Inquilab Zindabad

A One-legged old man trying to get a glimpse of ANNA HAZARE

Tere Bin Laden

(Not so)Dear Bin Laden,

It is quiet an uncanny coincidence that you met your destiny on the 63rd anniversary of the end of the Fuhrer, another psychopath tyrant, culprit of genocide. Much the same to the Nazi ruler you crusaded against a particular race and massacred scores of innocents at the altar of your theocratic fanaticism. But on the contrary the bullet that came as a nemesis for your 25 year old atrocities on men, women and children came not from your own weapon but from the gun of the most lethal commandos of your biggest rival nation. Where Hitler saw his end coming and chose to kill his wife and himself before falling into the hands of the Soviet Army, you perpetually tried to escape the inevitable and furtively run your crusade against the west. However, quiet unlike Nazism, your Jihad would not decompose with your body. Even as your annihilation is marked by revelry all across the United States and also other parts of the world, Ladenism still pose a big threat to the world.

Though the Americans accredit this day as a testimony of their might, yet do not declare it as a victory in their 'war against terror'. The reverberations and reprisals within the Islamic radicals that would eventually ripple still haunt their minds and thus the haste in burying your body in the sea and hesitance in revealing your picture seem to be pre-emptive measures to undermine the prospects of you being worshiped as a martyr. Albeit, there still exist a frisson of sympathy among a large faction of Muslim community.

This heroic stature and iconic worship is something you have enjoyed for 25 years. Way back in 1986 when you renounced your luxurious billionaire life to launch a fight against the Soviet forces in Afghanistan, you and your militia gained a huge support among the masses. Since then your theological ideas and radical approach has been admired by thousands of Muslims across the world. It was just at your one call that your 'Fidayeen' soldiers were ready to give their life in the name of Jihad. Nonetheless, when the allied forces invaded Afghanistan to hunt you down, you bought no time to escape from there leaving hundreds of your soldiers to be killed by the British and American army.

However, even as you were inactively cooped in one of your hideouts, your ideologues continued your fight against the non-Islamic countries. Your sympathizers and patrons on the other hand kept the world under deception regarding your whereabouts. Now when you were found and eliminated in a mansion at a garrison city situated next to the capital of Pakistan, the country which claims to be an ally of the United States in its war against terror there are innuendoes that you enjoy immense popularity amongst the Pakistani people.

Not more than 24hours after America declared Geronimo (a nom de guerre of yours anointed by US) dead, sceptics have started raising questions on its credibility while Pakistan that has been caught dead to rights is in a fix facing the ire of both: its military ally US and its own people. To one's surprise prayers for you would be offered even in India but it would be limited to some individuals and not the masses. Whereas in Pakistan you seem to be immortalized amongst the radical Islamists.

Well, when I talk about your proponents, some names just randomly flash into my memory. The most prominent of them being former President of Pakistan and ex-army chief Gen Pervez Musharraf. You would remember that way back in 1980's when you, under the aegis of the CIA were employed to construct bunkers and tunnels in Afghanistan to help the Guerrilla warriors in their fight, this Pakistani officer who was then assigned with the task of training the mercenaries recruited by several Islamic groups had first met you. In the years to follow when there was a Shia rebellion in Gilgit in Pakistan, Brig Musharraf called upon several Pakhtoon tribesmen from Afghanistan commanded by you in order to quell the mutiny. Also there were suspicions regarding your militants being used in Kargil.

Therefore it was not at all surprising when the first condemnation of the American operation came from none other than Gen Musharraf. Moreover as Musharraf has now his vested interest in the Pakistani national politics, he has all the more reason to raise the issue and fob off the current government's ability to protect the sovereignty of the country.

But the main concern for the US would be over your most faithful ally, the ISI. As you know Pakistan has always been a keen supporter of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan for its own diplomatic reasons, the ISI has been perpetually providing you subventions and protection to destabilize the current Afghan government. Now you being killed, ISI would bequeath your legacy to your close aide Dr. Ayman AL Zawahri and thus continue its operations. Further, the clandestine support to Al Quaeda provided by the Pakistan Army would be more deliberate considering the threat from the US Army and the CIA.

Besides, the cabals of other radical Islamists and your acolytes like Hafeez Saeed, Masood Azhar, Lakhvi and also the local militants in the tribal areas of Waziristan could break in an insurgency against the Pak government for the lapse in your security.

Above all the US is in no mood to overlook Pak's duplicity. Hence the Pakistani army could be deprived of the billions of dollars which it gets from US in the form of Military aid and which the army further disburse among several terrorist organisations like yours. This could further generate animosity between US and Pakistan providing the fanatics an opportunity to get a stronghold in the governance of this Nuke state.

Hence, in spite of you being exterminated your scrofulous theological diabolic propaganda of Jihad would keep lurking and projecting a great threat to the world.

GAURAV TRIPATHI

A CANDLE IN THE WIND

"Its difficult to take stringent actions against ministers when you are in a coalition government". This is what Rahul Gandhi replied when a student of Lucknow University asked him about his party's ineffectiveness against corruption.

But who knew that four months later a 72- year old, short and shriveled Gandhian would sit on a fast unto death and incinerate the dead spirit of the youth of this country forcing the government to give in to his demands.

The formula of Jan Lokpal Bill advocated by Anna Hazare and his foot-soldiers gleamed a ray of hope amongst the masses. But the war was not over yet as the political fraternity refused to concede to a handful of the so called Civil Society activists.

After a jaw breaking defeat in the first round, the government started the second one with an upper jab right on the face of two most prominent members of the Joint Drafting Committee- the Bhushans. The CD which allegedly contains conversation between expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, party supremo Mulayam Singh and lawyer Shanti Bhushan indicating attempts of influencing a judge has brought Civil Society on the defensive.

Also the heretical remarks on the propriety of the Bhushans made by Congress' general secretary Digvijay Singh bringing into account the alleged discretionary allotment of land by the Mayawati government to the Bhushans and that too for a song have severely undermined the competence of the committee.

As the government plays footsie with Anna Hazare and other committee members, many cynics have been digging old graves looking for opportunities to settle personal accounts with the lawyer family. In spite of Hazare's clean chit to Bhushans there are voices raised demanding resignation of the two from the committee on moral grounds.

Though the allegations are grave but the timing in which they have risen smacks suspicion. Almost two weeks after the government succumbed to the demands of Anna Hazare, the ghost of land allotment and stamp duty evasion rose from nowhere. Amar Singh who was almost forgotten by the people after his expulsion from the Samajwadi Party has suddenly grabbed the attention of the media with his rhetorics and sarcasm directed towards the Bhushans. The purported CD(authentic or not) that contains a piece of conversation that took place in 2006 has unexpectedly emerged after five years.

Such political chicaneries insinuate the vindictive politics employed by the government to mar the reputation of Civil Society among the masses. The whole hubbub demanding resignation of the two very competent lawyers in the drafting committee implies of an attempt to make the committee weak and vulnerable when facing four of the best lawyers in the country.

Even as the Bhushans show no signs of quitting and the Civil Society backing them up, the tread so far suggest that the road ahead is not smooth for the Jan Lokpal Bill and of course the icon- Anna Hazare.

An article by Gaurav Tripathi produced in the general interest of public by G.A.A.P

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