RAW and KHAD are Plotting against Pakistan

Since 1947 Pakistan and Afghanistan relations are uncertain, unpleasant and marked by turbulence, complexity and trust deficit. Its foundations were laid when the Afghan government refused to recognize the newly independent Pakistan and immediately challenged the legitimacy of Pakistan's borders. Afghanistan also cast the sole vote at the United Nations against Pakistan's membership in the United Nations.

According to Stephen P. Cohen, the US administration is working hard to foster better ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan but both countries are fraught with historical tensions and mistrust. However, the recent (July 7, 2008) worst suicide bomber attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul again aggravated tension between uneasy neighbours of the region such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. While senselessly, without credible evidence President Hamid Karzai (Afghanistan), Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Indian Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor stated that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) might be involved in the suicide attack on the Indian embassy. In this regard, Indian National Security Advisor M. K. Narayanan has crossed the ethical boundaries and used highly unprofessional and undiplomatic words that "the ISI needs to be destroyed."

Pakistan Foreign Office rejected fabricated and baseless allegations against Pakistan intelligence agency and mentioned that these would serve no purpose other than creating an artificial crisis between Pakistan and Afghanistan. US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on July 9, 2008 that no foreign agents were involved in the bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul. Richard Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, in an exclusive interview with rediff.com on July 21, 2008 said, "there is no convincing evidence available about the Pakistani intelligence agency's involvement in the suicide bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul." In fact, India has started psychological warfare and ambivalent approach towards Pakistan which is nothing but to pressurize Islamabad and avoid the settlement of core dispute of Kashmir. The Indian leadership has never left any chance to abuse Pakistan, and it used incident of blast in Indian embassy at Kabul to blackmail and isolate Pakistan from its own significant influence in Afghanistan.

Currently, India has an extensive diplomatic presence in Afghanistan. It includes the Indian embassy in Kabul and another four consulates in Kandahar, Jalalabad, Mazar-e-Sharif and Herat. India has also planned to open three more consulates in Afghanistan in order to strengthen ties between the two countries. These Indian diplomatic missions serve as launching pads for undertaking covert operations against Pakistan from Afghan soil and particularly, the Indian consulates in Kandahar and Jalalabad and their embassy in Kabul are used for clandestine activities inside Pakistan in general and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Baluchistan in particular.

In reality, RAW has a long history of destabilising Pakistan and the News Intelligence Network (NIN) also reported that RAW is extensively engaged in disinformation campaigns, espionage, sabotage and terrorism against Pakistan. Thus, Indian and Western media continuously indicating that the US secret agency CIA, RAW and KHAD might have prepared that plan to weaken the federation of Pakistan. They are actively engaged in creating instability in Pakistan by supporting some separatist elements in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Baluchistan to fulfil their common strategic agenda. Moreover, RAW has also established its training camps in Afghanistan in collaboration with the Northern Alliance remnants which are around 600 ferraris (Baluchi tribal dissidents) are getting specialized training to handle explosives, engineer bomb blasts, and use sophisticated weapons in these camps. Further, Indian diplomatic and RAW officials are in significant numbers in the Afghan ministry of tribal affairs, and are exploiting it to conduct covert activities. Indian agents are instrumental in arranging meetings of tribal elders in Jalalabad, and assisting them in spotting and recruiting suitable tribal elders from Jalalabad and Pakistan's North and South Waziristan Agencies for covert activities.

In connection with the recently received reports it has come in the notice of Islamabad that Indian secret agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and KHAD (Afghan intelligence agency) both have arranged different programmes against Pakistan. So, in the last month KHAD and RAW staged a drama of involving Pakistan Intelligence agency ISI in an un-successful attempt of Karzai's assassination. Both are also active to putting all dust on the face of ISI such as allegation of support of Taliban and Al-Qadea, cross border terrorism in Afghanistan and India. According to Hizbe Islami Afghanistan headed by Engineer Gulbadin Hekmatyar, the Northern Alliance is responsible for recent terrorist acts particularly bomb explosion at Indian embassy and attack against the civilians for achieving nefarious designs. It is believed that Northern Alliance wants prolonged stay of foreign troops in Afghanistan and desire to further deteriorate Indo-Pakistan relations. Moreover, it is the utmost desire of India to create confusion about Taliban and Pakistan in the minds of US policy makers and both New Delhi and Washington could directly attack the tribal areas of Pakistan and achieve its nefarious strategic designs. However, it has become fashion by the US, India, and Afghanistan to keep blaming Pakistan that the terrorist training and communication infrastructure is situated in Pakistan's tribal areas. They have a common agenda to divert the world attention from their incompetence and failure to destroy the Taliban and al-Qaeda network.

In reality, the murder, killing, destruction, dishonouring and insecurity in Afghanistan have been created by RAW and KHAD. The day NATO forces arrived in Afghanistan, the militants have been targeting Kabul and coalition forces in retaliation against attacks on their hideouts and the civilian population. It is ironic that on the one hand, the US is keen to reduce its military presence in Afghanistan in view of the political fallout of American casualties but on the other hand, pressurizing Islamabad to do more. Although Pakistan and its military is continuously paying heavy prices for the US-led proxy war on terrorism, hundreds of civilian and military personnel deaths and widespread resentment in the tribal areas and uncertainty in the country are presenting worst picture of the country.

Nevertheless, the continuation of "blame game" could derail the efforts of enduring peace in the region and the US which has close ties and great influence on New Delhi and Kabul, must acknowledge to these friends that without having any concrete evidence they should avoid from the rhetoric statements, because irresponsible attitude could result in derailing peace of the region. So, there is no better alternative to remove misunderstanding through peaceful dialogue because strife and despair will haunt nations of the region.

Indian Army jawans experiencing low morale

The structure and culture of the Indian Army is extremely stifling and oppressive, a lower rank officer has simply no room for growth and self-expression. Indian army jawans are misused by Indian army officers. They are treated as slaves. Jawans are the greatest sufferers because they are well…at the bottom of the food chain. They are made to do stuff that any ordinary, self - respecting person would cringe at. Moreover, they have supposedly no "right" to complain and protest. Paunchy colonels are dependent on them to tie shoelaces because the belly does not allow them to bend. Officers ought to be more understanding and sensitive towards a soldier’s feelings- especially when he is away from his family.
Low moral in Indian Army can also be attributed to poor living condition. If you try and have a closer look at the kind of rations they are supplied to eat, the kind of houses they are forced to live. You will find it completely miserable. Its a life so harsh -which results into domestic quarrels and because of it their family life suffers.
I think another factor which is contributing in Indian army's suffering is committing all those atrocities that the UNHCR and other "banned" aid agencies have been reporting for years, that the Indian army personnel and paramilitary forces are committing heinous acts e.g., (Torture, Rapes, Murder, staged encounters, genocide and ethnic cleansing) in the occupied Kashmiri state. The Kashmiri’s don't like them. And with the continued media lockout and suppression of news from the area by the government of India and continually ignoring the issue, its no surprise that the marauding and murderous Indian soldiers are beginning to show signs and mental effects from all the acts they’ve committed.
The present educational level, awareness and qualities of management of the officer cadre is fundamentally lacking in stature due to which, they are not able to provide the necessary leader-ship that is required on the field that is of emulation.The number of court-martials of officers indulging in embezzlement and self aggrandisement is so vast that it does not behove an army of the stature and magnitude as the Indian army and this contributes to building a negative morale among the forces in general.(One Gen.try to steal another’s wife, another was accused of taking money from contractors for granting the rights to supply Atta,Dhal,Eggs etc.while another Gen.escaped from custody while being escorted in a running train.) Further to-days army does not hinge on religion, caste,Izzat etc. and unless a severe over-haul of the system is under-taken by availing out-side help, there is bound to be further degradation when the rot can not be stemmed.

Kashmir crisis requires world attention

On the occasion of the G8 Summit in Hokkaido, Japan from July 7-9, 2008 Peace and Justice Forum (PJF) has urged the Summit leaders and President of the European Commission (EC) for their help in encouraging both New Delhi and Islamabad to initiate a tripartite process involving India, Pakistan and the Kashmiri leadership to negotiate in a result oriented and time-framed dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue peacefully.

Mr. Mushtaq A. Jeelani, Executive Director of the PJF, expressed his serious concern about India’s failure to live up to its promise of a "zero-tolerance" policy towards human rights violations, and the failure of bilateral process to resolve the Kashmir issue. The Executive Director underlined that the Indian occupying troops continue to carry out arbitrary detention, summary executions, custodial killings, extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, rape, sexual exploitation, torture and fake encounters. Since October 1989, the 700,000 strong Indian forces have killed more than 100,000 Kashmiris to silence the people’s demand for freedom, justice, and respect for human rights. Generations of Kashmiris have grown up under the shadow of the gun; not a single family is unaffected; property worth hundreds of millions of dollars has been destroyed and the suffering and devastation continues unabated, sadly drawing no significant attention from the international community, including the G8 nations.

Moreover, India has failed to live up to its promise of a "zero-tolerance" policy towards human rights violations; the recent discovery of thousands of unidentified graves in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir containing remains of victims of summary executions, custodial killings, extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, torture and other abuses shows the real face of India’s barbarity!

Impunity has become a licence for the Indian occupation forces to wreak havoc with the lives of Kashmiris. The deliberate and unprovoked attacks and other patterns of abuse have all become too frequent to report. No perpetrator has ever been prosecuted in a real manner, despite the fact that such crimes have been extensively documented by many international human rights organisations including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

There is a dire need to implement recommendations made by the New York-based Human Rights Watch in its latest report issued on July 1st, 2008, suggesting an independent and time-bound commission to investigate allegations of ‘disappearances’ and extrajudicial killings. Such a commission should have the capacity to use forensic tests to identify the bodies and security forces should be ordered to cooperate with the commission’s inquiries.

On April 7th, 2008, Human Rights Watch demanded, "The United Nations Human Rights Council should insist the Indian government to take strong steps to hold accountable members of its security forces responsible for torture, arbitrary detentions, killings, and ‘disappearances.’ The report found that the impunity provided to state forces and the failure to hold them accountable for human rights violations have created an atmosphere where violators believe they can get away with serious crimes."

Contrary to the facts India likes to tell the world that it has a world class legal system that allows it to solve its own problems, but the reality on the ground is far different. Killers and torturers in the army and police do their work with official protection, degrading the law and taking the shine off of India’s claim to be an emerging world leader. Now is the time to repeal antiquated laws that protect abusers."

About 15 million Kashmiris are yearning for peace, justice and freedom. They want a just and dignified peace that guarantees total freedom from foreign occupation and alien domination. Their struggle to achieve that right of self-determination will not be extinguished until India accept its exercise by the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Indian Army Jawans are facing inhuman treatment

The rise in suicide rate in Indian Army uncovers the pertinent and tragic issues of frustration, chronic depression and mass desertions, which have been marring the Indian Armed Forces since long. In the last year itself, it has been reported that almost 100 soldiers have taken away their lives. In addition to this, another 32 have been killed by their colleagues. In fact, the spate of suicides, particularly within the Army, had been on the rise. Since 2004, of the 408 soldiers that died, around 333 killed themselves. International media too has put forth the concern that Indian Army is loosing more soldiers by the way of suicides than fighting on the borders. So what has gone so wrong that soldiers who were supposed to guard the nation against contingencies, have started pulling the trigger on themselves? Empirical studies have shown that most of the suicide (civilian) cases across the world are on account of self- created crisis. But, when it comes to the Indian Army, the reasons have just been the reverse (in most of the cases). Most of the suicides have been on account of the crisis created by the nation itself. And of all the other crisis, the life-taking one had been the ‘attitude’ of the government towards the armed forces, and everything around it.

For whatever they do for the nation, even to the extent of giving away their own lives, remains thankless and often even criticised.. It is again on account of the very same attitude that the polity is completely indifferent to the fact that all this jawan does for a pittance of a salary that he draws which, for all the risk that he takes, is not even comparable to the fourth or third grade clerk of any government department. (The same is true for the commissioned officers too, whose salary comes nowhere near to what their peers might be earning in the private sector. This coupled with a bleak future of promotions in a pyramid structure leaves them with no option). And it is this attitude again that make the polity audacious enough to initiate a national debate when it comes to restructuring their salaries!This is not just about the Indian Army. The same holds true for the other two wings as well, and the conditions are even worse for the paramilitary forces. In the India army. after every two three years of field posting, they are transferred to peaceful areas. But nothing like that happens for the CRPF, which is now entirely responsible for the internal security of the country. So after postings in a grueling Kashmir, chances are high that the tired, fatigued jawan would be posted to face the wrath of the Naxals in some remote area of Chattisgarh. And the compensations in case of their death are much less than even what an army jawan gets, as if there is some difference in the cost of their lives!

In addition to this, the lack of leave, and being away for long -drawn periods creates further strains and makes them even more vulnerable to err. So they end up taking away their own lives or that of their colleagues, or they end up committing other forms of crimes, like rape and molestation, which is also on the rise! In fact, our treatment towards the forces is in no way any different from Hitler’s inhuman consideration of Jews being as lesser humans. Given the state of affairs, no amount of intervention, be it psychiatric or spiritual can help arrest this crisis, if at all it has to be arrested then the only solution is mandatory conscription for every Indian!

Indian lower rank jawans are facing discrimination

Discrimination, deprivation, exclusion and exploitation are endemic to every society, which leads to frustration, anger and aggression. Those who are subjected to injustice and oppression tend to rebel and revolt. These reactions culminate in assertion which give rise to people’s movements. But social movements are not an everyday phenomenon. Discrimination and deprivation always do not lead to protest and aggression. Only when people become conscious of these inequalities and injustices and mobilise and organise themselves to struggles against those who subject them to servitude and bondage, people’s movements takes place. Moreover when the disadvantaged and the downtrodden see that another alternative is both possible and viable they try to overthrow the existing social order and unjust system. Sadly, jawans working in Indian Army cannot become part of any revolt or movement despite their longing for quick removal of discrimination and maltreatment with them.

The question of Indian lower ranks' rights is not just a matter of addressing their grievances, but at large it corroborates to the affirmation of their rights through policy reforms in Indian army. It can help them provide a respectable status and prove a long lasting solution to their frustrations.

Suicide: A common phenomenon in Indian army

The Indian Army is loosing more soldiers to suicide than to enemy action in the battle field. This year, over 100 soldiers have lost their lives by committing suicide.The key reason of their suicides is frustration over various issues. One of these factors is leave; lack of adequate home leave enhances their depression and stress. Other factors include low morale, bad service conditions, maltreatment, lack of adequate facilities, unattractive pay packages, and a communication gap with superiors. Soldiers get extremely angry and frustrated when they are denied leave and their officers themselves take time off, it triggers a reaction, and consequently they take their own life or in some cases become revengeful.

Every one knows that Indian Army is committing heinous acts such as torture, rapes, murder, staged encounters, genocide, and ethnic cleansing in Kashmir and in other parts of India. In Kashmir valley, Indian Army has killed over 10, 0000 innocent people and in the state of Gujurat over 4,000 civilians were killed. These atrocities and heinous acts are the main reason of mental sickness of Indian Army. Suicide in Indian Army will keep on rising in future!!!!!How can one expect healthy normal personality from the force that has been assigned the task of massive killing and bloodshed of innocent civilians including women and children?

Indian army faces shortage of officers and frustration of jawans

India's army, the world's fourth largest, faces a dire shortage of officers because the booming private sector is recruiting the best talent, and may have to consider conscription. Just 86 officer recruits enlisted in the current academic session of the British-built Indian military academy, which had vacancies for 250. Meanwhile, 62 of 148 college graduates who passed a separate military entrance test for officers opted out and sought jobs in the private sector. The recruitment issue has become an urgent priority for the volunteer army after 3,000 mid-level commanders recently sought early retirement on top of an existing shortage of 11,200 officers. The army needs a total of 46,615 officers.

Another worry for Indian Army chief General Deepak Kapoor is that most of those applying are not the right material, the private sector, which has been luring away India's best talent by offering hefty wages and generous perks, has left the military with poor pickings. The government and the services cannot compete in matters of salary and perks with the corporate world. Our deficiencies should not be met by lowering the quality standards of the world's largest army. India has never turned to compulsory recruitment, compulsory military service could be one of the avenues before the government sometime in the future, but it's not the stage for such a step now.

Thanks to India's billion-plus population and high unemployment, the 1.23-million-strong army has no shortages in the lower ranks. But the National Defence Academy, India's largest army training ground, which enlists high school graduates and turns them into officers for the navy, air force and also the army, is struggling. According to defence ministry records just 190 students signed up this month against the academy's sanctioned strength of 300 for this academic session. Stress, low pay, slow promotions and the military's tough lifestyle are a turn-off for young people. After entering the army, an entry level officer must wait up to 10 years before donning the flashes of a lieutenant-colonel. But even at that level the monthly basic salary does not exceed 12,000 rupees (300 dollars).

These facts reveal that Indian qualified youth has no interest in serving the nation because of the high perks and privileges offered by the private sector. On the other hand, lower rank jawans in Indian Army has miserable plight, they have no other option except working under tough circumstances and low pays to meet their family needs and upbringing of their children. Their status as lower rank jawans is not more than paid servants for their high-ups and consequently they face high frustration leading to suicidal ideation. Working as lower rank personnel has become a punishment for them. The growing number of suicidal rate is not hidden from any one; low pays, discrimination, maltreatment are the most common reasons of suicide, despite knowing these causal factors of suicide Indian officers has shown no improvement in their treatment with them.