Daily Excelsior... Editorial

EDITORIAL

Periscope on Pakistan
"Karbala Complex"
has become ingrained

Pakistanis themselves have be-gun to question whether ev-ery sec-tarian massacre is the handiwork of the Indian external intelligence agency Research and Analyses Wing or the much- maligned RAW. It takes a particularly nefarious mind to paint provocative anti-Shia slogans on trains heading towards Iran. ........more

Looking good
to stay ahead

Indian role in
India ocean

By Maj Gen V K Madhok (Retired)

It is often said that any power which controls the Indian Ocean will con-trol the destiny of India. Stretching for nearly 4000 miles from Africa to west of Australia-with 40 littoral states consisting of two billion people, with 2/3rd of world's oil.......more

EDITORIAL

Don’t rejoice too soon

Are we not rejoicing too soon? Why should it be a cause of celebration for us that China no more recognises Sikkim as a foreign country? By removing the name of Sikkim as a foreign country in the official website of its foreign ministry, the neighbouring country has merely applied a necessary corrective. Therefore, the jubilation after Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal had spilled the beans about the amended Chinese website appears totally misplaced. There was no way India would have abandoned Sikkim as one of the states of the Union irrespective of what China might have done or not done to its website. Even in this age of computer warfare, there is no technology yet which can alter the geographical contours of a proud nation by remotely fiddling with the website. Admittedly, China has been eyeing this captivating state for rather too long. In fact, the joke is that even after correcting the website it says there is no change in its original stand. At one point of time China had given a three-day ultimatum to India ‘to dismantle all its military works for aggression on China-Sikkim boundary’. If its present move indicates that it is willing to give up its contentious posture, it should be welcomed wholeheartedly. This at best may remove a minor irritant in the India-China relations which is entirely of the making of the neighbouring country. Since China has not stood by its commitments in the past —— Panchsheel, for instance — doubts shall persist that its unilateral announcement at this juncture is not without any motive.

We, in Jammu and Kashmir, have genuine reasons to feel concerned about any such developments. For, whenever there is a unilateral gesture, bilateral treaty or a war, the State loses a chunk of its territory. The loss of Chhamb in 1971 is a case in point. What had happened in 1947 remains a sore on our body even today. A major part of the State is under Pakistan’s illegal occupation. The delay in taking a timely decision about the accession has resulted in this catastrophe. On its part, China has never hesitated to deliver deadly punches occasionally. In the heyday of Hindi-Chini bhai bhai, late Chinese Premier Zhou En-lai had declared on March 16, 1956 that ‘people of Kashmir have already expressed their will regarding accession with Indian Union’. Ironically, just before invading India in 1962, China had reiterated this position saying that its ‘attitude of never getting involved in dispute over Kashmir is well known throughout the world’. Much to the shock of Indians as a whole and their unquestioned leader Jawaharlal Nehru in particular, China had begun changing its tune immediately afterwards. Not only had it carried out an unprovoked attack on the Ladakh sector, it had subsequently made several moves with the wicked intention of denting Indian sovereignty. At one stage, it had declared all-out support to the people of Kashmir ‘in their struggle for right of self-determination’. On another occasion, its forces had barged into Arunachal Pradesh claiming it to be the part of their country. China’s leadership had declared that they would not sit idle. It had barely managed to conceal its panic following the 1974 accord between Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Abdullah paving the way for the latter’s return to the national mainstream. China had described the agreement between the two of the tallest leaders of that era as ‘India’s annexation of Kashmir’.

Not only had China forcibly occupied Aksai Chin, it had also entered into an agreement with Pakistan on March 2, 1963. Under the Sino-Pakistan accord, China had taken possession of more than 5000 sq km area in the occupied territory. In reality, this had again meant an assault on India’s integrity. This territory, too, legally belongs to India. A total of 42,685 sq km Indian territory has thus been forcibly occupied by China. Therefore, it should not surprise anyone if people in J&K want to know whether any arrangement with China involves a decision on Aksai Chain as well. Is the dragon willing to return the Indian territory it had swallowed by getting it as a gift from Pakistan? These are disturbing questions which need to be satisfactorily answered. It is strange that whenever there is any talk about Sikkim, experts jump to the conclusion that it must have some thing to do with India’s position vis-a-vis Tibet. It is true that India has come a long way from recognising Tibet’s suzerainty to practically accepting its status as a part of China. Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual and political head, is also prepared to accept for his country autonomy within China. Of course, it remains for India an important area of concern. But the country’s own priorities lie elsewhere and have to be suitably addressed. If it involves any give-and-take, it should be made known to one and all. Nothing should actually be done without getting the approval of Parliament. Hidden moves, if any, unnecessarily enhance the worries of the affected regions which in this case include our State in a major way.

Totally unacceptable

It is amazing that at times experienced politicians come up with ridiculous suggestions. Akali Dal chief and former Punjab Chief Minis-ter Prakash Singh Badal was hardly expected to join the ranks of such politicians. He is a seasoned administrator. His proposal, therefore, that there should be a special ‘completely independent’ authority to probe charges of corruption and misuse of power against politicians comes as a surprise. It is only too well known that he is under tremendous pressure at this juncture facing vigilance inquiries initiated by the Congress Government in his State. Citing the examples of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi and Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati, who are under scrutiny by the Central Bureau of Investigation, Mr Badal has sought protection against political vendetta allegedly unleashed by ruling parties.

How can such a suggestion be accepted? In the first place how does one define a politician? Unless, of course, Mr Badal is referring to only that class of politicians which includes former chief ministers, former and present members of Parliament and state legislatures. If true, this merely shows his personal pique now that his own actions while he was in power are under gaze. In any case, why should there be preferential treatment for politicians in matters for which lesser mortals have to suffer immensely? What leads them to believe that they are a distinct and privileged segment of society? Politicians don’t get tired of describing themselves as servants of the people. Why should they then be afraid of subjecting themselves to the laws of the land and instrumentalities of the State which exist for every body? Instead of being public servants, there is a general perception — and not without any valid ground — that they use political power to become overlords riding roughshod over all accepted norms of public conduct. It is nobody’s case that ruling political elites don’t use these agencies to settle political scores. Too often in the past we have seen such a gross misuse taking place. A better course for politicians, therefore, would be to allow all investigating agencies to function without any extraneous pressure. If they permit such independent functioning when they themselves are in power, they would find that they have nothing to regret when they are in the opposition.

Periscope on Pakistan
"Karbala Complex" has become ingrained

Sectarian terrorism is a homegrown epidemic and the military in Pakistan has played a major role in fanning it. President-General Pervez Musharraf’s pogrom against the Shia population of the Northern Areas when he was Brigadier is a case in point. The support to the Khalistani terrorism in Punjab was a product of the same mindset. If anything Shia-Sunni massacres negate the very logic of the creation of Pakistan.

Stressing that "the sectarian killers have not come from the Mars", M. B. Naqvi, in an article in NEWS, observes: "They are the same Islamic extremists who are called Jehadis in Kashmir or Taliban in Afghanistan ...

"Killing of 54 Muslims during prayers in an Imambargah-cum-Mosque in Quetta was a powerful reminder that the monster of sectarianism still strikes at will; the state seems powerless. Since early 1990s this demon has devoured thousands of Muslims who differ on some points from majority. Over the years the State has been able to prosecute and sentence a handful of the killers while most were let off by courts for lack of evidence.

"Most such murders, targeted or indiscriminate (usually in Mosques during prayers), can often be linked to the political expediencies of some of those who politically matter. It does not seem as if anyone has made a graph, with one side showing the dates of sectarian killings against the other displaying political crises. One is not too sure if a pattern does not emerge.

"Why should such cases not be seen as profound failures of not only Pakistan’s colonial style administration but also of its political elite and their politics? No RAW or CIA or Khad can hire suicide bombers. Pakistanis should focus on the mind of such killers. Who can produce such mind sets? Certainly not unsympathetic foreign states. It is a local job. The ‘foreign hand’ is a lame excuse of the Pakistani agencies’ own failure to prevent such occurrences or to catch the murderers. Rulers by echoing the spooks shift the blame from themselves. There may be more to it."

Naqvi adds: "It was Gen. Ziaul Haq’s malign talent that, after the 1983 MRD movement, midwifed the birth of sectarian and other divisive movements - and in Karachi. Army’s intelligence services were their godfathers.

"The Jamaat Islami’s contribution to the evolution of the ultimate mind set cannot be inconsiderable, for JUI and the JI are actually friendly rivals. Pakistan’s military intelligence services can be complimented on the production of fine fanatics.

"Americans and Pakistan Army’s purposes may have been served thereby but what murder-making instrument have they tossed into Pakistani people’s lap, Make no mistake. It is a poisonous weed, this Jehadi mind set, that is likely to unravel the very warp and woof of Pakistan.

"The fate of Pakistan cannot be different from Algeria, Egypt, Afghanistan, Indonesia, even Iran, if power politics in Islam’s names continues. Enough people see the danger. Enforcing ‘true Islam’ in a predominantly

Muslim country can only mean a desperate struggle for power by traditional orthodoxies."

The absence of a cogent education policy is a contributing factor and Ardeshir Cowasjee maintains in an article in DAWN: "Some blame must attach to Musharraf, as honest and comparatively well meaning as he may be, for the prevailing overall rocky state of the Republic of Pakistan. What was it that compelled him to

compromise with politicians who he himself labels as corrupt, unqualified to govern, ineffective and untrustworthy and inflict on us a government that in eight months has proven that it is incapable of, or unwilling to deliver in any manner? He has acknowledged that there is now no corruption at the highest level, thereby tacitly admitting what we all know - that it does exists at the lower levels (and is in, fast out of control).

"He failed to deal with the many iniquitous laws that discriminate against, and dishonour the minority communities. The General had his chance with the blasphemy laws, but chose to play safe, pandered to the religious right, and left them intact to be abused and misused with impunity. A great champion of promoting women in public life, he failed to touch the many laws under which millions of women of this country suffer untold misery. He ignored one of the two greatest ills with which this country is afflicted - booming population growth, which failed to even figure in his scheme of things - and on the education front, the second of the major ills, he pussyfooted, leaving it to a team which never really got off the ground and which in the space of three years has made no difference to the illiterate masses."

Hamida, Khuhro, in her biography of her father, Mohammad Ayub Khuhro, tells a fine story about Collector Abbot of Larkana who in-1901 established the larkana Madrasa (despite its name, a formal school rather- than a religious seminary). Abbot was determined that the children of the zamindars of his district should acquire modern education, so he took from the zamindars donations and set up one of the best schools in Sindh.

"If there were any reluctance the collector would issue orders that the offending zamindars to be denied an interview and his privilege of a chair in the ‘darbar’ was to be taken away. Naturally the zamindar would be very alarmed at this and would hasten to send his sons to the Madrasa."

"Today’s equivalent of the district collector would no more contemplate the establishment of a school than he would a trip to Mars. Were a school to exist in his district, he would be far more prone to "grabbing the building, dispersing the children and teachers, drawing up a list of ghost teachers, and collecting and pocketing their salaries. It is an established fact that the last thing desired by the feudals and the mullah fraternity, both prominently represented in Musharraf’s government; is mass education, for they are well aware that the wane of illiteracy would cut them to size."

"A conscious effort to fan sectarian discord disrupts traditional harmony between two sects in Balochistan," writes Shahzada Zulfiqar in an article in NEWSLINE.

"Sectarian differences began to make an appearance in the province a decade ago with the formation of the Sipaha Sahaba, an organisation that has been propagating sectarian hatred in the province. In an organised fashion, the SSP started anti-Shia wall chalkings and wrote slogans on train bogies, specially those running between Pakistan and Iran, Slogans declaring the Shia community infidels were written on the walls of main streets and roads in the city and on the RCD highway connecting Pakistan with Iran.(ADNI Bureau)

Looking good to stay ahead

Dr. Vimla Rajan’s clinic -speaks volumes of her suc-cess. And it has all the trappings of a five-star hotel: polished brass fittings, marble floors, and a luxurious reception. Though a plastic surgeon since 1972, the bulk of her cases are no longer accident patients or those with deformities like hairlip. Increasingly, she finds her waiting room filing up with pot-bellied businessmen and bald managers hoping for a dramatic physical transformation. "Looks matter more these days. Somehow people want to be a little more blemishless than before," says Rajan.

Welcome to the era of the executive body beautiful. One where beer bellies, crows feet and receding hairlines are out. And the youthful go-getter look is in. Moreover, people are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to achieve it, including believe it or not –surgery. Explains Suresh Gupta, a veteran in the field of plastic surgery: "If aesthetic surgery improves the profile and projection of a person, why shouldn’t he go in for it?"

That’s a question a lot of ageing middle managers are apparently asking themselves very seriously. Especially in organisations that are highly service or marketing oriented, where the effectiveness of face-to-face interaction with clients could make a difference to the bottomline – and one’s career graph. Added to that is the threat posed by ambitious youngsters elbowing out their peers in the corporate rat race. Says Rakesh Chandra, a Delhi psychiatrist: "People used to respect age and grey hair. Now, the emphasis is on looking as young as you can."

That’s where aesthetic surgery comes in. However, it is all done under the veil of secrecy. Rajan relates an incident where a middle-aged businessman walked into her chamber wanting to permanently rid himself of his potbelly. He got himself admitted, the necessary liposuction was done under general anaesthesia, which involves a stay in the nursing home overnight, and literally walked away a new man the next day without telling his wife or family or anybody else.

Though the figures, like the names of patients, are hard to come by, it is easy to gauge the trend. Where even five years ago most specialists would get barely three or four cases of cosmetic surgery a year, many of them are reporting that number of cases every month. That’s more than a tenfold increase. And a quick flip through the Yellow Pages over the last few years will indicate the growing number of professionals catering to this demand.

Just what prompts people to take this unusual step? A few examples taken from the files of established doctors in this field will provide some revealing answers.

* Take the case of the young industrialist from Rohtak whose flat nose has been bothering him since he was an adolescent. But it is only when he takes over his family business and comes into the limelight, as it were, that he seriously considers having– in layman’s terms– a ‘nose job’ done.

He finds a specialist in aesthetic surgery and, virtually overnight, the young industrialist became a changed man. He no longer cringes at photo sessions and his boosted confidence is taking him places.

* A 45-year-old public sector executive from Assam is depressed about his waning attractiveness. The bags under his eyes and the generous belly he has developed after years of good living have begun to take their toll on his active social life.

He finds the answer to his problem in the newspapers: an advertisement about a doctor in Delhi who specialised in this area. So, on one of his frequent trips to Delhi he rids himself of his unhappiness. A liposuction takes care of the belly and a blepheroplasty removes the eye bags.

* A 35-year-old public relations executive at a hotel, where image really counts, finds herself bogged down by her deceiving appearance. The loosening, slightly scarred skin of her face and the dark rings under her eyes make her look perennially tired. Even hotel guests would comment on this rather wearying fact.

Her decision to transform her looks, however, is not an impulsive one – she plans it over months of consultations with her doctor, giving herself enough time to save the requisite Rs. 10,000 or so required for the operation. Without her husband’s knowledge. One fine morning, when her husband was on tour, she gifts herself a new face. When he returns, she tells him she had an accident that required plastic surgery. Till today the husband is none the wiser.

Whatever the psychological impulse driving them to the deed, most doctors find a strikingly similar profile of patients opting for aesthetic surgery: still largely female, middle class, with considerable disposable incomes, professionally competitive, with an image to maintain. The last point is the key to their taking, what some people might consider, and somewhat drastic measures towards self-improvement.

Thanks to the rapid strides taken by the medical world, the menus of options for patients today are enormous. So next time you want to surprise your colleagues with a brand new image, you could, for example, drop by at P.K. Talwar’s East of Kailash clinic. He’s one doctor who can virtually guarantee a brand new you.

Talwar’s range is impressive: scars, patches, congenital marks, face lifts, forehead lifts, removal of eye bags, shaping of nose and chin, subtracting double chins, dividing and multiplying hair, enlarging, reducing or suspending breasts, tucking your tummy in… indeed, almost anything else that you can think of.

With options like that, it’s little wonder that the transformation doesn’t come cheap. But considering you can’t really buy a nose off the shelf or stick on a pair of lips purchased at the local superbazar it is difficult to name an accurate figure for, say, a rhinoplasty (nose job) or a lumpectomy (surgical removal of fat). Coupled to this is the fact that most doctors also run their own nursing homes where the actual operations take place and are, therefore, rather cagey about talking figures.

Doctors’ fees could be anywhere between Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 10,000 for non-surgical procedures and up to Rs. 20,000 for those involving surgery. The real figure, of course, emerges only when you add to that anaesthetist’s fees, nursing home charges and other extras. However, Talwar points out that this all adds up "to a nominal sum as compared to the same operations done in the west."

Abroad, aesthetic surgery has been around for quite some time now. And for high profile, celebrities like Michael Jackson; the difference brought about by it has been as remarkable as the effect on their careers.

Closer home, the advantages of the so-called youthful look – as portrayed by the media and TV commercials – is taking its toll on the corporate psyche. Though for apparently contradictory reasons. Says Chandra: "Self esteem is the central theme in psychology and the most important ingredient in a person’s career, life and relationship. The reason why a lot of people go to plastic surgeons is because they have low self esteem." Octogenarian psychiatrist Bimalendu Gupta contradicts this by insisting that, "physical shortcomings may lead to depression, particularly if the person is egoistic."

The phenomenon not to be ignored is, of course, the mid-life crisis (between 38-45 year of age) when self-confidence is at its lowest ebb and symptoms of depression are common. A sitting duck, according to Chandra, "is a successful man who is greeted as a don in his workplace, but the adulation doesn’t continue outside of it. After all, he doesn’t walk around with a label which announces his accomplishments." At this stage, if he feels that he has physical liabilities, which contribute to the inattentiveness he is subjected to from outsiders, he may seriously consider dying his hair, polishing his teeth, and reducing his double chin.

Grouping people into textbook types may be an ad man’s nightmare and a psychiatrist’s dream. But going by the trend, it appears that’s where a lot of corporate executives are heading. It may be just a fad to many people, but to most patients aesthetic surgery does provide a new lease of life.

But there’s one thing these same patients have to bear in mind: unlike exercise, aesthetic surgery is permanent. And as the craze for better looks sweeps corporate India, it is the doctors who will continue to cash in on the search for a new image. INAV

Indian role in India ocean

By Maj Gen V K Madhok (Retired)

Infact, nearly 30 years ago, 22 papers were presented by scholars, naval and other military experts and discussed regarding issues concerning India viz the Indian Ocean at a seminar held at New Delhi from 18-19 Feb 1974. Fears voices then were: that Indian Ocean will be patrolled by nuclear submarines and missile boats, will be littered with military bases and nuclearised in the future. Therefore it was necessary that it should be a Zone of Peace and free from nuclear weapons. Besides India must articulate an Indian Ocean policy to achieve its objectives and to counter the visualised threats.

Recently, at an international conference organised by the Asia-Pacific centre for security in early Sep 2003 which was attended by some defence analysts and ex bureaucrats, similar fears have been voiced once again regarding increasing military presence, China's future designs, setting up of bases and Jihadi Terrorism etc. These are genuine fears. The tragedy is that India has neglected the gathering threats in the Indian Ocean due to its preoccupation with Pakistan and China besides an incompetent polity. And today, US is contemplating to set a role for India in the Indian Ocean at the earliest. No wonder, this conference was held at Honolulu instead of by the NSC at New Delhi.

But time will not wait for India. After the entry of US nuclear powered aircraft carrier. Enterprise in the Bay of Bengal in 1971-72 during the Indo-Bangladesh conflict, US realised that it had to fill the vacuum in the Indian Ocean. Since then, the US has developed the military base at Diego Garcia- 1000 miles south of India which was taken on a 50 years lease from UK in 1966. US has successfully supported the operations in Afghanistan and Iraq from this base. Besides, the US needs allies, satellites, bases and spheres of influence. It has the capacity to do so. Further, the US also needs trade, contact for commerce with Asian countries. And finally it wants to become the chief instrument of stability in the Indian Ocean. That is where it visualises a role for India.

It is to be noted that since 1974, Russia stands marginalised. It has no capacity to establish a counter base to Diego Garcia. While China is yet to acquire an aircraft carrier or submarines. And in this situation the Indian Ocean is still awaiting India's Maritime policy! Therefore, US, UK and Japan will dominate the Indian Ocean because of their commercial and political necessities particularly oil. The question is, how should India view its role with US dominating the Indian Ocean? Considering that 90 percent of India's imports and exports are by sea, with a 7000 Kms long coast line to defend, dependency for oil on the Gulf states, a Merchant Fleet of nearly 500 ships (less than 10 percent indigenous) and 85 percent of Indian Navy's 120 or so vessels dependent on foreign countries, India can only follow a doctrine to defend its coast line and EEF (extending upto 200 nautical miles) besides protecting its Merchant Fleet and ensuring its oil supply. Although India had played an important role in the formation of Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation in 1997 but its credibility remains debatable. Meanwhile with the US having converted the Indian Ocean-more or less, into an American Lake, India can only fulfill its tasks in alliance with Washington.