Dalai Lama Speak !!

Karan Thapar has never been so modest , downplaying as he was during his interaction with his holiness "The Dalai Lama". The 71 Year old Dalai Lama was as cool as ever taking one question at a time and giving crytal clear reply. The views seem to be more realisitic and going with current happenings. And one of the plain speaks in recent times :

For instance he insists :

"Now, I think the whole world knows that I am not seeking independence. As far as history is concerned" .

This clearly gives the direction the struggle is heading. One should appreciate the way he has patiently taken a non-violent struggle and now tweaking to realities still not compromising on the main issue. The issue might have been freedom , in the sense freedom to pursue & preserve their culture. Does not seem to be political freedom.

Atleast thats what is the indication he gives when he points out :

"I think many visit Tibet including many Chinese. When they reach Lhasa, they realise that Tibet is actually ruled by terror. The autonomy is not that. The Tibetan should have their final authority except foreign affairs and defence. The rest of the business Tibetans can handle, may be even batter, because they know Tibetan mentality and geographical situations"

Nothing more could have been crytal clear !!

He also does not hesitate to point out the need for revisiting foreign policy with changing times !
Words of wisdom !

In another sense also this assumes importance as he throws open challenge to the Tibetean youth :

"I tell them ‘yes, you demands are right, doesn’t matter’. But if they really want a different approach then they must assure us, the people the method step by step. That’s not very clear"

This charismatic Chief buddhist monk has shown his pure heart when he said, that he would not worry if he does not see Tibet in this life time ! Final Punch :

"No problem. I am a Buddhist monk, now over 71-years-old. These several years I have trained my mind according to Buddhist teachings. Doesn’t matter"

Final parting thoughts of Dr.Brahma Chellany (reference made by Karan Thapar himself):

"The only way that India can build counter-leverage against Beijing is to quietly reopen the issue of China’s annexation of Tibet and its subsequent failure to grant autonomy to the Tibetans.”

Please do see for more details :

Visit the site (reference cnn-ibn site)

Dr.Tharoor ends hid date with UN !!

Not many Asians have imposed their presense and commanded respect of the world diplomatic community as Dr.Sashi Tharoor has ! He has carved himself a unique working style and UN adopted him a 22 year old young man. This Doctrate from Fletcher school of Diplomacy has worked his way thorugh the UN hierarchy purely on his merit not to mention his natural passion for the Job.

First big assignment as UNHRC chief at Singapore & various other high profile stints garlanded his ever growing resume`. But Tharoor never let down his another "Lover" ! He always knew she deserved more attention & always seduced him to her world - Writing !! Otherwise no way can a higly occupied man produce 9 books ,including one on bollywood!!

He has always been a poster boy of the Indian identity though he spoke fluent french than most Asians ! India threw its full support for the post of UNSG. A worthy try which was cut short by other growing "powers" ! Also his strong advocacy for restructuring the UN might have reflected back. That is one page which no S.G has ever dared to read. As Mr.T.P.Sreenivasan, a former Indian Diplomat in his rediff article says : "At least two permanent members were known not to be too enthusiastic, as he did not fit the image of an ideal Secretary General that they had in mind."

The literary genius inside him became evident in "The Great Indian Novel" ! Tharoor 100% succeeded in getting the approval of the International audience ! Modern history he delivered thorugh "India from midnight to millenium" is testimony of his passion for history & Literature ! M F Hussain brought more colorful side with their combined work.

The St.Stephen's alumni can do more good to India today through his international stature. I earnestly hope our diplomatic community would earn more by seeking the advise of this easy & outgoing Diplomat !! He might leave UN on March 31,2007 but his accomplishments cannot be erased & his contributions ever inscribed in the books of the great Institution the world still believes in !! All the best Mr. Tharoor, India & UN are proud of you !

Tryst with Juntaa !

Pranab's visit to Myanmar last weekend cannot be termed a "routine" diplomatic journey. With the clout of India's Arms assistance to its military ruled Myanmar syntheszes new kind of equation. Till now help was confined to military training and info sharing of insurgents. India willing to go beyond the traditional arena need not come as a surprise though. For there have been speculations besides Banla border, insurgents are in Myanmar borders too ! Aferall that perception would be more grave as we share 1500km border with Myanmar !
Well India is not alone is recognising the Junta rule. Recently even china & Russia vetoed the US designed resolution hilighting "Junta" a place for insurgent growth. India's foreign policy initiative on this front is more strategic than economic. Though the economic dimension of gas supply cannot be ruled out.
Myanmar to survey its gas reserves by april & if excess agreed to supply at "right" price ! Though this might not be key ally , it cannot be ruled out to be small ! These days world order is more towards energy rich friends with relative weakness in their political school . Energy needs might well be the fuel for future conflicts. Especially for growing economies like India & China !
2006 was significant that all 3 service chiefs visited Myanmar. All of them had their deal to be offered to the Juntaa ! True that north east conflict tops "Look East policy" besides Oil exploration findings of Naypyida. ONGC,GAIL also have stake in the fields there. Border fencing also to commence soon with full support of the burmese. Ofocurse top most infrastructural development is the Sithway-Mizoram and Mainpur-Thailand (via Mynamar) highways.
But also pity that Democaratic India since 1993 (reversal of stance )has no word on Noble Laurate Aung San Su ki who has been virtually house arrested for decades now ! Are we skipping democracy for Diplomacy ? Though Foreign minister might term Junta as internal matter, with more military rules on almost all neighbours (except Bhutan) we will have to be more prudent in pushing for Democracy because that itself is half the answer to Insurgency !

Will Tiger change its stripes ?

Unpredicability about death is unpredictability. Could not have come to Anton Balasingham at this misappropriate juncture. Though LTTE chief was know for his own ways, balasingham was his trusted Liutenent. This Doctral in social sciences have been their Chief Negotiator from the word begin. Everyone know the trademark of their process.

Yet Balasingham was shrude enough to impinge his piece of mind and bring his astute diplomatic skills to use. One wonders in the end if they were successful. The raging war in the Island nation is ample proof to unsucceful attempt of violence.

Concerned parties should come forward and take a political approach. even though LTTE might miss their Chief political adviser, it will have to move forward in main political stream. Efforts are on by political parties for solving ethnic issues though "Autonomy". But recently they were recieved by assasination attempt on defence secretary . The last "Heros Day speech"
re-iterated their "Independent" position.
Will the tigers change their stripes for good ?? Only time can tell.

Return of the Jedai !!

"To victor goes the spoils ! " - Chevez land slide victory makes every leftist more confident ! The second straight power win of this Ex-paratrooper is a big gain for the "axis of left" in latin America. Dedicating this victory to his old comrade Fidel Castro, Victor Chevez is taking this OPEC nation to new level of attitude - Anti American.

Very few have had the guts (like fidel) to oppose US in their own soil . Chevez is definitely one. Recent of his include the sulphur at UN ! Self proclaimed fan of Naom chomsky, this staunch leftist have made all right political moves in Latin America. He seem to create an axis of alignment which the great Che Guevera failed in action. But ofcourse , "Che" will remain the cause forever !

The founding member of OPEC is the largest oil reserve outside the middle east. So a natural customer to US. But after advent of Chevez they are facing tough times. CIA seems to be fail as badly as their political vandetta ! Though Chevez lost a coup in 1990's , he fought back politcally victrious ! Leaders like him make the international order not to remain unipolarised ! Thats what introduces bug into the system which hedge the imbalance out ! In that sense not a bug to all but to the bitten & bitter !!

Half of governments revenue flow from the crude ! China & Russia were quick enough to join hands with this carribean nation. Guess India also should follow the suite. Just doing business with them does not mean alignment to the left. After all our govt here is externally pressurised from left, might add more substance than mere salt !

But for the dark side, Victor Chevez comeback is "Return of the Jedai " !! Would be a unification of loosely held latin south ! Ofcourse the congregation has many heavy weights including mexico & Brazil !

General - In the line of Fire ??

No doubdt he is one of the important state heads today in new world order. India also no longer can ignore him or his statements. Gen.Musharaf's autobiography. But against his expectations "In the line of Fire" actually has put him under fire. The pakistani president has been too general in data give aways ! No classification or declassification, the authenticity however questionable ! Though he claims this book to have an insight of contemprorary pakistan, general has spoke more on the non-pakistani's !!

Musharaf took over pak at a time when internal economy was crumbling, northen states almost in the hands of terrorists ! He definitely used his military experience to tackle a few issues, but not justified in all cases !

A few illogical rhetorics are raising doubts of the whole context of the book itself ! One example is he stating India acquiring nuclear installation drawings through doubtful means. A strongly accepted fact is that most of Indian technology especially after 1960's are indigenious !
This is totally unrequired to present context and not a befitting incident. Other was the Agra summit 2004. Clouds are still dark on what happened at the summit and aftermath.

Every time both countries restart their dialouge but with old baggage. Acceptable that "out of box" solution is required. But will have to come from a joint committee committed to welfare of everyone involved ! Kargil being self praised as victory tactically also may not be totally true. Detailed accounts have emerged since then which do conflict many of general's view.

Well bcos of 9/11 or not, general better be ready to be bombed to his stone age life after forthcoming elections, if at all it happens !! Well atleast he is projecting himself to be a too general leader than a general ! Action will have to speak than words !

Baluchistan Burning ?

One of the open known rivalry of the musaraf regime was closed by use of elite commando forces. One can argue if the elite forces had to be deployed to defeat a 79 year old oxford educated tribal leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti. May be military regime is showing signs of jitters.
Baluchistan the most richest energy province of pakistan is undoubtely the poorest. In fact their own people were even denied gas supplies ! Tribal leader Akbar bugti , popularly know as "Tiger of Baluchistan" has long been saviour of the region. Was the governer and CM of the province in the 1970's. Early this year as he was the prime target of elimination, he fled dera bugti into the mountains. He well had more than 250,000 militia under his belt. His death now gives birth to galavising of resistant forces against musharaf.
Analysts feel the general could have sought political means to solve the crisis. The idea would be to resolve the sufferings of the balochs rather than suppressing them. Wierd he had to resort to military action against their own countrymen ! Clear indication of his general status overcoming the presidetial powers. If he is to continue sceptre, then president should try resolving issues through political equations. Otherwise baloch might become another bangladesh as one of the military analyst points out in his recent article.
General has the history of handling pressure cooker situation with ease. But this has thrust too much weight on him. If the situation is under control then it would be a dangerous predence for worst to follow. Lets earnestly hope our neighbour gets her "house in order" too.

Lebanon Under Attack !

What one rightly calls as the change of winds applies well to lebanon. Hardly anyone in Beirut would have thought their city & eventually lebanon, under attack from Israeli Defence Froces(IDF) . The agreed view against IDF is their unmatched hard hit on the already wailing lebanon. It has hardly woken from their invasion decades ago.
Ofcourse rationalist argue Israel is not the one to go to war and was very nastily prompted by extremism. IDF has decided to finish hizbullah once and for all. But their greatest challange would be to fight the terror groups whose identity is very difficult to distinguish from an innocent civilian ! In one sense, the lebanese themselves are paying for their support to hizbullah.
Danger in this whole conflict is that, a breed of new generation would rise bearing their full brunt on those who attacked them thus putting the idea of sustained peace in the region atleast half a century away ! Terror is a phenomenon taking shape rapidly in new age and response to it should be to curb it at its root rather than letting an offshoot. Otherwise purpose would be lost !
Israel has all the right as any state to defend itself, but should be done with utmost caution with least possible impact. Ehud omlert inspite of his very less military service has come out as a hardliner than expected. His body language clearly states this man knows fully the impact of military action.

Peace in and around Israel is as important as Indo-pak , S & N korea. Asia also has recently seen constant conflicts threatening the future of millions ! Middle east & asian peace are good indicators of journey towards a better world ! Hope the journey begins late than never!

Fit as Fidel !!

Most citizens in this small carribean country only know towering Castro as their ultimate leader, for they have been seeing him from the time they were born ! May be this applies to atleast half the world population which survive now!
Fidel castro took over the power in cuba from Fulgencio Batista in 1958. One of doctors turned into greatest guerilla warfare man Che guevera accompanied castro in this mission. Unfortunately in a twist of fate the later headed for bolivia to make rest a history !
Ruling one of the very few communist states, castro has defined himself to be a fine,firm,intelligent and tactically strategic leader. What more he has survived more than 600 assasination attempts till now and has faced pressure from almost 10 US presidents ! Every cigar smoked by anyone around the world has his spirit in it !
Castro's life is cuba & cuba is castro .. Such a saying would go undisputed in havana, as he rules it for almost half a century ! Along has come his brother Raul castro , the longest serving Defence minister in the world! He was very much responsible for turning castro's the armed group into a fine military of cuba.
Recent oil findings would give them a better edge, but ageing castro does worry the future power equation of the communist country .. But as always this "Iron man of havana" has survided a lot of criticism and will remain as fit as fidel for ever !!

Clueless in baghdad !

Sashi tharoor's Bookless in baghdad opened a new vista in me , of understanding the life of the iraqis ! Poor citizens selling their precious book collection for a living ! But recent happenings in baghdad really seem to be ruthless ! A few deaths daily for no fault of theirs, albiet they were born on that part of the planet. Now tharoor would dare say "Clueless in baghdad !

After "Ladies & gentlemen, We got him !" rhetoric, one is given a sense that still they have not got him(the real enemy i mean) . Iraq is on a grip of civil war, poor people, they are clueless ! For troops there getting on the street fights of iraq seems a new paradigm shift than their tora bora days ! Days ahead do not inspire them. But still they stick on to see light at the end of tunnel !
The point of reference here is that we are also affected by the oil spill. Economists raise alarm on the rocketing oil prices. High time India starts reducing its dependecy on oil if it has to go forward undeterred.
It's the terror that terrorises humans and not the beings ! None other than iraqi's would stand testimony to these words !

G8 Summit & India

Prelude to St.petersburg for G8 summit had started with human misery of terror in Asia. From Mumbai being shattered to pounding of zionists at beirut. Signs were jittery none the less significant. India I shud say well used this moment to vioce its concern on terror and its equation with our neighbour. Though no solid official evidence published, trails may logically lead to the expected path in the events of the unexpected attacks. History repeats itself ! Diplomatic victory as stated by shyam saran as G8 jointly condemned the brutal train attacks.
On sidelines we did press our conerns on the nuke deal to uncle same, who assured "no shifting" of goal posts" !
G8 in lot of ways have become unofficially very important structure in todays world order. India's participation in it shud be mutlitude going forward, as membership already in cards one shud presume. Would give us better edge in terms of trade, economy & defence.
Though recent espionage internally be a cause of concern, one can expect our sleuths to maintan tight integrity to safe guard national security ! None the less our pursuit for searching partners to fight terror should continue through defence diplomacy for better access to classified data, which can to a large extent simplify our bureau deeds. ofcourse it would have to mutual consent.
PM mentioned, fighting terror might be a long haul, but we better be prepared for the long haul without making a dent in our hull !