Who earns a dividend on Benazir’s death?

Benazir is dead. Conspiracy theories are already up and working, ones that are complex, and are hard to understand. Pakistani administration of the Mush had initially told of her death due to the blast, where as the ‘scintillating revelation’ by the close aide of the departed leader seems to hinting otherwise. The Al-Qaeeda and Taliban, which was blamed, rather instantaneously, had denied their involvement. ‘It’s against our culture to attack woman’. Maulvi Muhammad Omar, a spokesman for Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Meshsud was found stating in Peshawar on phone from an undisclosed location. But can you trust Taliban? This is the question that may be humming your mind, and that’s obviously natural. Taliban regime, which when in force in Afghanistan, had violated almost all the human rights laws by executing those woman for alleged ‘adultery’. It didn’t even seek evidence in many of their cases before executing. Yet they deserve a benefit of doubt given the fact that they have been, rather passionately, taking in the responsibility for the alleged execution in the past. But if not Taliban then who else is to blame?

Who killed Gen Zia-ul-Haq?

Corera’s book links the death of the Pakistani dictator with the nuclear trafficking between Pakistan and Iran, says Mahesh Prabhu

Shopping for Bombs, Gordon Corer,Foundation Books, Rs 1295

Is it possible that the Pakistan’s nuclear sale to Iran in the 1980s was made without Gen Zia-ul-Haq’s approval and that he died because he had got close to the information in August 1988 about who had made the deal?

Gordon Corera, correspondent for BBC News, has provided the first clue to the death of Gen Zia-ul-Haq in 1988. The most important disclosure is that AQ Khan sold his first nuclear secrets to Iran in 1987, quite possibly without the approval of the then ruler of Pakistan, Gen Zia-ul-Haq. The General was well-known to be in favour of the Arabs against Iran after the latter had begun to threaten them after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Time to create a formidable Hindu Lobby

‘In a country that prides itself on its religious diversity and its secular constitution, may see the rise of Modi and his pro Hindu agenda as a terrifying chapter of intolerance. They say he is dangerous fire brand and too comfortable inciting the politics of hatred and violence.’ States Sam Dolonick in his article published in the recent issue of ‘The Economist’. Besides holding Narendra Modi solely responsible for the riots of 2002 he also makes the baseless and completely concocted allegation that ‘The RSS was influenced by 1930s German fascism…’ It’s not that he doesn’t acknowledge the unparalleled achievements of Gujarat Chief Minister. In fact he does when he says ‘Modi has attracted more than 20% of the India’s total investment of $69 billion last year’ but he makes a foul attempt of trying to make it irrelevant by adding ‘But despite his achievement, for may of India’s 1.1 billion people – 14 per cent of who are Muslims – Modi will always be defined by the anti-Muslim violence…’

The ‘cause of hate’ against Modi is, frankly speaking, owing to his Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) background, the organization which is today whipping boy of the mainline media and, so called, ‘secular’ organizations. That which ‘The Economist’ says is influenced by the Fascist ideology. Need I say how concocted is this idea, i.e. of RSS being influenced by Fascist? Absolute bunk!

Kannada is under siege by whom?

In less than a month’s time I have attended two Kannada Sammelans (read conference). One organized by Alvas Education Foundation, entitled Nudisiri, in Moodubidri and Kannada Sahitya Sammelan – organized in association with the state government in, my home town, Udupi. The difference I found in both of them was phenomenal. While Alvas did a remarkable job of setting standards for such conferences, the Sammelan in Udupi was an awful experience owing to the political organizers and publicity mongers.

People were acting in varieties at the Kannada Sahitya Sammelan to find a space for themselves in the media. I am sure everyone was aware that this event was to get a tremendous publicity given the fact that there wasn’t much happening in the political podium in Bangalore with the assembly standing dissolved and election being too far. The news channels that have recently popped from nowhere were simply finding hard to put their hands on anything sensational for airing. Thanks to this Sammelan, especially the one organized in Udupi, they were at least managing to get some worthy, or unworthy, news to feed their desperate bosses in Bangalore, if not their viewers.