EKKENTROS FORUM
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 17-3-09 (Tuesday)
Venue: Residence of Prof. Mohanan Nair
Coram: Eight members attended. Dr. Thomas could not be present as he was out of station in Bangalore.
Subject: The Roots of Terrorism (cont’d)
Prof. Mohanan Nair: Most of the aspects of terrorism have already been discussed by this forum, and therefore what I have to say here may have some repetitions.
The use of the word ‘terrorism’ began in 1795 with reference to the ‘Reign of Terror’ initiated by the revolutionary government in France, though violence has been used systematically throughout human history by political organizations, nationalist, ethnic and religious groups, and by revolutionaries to create fear and to force government or societies to achieve political, religious and ideological goals. It has been an effective tactics of the weaker side of a conflict. Being an asymmetric form of conflict it confers coercive power with many of the advantages of military force at a fraction of the cost. This is also true with regard to the human lives lost in terrorist operations. Though terrorist activities had started early in human history its impact has been magnified by the deadliness and technological sophistication of modern weapons. The attack on the WTO on Sept.11, 2001 by the Al Qaeda suicide squad is an illustrious example. Changes in the tactics or techniques of the terrorists have been significant, but even more significant, is the growth in the number of causes and social contexts where terrorism is used.
Terrorism has been described variously depending on whose point of view is represented. There are three perspectives of terrorism – that of the terrorist, the victim and the public. The three perspectives can never be accommodated in one definition. The terrorists never consider themselves as evil. They think of themselves as legitimate combatants fighting for what they believe to be right while in discriminately killing the non-combatants including women and children. The suffering of the citizens accomplishes the terrorist’s goal of instilling fear and getting their message out to the world. A victim of terrorism looks at the terrorist as an inhuman criminal having no regard for human life. The perspectives of the general public should have been the most important. But unfortunately it is the most unstable.
There is also another difficulty in constructing a definition for terrorism. History provides us ample examples of organizations and leaders branded as terrorists eventually emerged as accepted leaders. This is particularly applicable to national liberation movements fighting colonial oppression. Nelson Mandela, Bhagat Singh etc. are standing examples. In spite of the terrorist activities committed by the communist party of Nepal, Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda, is now the head of a democratically elected government.
Another dimension to terrorism is the exploitation of the capability of the media by the terrorists. The terrorists are always careful to obtain the greatest publicity. The effectiveness of a terrorist act does not lie in the act itself but in the public’s or government’s reaction to the act. The ability of the media and the avidity in covering news of terrorist activity instantaneously encourages the terrorists to carry out novel techniques of suicidal killings.
When we try to analyze the causes of terrorism we find that primarily it is the imbalanced human brain that initiates terrorist activity.
Dr. Abdulla: Not exactly. We cannot call it imbalance which will amount to madness. It is an aberration rather than an imbalance.
Prof. Mohanan Nair: whatever it is, the loss of balance may be due to political reasons as was in the case of the French Revolution or the Soviet Union of Stalin, racial in the case of Nazi Germany, ethnical in the case of LTTE, religious fundamentalism as in the case Lashkar E Tioba or Al Qaeda, or social or economic inequality as in the case of Maoists in a number of states in India. We cannot have an exhaustive list because the number of cases is on the increase. The perpetrators of terrorism exploit the poverty and illiteracy among the masses. Illiteracy breeds gullibility. The sweet imagination of immediate ascent to heaven or having hallows of martyrdom around them are ideas that could be easily driven into a gullible brain. We find that the organizers of terrorism keep themselves away at a safe distance and encourage illiterate ones to blow themselves up in the name of an imaginary cause. The manic ideology of Al-Qaeda has no roots in mainstream Islam which share core values of peace and tolerance with the world’s major religions.
We notice that always it is the crazy idea of one single man that is at the root of any terrorist organization, and he is the person who propagates and builds up a terrorist outfit. It may be either a Hitler or an Osama Bin Laden.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Any idea is always like that. It originates from one man, spreads and takes root. Only, the originator has to convince his group.
Dr. Abdulla: No Bin Laden or LTTE Prabhakaran will go with the suicide squad. They will only send their brainwashed followers.
Prof. Mohan Nair: No engineer for that matter will join the suicide squad. They plan and engineer from behind. If a few top leaders including the originator are eliminated, the organization could perhaps be destroyed.
Prof. Sakarankutty: If leaders are killed violence may become out of control.
Dr.Abdulla: All the same, it will definitely harm the organization. The second rung leaders would take over, and if they are unable to control the followers there may be chaos and more destruction imposed on the public.
Sri. Kunhikrishan: There is some point in the idea of eliminating the leaders. In olden times when a Raja is killed in battle, his followers and army are defeated and they surrender.
Prof Sankarankutty: There was a news item recently in The Hindu about Bin Laden’s death. Some papers reported, as if originating from authentic source, that Bin Laden was killed. But before his organization was affected by the news they managed to show him alive in some Television Channel.
Prof. Mohanan Nair: though suicide attacks are particularly associated with Al-Qaeda ideology, they have been adopted even much earlier by Tamil Tigers, and by militant groups in Afghanistan (Taliban) and Pakistan. Islamic education system, may be in a very minority of cases, advocate extreme views which are inconsistent with main stream Islam. This has been said to flourish in Pakistan where inadequate funding of state education permits unregulated ‘Madrasa’ religious education to take hold.
Prof. Sankarankutty: When we think about the lack of funds for education, the first thing that comes out is the expenses that are incurred in this world on the military or the defense establishments as a whole. A fraction of that would have been sufficient to promote good education and social uplift.
Prof. Mohanan Nair: Terrorism has invariably an imaginary enemy. To fight it terrorists use all means in their command, right or wrong, basing their activities in weak countries. In fact, the countries which are conducive to the spread of terrorism, according to the UN are those characterized by the ‘lack of rule of law, and violation of human rights, ethnic, national, and religious discrimination, political exclusion, socio-economic marginalization and lack of good governance.’
Dr. Sadanandan: Terrorism is an extreme form of violence, heinous, tragic, and distressing. Innocent people getting caught unawares, killed for no reason, and for no fault of theirs, is barbaric. It is brutal, coming out of some crazy ideas of a beastly mind.
Our concern here is to get to the root of terrorism, perhaps to find out means to eradicate this evil completely. We have been going through all possible reasons behind this problem and what contributes in the making of a terrorist. It may be the violent reaction in an outburst of an oppressed and disgruntled individual in his struggle for existence. And someone cunning and having ulterior motives might be exploiting this mind to his virulent designs.
We have explained many reasons that lead to violence in our social existence. Social upheavals, social differences and discriminations, religious fundamentalism, economic disparity, political and national differences, ideological conflicts and psychological idiosyncrasies, are all causes for violence in our society. The problem is in human relationships. The existence of appalling division and thereby isolation of individuals into different groups, sects and compartments does not help to instill good relationship in the society. But why these differences cause violence amongst us? Is it that while getting evolved, human beings still retain and inherit those qualities of animals that generate violence? And is it that in humans, apart from the biological evolutions, changes take place in their consciousness too – the evolution of the mental process – thereby a refinement and maturity of the mind is possible, but is lacking when one is violent? In our day to day life we are all violent sometime or other. We are at war with each other on our differences. Battle is there in the psyche too. Mind is where all thoughts, feelings, ideas, experiences exist. And our relationship is based on this mind. Daily living is a struggle for each one of us. When we compete with each other and force one’s way up, there develops friction, noise, and violence. For generations we have lived with these noises. We are getting accustomed to it. Our social morality has been shaped accordingly and we live with it.
But terrorism is horrible and dangerous. With it civilized society cannot exist. That dark-hooded man from the distant land crossing the sea, getting into a hotel room fully armed, killing a helpless innocent lady, the mother of a small, kid and shooting anybody at sight, it is horrifying1 one can’t see any logic in it. The only logic could be that man is still an animal. At least some are, and they behave beast-like.
The Tatas are considering doing whatever is possible to rebuild the structures of their hotel to make it terror proof. Government is making sure that every nook and corner of our land is accessible to the security guards and commandos within no time when the need comes. Cross- border terrorism has to be sorted out with our neighbors with dialogues and appropriate diplomacy. Now we try to rest our hope on Mr. Obama, the most powerful leader on earth to save us from Osama, the terrorist. Osama Bin Laden is there very much alive in his den, and to extricate him seem to be a real task. And who knows how many dens are there with terrorists inside, and where all?
Is not the real den our own mind, the resting place of the wildest of all beasts always exuding venom and creating whatever problems we have? Do we see this? Can we understand? Is there light? Is there intelligence? What is it that we lack?
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: We have seen that criminally minded people will be there as long as human mind does not change either by individual effort on a wide scale or by mutation. Till then the causes for terrorism will have to be contained, viz. 1) the patronages by, politicians of different states and countries, interests of religious groups, ideologies, and selfish interests who use the criminals and 2) people or organizations who finance the operation of terrorists.
I feel that there is a need to make people aware of the utter need to eschew violence on a wide scale, in matters of dispute or dissatisfaction or grievances, relating to religion, ideology or politics. Nothing can be achieved by violence as it breeds counter violence. One may think it is a futile exercise, or is useless to try. But why not make a world wide campaign for all organizations, political parties and religions to be forced to give a declaration that they are against terrorism and violence in all matters? Those who do not give a declaration or include the pledge in their manifesto should be treated as criminals by the world society. And to remedy grievances there could be arrangements to solve them in all countries, sponsored by the world Forum. This may at least morally discourage the general public not to join or support terrorism financially or otherwise.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
roots of terrorism
EKKENTROS FORUM
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 24-2-09 (Tuesday)
Venue: Residence of Dr.Mohammed Abdulla
Coram: All nine members attended.
Subject: The Roots of Terrorism (cont’d)
Prof. Richard Hay: There has always been a conflict between the East and the West for several centuries. The conflict between the Middle East and the West has roots in the belief that Jerusalem and surroundings were given to the Jews by God Himself. Even long before the present Israel was born, there were crusades for centuries.
Dr. Sankarankutty: That is the ‘Cross and the Crescent’ conflict.
Prof. Hay: The conflict between Islamic fundamentalism and Hindu fundamentalism is another. The main objective of the Al-Quaida is said to be to destabilize the American Federal Government and other western powers to establish complete radical Islamic control. There is a similarity in the fundamentalist RSS way of thinking and objectives. And this is similar in the sense that they want to enforce what is called Manu Dharma, the law founded on the caste system, or the Racist Culture. How can such differences be reconciled? Is there any solution? Not to just contain the conflicts, but to stop it once for all?
Al-Quaida was formed in 1980 with the financial support of America to fight Russian Communism in Afghanistan. The Taliban was also similarly encouraged and supported by US to chase away communist Russia from Afghanistan. On the ouster of the Communists from Afghan, Americans lost control over the powerful fundamental groups who had out-served their utility and had become religious fanatics. Under the leadership of the wealthy and disgruntled engineer from Saudi Arabia, Osama Bin Laden, Al Quaida became a terrorist organization to fight the US and defend Islam from it’s ‘oppressor’.
Same is the case with other fundamentalist organizations and the states that support them. Extremism and fundamentalism are built up and encouraged first to whip up emotions on the basis of religion, language, race etc. to capture power, and then they get out of control leading to creation of terrorist outfits. Criminally minded leaders take advantage of the situation.
The same sort of situations can be traced in respect of most of the terror outfits, whether it is the fundamentalism of the Sikhs, the LTTE, the Irish Terrorists, or the Nexalites.
Sri.Kunhikrishnan: Emotionally charged factors like religion, language or race are used by politicians and countries to play power politics and in the bargain end up creating fundamental outfits for criminally minded leaders to take over and misuse. The root cause is therefore not religion or language, but the politicians who use the outfits for their purpose whipping up hatred.
Prof. Hay: It was to capture power from the Shah of Iran that the fundamental religious heads organized and promoted Islamic fundamentalism under the leadership of Khomeini. Finally it ended up in the extremist religious rule and a ‘fatwa’ against Salman Rusdie for imagined insult to Islam. Now Taliban desires to establish Shariat Rule all over Pakistan and Kashmir.
Sri. K.V.Kunhikrishnan: Kashmir’s position is different. It was originally under the rule of a Hindu King to whom the Kashmiris owed allegiance sincerely. This was said to be because the majority of Kashmiris revered the Sufi tradition which the King encouraged as against the strict following of Sunni Islam. The majority were, no doubt, followers of Islam, and that gave the reason for Pakistan to claim the area.
Dr. Thomas: The people there were on the side of India when the partition happened. Their leader Shaik Abdulla joined Nehru in the fight against Pakistan to retain Kashmir with India. Present leader Omar Abdulla is his grandson.
Prof. Richard Hay: The question now is how we can end terrorism? Is there any solution? Any solution has to be political, for it to last. It cannot be suppressed militarily or by the elimination of terrorist sanctuaries. Will terrorism end if the unjust military occupations are reversed? Can we reclaim religion from the clutches of fundamentalists? These are burning questions now. Terrorism is born out of grudge, grievance, disappointments that find expression in hate-attack-revenge syndrome. When an opportunity comes in the form of fundamentalism and finance it flourishes. Can the terrorists be brought to join the political process? Arab countries are divided over Palestine. And their governments are not democratic. It is doubtful that the Islamic countries would prefer western type of democracies. Can a united Arab World tackle Terrorism?
Dr. Abdulla: The Arab countries have been financially independent and self sufficient. Economic grievances are not there for the general public. People are otherwise controlled by force of stringent laws. There is no political force in Arab countries. People are by nature peace loving and nature loving.
Prof.Richard Hay: Every country has its own culture. That culture never propagates terrorism. Deep within, the inner feeling is always peace loving. But I am surprised and even embarrassed at times to find that yet some of them support extremism and violence.
Dr. Abdulla: I wonder why the U.N. is not working in a big way against terrorism. It is only at the international level that terrorism can be tackled.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Now that Obama is at the top of the most powerful nation in the U.N, can’t he do something? Somebody can move him.
Prof. Hay: It is definitely a possibility. There is perhaps a chance.
Sri.Kunhikrishnan: Somebody has to put forward the idea. Man should be educated to think without bias. Free thinking without the bias of religion, language, race or idealism has to be promoted in a big way at the world level. Indian constitution provides for treating all citizens alike without this bias, but yet people are not even aware.
Prof.Sankarankutty: But history repeats. The abolished caste system has come back in the form of reservations in a more complex pattern creating fights and conflicts.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Had the criterion for giving special status and concessions been only economical for any reservation, the division on account of caste would not have been perpetuated. Any discrimination or insult on account of caste etc. could have been instead made more stringently punishable by law.
Prof. Sankarankutty: A change has to happen at the level of the mind of Man. World is a universal brotherhood. The change from violence to peace has to come from within. Sage Arobindo’s idea is to transform the mind of man in such a way that it can be compared to a state among animals where the dear and the tiger drink from the same stream without any animosity or conflict.
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 24-2-09 (Tuesday)
Venue: Residence of Dr.Mohammed Abdulla
Coram: All nine members attended.
Subject: The Roots of Terrorism (cont’d)
Prof. Richard Hay: There has always been a conflict between the East and the West for several centuries. The conflict between the Middle East and the West has roots in the belief that Jerusalem and surroundings were given to the Jews by God Himself. Even long before the present Israel was born, there were crusades for centuries.
Dr. Sankarankutty: That is the ‘Cross and the Crescent’ conflict.
Prof. Hay: The conflict between Islamic fundamentalism and Hindu fundamentalism is another. The main objective of the Al-Quaida is said to be to destabilize the American Federal Government and other western powers to establish complete radical Islamic control. There is a similarity in the fundamentalist RSS way of thinking and objectives. And this is similar in the sense that they want to enforce what is called Manu Dharma, the law founded on the caste system, or the Racist Culture. How can such differences be reconciled? Is there any solution? Not to just contain the conflicts, but to stop it once for all?
Al-Quaida was formed in 1980 with the financial support of America to fight Russian Communism in Afghanistan. The Taliban was also similarly encouraged and supported by US to chase away communist Russia from Afghanistan. On the ouster of the Communists from Afghan, Americans lost control over the powerful fundamental groups who had out-served their utility and had become religious fanatics. Under the leadership of the wealthy and disgruntled engineer from Saudi Arabia, Osama Bin Laden, Al Quaida became a terrorist organization to fight the US and defend Islam from it’s ‘oppressor’.
Same is the case with other fundamentalist organizations and the states that support them. Extremism and fundamentalism are built up and encouraged first to whip up emotions on the basis of religion, language, race etc. to capture power, and then they get out of control leading to creation of terrorist outfits. Criminally minded leaders take advantage of the situation.
The same sort of situations can be traced in respect of most of the terror outfits, whether it is the fundamentalism of the Sikhs, the LTTE, the Irish Terrorists, or the Nexalites.
Sri.Kunhikrishnan: Emotionally charged factors like religion, language or race are used by politicians and countries to play power politics and in the bargain end up creating fundamental outfits for criminally minded leaders to take over and misuse. The root cause is therefore not religion or language, but the politicians who use the outfits for their purpose whipping up hatred.
Prof. Hay: It was to capture power from the Shah of Iran that the fundamental religious heads organized and promoted Islamic fundamentalism under the leadership of Khomeini. Finally it ended up in the extremist religious rule and a ‘fatwa’ against Salman Rusdie for imagined insult to Islam. Now Taliban desires to establish Shariat Rule all over Pakistan and Kashmir.
Sri. K.V.Kunhikrishnan: Kashmir’s position is different. It was originally under the rule of a Hindu King to whom the Kashmiris owed allegiance sincerely. This was said to be because the majority of Kashmiris revered the Sufi tradition which the King encouraged as against the strict following of Sunni Islam. The majority were, no doubt, followers of Islam, and that gave the reason for Pakistan to claim the area.
Dr. Thomas: The people there were on the side of India when the partition happened. Their leader Shaik Abdulla joined Nehru in the fight against Pakistan to retain Kashmir with India. Present leader Omar Abdulla is his grandson.
Prof. Richard Hay: The question now is how we can end terrorism? Is there any solution? Any solution has to be political, for it to last. It cannot be suppressed militarily or by the elimination of terrorist sanctuaries. Will terrorism end if the unjust military occupations are reversed? Can we reclaim religion from the clutches of fundamentalists? These are burning questions now. Terrorism is born out of grudge, grievance, disappointments that find expression in hate-attack-revenge syndrome. When an opportunity comes in the form of fundamentalism and finance it flourishes. Can the terrorists be brought to join the political process? Arab countries are divided over Palestine. And their governments are not democratic. It is doubtful that the Islamic countries would prefer western type of democracies. Can a united Arab World tackle Terrorism?
Dr. Abdulla: The Arab countries have been financially independent and self sufficient. Economic grievances are not there for the general public. People are otherwise controlled by force of stringent laws. There is no political force in Arab countries. People are by nature peace loving and nature loving.
Prof.Richard Hay: Every country has its own culture. That culture never propagates terrorism. Deep within, the inner feeling is always peace loving. But I am surprised and even embarrassed at times to find that yet some of them support extremism and violence.
Dr. Abdulla: I wonder why the U.N. is not working in a big way against terrorism. It is only at the international level that terrorism can be tackled.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Now that Obama is at the top of the most powerful nation in the U.N, can’t he do something? Somebody can move him.
Prof. Hay: It is definitely a possibility. There is perhaps a chance.
Sri.Kunhikrishnan: Somebody has to put forward the idea. Man should be educated to think without bias. Free thinking without the bias of religion, language, race or idealism has to be promoted in a big way at the world level. Indian constitution provides for treating all citizens alike without this bias, but yet people are not even aware.
Prof.Sankarankutty: But history repeats. The abolished caste system has come back in the form of reservations in a more complex pattern creating fights and conflicts.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Had the criterion for giving special status and concessions been only economical for any reservation, the division on account of caste would not have been perpetuated. Any discrimination or insult on account of caste etc. could have been instead made more stringently punishable by law.
Prof. Sankarankutty: A change has to happen at the level of the mind of Man. World is a universal brotherhood. The change from violence to peace has to come from within. Sage Arobindo’s idea is to transform the mind of man in such a way that it can be compared to a state among animals where the dear and the tiger drink from the same stream without any animosity or conflict.
roots of terrorism
EKKENTROS FORUM
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 20-1-09 (Tuesday)
Venue: Hotel Malabar Fort (Gokulam Fort) hosted by Dr. K.P.Thomas.
Coram: All nine members attended and participated in the discussions. Dr.R.Ramesh, attended as invitee and guest participant.
Subject: The Roots of Terrorism
Dr. K.P.Thomas: The height of perceived nationalism is down. It is now much less than before. The threat of a third world war is minimal as opposed to the threat in the fifties and sixties. The strength of the superpowers are also now in doldrums, the communist block led by Russia failing in late ’89, and the leader of capitalist, America, failing in 2009 economically. The days of an imminent confrontation is over, a nuclear holocaust in the 80s was predicted, but has not happened. By the advent of the twenty-first century, Sept 11 occurred as a novel way of terrorizing USA by Taliban/Al-Queida outfit lead by Osama bin Laden, a rich construction engineer with imagined revenge against America. The core of hatred is directed against the Jews of America who control the world economy. The brainwashing technique is attained by promise of immediate ascent to heaven for those who are willing to indulge in suicidal attacks in the name of Jihad. The act of destruction and killing is justified by Jihad, a term originating from the teachings of Prophet Mohammed. Lashkar-e-Tioba, another terror outfit is having an intelligent pediatrician as its leader. To a certain extent a large chunk of Islamic population supports action against USA by boycotting their products through sms and internet.
Weaker nations like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon are being used by the terrorists as hiding places. Israel, the half-brother of Muslims, is master of terrorism claiming also that they are the selected people of God. Now, off and on, the war has been developing vigorously in the Palestinian region. The Terror in India is Pakistan sponsored, and the irritant causes are Kashmir, river water sharing, and Religion.
Christian evangelism does not have any physical aggression component or any use of weapon other than a little conversion mania which is now being made illegal. They suffer aggression from outfits like Bajrang Dal, ABVP, and RSS. They advocate clean living, education and the betterment of the ignorant people.
Religious fundamentalism is on the increase more than feelings of nationhood, and the way of life is different from religion to religion. Even in the same religion there are sub-groups who disagree with each other. The borders of nations have thinned out, and in the global village people are divided into Jews, Muslims, Christians, RSS, Backward class, Scheduled castes, etc. etc. Many of these groups have so-called charitable outfits into which large amounts of money flow in and these funds are managed by criminally minded people. Dominance of these criminals is on the increase, and the moment they are identified and tackled, terrorism can be contained. The outfits of the mischievous elements have always been coated with so much culture, way of life, lofty interests, religion, and political clout, that it has been virtually impossible to identify their real purpose. That is why there was a Jenkiskhan, Timoor, Lodi, Khilgee, and then westerners marching on to India, Ceylon, Burma, Malayesia and Indonesia. The superior cultures always asserted themselves in the olden times. But now, in the globalized situation, conditions have changed.
Terrorism in the world as recorded were in France, Italy, and South Africa at different times with different groups, like Communists, Nazis, Zionists, Ku Klux Klan, Irish rebels, and the like. In India, Nagas, Mizos, and Nexals are the examples.
As of today many terrorist outfits are whipping up imaginary fears among themselves that make them indulge in or abet terrorists. A weak government like Pakistan has no control over many of the outfits who get finance by drug trafficking, smuggling, and mafia activities. Davood Ibrahim is an example where no government can touch a criminal. Benazir Bhutto was eliminated and then Marriot Hotel in Pakistan attacked and destroyed. These points to a weak president and a weak Prime Minister ruling a country with the military calling the shots.
The majority community in India is also acting with immaturity in certain parts of India. In the present times the political parties are losing their grip over the masses. The money and facilities pumped into gullible youth results more in terrorism than in any political process.
The consequences of terrorist actions are explained to the outfits by interpreting religious texts as glorifying God, or by manipulating ideology as leading to the freedom of a community or region. Some promise, through religious edicts, entry straight into heaven to suicide squads.
In the present world order when there is no great identifiable evil threat to the human being affecting in a common way – except perhaps the environmental hazards – even small subtle ethnic differences lead to clashes of interests.
In the absence of the thrill of a pastoral life, unemployment and deprivation leads the youth towards the excitement of terrorism as a hobby, livelihood, and way of life. This is with regard to the youth in a society of pastoral parents. The struggle for Khalistan is an example. It got burnt out by itself during a period of two decades between 1980 and 2000. Khalistan or a Punjab separate from India, died along with their proponents, their gullible youth, and the then PM Indira Gandhi. An altogether different terrorist action, the LTTE’s terrorism snuffed out the life of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.
After 1978, with the end of Viet Nam war, terrorism has become something of a fashion. It is cheaper for prosecuting a struggle and it is perpetrated by hatred and perceived injustice, utilizing youth power.
In modern times politics and religion are like business. Politicians and priests acquire wealth and that wealth is spent to increase clout. Some exceptions may be found in individuals like Antony, Oommen Chandy and Achuthanandan. But a party like the communist Party is acquiring wealth aligning itself with running business and receiving commission money. The spending money thus acquired by one group is used to increase clout against the leader of the opposite group. Example is the clout developed against Achuthanandan. Some private companies are hand in glove criminally with politicians. With a small change of policy ministers and leaders can make money. Many have accounts in Swiss banks according to Subrahmania Swamy. Widening economic disparity is a cause for youth to pursue easy money by indulging in violence and terror-like activities. One can use religion, caste etc. to whip up violence. But finally drug trafficking and smuggling come in to make quick money. Illegal wealth can in turn generate terrorism in the younger generation under the garb of charitable activities like orphanage schools and hospitals.
Glorification of wealth and glittering life style should not be encouraged. The neat, puritan, pastoral just living, has to become the order of the day and could be encouraged and rewarded if the society is to be rid of violence and terrorism.
Regarding the Thalassery killings, after the Hindu-Muslim showdown in 1973-74, the fights did not recur because people realized that much will be lost on either side if the killings are to happen again. M.V.R had instigated violence in the eighties to show his party’s superiority. After his exit in 1992-3, it was the turn of the RSS and Marxists to sponsor the violence leading to murders. Actually it is the absence of any apparent welfare work by the NSS and SNDP in these areas, combined with a traditional glorification of martyrdom, that resulted in the present day violence and murders between Marxists and RSS in North Kerala.
While people born as Marxist in Marxist families naturally advocate violence as a means to achieve their ends, the RSS who were hitherto separated from the tradition of violence, now indulge in and keep up the culture of violence and murder in order to retaliate in the same coin. The religious stigma against killing of a fellow being as an ultimate sin is no more rooted in the youth in and around Thalassery. To a certain extent, intellectual discussions and verbal showdowns are absent here. And that is terrifying.
Dr.R.Ramesh: It is the big-brother attitude of one Party that does not allow any other Party to function which creates frustration in others to retaliate. No freedom is allowed for others to work in their strong holds. This is especially so in and around Tellicherry. They have also the full support of the police.
Dr.Md. Abdulla: There is no internationally accepted definition of terrorism. But generally it is ‘the unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments often for ideological or political reasons.’
There is also the statement, ‘one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.’ Thus, in the struggle against terrorism the problem of definition is a crucial element in the attempt to co-ordinate international collaboration, based on the currently accepted rules of traditional warfare.
Terrorism is variously classified:
International Terrorism
National ,,
Racial ,,
Economic ,,
Environmental Terrorism
Social ,,
Political ,,
Psychological Terrorism
Cyber ,,
Religious Terrorism – Islamic Terrorism.
One of the distinctive characteristics of the times we live in is the overwhelming presence of violence in our societies. Whether it is the bomb going on in the market place, or the hijacking of the aircraft where innocent people are held ransom to achieve political ends, we live in an age where the manipulation and loss of innocent lives has become common place. Such is the all-pervasive nature of indiscriminate violence, that terrorism is considered as one of the prime threats to peace and security in our societies.
The word terrorism came into wide usage only a few decades ago. One of the unfortunate results of this new terminology is that it limits the definition of terrorism to that perpetrated by small groups or individuals. Terrorism in fact spans the entire world, and manifests itself in various forms. The perpetrators do not fit any stereotype. Those who hold human life cheap, and have the power to expend human lives, appear at different levels in our societies. The frustrated employee who kills his colleagues in cold blood or the oppressed citizens of an occupied land who vents his anger by blowing up a school bus is a terrorist who provoke our anger and revulsion. Ironically, however, the politician who uses age-old ethnic animosities between peoples to consolidate his position, the head of state who orders ‘carpet bombing’ of cities, the exalted councils that choke millions of civilians to death by wielding the insidious weapon of sanctions, are rarely punished for their crimes against humanity.
It is the narrow definition of terrorism that implicates only individuals and groups, that has caused Muslims to be associated with acts of destruction and terror, and as a result to become victims of hate and violence and terror themselves. Sometimes the religion of Islam is held responsible for the acts of a handful of Muslims, and often for acts of non-muslims.
Could it be possible that Islam, whose light ended the dark ages of Europe, now propound the advent of an age of terror? Could a faith that has over 1.2 billion followers the world over and over seven million in America, actually advocate the killing and maiming of innocent people? Could Islam whose name itself stands for ‘peace’ and ‘submission to God’, encourage its adherents to work for death and destruction?
For long we relied on popular images in the media and press for answers to these pertinent questions. It is now time to look at the sources of Islam, and its history to determine whether Islam does indeed advocate violence.
Now, let us see what Islam say on terrorism. Islam considers all life forms as sacred. However, the sanctity of human life is accorded special place. The first and foremost, basic right of human being, is the right to live. To quote, “….if any one slew a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people; and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.”
Such is the value of a single human life, that the Quran equates the taking of even one human life unjustly, with the killing of all humanity. Thus, the Quran prohibits homicide in clear terms. The taking of a criminal’s life by the state in order to administer justice is required to uphold the rule of Law, and the peace and security of the society. Only a proper and competent court can decide whether an individual has fortified his right to life by disregarding the right to life and peace of other human beings.
Even in a state of war, Islam has drawn a clear line of distinction between the combatants and the non-combatants of the enemy country. The instructions of the prophet are as follows: Do not kill any old persons, any child or women. Do not kill the monks in monasteries and do not kill people who are sitting in places of worship. Thus non-combatants are guaranteed security of life even if their state is at war with an Islamic state.
JIHAD is a word that is totally misunderstood and abused. While Islam in general is misunderstood in the western world, perhaps no other Islamic term evokes such strong reactions as the word ‘jihad’. The term jihad has been much abused, to conjure up bizarre images of violent Muslims, forcing people to submit at the point of the sword. This myth was perpetrated throughout the centuries of mistrust during and after the crusades. Unfortunately it survives even to this day.
The word ‘Jihad’ comes from the root word Jahada, which means to struggle. So jihad is literally an act of struggling. The prophet said that the greatest jihad is to struggle with insidious suggestions of one’s own soul.
Thus jihad primarily refers to the inner struggle of being a person of virtue and submission to God in all aspects of life.
Secondarily, Jihad refers to struggle against injustice. Islam like many other religion, allows for armed self defense, or retribution against tyranny, exploitation, and oppression. Thus Islam enjoins upon its believers to strive utmost, in purifying themselves, as well as establishing peace and justice in society.
As Martin Luther King said, “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people.”
This is not surprising to a Muslim, for his faith prohibits him from forcing others to see his point of view. Quran says, “ Let there be no compulsion in religion; Truth stands out clear from error; Whoever rejects evil and believes in God hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks; And God heareth and knoweth all things.”
Far from being a militant dogma, Islam is a way of life that transcends race and ethnicity. The glorious Quran repeatedly reminds us of our common origin.
As with the term Islamic Terrorism and the Christian Fundamentalism, the latest addition to the media lexicon is highly emotive. It was in the aftermath of the 29th Sept. 2008 bomb blast in the predominantly Muslim town of Malegaon in Maharashtra that the newly coined term ‘Hindu Terrorism’ or ‘Safron terrorism’ came to be used widely.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: The holy religious texts never promote or advocate violence and terrorism. But the terms in the texts are misunderstood or deliberately mis-interpreted for their use by the terrorists.
Prof. Sakarankutty: Quran is subjected to exhaustive and serious scrutiny by scholars of the world, and therefore there is not much room for misinterpretation.
Sri.Kunhikrishnan: Those who utilize terrorists for their agenda use deliberately, the wrong distorted interpretations.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Injustice, deprivation, denial of legitimate rights, excess use of force, social and economic inequalities, are thought to be the usual causes of terrorism or violence.
May be, after exhausting all means of getting redress, a frustrated individual feels that the only way for getting public attention is by measures of intimidation. Opting violence also appears to be the short cut towards attainment of goals. But the very interesting aspect of it is why some resort to terror and others do not. Mahatma Gandhi for achieving independence for India, Eastern Europeans for bringing down the Berlin Wall, Martin Luther King for equal rights, have not opted violence or terrorism. If deprivation of rights is indeed the root cause of terror then why do we see these people not resorting to violence?
Those practicing terrorism do not think of harmony in life. For them, the cause they espouse is so all-encompassing, so total, that it justifies anything. There is no name for the doctrine that produces the evil – i.e., totalitarianism – simple brainwashing of its subjects to indoctrinate hordes of killers to suspend all normal constraints for the sake of a twisted cause. In history we can see from its beginning totalitarianism has always been wedded to terrorism. From Lenin to Stalin, to Hitler, Ayothullha, Saddam Hussain, and right down to Osama Bin Laden, one can see a total blind commitment to a totalitarian belief.
Measures they choose tell us what their goals are. Bin Laden is not seeking to defend the rights of Muslims, but to murder as many Americans as possible and destroy America. Like that Saddam Hussain was not seeking to defend his people but to subjugate his neighbor.
Those who fight as terrorists rule as terrorists. They cannot protect freedom and human rights.
If poverty is the cause of terrorism the most poverty stricken areas of the world like the indigenous parts of South America, sub-Saharan Africa, East Asian islands, should have been the breeding grounds for terrorism. But they have not produced any terrorists. On the other hand all terror leaders and most of the terror perpetrators are seen to be extremely rich. Poverty may assist in the recruitment of vulnerable individuals to train as terrorists, but it does not seem to be the root cause.
If helplessness, desperation, lack of opportunity and use of force are the causes hundreds of thousands of Burmese in the refugee camps of Thailand who have been poverty stricken, are helpless, and are hopelessly desperate for the past more than twenty years should have turned terrorists. No terrorist has arisen from them.
If religion alone is the cause, why do we see Muslims killing Muslims? Saddam Hussain must have killed far more Muslims than any other leader in the world at any time did even in war.
So, it is the tyrannical mindset of some which initiate terrorism. Prof. Mahmood Mamdani, the author of ‘Good Muslim, Bad Muslim, Islam USA, and the Global War Against Terrorism’ says that the rhetoric of terror is the rhetoric of demonisation, the only way out of which is to destroy the perpetrator.
Praveen Swami, in an article in the Hindu has written as follows: ‘GHASWA’, the weekly newspaper of Jamat-Ud – Dawa hailed the Mumbai Massacre as ‘a historic victory for Muslim warriors who have avenged the atrocities committed by India against its Muslim minority’. Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, the chief of Jamaat – ud – Dawa, said in Feb 5 2001 in his speech delivered during the formation of Indian Mujahiddeen, “Remember friends, that the jihad has been ordained by Allah, it is not an order of a general that can be started one day and stopped the other day. Our Jihad in Kashmir will end when all the Hindus will be destroyed in India”.
What rhetoric! And what to do with the perpetrators?
Sri.Kunhikrishnan: Those who indulge in such rhetoric have to be tackled of course, and the propagator of hatred destroyed. But I think that the root cause of all this is the source that uses such people for their purpose and those who finance them. The roots can be there.
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 20-1-09 (Tuesday)
Venue: Hotel Malabar Fort (Gokulam Fort) hosted by Dr. K.P.Thomas.
Coram: All nine members attended and participated in the discussions. Dr.R.Ramesh, attended as invitee and guest participant.
Subject: The Roots of Terrorism
Dr. K.P.Thomas: The height of perceived nationalism is down. It is now much less than before. The threat of a third world war is minimal as opposed to the threat in the fifties and sixties. The strength of the superpowers are also now in doldrums, the communist block led by Russia failing in late ’89, and the leader of capitalist, America, failing in 2009 economically. The days of an imminent confrontation is over, a nuclear holocaust in the 80s was predicted, but has not happened. By the advent of the twenty-first century, Sept 11 occurred as a novel way of terrorizing USA by Taliban/Al-Queida outfit lead by Osama bin Laden, a rich construction engineer with imagined revenge against America. The core of hatred is directed against the Jews of America who control the world economy. The brainwashing technique is attained by promise of immediate ascent to heaven for those who are willing to indulge in suicidal attacks in the name of Jihad. The act of destruction and killing is justified by Jihad, a term originating from the teachings of Prophet Mohammed. Lashkar-e-Tioba, another terror outfit is having an intelligent pediatrician as its leader. To a certain extent a large chunk of Islamic population supports action against USA by boycotting their products through sms and internet.
Weaker nations like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon are being used by the terrorists as hiding places. Israel, the half-brother of Muslims, is master of terrorism claiming also that they are the selected people of God. Now, off and on, the war has been developing vigorously in the Palestinian region. The Terror in India is Pakistan sponsored, and the irritant causes are Kashmir, river water sharing, and Religion.
Christian evangelism does not have any physical aggression component or any use of weapon other than a little conversion mania which is now being made illegal. They suffer aggression from outfits like Bajrang Dal, ABVP, and RSS. They advocate clean living, education and the betterment of the ignorant people.
Religious fundamentalism is on the increase more than feelings of nationhood, and the way of life is different from religion to religion. Even in the same religion there are sub-groups who disagree with each other. The borders of nations have thinned out, and in the global village people are divided into Jews, Muslims, Christians, RSS, Backward class, Scheduled castes, etc. etc. Many of these groups have so-called charitable outfits into which large amounts of money flow in and these funds are managed by criminally minded people. Dominance of these criminals is on the increase, and the moment they are identified and tackled, terrorism can be contained. The outfits of the mischievous elements have always been coated with so much culture, way of life, lofty interests, religion, and political clout, that it has been virtually impossible to identify their real purpose. That is why there was a Jenkiskhan, Timoor, Lodi, Khilgee, and then westerners marching on to India, Ceylon, Burma, Malayesia and Indonesia. The superior cultures always asserted themselves in the olden times. But now, in the globalized situation, conditions have changed.
Terrorism in the world as recorded were in France, Italy, and South Africa at different times with different groups, like Communists, Nazis, Zionists, Ku Klux Klan, Irish rebels, and the like. In India, Nagas, Mizos, and Nexals are the examples.
As of today many terrorist outfits are whipping up imaginary fears among themselves that make them indulge in or abet terrorists. A weak government like Pakistan has no control over many of the outfits who get finance by drug trafficking, smuggling, and mafia activities. Davood Ibrahim is an example where no government can touch a criminal. Benazir Bhutto was eliminated and then Marriot Hotel in Pakistan attacked and destroyed. These points to a weak president and a weak Prime Minister ruling a country with the military calling the shots.
The majority community in India is also acting with immaturity in certain parts of India. In the present times the political parties are losing their grip over the masses. The money and facilities pumped into gullible youth results more in terrorism than in any political process.
The consequences of terrorist actions are explained to the outfits by interpreting religious texts as glorifying God, or by manipulating ideology as leading to the freedom of a community or region. Some promise, through religious edicts, entry straight into heaven to suicide squads.
In the present world order when there is no great identifiable evil threat to the human being affecting in a common way – except perhaps the environmental hazards – even small subtle ethnic differences lead to clashes of interests.
In the absence of the thrill of a pastoral life, unemployment and deprivation leads the youth towards the excitement of terrorism as a hobby, livelihood, and way of life. This is with regard to the youth in a society of pastoral parents. The struggle for Khalistan is an example. It got burnt out by itself during a period of two decades between 1980 and 2000. Khalistan or a Punjab separate from India, died along with their proponents, their gullible youth, and the then PM Indira Gandhi. An altogether different terrorist action, the LTTE’s terrorism snuffed out the life of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.
After 1978, with the end of Viet Nam war, terrorism has become something of a fashion. It is cheaper for prosecuting a struggle and it is perpetrated by hatred and perceived injustice, utilizing youth power.
In modern times politics and religion are like business. Politicians and priests acquire wealth and that wealth is spent to increase clout. Some exceptions may be found in individuals like Antony, Oommen Chandy and Achuthanandan. But a party like the communist Party is acquiring wealth aligning itself with running business and receiving commission money. The spending money thus acquired by one group is used to increase clout against the leader of the opposite group. Example is the clout developed against Achuthanandan. Some private companies are hand in glove criminally with politicians. With a small change of policy ministers and leaders can make money. Many have accounts in Swiss banks according to Subrahmania Swamy. Widening economic disparity is a cause for youth to pursue easy money by indulging in violence and terror-like activities. One can use religion, caste etc. to whip up violence. But finally drug trafficking and smuggling come in to make quick money. Illegal wealth can in turn generate terrorism in the younger generation under the garb of charitable activities like orphanage schools and hospitals.
Glorification of wealth and glittering life style should not be encouraged. The neat, puritan, pastoral just living, has to become the order of the day and could be encouraged and rewarded if the society is to be rid of violence and terrorism.
Regarding the Thalassery killings, after the Hindu-Muslim showdown in 1973-74, the fights did not recur because people realized that much will be lost on either side if the killings are to happen again. M.V.R had instigated violence in the eighties to show his party’s superiority. After his exit in 1992-3, it was the turn of the RSS and Marxists to sponsor the violence leading to murders. Actually it is the absence of any apparent welfare work by the NSS and SNDP in these areas, combined with a traditional glorification of martyrdom, that resulted in the present day violence and murders between Marxists and RSS in North Kerala.
While people born as Marxist in Marxist families naturally advocate violence as a means to achieve their ends, the RSS who were hitherto separated from the tradition of violence, now indulge in and keep up the culture of violence and murder in order to retaliate in the same coin. The religious stigma against killing of a fellow being as an ultimate sin is no more rooted in the youth in and around Thalassery. To a certain extent, intellectual discussions and verbal showdowns are absent here. And that is terrifying.
Dr.R.Ramesh: It is the big-brother attitude of one Party that does not allow any other Party to function which creates frustration in others to retaliate. No freedom is allowed for others to work in their strong holds. This is especially so in and around Tellicherry. They have also the full support of the police.
Dr.Md. Abdulla: There is no internationally accepted definition of terrorism. But generally it is ‘the unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments often for ideological or political reasons.’
There is also the statement, ‘one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.’ Thus, in the struggle against terrorism the problem of definition is a crucial element in the attempt to co-ordinate international collaboration, based on the currently accepted rules of traditional warfare.
Terrorism is variously classified:
International Terrorism
National ,,
Racial ,,
Economic ,,
Environmental Terrorism
Social ,,
Political ,,
Psychological Terrorism
Cyber ,,
Religious Terrorism – Islamic Terrorism.
One of the distinctive characteristics of the times we live in is the overwhelming presence of violence in our societies. Whether it is the bomb going on in the market place, or the hijacking of the aircraft where innocent people are held ransom to achieve political ends, we live in an age where the manipulation and loss of innocent lives has become common place. Such is the all-pervasive nature of indiscriminate violence, that terrorism is considered as one of the prime threats to peace and security in our societies.
The word terrorism came into wide usage only a few decades ago. One of the unfortunate results of this new terminology is that it limits the definition of terrorism to that perpetrated by small groups or individuals. Terrorism in fact spans the entire world, and manifests itself in various forms. The perpetrators do not fit any stereotype. Those who hold human life cheap, and have the power to expend human lives, appear at different levels in our societies. The frustrated employee who kills his colleagues in cold blood or the oppressed citizens of an occupied land who vents his anger by blowing up a school bus is a terrorist who provoke our anger and revulsion. Ironically, however, the politician who uses age-old ethnic animosities between peoples to consolidate his position, the head of state who orders ‘carpet bombing’ of cities, the exalted councils that choke millions of civilians to death by wielding the insidious weapon of sanctions, are rarely punished for their crimes against humanity.
It is the narrow definition of terrorism that implicates only individuals and groups, that has caused Muslims to be associated with acts of destruction and terror, and as a result to become victims of hate and violence and terror themselves. Sometimes the religion of Islam is held responsible for the acts of a handful of Muslims, and often for acts of non-muslims.
Could it be possible that Islam, whose light ended the dark ages of Europe, now propound the advent of an age of terror? Could a faith that has over 1.2 billion followers the world over and over seven million in America, actually advocate the killing and maiming of innocent people? Could Islam whose name itself stands for ‘peace’ and ‘submission to God’, encourage its adherents to work for death and destruction?
For long we relied on popular images in the media and press for answers to these pertinent questions. It is now time to look at the sources of Islam, and its history to determine whether Islam does indeed advocate violence.
Now, let us see what Islam say on terrorism. Islam considers all life forms as sacred. However, the sanctity of human life is accorded special place. The first and foremost, basic right of human being, is the right to live. To quote, “….if any one slew a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people; and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.”
Such is the value of a single human life, that the Quran equates the taking of even one human life unjustly, with the killing of all humanity. Thus, the Quran prohibits homicide in clear terms. The taking of a criminal’s life by the state in order to administer justice is required to uphold the rule of Law, and the peace and security of the society. Only a proper and competent court can decide whether an individual has fortified his right to life by disregarding the right to life and peace of other human beings.
Even in a state of war, Islam has drawn a clear line of distinction between the combatants and the non-combatants of the enemy country. The instructions of the prophet are as follows: Do not kill any old persons, any child or women. Do not kill the monks in monasteries and do not kill people who are sitting in places of worship. Thus non-combatants are guaranteed security of life even if their state is at war with an Islamic state.
JIHAD is a word that is totally misunderstood and abused. While Islam in general is misunderstood in the western world, perhaps no other Islamic term evokes such strong reactions as the word ‘jihad’. The term jihad has been much abused, to conjure up bizarre images of violent Muslims, forcing people to submit at the point of the sword. This myth was perpetrated throughout the centuries of mistrust during and after the crusades. Unfortunately it survives even to this day.
The word ‘Jihad’ comes from the root word Jahada, which means to struggle. So jihad is literally an act of struggling. The prophet said that the greatest jihad is to struggle with insidious suggestions of one’s own soul.
Thus jihad primarily refers to the inner struggle of being a person of virtue and submission to God in all aspects of life.
Secondarily, Jihad refers to struggle against injustice. Islam like many other religion, allows for armed self defense, or retribution against tyranny, exploitation, and oppression. Thus Islam enjoins upon its believers to strive utmost, in purifying themselves, as well as establishing peace and justice in society.
As Martin Luther King said, “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people.”
This is not surprising to a Muslim, for his faith prohibits him from forcing others to see his point of view. Quran says, “ Let there be no compulsion in religion; Truth stands out clear from error; Whoever rejects evil and believes in God hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks; And God heareth and knoweth all things.”
Far from being a militant dogma, Islam is a way of life that transcends race and ethnicity. The glorious Quran repeatedly reminds us of our common origin.
As with the term Islamic Terrorism and the Christian Fundamentalism, the latest addition to the media lexicon is highly emotive. It was in the aftermath of the 29th Sept. 2008 bomb blast in the predominantly Muslim town of Malegaon in Maharashtra that the newly coined term ‘Hindu Terrorism’ or ‘Safron terrorism’ came to be used widely.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: The holy religious texts never promote or advocate violence and terrorism. But the terms in the texts are misunderstood or deliberately mis-interpreted for their use by the terrorists.
Prof. Sakarankutty: Quran is subjected to exhaustive and serious scrutiny by scholars of the world, and therefore there is not much room for misinterpretation.
Sri.Kunhikrishnan: Those who utilize terrorists for their agenda use deliberately, the wrong distorted interpretations.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Injustice, deprivation, denial of legitimate rights, excess use of force, social and economic inequalities, are thought to be the usual causes of terrorism or violence.
May be, after exhausting all means of getting redress, a frustrated individual feels that the only way for getting public attention is by measures of intimidation. Opting violence also appears to be the short cut towards attainment of goals. But the very interesting aspect of it is why some resort to terror and others do not. Mahatma Gandhi for achieving independence for India, Eastern Europeans for bringing down the Berlin Wall, Martin Luther King for equal rights, have not opted violence or terrorism. If deprivation of rights is indeed the root cause of terror then why do we see these people not resorting to violence?
Those practicing terrorism do not think of harmony in life. For them, the cause they espouse is so all-encompassing, so total, that it justifies anything. There is no name for the doctrine that produces the evil – i.e., totalitarianism – simple brainwashing of its subjects to indoctrinate hordes of killers to suspend all normal constraints for the sake of a twisted cause. In history we can see from its beginning totalitarianism has always been wedded to terrorism. From Lenin to Stalin, to Hitler, Ayothullha, Saddam Hussain, and right down to Osama Bin Laden, one can see a total blind commitment to a totalitarian belief.
Measures they choose tell us what their goals are. Bin Laden is not seeking to defend the rights of Muslims, but to murder as many Americans as possible and destroy America. Like that Saddam Hussain was not seeking to defend his people but to subjugate his neighbor.
Those who fight as terrorists rule as terrorists. They cannot protect freedom and human rights.
If poverty is the cause of terrorism the most poverty stricken areas of the world like the indigenous parts of South America, sub-Saharan Africa, East Asian islands, should have been the breeding grounds for terrorism. But they have not produced any terrorists. On the other hand all terror leaders and most of the terror perpetrators are seen to be extremely rich. Poverty may assist in the recruitment of vulnerable individuals to train as terrorists, but it does not seem to be the root cause.
If helplessness, desperation, lack of opportunity and use of force are the causes hundreds of thousands of Burmese in the refugee camps of Thailand who have been poverty stricken, are helpless, and are hopelessly desperate for the past more than twenty years should have turned terrorists. No terrorist has arisen from them.
If religion alone is the cause, why do we see Muslims killing Muslims? Saddam Hussain must have killed far more Muslims than any other leader in the world at any time did even in war.
So, it is the tyrannical mindset of some which initiate terrorism. Prof. Mahmood Mamdani, the author of ‘Good Muslim, Bad Muslim, Islam USA, and the Global War Against Terrorism’ says that the rhetoric of terror is the rhetoric of demonisation, the only way out of which is to destroy the perpetrator.
Praveen Swami, in an article in the Hindu has written as follows: ‘GHASWA’, the weekly newspaper of Jamat-Ud – Dawa hailed the Mumbai Massacre as ‘a historic victory for Muslim warriors who have avenged the atrocities committed by India against its Muslim minority’. Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, the chief of Jamaat – ud – Dawa, said in Feb 5 2001 in his speech delivered during the formation of Indian Mujahiddeen, “Remember friends, that the jihad has been ordained by Allah, it is not an order of a general that can be started one day and stopped the other day. Our Jihad in Kashmir will end when all the Hindus will be destroyed in India”.
What rhetoric! And what to do with the perpetrators?
Sri.Kunhikrishnan: Those who indulge in such rhetoric have to be tackled of course, and the propagator of hatred destroyed. But I think that the root cause of all this is the source that uses such people for their purpose and those who finance them. The roots can be there.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Terrorism EKKENTROS discussion 9-12-08
Sri. K.V.kunhikrishnan: When we chose to discuss Terrorism last month it was just another subject for discussion, although it still had its importance as a regular threat to be tackled by Governments to ensure safety and security of their citizens. But now all on a sudden like a tremendous bolt from a wrathful blue, it has become a live calamity that imposed wanton destruction on Bombay. There is no demand, no claim, no purpose; Just destruction in their madness to satisfy the whim of a few international criminal leaders.
Terrorism is a very vast subject, as vast as the ocean. There will be no end if we start examining every aspect of it. We have therefore chosen to try and find out only the root causes, if we can.
What is terrorism? Whenever there is mass killing of human beings can we call it terrorism? No. Every army is then a terror outfit. It is a machinery for mass killing of perceived enemies. But can’t we call killing of civilians terrorism? Perhaps we can. But there also it will be a matter of opinion. Indian freedom fighters were terrorists for the British. Communists were terrorists for the Congress Government in the late forties of last century. Nexalites are real terrorists for us now. But for them they are fighters for a cause, and the governments who fight them are terrorists who kill and torture their innocent family members. Kashmiri terrorists call themselves freedom fighters. Those who fight them are suicide squads for the militants of Kashmir. Therefore, the usage of the word is according to the perception of the user. According to me an unbiased and non-controversial definition could be ‘wanton killing of innocent civilians with no purpose other than to create terror in the minds of people’ Now what will be the purpose of creating such terror? It could be vengeance against perceived grievances, it could be frustration for any reason, it could be criminal wrath leading to a psychological imbalance, religious fanaticism, power madness, or belief in a divine mission to kill, and/or to establish political supremacy. Lashkar e Toaba, at the time of its establishment is said to have announced its purpose as establishment of an Islamic World. This is not surprising when we consider that the purpose of the communists was, and even now the ultimate aim is, to establish world communism or ‘proletarian internationalism’ using violence. In a sense the aim of both is world government of their ideology by the use of violence. The purposes mentioned are not exhaustive. But generally none of the purposes are achieved by terrorism except the mental satisfaction of deranged minds.
When one comes to the causes, the first and basic cause of terrorism is the inherent violence in human beings inherited from the animal world. Violence in the form of excessive flow of energy is there. Nature meant it to be used for self defense, gathering of food and survival in general. But the energy of violence is misdirected and diverted to wanton violence against others to create terror.
At present we have within the society individuals who are
1) exploited by the greedy and powerful and therefore having a sense of injustice and resentment,
2) disillusioned with society because of rigid norms to be conformed to,
3)frustrated because of rampant inequality,
4) fed up of poverty,
5) whipped up by religious fanaticism, or a virulent ideology,
and 6) emotionally upset by political rivalry and vengeance
As individuals they may be harmless or incapable of much violence. But they are amenable to recruitment into violent outfits. Just like the able bodied youth who join the army, these people join terror outfits out of frustration or for money. Once they join they have no escape. They are brain washed and criminally trained. It is said that they are even drugged to be able to perpetrate atrocities. They are merely the cannon fodder of the terror outfits. The terrorist who was caught in the recent attack in Bombay, Ajmal Amir Kasab was said to be a small time petty criminal from a poor family of Pakistan Punjab who chanced to get recruited in the terrorist outfit and got brain washed and trained. A vast majority of the terrorists are therefore not the root cause, but only instruments.
But among them there are a comparatively few powerfully intelligent, clever individuals who have either a criminal desire for money and power, or a compulsively mad need to wreak vengeance against particular, group, community, or state. Some are religious fanatics. They are ultimately the leaders who organize, collect funds, recruit frustrated youngsters, brain wash them and use them as instruments to execute terrorist atrocities. It is my suggestion that these leaders are one of main root causes. They are at the head of terrorist organizations. Bin Laden Al Quida, Zaki ur Rahman Lakhvi of Lashkar e Taiba, are examples.
Next comes the funding part of the activities of those inclined to organize terrorism. The agencies and rich individuals, who fund the outfits and use them, are the main culprits. They employ the outfit chieftains on contract for their nefarious purposes. Such agencies would include even governments who want to destabilize ‘enemy’ governments. Once an outfit is thus used for harming another country, it gets enough money to thrive and become powerful. America themselves encouraged and is said to have given, through CIA operations, massive financial assistance to several virulent religious outfits in Pakistan and Afghanistan to drive away Russians and in the bargain became instrumental in creating and strengthening Taliban and several fanatical groups of terrorism. In our own country Bindranwala was first encouraged and helped by congress government to fight the then strong Sikh groups in Punjab. Later he became a religious fanatic and had to be destroyed. Pakistan encouraged terrorism in Kashmir and finally is now suffering the damages themselves. Then there are rich individuals who support an ideology or religion who contribute generously to the outfits either out of misunderstanding of the purposes or of perceived injustice.
Therefore I would put forward that the roots are
1. a few criminally minded, power mad individuals capable of organizing terrorism, who lead the outfits. These people have to be identified and incapacitated/eliminated with international cooperation
2. sources of funding the organizations and outfits have to be found out, exposed and the flow of money to the outfits dried up. In my opinion without these actions any attempt, however elaborate and efficient to catch the terrorists and punish them will not help in stopping the menace.
Prof. Richard Hay: Terrorism like that is not confined to Islamic terrorism alone. For example Israel has many terrorist outfits to destabilize the countries around it, especially the Arab countries. . America has its own to contain their enemies. All organized American organizations have their own terror groups for the purpose of financial control. Even when the purpose is political, religion is used for organizing terrorism. Rligious fundamentalism is of course, at present seen as the main underlying cause.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: There is always a highly motivated leadership behind the attacks. Four or five people from poor families have been recruited, sent to Hyderabad for initial training and then sent to the border to cross over. They are the ones killed at the border. Two or three of them are said to have actually wanted to come back after the Hyderabad experience. But they were threatened with death and compelled to stay. If they had not obeyed they would have been killed there itself. Similar is the case of LTTE recruits. LTTE cadres are recruited by force, and even young girls are compelled to join for fear of their lives. Money is forcefully collected to finance their operations. Terrorists in general are trained in use of drugs. And drug smuggling and selling in enemy territory is also a source of income.
K.V.Kunhikrishnan: As regards LTTE they had at the time it was constituted, a genuine reason to engage in a guerilla war with the Srilanka Govt. For a large chunk of well domiciled Tamil people in that country, even citizenship was denied and they were asked to go back to Tamil Nadu by the Cylonese Government. India was not ready to take such bulk migration. Tamil people were in a real fix. It was then the Tigers under the leadership of Velupillai Prabhakaran was born. But slowly it later became power mad and deteriorated into a terror army. They had a highly qualified, intelligent, committed leadership in the beginning.
Prof. Sankarankutty: There is always a hidden cause, a perceived hurt, a psychological grievance of violence that is hiding behind all terrorism. It may be just a personal hurt or insult as in the case of Hitler that finally ended in the mass elimination of Jews. A personal hurt hides behind a deliberately made out general cause. In the name of saving Germany, he was actually wreaking vengeance against them for a personal insult that he suffered as a youth
Dr. Sadanandan: .Man is what his mind is. Anything hidden in the mind comes out in his actions.
Prof. Sankarankutty: A personal agenda comes out in the garb of a common cause. Even in the case of Mahathma Gandhi we can say that it was his personal insult of being thrown out of a first class compartment of the South African train for not being white, that culminated in the freedom struggle against the British.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: It is surprising that even Bangladesh has terrorists operating against India who helped the ‘Mukthi Bahini’ to fight Pakistan and get their independence. The religious angle is clear there.
Prof Hay: Bangladeshis are dead against India. Some of us who traveled to that country recently could make it out. We were advised not to take any Indian currency with us because even the sight of it by the people there might provoke anger! That is the extent of hatred against India.
DR. Babu: What about the local violence in Kavumbagam here? The political murders, is it also not terrorism? The cadres of political parties kill each other. In one party, if a worker tries to, he is eliminated and the blame put on the opposite party to escape detection.
Dr. Abdulla: That is actually a law and order problem. An impartial police have to take action. Innocent ordinary people are generally not victims. Violence is part of basic human nature. When somebody is denied his legitimate right and he feels that he has no remedy he becomes violent. If one kid alone among many is denied a toffee, he gets angry and may become habitually violent if the denial is repeated. Frustration and sense of injustice may turn people into becoming terrorists. The basic human instinct of violence can thus become a cause for violence and terrorism.
And there are different types of terrorism although ninety percent of it at present is religious. There is political terrorism; there is racial terrorism, and there is ‘casteist’ terrorism.
Sri.Kunhikrishnan: Violence in nature is for survival. And for survival of the fittest. Man can, if he wants, canalize it in the right direction.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: What is the injustice done to the terrorist Ajmal caught in Bombay attack? He was just recruited in Pakistan Punjab, given intense training, brain-washed with hatred against India and sent to kill innocents at random. He cannot have any personal grievance against India or Bombay.
Sri. Sivanandan: I am in agreement with what Dr. Abdulla said and would like to elaborate on it. The down trodden poor people have a grievance that they are never cared for by the society. They are deprived of even the minimum human requirements for making a livelihood. The depraved people are frustrated. They are naturally angry and willing to make a fight to death. When somebody promises them what they are denied so far, and they get recognition in their group, they become willing to do anything in their frustration. Poverty and depravation can thus be the cause for violence and terrorism.
Dr. Sadanandan: Patriotism is another reason for hatred and the resulting political terrorism. In the name of protecting the citizens, in the name of security, the feeling of nationalism is whipped up creating hatred against the ‘enemy’. But if one looks deeper, one can see that each country does the same thing, thus separating everybody from everybody else. What is after all, patriotism? Is it more important than the value of human life? Being patriotic, countries are secretly developing nuclear weapons for fighting each other and in the process preparing to destroy the world itself. Patriotism or nationalism is more propaganda than a genuine division of territories.
Dr.Sankarankutty: J.Krishnamurthy said that patriotism is glorified tribalism. Each tribe fights the other tribe to protect their identity and territory.
Dr. Thomas: In normal fighting, that is, in fighting a war, the losses and casualties are more. Terrorism is actually cheaper. It is a cheaper way of inflicting greater losses.
Dr. Abdulla: The nexalites do it. They are angry and frustrated that their rights are not properly served by the government and the society.
Dr. Sankarankutty: You go to any government office to get something done. There is a casual reply with least consideration asking you to come later or telling you that somebody is not in his seat. Or they say, ‘we will look into it’. Politicians are also same. There is no honesty in politics. Citizens naturally feel helpless, frustrated and angry.
Dr. Thomas: But those who die for a cause that they sincerely believe in, are real martyrs. They die without expecting or getting any money or reward. Contract killer gangs or an army is not like that. They die for a remuneration.
Sri.Sivanandan: How do people resort to violence or indulge in it? If a person gets what he wants, that is, if he gets the minimum facilities that he requires, he will not be frustrated. When he is denied his requirements he is angry and frustrated. This frustration is utilized by those who want to create panic for their own purposes. The militants want to be well fed and lead a life without poverty. At the grass root level this is the position. At the level of nations big and powerful countries subjugate lesser nations like what America did to Iraq, and make them helpless and frustrated. If people of Iraq indulge in terrorism it cannot be surprising.
Dr.Abdulla: When you have no remedy, when there is no way to counter the injustice, when you have no power to retaliate, what you can do is only to indulge in violence.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Of course, those who plan the attack, the leadership is responsible. Others are only brainwashed followers. Recruitments by force, keeping under coercion and threat of death, and using as suicide squad like what the LTTE and Al Quida are doing is definitely nothing but terrorism.
Prof. Richard Hay: Personal frustration and injustice do not seem to be applicable to terrorist leaders like Bin Laden. He was an affluent construction engineer. He was not even religious it is said. Later he learned religious texts and became devoted. He then became a missionary. There in Saudi Arabia he is said to have realized the atrocities America is committing against Muslim countries and decided to fight the powerful Americans by using terrorist tactics.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Ultimately, the world requires ‘philosopher kings’. In a world where there is too much money and luxurious living among many, but hardly anything with a large majority, only divine rulers can manage to rule.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
ekkentros reports october 08
EKKENTROS FORUM
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on
14-10-08(Tuesday)
Venue: Residence of Prof. P.M.Sankarnkutty
Coram: Eight members attended and participated in the discussions. Prof. Mohanan Nair could not attend
Dr. Md.Abdulla: We have discussed here several aspects of the Government and Governance in general and that of our country in particular. Drawbacks and shortcomings of governing have also been mentioned and highlighted. But the most important of all viz. the governed, the citizens of the country, who bear all the brunt and burden of any bad governing, has not yet been touched upon. Nobody has yet commented on the ‘ruled’. So I propose to discuss that now.
It is time that we, the ruled, introspected. Do we observe the laws of our country? Do we as good citizens of the country follow the prescribed rules and regulations laid down by our own legislatures? The answer has to be ‘no’. People drink and drive with impunity, never bothering whether it is illegal or not. They smoke in public places. The roads are littered all over.
Sri Kunhikrishnan: That is because no body bothers much about civic sense.
Dr. Abdulla: It is lack of consideration for the laws made for the public good, and disrespect for law that creates all the criminality and violence. We fight against the law made by ourselves. Any law is objected to and fought against by the political parties when in opposition. People do not have any definite opinion or stand about anything. They cannot form any opinion because things are made controversial politically and argued upon endlessly even after the court gives a ruling. Every law inconvenient to some is fought against even if it may be for the good of the majority.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: The rights are stressed, not the responsibilities.
Dr. Abdulla: The failure of any government is because of the non-cooperation of the ruled.
Prof.Sankarankutty: The average citizen has the civic sense, he has a face. But a group or gang is faceless, and loses all sense when emotions are whipped up by politicians.
Dr. Abdulla: Violence is a way of showing superiority. The party in power wants to exhibit superiority. Police indulges in violence to show that they are powerful and superior. The opposition wants to capture that superiority by fighting and indulging in counter violence. It is a vicious circle.
Prof.Sankarankutty: Governance is an art. And the art of governance is idealistic. It is a product of culture and not politics alone. But in actual practice it has deteriorated into capturing power and retaining power.
Prof. Richard Hay: Mine is a continuation of the point put forward by Dr. Abdulla. The relevance of the people in governance and government. Let us take the outcome of elections in our country. In actual practice twenty or thirty per cent of the total votes enable a party to rule the centre as well as the states. The party who gets the largest number of votes, and not necessarily who gets more than 50% majority, rules, either by coalition or by outside support. It is always a minority that rules by manipulations. Who is actually responsible for this sort of situation? The citizens themselves. The people get the government they deserve.
Governance is not confined to government alone. All institutions are ‘governed’ by governing bodies, or governing authorities. Organizations like N.G.O.s, political parties and others have their own methods of governance. Certain private sectors may be governed by individuals. In all these forms of governing there will always be an ethical grounding for governing. Public accounting and transparency is the most important of them all. The test of good governance is its respect for rule of law. Good governance will be based on strict rule of law and at the same time, relying on the principle, ‘one who governs the least governs the best.’ Society expects a clean, transparent, open, accountable, corruption free administration. And it is for this purpose we change governments by elections. That way India is not a banana republic. But still we do have criminals as members of parliament and representatives of state legislature. What recourse, what remedy is there to correct the situation? In advanced countries they have the best management institutions and universities like Harvard to take up leadership training to create good leaders. The resources of the country should be entrusted for management only to people of high principles and talented knowledgeable leadership. Sustainable human development is essential in this regard.
Good governance can always show good results. The experiences of third world countries like Malaysia and Singapore are examples that show results in the matter of economic advance within a very short time.
It is necessary to identify what actually perpetuates poverty in the country. If one looks deeper it can be noticed that it is the incompetent political leaders who are actually responsible. Unqualified and unprincipled and inefficient political leaders entering the legislatures and parliament have interfered with not only the political system but also in the social, civil and legal institutions to infuse inefficiency, nepotism and corruption. The remedy would lie only in evolving an intelligent political guidance system to create and sustain competent and principled legislators.
Broadly the purpose of government and governing can be said to be for,
Protecting individual rights,
To provide stability,
Maintenance of public order and security,
To provide economic and social security,
And to promote environmental security.
At present we find that for all this there is no political consensus on development issues.
* * * * *
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on
14-10-08(Tuesday)
Venue: Residence of Prof. P.M.Sankarnkutty
Coram: Eight members attended and participated in the discussions. Prof. Mohanan Nair could not attend
Dr. Md.Abdulla: We have discussed here several aspects of the Government and Governance in general and that of our country in particular. Drawbacks and shortcomings of governing have also been mentioned and highlighted. But the most important of all viz. the governed, the citizens of the country, who bear all the brunt and burden of any bad governing, has not yet been touched upon. Nobody has yet commented on the ‘ruled’. So I propose to discuss that now.
It is time that we, the ruled, introspected. Do we observe the laws of our country? Do we as good citizens of the country follow the prescribed rules and regulations laid down by our own legislatures? The answer has to be ‘no’. People drink and drive with impunity, never bothering whether it is illegal or not. They smoke in public places. The roads are littered all over.
Sri Kunhikrishnan: That is because no body bothers much about civic sense.
Dr. Abdulla: It is lack of consideration for the laws made for the public good, and disrespect for law that creates all the criminality and violence. We fight against the law made by ourselves. Any law is objected to and fought against by the political parties when in opposition. People do not have any definite opinion or stand about anything. They cannot form any opinion because things are made controversial politically and argued upon endlessly even after the court gives a ruling. Every law inconvenient to some is fought against even if it may be for the good of the majority.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: The rights are stressed, not the responsibilities.
Dr. Abdulla: The failure of any government is because of the non-cooperation of the ruled.
Prof.Sankarankutty: The average citizen has the civic sense, he has a face. But a group or gang is faceless, and loses all sense when emotions are whipped up by politicians.
Dr. Abdulla: Violence is a way of showing superiority. The party in power wants to exhibit superiority. Police indulges in violence to show that they are powerful and superior. The opposition wants to capture that superiority by fighting and indulging in counter violence. It is a vicious circle.
Prof.Sankarankutty: Governance is an art. And the art of governance is idealistic. It is a product of culture and not politics alone. But in actual practice it has deteriorated into capturing power and retaining power.
Prof. Richard Hay: Mine is a continuation of the point put forward by Dr. Abdulla. The relevance of the people in governance and government. Let us take the outcome of elections in our country. In actual practice twenty or thirty per cent of the total votes enable a party to rule the centre as well as the states. The party who gets the largest number of votes, and not necessarily who gets more than 50% majority, rules, either by coalition or by outside support. It is always a minority that rules by manipulations. Who is actually responsible for this sort of situation? The citizens themselves. The people get the government they deserve.
Governance is not confined to government alone. All institutions are ‘governed’ by governing bodies, or governing authorities. Organizations like N.G.O.s, political parties and others have their own methods of governance. Certain private sectors may be governed by individuals. In all these forms of governing there will always be an ethical grounding for governing. Public accounting and transparency is the most important of them all. The test of good governance is its respect for rule of law. Good governance will be based on strict rule of law and at the same time, relying on the principle, ‘one who governs the least governs the best.’ Society expects a clean, transparent, open, accountable, corruption free administration. And it is for this purpose we change governments by elections. That way India is not a banana republic. But still we do have criminals as members of parliament and representatives of state legislature. What recourse, what remedy is there to correct the situation? In advanced countries they have the best management institutions and universities like Harvard to take up leadership training to create good leaders. The resources of the country should be entrusted for management only to people of high principles and talented knowledgeable leadership. Sustainable human development is essential in this regard.
Good governance can always show good results. The experiences of third world countries like Malaysia and Singapore are examples that show results in the matter of economic advance within a very short time.
It is necessary to identify what actually perpetuates poverty in the country. If one looks deeper it can be noticed that it is the incompetent political leaders who are actually responsible. Unqualified and unprincipled and inefficient political leaders entering the legislatures and parliament have interfered with not only the political system but also in the social, civil and legal institutions to infuse inefficiency, nepotism and corruption. The remedy would lie only in evolving an intelligent political guidance system to create and sustain competent and principled legislators.
Broadly the purpose of government and governing can be said to be for,
Protecting individual rights,
To provide stability,
Maintenance of public order and security,
To provide economic and social security,
And to promote environmental security.
At present we find that for all this there is no political consensus on development issues.
* * * * *
Saturday, September 13, 2008
government and governance
EKKENTROS FORUM
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 26-8-08(Tuesday)
Venue: Residence of Dr. Babu Ravindran. .
Coram: All nine members attended and participated in the discussions.
Subject: Government and Governance (Con’td)
Dr.Babu Ravindran: Governance simply means the process of decision making and the process by which decisions are implemented. The word governance is derived from the Latin origin ‘gubernare’ that suggest the notion of ‘steering’.
A government is the apparatus through which a governing body functions and exercise authority. It is the authority to make laws, to adjudicate disputes, and to issue administrative decisions to ensure harmony in society.
The fundamental purpose of Government is the maintenance of basic security and public order without which individual cannot attempt to find happiness. The philosopher Thomas Hobbs figured that people, as rational animals, saw submission to a government dominated by a sovereign as preferable to anarchy. Politics is the process by which group of people make decisions that affect other’s lives. Politics consists of ‘social relation involving authority or power ‘, and refers to regulation of a political unit and to the methods and tactics to formulate and apply policy. The government is formed according to the group when policy is accepted by the majority.
The left-right politics originated during French Revolution, when those members of the National Assembly who opposed the monarchy sat on the left and those who supported it sat on the right. Broadly it can be said that the right wing is often linked to the moral and social conservation, law and order and religion, while the left wing is often linked with redistribution of wealth and resources to the poorer or less successful section of society. The right wing is more often linked to the idea of social equity, and the left to the idea of social equality.
Some of the earliest governments in history are that of Sumer (5200BC), Indus Valley civilization (3000BC), Ancient Egypt (3000Bc), Yellow river civilization of China (2000BC). When we examine the types of government, they are,
1. Anarchy - Absence or lack of governance,
2. Democracy - Rule by a government where people as a whole hold the power,
3. Despotism - Rule by a single leader who considers all his subjects as his slaves.
4. Dictatorship – Rule by an individual who has taken over or wields full powers over the country.
5. Monarchy - Rule by an individual who inherited the role and is expected to bequeath it to his heir.
6. Oligarchy - Rule by a small group of people who share similar interests or by a group of family relatives.
7. Plutocracy - A Govt. composed of the wealthy class.
8. Theocracy – Rule by religious elites.
We have also seen that some countries have hybrid form of government like, for example,
Iran – a combination of democratic and theocratic institutions.
Netherlands – with monarchy and democracy.
The role of a Government includes, Military defense, Economic security, Social Security, and environmental security
Democracy is a system of government by which political sovereignty is retained by the people and exercised directly by the citizen. In modern times it has been used to refer to constitutional republic where the people have their voice though their elected representatives. The word democracy is derived from the Greek word demokratia, meaning ‘popular government’. Demos means people and kratos means rule or strength.
There are two principles that any definition of democracy should include. The first is that all members of the society have equal access to power and the second is that all members enjoy universally recognized freedom and liberty.
Democracy has its origin in Greece. However other cultures have significantly contributed to the evolution of democracy, such as ancient Rome, Europe and America. Democracy has been called ‘the last form of government’, and currently there are 123 countries that are democratic.
In parliamentary democracy there are legislature, executive, and judiciary which are complementary to each other and independent to some extent. Legislature is to form laws, executive for implementing it, and judiciary to see that every thing is done in order according to Law. Police, Revenue, Health etc. are various wings of execution. For the effective functioning of all, it requires honesty and integrity to be maintained.
From time immemorial philosophers have attempted to comment about Governance, Politics, and Government, e.g., Confucius (551 – 471BC), Plato (428-348BC), Aristotle (384 – 322BC), Thomas Hobbs(1611), John Lock, John Stuart Mill (19th century), and Karl Marx. Confucius said that Rulers should learn self- discipline, should govern his subjects by his own examples, and should treat them with love and concern. He links politics to a great extent to personal ethics and morality. In the epic Ramayana, Lord Rama has been depicted as the solid example of good governance. He had shown how a king or Ruler should live for his subjects.
In this background it will be interesting to analyze the Govt., Politicians, and Governance of our present time. Appeasement politics has become the order of the day. According to the democratic ideals of participatory governance, good governance is where no one ruled and no one is ruled over. Now political executions fall under the sway of influential groups. Those with money, political clout, caste supremacy, and communal support continued to call the shots. Others, the poor, the honest, and the down trodden are dumped in no man’s land. The bureaucracy, the only constant factor in the ever changing democracy remains pliant, to unquestioningly toe the line of their political masters. Instead of anchoring the political executive in constitutional values, it played along with the whims of politicians.
Since honesty was looked down upon and complicity rewarded, there was enough incentive for the bureaucracy to turn a blind eye to the shenanigans of political executives.
And of late what have we witnessed on 22nd of July 2008 – the day of Trust Voting in Indian Parliament? The cynical horse trading of MPs and the display of bundles of currency notes showed us to what low level our democracy can sink. These highlight that democracy involves a lot of money and there is a close interplay between money power and political power. And we also notice that criminals are elected as MPs, and criminal Members of Parliament were released from jail to participate in the voting.
Independent police is a forgotten entity. There is no proper maintenance of roads. Supply of electricity and drinking water are erratic or non-existent, and waste management is not considered at all. While smoking is banned, political prisoners in the jail are given special sanction to smoke beedis in prison. To top it all one is surprised to see government sponsored harthals and bandhs!
Arrogance everywhere is the order of the day. Courtesy and concern for others, the society seems to have forgotten.
It reminds me of an interview late Rajiv Gandhi had with JNU students. When the students were asked what they wanted to become, there was none to opt for politics. He asked why, when politicians are ruling the country why nobody wanted to become a politician? They answered they hate politics, and politicians are dishonest, corrupt and criminally minded. He explained to them, ‘when you people are not opting for politics, the corrupt and criminals will have an easy walk over others, and you will be ruled by them’. I feel that educated and intellectual youth should enter politics and clean it up for future good governance.
Sri K.V.Kunhikrishnan: And, in the process they may get killed instead of politics getting cleaned.
Prof. Sankarankutty: Theoretically correct. It is a vicious circle when politics is controlled by musclemen.
Dr.Babu Ravindran: Youngsters should be motivated to take up the challenge to save politics.
Prof. Sankarankutty: As it is, arrogance is the quality required to be a politician, and daring to commit crime is qualification enough.
Dr. Thomas: Governance in India had been as per the prescription in the great epics, and some of the ancient texts and scriptures, where the methods and conventions of good rule are elaborated. Dynastic rule was prevalent till the Moguls came. Theocracy was followed in their rule, but it got watered down when benevolent kings deliberately took Hindu wives and diluted the theocratic practices. Peace prevailed for quite some time making it possible for art and philosophy to flourish.
As regards Kerala, Travancore and Cochin remained princely states ruled by kings even when the British ruled the country. They were fairly well administered. One other state that was well ruled was Baroda. Europeans actually wanted trade and for that purpose peace also. Finally the British won and exercised power over the kings. Residents were appointed to collect taxes. The kings were not powerful enough to resist the mighty British. Swathi Thirunal of Travancore who tried to confront Col.Munroe, finally died of depression. But he was the king who made his subjects learn English. The kings were benevolent and good administrators. Highly learned and efficient Diwans ruled for the king. The two states were ruled by the kings for over twenty-five to thirty years. Because of this long duration a sort of continuity became possible and permanent structures, institutions, and establishments could be built in the two states. Main income was from rice. A sort of barter system prevailed then in the sense that even wages were given in quantities of rice. The hierarchy was, village officer, Adhikari, Peshkar, Diwan Peshkar, and then the King. Whatever happened in the state, the King was never blamed or considered to be responsible. He was above reproach. Responsibility was with the Diwan. The last Diwan, C.P.Ramaswamy Iyer, although extra efficient, turned out to be very cruel, siding the British in the freedom struggle. He was ‘dethroned’ and thrown out by the idealist people of the state under the leadership of people like Pattom Thanu Pillai.
In India, Javaharlal Nehru was a great leader and administrator. He belonged to an aristocratic family and had great financial backing. He had British education. He lived at the time of great happenings in the world like the world wars and Chinese civil war. He could become an international politician. Mahatma Gandhi also had financial support of his own. Indira Gandhi was lucky to have a good background. But yet she was democratically ousted at the later stages. Deve Goeda had only some local clout in a particular area of the country. Yet he became Prime Minister due to some peculiar circumstances. In the national stage, it is difficult for people to accept local chieftains. Therefore he could never come back again. Rajiv Gandhi became PM too early and also got killed too early. In Kerala at present we lack people of some maturity to be leaders and to govern. The left is divided. There are divided opinions everywhere. Confusion prevails. But confusion protects also in the sense that no body can do harm by themselves alone. From the confusions something good may emerge. Society gets new concepts from the chaos. Kerala is a governing crucible in which different ideas are interacting.
Prof. Sankarankutty: Things have changed. People shout at police now. And the policemen are helpless. Jobs are not available. Even small jobs like weaving straw mats, and bamboo baskets have been usurped by the plastic industry.
Dr. Thomas: Only elections are looked forward to and to nothing else by those who are entrusted to govern. Citizens get killed in the process of vote catching.
Dr.Babu Ravindran: The bureaucracy is also to some extent responsible.
There is an interesting article in to-day’s Indian express titled ‘When callousness Rules’ by Seema Musthafa, a political commentator. Among other things the author points out how our citizens behave now. To quote, “Take the people on the road. They litter, they pee, they drive like maniacs, they abuse each other, they shout at cops, they break all conceivable laws, they pay bribes when checked, and they show scant consideration for the ‘other’ on the street”. It highlights almost all the ills that our country is afflicted by. The article is very much relevant to our discussion here, and suggests that perhaps the solution lies in bringing about a change of the mindset apart from providing for practical measures.
(Dr. Babu Ravindran then read out the article.)
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 26-8-08(Tuesday)
Venue: Residence of Dr. Babu Ravindran. .
Coram: All nine members attended and participated in the discussions.
Subject: Government and Governance (Con’td)
Dr.Babu Ravindran: Governance simply means the process of decision making and the process by which decisions are implemented. The word governance is derived from the Latin origin ‘gubernare’ that suggest the notion of ‘steering’.
A government is the apparatus through which a governing body functions and exercise authority. It is the authority to make laws, to adjudicate disputes, and to issue administrative decisions to ensure harmony in society.
The fundamental purpose of Government is the maintenance of basic security and public order without which individual cannot attempt to find happiness. The philosopher Thomas Hobbs figured that people, as rational animals, saw submission to a government dominated by a sovereign as preferable to anarchy. Politics is the process by which group of people make decisions that affect other’s lives. Politics consists of ‘social relation involving authority or power ‘, and refers to regulation of a political unit and to the methods and tactics to formulate and apply policy. The government is formed according to the group when policy is accepted by the majority.
The left-right politics originated during French Revolution, when those members of the National Assembly who opposed the monarchy sat on the left and those who supported it sat on the right. Broadly it can be said that the right wing is often linked to the moral and social conservation, law and order and religion, while the left wing is often linked with redistribution of wealth and resources to the poorer or less successful section of society. The right wing is more often linked to the idea of social equity, and the left to the idea of social equality.
Some of the earliest governments in history are that of Sumer (5200BC), Indus Valley civilization (3000BC), Ancient Egypt (3000Bc), Yellow river civilization of China (2000BC). When we examine the types of government, they are,
1. Anarchy - Absence or lack of governance,
2. Democracy - Rule by a government where people as a whole hold the power,
3. Despotism - Rule by a single leader who considers all his subjects as his slaves.
4. Dictatorship – Rule by an individual who has taken over or wields full powers over the country.
5. Monarchy - Rule by an individual who inherited the role and is expected to bequeath it to his heir.
6. Oligarchy - Rule by a small group of people who share similar interests or by a group of family relatives.
7. Plutocracy - A Govt. composed of the wealthy class.
8. Theocracy – Rule by religious elites.
We have also seen that some countries have hybrid form of government like, for example,
Iran – a combination of democratic and theocratic institutions.
Netherlands – with monarchy and democracy.
The role of a Government includes, Military defense, Economic security, Social Security, and environmental security
Democracy is a system of government by which political sovereignty is retained by the people and exercised directly by the citizen. In modern times it has been used to refer to constitutional republic where the people have their voice though their elected representatives. The word democracy is derived from the Greek word demokratia, meaning ‘popular government’. Demos means people and kratos means rule or strength.
There are two principles that any definition of democracy should include. The first is that all members of the society have equal access to power and the second is that all members enjoy universally recognized freedom and liberty.
Democracy has its origin in Greece. However other cultures have significantly contributed to the evolution of democracy, such as ancient Rome, Europe and America. Democracy has been called ‘the last form of government’, and currently there are 123 countries that are democratic.
In parliamentary democracy there are legislature, executive, and judiciary which are complementary to each other and independent to some extent. Legislature is to form laws, executive for implementing it, and judiciary to see that every thing is done in order according to Law. Police, Revenue, Health etc. are various wings of execution. For the effective functioning of all, it requires honesty and integrity to be maintained.
From time immemorial philosophers have attempted to comment about Governance, Politics, and Government, e.g., Confucius (551 – 471BC), Plato (428-348BC), Aristotle (384 – 322BC), Thomas Hobbs(1611), John Lock, John Stuart Mill (19th century), and Karl Marx. Confucius said that Rulers should learn self- discipline, should govern his subjects by his own examples, and should treat them with love and concern. He links politics to a great extent to personal ethics and morality. In the epic Ramayana, Lord Rama has been depicted as the solid example of good governance. He had shown how a king or Ruler should live for his subjects.
In this background it will be interesting to analyze the Govt., Politicians, and Governance of our present time. Appeasement politics has become the order of the day. According to the democratic ideals of participatory governance, good governance is where no one ruled and no one is ruled over. Now political executions fall under the sway of influential groups. Those with money, political clout, caste supremacy, and communal support continued to call the shots. Others, the poor, the honest, and the down trodden are dumped in no man’s land. The bureaucracy, the only constant factor in the ever changing democracy remains pliant, to unquestioningly toe the line of their political masters. Instead of anchoring the political executive in constitutional values, it played along with the whims of politicians.
Since honesty was looked down upon and complicity rewarded, there was enough incentive for the bureaucracy to turn a blind eye to the shenanigans of political executives.
And of late what have we witnessed on 22nd of July 2008 – the day of Trust Voting in Indian Parliament? The cynical horse trading of MPs and the display of bundles of currency notes showed us to what low level our democracy can sink. These highlight that democracy involves a lot of money and there is a close interplay between money power and political power. And we also notice that criminals are elected as MPs, and criminal Members of Parliament were released from jail to participate in the voting.
Independent police is a forgotten entity. There is no proper maintenance of roads. Supply of electricity and drinking water are erratic or non-existent, and waste management is not considered at all. While smoking is banned, political prisoners in the jail are given special sanction to smoke beedis in prison. To top it all one is surprised to see government sponsored harthals and bandhs!
Arrogance everywhere is the order of the day. Courtesy and concern for others, the society seems to have forgotten.
It reminds me of an interview late Rajiv Gandhi had with JNU students. When the students were asked what they wanted to become, there was none to opt for politics. He asked why, when politicians are ruling the country why nobody wanted to become a politician? They answered they hate politics, and politicians are dishonest, corrupt and criminally minded. He explained to them, ‘when you people are not opting for politics, the corrupt and criminals will have an easy walk over others, and you will be ruled by them’. I feel that educated and intellectual youth should enter politics and clean it up for future good governance.
Sri K.V.Kunhikrishnan: And, in the process they may get killed instead of politics getting cleaned.
Prof. Sankarankutty: Theoretically correct. It is a vicious circle when politics is controlled by musclemen.
Dr.Babu Ravindran: Youngsters should be motivated to take up the challenge to save politics.
Prof. Sankarankutty: As it is, arrogance is the quality required to be a politician, and daring to commit crime is qualification enough.
Dr. Thomas: Governance in India had been as per the prescription in the great epics, and some of the ancient texts and scriptures, where the methods and conventions of good rule are elaborated. Dynastic rule was prevalent till the Moguls came. Theocracy was followed in their rule, but it got watered down when benevolent kings deliberately took Hindu wives and diluted the theocratic practices. Peace prevailed for quite some time making it possible for art and philosophy to flourish.
As regards Kerala, Travancore and Cochin remained princely states ruled by kings even when the British ruled the country. They were fairly well administered. One other state that was well ruled was Baroda. Europeans actually wanted trade and for that purpose peace also. Finally the British won and exercised power over the kings. Residents were appointed to collect taxes. The kings were not powerful enough to resist the mighty British. Swathi Thirunal of Travancore who tried to confront Col.Munroe, finally died of depression. But he was the king who made his subjects learn English. The kings were benevolent and good administrators. Highly learned and efficient Diwans ruled for the king. The two states were ruled by the kings for over twenty-five to thirty years. Because of this long duration a sort of continuity became possible and permanent structures, institutions, and establishments could be built in the two states. Main income was from rice. A sort of barter system prevailed then in the sense that even wages were given in quantities of rice. The hierarchy was, village officer, Adhikari, Peshkar, Diwan Peshkar, and then the King. Whatever happened in the state, the King was never blamed or considered to be responsible. He was above reproach. Responsibility was with the Diwan. The last Diwan, C.P.Ramaswamy Iyer, although extra efficient, turned out to be very cruel, siding the British in the freedom struggle. He was ‘dethroned’ and thrown out by the idealist people of the state under the leadership of people like Pattom Thanu Pillai.
In India, Javaharlal Nehru was a great leader and administrator. He belonged to an aristocratic family and had great financial backing. He had British education. He lived at the time of great happenings in the world like the world wars and Chinese civil war. He could become an international politician. Mahatma Gandhi also had financial support of his own. Indira Gandhi was lucky to have a good background. But yet she was democratically ousted at the later stages. Deve Goeda had only some local clout in a particular area of the country. Yet he became Prime Minister due to some peculiar circumstances. In the national stage, it is difficult for people to accept local chieftains. Therefore he could never come back again. Rajiv Gandhi became PM too early and also got killed too early. In Kerala at present we lack people of some maturity to be leaders and to govern. The left is divided. There are divided opinions everywhere. Confusion prevails. But confusion protects also in the sense that no body can do harm by themselves alone. From the confusions something good may emerge. Society gets new concepts from the chaos. Kerala is a governing crucible in which different ideas are interacting.
Prof. Sankarankutty: Things have changed. People shout at police now. And the policemen are helpless. Jobs are not available. Even small jobs like weaving straw mats, and bamboo baskets have been usurped by the plastic industry.
Dr. Thomas: Only elections are looked forward to and to nothing else by those who are entrusted to govern. Citizens get killed in the process of vote catching.
Dr.Babu Ravindran: The bureaucracy is also to some extent responsible.
There is an interesting article in to-day’s Indian express titled ‘When callousness Rules’ by Seema Musthafa, a political commentator. Among other things the author points out how our citizens behave now. To quote, “Take the people on the road. They litter, they pee, they drive like maniacs, they abuse each other, they shout at cops, they break all conceivable laws, they pay bribes when checked, and they show scant consideration for the ‘other’ on the street”. It highlights almost all the ills that our country is afflicted by. The article is very much relevant to our discussion here, and suggests that perhaps the solution lies in bringing about a change of the mindset apart from providing for practical measures.
(Dr. Babu Ravindran then read out the article.)
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Governance And Government report july 08
EKKENTROS FORUM
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 24-7-08(Tuesday)
Venue: Hotel Malabar Fort, Good Shet Rd, Tellicherry, hosted by Dr. Sadanandan. .
Sri. K.V.Kunhikrishnan: A Government generally has to have certain essential characteristics. First it must be legitimate, in the sense that it is recognized by its citizens and a majority of other states/countries as a de facto government. Secondly it should have a definite area over which it has jurisdiction. Thirdly it must have sovereignty over such area in the sense no other government should have any rights on its area. Fourthly it should have its own Rules and Regulations to govern, something like a constitution. Fifthly it must be able to establish law and order in the area of jurisdiction. Without all these a government can not function properly with any amount of authority.
We can take the analogy of a computer to understand the government. Computer works on a system. It is a system, and it is a machine. The mechanical part would require repairs, replacement and maintenance for smooth running. It would require also well thought out soft-wares for it’s efficient functioning. Once set up it would work automatically to do particular tasks and would not tolerate interference. If interfered with, it would become corrupt. Otherwise it is precise in its operations. A government is therefore somewhat similar. It is a set of machinery that is supposed to operate according to well thought out rules and regulations. If the rules and regulations are not followed correctly it becomes corrupt. It requires maintenance and replacements. It should normally be precise in its operations.
Governance is not only the operation of the Government but also the supervision of the operations as well as laying down the rules and policies of the operation. Setting up the rules and regulations like programming for a computer is part of its function. In short, a well thought out software for the machinery is built by it. Managing and operating the Government machinery is its function. Repairs, replacements, and maintenance of the Govt.Machinery is essential. Defects are to be found out, located and mended. The media, the members of legislature, and the public serve as peripherals of the computer to feed data as well as to receive the details of the output. The end result of the operations, viz. the welfare of the society has to be watched vigilantly to monitor the achievements. Complains of inadequate results have to be looked into for rectification. Targets of end results have to be laid down and necessary methods to follow up have to be established. Proper budgeting has to be planned and action taken to execute them by using the machinery. It has to be assured that the machinery is never misused.
Those who are in charge of governance have to look up also towards the basic system that gives them the mandate to rule, viz. the legislature. The legislature prescribes the Law. Once law is laid down, the authorities who govern has no flexibility in law to sway from what is prescribed therein. The rulers authorized to rule, the Ministers, have to follow the Law strictly as much as any other citizen, whether they like it or not. But they have the right to recommend change of the Law, to the legislature/legislators.
Nepotism and corruption can ruin both the government and the Governance. Politicians, legislators and Ministers have actually no powers to deviate from the Laws, the Rules, and Regulations of the state, let alone breaking or going against them. If they want to do anything which is contrary to the Law, they have to first get the Law amended with the help of the Parliament of the country or the legislature of the state. When a minister rules according to his whim, it is nothing but show of illegitimate power.
The employees of the Government have actually no power to govern as such. They are obliged only to do their duty. In doing one’s duty there is no visible power or satisfaction to his ego. Power is visible when the Rules are apparently broken by the law enforcing employees or authority..
Ideal governance is therefore a social service and an ideal Government is the machinery to strictly perform the duty of governance in order to achieve the purpose of that social service
Power of the Government, if at all, is only to help people who need it but do not get their legitimate rights and dues.
Prof. Sankarankutty: The topic to-day is too big a fish to catch and swallow. Everything connected with it has controversies and criticisms. Powers that governed were there right from the time human society started evolving. The concept of a sort for governing prevailed among tribal groups also. Only, the tribal leader was a Law unto himself. He created the law, he executed the law, and he punished. As the society evolved religion also became an integral part of the system of government. To some extent even now this continues in large parts of the world. Religion was all along one of the pillars of governing. It was the door through which manipulation of governing could be done. The ruling power could look after both the ‘here and hereafter’ by bringing in religion and ruling to a single person. Often the Priest was also the healer and the ruler. The ruler- priest wielded enormous power because the sources of power fused into him.
Sometime in the course of the evolution of human society, slowly physical might gathered the upper hand. Divine right then had to give way to physical power to a large extent.
Dr. Thomas: For manipulation of governing we have a concrete example in Pakistan. President Musharaff has been a master manipulator who has managed to survive in power so far.
Prof.Sankarankutty: Manipulation for governing is a psychological phenomenon. Hunger for power is inherent in human nature. From all situations a manipulator tries to derive power to control others. According to Plato an ideal ruler is a philosopher statesman. A philosopher shuns power. He has no need to control others and therefore no need to manipulate the governing. But a king or a politician craves to dominate others.
Dr.Thomas: But Musharaff’s actions have led him to a power struggle in Pakistan. Although he is still in place as president he is riding a tiger.
Prof. Sankarankutty: Man acquires power and tries to consolidate it. Ordinary rulers fail to consolidate. Epics like Ramayana and Mahabharatha prescribe how to govern without that craze for power. Here the king is always the sufferer sacrificing his own needs and himself for his subjects. The problems of his subjects are suffered by him. He is invariably a lone traveler. And his journey is long. Each epic is a story, may be a myth, created to give out a great truth.
In the path of the evolution of the human being, sometime someone becomes great combining governing with wisdom. Cyrus the Great was one example. It was the time when power and wealth played all politics. Later great idols like Alexander came up with all power. Statesmen and philosopher were in opposite poles at the time. Although political power is for service of the people, service became only incidental to the execution of power. If we look at the evolution of power structure we can see that when somebody is given the power to rule his governing becomes the Government. Adding religion to power the power to govern is then consolidated. The evolution that way is now total, global. Originally the relationship between kings and subjects must have also evolved the same way. Actually the Mahabharatha war must have been just a small skirmish, but suggested on a macro level to drive home certain great truths.
Prof. Mohanan Nair: Cant we say that Asoka was an example of a Philosopher King?
Prof. Sankarankutty: Asoka became one only after a devastating war. He was a cruel conqueror who caused enough suffering. He had inflicted terrible suffering on the people by waging wars before he learned his lesson. On seeing the suffering he became compassionate.
Prof. Mohanan Nair: His greatness was in relinquishing his kingdom after winning a war, very rare in history.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: The Kings of the epics had great power. But at the same time their kingdoms had good structures for governing. The kings had wise advisors (Rajagurus) and a team of experts and other important citizens (Raja sadass) to help them rule.
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 24-7-08(Tuesday)
Venue: Hotel Malabar Fort, Good Shet Rd, Tellicherry, hosted by Dr. Sadanandan. .
Sri. K.V.Kunhikrishnan: A Government generally has to have certain essential characteristics. First it must be legitimate, in the sense that it is recognized by its citizens and a majority of other states/countries as a de facto government. Secondly it should have a definite area over which it has jurisdiction. Thirdly it must have sovereignty over such area in the sense no other government should have any rights on its area. Fourthly it should have its own Rules and Regulations to govern, something like a constitution. Fifthly it must be able to establish law and order in the area of jurisdiction. Without all these a government can not function properly with any amount of authority.
We can take the analogy of a computer to understand the government. Computer works on a system. It is a system, and it is a machine. The mechanical part would require repairs, replacement and maintenance for smooth running. It would require also well thought out soft-wares for it’s efficient functioning. Once set up it would work automatically to do particular tasks and would not tolerate interference. If interfered with, it would become corrupt. Otherwise it is precise in its operations. A government is therefore somewhat similar. It is a set of machinery that is supposed to operate according to well thought out rules and regulations. If the rules and regulations are not followed correctly it becomes corrupt. It requires maintenance and replacements. It should normally be precise in its operations.
Governance is not only the operation of the Government but also the supervision of the operations as well as laying down the rules and policies of the operation. Setting up the rules and regulations like programming for a computer is part of its function. In short, a well thought out software for the machinery is built by it. Managing and operating the Government machinery is its function. Repairs, replacements, and maintenance of the Govt.Machinery is essential. Defects are to be found out, located and mended. The media, the members of legislature, and the public serve as peripherals of the computer to feed data as well as to receive the details of the output. The end result of the operations, viz. the welfare of the society has to be watched vigilantly to monitor the achievements. Complains of inadequate results have to be looked into for rectification. Targets of end results have to be laid down and necessary methods to follow up have to be established. Proper budgeting has to be planned and action taken to execute them by using the machinery. It has to be assured that the machinery is never misused.
Those who are in charge of governance have to look up also towards the basic system that gives them the mandate to rule, viz. the legislature. The legislature prescribes the Law. Once law is laid down, the authorities who govern has no flexibility in law to sway from what is prescribed therein. The rulers authorized to rule, the Ministers, have to follow the Law strictly as much as any other citizen, whether they like it or not. But they have the right to recommend change of the Law, to the legislature/legislators.
Nepotism and corruption can ruin both the government and the Governance. Politicians, legislators and Ministers have actually no powers to deviate from the Laws, the Rules, and Regulations of the state, let alone breaking or going against them. If they want to do anything which is contrary to the Law, they have to first get the Law amended with the help of the Parliament of the country or the legislature of the state. When a minister rules according to his whim, it is nothing but show of illegitimate power.
The employees of the Government have actually no power to govern as such. They are obliged only to do their duty. In doing one’s duty there is no visible power or satisfaction to his ego. Power is visible when the Rules are apparently broken by the law enforcing employees or authority..
Ideal governance is therefore a social service and an ideal Government is the machinery to strictly perform the duty of governance in order to achieve the purpose of that social service
Power of the Government, if at all, is only to help people who need it but do not get their legitimate rights and dues.
Prof. Sankarankutty: The topic to-day is too big a fish to catch and swallow. Everything connected with it has controversies and criticisms. Powers that governed were there right from the time human society started evolving. The concept of a sort for governing prevailed among tribal groups also. Only, the tribal leader was a Law unto himself. He created the law, he executed the law, and he punished. As the society evolved religion also became an integral part of the system of government. To some extent even now this continues in large parts of the world. Religion was all along one of the pillars of governing. It was the door through which manipulation of governing could be done. The ruling power could look after both the ‘here and hereafter’ by bringing in religion and ruling to a single person. Often the Priest was also the healer and the ruler. The ruler- priest wielded enormous power because the sources of power fused into him.
Sometime in the course of the evolution of human society, slowly physical might gathered the upper hand. Divine right then had to give way to physical power to a large extent.
Dr. Thomas: For manipulation of governing we have a concrete example in Pakistan. President Musharaff has been a master manipulator who has managed to survive in power so far.
Prof.Sankarankutty: Manipulation for governing is a psychological phenomenon. Hunger for power is inherent in human nature. From all situations a manipulator tries to derive power to control others. According to Plato an ideal ruler is a philosopher statesman. A philosopher shuns power. He has no need to control others and therefore no need to manipulate the governing. But a king or a politician craves to dominate others.
Dr.Thomas: But Musharaff’s actions have led him to a power struggle in Pakistan. Although he is still in place as president he is riding a tiger.
Prof. Sankarankutty: Man acquires power and tries to consolidate it. Ordinary rulers fail to consolidate. Epics like Ramayana and Mahabharatha prescribe how to govern without that craze for power. Here the king is always the sufferer sacrificing his own needs and himself for his subjects. The problems of his subjects are suffered by him. He is invariably a lone traveler. And his journey is long. Each epic is a story, may be a myth, created to give out a great truth.
In the path of the evolution of the human being, sometime someone becomes great combining governing with wisdom. Cyrus the Great was one example. It was the time when power and wealth played all politics. Later great idols like Alexander came up with all power. Statesmen and philosopher were in opposite poles at the time. Although political power is for service of the people, service became only incidental to the execution of power. If we look at the evolution of power structure we can see that when somebody is given the power to rule his governing becomes the Government. Adding religion to power the power to govern is then consolidated. The evolution that way is now total, global. Originally the relationship between kings and subjects must have also evolved the same way. Actually the Mahabharatha war must have been just a small skirmish, but suggested on a macro level to drive home certain great truths.
Prof. Mohanan Nair: Cant we say that Asoka was an example of a Philosopher King?
Prof. Sankarankutty: Asoka became one only after a devastating war. He was a cruel conqueror who caused enough suffering. He had inflicted terrible suffering on the people by waging wars before he learned his lesson. On seeing the suffering he became compassionate.
Prof. Mohanan Nair: His greatness was in relinquishing his kingdom after winning a war, very rare in history.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: The Kings of the epics had great power. But at the same time their kingdoms had good structures for governing. The kings had wise advisors (Rajagurus) and a team of experts and other important citizens (Raja sadass) to help them rule.
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