Silencing the Media :The Curious Case of Kashmir

   

        “All this trouble from a matchbox like this” 

-Hosni Mubarak, erstwhile President of Egypt, upon touring Al Jazeera Headquarters in Doha, Qatar, in Spring 2000

Does the Media play a Purposive, Pragmatic and Positive role in transforming mental constructs regarding the  conflict in J&K or does it act as a tool for a new age psychological warfare?

Pic Courtsey :NDTV

With the recent killing of 22 Hizb-ul-Mujahideen operative Burhan Wani and the clampdown on  media in Kashmir following widespread violence, it is critical that we must now dissect  the dynamics and various paradigms of Media’s role in escalating and de-escalating conflict and this also entails the development of a common ground to understand universally accepted basic academic perceptions, theories revolving around the increasing power of media in contemporary times, both domestic and international, with a comparative perspective. To understand political ideologies, processes, decision-making political institutions, war strategies and functioning of a nation in times of conflict and peace , in- depth knowledge about the socio-economic and historical background which provides a support structure on which new trends in conflict reporting are further analysed, becomes necessary.

What made Wani a hero or a poster boy of terrorism in the valley was  the pivotal role of Media in determining the conduct of governments, laws governing the masses and explaining political formulae such as national welfare, national security, conflict resolution, transformation and peace building etc. Wani posing with weapons and posting images on social networks was a clear indication that something was not right in the way he looked at the world around him. Hashtags and retweets in support of Wani created a new undercurrent in the field of violence that could not be controlled.

Most of the available literature on Media and Media intervention in conflict as well as peace revolves around the implications of “info-attacks” i.e disinformation, psychological disillusionment and propaganda stories ,campaigns which may or may not lead to conflict and also which may or may not lead to resolution of conflict and transformation of post-conflict societies.

It was essentially this info attack through digitisation and the internet , that coaxed Wani to pick up arms. The establishment in Kashmir imposed a three-day ban on the media to tackle possible episodes of violent protest. Silencing the media is not the way forward.

The way forward: In a world where news is just 140 characters away , one simply cannot trust what is being posted online or reported from a newsroom. Gone are the days when news was restricted to a half an hour slot in between the evening movie screening on our national channel. The breaking news formula reached new heights with the mushrooming of news channels and spread on the Internet from 2005 onwards. The mad race for increased TRP s forced once ethical journalists to now report on just anything and everything  under the sun. 

Media discourses have undergone discernible changes in the last few decades and with changing global political order, wars, natural calamities and political mobilisation a fresh approach towards understanding the functioning of Media in times of conflict and peace becomes inevitable. Equally, the need of the hour is to remember that an arbitration by juxtaposed media, however well meaning may serve to aggravate situations, inflame passions and therefore subvert or frustrate conflict resolution measures. 

In all intents and purposes the mushrooming of 24x7 News Channels , widespread use of the world wide web and the rise of Social Media platforms recently have redefined the mental constructs that helped us to understand the functioning of Global political order especially in times of Conflict and Peace. The effect of a strongly linked, cosmopolitan and international neighbourhood owing to superior access to all forms of media may not necessarily be a positive aspect; ideologies, identities, territorial integrities, and indeed the very concept of nation states may be challenged by perceptions of global institutions percolating via the Media.

Access to 24x7 real-time information through diverse media forms and their ability to mould perceptions have forced a reevaluation by governments, international businesses and even non-state actors to view the heightened role of the Media in the shaping of conflict. Time and Space are two distinct variables in communication studies that have aided paradigm changes in existing theories and questions that have already been answered but need a fresh perspective that can solve key issues which affect the socio-political environment in contemporary times. With real-time broadcasting of on-ground events our perceptions about the world around us have undergone significant changes. One of the sterling examples of this was demonstrated during the 9/11 attacks on the American mainland; raw ability to transpose events as they unfolded into people's homes was on evidence, giving a perspective not seen hitherto fore. The Arab Spring is another example which shows how digitization has changed the way we look at social and political structures across the globe today.

It has been widely debated that the Media is prone as well as responsive to influences wielded by governments because of their inherent need to access corridors of power. Contrarily it has also been argued that governments are vulnerable and inclined to pressures by commercial media, due to their widespread reach and their ravenous yearning to connect with the masses.Eminent Political philosopher Aristotle had said that man is by nature a social animal and therefore the relationship that thus develops between man and the state becomes an important subject matter of research; ultimate aim of that defining relationship being welfare and happiness.

Welfare and happiness have taken a backseat and voices all across the media community have elicited the response that it is war or conflict that makes news and not peace. This bias is evident from the way our production teams shift focus on violence being recorded on camera even though it may be just one sporadic incident. Haven’t all of us witnessed the changes in existing media landscape and have been affected by what the newsrooms, internet and the newspapers want us to know?

Wani having an access to social media clearly calls for a deeper introspection on the dangers of having unlimited access to images and Videos without any control on the content by any establishment. Therefore it is the media which can act as a damage control tool by highlighting both sides of the story involving the Valley. 

One simply cannot choose violence over peaceful dialogue and blow it out of proportion for higher television ratings. This marks the end of ethical journalism and end of civil society.  The solution does not revolve around political powerhouses or the military bases in the valley or in clampdowns, like the recent 3-day ban on local media in Kashmir.  Newsrooms and classrooms can serve as the larger cauldron from which pragmatic positive and purposive dialogues can emerge.

           

How the Lone Wolf syndrome is a Black Swan in Terrorism Predictive Analysis

The recent attacks across the world have seen a twist in the modus operandi of terrorists making prediction and prevention of terrorism extremely difficult for law enforcement agencies. So called ‘Lone Wolves’, operatives working in ones or twos, without any ostensible connection to known terrorist organisations such as the Islamic State or any prior known  record of such activities suddenly seem to crawl out of the woodwork and create new and unique mayhem, adding to the list of terrorist actions which were not on the radar of any agency. The sheer lack of anticipation, or improbability, or both push these acts (increasingly so) in the category of Black Swan events, which by their very definition are deviations from the normal. As a result, and due to the very audacity of the act, they create ruptures in the development of defence strategy against such acts in future. These unconventional strategic shocks have been classified as ‘Known Unknowns’ by veteran Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Freier of the United States Army. In our ongoing analysis of these terrorist acts whether in Paris or Orlando or Istanbul or Medina,  and most recently in Nice in France, it becomes  critical to dwell upon certain underlying factors for accurate prediction and prevention of such acts in the future.

Why They Do It 

Though the reasons may be multifarious, they share a common thread- fanatical or jihadist Islam. This in itself is a thought provoking term, since learned Muslims differ on the meaning attributed to jihad by those who choose extremist means; a growing section within Islam itself feels that the term has been abused to suit their extremist purposes and tendencies. Also, recently a debate has been initiated as to whether the right description is radicalization of Islam or Islamisation of radicals. In itself, source for a stimulating debate, albeit the end result being the same.

European states such as France  have had long histories of colonial rule over large tracts of the Middle- East and North Africa, and therefore large populations of immigrants from these former colonies. These European countries are perceived as being responsible for the hopeless state of affairs in their former colonies. They have also left lasting legacies of suppression both by their armed forces and by mercenary militias. It is these former colonies where the current threat is now sprouting from, probably seen in equal measure as giving a bloody nose to their former masters as being religious in nature. The United States is viewed as being responsible for the present state of complete chaos owing its flawed policies over control of oil, a bid to foist its democratic principles, and perhaps anything else which goes wrong in the region. To add fuel to the raging fire, recent reports in the UK and the US have attributed much of the present state of affairs on the Blair and Bush administrations respectively, including certain reports that hold the US responsible for the creation of Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State as a means of furthering it’s own policy in these regions. No doubt, these give sufficient ‘WHY’ to any new recruit, especially when it is spiced up by impactful  images and quasi- religious and hate rhetoric.

The West is not the only one target, in fact it is any corner of the earth where signs of going against the terrorists notions of ‘unbeliever’ are evident. Or any corner where they want to impose their perception of Islam. Therefore, an act in Dhaka or in Medina is equally acceptable. Which makes it all the more difficult to ascertain where the next such act would be or who the targets would be, because the world is full of people who do not agree with their notions or live their lives in accordance to what they feel is right.

Who are they?

It could be just about anybody. Despite high terror alerts, the perpetrators still manage to get through, indicating that they exist below the threshold meriting attention by anti- terrorist agencies. Organisations seem to be tapping certain criminal underclass who may have a police record, but may not go beyond that. Or disenchanted students. Or unemployed youth. Or even educated converts for their new found religious zeal. Or attention seeking hyperactive individuals looking for their moment under the sun. Or immigrant population not having social security or identity papers. These people may be model citizens in their normal lives, could be going to work with you on the same bus or train, attending PTAs just as you do. Occasionally you may feel the lack of communication with some of them, but don’t we all attribute it to those Arab types? They cannot even be termed sleeper agents and hence be traced by reverse engineering.  What they do in their private time is simply beyond the reach of investigative agencies, they may be getting indoctrinated via social media, that all pervasive new demon of our times. And then one fine day this person gets up, leaving that normal life of his behind, drives a truck over a promenade full of people or on a shooting spree at the local nightclub or theatre or makes a bomb from ingredients available at the local hardware store and decides to explode it on a busy Street.

Investigative and watch agencies simply do not have the resources to keep a check on every single individual of society, something which works very well in favour of these Lone Wolves.  Technology has added to our headache; an encrypted phone is as easily available as grocery. A city has deployed anti aircraft batteries and 50 calibre machine guns on rooftops, backed up by phased array radar and F16s in near proximity, yet a postal worker managed to fly a gyro copter into these defences. The same city has deployed pathogen detectors against possible biological weapons. The city is Washington D.C.  What about all the other cities around the world? It is these lacunae that are exploited by the Lone Wolf.

How do they do it?

Again, as unexpected and unanticipated as could be. While the national and financial capital is being watched with an Eagle eye, an attack takes place in Orlando. Or an attack in Nice, not in Paris. Or an attack in a little known third world capital when everyone is busy looking west. Or suddenly in Istanbul for aligning against the Islamic State.  This is probably most indicative of a deviation (Black Swan). Or even worse, you may be expecting it on Bastille Day, but not by a truck driver on a promenade in a Mediterranean city; known unknown shock at its best.

What they expect to achieve

Obviously the idea is to create an atmosphere of trepidation, uncertainty and disquietude. In using tactics of hit and run ( or hit and die!) The Lone Wolf does not expect to follow up or follow through on his actions; it is a standalone action, to be treated as such but with sufficient impact to generate palpable fear. But what it definitely achieves in addition is further alienation of immigrants and racial profiling which works in favour of the terrorists’ rhetoric. It also tends to instil a feverish pitch of activity amongst anti terrorist agencies, but usually in the wrong place and just trying to piece together the last act. Invariably this makes the next attack even more unexpected.

Since these Lone Wolves are just that, working in isolation, there is no apparent connection between one attack and another,  therefore there are virtually no unravelling threads during an investigative process. Moreover since they are usually ordinary people, it leads to the question of who all should be investigated. As brought out earlier it becomes humanly impossible to probe every single individual despite all the technology at their behest. For instance it is not possible to monitor cellular conversations of an entire city of people, and if it is tried, it utilises resources from elsewhere and leaves discernible gaps that may be exploited.

Lastly, alienation and racial profiling work in favour of terrorists. In the eventuality that they are able to upset the balance to such an extent that the target country decides to impose a an extended state of emergency, it serves to further existing social divides on racial and economic lines. Such a possibility is being discussed in places such as France and will only serve the interests of terrorist organisations by providing them more fertile grounds for recruitment, more number of people ready to go that extra mile for the cause.

In the same pattern of unpattern that works for a Lone Wolf no fixed time or date is a good or a bad time. It may be sometimes symbolic in nature, such as the Medina ( 4th July) or Nice (14th July or Bastille Day) or it may simply be a bolt out of the blue.

Pic Courtsey: Google Images/ Counterjihadreport

The Eagle Bear Affair

India aspires to build a nuclear super carrier INS Vishal to add to its maritime  footprint. The carrier is slated to be a 65000 Ton  displacement vessel , 300 metres long and 70 metres wide. It would give the Indian Navy the capability to conduct operations in distant oceanic regions while engaging both land and sea based enemy targets. 

A nuclear super carrier gives India the potential to ensure operational stability of its naval forces, protect its landing troops and provide air defence. Such an addition gives India the ability to transform itself into an expeditionary  military power.

India and the United States ( US) are currently engaged in discussions on ‘Transfer of Technology’ (ToT) for a Nuclear supercarrier. Amidst this ongoing process, Russia has offered to sell such a nuclear supercarrier, the STORM. The offer comes at a time when Russia is desperately looking at measures to boost its own economy which has taken a massive beating especially with falling crude prices and international  sanctions. It is akin to the sale of twenty four SU 35 Fighters to China , a more than $2 Billion deal based on harsh economic realities that Putin is facing domestically.
India, however needs to measure it’s responses to both the discussion with the US and the offer from Russia on stringent parameters which necessarily arise from its own requirements,  the technologies, the financial angle and geopolitical  realities.

Pros and Cons

United States

1. Technology existing with US -hastens the process of acquisition of technology which otherwise would mean international  help.
2. Transfer of Technology will catapult India into select group of countries possessing such technology.
3. Financially viable proposition in the long term with additional promise of creation of employment opportunities. 
4. It will further strengthen Indo-US ties.
5. The US is currently restricting itself to EMALS ( Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System).
6. So far no mention of transfer of nuclear propulsion technology.
7. Time bound project would augur  well for the Indian Navy’s long term strategy.

Pros and  Cons 

Russia

1. India has worked with Russia for acquisition of INS Vikramaditya ( Kiev class carrier) which Russia claims gives it the requisite experience for building such supercarriers.
2. Russia claims it can give India the requisite nuclear propulsion technology 
3. The supercarrier may cost as much as $ 12 billion- will that be a financially viable deal?
4. Any decision in favour of Russia will help to cement Indo-Russia  relations which has taken a beating due to India’s  perceived shift to the US for defence procurement.
5. If delays in Admiral Gorshkov’s  case are any indication it may entail a long wait, jeopardising the Indian Navy’s strategic plans.
6. Russia has shown a tendency to go back on its guarantee process. There are no iron clad guarantees with Russia.

Barring the issue of nuclear propulsion technology , it may well be in Indian interest to continue with the US option. If a need is felt to buttress Indo-Russian  relations , several other defence projects can do the same without holding to ransom such an important project as the nuclear supercarrier. 

Image Courtesy: Google Images 

The Nadir of Ethical Journalism?

      “All this trouble from a matchbox like this” 
-Hosni Mubarak, erstwhile President of Egypt, upon touring Al Jazeera Headquarters in Doha, Qatar, in Spring 2000

Does the media play a purposive, Pragmatic and positive role in transforming mental constructs regarding the  conflict in J&K or does it act as a tool for a new age psychological warfare? 

With the recent killing of 22 Hizb-ul-Mujahideen operative Burhan Wani it is critical that we must now dissect  the dynamics and various paradigms of Media’s role in escalating and de-escalating conflict and this also entails the development of a common ground to understand universally accepted basic academic perceptions, theories revolving around the increasing power of media in contemporary times, both domestic and international, with a comparative perspective. To understand political ideologies, processes, decision making political institutions, war strategies and functioning of a nation in times of conflict and peace , in- depth knowledge about the socio economic and historical background which provides a support structure on which new trends in conflict reporting are further analysed, becomes necessary.
What made Wani a hero or a poster boy of terrorism in the valley was  the pivotal role of Media in determining the conduct of governments, laws governing the masses and explaining political formulae such as national welfare, national security, conflict resolution, transformation and peace building etc. Wani posing with weapons and posting images on social networks was a clear indication that something was not right in the way he looked at the world around him.
Most of the available literature on Media and Media intervention in conflict as well as peace revolves around the implications of “info-attacks” i.e disinformation, psychological disillusionment and propaganda stories ,campaigns which may or may not lead to conflict and also which may or may not lead to resolution of conflict and transformation of post conflict societies.
It was essentially this info attack that coaxed Wani to pick up arms.
The way forward : In a world where news is just 140 characters away , one simply cannot trust what is being posted online or reported from a newsroom. Gone are the days when news was restricted to a half an hour slot in between the evening movie screening on our national channel. The breaking news formula reached new heights with the mushrooming of news channels and spread on the Internet from 2005 onwards. The mad race for increased TRP s forced once ethical journalists to now report on just anything and everything  under the sun. 
Media discourses have undergone discernible changes in the last few decades and with changing global political order, wars, natural calamities and political mobilisation a fresh approach towards understanding the functioning of Media in times of conflict and peace becomes inevitable. Equally, the need of the hour is to remember that an arbitration by juxtaposed media, however well meaning may serve to aggravate situations, inflame passions and therefore subvert or frustrate conflict resolution measures. 
In all intents and purposes the mushrooming of 24x7 News Channels , widespread use of the world wide web and the rise of Social Media platforms recently have redefined the mental constructs that helped us to understand the functioning of Global political order especially in times of Conflict and Peace. The effect of a strongly linked, cosmopolitan and international neighbourhood owing to superior access to all forms of media may not necessarily be a positive aspect; ideologies, identities, territorial integrities, and indeed the very concept of nation states may be challenged by perceptions of global institutions percolating via the Media.
Access to 24x7 real time information through diverse media forms and their ability to mould perceptions have forced a reevaluation by governments, international businesses and even non state actors to view the heightened role of the Media in the shaping of conflict. Time and Space are two distinct variables in communication studies that have aided paradigm changes in existing theories and questions that have already been answered but need a fresh perspective that can solve key issues which affect the socio political environment in contemporary times. With real time broadcasting of on ground events our perceptions about the world around us have undergone significant changes. One of the sterling examples of this was demonstrated during the 9/11 attacks on the American mainland; raw ability to transpose events as they unfolded into people's homes was on evidence, giving a perspective not seen hithertofore.
It has been widely debated that the Media is prone as well as responsive to influences wielded by governments because of their inherent need to access corridors of power. Contrarily it has also been argued that governments are vulnerable and inclined to pressures by commercial media, due to their widespread reach and their ravenous yearning to connect with the masses. Eminent political philosopher Aristotle had said that man is by nature a social animal and therefore the relationship that thus develops between man and the state becomes an important subject matter of research, with ultimate aim of that defining relationship being welfare and happiness.
Welfare and happiness has taken a backseat and voices all across the media community have elicited the response that it is war or conflict that makes news and not peace. This bias is evident from the way our production teams shift focus on violence being recorded on camera even though it may be just one sporadic incident. 
Wani having an access to social media clearly calls for a deeper introspection on the dangers of having unlimited access to images and Videos without any control on the content by any establishment. Therefore it is the media which can act as a damage control tool by highlighting both sides of the story involving the Valley. 
One simply cannot choose violence over peaceful dialogue and blow it out of proportion for higher television  ratings. This marks the end of ethical journalism and end of civil society.  Where are we heading. The solution does not revolve around political powerhouses or the military bases in the valley.  Newsrooms and classrooms can serve as the larger cauldron from which pragmatic positive and purposive dialogues can emerge.

Image Courtsey: Google Images 


           

The Dichotomy of the Discourse in Jammu & Kashmir

The land sees violence just as matter-of-factly as most others see peace. It is marred by almost daily curfews and protests involving  hundreds of thousands pouring out onto the streets. Incidents of violent stone pelting in response to gun-toting armed forces result in clampdown by the machinery of the state. This is Jammu and Kashmir today ; despite the complete weight  of the establishment, violence has become a way of life.

One of Asia’s apparently  inveterate  and almost ceaseless  conflict has no political  solution in sight. Mainstream political parties at both regional and national level are perceived as having no inclination towards resolution; Instead they pay lip service in times of uneasy calm doing little or nothing to seek dialogue with the stakeholders. The rhetoric  remains the same, only the faces espousing the rhetoric change from one election to another.

This has seen growing clamour from sections of civil society, academicians and indeed all right thinking individuals, shifting the focus inexorably to a  questioning of New Delhi ’ s policy on Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) – is it simply erroneous or impervious to the demands of the times?. Extant literature has ample proof of the utter disinterest that the state machinery has shown in any move towards resolution . As is often quoted mindless suppression by the state cannot make for an ideal climate of dialogue. Even if one discards Pakistan’s  baseless claims on the state of J&K it is simply impossible to ignore a continuous and ever increasing demand for self determination. The youth fighting as armed militants today were not even born when trouble erupted in 1989-1990 but they have definitely  grown up in a climate of sheer alienation, fear hatred and animosity towards the establishment which is unfortunately  and largely denoted by the humongous presence of the Armed forces in the state. What no one has bothered  to acknowledge are the aspirations of this youth, a constituency  equally capable of swinging elections as of swinging  public opinion. This is a generation which is adept at use of social media and the power of the Internet and indeed , do so, despite severe clamp downs by the government.

J&K’s  chequered history from the inception of the independent countries of India and Pakistan  in 1947 has little meaning for the generation of today. However, what does make a difference is regimented memory ( or in this case folklore ). More than four decades or repeated decimation and abrogation of the electoral process coupled with slow institutional decay , definitely  makes for great folklore ! What does make a difference is the word -of mouth passage of information outlining the transition from the pro India times of the 40’s,  50’s and  60’s to the eruption of militancy in the 1990’s  to outright rebellion against Indian control in the first decade and half of the new millennium. This folklore is what moulds the minds of the youth today largely focusing on the harsh control exerted by the state through its armed forces.

Needless to say the whole process has been generously aided and abetted by Pakistan in the garb of a symbolic unity with the people of J&K . All the while, it has actually been trying to wrest  control of J&K from India. Pakistan realised from its earlier futile attempts that the option is not possible militarily (Pakistan has fought four wars with India with the core issue of J&K). It has therefore adopted the via-media of a hybrid conflict meant to slowly bleed India and keep its conventional forces tied down in the bargain. In the meantime the Pakistani establishment has carefully downplayed it’s own legacy of violence in the part of J&K controlled by it , known as Pakistan Occupied Kashmir  (POK) or Azad Kashmir; depending on which side of the fence you are on.

The recent killing of 22 year old Hizb-ul-Mujahideen operative Burhan Wani has once again seen  large scale violence erupting across the state. Interestingly the incident has numerous facets meriting attention and analysis. First amongst those is how the persona  of Burhan Wani  was built up. Enough investigative, analytical and anecdotal evidence exists for us to piece together this information. 

Wani was the son of Muzaffar Ahmed Wani and younger sibling of Khalid  Wani of Tral in South Kashmir. As a young boy apparently  good at his studies , he seems to have been exposed to the extreme measures adopted by the Armed forces in the case of his elder brother and his father. Following the 2008 and 2010  suppression of youth protests, Wani emerged on social media as the face of militancy , posting pictures of himself and his friends in combat fatigues with an open display of assault rifles and other weapons. Where the Armed forces saw him as a terrorist , popular opinion rapidly built up by social media , deemed him as the face of youthful aspirations.

The second facet meriting  analysis is the increasing role of social media in formulating public opinion. With the near universal outreach of social media platforms it is a dangerous tool in the wrong hands. Similar popularising of extremist views has been seen in the case of Islamic State in the middle east. This discourse tends to veer towards the level of control that state agencies must exert on activities  of non-state actors on social media platforms.

The third facet is the role of mainstream print and telecast media. In the instance of the Wani killing , an increasing focus has been on keeping the J&K issue artificially stoked in a bid to garner Television Rating Points (TRP). In the past too , the media has not shown a maturity in dealing with such news. Similarly government  sources place the blame squarely on the Media for not amply highlighting measures initiated by the government to resolve the contentious  issue. In either case , it has served to put a blot on the integrity and unbiased reporting by the media.

Stuck amidst the chaos, are the Armed forces, tasked to maintain peace at all costs. They have been granted sweeping powers under the Public Safety Act ( PSA) and the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act ( AFSPA) . Both these are perceived as draconian by the public opinion but essential by the Armed forces tasked to fight armed terrorists who are not bound by any code of ethics. The Armed forces are also unable to counter onslaught of media and social media generated hyperbole. The tremendous experience garnered by the Armed forces by constantly having an ear to the ground could have been gainfully utilised to ensure a transition to post conflict transformation. In practice , this is not so , indeed the Armed forces are often ignored in the play between whimsical political interests and bureaucratic tangles. As a result the Armed forces are forced to maintain a stony faced silence in a conflict that is bleeding their ability to fight conventional opponents.

Most unbiased writers have written scathing articles , ranging from the sarcastic to outrightly questioning and targeting the flawed policies followed by the establishment. Successive governments have ignored the largest stakeholders in a peace process- all those who benefit  from a return to normalcy and a resurgence in tourism, once considered the biggest industry in J&K. A case in point of how political interests overtake other compulsions is the role of Mehbooba Mufti  in the 2010 protests. She was  then, an opposition leader; she is today the Chief Minister of the State when it is witnessing a resurrection of the same violence. The fact remains that the credibility of all mainstream political parties is at an all time low. Neither do they have leaders who by sheer force of personality can steer public opinion away from violence ; nor do they have policies to stem a growing alienation.  With rapidly escalating tensions, the situation may well spiral out of control. Political rhetoric dwelling on peace has failed the test of Vox Populi. 

Images courtesy: Google images

The South China Sea Imbroglio

The ruling of an international  tribunal at the Permanent  Court of Arbitration  ( PCA) yesterday has finally  and decisively pronounced a verdict on the legality of China's position in the South China Sea.

Though China has refused to be part of the proceedings claiming that the matter pertains to its territorial waters or maritime borders and hence out of the purview of the PCA, the Phillipines managed to ask for an assessment  of its own sovereign rights, jurisdiction over its maritime entitlements, and the validity of China's nine-dash-line claim under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ( UNCLOS).

Very categorically, the ruling has it that there exists no legal basis for China's claims to historic rights to resources within its nine-dash-line. Further it says China has aggravated the dispute and violated the Phillipines' sovereign rights by its construction  of artificial islands and interference with fishing and energy exploration. This brings us to the interesting question of future positions of various players.

The Phillipines : Though it may not be in any state to challenge China militarily, the Phillipines  has successfully  staged a diplomatic coup  and has sound legal backing for future claims or disputes in the area.With the mercurial Duterte now the President of the Phillipines  we my see further action on this front.

China : The dragon does not seem overtly concerned and with the kind of construction activity and setting up of military basis, is not likely to now rescind its position. Having gone from strength to strength economically and militarily, China does not need any international  approval that it used to seek in the past. Overall it may not make very substantial difference to China's stance, but it will have to deal with greater resolve and antagonism on the part of other stakeholders.

Other Littoral States : This decision will certainly boost the claims of other littoral states as also give them moral and legal ascendancy.

United States : The US is now in a stronger legal position to bring to bear pressure on China in its dealing with the South China Sea Imbroglio. Though this may not be sufficient to make any difference in actual terms, the US  will be on a moral high ground when it takes up military and naval exercises in the area along with countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and South Korea.

Intentional or just a gaffe? You Decide

Intentional or just a gaffe?-----You decide

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting four African states- Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia. The visit is being hailed as a landmark, Netanyahu being the first Israeli PM to do so in 50 years. The focus of the trip was to be the universal challenge of Islamic terrorism, which is threatening the African continent as well, Al Shahab and Boko Haram being the spearheads. Ostensibly, Israel and many African states want to make common cause of it in a bid to defeat it before it reaches annihilating proportions.

It also marks the anniversary of the famous Entebbe raid in July 1976. Israel mounted an operation more than 2300 miles from its homeland to free more than 100 hostages, the majority being Israeli, being held by Pro-Palestine hijackers at an abandoned airport terminal at Entebbe, with the tacit support of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. In the operation that followed, the only thing that marred an otherwise successful and extremely well planned and executed operation, was the death of one Israeli soldier. His name was Yonatan Netanyahu, the elder brother of the present PM of Israel.

The visit was doubly moving for the Israeli PM, which he mentioned in his speech, "This is a deeply moving day for me. Forty years ago they landed in the dead of night in a country led by a brutal dictator who gave refuge to terrorists. Today we landed in broad daylight in a friendly country led by a president who fights terrorists.”

What followed in the speech by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni took the world by surprise and shock. In what is being claimed to be a gaffe, Museveni repeatedly referred to Israel as Palestine. To quote him, "The sad event, 40 years ago, turned into another bond linking Palestine to Africa". The issue has been further complicated by a tweet by one of the President's spokesperson, saying that it was not a slip, but that he was just referring to the entire region known as Palestine.

Though Benjamin Netanyahu did not flinch on the spot, Israeli radio stations cut off the broadcast after Museveni's repeated references to Palestine.

It is well known that Israel supported many African states in their fledgling days of freedom from colonial yoke. It is also equally well known that the same states cut their ties with Israel in the 1970s after becoming recipients of Arab aid.

In light of the many years of an apparently fruitful relationship with the Arabs, were Museveni's utterances just a gaffe or intentional to balance the scales with the Arabs?

You decide.