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Adventurism
in the Air Nawaz Sharif has to control Pakistan's immense nervous energy.
Technicalities apart, both Delhi and Islamabad have to wake up to larger realities. The world is not interested in the nitty gritties of the tortuous subcontinental relationship. If there is increased evidence of such brinkmanship, the West -- in effect, the United States -- will only strengthen its belief that South Asia is a security risk to the international community. Admittedly, the more culpable country is Pakistan. It has upped the ante in the hope of retaliation, escalation and third-party intervention. The problem is, so far at least, the US and its allies see Pakistan as sole offender -- no more but no less either. With each diplomatic setback, the tenuous military-civilian equation in Pakistan's polity is further disturbed, its economy is dealt another blow, its viability as a nation confronted with even more question marks. This helps nobody: not Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, for whom each blunder conceivably means political harakiri, not India, for whom instability in the vicinity will be a perennial hazard. Sharif has to keep his trigger-happy compatriots in check. It would be easy to suggest that if he can't stand the heat he must leave the kitchen. The problem is the fire may engulf the entire house -- and the neighbour's. Nay Said the EC
It is worth considering if the model code, designed to facilitate free and fair elections, is instead becoming an impediment to everyday life. In earlier times, elections were quick affairs and the official notification came within a couple of days of the dates being announced. Now, however, weeks pass between these events. Obviously, there is a variety of views on the point at which the model code comes into effect. The telecom controversy was a result of precisely this. The point is: with the EC unable -- for whatever reason -- to ensure immediate polls following a sudden dissolution of the Lok Sabha, should the model code be interpreted somewhat liberally? Instead of busying itself in Inspector Clouseau-type detection of every technical violation, the EC should turn the magnifying glass inward. |
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On the face of
it, India's shooting down of a Pakistani aircraft that flew into its territory, probably
on an intelligence mission, is perfectly explicable. After all the pilot had refused to
land and was flying 10 km into Indian territory. Coming after the Kargil incursions, the
military establishment senses an acute need not to be caught napping again. In normal
times, greater pains may have been taken before firing upon the rogue plane. These,
however, are not normal times. The battle on the heights of Kargil is over but a state of
alert and a certain degree of tension persist. Pakistan's claim that its plane didn't
quite cross the border is disingenuous. As per a bilateral agreement signed in 1991, both
countries are committed to keeping military planes at least 10 km away from their side of
the border. 
Nirvachan Sadan's objections to the new telecom
policy have opened a Pandora's box. The debate over the model code of conduct has assumed
particularly ludicrous proportions in Uttar Pradesh. The Election Commission (EC) has
objected to ministers in the state undertaking official tours or even visits to their
constituencies. It has barred one of them from giving a school Rs 1.10 lakh from his MLA
fund. Finally, it has asked for the cancellation of training seminars on decentralisation
and panchayati raj. In Mumbai, an actor-politician has taken the EC to court for its ban
on a television series in which he stars. The logic goes thus: will the sight of, say,
Sunil Dutt running around trees with Reena Roy in a re-run of a two-decade old film cause
people to vote for the Congress? Such reasoning prevailed in the high noon of the
paternalistic state -- the original model code was conceived in 1967 -- but is an
anachronism today. If Sachin Tendulkar enters the electoral fray, will the EC ask him to
withdraw from the Indian cricket team?