So Defeating...

This is so defeating. Mark LeVine, History, University of California, Irvine, writes on the Juan Cole in a piece on the recent election of George W. Bush titled "We're all Israelis Now", in which he compares India to a "criminal nation" (eighth paragraph). To quote him:

"America, in short, has become a criminal nation, and it must be stopped. (Yes, there are many other criminal nations, but aside from Israel how many even have the pretense of democracy? Russia? The Sudan? China? India is perhaps one; and given its sordid occupation of Kashmir it shouldn’t surprise that a US-India-Israel axis of occupation and Islamophobia is one of the most prominent features of the world’s geo-strategic post-9/11 landscape.)"

Is the Kashmir insurgency perceived as such? Has Pakistan succeeded in its media wars, to portray India as a colonizer? Sad.

In the second part of this observation, the one about the possible US-India-Israel axis, I fully agree that it is a distinct possibility. In fact, the last BJP/NDA government was working towards such an end. But I don't support it on a matter of principles. It is common wisdom that common enemies do not make good friends. An enemy of my enemy is not my friend. Also, in such an axis, India has a lot to lose, cos firstly, it has a large Muslim population which cannot be ignored. Secondly, in such triumvate, India will be the junior-most partner, it being the least advanced of the three. It will be forced to do the dirty laundry, the footwork, while US and Israel jointly call the shots. Given India's strategic position in the region, I feel it should ask for a bigger portion of the pie. And thirdly, and most importantly, the Islamophobia that will be the basis of such a coming together completely wrong. Don't forget that George Bush is a conservative Christian who believes that God is on his side and that the Second Coming is just around the corner, and same is the case with Ariel Sharon, who has extreme right wing views and hopes for the total annihilation the Muslim population in the region. India's views on this do not match with either. For better or for worse, we have always lived side by side with all the communities, and our constant endeavor should be to improve on it, and if not, then atleast maintain the status quo. Going for a radical shift on the Right does not serve India's purpose at all.