Terrorism remains a
global scourge despite effecting sweeping change in mindsets and causing a
massive drain on human capital and finances because it successfully inhabits
the gap in strategic interests of countries. And because most democracies — not
the so-called ones like Pakistan — work within a domestic or international
legal framework, they cannot tackle the hydra-headed monster on their own
without a convergence of mutual interests.
It is this point
that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj laboured upon the most while delivering
her address at the United Nations General Assembly. "We will not be able
to win against terrorism by making specious distinctions between your problems
and mine, between terrorists who attack you and those who attack me. For we do
not know who this Frankenstein’s monster will devour next", she said on
Monday. What has been particularly
frustrating for India in its fight against Pakistan is that it is an unequal
battle. In absence of a credible deterrent, New Delhi can do precious little
except haemorrhaging over its gashes and intermittently calling the talks on or
off – a situation the rogue nation is extremely comfortable with. Therefore,
for the global community to take tangible steps against Pakistan, the terrorism
that it sponsors must be placed in the larger context of the global scourge,
not the cubbyhole of an India-Pakistan binary where it has been traditionally
boxed.
Sushma Swaraj's
speech at the UNGA reflected an understanding of this reality which we have
often missed in the past while railing against Pakistan on global forums. She
linked Uri and Pathankot to attacks in "New York, Kabul, Dhaka, Istanbul,
Mogadishu, Brussels and Bangkok" and immediately set the tone, ensuring
that the blood of our slain soldiers mingles with that of the victims of
terrorism in different parts of the world. In so doing, she subtly placed
India's battle within the larger ambit of a global fight against extremism. There
can be no illusions about the difficulty of her task. However, for India's
initiative to bear fruit, a common ground between world powers on terrorism is
imperative.
The minister
stressed on the need for this unified global platform towards the end of her
speech, urging the UN to pass the Comprehensive Convention on International
Terrorism (CCIT) which India had proposed back in 1996. Swaraj made two important interventions. She
categorically reiterated India's position on Kashmir and for the first time,
raised Balochistan on UN platform, inspiring delighted responses from fighters
at the forefront of Baloch freedom movement. Indian Express carried a reaction
from Baloch Republican Party (BRP) founder Brahumdagh Bugti on Swaraj's UN
address. "This is a very good move and we expect that India will keep
raising this issue, because India is that democratic country and responsible
country, which undertakes its responsibility with sincerity," he said.
It has been alleged
that Kashmir significantly robs India of the moral high ground from where it
usually engages with Pakistan. Overturning this narrative was Swaraj's biggest
achievement. Consider the immediate reaction from UN chief Ban Ki-moon who
lauded India for its "swift action" over the decision to ratify the
Paris pact on climate change, saying he is looking forward to receiving New
Delhi's instrument of accession. Firstpost reports that - We have come a long way since SM Krishna read out
Portugal foreign minister's speech at the UN.
Reports of Tamil
Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa being unwell has been doing rounds of
political and media circles for a while now. Most recently, reports said that
after complaining of fever and dehydration, Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo
Hospital in Chennai – one would not like to hear the rumour-mongers for there
earlier too have been bad reports on CM’s health. Now comes the appreciable news that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Ms J Jayalalithaa discussed the issues related to
the Supreme Court directions on Tuesday on the Cauvery water sharing row at the
Apollo Hospital. First Post report
further adds that Ms Jayalalithaa also dictated her speech to be read out by
Chief Secretary P Rama Mohana Rao at the meeting of the Executive Heads of
Tamil Nadu and Karnatka to be convened on Thursday.
The Apex court had directed
the Attorney General to facilitate a meeting with the Executive Heads of the
two states with the Union Ministry of Water Resources to recommend ways to
break the impasse in the Cauvery row. Chairing a meeting of government
officials at Apollo Hospital where she is recuperating, Jayalalithaa told
Edapaddi K. Palaniswamy, the Minister for Public Works, Highways and Minor
Ports, and officials to attend the Thursday meeting. Tamil Nadu had filed its application in the
apex court that Karnataka shall not be heard on any matter on Cauvery until it
complied with and made good the shortfall in releases as directed by the
Supreme Court.
This week Justice
Markandey Katju sparked off another controversy, offending Biharis, by offering
them up to Pakistan. In a Facebook post on Sunday, Katju suggested that
Paksitan should end conflict with India by taking up the package deal — if they
take Kashmir, they will have to take Bihar too. “Pakistanis, let us end our
dispute once and for all. We offer you Kashmir, but on the condition you also
take Bihar. It is a package deal. You have to take the whole package or none at
all. Either you take both Kashmir and Bihar, or nothing. We will not give you
Kashmir alone. Deal?”. .. .. unbecoming
!
Miles away, Donald
Trump blamed the moderator, a bad microphone and anyone but himself on Tuesday
after he was forced onto the defence by Hillary Clinton's cascade of attacks
about his taxes, honesty and character in the first presidential debate. Trump tried aggressively to pin America's
problems on Clinton at the debate. But Clinton, showing her intensive
preparations, went after him as hard or harder, including sharp criticism of
his business practices and crude comments about women. She also attacked his
false assertions about President Barack Obama's birthplace, calling it part of
a pattern of "racist behavior." And she repeatedly criticised Trump
for breaking tradition by refusing to release his tax returns, declaring,
"There's something he's hiding." Still, Trump insisted on Tuesday
he'd gotten the better of Clinton, awarding her a C-plus while declining to
assign himself a grade. Unsurprisingly, Clinton's aides and running mate took
to television to argue she'd accomplished precisely what she'd set out to do.
Back home after that win in 500th test - Gautam Gambhir has been announced as KL Rahul's replacement for the ongoing India Test series against New Zealand on Tuesday after Rahul picked up a hamstring injury in the opening Test in Kanpur while running between the wickets. The southpaw's Test career has received an unexpected boost, and he has been included in the national Test squad after a period of two years. Meanwhile, Jayant Yadav was also picked as a replacement for Ishant Sharma who is suffering from chikungunya. Gambhir played his last Test in August 2014, during India's tour to England. In that series, he registered only 25 runs in four innings, with India losing 3-1 in the five-match series, despite taking a 1-0 lead. At 34, Gambhir's international career seemed all but over after he was not named in the original squad despite putting up great performances in the recently-concluded Duleep Trophy.
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
28th
Sept. 2016.
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