The Lizard Of Oz

A friend of mine works in a call center. One night she was doing the graveyard shift (8PM to 8AM next morning). And it so happened that she was alone in her wing, not another soul in sight. 

When she wasn't attending to a customer she was in the habit of studying for her exam. Midway through the night she needed a cup of tea. She had all the ingredients, she just needed to microwave. 

And THERE was the problem. The room where the microwave was kept was also home to a huge, wild, plump, almost bordering on obese, juicy lizard weighing an obscene 120gm and almost 6inches long.

My friend, let no man ever accuse her of cowardice, was not at her best confronting even a tiny starving lizard. 

The lizard that was domiciled in that room came from a family of healthy eaters that wasn't used to dieting or any form of exercise. 

My friend had to have that cup of tea. And in order to have it she had to get to the microwave and she had to risk getting near the monster. 

In tears at 12:05 AM she rang me up long distance. And between her whimpers she explained her predicament. 

She has known of my heroics. https://vbala99.blogspot.com/2017/10/me-and-trains.html

She told me she didn't want me to do anything but just be with her while she dealt with her nemesis.

I said fine. 

She got the tea, sugar, cup etc out and had the sugar washed, then she realized that it was the cup, not sugar, that needed washing. 

With trembing hands she washed the cup and poured 200ml milk, water and sugar into the cup and then mopped 100ml of the mixture on the floor that had spilled because she couldn't hold the cup steady. Her teeth were chattering so loudly she couldn't hear herself talk. 

With my encouraging words, she tiptoed to the door gently opened the door an inch and said softly "HELLO, ARE YOU THERE? I AM COMING OUT. I PROMISE NOT TO HARM YOU IF YOU PROMISE TO DO LIKEWISE. PLEASE GO AWAY FOR 5  MINUTES" 

It took me a few seconds to realize that she was negotiating with the lizard which she thought would hear what she was saying and rightly interpret it as a white flag and be gentleman enough to treat my friend as an esteemed guest.

And so it did. In 2 minutes, my friend was back with a hot cup while i watched in amazement. 

If any of you is in any doubt as to why Kashmir is not yet Azad, I think you would have understood by now.

Pak's Stand On Kashmir

From https://www.dawn.com/news/1516825/the-kartarpur-factor 

This article above is written by a person who had served as ambassador of Pakistan to India, USA etc. 

The following two excerpts were very interesting to me. That Pakistan has its eyes on ALL of Kashmir and that people from POK create a lot of disturbance in India and Kashmir with the connivance or urging of Pak come out very clearly.

I had earlier (a few years back) read that Pakistan's Constitution will recognize or accept nothing less than the whole of Kashmir. The author of the link above seems to confirm that desire. 

Once the two points are accepted as the deep driving desire of the Pak establishment, how does one negotiate with them? What does one feel about Pak?

Quotes from the article:

• "In a worst-outcome situation, neither Imran Khan nor the Pakistan Army will be able to restrain the people of Azad Kashmir and Pakistan from responding."
• "He Modi sees himself as the embodiment of a triumphant ideology that has given India great power status while putting an end to Pakistan’s dreams of Kashmir.""

Additional reading

https://vbala99.blogspot.com/2019/08/love-thy-neighbors-wife.html

Wolf Calling The Kettle Black

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/international/rest-of-asia/china-in-touch-with-india-pak-to-bring-down-tensions

China apparently is trying to bring down tension between Pak and India after Indian army supposedly attacked terrorists in POK. The surprising thing is that China does the same thing repeatedly in Arunachal and the last such incident was only a days back. At least Pak can claim it was all terrorists, Inshallah.. 

What excuse does China have for frequent incursions into India? And now, they are planning to mediate? Ain't that something?

The wolf said "Nee illaatta ongappa": https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/158022-China-gives-Modi-shut-up-call

In Tamil there is a saying, "ooru rendu pattaal koothadikku kondaattam".

And I really wish India didn't use the phrase "surgical precision". Such a phrase implies extraordinary accuracy. Perhaps that phrase was appropriate when US marines went inside Pakistan and nabbed Osama and killed him. In the current instance? Hmm.

It is really interesting that all this time India would accuse Pak of firing across the LOC while Pak would deny. And Pak would in turn accuse India of opening firing which India would deny.  Now for a change India is claiming to have attacked (with surgical precision) across the LOC. And guess what? Pak is saying "No, you didn't". 

What's happening? How does India decide whether to claim that Pak attacked India or to claim that India attacked Pakistan? Pakistan doesn't have a problem in this regard. Pak will just deny whatever India claims. It's India that has to decide - whether to whine or roar. 

I have a larger question. Why does Pak consider India its enemy? Is it because of Kashmir? But then Kashmir was never part of Pakistan. Matter of fact, Pak itself is a child born out of India.

God help Islam... If this is how Allah's progeny have turned out...blind fanatical and filled with hatred for anything that's not Islam...

Having said that there is an absolutely cute article, published by Alizay Jaffer a Pakistani lady, which echoes my own sentiments - except I couldn't have written it as well as her. http://scroll.in/article/818069/dear-india-and-pakistan-cant-we-convert-our-grudges-into-love (or this https://m.facebook.com/alizay.jaffer/posts/884096793617: same content in both links - just in case one of the links is removed in future)

Here is another article by another Pakistani who provides another point of view: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/155974-Pathankot



Additional reading: 

• Added on 26th Jun 2017: http://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/chinese-troops-enter-india-in-sikkim-sector-jostle-with-army-jawans-destroy-indian-bunkers/736313/
• http://scroll.in/article/818027/the-strange-case-of-the-indian-soldier-captured-by-pakistan

Published on

9/29/16, 4:21 PM

India Standard Time

ISI & Terrorist Links

I read this http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/wikileaks-isi-allowed-terrorists-to-attack-india-says-gitmo-detainee-104246 today.

This kinda ties up with what a taxi driver from Kashmir told me. He explained to me about the economy of Kashmir and life there. Youngsters are recruited and given a stipend of approximately Rs 3000 ($65) per month for undergoing military training across the border in Pakistanr. Very similar to what was depicted in the movie Roja, remember Pankaj Kapoor's little brother? Even the movie Sarfarosh was about something similar. Movie Fanaa also.

Another person told me that some Kashmiris prefer that Kashmir be aligned to Pakistan, some prefer alignment with India and some would like both India and Pakistan to let them be independent and leave them in peace. When this question (how do you want Kashmir to be aligned?) is popped to them, their heart, because of the religion, is with Pakistan. While their head says stick to India because of the economic advantage that India provides.

All this is fine and dandy, but I am unable to digest the recruitment and training of Kashmiris by people on the Muzaffarabad side with the sole idea of disturbing peace in India. 

What kind of a mind would find this to be a good thing to do?

Additional reading: 

• http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-05-06/pakistans-intellifence-chief-expected-to-resign-ahmad-shuja-pasha/#

Published on

5/8/11, 3:54 PM

India Standard Time

Damn These Hindus

https://www.dawn.com/news/1506697/trump-modi-show-unity-at-houston-rally-protesters-raise-rights-of-kashmiris-outside-venue

It's sad that we think (maybe it's true also) that Modi dealt with Kashmir because it is a Muslim minority state.

It's equally sad that Pakistan vociferously objects to that act - likely again because it's seen as anti- Muslim. 

Can people think ANYTHING outside of the purview of religion?

Maybe terrorism would cease in the region, maybe pakistan would come out of grey in FATF. 

If only we all treated each other as human beings rather than viewing things though a religious (jaundiced) lens.

PoK and Pak

https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/529743-pm-imran-heads-to-us-from-saudi-arabia

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/530114-kashmir-s-moment - "Imran has already flown to the US, refusing India's offer to use its airspace to do so." I wonder which part of India comes geographically between Pak (or Saudi, remember https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/529743-pm-imran-heads-to-us-from-saudi-arabia) and USA.

How will this end?

The army takes over because the PM isn't able to drum up international support on behalf of Kashmir? And then the army takes action against India? And get a drubbing? So that not only PoK but Pak too becomes part of India?

Oh boy. Wild thinking!

India Pakistan Border Video

Mast video in Kashmir. River separating the 2 countries. Religion is probably a bigger idealogy than politics. Maybe that's why Checkpoint Charlie came down 30 years back while the border between the 2 countries keeps getting stronger.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT1mYy3P2A8
• https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UxdxycwNzqY Karachi - Munnabao - Bhagat Ki Kothi

Note:
Video links may not always work, they may be removed.

Additional reading

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT1mYy3P2A8
• https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6D6qQjDZFok A Pakistani lady visits India (not a travelogue)
• https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cBCpV9jHum8 What do Pakistani's like about India
• 
  

Kashmir 370

J&K is a surprise here in India.

Of course Modi is capable of giving shocks as he has done in the past. As to whether the shocks resulted in a positive outcome, well that's debatable.

Coming to the Kashmir issue, it's likely to provoke religious sentiments in Muslims both sides of the border. 

And Muslims, like Catholics, wear their religion on their sleeves. Their religion comes first, ahead of nationality, ethics, morality etc. As a gentleman once pointed out, too much religion is correlated with a lower IQ and lower wealth / character. 

To prove the latter, he showed the example of countries in the south and east of europe vis-a-vis those in the NW. 

When we come to religion vs Character, about 90% of the death row inmates of prisons are religious as against 10% atheists / agnostics. 

Having thus provided an overview of the nature of extremely religious people (obviously doesn't apply to each person in the sample but generally applies to the population) and noting that the Kashmir issue is largely one that will kindle religious sentiments of the Muslims. I am glad that we already have 
1.  A China US Trade war,  
2. the long term debt yield is less than than short term yield (as I understand this points out to an imminent recession) - read Business Insider India: The market's favorite recession indicator just flashed its starkest warning since 2007.  
3. Do/Die Brexit expected in 2 months. 

We have enough bad news already that the religious wrath arising out of Kashmir would hopefully be so much piss in a thunderstorm or so I hope. With Imran Khan already passing his hat out to IMF for alms and with one leg in FATF's list, Pakistani outburst is likely to remain just a rhetoric. (https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/509414-from-indian-action-to-imf-s-caution-us-reaction-situationer)

Muslims Under Attack

This is an excellent article.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/433106-pulwama-attack-aftermath-muslims-under-attack-in-indian-cities

Throughout the article there is no fact to support the assertion that Muslims are under attack because of the JeM incident in Kashmir. Except this "The shock attack has caused widespread anger across India and a violent backlash against Kashmiris elsewhere in the country."

So we assume anything said about Kashmiri refers to Muslim?

It reminded me of the way many people talk when they make a pointed statement and subsequently there is a lot of other things they say but none of which substantiates the original statement.

Does the person think that a lot of other statements would be construed as proof by the audience of the original allegation?

When one expresses a pain and points a finger at another, perhaps the pain is the proof.

Does the fact that JeM claimed responsibility mean anything to the author of the article?

Additional Reading

1. https://m.economictimes.com/news/defence/financial-action-task-force-to-be-given-dossier-to-blacklist-pakistan-for-terror-links/articleshow/68026309.cms
2. https://m.economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/pakistan-claims-to-fulfilling-sanctions-obligations-against-jem/articleshow/68036595.cms