Of Rites and Rights: An Interview with Asma Jahangir

Arjun

``refusal to sell F-16s is policy,``

And it is good policy too.


``not increasing textile quotas substantially,``

And that is bad policy.

Pakistan has not been compensated enough in an economic sense. I don`t blame India for trying to screw up the deal because currently India and Pakistan operate in a zero sum environment, but I do feel the US has been insensitive towards Pakistan in helping where it can and also where the help would do much more good.

Infact the textile quotas by themselves would be more helpful then a $3 Billion loan.

I also blame Musharraf for being an idiot in the sense that he is wasting his political/diplomatic capital on points that have no chance of success (NSEERS, F 16S) rather than the one or two specifics which would have succeeded (Textile quota elimination for Pakistan, Aid tied to infrastructure building)

What leads me to disrespect the Pakistani team and Mush is they had no clue about the current thinking in the US and wasted time in asking for stuff that any sensible Pakistani American could have told them that the F 16s would not be sold or that NSEERS was not a Pakistan specific measure.

TAhmed:

Your post is the best. So when are you inviting me for home cooked Pakistani food??

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I agree. Great post.
#123 by tahmed32 on September 25, 2003 9:03am PT

So was.
#124 by rsridhar on September 25, 2003 9:03am PT
re: Mushy`s wet dreams . The mushy guy is a crazed General with dimag ghutne mein. Sab logo ko chutia bana raha hai.

hamidm2 #111 why do you talk about being reunited with the kashmiris in the future? it isnt like there is a pool of Phds and philosophers and investors and entrepreneurs sitting there. We had a kashmiri guy who would come by weekly to clean the house, and it turned out that all the while he was busy cleaning up other things too. like coins, dollar bills, jewellry, kid watches. Now, i dont wish to hold his deeds as representing that of the kashmiri people, but it does illustrate my point, which is: isnt 135 million starving people enough for pakistan? why add another god knows how many million kashmiris as well (sorry, capital G on God - dont mean to get sattar2 or urstruly upset).

#107 by stuka

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I think Bush is going to be in deep political trouble. The only chance of his being reelected is if there is another major terrorist attack from now to Nov 2004.
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I agree with that.

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However, from a foreign policy issue, a Demcrat president will be bad news for India and Pakistan (establishments)
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I thought democrats wanted to extricate America from international conflicts and focus on a stronger domestic policy. Over the last decade, democrats have followed pro-active domestic policies and inert foreign policies. If my reading is correct, then the U.S. economy will rebound under a democratic president, H-1B visa quotas will expand, civil liberties will also be restored (to some extent), American involvement in Middle East will decrease and the U.S. will gradually relinquish control of Iraq. In addition, the American facilitation/shadow diplomacy in Kashmir will also end. Ultimately, this hands-off approach will benefit the Israelis and Indians.

Do you disagree with this analysis??

...pakis are driving their country into the ground over kashmir...good work kids...

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stuka #109: you write ``You are taking the narrow view of land as economic resource only. You are ignoring the impact of reorgainizing borders on a country`s internal body politic. ``

I am not sure what you mean here. What for example do you think would be the impact on pakistan`s ``internal body politic`` of incorporating indian kashmir (or held kashmir, as we say in pakistan) within its borders? My own sense is - nothing. We ``lost`` bangal and nothing happended as far as the average pakistani is concerned - if anything, everybody`s blood pressure came down about 5 points because now we did not have bengali news and bengali lessons thrust on us on prime time on TV. I think the bengaldeshis blood pressure also came down 5 points a bit, now that they did not have urdu being thrust on them.

I just think we pay too much homage to this mythical creature called the ``state``, and too little homage to this very real creature - the individual. If we really care for the kashmiris, we should see what their interest is as individuals - which is to live peaceful and prosperous lives. Whether it is under one piece of rag (the Indian flag) or another piece of rag (the Pakistani flag) it does not matter.

re: Mushy`s wet dreams
A$$HOLE numero uno says democracy is thriving in Pakistan:

http://www.sulekha.com/redirectnh.asp?cid=317849
Sridhar

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Aleph Null:

``What is clear is that physical possession by Pakistan of Indian Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh would absolutely deny India the ability to divert any portion of the flow originating in those areas.``

Well that ofcourse is unthinkable. :) I did not even consider that scenario.

Aleph Null:

Oh yeah, it was a simplistic assesment based on looking at the maps I could locate, but it is also based on additional knowledge that I do have specifically about the Chenab. The Chenab has it source as well as bulk water flow outside the valley.

Also, if the water treaty has continued for these many years, I don`t really see it as a causative factor of the Kashmir issue.

Alephnull#114
[Whatever Asma Jehangir’s stature, the attitude she espouses here is wrong. ]

I dont think Asma is ``espousing`` this attitude. She is simply expressing this attitude which, whether right or wrong, is undeniably present.


HE#96
Others have already responded to you. All I can add is that neither India nor Pakistan stood/stands on a high moral ground. Neither do Kashmiri Muslims. Any moral right they had to self-determination was lost when they ethnically cleansed their Kashmiri brothers (not only from the valley but also from the POK. POK had thousands of hindus and sikhs when it came under Pak occupation!). Lofty terms like the right of self-determination are only applicable to civilized people who do not indulge in ethnic cleansing.

Harimou:
[On the other hand, NOT ONE PERSON ON EARTH has ever VOLUNTARILY embraced Islam.]
Your posts are generally quite rational, but this is one of the most irrational statements I have seen. Americans from Mohammad Ali down have been embracing Islam voluntarily on a daily basis. In India, too, there are several women who have chosen to marry a Muslim and embrace his religion voluntarily. You can wonder why on earth they would do such a thing, but they do!