Democracy and Peace vs. Chaos and War.....India and its Neighbors

      India celebrates another successfully concluded election, while Sri Lanka digs out from civil war and Pakistan and Afghanistan continue to battle for survival and Burma/Myanmar languishes under the stranglehold of its repulsive and paranoid generals. India moves forward under the leadership of the Congress Party and its allies, while the others struggle for survival. The Sri Lankan government of Mahinda Rajapakse must now move to  integrate the 1.4 million Tamils fully into the fold. Reconstruction and reconcilation must be speedily begun with real changes that will see the defeated and despairing Tamils become a full partner, with their language, religion and identity protected, their rights respected and the discrimination which they have been subjected to, removed. They can learn from their poly-ethnic, poly-lingual and multi-religious neighbor, India. India's growth and development were achieved by a willingness to incorporate these diverse elements. A Hindu-majority (80%) nation that has as leader of the governing party (Congress) an Italian born woman, a Sikh Prime Minister and (just recently) a Muslim President. Sri Lanka with its Sinhalese, Buddhist majority must accept and respect the Hindu Tamils as well as the other ethnic and religious entities. Only in this way can their be peace and development.

      Pakistan is waging a bloody war against its Pashtun/Taliban minority. The majority Punjabis has to find a way to bring the Sunnis, Shias, Mohajirs and other religious groups into the governing process. The 41 million Pashtuns living in the Paki/Afghani border areas as well as the Baluchis and others must also be incorporated, This has been the failure of Pakistan and it will continue to be so, if recociliation is not achieved. War and military victory will not solve the problem. It is at best a very short term solution. The Pashtuns and others will not be controlled for long. Like Sri Lank and its Tamil minority, if the initiative is not seized, after military victory, it will continue to fester and the result will be chaos and continued violence. If the Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Pashtuns in Pakistan are not brought into the fold with real changes that address their  real demands for protection of their rights, there will be hell to pay. The price will not be merely continued violence, but the break up of the state.

      The weak President Karzai of Afghanistan has to be replaced. He has been ineffective and his givernment is corrupt and incompetent. The Pashtun/ Taliban ( he is a Pashtu) have always dreamed of a state of their own...Pashtunstan, and with their Pakistani brothers, may well establish this state, which will be good neither for Pakistan or Afghanistan. Karzai has not been able and /or willing to bring in the Tajiks or the Uzbecks or the Hazarras into his southern Pashtun majority government. The heightened American military action on the border areas, while necessary to defeat the Taliban/ al Qaeda alliance has resulted in undermining any credibility that Karzai may still have. Military action must be complemented with social programmes, the rebuilding of the country and very importantly the creation of jobs. Many join the insurgency ( as in Iraq), not because of belief in the cause but because they get paid. As the Americans did in Iraq to get the Iraqi Sunnis to leave the insurgency, money/ jobs is the key. The poppy trade flourishes because, people can make money from it. Provide an alternative and many, as in the case of Iraq, will be lured away.

      While weak leadership, discrimination and denial of rights and the lack of opportunities are the main problems in Pakistan and Afghanistan, that is not the case in Burma/ Myanmar. Here it is the ruthless and power-drunk Generals and their iron grip on power that is the problem. There seems to be no letting up. This past week has seen them setting up a mock trial of Aung Sang. The world is stymied in its attempt to place tough sanctions on the Generals, because of China, which is its chief supporter. The people of Burma/ Myanmar live in a virtual prison and little or no change is forseeable.

      India moves on, while Sri Lanka has an opportunity to do so. Pakistan and Afghanistan are on the verge of failing and the people of Burma/ Myanmar are waging a courageous battle for survival.