is firmly imprinted on the psyche of Indians as well as citizens belonging to nations around the world.
Two years already elapsed, India repeatedly cried for taking action against those Pakistani militants who are very much there and roam free and demanded the rulers of that country to bring those wretched elements be brought to justice but nothing substantial so far not initiated by the Pak government. We provided that nation with dossiers after dossiers establishing the bitter truth beyond doubt so far the machinery concerned has not even taken care to look into them.
It is really a pity that our ruling elite know for sure that such positive steps won’t be taken by that nation and that its Intelligence Agency – Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) – was very much involved in the conspiracy and that LeT is the blue-eyed boy of it and knowing all these our rulers join our citizens in observing the anniversary at different locations in the city. Part of a ritual in short.
Muhammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone assassin, like a VVIP spends his days in a cell literally a fortress –inside the Arthur Jail with full security cover and video-conferencing facilities and also provided with maximum health-care costing the exchequer Rs 2 crore per month.
Sorry for the deviation. While penning about India – Pak rivalry, North Korea – South Korea conflagration, Israel-Palestine imbroglio, a diversion of sorts happened.
Though the Korean imbroglio continues unsolved, the situation is unlikely to aggravate with China, US, UN and peace-loving nations around the world raring to involve in a fire-fighting exercise to cool down the tempers on both sides. In case the problem is set to aggravate the whole world is bound to pay for it.
Since the 1953 Armistice Agreement this is the first of a case between the two Koreas barring a few occasional skirmishes a cold-war continued to exist between both. That too is natural since the Democratic(?) Repulbic of Korea still swears by communism and the Republic of Korea following neo-liberal reforms. A new leader Kim-Jong-Un is set to occupy the saddle soon in North Korea and Lee-Myung-Bak still sitting pretty as the Head of South Korea – owing to North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and piling up of weaponry spending billions of dollars the downtrodden continue to starve and South Korea through infrastructure development, Foreign Direct Investment and neo-liberal reforms (one might have two opinions about it) follows a high growth trajectory. If that country too treads the path of military exercises so as to intimidate the rival country it will only help to intensify the confrontation. But the basic reason being mutual suspicion and fear which drive each to uppe the ante.
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