The purpose of every religion is to create social amity and global unity. Peace is the first job of all religions. Unfortunately some of the religions have become conflict manufacturing zones in the recent past. It is crucial to revive the original purpose of religious and religious leaders. Today's religious leaders are stooping to the lowest level. The consumer creed hasn't spared the highly respected religious leaders. No wonder the fundamentalists are targeting electronic media, MNCs, and external exposure. Caught between the devil and deep sea we are forced to opt for the less harmful. Now it is the turn of public and religious leaders to understand the larger consequences of the violence and hatred on society. Now it is high time for the religious leaders to return to their original path of peace making.
The Times of India writes on 17 November 2009
Even now I can still feel the ambience of a house that had so much love and warmth inside," says Rabbi Abraham Cooper, tears welling his eyes as he passed through each bullet-ridden room, dusty and pocked marked, at Nariman House.
Six Jewish inmates died in the building also known as Chabad Housem, when terrorists held hostage the five-storey building at Colaba for around 45 hours last November. Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which hunts Nazi criminals, revisited 26/11 terror sites like Nariman House, CST and Cama Hospital on Monday and expressed solidarity with the victims.
As head of the largest Jewish human rights organisation in world with around half-million members in USA alone, Cooper has been studying in detail broad trends emerging from terror attacks, be it the London Underground blasts, Madrid terror strikes or serial car bombings in Bali. "The language of the terrorist is the same everywhere, that is to isolate people from each other. But the terrorists don't realise that nations who are hit by terror come closer like never before and today the West listens when India talks about terror attacks."
He says Indian intelligence agencies should look at new digital methods used by terrorists as it has become very tough to trace them in the vast worldwide web. "Our research studies that looked at terror strikes across the world show that terrorists are using the Internet in a big way to not only co-ordinate with their sympathisers and accomplices but to even learn to how to make a bomb," he says.
"The technology to make a bomb in your kitchen is given in detail in many of these sites," he adds. Cooper emphasises that religious leaders should come forward and play a role in fighting the menace."
Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Towards universal nuclear disarmament
Universal nuclear disarmament is urgently needed to ensure peace and prosperity of the world. If the current generation of the world leaders are giving good life for the present and future generations nuclear disarmament should be immediately enforced.
The Times of India writes (14 July 2009)
President Barack Obama has created optimism about the future of nuclear disarmament by calling for a "reset" in relations with Russia, which would include significant cuts in the size of the nuclear arsenals that both nations possess. The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty between the US and Russia is due to expire in December this year. While this treaty allows both sides to possess up to 2,200 warheads and 1,600 delivery vehicles, Obama would like to see these figures whittled down to 1,500 warheads carried on 500 to 1,000 delivery vehicles. Even more interestingly, Obama has set out a vision for a world rid entirely of nuclear weapons.
During the Cold War the US and the USSR armed themselves to the teeth with nuclear forces on hair-trigger alert, provoking the nightmare spectre of a threat to humanity's existence itself in case of a nuclear exchange between the two superpowers. With the end of the Cold War, mutually assured destruction mutated into a new kind of threat. Nuclear weapons became a currency of power and nations became determined to acquire them. This enhances the possibility of leakages to non-state actors, whether by design or accident. Nuclear bombs, in fact, could become the ultimate terrorist weapon of blackmail.
Responding to this new situation, even former nuclear hawks such as Henry Kissinger have been calling for universal nuclear disarmament as a means of warding off the threat of nuclear proliferation. It's an idea that Rajiv Gandhi also mooted in a speech to the UN General Assembly in June 1988. The thing about disarmament, though, is that it has to be mutually coordinated across nations. India, for example, cannot unilaterally disarm if Pakistan and China retain their nuclear weapons.
Although climate change is more on the global agenda nowadays, nuclear disarmament poses similar issues. Acting on either would require many nations undertaking simultaneous actions. Yet ignoring them can have catastrophic consequences not limited by national boundaries. In both senses they are global issues which require, among other things, consciousness-raising by media across the world. In May 2009, The Times of India Online received the highest number of hits among English newspaper websites in the world, placing it much ahead of The New York Times or The Sun. Moreover it's a brand with global reach, as 65 per cent of TOI Online's readers come from outside India. This newspaper can, and will, play its role in alerting people across the world to the dangers posed by nuclear proliferation and ways in which the spread of such weaponry can be reversed.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Silly to speak of war
Once again the war clouds are gathering around Indo-Pak border. 2002 situation seems to be back again. After the attack on Parliament in December 2001, Indian troops were massively mobilized and parked in the border areas with Pakistan. Although there were no major firing and killing, mere mobilization of troops sent shivers across several spines. Forgetting the dark episodes of Kargil war, Parliament attack and several other explicit Pakistan sent terrorist acts, Indian government exercised patience. Without wasting much time, peace process was put in place. But for the past 6 years after the threat of war a lot of progress has happened in the peace building between the two countries. The increasing attacks in India by Pakistan grown terrorists bring the whisper of war again.
There is frustration in the power corridors of India over the inaction by the Pakistani government against the list of terrorists it handed over. Over 120 countries envoys of India were called to New Delhi by the external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjhee for possible international intervention. In this hour of helplessness it is natural for India to speak of war against Pakistan. According to the popular opinion, least Indian government can do is to perform surgical strikes in the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) which is the breeding ground of anti-Indian forces. Most of the Indians are not against full-scale war but for surgical strikes. This is nothing but short-sightedness.
Not just PoK is nurturing anti Indian attackers but the global terror network aided by the Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan government has penetrated deep into several parts of the country. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari there is a wide network of Pakistan abetted sleeper cells. Silently they have established fast operating bomb makers and gun firing squads. The latest discovery of anti-India operation is a tunnel from Pakistan to India in the desert region of Rajasthan. This tunnel in Baramer is used to smuggle drugs and counterfeit currencies. The plot to disable India is not the handiwork of one country or one group. I sincerely suspect the involvement of multi nations and many groups in this grave design against India.
After failing in the four direct wars with India, Pakistan operates clandestinely against its neighbor. By sending heroin, virus infected animals and fake currencies, by defacing important websites, by instigating insider trading, by organizing speculations for the Indian economy downfall and many other non terrorist damages. All these indirect external threats can be countered by a country which has given responsibility to uproot it. But many people involved in this anti-India battle are bought over cheap bargain and bribes. Combining with the internal weakness is the collaboration of external enemies.
The international politics work in a different way. It is subtle and strong. When the Indian government sends strong war message, the Pakistani rulers smilingly say that “We have China with us for anytime support”. This statement coming from none other than the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Yousaf R Gilani should alert the Indian government that it is not a straight battle between the two.
I am opposed to even the talk of war for many reasons. It is a well-known fact that Pakistan is involved in anti-India activities. This history is the history of two countries since independence. Sixty years old animosities cannot be eliminated with few peace measures or some bombardments. The onus squarely lies on India. Firstly it should strengthen its calmness and peace of mind. The battle is against many hidden enemies. It can unplug the enemy power-points only with a long-term vision and strategies. Second, local and global intelligence should be gathered and acted upon. Three, sensible people in the governance should build a strong coalition against indirect warriors silently. Four, sanitizing the armed forces, intelligence, power corridors from corruption. Fifth, putting the Civil Defence Force (CDF) on the ground action rather than paper presence.
The friendship between the two countries and its people must continue. Any amount of damage inflicted by Pakistan directly or indirectly should be swallowed bitterly. To answer it India should follow the above mentioned five steps. It is a long and sleepless fight to give good night sleep to the generations to come. This can happen only if the Indian government players and public understand its strength and weakness. The ground situation is that India is surrounded by open stateless terrorists supported by hidden national enemies. Are we ready for this sustained war through strong mind to put an end to killing spree forever?
There is frustration in the power corridors of India over the inaction by the Pakistani government against the list of terrorists it handed over. Over 120 countries envoys of India were called to New Delhi by the external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjhee for possible international intervention. In this hour of helplessness it is natural for India to speak of war against Pakistan. According to the popular opinion, least Indian government can do is to perform surgical strikes in the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) which is the breeding ground of anti-Indian forces. Most of the Indians are not against full-scale war but for surgical strikes. This is nothing but short-sightedness.
Not just PoK is nurturing anti Indian attackers but the global terror network aided by the Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan government has penetrated deep into several parts of the country. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari there is a wide network of Pakistan abetted sleeper cells. Silently they have established fast operating bomb makers and gun firing squads. The latest discovery of anti-India operation is a tunnel from Pakistan to India in the desert region of Rajasthan. This tunnel in Baramer is used to smuggle drugs and counterfeit currencies. The plot to disable India is not the handiwork of one country or one group. I sincerely suspect the involvement of multi nations and many groups in this grave design against India.
After failing in the four direct wars with India, Pakistan operates clandestinely against its neighbor. By sending heroin, virus infected animals and fake currencies, by defacing important websites, by instigating insider trading, by organizing speculations for the Indian economy downfall and many other non terrorist damages. All these indirect external threats can be countered by a country which has given responsibility to uproot it. But many people involved in this anti-India battle are bought over cheap bargain and bribes. Combining with the internal weakness is the collaboration of external enemies.
The international politics work in a different way. It is subtle and strong. When the Indian government sends strong war message, the Pakistani rulers smilingly say that “We have China with us for anytime support”. This statement coming from none other than the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Yousaf R Gilani should alert the Indian government that it is not a straight battle between the two.
I am opposed to even the talk of war for many reasons. It is a well-known fact that Pakistan is involved in anti-India activities. This history is the history of two countries since independence. Sixty years old animosities cannot be eliminated with few peace measures or some bombardments. The onus squarely lies on India. Firstly it should strengthen its calmness and peace of mind. The battle is against many hidden enemies. It can unplug the enemy power-points only with a long-term vision and strategies. Second, local and global intelligence should be gathered and acted upon. Three, sensible people in the governance should build a strong coalition against indirect warriors silently. Four, sanitizing the armed forces, intelligence, power corridors from corruption. Fifth, putting the Civil Defence Force (CDF) on the ground action rather than paper presence.
The friendship between the two countries and its people must continue. Any amount of damage inflicted by Pakistan directly or indirectly should be swallowed bitterly. To answer it India should follow the above mentioned five steps. It is a long and sleepless fight to give good night sleep to the generations to come. This can happen only if the Indian government players and public understand its strength and weakness. The ground situation is that India is surrounded by open stateless terrorists supported by hidden national enemies. Are we ready for this sustained war through strong mind to put an end to killing spree forever?
Multi layered harmony needed
At the moment, there is restlessness, turbulence and agitation in every sphere of the global society. Economic crisis is considered to be the trigger villain of the social shambles. But a careful look at the current crisis will point out the long term accumulation of multiple instigators. From the lack of inner peace in a substantial number of human beings around the world to enveloping trouble in the external environment, there is a visible disconnect. The individuals who make up the society were misguided and hooked to the false fortress of quick growth. They were forced to feel that there is no tomorrow to enjoy and everything must be exhausted at the very moment of life. One of the popular quotes in the global circuit today captures this mood of the masses aptly, “eat the desert first. There may be not time to eat everything”. What is needed urgently at this hour of grave global crisis is the harmony in every layer.
To create a conducive atmosphere for peace in the world first of all we need to sanitize hearts and minds of maximum number of the world people. The universal harmony starts with personal peace. If the efforts to cool down agitated minds were maximized and operated with full force we may not have landed in such a deserted situation. Nevertheless it is not too late to act. The first step to restore the social peace is to calm down individuals. Spiritual gurus, peaceniks and even enlightened politicians can embark on this journey.
The consumer economy has unfortunately seduced every section of the society into greedy consumption process. Beyond the need the consumption level has shoot up to the sky high. Even the traditional social healers like spiritual gurus have unfortunately become the victims of consumer culture. They have also been captured into the hypnotic spell of consumerism. From religious leaders to judicial heads every important person in the society has been tightly tied to the high consumer chain. What they earn legally is not enough to pay for the temptations of hi-fi consumer society. To earn the extra legal money corruption is the only available option. When corruption creeps into the minds of those who matters most and who are suppose to safeguard the society then there is a red signal for the joyride of the entire society. To me this has become the single most factors in creating and sustaining the present problems. It would not be an exaggeration to call ‘Blind consumerism is the mother of all present problems’.
There is none to listen to the grievances of common people. Everywhere money speaks, truth and justice gets silenced. A poor young boy who was swindled by his college management despite securing very high marks without losing hope goes to the police for assistance. They demand heavy bribe from him. He refuses to pay and goes to the court for justice. The judge takes bribe from the accused and collaborates with the police to foist drug smuggling case against the applicant. A sincere youth who had full faith in the law and justice of the modern systems lost his hope forever after he was thrown behind the cruel bars. He comes out of the jail as a criminal. Instead of correcting the criminals as good citizens, our system converts good citizens into criminals.
In another case, a young girl goes to the law enforcing authorities about unsolicited sexual advances harassment by her boss at work. Tragically she got gang raped by the policemen in the station where she had gone to complaint. If the fence itself eats the grass whom to be blamed? Who can trust? Who can believe in the law and order mentioned in the paper? It is high time to sanitize the whole society.
To me redeeming the world citizens from the high speed consumer culture will be the precursor to universal harmony. With money, money everywhere syndrome, ethics is lost, humanity is killed and future direction is blinded. Human beings by themselves would not walk in the right direction. They need sign boards. It should not be one sign board in wilderness. There needs to be regular direction guidance in the lonely journey. When the bold and bright signboards are present there is less difficulty for the life travelers to reach the destination. It is time to install signboards for the smooth movement of the society.
Who will start? Many of those who are shouting singly should come together leaving petty personal egos for the sake of humanity. From the east, from the west, from the north and from the south, everyone who is fighting for generating the right social order should join hands to create the harmony in every layer of the society. It can be a grand federation. If that is not possible, there can be local level co ordinations. Those who take up this mission ought to be devoid of cutthroat desires. The present situation pushes people to follow hook or crook method. Those who can withstand and finally thwart the seductive consumerism can be part of this social sanitizing mission. Those who talk harmony and peace needs to be stronger than those who roam with guns and bombs.
Any amount of provocation should not allow the peaceniks to drop their mission and take guns in response. The terrorist elements and vested interests cleverly provoke friendly atmosphere to collapse and hatred to take the centre stage. This is evident from the Indo-Pak relations. Whenever there is a terrorist attack the first victim is the peace process. It is understandable from the Indian government points of view that double play of Pakistan agonizes it limitlessly. To answer, India wants to fire missiles across the border. Will this be the terror arresting solution? There will be once again freezing of commercial and cultural contacts. People to people relations, government to government relations will be pushed backwards. The painfully built process should be not sacrificed by the provocative attacks of terrorists emanated across the border.
It may be true that the terrorists who attacked hotels and railway stations in Mumbai in the month of November 2008 came from Pakistan. But reacting with arms and ammunitions will damage the two nations peace for one more decade. The fragile peace process should be sustained at any cost. The onus lies squarely on the Indian government which is known for high democratic credentials. The land of Buddha, Ashoka and Gandhi need to rise again and withstand the terror slaps again and again given by the terrorists. Instead of airing hurt sentiments, it should engage with Pakistan more vigorous manner and take all those in the power corridors of the neighbhour on board. There is no other way to create long-term peace in the subcontinent.
If the immediate concern is south Asian peace the rest of the world is not insulated from violence. Every corner is affected by one crisis or the other. Along with terrorism, economic crisis is threatening to shatter the fabric of the global society. Loss of any human life to any problem is equally dangerous. According to the recent statistics provided by the National Crime Bureau, “India loses 34 lives per hundred victims to suicide deaths. Only 7 people per hundred are killed in terrorist violence”. One needs to plug the loopholes in every corner of the society. This is common to every country. In the United States 24 lakh people have lost their employment last year alone. There is total restlessness in their minds. After 1930s the churches in America are witnessing record attendance. In Chicago there is 50% rise in the church attendance. Religious managers are finding difficult to cope up with the crisis.
In summary I present the modus operandi for creating multi layered harmony in the global society.
Catch hold of young and old, men and women who have steel strong mentality
All those who come under this global harmony creation mission should have duty, discipline and devotion as their basic traits
They have universal harmony in mind without petty consumer desires
The group is a collection of individuals which is keen about their duties rather than agitating for their rights without performing the former.
They spread out to all corners with a message to sooth the rough edges of people’s lives
Be a listener rather than a speaker all the time
Fuse modern technology in spreading the message of universal harmony
Right knowledge of religion to counter the false propaganda by few extremism who spread wrong message to recruit terrorists
Dance and music can be smoothies for the violence infected minds
Sports and creative engagements can divert the agitated people towards the right track
Narrow national interests and any form of parochialism ought to be abandoned
Starting with the message of harmony the group will go on to solve the problems of people. Long time talk with no help to mitigate the sufferers lives will not bear any good fruits in the long run
It is a long, consistent and persistent battle. Those who get in should not expect instant results and fame.
Crucial to protect the messengers of harmony from any form of stimulation, temptation and instigation. Purity of mind is essential for the success of mission
Those who crave for power, position and penny should be filtered out in the induction stage
This is not the world’s first and last attempt to create global harmony. Millions of people and thousands of movements have cropped in the past. They have sacrificed everything for world peace. The above mentioned duty charter is a leaf out of those who struggled in the past and it is the straight lesson learnt from the previous mistakes. If this charter of points is implemented there is less scope for the derailing of dream to create a clam world order where there is a win-win situation rather than the present zero-sum game.
To create a conducive atmosphere for peace in the world first of all we need to sanitize hearts and minds of maximum number of the world people. The universal harmony starts with personal peace. If the efforts to cool down agitated minds were maximized and operated with full force we may not have landed in such a deserted situation. Nevertheless it is not too late to act. The first step to restore the social peace is to calm down individuals. Spiritual gurus, peaceniks and even enlightened politicians can embark on this journey.
The consumer economy has unfortunately seduced every section of the society into greedy consumption process. Beyond the need the consumption level has shoot up to the sky high. Even the traditional social healers like spiritual gurus have unfortunately become the victims of consumer culture. They have also been captured into the hypnotic spell of consumerism. From religious leaders to judicial heads every important person in the society has been tightly tied to the high consumer chain. What they earn legally is not enough to pay for the temptations of hi-fi consumer society. To earn the extra legal money corruption is the only available option. When corruption creeps into the minds of those who matters most and who are suppose to safeguard the society then there is a red signal for the joyride of the entire society. To me this has become the single most factors in creating and sustaining the present problems. It would not be an exaggeration to call ‘Blind consumerism is the mother of all present problems’.
There is none to listen to the grievances of common people. Everywhere money speaks, truth and justice gets silenced. A poor young boy who was swindled by his college management despite securing very high marks without losing hope goes to the police for assistance. They demand heavy bribe from him. He refuses to pay and goes to the court for justice. The judge takes bribe from the accused and collaborates with the police to foist drug smuggling case against the applicant. A sincere youth who had full faith in the law and justice of the modern systems lost his hope forever after he was thrown behind the cruel bars. He comes out of the jail as a criminal. Instead of correcting the criminals as good citizens, our system converts good citizens into criminals.
In another case, a young girl goes to the law enforcing authorities about unsolicited sexual advances harassment by her boss at work. Tragically she got gang raped by the policemen in the station where she had gone to complaint. If the fence itself eats the grass whom to be blamed? Who can trust? Who can believe in the law and order mentioned in the paper? It is high time to sanitize the whole society.
To me redeeming the world citizens from the high speed consumer culture will be the precursor to universal harmony. With money, money everywhere syndrome, ethics is lost, humanity is killed and future direction is blinded. Human beings by themselves would not walk in the right direction. They need sign boards. It should not be one sign board in wilderness. There needs to be regular direction guidance in the lonely journey. When the bold and bright signboards are present there is less difficulty for the life travelers to reach the destination. It is time to install signboards for the smooth movement of the society.
Who will start? Many of those who are shouting singly should come together leaving petty personal egos for the sake of humanity. From the east, from the west, from the north and from the south, everyone who is fighting for generating the right social order should join hands to create the harmony in every layer of the society. It can be a grand federation. If that is not possible, there can be local level co ordinations. Those who take up this mission ought to be devoid of cutthroat desires. The present situation pushes people to follow hook or crook method. Those who can withstand and finally thwart the seductive consumerism can be part of this social sanitizing mission. Those who talk harmony and peace needs to be stronger than those who roam with guns and bombs.
Any amount of provocation should not allow the peaceniks to drop their mission and take guns in response. The terrorist elements and vested interests cleverly provoke friendly atmosphere to collapse and hatred to take the centre stage. This is evident from the Indo-Pak relations. Whenever there is a terrorist attack the first victim is the peace process. It is understandable from the Indian government points of view that double play of Pakistan agonizes it limitlessly. To answer, India wants to fire missiles across the border. Will this be the terror arresting solution? There will be once again freezing of commercial and cultural contacts. People to people relations, government to government relations will be pushed backwards. The painfully built process should be not sacrificed by the provocative attacks of terrorists emanated across the border.
It may be true that the terrorists who attacked hotels and railway stations in Mumbai in the month of November 2008 came from Pakistan. But reacting with arms and ammunitions will damage the two nations peace for one more decade. The fragile peace process should be sustained at any cost. The onus lies squarely on the Indian government which is known for high democratic credentials. The land of Buddha, Ashoka and Gandhi need to rise again and withstand the terror slaps again and again given by the terrorists. Instead of airing hurt sentiments, it should engage with Pakistan more vigorous manner and take all those in the power corridors of the neighbhour on board. There is no other way to create long-term peace in the subcontinent.
If the immediate concern is south Asian peace the rest of the world is not insulated from violence. Every corner is affected by one crisis or the other. Along with terrorism, economic crisis is threatening to shatter the fabric of the global society. Loss of any human life to any problem is equally dangerous. According to the recent statistics provided by the National Crime Bureau, “India loses 34 lives per hundred victims to suicide deaths. Only 7 people per hundred are killed in terrorist violence”. One needs to plug the loopholes in every corner of the society. This is common to every country. In the United States 24 lakh people have lost their employment last year alone. There is total restlessness in their minds. After 1930s the churches in America are witnessing record attendance. In Chicago there is 50% rise in the church attendance. Religious managers are finding difficult to cope up with the crisis.
In summary I present the modus operandi for creating multi layered harmony in the global society.
Catch hold of young and old, men and women who have steel strong mentality
All those who come under this global harmony creation mission should have duty, discipline and devotion as their basic traits
They have universal harmony in mind without petty consumer desires
The group is a collection of individuals which is keen about their duties rather than agitating for their rights without performing the former.
They spread out to all corners with a message to sooth the rough edges of people’s lives
Be a listener rather than a speaker all the time
Fuse modern technology in spreading the message of universal harmony
Right knowledge of religion to counter the false propaganda by few extremism who spread wrong message to recruit terrorists
Dance and music can be smoothies for the violence infected minds
Sports and creative engagements can divert the agitated people towards the right track
Narrow national interests and any form of parochialism ought to be abandoned
Starting with the message of harmony the group will go on to solve the problems of people. Long time talk with no help to mitigate the sufferers lives will not bear any good fruits in the long run
It is a long, consistent and persistent battle. Those who get in should not expect instant results and fame.
Crucial to protect the messengers of harmony from any form of stimulation, temptation and instigation. Purity of mind is essential for the success of mission
Those who crave for power, position and penny should be filtered out in the induction stage
This is not the world’s first and last attempt to create global harmony. Millions of people and thousands of movements have cropped in the past. They have sacrificed everything for world peace. The above mentioned duty charter is a leaf out of those who struggled in the past and it is the straight lesson learnt from the previous mistakes. If this charter of points is implemented there is less scope for the derailing of dream to create a clam world order where there is a win-win situation rather than the present zero-sum game.
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