IS OUR WORLD HEADING TO A DISASTER?

Most of us must have pondered over the painful and shocking state of affairs prevailing across the World. Anger, helplessness, cynicism and stoicism might have tormented and still tormenting many of us. In the course of time, however like the citizens of Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, Pakistan and even India after suffering casualties and losses due to the intermittent attacks by the terrorists and also because of long years of war, all will learn to live with their misfortune and losses like the deaths of their dear ones and loss of property. In other words the citizens become immune to the deadly attacks carried out by the terrorists, by a self-styled super power in Iraq and Afghanistan and genocide committed by certain nations like Israel, Sudan ,Congo etc- the list is endless.

Barring a few, all nations across the World are reeling under the onslaughts of various anti-social and wicked elements- the reasons may vary from nation to nation- like ethnic clashes, territorial ambitions, religious fundamentalism, muscle power etc. As I have already pointed out starting from the self-styled super power- USA- down to poverty stricken war-ravaged country like Somalia- the Horn of Africa- there are problems.

I don’t want to list out each of them and I do admit I am not much of an International expert, here I would like to name certain nations which are suffering most.

Now almost everyone across the nations’ is aware of the present plight of the World. With the collapse of free market economy in USA and the subsequent financial melt-down leading to recession staring at all the faces of a host of countries across the World including India as a result of neo-liberalism and Globalism. It is said that the current depression is worse than the Depression of 1929 which lasted up to 1939, ie. till the Second World War, this time it is feared to last for a very long period affecting the very livelihood of citizens across the World because of the massive retrenchment on a daily basis and it is matter of great concern that even the cream of economists across the World are at a loss to arrive at a solution to rescue the citizens from this hapless situation.

While the unregulated economy has already played havoc with the nations on the one hand, the frequent attacks carried out by the terrorist elements are causing casualties on a massive scale and the properties ravaged. Adding fuel to the fire, the deadly attacks carried out by USA in Iraq and Afghanistan are causing nightmares to the innocent citizens of both countries on the other hand.

Pakistan has become the hot-bed of terrorism and this sad truth is acknowledged by many nations. The worst sufferer is naturally India, their traditional enemy. Like a Frankenstein monster, the terrorist hydra has now spread its tentacles across that nation causing deaths on a large-scale -bombings, grenade attacks and firing targeting VIPs- please recall the gruesome gunning down of Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister and also landmarks like the Marriot Hotel with the help of Taliban and Al-quaida militants infiltrated from across North Western frontier. The recent attack on the Sri Lankan cricket players in broad day light was watched by us with shock and pain. They had no difficulty in jumping the security blanket and fearing nobody sprayed bullets on the vehicle carrying the cricket players causing injuries to seven players and after completing their mission walked away casually. Those elements are still at large is an embarrassment even to the outsiders. We can very well imagine the state of affairs prevailing in that country- lack of adequate security cover, no sense of responsibility on the part of the civilian government, the infighting going on between the ruling Pakistan Peoples’ Party under the leadership of Asif Ali Sardari and PML(N) of Nawaz Sherif, the former Prime Minister. Furthermore the growing unrest prevailing among lawyers demanding the reinstatement of Iftiqar Chowdhari, former sacked Chief Justice of Pak Supreme Court and his sacked colleagues, and the lawyers scheduled long march to Parliament on March 15 and an indefinite dharna around the parliament house- a nation totally in turmoil and the possibility of an army take-over looming large on the horizon.

Sudan:
Sudan caught the attention of the World community last week as the news of an arrest warrant issued by ICC (International Criminal Court) against the leader of that nation Omar-Al-Bashir for causing the deaths of millions in Darfur. In Darfur, the poverty-stricken Darfurians including mal-nourished children are being looked after by the NGOs. On getting provoked by the arrest warrant, the Sudanese Govt. has ordered the NGOs and the Doctors Sans Borders to flee the country and even the Uncle Sam, remaining indifferent to the plight of the poor Darfurians. The already pathetic situation prevailing in Darfur is expected to be worse and the innocent children are going to be the worst sufferers due to lack of food and also due to diseases like cholera as a result of consuming polluted water. Without the NGOs and the Doctors Sans Borders imagine the consequences- large-scale infant mortality will be the result. Water-scarcity in the region is acute and with the ouster of NGOs and Doctors Sans Borders from the country, every source of relief to the Darfurians will come to a naught.

Sudan and its friendly countries are up in arms against the arrest warrant issued against Omar-Al-Bashir, the ruthless dictator. Even Peoples’ Republic of China- still claiming to be a socialist country (?)- is in good terms with the dictator caring two hoots for the starving Darfurians. While declaring their commitment to Socialism and welfare of humanity China is always concerned with their immediate problems to accomplish their goals, they don’t have any compunctions to side with any dictatorships- be it Sudan, Myanmar or any other country.

Israel-Palestine Conflict:

It seems the Israeli-Palestine conflict is not going to subside even in the distant future. Now that conservative parties are sure to be in the saddle their attitude to the Palestinians, particularly Hamas will be more hostile and Benjamin Netanyahu, the hawkish leader of the Likud Party, the Prime Minister - designate will become more belligerent and he will have no hesitation to retaliate violently against the slightest provocation from the side of Palestinians causing untold miseries to them. The smell of death is still permeating the atmosphere of Hamas ruled land of Palestine as a result of the gruesome bombings- even deadly phosphorous bombs were used- one month back. No mediator has not yet been able to settle the dispute between Israel and Palestine and if things are going on like this, even God will have to watch the situation helplessly. The genesis of the dispute between the two countries dates back to 1948.

SriLanka:

This neighbouring country is literally burning. The hostility between the LTTE (Liberation Tigers Of Tamil Elam) vs the Govt under the leadership of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the President has reached its peak. Mahinda Rajapaksa, unlike any other leader of the past is in an unforgiving mood and is bent upon destroying the terror-network with all might and he is determined to capture the LTTE Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran dead or alive. The SriLankan army is on the move and it is matter of days to wipe out the Tamil militants, if the present trend continues. Here also the innocent Tamilians are caught between the army and the militants as they are being used a shield by the militants to escape from the onslaught from the opposite side resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent people. Ever since the fight for an independent Tamil Eezham started, lakhs and lakhs of citizens, militants, rulers like Premadasa, Lakshman Kadir Gamer, Jayawardene and army personnel fell victims to the devastating battle. Even India had to pay heavily in this murky war as our former PM Rajiv Gandhi was blown up in a suicide bomb attack carried out by the militant organization. The fight is still raging.

Zimbabwe

Robert Mugabe, the founder of Zimbabwe is 80 now. He fought against the British might and finally succeeded in forcing them flee the country ending several years of colonialism and became the defacto ruler of Zimbabwe in 1980. Since then he continues to be the President of that country. During his initial years as President of Zimbabwe, he was widely respected by the whole Zimbabwe as well as the people all over the World, for years of his courageous fight against apartheid and for bringing glory to the nation by liberating the citizens from the British yoke ultimately. Zimbabweans held him in high esteem and was regarded as Nelson Mandela of Zimbabwe who fought against the British rule and apartheid undergoing 27 years of rigorous imprisonment and murderous assaults of the ruthless British soldiers and finally succeeded in ending the colonial rule by the British in SouthAfrica.

As the years progressed, Mugabe displayed tendencies of a ruthless dictator forgetting his past as the saviour of people of Zimbabwe and the slightest opposition against his misrule was mercilessly suppressed. Even after suffering defeat at the hustings by his principal opposition Party MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) led by Morgan Tswangirai in the elections held one year ago, he refused to respect the verdict and declared himself to be the President of Zimbabwe.

The country’s economy is in shambles and the masses are suffering from poverty and malnutrition, literally they are starving unable to purchase the essential commodities for their livelihood because of the unprecedented inflation and the subsequent skyrocketing of prices. The inflation rate is alarming, about 230 million percent and is going up with lightning speed day by day, minutes by minutes and even seconds by seconds. The plight of the suffering masses didn’t deter him from celebrating his birthday last week squandering $250000/- with his supporters and sycophants of ZANU-PF, his party.

In the previous elections, after declining to step down from the post of President, the relationship between him and the leader of the winning party Morgan Tswangirai grew worse and Tabo Mbeki, the former President of SouthAfrica had to intervene to play the role of a mediator as the African nations apprehended rebellion and blood-shed by the Zimbabweans’ against Robert Mugabe’s dictatorship.

Mbeki succeeded in thrashing out a solution after months of negotiations and according to the agreement arrived at in the end, Mugabe can continue in the chair of President and Tswangirai can occupy the Prime Ministership. The beleaguered Tswangirai is slogging it out to ameliorate the pathetic conditions of the masses by appealing to the developing as well as the developed nations to extend aid to Zimbabwe liberally.

How far he will be able to succeed in his hardwon responsibility as the PM is anybody’s guess.

Tibet:

It was in the year 1959 that Dalai Lama, the Spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhists was forced to escape to India seeking asylum as a result of a violent aggression unleashed by the Chinese army in Tibet killing about eighty thousand Tibetans and annexed the Himalayan nation. Since then, Tibet is under the iron-rule of China. Fifty years have elapsed since then, however the unending thirst for freedom of the Tibetans continues unabated. Tibetan exiles settled in various nations are still raging with anger against the Chinese occupation and they want nothing short of independence for their beloved country. Occasionally violent uprisings erupt against the Chinese rule and last year- the 49th year of Chinese occupation- we witnessed massive protests in various parts of the World including India, by the freedom aspirants. In all the countries where the Tibetan exiles are spending their root-less existence the Olympic flame was the target of the Tibetans and defying security and other precautionary steps they went on a rampage and tried to extinguish the flame at a few places with success.

It was in Lhasa, the Capital of Tibet, that the uprising grew worse and the Tibetans went on the rampage killing many Chinese men and also destroying properties and within no time the rebellion spread like wild fire and the Chinese rulers had to face the heat particularly when an International game was about to open with pomp and pageantry in Capital, Beijing. As a pre-emptive move, the rulers didn’t take risks this time and deployed the Red Army along the sensitive areas fearing a more aggressive rebellion in the historic 50th year of occupation.

China’s territorial ambitions are notorious and while preaching friendship with India, they have not backtracked from their demand for the State of Arunachal Pradesh claiming it be their integral part.

As I have already mentioned, the list is endless. I have written about the state of affairs prevailing in only a few countries. If I am about to write about all of them, it would turn out to be a book. I don’t want to elaborate about each of them. I only wanted to draw the attention of the readers to the pathetic and also horrible conditions pervading the nations across the World. Like you, I am also at a loss to make out the shape of things to emerge in future. Hoping for a light at the end of tunnel is human nature and hence let us eagerly wait for a new dawn…