CURRENT ISRAELI - PALESTINE CONFLICT

Many millennia ago, Mosses led the suffering, enslaved Jews out of Egypt into the ‘promised land’. While he passed away on the journey, his successor, Joshua completed the task by crossing them over river Jordan to reach the promised land, Israel. By BCE 1000, the Jew kingdom flourished with the rule of King David and his son Solomon, and it was the best of times for ancient Israel. 

In the next three millennia, Israel was attacked by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Turks, Crusaders, Egyptians, Islamist and others. Between sixteen century and the early twentieth century CE, Israel was ruled by the Ottoman Empire. Thus the ‘promised land’ had been overcome by the non-Jews. Many Jews by then had moved over to Europe to become a strong business community there. 

After the First World War,  the the ‘promised land’ which by then had less Jews and more Palestinians, came under the British control. During 1920s, the then British Foreign Secretary, AJ Balfour, created a letter of intent (the Balfour Declaration), later endorsed by League of Nations (predecessor to the current UN), supporting the establishment (again) of Israel, the ‘promised land’ of Jews by dividing it between the Palestinians and the Jews. 

It took another three decades for the Israel State to come into being. By 1947, the United Nation, setting aside  the rejection of the move by Arabs, approved the partition of the land between Palestinians and the Jews. By May 1948, Israel was officially declared as an independent state with Ben Gurion, the head of the Jewish agency, as the first Prime Minister. 

Into the modern day ‘promised land’ of Israel, hordes of Jews from all over the world, particularly the Europe (including those who had suffered from the hands of Nazis and the Axis) moved into. Using alliances, money power, muscle power and later military power, Israel thwarted the moves by Palestinians, Arabs and the hostile neighbours, to establish and grow (and expand) its Statehood. 

Who suffered the worst in the development was the Palestinians, of course. They got shrunk into two separate pieces of land, The Gaza strip and West Bank, completely surrounded by Israel. The efforts of Yassir Arafat and later by Abbas to resurrect them and fight against their arch enemy, Israel, are legion. However, the military might of Israel exponentially multiplied and so has its cruelty against the Palestinians. It is indeed horrendous to see how the Palestinians are living there now. 

By May 2021, there began heavy escalation of tension between the two nations. It started with the order of Israeli Supreme Court to evict some

Palestinian families from East Jerusalem and the resulting mob violence between Jews and Palestinians led to rocket attack by Hamas against Israel and Israel undertaking big airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. So far 200 Palestinians, 10 Israelis (and one Keralite) have died. While action is still on, mediators are trying to negotiate and settle the issue. 

In the wake of Israel gaining diplomatic traction with the Arab world, at the same time building up its military power in a super style, the sufferings of the Palestinians are expected to become worse. Fighting Israel, in no way, will help their cause. External assistance have diminished considerably for their cause too. 

Notwithstanding the suffering, It is time the Palestinian understood the reality and act accordingly. Any amount of military aggression from them will only increase their hardship. Discussions, talks & negotiations are the way forward. 

A NEW WORLD ORDER ?

Over the last two decades, the nations have been evolving into being part of new umbrella groups; based on economics, political and also, on defence concerns. We now see certain accelerated pace in the consolidation process.

Here, we predominantly refer to the political developments and defence consolidations.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was founded in Shanghai during 2001 as an intergovernmental organization by Russia, China, Khazakhstan, Krygystan, Tajikistan, & Uzbekistan. The objectives of the formation of SCO were to strengthen relationship between member countries; promote cooperation in political, commercial, technological, cultural, and educational spheres; safeguard regional peace, security, and stability; create democratic, equitable international political and economic order. The last point seems funny as none of founder members is known for their democratic practices, which is worsening, as years go by. Later, in 2017, India and Pakistan joined SCO as full members. It is not sure what was India expecting to be part of the group with China & Russia, two big bullies, patronising it. Other than higher trade possibilities, nothing comes to mind. However with India in the group, today SCO may not be able to function as a NATO equivalent because of the variation in political ideology between India & other nations in the group. That looks like a checkmate situation.

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD)

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (also known as the Quad) started as an informal strategic dialogue between the United Staes, Japan, Australia & India. The dialogue was initiated in 2007 by Prime Minister of Japan with the Vice President of the US, Prime Minister of Australia and Prime Minister of India. The dialogue had succeeded in Exercise Malabar, a joint military exercise of an unprecedented scale on Indian Ocean. This was viewed as a response to Chinese economic & military consolidation and China did respond to the developments by issuing formal diplomatic protests to the Quad members.

The acrimony between US & China  for sometime, and the present challenges between US & Russia, is slowly taking QUAD into an Asian equivalent of NATO, and it could precipitate a Cold War situation.

On 12^th March 2021, the first Quad summit took place online between the four member nations and the group resolved to commit to manufacturing one billion doses of Covid vaccine by 2022 for distribution in Asia, where China’s presence casts a huge shadow.  Quad seems to have come of age as an important pillar of stability in the region, trying to create ‘free, rules-based order, both in the Indo-Pacific and beyond’, as envisaged by its founders.

The recently concluded talks between USA and China in Alaska on 18 & 19^th of March 2021 were practically an aborted attempt with tough dialogues and body posture displayed by both parties. Both sides accused each other of having broken diplomatic protocol between them. While the United States accused China of threatening the rule based order of global stability, China lashed out at US, accusing it of condescension and hypocrisy. China also displayed an attitude to US of, 'you need me, I don't need you’.

The China – Russia Solidarity

Immediately as a follow through of the failed Alaska talks, China held Foreign minister level talks with Russia on 22^nd March 20221 in China in which both accused United States of interference and sanctions. In a show of unity, the foreign ministers of both China and Russia have condemned Western sanctions against them and accused the US of political interference. Naturally enough, Chinese Foreign Minister and his Russian counterpart rejected outside criticism of their respctive authoritarian regiems.

Group of Friends in Defence of the Charter of the UN

Anticipating troubles ahead, in March 2021 itself, Russia and China along with North Korea & Iran, established ‘Group of Friends in Defence of the Charter of the United Nations’ giving message of supporting the UN’s founding treaty, seeking to promote multilateralism and diplomacy over the use of force by Nations or blocks against ‘perceived violations’ by other UN member states. It has 17 signatory countries in it, in addition to the above four, which include Cuba, Cambodia, Palestine, Syria, Venezuela, Algeria, Angola, Belarus, Bolivia, Laos, Eritrea, Nicaragua & St. Vincent.

Apparently, the’ Group of Friends’ as above, are taking an advance bail against the atrocities that each is committing inside their nation and asking the UN and the world to accept their authoritarian regimes. It is expected that the number of nations in this group will go up. It is early stage of the group consolidation. Also, it wouldn't be surprising to see new members added to Quad. In addition to this, we also must take cognizance of existing bodies such as NATO and the bilateral agreements of protection between nations. 

It is now evident from the dynamics that the world is now moving into another evolution of world order.

IN YOUR EXPENDABILITY LIES YOUR GREATNESS

You may be the darling of your people

That doesn’t make our thought any supple

You, the deep State does not bother

You are just a census number, rather 

It exhorts you to love your nation

Surely, more than your imagination 

It needs loyalists from time to time

As it gets into complex wartime 

You could be a soldier or a doctor 

May be a teacher or a pen pusher

Be ready to die for the blessed nation 

And do not have any indignation 

People could perish sooner than later 

All are born with an end, you know better

Your wish to actualise, is your need

Deep State wants your sacrifice, indeed

We then begin to worship your valour 

Lest an unknown, we make you bigger  

It is our To wish to make you a fighter 

Hold your dreams, we made you a martyr!

So dense a black hole is the deep State 

You hating it of meanness is a distaste 

Caring people is surely not its goal 

Managing world view, is our ball

The polity may be right or the left 

No difference it makes, to set right  

Your lofty expectation, you fool

To it, you are anything but a tool 

You are a number, one in a billion 

Your being there do not count any million 

In your expendability lies your greatness 

And we award you glory, posthumous!

FUTURE OF FUTURE

What games do the corporates play?

Amazon bought 49% of stakes in Future Coupons Pvt Limited on the  understanding that Future Retails Limited (FRL) would be sole vehicle of its retail business. Kishore Biyani, the Future’s boss, not taking cognisance of it, sells FRL, by now a sinking Co., to Mukesh Ambani (MDA) group, making it a breach of agreement! 

Amazon went to Singapore International Arbitration Centre, the official global body and got an interim order directing Future not to take any further action. Even after this, Biyani & Co. tried to go ahead with the deal with MDA group. Amazon approached the Delhi High Court which ruled that the FRL promoters had willfully violated the Arbitrator’s order. It has directed to attach the assets of FRL, Biyani and other promoters of the Co. 

“The promoters of FRL do not appear to be honest” the Court said & asked why Biyani and other promoters should not be sent to jail ! 

It is another question, why the most powerful Mukesh Ambani group proceeded to buy over FRL when the Arbitrator’s direction was in place. Doesn’t that show its scant respect to the legal bodies? 

Many powerful Corporates across the world  follow the ‘might is right’ policy.

Let us watch the Future of Future. ‘Picture abhi baaki hai dost’ 

LICENSED TO KILL

What you see below is a photo that appeared on the front page of ‘The Hindu’ today. It is on ‘Jallikattu’, a seasonal animal sport in Tamilnadu, When Gujjus fly kites, the Tamils engage with bulls during Sankrati/Pongal. While in Gujrat people fall off the roof and die, in TN they die, gored by the bull.

Jallikattu is one of the cruelest of sports in India. (It is probably the only commanality between a Tamil & a Spanish!) It is all about specially bred bulls let free and chased by people and in the the melee, many getting killed, gored to death by the animal. What a licensed way to die? The news in the photo said, the bull killed two people; one, a bystander. 

Jallikattu was banned by the Supreme Court in 2014, on the appeal of Animal Welfare Board & PETA. But will the pride of Tamilnadu allow such a ban? It was a game in existence for more than 1500 years, people claim. They protested against the ban and a million people assembled in Marina beach Chennai, in 2017, to show the solidarity, resulting in T.Nadu government releasing an ordinance to reinstate this cruel game. Now the state has even annual Jallikattu league matches to boast! 

This year’s highlight, Rahul Gandhi arriving to witness Jallikattu! What a pity? What for? 

Vote bank, of course!

SOME LEARNINGS IN 2020

1. Nothings is in nobody’s control, whether rich, powerful or poor

The people who thought that they had everything in control, had a major shock, given by the Novel Corona Virus which is not even an organism! We took pride in our engineering, medical and space program capabilities. Some of the world leadership did not take Corona seriously and look at the impact it had on the mighty powerful USA and the  European nations. The hubris shown by the rich and powerful got tossed out and man knelt down in front of Covid. For almost an year,  Corona took control of the planet, how is that for a change? 

2. Whatever happens, Life goes on

Businesses collapsed, economy went south, unemployment quadrupled and close to 2 million people died of Corona. People got locked in their homes for months together and doom sayers predicted huge repercussions. However, life went on, with its own ups and downs , and as predicted, about 140 million births did happen in 2020 too.  

3. What you want to achieve in 10 years could be had in 10 months with technology, assisted by a grave calamity

Corona virus brought in plenty of new normals, many of which will stay continued even after containing the disease. Technology, particularly AI, Robotics, Genomics, Drug/Vaccine discovery etc., leapfrogged. What would have taken long to become reality,  became necessity as a result of the calamity - the pandemic and mankind did not hesitate to changeover instantly, swallowing the humble pie! 

4. Learning is never continuous, happens in spurts. 

Yes, learning is life long. The survival of the fittest demands the ability to unlearn and relearn. The frequency of learning also got shortened. However learning do not go like a smooth flowing sinusoidal wave. It is more similar to a centripetal wave with its own fits and starts. 

5. Do not imagine drastic things, it might happen! 

While Corona was in its full fury, people dug out those movies and scientific predictions made years back, of the virus going to impact mankind in these times. What does it prove!  Don’t use your imagination go wild  to arrive at calamitous predictions, surely it could come true. That doesn’t give a sense of comfort to our living, don’t you think? 

6. The more you defy, the more you will get hit

Like Newton’s third law, every action will have an equal and opposite reaction. So with the false pride, the moment one attempts to tie something down in a jiffy, with a greater force it will unravel before him. The proverbial patience and perseverance still continue as true virtues for mankind to manage impactful events. 

7. Do not imitate, be yourself, better that way 

What will make you face high impacting changes is your ability to manage  them. With what quality will you face any situation? To begin with you just understand your strengths and weaknesses, your plusses and minuses so that you will know what to use when while facing situations. This calls for developing and enhancing your intra personal intelligence. Successful people  are blessed with this intelligence in plenty and they will never be pretenders, but originals! 

8. Don’t be strategic, be tactical in tough times

Times of calamity is never meant for long term strategic planning, for you will never know what will happen externally when. In a pandemic time as this there is no point to doing business planning for longterm. You must  be tactical in your thinking do things with short windows. Look at survival as the norm, during tough times. 

9. Only you can love yourself, rest is all show off

In times of calamity, you can save someone only when you are in a safe zone to do so. When you are sinking, if you attempt to save another from drowning, chances area that both will sink to death. So look after yourself first, steady you first, before you you attempt to save another. Accept this global truth and do not try to show off otherwise. Likewise, others will come forward to be of assistance to you only after they feel they are secure. 

10. Keep moving and doing, even within your own space, it is called progress now, and if you don’t, you are dead!

The worst of times give us lesser mobility because we may be entangled in many challenges together, thus, restricting smooth strides. That doesn’t mean that you do nothing to stave it off and sit tight. In your own fulcrum, you should attempt to be mobile, even if that amounts to rotating. You may not have progressed further but as the right time comes, your momentum will enable you to jumpstart in life. 

The only advice is to be ready to face the unexpected. The above learnings will come handy as you come face to face with grave calamities. 

Here is wishing you a meaningful year ahead.

FARMERS’ AGITATION ENTERS 2021

It doesn’t augur well for any country when its farmers start agitating & it goes on for 37 days without reaching a resolve. 

It is farming that started civilisation lest the the ‘out of Africa’ journey of Homo Sapiens would have gone on for ever. The worlds’ economic movement started with farming. On the top of agricultural economy sit mfg. & service. 

Indian farmers independently do not own huge land & there exists less than 5% among farmers who owns agricultural land of more than 10 hectors. So, it isn’t right to call the farmers’ protest as instigated by the rich farmers and the middlemen of the mandi. 

While initiating major reforms in agriculture, the govt. did not take the farmers into confidence. The way in which these acts had come into being, have been very dubious. Autocratic decision making in which interest of the real stakeholder is jeopardised for the benefit of crony corporates, is a dangerous step. 

Tens of thousands of farmers are on the road for more than a month, braving severe weather conditions (with people dying while agitating) should have been seen by the country’s leadership with concern & empathy. Defying the  genuine request of the country’s food providers could only boomerang!

Hope, better sense would prevail