Roots of the Crisis

In my last post I wrote of how the threat of war distracts from the "roots of the crisis". I was referring to Pakistan's support of terrorism. The deeper root is, of course, the dispute over Kashmir. The current Indian administration could have negotiated some kind of deal while General Musharraf was in charge. He held all the levers of power and offered some very reasonable approaches to resolving the issue. Unfortunately, Manmohan Singh followed the tradition of Indian heads of government in showing no interest in resolving the vexed question. I wrote an article about it in the Sunday Times of India last April, and warned the window of opportunity would not remain open forever. Notwithstanding the recent election in Jammu and Kashmir state, that window seems to have firmly shut.

First Families

The two lands over which India and Pakistan have fought wars just held elections. It seems that Jammu & Kashmir will be led by Omar Abdullah, grandson of Sheikh Abdullah; and Bangladesh by Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Mujibur Rahman. India's largest party, meanwhile, is headed by Sonia Gandhi, daughter-in-law of Indira Gandhi and widow of Rajiv Gandhi. Pakistan's current president, Asif Ali Zardari, is the son-in-law of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and widower of Benazir Bhutto.
The intertwined story of the four families -- Nehru-Gandhis, Bhuttos, Abdullahs and Rahmans -- is packed with visionaries and dupes, courage and cowardice, idealism and cynical manipulation, liberation and genocide, betrayals and reconciliations, power, fortune, fame, imprisonment, exile and assassination.
History as soap opera.