Mr. Abdullah''s statement that Kashmiris are not terrorist is partially true but not 100% accurate. We all know it is the Kashmiri people who with the help from across the border playing as puppets and create chaos and turbulence in the region. Mr. Abdullah also is seeking a state of affair in the region what India experienced when Ganhiji was alive. He should know that there is a big change in the timing going back to those days and the present political situation. People have to change with the changing of time. If he is so anxious to see those peaceful days in the region, I wonder why was not he and his other two generations able to bring peace in that part of India. His three generations were happy with the status quo. Central government''s position is not to divide India and create racial discrimination between Hindus and Muslims. If that is the case, then one will find turmoil and racial conflicts everywhere where Muslim population lives. But that is not the case. The trouble is only in the Kashmir area where the local governments have so far failed to work with the central government to stop the flow of financial, military and political assistance from across the border.Article 370 is a big stumbling block to bring tranquility and prosperity in the region. It needs to be abrogated asap.

As we all know, the menace of rape in India is alarming.  Basically, all big cities have been affected by this evil social problem.  What MP Government has done in this respect  requires commendation.  However, I being a proponent of  anti-rape legislation, feel that this legislation in MP is not going to eradicate rape issue altogether because it will punish only those culprits who are involved in the minor rape cases.  This legislation needs to be expanded to all rape cases. Once a rape is proven by the court, accused ought to be hanged, and his assets, if any, should be auctioned to compensate the victim or her family.  This law should be applied to all indiscriminately irrespective of accused  class, status and party affiliation.  The intent of this legislation ought to be to create a fear in the society for the next person who is contemplating to get involved into this nefarious activity.  Kudos to Mr,. Chouhan with the hope that all other Chief Ministers will follow suit.

Mr. Abdullah’s comments about repeal of an Article 35A does not make sense knowingly that this particular Article is the main stumbling block as far as economic development and peace in that part of India is concerned.  He says he will fight till he dies.  Everybody has to die one day.  I think it will be prudent to get rid of this Article and welcome foreign investment in the region.  Then he, along with others, can enjoy prosperity in the state of J & K before he dies.  Right now, with the existence of this Article, innocent people are dying for no reasons.  It is pure politics.  Mr. Abdullah also compared revocation of this Article to ‘scratching a wound’.  He said the more you scratch, more blood will come out of it.  That is precisely the reason that one does not want to scratch this wound, rather to get rid of this wound by initiating appropriate action, and that action is bringing more technological and economic investment in the state.  That investment will create a manufacturing base thus creating more jobs.  More jobs means, the youngsters of that state will be occupied, financially well of, less time to demonstrate in the streets, no destruction of public and private properties.

This Article has been sitting there as an Appendix to the Indian Constitution for decades, and served no fruitful purpose.  Hence, the time is ripe to find alternative means and ways to bring prosperity for the people of J & K.  In my opinion, those who are against finding alternatives are not true friends and citizens of India.

As far as the likelihood of Pakistan becoming a colony of China is concerned, this writer has no doubt that it is a matter of time when this becomes officially a reality.  Pakistan has no friends in the world.  China is the only big brother it has who again is not doing any favor to Pakistan by extending their economic arm to keep Pakistan floating, but instead they are pursuing their long term objectives to expand their territorial ambition.  As we know, to a greater extent, they have achieved this objective by lending enormous amount of money to Sri Lankla, Tajikstan and other countries.  They find financially vulnerable countries, lend them money at a higher interest rate to develop their infrastructure.  When they cann't pay that loan back, Chinese occupy their territory on a long term lease basis.  Pakistan is their next target.  China has realized that they cann't militarily attack other countries to flex their tentacles to achieve their territorial ambition, rather the government has made a decision to use their economic muscles to occupy others' territories wherever possible.  

Coming back to the scenario of Pakistan, CPEC was and is a trap for Pakistan to achieve Chinese long term objective.  Pakistan has taken a loan at a higher interest rate and now with the dwindling economic situation, it cann't repay the loan.  Hence, they have become a victim of Chinese game.  According to the press reports and economic experts, Pakistan needs around $35 Billion dollars to be able to pay the impending dues and be able to float.  Because Pakistan has only around $10 Billion left in the exchequer to take care of imports and other needs which is good enough for couple of months.  Then what?

Predicated on the diplomatic and political scenario in the USA, it appears that IMF will not lend them any money because there is an understanding here that Pakistan will use that money to pay off Chinese debt of CPEC.  Then the question is, where else Pakistan can go with a begging bowl to get a doze of survival?  For the in-coming government of Imran Khan, it is going to be a very crucial dilemma.  He will be a genius if he is able to find a solution of this conundrum.  The quick solution could be to some extent, if and if at all, the IMF decides to bail them out, Pakistan should be ready to scratch the on going CPEC project to satisfy the pressure from the US government on the IMF.  IMF can ask for many more contingencies before it lends any dollar to Pakistan.  It is a very precarious economic situation for Pakistan and they do not hold any trump card at all.

Here goes Mr. Owaisi again with his vitriolic and polarizing statement exciting Muslim community to vote only for Muslim candidates. He says that in India Muslim community has been forced to stay quiet when he is the most outspoken MP in the Indian Parliament. He speaks loudly, brazenly and openly without any muzzle on his mouth. Instead of working with the central and local governments to initiate some steps to uplift the Muslim community, he is always exciting his community to go anti-national. He is the best enemy of his community, most opportunist and self-centered person. I just hope the other moderate Muslim leaders work against him in the next election and choose some moderate candidate to represent them because with Mr. Owaissi in the Parliament, Muslim community will not be represented in a true sense.

The situation in Kashmir is a prolonged political headache.  It cann't be rooted out with dialogues because to conduct fruitful dialogues one needs two sincere and honest parties or sincere broker bringing those two parties involved together.  That scenario does not exist.  What you have is only one sincere and honest party- BJP- at the center which wants to bring everlasting peace in the region.  BJP wants to bring economic development which will create jobs for the locals and keep them busy.  Instead of destroying public and private properties, they will be busy with the livelihood.  However, BJP is facing a constitutional stumbling block which is an Article 370 in the constitution. This article prohibits investment inflow in the region from other parts of the country.  Changing governments or bringing Central or Governor's rule in Kashmir is not the solution.  The only solution to solve this riddle is uplifting the economic condition of the region.  The pressure is on the central government to find ways as to how get rid of an Article 370 from the Constitution.  If there is a serious and sincere desire on the part of politicians to achieve this objective, they have to set aside all the politics and personal grudges and delete an Article 370.  Everything else will follow.

What Ms. Mufti is recommending a very naive solution to this on going Kashmir problem.  I fail to understand the rationale behind this suggestion.  The crux of this on going problem is not what India should do, rather it is what Pakistan should not do which is out-flow of terrorists penetrating into the Indian territory. Secondly, what Ms. Mufti's government should do is to work with the central government and help repeal an Article 370 from the Constitution which will attract outside investment to build manufacturing plants and also assist in the real estate industry.  The increase flow of investment will create lot of jobs to occupy the youngsters.  The indulgence in their occupation will leave them no time to demonstrate in the streets and destroy public and private property. Ms. Mufti, as they say, every problem has a solution.  What is needed is a strong will, national interest and avoidance of party politics.  ARE WE READY FOR THAT?