Ugly Antics

Karnataka's Porngate exposes political hypocrisy

Ugly Antics

The BJP and its hardcore Hindutva ally, Sri Ram Sene, have repeatedly exercised moral-policing over men and women who, in the cosmopolitan environs of Bangalore, have embraced the modern culture. But the recent event must surely highlight the hypocrisy of politicians who assume "the right to paint medieval morality onto normal social behaviour while failing to control their own proclivities."

-The Times of India, February 9, 2012 

Shared Stakes In Safety

Going to Afghanistan to train its security personnel is in India's interest

Shared Stakes In Safety

The strategic partnership agreement between India and Afghanistan during President Hamid Karzai's visit to India in October 2011 implicitly recognized "India's ability to rebuild Afghan institutions, including the military, whose requirement would be overwhelming following ISAF's departure," says the former army chief Deepak Kapoor. It is only a matter of choice as to the manner of implementing the training of the Afghan security personnel, two of which are suggested in the article.

-The Times of India, February 7, 2012 

Exit At Any Cost?

The US's attempt to engage the Taliban is fraught with risk for Afghanistan

Exit At Any Cost?

-The Times of India, February 1, 2012

While the Taliban have agreed to hold talks with "the world" through an office in Qatar, the US, it seems, has no idea as to where the talks will lead them, as was honestly uttered by the secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

"The Obama administration is willing to hand over five Taliban commanders currently in Guantanamo Bay as a "confidence-building measure" without significant concessions in return."

How is Afghanistan going to be effected in the wake of current circumstances? Especially when Pakistan's role is an additional "dark mystery."

It's boom time for people smugglers

"The tide of Afghans leaving for Europe is fuelling a lucrative business in fake passports and Taliban death threats."

For citizens, the warren-like building across the road from the headquarters of Kabul's police chief is a one-stop shop for every document they could need. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : It's boom time for people smugglers. Buyers hope the document will persuade immigration officers many thousands of kilometres away to give them asylum in Europe or Australia. 

Two factors were driving a boom in this business: the rising fear among some Afghans for the future of their country and the existence of a class of well-off professionals who can afford his huge fees. Smugglers also offer different packages depending on what people can afford.

For these people, becoming victims of criminality and exploitation is a constant risk.

West's romancing of the Taliban

"People of Afghanistan will pay the price for the West's looming deal with the Islamic Emirate it destroyed after 9/11."

11 years ago, the United States went to war in Afghanistan, promising to free its people from a despotic Islamist regime. President George Bush never delivered on his promises of reconstruction. The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : West's romancing of the Taliban:

Now, even the political promise is vanishing: the U.S. is spearheading an effort to make peace with the Islamists it promised to free Afghanistan from.

Taliban's new address

With the fact that Taliban is moving away and heading towards Qatar to establish it's headquarters, the process of America's reconciliation and Taliban's transformation to a modern outlook along wth the recently began dialogue by USA with the orthodox group and Qatar's unique political position in the same is explained by Firdous Syed in his DNA editorial on Jan 11th 2012...

Why the Taliban are getting a new address?

A long, long way to go

"During Taliban reign over Afghanistan, women were subjected to atrocities and repression of the kind the world thought had ended with the medieval ages. When they were ousted in 2001, much was made of the promise the moment held for Afghan women ... But more than a decade later, and under the west-backed Hamid Karzai goverrnment, the ground situation has shown little improvement."

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : A long, long way to go

"Given the dismal uncertainties of present-day Afghanistan, it seems unlikely that its women can even regain those limited freedoms any time in the near future, let alone lead 21st century lives."

U.S. trump card in the Afghan endgame

"The Obama administration is considering the transfer of Mullah Mohammed Fazl, big-time Taliban and one of Mullah Omar's closest allies detained at the Guantanamo Bay, to Afghan custody."

The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : U.S. trump card in the Afghan endgame