By Humra Quraishi
Ironical it may sound that on one hand you have this dedicated band of Khudai Khidmatgars led by activist Faisal Khan who are presently undertaking this ten day long ‘peace’ journey – April 12 to April 21 – from New Delhi’s Batla House till Hyderabad’s Mecca Masjid, and then , on the other hand, sheer violence hitting Afghanistan .The very land where the entire concept of Khudai Khidmatgars – Servants of God – had taken off, under the guidance of Frontier Gandhi , Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.
Today it is convenient to flow along with vested interests, the ongoing Western propaganda and with that heap all blame on the Talibans, but there are definite backgrounders which cannot be bypassed …I have never been to Afghanistan, so sitting from here cannot comment on the ground realities but, yes, few years back did interview Asfandyar Wali Khan – grandson of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and leader of the Awami National Party of Pakistan . Also , a year back I had also interviewed Jesuit priest , James C. Dhabi, who though hails from Gujarat had been teaching and working in Afghanistan. And let me write what they had to tell me .
Like all Pakhtuns , Asfandyar Wali Khan was blunt and outspoken and this is what he had to say about Afghanistan in the context of the ongoing deteriorating world scenario – “ The propaganda that Muslims are a violent lot is a fallout of today’s world politics and the games played by that superpower. In fact, when I was invited to address a forum in the US , I told the audience that you would have expected to see me – a Pakhtun -with a long flowing beard and a gun on my shoulder and here I am , clean shaven and a strong believer in non -violence. I have no security guards with me. Even when traveling in the interiors of my country , it is just me and the driver, for I do believe that there’s a time fixed for death and nobody can alter it by even a second . Such is my belief and faith …”
Commenting on the continuing havoc in Afghanistan , Asfandyar Wali Khan commented , “If you have studied Afghan history you’d know that their struggles have always been based on nationalism and not on religion .It is the US which brought in religion and used it in recent years .This phase is like a curse for the people of Afghanistan …” Commenting further on America’s role , he’d said ,”If you have two badmashes in the village its okay .They’ll be busy settling scores with each other. But there’ll be chaos and confusion if only one badmash remains .That’s the trouble in today ‘s world .There is only one badmash left !”
And also commenting on the Muslim situation the world over , “There’s no leadership of calibre in today’s Muslim world .The atrocities against the Palestinians are hurting the Muslims the world over .Post 9/11 , the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan are being looked at as if they are similar ,which is not the case…upheavals have taken place all along history .I’m optimistic because I believe that the liberals and democratic forces will replace the fundamentalists the world over…”
And now to what James C. Dhabi had to say about the prevailing ground realities in Afghanistan .This Jesuit priest served as the country director of Afghanistan Research and Development Institute in Kabul and was also visiting professor at universities in Bamiyan and Herat – “Afghanistan`s neighbours must stop using that country for their interests at the cost of the local people. There is hardly any civil society here in Afghanistan to resist and raise its voice against the vested interests within and outside. Eliminating enlightened civil society members is not a big deal here. Like in India many of the religious leaders here often are part of the problem than the solution. Newspapers are a luxury here and limited to major cities. So access to news is through radio, television and mobile phones. So protests against civilian deaths are limited.”
What about peace prevailing in that country ? And to this , Dhabi was stark with his comments – “To be honest it ( peace ) does not seem to be possible in the near future. Afghanistan presently has its own `elected government` but it is no secret that it is governed and managed by a combination of internal and external actors, interests and political compulsions. The legacy of warlords, the feudal and patriarchal ways of local governance, corruption, ethnic rivalries, family and clan networks all play a role in the politics and economy of Afghanistan…People show their dislike for religious extremists in private but they are afraid to say it openly. Many people also detest the presence of foreign forces, particularly the US, yet they know the consequences if these are moved out immediately. Many people are dependent on the international community for their livelihood. Afghanistan currently relies on aid to meet 90 per cent of its budget….The Taliban is not the only actor responsible for the insecurity. The warlords, drug mafia, transport lobbies, timber mafia, security companies (foreign and local), politicians and bureaucrats, business rivals, neighbouring countries and other international players, all have their share in creating and sustaining insecurity. Insecurity is also a blessing in disguise for NGO personnel including the UN bodies. It may restrict their movement but it increases the `risk allowance` attached to a fat salary substantially.”
P.A. SANGMA’S BOOK …
Politicians have several aspects or layers to them …maybe they develop those, to get moving upwards, towards bigger Bhavans or to fit themselves in those bigger slots. With that in the background or foreground , the latest to join the authors brigade is P.A. Sangma . Last week his book – A Life in Politics: Selected Speeches and Lectures, 1979-2004 ( Harper Collins ) was launched here, in New Delhi .
ANOTHER ROUND OF PUBLICITY FOR SHAHRUKH KHAN !
Why did External Affairs Minister complain to his counterpart in America about the treatment meted out to Bollywood’s Shahrukh Khan .Why did he limit his so called complaint to just about one lone Khan ? What about the rest of the not -so –well known Khans of the world who are subjected to sheer humiliation at the hands of the American security ? What about the US policies of discrimination along those typical formats ?
Anyway , Shahrukh has got another round of publicity !
Just by the way , why did he have to go towards a land , where he had been humiliated once or twice before !
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/04/signs-of-the-times/