THE FRANKENSTEIN’S MONSTER AND THE STORY OF A TRAVEL ADVISORY

USA’s travel advisory to its citizens to be most vigilant while travelling to/across India as a terrorist strike is imminent at any place across the nation is laughable, to say the least. We are at a loss to know from where this ‘sudden enlightenment’ came from.

It seems the self-proclaimed Super Power nurses paranoid delusions since 9/11. Even after passage of more than seven years, these delusions persist in the American psyche. While other nations fell victims to occasional terrorist threats and attacks, USA remained pretty comfortable caring two hoots to the painful state of other nations after falling victims to terror attacks. Its complacency was so strong that it was impervious or immune from such horrendous crimes committed by religious fanatics across the world.

And USA’s role in nurturing the lunatics was condemned by many nations and those condemnations were never attended to by the successive governments of America.

USA is now engaged in an hot pursuit of Taliban and Al-Quaida elements engaged in fierce battle against the Army of Hamid Karzai regime who is presently the head of Afghanistan, ruling ofcourse with the whole-hearted support of USA. It is somewhat amusing to note here that the Taliban elements and also the Al-Quaida militants led by World’s most wanted terrorist Osama Bin Laden were provided with money power and logistical support to fight against the erstwhile Soviet Union to drive them away from Afghanistan. The Frankenstein’s monster later turned against its own god-father is a cruel joke of history. This creature even went to the extent of striking at the very nerve-centre of its creator on 9/11, thus giving an unexpected and unforgettable jolt and in the process snuffing out the lives of 3000 innocents.

The hunt for the perpetrators still continues. A massive hunt followed, Guantanamo Bay, Abu Graib, extra-ordinary rendition and hitherto unheard of cruelties like water-boarding were committed with the overt support of George Walker Bush, the former President. His hawkish approach could only inflame the religious passions of a community thus making a lot of Muslim nations its enemy. Barack Obama, his successor is now busy engaged in a damage-control exercise and in hot pursuit of befriending the Muslim nations across the globe and his historic speech at Cairo University is a pointer in that direction. How far he will be able to succeed in his venture is another thing. But such a positive approach itself is something to be applauded. While President Obama was addressing a large gathering at Cairo University it is sort of ‘tamasha’ (comedy) that an advisory to its citizens to be vigilant while travelling to and across India, World’s largest democracy by the US government.

True, India occasionally falls victim to terrorist attacks. But an advisory at the present juncture to its citizens is somewhat baffling. It is worthwhile to note that a terrorist attack can affect anywhere across the World. USA is not an exception.

Citizens across the Globe sometimes are subjected to humiliations by the American Intelligence authorities in the name of security checks. Even VIPs fall victims to their paranoid delusions. Recall the humiliation our former Defence Minister, George Fernandez had to undergo years ago. He was strip-searched by the intelligence authorities after a prolonged grilling on suspicion of being a terrorist. No amount of explanation could satisfy the security officials. Recently an Indian super-star had to undergo similar grilling at the hands of those officials. The Indian super-star was not that ‘super’ to US security officials. These types of absurd and meaningless steps are nothing but the after-shocks of 9/11.

The reason behind USA’s not-so-friendly-attitude is not at all a mystery. The greatest democracy from ‘time immemorial’ wanted to keep a check on India. India’s development in various fields are not to the liking of Uncle Sam. And to have a check on it USA found a convenient way by providing money and logistical power to the ‘traditional enemy’ Pakistan. As if by reading the mind of US authorities, Pakistan turns its guns in the direction of India (now nuclear weapons also), provides assistance and training to all sorts of terrorist elements who try to intrude across the border to create massive law and order problems, destruction of life and property, thus trying to deflect the attention of the authorities away from the developmental agenda of the nation as a whole. Pakistan has already been classified as the epicentre of terrorism. Whether they take pride in this categorization is something to be watched. Otherwise the release of Hafeez Muhammed Saeed, the founder of LeT and also JuD by the Lahore High Court and USA’s ‘vow of silence’ on this serious matter is deplorable.

As one strategic analyst pointed out, it is time for India to stop holding on to the coat-tails of USA and evolve a foreign policy framework and engage in bringing international pressure on Pakistan to desist from indulging in nefarious activities to wreak havoc with the peaceful atmosphere in our nation. Whether the foreign policy mandarins will listen to his advice is something to be awaited and seen.