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Terror at Midnight
Mass gatherings to celebrate the passing of a century would provide ideal targets for terrorist groups. In India the targets could be India Gate in Delhi, Chowringhee in Calcutta and the Gateway of India in Bombay. Blood in the snow December 8 marks a decade of conflict in the Kashmir valley. rediff.com presents a 10-part series on where the conflict stands and where it is headed. In the coming millennium let India show the light 'When India rediscovers its holistic world view it will recognise its original self. It will be the awakening of India which will not only resolve its civilisational crisis but will also show new light to mankind, says Dr Murli Manohar Joshi. The armed forces cannot prevent a repetition of the Kargil-like intrusion 'No army in the world can protect every inch of its national soil against Kargil-type incursions. The best deterrence against an aggressor is to make it obvious, always, that he will suffer militarily, diplomatically and economically if he crosses your border,' says Lt Gen E A VAS Retd. Is This Your Rocket Launcher, Mr Clinton? 'The fact that Pakistan can and is harming India, using US-provided funding, weaponry and militant training doesn't seem to bother America. American blood and borders are inviolate: India's on the other hand, are cheap,' says Ashok Banker. The superhighway to nowhere 'How much did the Kargil operation cost? How much did the Mysore cost? How much will the leasing of AWACS aircraft from Russia cost? These are all legitimate questions, which the taxpayer would like to know. Yet try asking them in close proximity of the South Block and you will most probably be arrested as a Pakistani spy,' says Admiral J G Nadkarni (retd). Advertising Terrorism 'The Lashkar-e-Toyba's long-term strategy is not just to win Azadi for Kashmir, but to establish its own brand identity. Long after the Kashmir conflict is over, they will still be active and available for hire tothe highest bidder,' says Ashok Banker. Profiles in Courage: The Women of Kargil Unlike their Kashmiri Muslim counterparts, Ladakhi Muslim women are not divided in their loyalties between India and Pakistan. They are fiercely and aggressively Indian. "If they give me a gun, I will fight Pakistan to save my land," says a 11-year-old schoolgirl. The Eyes of Jay Ullal The 65-year-old Indian is one of the world's greatest news photographers. A fascinating profile accompanied by a gallery of his finest pictures. 'It was the curse of God' 'Their eyes are now dry. But the suffering you see etched on their faces is eloquent testimony to the horrors they have lived through - with bloated corpses floating around, without water, without food.' M I Khan reports from the cyclone-hit Paradip. The Military Coup in Pakistan: Implications for Nuclear Stability in South Asia 'Fears that the coup could leave Pakistan's nuclear arsenal in the military's hands, unfettered by civilian control, are exaggerated. The degree of actual civilian participation in Pakistan's nuclear decision-making has always been limited,' says Gaurav Kampani. There is no reason to believe that General Musharraf's rule will be different to that of Ayub, Yayha or Zia Army generals may know everything about winning battles. But in the matter of running a country they lack experience. They soon find out that the danda, which works effectively in disciplining a small group of soldiers, does not work when governing a nation of millions. Admiral J G Nadkarni (retd) on the rule of military dictators. The mom who turned her sons into killers 'What makes Fatema Merchant so different is that she nurtured three sons, made gunmen out of them and gifted them, so to speak, on a silver platter to the underworld. Not satisfied with that, she became a conduit in their operations.' Pakistan Comes Full Circle Pakistan, particularly after 1959, has been a military state and only that... Irrespective of whichever form of government comes to power, or rather is projected as the main government, its attitude to India cannot change. Dr Savita Pande on the 'counter coup' in Pakistan. On Death Row The central prison in Vellore is readying for the last execution of the millennium. Of the four convicted in Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. We bring you a series of interviews on the assassination and its aftermath. Will votes get their children back? 'The children cannot even cry as they are not sure if someone would understand their feelings. Will they ever see their parents who are just 150 kilometres away? Will they ever be adopted by any Indian household?' J S Sai on the level to which tribal Lambadas have sunk in Andhra Pradesh's Telangana region. Not a wolf cry anymore 'The ISI cannot be tackled by banal, myopic and ritualistic socio-political tools like bandhs and dharnas. As long as political parties continue to meddle with an issue as sensitive and potentially explosive as this, the agency from Pakistan will be able to carry on with its mission,' says Subir Ghosh. What Nagaland doesn't need is a Nero 'The killing of NSCN general secretary Dali Mungro by rival NSCN cadres is more than a personal calamity for his wife Khutoli. It signals the elevation of the pyrrhic war between the two organisations to a new plane,' says Subir Ghosh. Tales of women and wanton cruelty In 1997, the Bangalore-based activist group Vimochana began a systematic study and investigation into the unnatural deaths of women within marriage. M D Riti on the results which are an eye-opener. 'India will not be the first to initiate a nuclear strike, but will respond with punitive retaliation should deterrence fail' In the absence of global nuclear disarmament India's strategic interests require effective, credible nuclear deterrence and adequate retaliatory capability should deterrence fail. This is consistent with the United Nations Charter, which sanctions the right of self-defence. 'In the smiles of these children I have found life' 'It is shameful that 50 years after we attained Independence we have not been able to educate our people and change the quality of their lives. The children who come here are all so bright. All they need is some guidance,' says Syed Firoze Ashraf, who educates poor children from a Mumbai slum. Suddenly many Hindus saw Muslims as foreign aggressors 'The Babri Masjid destruction was the last straw. That one act divided the communities on a permanent basis. Hindus did not feel safe in Muslim areas, and the Muslims opted to live with their own people.' V Gangadhar concludes his three-part series on the Ahmedabad riots. 'We try to rebuild mutual faith and then another riot starts destroying our work' 'The people no longer have any confidence in the government, any government. To them, the best way to avoid trouble is to move to safer areas and live with the members of their own community.' The second of V Gangadhar's series on the Ahmedabad riots. 'Perhaps I would be safer in a Muslim locality' The division of Ahmedabad into 'Hindu Ahmedabad' and 'Muslim Ahmedabad' has begun. V Gangadhar reports from the riot-torn city. 'Why doesn't the Censor Board realise its view could be wrong, that maybe the world knows better' 'If they could release Saving Private Ryan without cuts, then they can release Elizabeth. Let's get rid of this gora people are better than us syndrome,' says Shekhar Kapur in an exclusive interview. India Pakistan cannot afford war 'Let us accept the LOC as the ultimate international boundary -- the Hawks will scream on both sides. Let them. Every inch of our land is precious -- yes it is! What of the areas given by Pakistan to China in the Aksai Chin?' Col John Taylor (retd) on five decades of Indo-Pak hostility. 'Through the travail and fire of Kargil our nation has been renewed' 'India recognises the permanence of Pakistan and that is final. While India remains ready for dialogue, the pace depends entirely on when and how Pakistan, and what it has now become, permits it to do so.' 'I am John Kennedy Jr. Pleased to meet you Mr Gupta' JFK junior was putting up at a non-descript hotel in Paharganj in New Delhi which did not have basic facilities like a direct phone, a hot water shower, not even good ventilation. In matter of days we became good friends and while I loved to play the role of a teacher, he was happy to be my pupil. 'The Mujahideen will be the cause of Pakistan's disintegration' 'History stands witness that countries which unleash terrorism or insurgency on their neighbours ultimately fall prey to the scourge themselves. The Mujahideen will want their pound of flesh,' says Col John Taylor retd. Converting Kargil Into A Genuine Victory 'India holds the aces here -- no one will believe that the withdrawal is complete unless India says so. A direct corollary is that India should declare that the withdrawal is complete only when its military objectives are satisfied,' says Shalabh Kumar. The Kargil victory 'The infantry jawan has again proved he is a rare blend of royalty, son of the soil and salt of the earth. Nothing more needs to be said of him.' Major General Ashok Mehta (retd) on the Kargil war. The Return of Arun Singh 'There had been talk about the possibility of an adventure in Siachen and taking back Azad Kashmir. He replied with great conviction: ''That would be a blunder. We could end up burning our fingers...'' ' Janardan Thakur recalls an encounter with the reluctant politician. • 'This nation needs to tell its soldiers that it cares' 'Operation Vijay brought war to our doorsteps,' says Dr Ranjana Malik, president of the Army Wives Welfare Association. 'But it is totally incorrect to say there has been no war till Kargil.' The Indian army has lost 4,441 soldiers in 'peace time' operations and 9,189 have been wounded. • Kargil: Surrender or Die 'Pakistani brigandage in Kargil is as perfidious as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour and certainly more devious than the Soviet action in Cuba,' says Colonel Anil Athale (retd). • 'Pakistan will not survive even two days of war' 'The intruders are running out of rations and water. Once the snow melts, they will have severe water trouble. Then all we have to do is dominate the water springs down the slopes... They will have to come down.' Back | More Specials
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