South Asia Citizens Web

The pattern is all too familiar. Every time India and Pakistan head towards dialogue and detente, something explosive happens that pushes peace to the backburner and drags them back to the familiar old tense relationship, worsened by sabre-rattling war cries from both sides.

Many Indians have called the attacks in Mumbai "India’s 9/11". Most Indian observers, however were critical of the way Bush-Cheney responded to 9/11. They were right, and they would do well to remember their own critique at this fateful moment. ......

Dawn, December 1, 2008
WHAT else could one do to cope with relentless grief? So I joined an impromptu candlelight vigil held by a dozen friends at India Gate, where we paid our silent tribute to the fallen brave of Mumbai. Scores of men, women and children were visiting there anyway, eating ice creams or buying dinky toys. They were ordinary citizens having a holiday due to the Delhi assembly elections. Some of them also joined us in lighting candles.
There was no speech, no slogan, just (…)

In the months ahead, we are likely to see a security crackdown in India and huge pressure applied to Pakistan to match its pro-Indian and pro-Western rhetoric with real action against the country’s jihadi groups. But there is unlikely to be peace in South Asia until the demands of the Kashmiris are in some measure addressed and the swamp of grievance in Srinagar somehow drained. Until then, the Mumbai massacres may be a harbinger of more violence to come.

A Democracy Now radio discussion on the November 2008 attack in Bombay. Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez talking to Vijay Prashad, Biju Mathew, Tariq Ali and Teesta Setalvad