South Asia Citizens Web

The murder of a Pakistani youth in Athens is a result of the Greek authorities’ continuing failure to take decisive action against racially-motivated violence. In December Amnesty International issued a report on the sorts of challenges and dangers faced by foreign nationals including the dramatic increase in the number of racist attacks by members of extreme right wing groups.

If there has been one constant permeating the ever-so-fragile relationship between India and Pakistan, it has been the proclivity of our two peoples to ‘keep scores’, in war as in cricket. Until the recent events on the Line of Control (the de facto border) in Kashmir, while cricket and war have co-existed in our collective consciousness, generally not tread into the domain of the other, both in the minds of the people and in the media. But on Sunday 6 January 2013, they came menacingly close to each other. The sequence of events that ensued makes us wonder if our countries can ever avoid the ‘mutually assured destruction’ that stares us in our faces. This is an account of the happenings, as seen by the governments and the media on either side of the border and the way this portrayal is shaping public opinion in our two countries.

When army generals in India and Pakistan, retired and serving, refer to a “spectrum of options” they could use against the adversary, they are crudely gloating over the nuclear stockpiles each side had surreptitiously acquired not too long ago.

Many office bearers of RSS are also under scanner of the investigating agencies for their alleged involvement in the Samjhauta bomb blast. The NIA (National Investigating Agency) has already interrogated one amongst them. Many have been issued notices also...There are many workers of RSS from Malwanchal who are under scanner of the agency...According to informed sources a senior office bearer of the Kendriya Karyakarini (central executive) of RSS would also be questioned....Rakesh Dubey, a Vibhag Karyavah of RSS has confimed that he has received notice and is cooperating with the investigating agency.

The AHRC urges upon the legal fraternity to join hands against any step which may disrupt the democratic process in Pakistan.