SYRIAN CIVIL WAR AND UKRANIAN IMBROGLIO GO ON WITH INTENSITY

Second round of negotiations representing the Syrian govt and Syrian Opposition also have failed which was held at Geneva in the presence of UN-Arab envoy Lakdhar Brahimi. Immediately after the failure of talks between the Syrian govt and Syrian coalition it was announced by Lakdhar Brahimi to the anxious media and the world as a whole in a tone of disappointment despite no progress could not achieve Brahimi unlike Kofi Annan has not conceded his defeat and has decided to continue with his noble mission and hence a third round of talks between the duo at Geneva is a near certainty.

Sometimes I do wonder, US and Russia, the former siding with Syrian opposition and the latter siding with Bashar-Al-Assad govt are on a collision course had decided to join hands with the ruling Assad govt and the Opposition, the intensity of the civil war going on couldn’t have suffered this much. It is estimated that approximately 150000 persons have lost their lives so far.

With America and other Western countries providing funds and logistical support to the Syrian coalition and Russia arming the Assad govt with lethal weapons, thereby helping the Opposition to launch a formidable fight with a heavily armed Assad govt.

While Russia’s arguments with US going on with the latter preaching that Assad govt need not step down from power and US advocating the resignation of Assad govt at any cost and pave the way for a National govt. Like Russia and US at loggerheads the Syrian govt and Opposition are at each other’s throat it seems like the civil war is poised to continue unabated. If one apprehends more and more lives will remain on the edge and widespread destruction of property incurring loss of lakhs of crores of rupees he/she cannot be blamed upon.

Why can’t Russia and US join hands and strive for a peaceful settlement between the two sides on a cordial note and instead of engaging in a proxy war? Such a mission is the need of the hour, but both are not in a mood to join hands together. If one suspects those two powers want this war to go on for an indefinite period thereby dumping their weapons in the civil war ravaged Syria he/she is not to be blamed. Otherwise this fight would not have continued even after three years of ruthless war.

Same is the case in Ukraine, once part of erstwhile Soviet Union.

While a few States which belonged to the former Soviet Union had joined associations with Eurpoean Union why can’t Ukraine too?. That is for the Ukraine citizens to decide.But the incumbent President of Victor Yanu Kowych who is on good terms with Russia desist from joining the association of European Union.

But it seems like the Ukraine citizens or majority of them hate to be part of Russia. That might be the reason behind their demand for fresh elections to be held and in addition to it they demand to initiate constitutional reforms.

The rebels will not be satisfied with Mr.Yanukovich to be in the saddle as President and moreover they don’t want to see all powers concentrated in the hands of the President. Yanukovich’s plea to join a National govt with both ruling and opposition leaders sharing power equally which too is unacceptable to the rebels. The rebels want not only the appointment of a Prime Minister but they demand some of the presidential powers to be transferred to lower levels.

They wanted the imprisoned detainess to be freed which Mr.Yanukovich accepted and 234 detainees already released. The rebels also demand the resignation of Yanukovich and have made it clear that they are willing to vacate the govt buildings which they had occupied only with the resignation of Mr.Yanukovich.

Russia which is siding with Ukranian President is adverse to Yanukovich stepping down and has squarely blamed European countries which bend upon upsetting the applecart. Western nations which in turn are squarely blaming the Russian govt under Vladimir Putin and they have accused Mr.Putin for extending all sorts of supports to Yanukovich’s govt.

Like in Syria, here too Russian and Western nations are pulling in opposing directions and hence the mutual mudslinging is about to continue. The only difference between Syria and Ukraine is unlike Syria, a civil war has not broken out in Ukraine and that number of casualties are negligible.

Hundreds of thousands are gathered at the Independence Square and are demanding the resignation of the President to clear the way for constitutional reforms. How long the blame game is supposed to continue between the two sides?

THE SUN RAINING FIRE

The river was

free flowing and crystal clear

with pebbles at

the bottom moving along with ones’ naked eyes

with the current

fishes coming to the surface and diving down.

The vast infinite

area of green paddy fields

the coconut trees

leaning towards the paddy fields

all etched in the recesses of my mind.

In the sunrise of my life

during the leisure times

it was my hobby

to spend my time

on the river bank.

With knicker pockets

pregnant with pebbles

and throwing pebbles one by one

and enjoy the ripples

formed on the surface of the river

for a long time.

During those moments

my delight knew no limits.

With the time passing by

and with me

moving from my village

to the metro far far away

like a plant being

rooted out from one place to another

the blazing Sun raining

fire on the village

the greenery gradually

got vanished

that old free flowing, crystal clear

water got dried up

a grief-stricken I

sometimes flew on the

wings of my imagination

to my land which is

being roasted alive

by a vengeful Sun

for destroying

our once lovable and pretty landscape.  

ABOUT THE AAM ADMI PARTY’S FALL FROM POWER

Aam Admi Party govt’s decline and fall was a conclusion foretold. The party couldn’t march ahead without the support of Indian National Congress (INC) which could secure only eight seats. Arvind Kejriwal in his capacity as Chief Minister could initiate a few welfare measure lke supply of 700 liters of water and electricity charges reduced by 50 percent as per his promise and on his govt’s plan to go ahead with Jan Lokpal bill if passed in the Delhi assembly, Congress which extended support and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which was the main opposition party couldn’t even imagine about the bill if passed in the Assembly would have to suffer unforeseen circumstances took the opportunity to pull the AAP govt down at the earliest. Both Congress and BJP joined hands in withdrawing support to the govt and as expected the Government under Mr.Kejriwal fell which could rule Delhi only for 48 days.

Before deciding to introduce the Jan Lokpal Bill by Mr.Kejriwal made it clear that a number of Congress leaders including former Chief Minister Sheila Dixit would come under the purview of the bill alleging that Ms.Dixit deserved to undergo punishment for being a corrupt Chief Minister. Ms.Dixit, an active leader of Congress, whom Mr.Kejriwal defeated her in the assembly elections by a record margin of 26000 the party couldn’t go on supporting Kejriwal government. Furthermore, since the last one week Mr.Kejriwal went eloquent and made it public that both Indian National Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were in collusion with extending support to Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani even before tabling the Jan Lokpal Bill in the Assembly.

The document which he displayed before the media and Delhites, which established the truth that Mr.Ambani did benefit by both govt’s led by the Congress and BJP leaders and Congress leaders like Veerappa Moily and Murli Deora belonging to Congress doing favours to the Reliance Industries of Mukesh Ambani by which Mr.Ambani could almost double the charges for the petroleum products.

With all the information being laid bare it was quite natural that Congress wouldn’t go on extending support to the govt led by Mr.Kejriwal. In addition to this the Aam Admi Party would be able to widen its influence throughout Delhi and spread its popularity across India, both Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party decided to cash in on pulling down the government from power at the earliest about which Mr.Kejriwal and other leaders of AAP were certain that the both BJP and Congress would capitalize the first available opportunity and see to it that the pulling down of Delhi Assembly was a must.

With the threat of both Congress and BJP staring at AAP govt of Mr.Kejriwal decided once and for all, come what may, go on with tabling the bill in the Assembly. What all Mr.Kejriwal foresaw did materialize soon by which he wanted to expose Congress and BJP when it comes to the issue of protecting themselves. Mr.Kejriwal and his loyal followers could secure political mileage which was actually they wanted. They by widening their areas of influence across all States and thus evolve into a national entity and to bag as many seats as possible in the coming General Elections. AAP’s national ambitions are obvious now and with their followers campaigning in the General Election by paying visits to each house thus bringing as many citizens as possible under one umbrella.  AAP leaders had already made it clear that the party is poised to contest 350 to 400 seats. The leaders and its members taking the plunge now onwards the party will have to slug it out and undertake whirlwind campaign across the States and squarely blame both national parties by presenting a long list of scams, scandals, corruption, poverty, unemployment before the citizens, thus convincing them about the magnitude and intensity of threats confronting the nation since decades. 

THE MEANING OF LIFE

My memories are

like flowers in a garden

of different colours

of different smells

of different sizes.

My thoughts are

like broken chains

and my experiences

always play hide

and seek game with me

often making it

difficult for me 

to give them a pattern.

My God, this life is

a game of glorious and

inglorious uncertainties.

To impart a

meaning to it is my one and 

only task for which

I have to struggle hard

throughout my life….  

THE SIGNALS

On the wall of

my conscience

three signals are installed

green, red and yellow.

Whenever I choose to

tread the right path

the green signal

opens its eyes with them glimmering

which means I have

chosen the right path.

Whenever I choose to

enter the forbidden zone

the red light opens eyes

meaning I have violated the warning

for which I have to pay

dearly if not now

in the not too distant future

whenever the green and red

signals close their eyes

clearing the way for

the yellow light to glitter

meaning, I need not

jump the obstacles

since there won’t be 

any hurdles to jump

and that  I can

proceed with confidence and delight all the way….

In this age of soulless, ruthless, sound and fury

none cares to ask oneself whether

the paths chosen by he/she

are right or wrong.

They selectively forget

to ignore rights or wrongs

and for that matter yellow.

Even conscience has disappeared

from majority of mankind

so we need not bother about

the signals - green, red and yellow.

IRAN’S 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF ISLAMIC REVOLUTION AND TALKS WITH P5+1 OVER URANIUM ENRICHMENT

Shah Muhammad Reza Pehlavi, who ruled Iran like a Sultan and his wife were notorious for extravagant life style. Though he was the de facto ruler, he always neglected the aspirations of the people which led to the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and forced him flee abroad seeking asylum. Shah was called by the Iranians as the ‘stooge of US’ as he was on good terms with US.

Ever since his tenure as the Head of Iran, people disliked and hated him which led to the Islamic Revolution of 1979 under Iran’s Supreme Head Ayatollah Khomeini who was respected and revered by the Iranians. He was known for his adherence to Islamic values and it was he who issued a fatwa against noted writer Salman Rushdie alleging that Rushdie’s novel ‘Satanic Verses’ which according to Ayatollah Khomeini and other Muslim clerics was blasphemous.

Ever since Khomeini issued fatwa, Rushdie went into hiding fearing death at the hands of fundamentalist Muslims.

Now that almost 35 years have gone by, the fatwa against Rushdie still stands and Rushdie is still in hiding protected by security forces.

Ayatollah’s period was marked by hatred towards US which has been called by the Iranian citizens as the ‘Great Satan’.

On Tuesday, Iran celebrated the 35^th anniversary of Islamic Revolution. Thousands of Iranians came out into the streets to eulogize the great revolution and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a broadcast to the nation, who is a moderate President unlike his predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who was a conservative to the core and was a bitter enemy of US and it was in his term as President Iran began to enrich Uranium for peaceful purposes, that was how he explained, but US and other Western countries couldn’t take him for granted. After repeated warnings, the Western nations led by US, ordered ‘biting sanctions’ against Iran which couldn’t force Iran to continue the enrichment of Uranium.

Upon completion of two terms, Mr.Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stepped down and Iran went to polls and Hassan Rouhani who is a moderate leader emerged winner and assumed office who wanted to establish cordial terms with P5+1 nations.

His attempt to develop warm relations with US and other nations – US, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany  which is aspiring for permanent membership status in the UN Security Council was primarily to ease the ‘biting sanctions’ against Iran. Mr.Rouhani’s decision to establish warm relations with US is not to the liking of citizens of Iran.

Mr.Rouhani foresaw a bright future for Iran and to achieve it Iran wanted to have the sanctions imposed to be withdrawn and with that intention in mind, he contacted US President Barack Obama over phone which led to the meeting with P5+1 nations. In return for easing sanctions on Iran he explained to them Iran’s purpose to enrich Uranium only for peaceful purpose and as per the demand of P5+1 he was willing to reduce the Uranium enrichment to only 5 percent down 20 percent.

On the occasion of marking the 35^th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution while addressing lakhs of Iranians he took the opportunity to make it clear that Iran won’t bow down to all the demands put forward by the P5+1 nations.

He wanted to have ‘fair and constructive’ nuclear talks with the US and other nations in order to remove all sanctions imposed on it by the developed nations.

With the purpose of showcasing Iran’s might it launched a long-range ballistic missile two days before the celebration of 35^th anniversary of Islamic Revolution.

The next round of talks with P5+1 nations are scheduled to be conducted at Vienna the coming week.

The deep-rooted animosity and hatred towards US are still etched in the minds of Iranians and while celebrating the anniversary of the revolution they reportedly shouted slogans against US ‘The Great Satan’.

Similarly US too moves ahead with cautious optimism since suspicions still lurk in its attitude towards Iran.

Vienna talks will not be the last and for a peaceful settlement all the differences to the satisfaction of the nations involved in the talks are bound to go on for a long period.  

TUG OF WAR

Like in a tug of war

going on between

two equally competent teams

since a long time

she is being pulled by

two equally, determined and competent

persons in opposite directions

with none emerging victorious

since a long time.

With suffocation 

weariness and gnawing pain

tormenting her.

Thinking of an uncertain future

she felt like weeping like a child

for freedom from the two persons

and let her choose her own way.

‘Leave me alone’

was her only prayer

when the ‘war’ between

two persons continued unabated

with no sign of

anyone emerging successful.

Actually she hated and disliked

both of them

and if left alone

she could choose her own way

and fend for herself…..in future….