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Who is playing hockey in Odisha?

Shantanu Guha Ray
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Who is playing hockey in Odisha?

The big Odisha push in Indian hockey is being welcomed by many, including the FIH (International Hockey Federation), the game’s controlling body, but sports cognoscenti are wondering whether these big buck events are actually worth the effort. More importantly, if there is at all any long-term impact or gain by holding big-ticket events in a state where the actual need is a grass-root push, and not marquee events that only satiate the masses.

For the second successive time, for the first time in World Cup history, a city, Bhubaneswar, will host the 2023 Men’s World Cup. The matches will be held at Bhubaneswar and Rourkela–a town known for its steel plant and a small airstrip where only six-seater planes can land. It has an ageing stadium but no hotels that can cater to international hockey teams and no infrastructure which is so much required to host a World Cup. The state government and its bureaucrats are proudly claiming that the 2023 World Cup will change the face of the state. No one has asked Odisha Chief Minister Navin Patnaik if the World Cup will help improve standards of the game across Odisha, more importantly in Sundergarh which is the hub of tribal hockey players. The reality is simple – a Junior World Cup held in Odisha will have a larger impact than a senior WC. The Jr. WC has all the requisites skills, excitement and also the tag of a World Cup. Most importantly, it comes at a much lesser cost and if spread across the state in four venues – the sport will also get the much-desired spread.

Stadiums and turfs are being gifted across the state. But the question is: Why Cuttack is out of the scheme of things? If international cricket can be played in Cuttack to full houses, so can hockey and it’s an hour’s ride from Bhubaneswar. The teams can stay in the state’s capital and play in Cuttack. All that is required is a stadium and two turfs. There are enough sport-crazy fans in Cuttack who will fill up for hockey too. It solves the issue of travel for many teams. But no one is answering.

As many as 17 new turfs are being planned for the region where the quality of sand needs to be of a higher grade. There is a huge difference in the sand quality found in Europe and the one in India. The Indian sand tends to clump together over a period of time. Plus, the mineral-laden dust of the Sundergarh area will also create issues on a sand-turf. Nobody would want to spend crores of rupees on turfs which after a couple of years are not fit for play, right? But wouldn’t it have been better to import second-hand turfs from Europe which are in a good condition? Or buy new turfs, cut them in half and install, half turfs across the region? After all, the idea is to ensure that sub-juniors play on an artificial pitch!

Now, publicity material, videos and posters will be planned on the lines of Kalinga is the best in the world which translates into Odisha is the best place on earth. Remember these campaigns will fill Indian newspapers, magazines and television channels and then travel across the world, stretching from the giant screens of Sydney Harbour to those expensive double-decker buses in London and Kuala Lumpur. 

The previous World Cup had cost the state government of Odisha, according to sources inside the state government, a whopping Rs 250 crore plus, and this time there are high chances that the budget would cross almost Rs 400 crore. Remember, mineral-rich Odisha is among India’s most impoverished states with large tracts of land without water, power and basic sanitation facility. Why is Odisha pushing hockey, is India’s best kept secret? Won’t the masses, at some point, ask why are crores being spent on a sport when the state so badly needs water, sanitation and a programme which uplifts people from poverty?

At the 2018 World Cup in Odisha, 90% of the advertising came from the state, plus the state paid to host the World Cup. It’s a sweet spot for the FIH. They don’t have to worry about anything. A ready-made host who is using state funds (taxpayers’ money) that could go into grass-root sport but is being spent on high-value World Cup’s, the impact of which has still not been calculated. 

The FIH says Odisha is the best. Since the 2014 Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar and except for the 2016 Junior World Cup in Lucknow, all the FIH events and two Olympic qualifiers were held in Bhubaneswar, which will also host India’s FIH Pro League in 2020. Hockey India CEO Elena Norman is on record saying no other venue is as good as Bhubaneswar, Delhi is the only other city which is on par. Are we saying that the stadiums in Chennai, Delhi, Lucknow, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Mohali, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar are worthless? Won’t Hockey India want to spread the game across the country? Does anyone realise that there is an overkill of Himalayan proportions happening in Odisha? When the Indian women’s team played their first Olympic qualifier against USA recently, around 3500 had turned up. That is the warning that even for the fans, hockey is not something that can be constantly thrust down their throat.

Belgium players with the Hockey World Cup 2018

Elena Norman, the big boss of FIH, has a huge list of demands like four changing rooms, video tower facilities, broadcast requirements, rooms for technical and FIH officials, mandatory second pitch as per FIH rules, and of course a world class stadium. Bhubaneswar has all of it. This is not all, Hockey India had pledged a guarantee of 3.5 million Swiss Francs (Rs 25.3 crore) to clinch the improbable deal.

But what Norman did not mention is that across the world, makeshift stands are set up. Big tournaments like the last 2018 Champions Trophy in Breda was actually played at the BH & BC club. Temporary stands were set up and the players were happy to use the club change rooms; then the organisers and FIH did not even raise a finger of protest. So why push all these conditions on India? Secondly, is the Delhi facility always occupied by the Home Ministry and other security forces so that a tournament of the magnitude of the World Cup cannot be organised? Does that mean India just does not have any other facilities barring these two cities and if such facilities need to be created, crores need to be raised and spent? 

The big question that remains unanswered is what is the state getting out of these mega-mega shows? The Odisha government sponsors the Indian national hockey team but the standard of the game in the state is abysmally low – two players get into the national team. One can always argue, yes, time is required for talent to blossom. But isn’t that what we are arguing about – that do you require a World Cup to initiate grass root development – two consecutive World Cup’s!! By any standards, Odisha cannot be called the cradle of hockey. Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka produce more players and just for the record, at times, 60% of the Indian team has players from Punjab; it might fluctuate but that is a safe assumption looking at the Indian teams over the last decade or so.

Worse, Hockey India does not have a backup plan in place if the Naveen Patnaik government doesn’t come back to power after its current tenure. However, the next World Cup is in January 2023, coinciding well with the state assembly elections scheduled for that year.

And, just for the record, the 2023 World Cup will be held in its 5th year not 4th as all sport cycles usually work. In scheduling the World Cup, was an eye kept on the assembly elections too?

So why push hockey time and again, just because – so claims the FIH – international players are familiar with the facilities and infrastructure at the Kalinga Stadium? Then why does the FIFA rotate the Soccer World Cup, why does the ICC rotate the Cricket World Cup? Why is the IOC so hell-bent on finding a new city for the Games? 

What is more disturbing is the fact that the state government is the principal sponsor of the tournament for a very long time, an indication that not too many brands get associated with the show. It is common knowledge in India that cricket takes the cake and icing both when it comes to sponsorships and advertisements. But if the state government bankrolls a venture as big as the World Cup and spends the largest slice of an estimated Rs 400 crore budget, then Hockey India and FIH have no worries. The FIH is happy because India hosts a large number of international tournaments in the hope to promote the game and spread awareness. Strangely no other hockey playing nation across the world is keen to pump cash into the game like India, a trend which many hockey experts find extremely disturbing.

The Europeans are disturbed by the way Odisha is going to host the World Cup for a second consecutive time. In fact, someone joked on twitter saying that since FIH says they are making money from hosting it in Odisha, then why not give the World Cup Trophy to India as winners for 2023, and save the money that teams will spend on travelling and the organisational money can then be put into the coffers of the FIH! An European hockey official, who didn’t want to be named said: “If the idea is to ensure that India win the World Cup, then we all say, give the World Cup to them. At least, then the other nations can start hosting it.”

The idea of sport is not just money generation. Yes, it’s not an ideal world. But sport also needs to spread. At the Olympics, the sword is always hanging on hockey. With Belgium being the World Cup Champions, it was a great opportunity to give them the World Cup and enhance the popularity which is already growing at a pace in Belgium that India cannot imagine. But their bid was rejected. The Belgians are fuming. But remain quiet.

Look at the way the hockey nationals are being held. The nationals are hosted in Tier-3 cities. But most of the time, the top players do not play in the tournament. The Hockey India League that once started with great fanfare and Bollywood endorsement like IPL being done and dusted, the tournament now lies like a prostrate, disembowelled Gulliver. As a result, there is no other way for any aspiring hockey player to watch top stars in action live unless they travel to Bhubaneswar. 

How ridiculous it this? 

The question to be asked here is – why couldn’t Odisha come forward and just sponsor the Hockey India League? That way, they could have contributed to the growth of the sport across the country and the brand of Odisha would have spread across the length and breadth of the nation. 

It’s prestigious that India hosts a World Cup for the second time in a row. But, an intelligent FIH and HI could have asked other cities to hold the Pool Matches and have Odisha host the World Cup semi-finals and final. That way, Bharat could have watched the World Cup in stadiums. And not just Odisha.

Is anyone listening?

Dharmendra Pradhan experiences Hydrogen Fuel Cell based car

News Intervention Bureau
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Dharmendra Pradhan experiences Hydrogen Fuel Cell based car

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel, Dharmendra Pradhan has said that in the rapidly evolving energy landscape, hydrogen offers an eco-friendly & innovative solution for sustainable & green transport fuel. He also experienced the test drive of Hydrogen Fuel Cell based car manufactured by Toyota Kirloskar in Dhyan Chand National Stadium today.

Pradhan expressed happiness on learning that the only emission from this car is water. He further stated that hydrogen can be produced from various sources including biomass, renewables, LNG etc. and possesses high energy density and long time storage.

Calling for greater cost efficiency as the technology evolves, the minister said that while hydrogen and hybrid technologies are promising, the manufacturing cost of this high end technology still needs to be worked upon to make it more affordable in the Indian scenario.

Pradhan also emphasized that it is imperative for auto makers to develop economical, innovative and sustainable solutions towards achieving greener and safer mobility ecosystem in the country.

Talking about energy transition, and switch to cleaner fuel, he said, “India is undergoing energy transition and impacting global energy transition in a big way. We are exploring new sources of energy to create a sustainable and responsible model of energy transition. Switch to cleaner forms of energy will also contribute towards ensuring a cleaner environment for our people”.

The Minister also suggested to plan a workshop for brainstorming with experts and all stakeholders for a greater understanding of hydrogen technology in Indian context.

Pak Army abducts Baloch women yet again. How long will the World stay silent?

Vivek Sinha
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Pak Army abducts Baloch women yet again. How long will the World stay silent?

Four woman forcefully abducted in broad day light by the Pakistan Army in two separate raids. The son of one of these abducted women protests, and so this boy, who is a minor, is dragged along with the women, dumped into military vehicles and driven away. Welcome to Balochistan! Rapes, murders, forced abductions and targeted killings by the Pakistan Army are a routine in this land.

Forced kidnappings happened a couple of days ago and the four women and minor boy are still “missing”. Family members fear that the women will be raped and tortured before being killed, and then dumped away. When the women’s neighbours, well-wishers and Baloch local residents reached out to the Pakistan Army to release the abducted women, the men in uniform simply laughed and told the Baloch nationals to wait for another such “raid”.

In fact, these human rights violations happen on a daily basis across this rugged region of Balochistan that’s spread over 3.47 lakh sq. km. comprising almost half of Pakistan’s geographical area. Balochistan is home to $1 trillion worth precious metals, natural gas and minerals. But instead of developing the region, all that successive Pakistan governments at Islamabad and Pakistan Army have done is to loot Balochistan of its natural resources. Both Islamabad and Rawalpindi have milked Balochistan of its resources to fill in their coffers and have denied the Baloch of their basic rights. Even the basic demands of Baloch nationals such as clean drinking water, food, healthcare and education is denied. Any demand for food, water, education or healthcare facilities is crushed with an iron fist. And the most potent weapon that Pakistan Army uses to subjugate Balochistan is Rape and Murder.

The abduction of four Baloch women and a minor boy is the latest in this series of atrocities by Pakistan Army. These women were abducted during two separate illegal raids in the Awaran district of Balochistan. These unarmed, hapless women were dragged out from their homes by Pakistan Army soldiers, carried away in military vehicles and dumped in central military camp of Awaran.

Bibi Sakina, Bibi Saeeda and Sajid Baloch (son of Bibi Sakina) have been abducted and "forcefully disappeared" by the Pakistan Army in Balochistan. Over 40,000 Balochistan nationals have been "forcefully disappeared" by the Pakistan Army .
Bibi Sakina, Bibi Saeeda and Sajid Baloch (son of Bibi Sakina) have been abducted and “forcefully disappeared” by the Pakistan Army in Balochistan. Over 40,000 Balochistan nationals have been “forcefully disappeared” by the Pakistan Army.

Amidst rising Baloch voices against these illegal and unjust raids the Pakistan Army adopted a new ploy and declared that these women were terrorists. After floating this fictitious story, Pakistan Army soldiers then subjected these women to extreme mental and physical torture for several hours in solitary confinement.

Dr Allah Nazar Baloch, head of Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) who is leading the freedom struggle of Balochistan has condemned this incident in very strong words. He said, “…Pakistan Army considers unilateral implementation of our war rules and Baloch values as our weakness and is now targeting our honour and dignity.”

Dr Allah Nazar added that the forceful abduction of women is not the first of its kind and may not be the last. “Several hundreds of Baloch women have been abducted by Pakistani troops and locked up in torture chambers. My wife and martyr Aslam Baloch’s sister were kidnapped and tortured by the Pakistan Army and intelligence agencies with the help of local informants. The entire family of Shaheed Ghaus Bakhsh continues to suffer under military detention in Mashkay. The family is missing for more than a year. The wife of Mir Liaquat Sajidi was abducted last year and kept in secret prison for a few days and released. Bibi Nazal Baloch was abducted and tortured by the same forces earlier. In Turbat, our girls were kept under siege for several days. In Karachi, Bibi Farah was seriously injured after being thrown down from the third floor of a building. Women and children were martyred and injured during the bombing of Mir Sahu’s house in Tank, Mashkay. Women were martyred in bombardment in Kohlu and Dera Bugti. Bibi Halima was martyred after her home was attacked in Basima. The list of such tragic events is too long. The difference is that this time the Pakistan Army has made its arrest public under its new ploy,” Dr Allah Nazar went on to recount several cases of abductions and targeted killings committed by the Pakistan Army on Baloch nationals.

This list of human rights violations, rapes, murders and killings by the Pakistan Army in Balochistan is very long and yet not much is talked about it in international forums. One wonders why isn’t there any uproar over these blatant abduction of women in Balochistan? There are hardly any protests or demonstrations anywhere in the world to free these hapless women. Of course, not much can be expected from the Pakistani media but what about the global champions of human rights organisations. Why do they choose to stay mum on these daily rapes, kidnapping, murders and targeted disappearances in Balochistan?

“Despite such state of affairs in Balochistan all the religious parties have sealed their lips. They create a huge uproar about Kashmir and Palestine. But do they have the spine to tell the truth about what is going on in Balochistan? Can they tell truth to the world about how Pakistan Army is treating the people of Balochistan? These so-called custodians of Islam make a lot of noise at the burning of the Holy Quran in Norway, but they maintain silence on the burning of the Holy Quran by Pakistan Army during their military operations in Balochistan. This is the prime example of hypocrisy of these so-called clerics and federalists. History and the Baloch nation will never forgive them.”

The anger of Dr Allah Nazar is understandable. Atrocities of these type anywhere else creates a furore in the civilized world. And yet the world refuses to take note of the atrocities in Balochistan. The world and the champions of human rights are still maintaining a deafening silence.

“Our boys, girls, and women are not safe. I believe that all the parties, involved in the liberation of Balochistan will have to modify their policies and formulate a comprehensive strategy to prevent abduction, arrest and disappearance of women. The time has come to hit the enemy’s pain-points,” Dr Allah Nazar Baloch said in an obvious reference to Pakistani deep state.

Are Pakistan Army’s days of being a law unto itself numbered?

Nilesh Kunwar
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Are Pakistan Army’s days of being a law unto itself numbered?

The cavalier manner in which the government of Pakistan proceeded to grant army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa a three-year service extension was rightly struck down by the Supreme Court of Pakistan causing immense embarrassment to the government as well as to the army. The apex court’s verdict has given detractors a handy stick to pommel Prime Minister Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). I am no fan of Imran Khan, and yet I still feel that all the hue and cry being raised is unwarranted and that Khan and his advisors are unnecessarily being hauled over the coals for having followed a precedent rather than going by the law, just like past governments in Pakistan had been doing.

By stating in its order that “..the learned Attorney-General (AG) has taken pains to explain that the answers to these questions (on grant of extension to the army chief) are based on practice being followed in the Pakistan Army but the said practice has not been codified under the law,” even the Supreme Court of Pakistan too has tacitly accepted that while what Khan did is illegal, but it isn’t something earth-shattering! Yet, by advising the government to “…put your house in order…” and giving it six months to promulgate legislation for service extension, Chief Justice of Pakistan has minced no words in conveying that the judiciary would not accept any fait accompli.

This is not the first time that service extension to an army chief of Pakistan has been challenged in court. Readers would recollect that in 2010, the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) had granted a three-year service extension to Gen. Parvez Kayani and though this decision was challenged in Islamabad High Court, it was dismissed as being “non maintainable.” Though this was a hasty judgment that went in favour of the army chief, yet it didn’t cause any ripples at home or across the world as people largely agree that Pakistan is rightly referred to as a nation that belongs to its army and not the vice versa!

Fast forward to 2019 and we have a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa admitting the petition submitted by Raiz Rahi challenging Gen Bajwa’s extension. The bench found merit in the complaint and when the plaintiff sought to withdraw his petition, the CJP rejected this request and instead took it up as a public interest litigation under Article 184. After deliberation the three-member bench noted that the “AG failed to point to any existing law” on the basis of which Gen Bajwa was given service extension.

Also, by suspending the government’s notification granting service extension to Pakistan’s Army Chief (who is incidentally the country’s most powerful entity), the CJP Asif Saeed Khosa has shown that he is not only full of spunk but also possesses exemplary professional integrity. His blunt but incisive observation that “There is no check on the activities that are going on in cantonment or under which law an action is being taken” aptly reflects the sorry state of affairs prevailing in Pakistan for which he deserves due appreciation. His actions may antagonize the military but it was necessary to take this ‘hard’ decision in order to make it clear to one and all, that in a democracy no one is above the law!

But the most assuring thing is Khosa’s rejoinder that “Now a constitutional institution is examining this matter” as it clearly conveys the message that henceforth only legal provisions and not precedent or “practice being followed in the Pakistan Army” would be acceptable to the judiciary. By giving the government six months to frame legislation for granting service extension to army chiefs, CJP has added the element of urgency to this issue. How are Khosa’s observations received by the army is yet to be seen, but one thing that’s absolutely clear is that he doesn’t seem to be the type who will let Rawalpindi have its way as far as the judiciary is concerned.

Allegations of the army meddling with the judicial process in Pakistan are rampant, and even though the army vehemently refutes it, one has to take these denials with a pinch of salt as evidence to the contrary is aplenty. In July last year, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court severely embarrassed Rawalpindi by revealing that Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) “personnel get benches (in courts) formed at will.” When Pakistan Army insisted that this allegation was false and asked the Supreme Court to investigate the same, instead of doing so, Siddiqui was summarily sacked by the President on the recommendations of Supreme Judicial Council of Pakistan.

Needless to say, this kneejerk axing sent out a clear message to the judiciary that the army had ‘zero tolerance’ for any criticism of ISI. But just seven months later, in a landmark judgment issued on the Tehreek-e Labaik Pakistan (TLP) sit-in agitation case, Supreme Court Justice Qazi Faez Isa made a stinging reference to the Pakistan Army by concluding that “The perception that ISI may be involved in or interferes with matters with which an intelligence agency should not be concerned with, including politics, therefore was not put to rest.”

Justice Isa’s misgivings weren’t misplaced because everyone knows that the agreement between the government and TLP to end this agitation was brokered by the army and Maj Gen Faiz Hameed of the ISI had signed this agreement in the capacity of ‘guarantor’. That’s why by stating that “..the government of Pakistan through the Defense Ministry and respective chiefs of the army, navy, and air force are directed to initiate action against the personnel under their command who are found to have violated their oath (of not engaging in any kind of political activity),” Justice Isa had left nothing to imagination!

Therefore, even if it rubs Rawalpindi the wrong way, but for the overall good of Pakistan, Khosa’s endeavour to reassert the judiciary’s credibility by freeing it from interference from the army and intelligence agencies needs full public support!

Tailpiece – Pakistan Army may have rejected charges levelled by Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui regarding the ISI’s involvement in ‘fixing’ judicial benches and Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s observation of the ISI delving into politics. But what does Gen. Bajwa have to say on Gen Pervez Musharraf’s own revelation in 2016 about the army’s effective influence over the judiciary? After all, didn’t Gen. Musharraf himself admit that “once he (Gen. Rahil Sharif) got the government to relieve the pressure that they were exerting, the courts gave their judgement and allowed me to go abroad for treatment”?

Philosophical and Historical Foundations of American Secularism 12 – Lessons From an Elder: Coming Into One’s Own

Scott Douglas Jacobsen
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Philosophical and Historical Foundations of American Secularism 12 – Lessons From an Elder: Coming Into One’s Own

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: You – and as a term of endearment and affection, for me, at least – exist as an elder within the freethought community, where you harbour a certain general affability, acquired wisdom, and perceptiveness on issues relevant to all ages of the freethought communities. 

You have a secure place in America freethinker history. What is lost with age? What is gained with age? How does this change over time develop an understanding more rich in practical wisdom and perceptiveness via the experience of the times of the founders of the United States and the leaders of the different social reform movements in American history? 

People in their time but not of it, in the sense of a widened vision of the possibilities of human relations. I intend this as a collective reflection on some of the writings in this series so far, in order to transition into other items of historical import to the philosophical and historical foundations of American secularism.

Dr. Herb Silverman: Thank you for saying I have a secure place in American freethinker history. If true, it would be because I did two things.

First, I ran for Governor of South Carolina in 1990 to challenge the state constitution prohibition against atheists holding public office. I didn’t become governor, of course, but in 1997 the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled unanimously in my favor, nullifying the anti-atheist clause in the South Carolina Constitution. Credit for my Supreme Court victory belongs to my ACLU lawyers. I was just having fun giving campaign talks and writing about my experiences.

Second, during my legal battle, I learned about and joined several national atheist and humanist organizations that all promoted causes I supported, like separation of religion and government and increasing visibility of and respect for freethinkers. However, each organization was doing its own thing without recognizing or cooperating with worthwhile efforts of like-minded groups. I thought that these diverse organizations would accomplish more by showing strength in numbers and working together on those issues to bring about cultural and political change. So in 2002, I helped form the Secular Coalition for America and became its founding president.

The Secular Coalition started with 4 and now has 19 national secular organizations as members, covering the full spectrum of our movement. It also represents hundreds of local secular communities. It was the first organization to hire a lobbyist to take our issues to Congress.

Working with allies in the faith community, the Secular Coalition combines the power of grassroots activism with professional lobbying to impact laws and policies governing separation of religion and government.

You asked what is gained by age. Being involved with secular organizations for close to 30 years has given me institutional memory. When I hear suggestions about something we might try, I can often point to having tried that before and the outcome.

You also asked what is lost with age. On this, I am an expert. I’m 77 years old and like to think I can do whatever I used to be able to do, but I have contrary physical and mental evidence. Aside from age, longevity in a leader can become problematic. “Founder’s syndrome” occurs when leaders view themselves as irreplaceable. I’ve seen many good leaders outstay their welcome. For an organization to flourish, a high priority for a leader should be to make him or herself replaceable. Atheists, above all, recognize that organizations have no “dear leaders” who communicate to us through a supernatural being. We pride ourselves on being independent, and we recognize the fallibility of all. Not to sound like a vampire, but new blood is good. 

I think I managed to avoid founder’s syndrome at the Secular Coalition for America. I sought and encouraged active participants and talented replacements. I’m now happily retired as SCA president, but was asked to continue to serve for a while on its Board of Directors.

Looking back at the history of the freethought movement, changes in communication have been mammoth. At the time of the founders and early social reform movements in the United States, social media consisted of books, pamphlets, and word-of-mouth. Today, people can instantly reach each other around the world through online communication. Word travels fast, but so does miscommunication, lately known as fake news (some of it intentional). Both atheists and religious fundamentalists are able to spread information as never before, but of course they differ on what they consider to be “fake news.”

Speaking of fake news, the influence of religion at the highest levels of government has never been stronger than under President Donald Trump. He has appointed more than 150 judges, most of whom seem hostile to the separation of religion and government. He has ordered every department in the executive branch to work on faith-based partnerships, signing an executive order creating the “White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative,” an office that undermines religious freedom by giving taxpayer money to religious groups and allowing them to discriminate, with little accountability and no transparency.

Not only are Trump’s cabinet members very religious, but they also seem to oppose the separation of religion and government. Ben Carson, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, referred to the separation of church and state as “crap” prompted by “political correctness.” Attorney General William Barr said, “The separation of church and state is for losers, liberals, and America-hating atheists.”

Christian Nationalists and evangelicals, with Trump’s blessing, have introduced legislation to teach the Bible in schools, display religious mottos in schools, discriminate in foster care and adoption, pass religious refusal in healthcare, and promote anti-science religious teachings. Whatever you think about Trump wanting to build a wall between Mexico and the United States, we must not let him tear down the wall between church and state.

Nonetheless, I’m cautiously optimistic about our future. It is up to secularists working with all who favor separation of religion and government to counter the influence of religion in government. The secular movement is growing, both formally through secular organizations and informally through “nones,” those who don’t subscribe to any faith. The “nones” are the fastest growing “religion” in the United States, especially among young people. Many “nones” broke from conservative religion because it is anti-LGBTQ, anti-women’s rights, and anti-science. Pedophilia has also discouraged people from maintaining their church affiliation. 

Based on surveys, the United States is becoming less religious every year. This is finally being reflected in politics. A Congressional Freethought Caucus, formed in 2018 with 4 members, promotes evidence-based public policy and is a forum for secular members of Congress. It now has 12 open members, with more likely to join. There has also been a 900% increase in the number of state legislators who identify with the atheist and humanist community (from 5 in 2016 to over 50 today).

And finally, thanks to the Secular Coalition of America and their Director of Governmental Affairs, Sarah Levin, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) this year embraced American nonbelievers for the first time, adopting a resolution that recognizes their contributions to society. At nearly one quarter of the total U.S. population, nonreligious Americans represent a sizeable voting bloc. This resolution marks the first time a major U.S. political party has specifically courted religiously unaffiliated people across the nation.

The resolution says that the DNC recognizes the value, ethical soundness, and importance of the religiously unaffiliated demographic, a group of Americans who contribute in innumerable ways to the arts, sciences, medicine, business, law, the military, their communities, the success of the Party and prosperity of the Nation; and that religiously unaffiliated Americans are a group that, as much as any other, advocates for rational public policy based on sound science and universal humanistic values and should be represented, included, and heard by the Party.

And looking to the future of freethought, I hope that one day every political party at every governmental level will adopt similar resolutions.

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Dr. Silverman.

Photo by Egor Vikhrev on Unsplash

Indian bookies ‘spot-fixing’ cricket matches across the globe

Shantanu Guha Ray
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Indian bookies ‘spot-fixing’ cricket matches across the globe

Tell us, who is this mysterious person from Punjab, now stationed in Chennai? Officials of the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are asking people as they probe serious spot-fixing charges against a host of people successful in inducing cricketers to underperform and facilitating spot-fixing in a number of T20 cricket leagues in India and abroad.

The person, claim ACU officials, is stationed in Chennai, has a beachfront home, owns a few hotels, hobnobs with some of the topmost film stars of Bollywood and southern states, and had started his career with textiles. The person, who started taking interest in cricket around 2003-4, has expanded his reach and now has a solid grip on the Tamil Nadu Premier Cricket League and Karnataka Premier Cricket League and has done a number of fixings already. The ACU is investigating if he was the same person deported from the West Indies after it was revealed that an Indian was allegedly fixing matches with his Pakistani friend in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). In CPL, the Indian bookie allegedly approached a Pakistani cricketer. Now, the CPL is largely owned by Indian stakeholders, with Shah Rukh Khan being the biggest, who owns the Trinbago Knight Riders. This year’s Caribbean Premier League was won by Barbados Tridents, who beat Guyana Amazon Warriors in the final.

What is both interesting and intriguing is that the particular team owner hails from South India and his exile was informed to the other owners of the franchise.

This Chennai-based person in question is rich, powerful.

“He works very closely with cricketers’ families, even relatives and takes care of them throughout the year. The players are ready to open up to him, spot-fix matches for him. He is very, very big,” a senior BCCI functionary told this reporter. The BCCI official said the matter is serious and has the BCCI, the world’s richest cricket board, tied up in knots. Officials of the board, which recently basked in the glory of hosting the first day and night test with the pink ball—en event which even turned Kolkata into a pink city—are justifiably worried because all fingers point toward three nations: India, Bangladesh and Pakistan where spot-fixing is rampant, so is betting.

Spot-fixing is gripping the world’s richest cricket board every now and then. Such is the crisis that organisers of the state T20 leagues have, claimed the BCCI official, openly started dealing with bookies and fixers. “Both the BCCI and ICC need to have an iron grip on the situation, else the subcontinent will be the game’s biggest hub for illegal cash,” said the official, speaking on condition that he should not be named.

The Dubai-based ICC is justifiably worried that the majority of the bookies in cricket are emerging from India. Bangladesh’s top player Shakib Al Hasan got banned for two years last month after he was in touch with a seasoned Indian bookie, Deepak Aggarwal.

The star all-rounder, who is also the country’s Test and T20 skipper, could not make it to India for the recently concluded test series. His being involved in fixing has now compounded problems of the Bangladesh Cricket Board. The BCB is now taking stringent measures to protect the Bangladesh Premier League (now renamed Bangabandhu BPL) from India bookies. Shakib told the ICC that he had been receiving offers from Indian bookies, especially Aggarwal. The cricketer told the BCB that he did not report to the ICC’s ACU. What is interesting is that Aggarwal was arrested in Raigarh in 2017 along with two of his supporters and put behind bars. After getting out of jail, Aggarwal is back in business and was reportedly instrumental in the suicide of Indian cricketer Vijay Kumar, who left a note before committing suicide that he had borrowed Rs 500,000 from an Indian bookie and was unable to return the cash. The cricketer had also blamed Aggarwal of threatening him into placing bets.

ICC ACU chief Alex Marshall is on record saying Indian bookies were openly operating across the globe. “In most parts of the world it is mostly corrupt Indian bookies,” Marshall said. Corruption in cricket has dominated headlines ever since the much-publicised match-fixing saga hit Indian cricket in the early 2000s. The ICC fears that dubious operators were shaping new ways to stay in business and instead of only focusing on ODI, T20 and test matches, they are now shifting their attention on franchise-based leagues to mint cash. The extradition from London of a top Indian bookie, Sanjay Chawla, is awaited by Indian investigators.


Pakistani leg spinner Danish Kaneria had admitted to his role in spot-fixing in 2018.
Kaneria named a bookie of Indian origin, Anu Bhat, who had asked him to concede 12 runs in the first over of an English county game in 2009. (Photo: AP)

The involvement of Indian bookies is making the game’s controlling body sit up and take notice. For the record, the ICC is worried about the way Indian bookies are openly operating across cricket playing nations. Consider the case of Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, who accepted charges of spot-fixing after years of denial, in 2018. Kaneria named a bookie of Indian origin, Anu Bhat, who had asked him to concede 12 runs in the first over of an English county game in 2009. The scandal led to the imprisonment of Kaneria’s former Essex teammate, Mervyn Westfield. And then, Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful—banned for eight years for his involvement in the Bangladesh Premier League spot fixing scandal—was lured into fixing by an Indian bookie. Worse, Dhaka Gladiators’ CEO Gaurav Rawat, an Indian living in Myanmar, also won a team in Sri Lanka Premier League, both marred by allegations of corruption.

The Indian angle in fixing in the world of cricket is becoming a matter of serious concern.

Already, Sanyam Gulati of Haryana is under arrest on charges of influencing KPL player Bhavesh Gulecha to spot-fix some of the matches in the 2019 Karnataka Premier League. Investigations are on even as Gulati has claimed he was functioning as an informer of the ACU of BCCI and that he paid Gulecha Rs 75,000 only to collect evidence for ACU. Gulati even named BCCI manager for anti-corruption Anshuman Upadhyay as his friend and said Upadhyay was kept in the loop about approaches to KPL players. Upadhyay has rubbished the claim, so have the cops in Chennai. It is more or less clear that Gulati worked with players participating in the Caribbean Premier League, Karnataka Premier League and Tamil Nadu Premier League and allegedly fixed a large number of matches. The modus operandi of the bookies has shocked the cops. Preliminary investigations have revealed that bookies were interacting with agents of the players, journalists who were being hired by news channels as guest commentators, cameramen of broadcasting channels, team owners and eventually, cricketers themselves. Look at the statement of the Bengaluru Crime Branch after Sanyam’s arrest: “International bookie Sanyam has been arrested. He is a resident of Haryana. He was absconding in the West Indies. An LoC (Look Out Circular) was issued. He is arrested in the case of match-fixing by (celebrity drummer) Bhavesh Bafna.”

The Bengaluru Police has formed a Special Investigation Team Central Crime Branch (CCB) to probe the scandal. Seven people have been arrested already. An LOC (Look Out Circular) has been issued against the Bellary Tuskers team owner Arvind Venkatesh Reddy in connection with the case, while Belagavi Panthers owner Asfak Ali Thara had been arrested earlier. Two cricket players, C.M. Gautam and Abrar Kazi were also recently arrested in connection with the scandal.

These are serious charges, especially in a nation where the game is almost a religion. For the records, the Tamil Nadu league is played at the iconic Chepauk Stadium and features top players like R. Ashwin, Vijay Shankar, Murali Vijay, Dinesh Karthik and Washington Sundar, among others. The league was inaugurated by former Indian skipper M.S. Dhoni. Star India is the official broadcasters of former international cricketers like Matthew Hayden, Brett Lee, Scott Styris, Michael Clark, and David Hussey as commentators.

“Bookies are making deals which are very, very scary. They are actually taking control of these leagues across states, across nations by corrupting franchisee owners and running teams in their way to make windfall gain in betting. This is serious and can compromise such leagues,” said the BCCI official.

The other disturbing factor emerging out of this fixing business involving Indian bookies is disputes over payments. Bookies from India are rarely keeping their commitment and often disappear for long after making windfall gains. “The issue came to light when some Bollywood stars made some discreet calls to check out about lost payments. Spot fixing and illegal betting are sucking many into a dead hole. This needs to be checked, and eventually stopped,” said the official.

BCCI’s ACU chief Ajit Singh, a former cop from Rajasthan, is on top of the crisis and is aware that players are being approached by the bookies. Singh told a newspaper that a detailed investigation is on. But those tracking such cases as outsiders feel that ICC does not have the clout or power to clean the game of such elements. Nor it has the financial prowess like the FIFA, which utilised the services of Scotland Yard to clean similar issues impacting global football.

“Internal investigations by ICC and BCCI will lead this nowhere,” said a former Indian cricket captain. He said BCCI should have taken a cue from the 2010 spot-fixing scandal in England involving four Pakistani players. It was the time when Scotland Yard probed the case and reached to some logical conclusions.

Till that happens with ICC and BCCI, spot-fixing will be tough to control and contain. The biggest problem is that there is no law in India against match or spot-fixing. This inability of the Board—claimed the former skipper—contributed to bookies convincing KPL, TNPL and other players that there was low-risk, easy money to be made.

Courtesy: Sunday Guardian

Imran-Bajwa power play and web of deceit will have serious consequences

Jaibans Singh
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Imran-Bajwa power play and web of deceit will have serious consequences

The perfidious power play in Pakistan has attained a notorious, dishonourable status. Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa continues as Pakistan’s Army Chief while the Imran Khan government is left to grapple with the directions given by the Supreme Court of the country. This web of deceit smelled rotten right from the word go and has, not surprisingly, left the main protagonists (Imran Khan and Bajwa) with egg on their faces.

The basic fault line in the drama has been highlighted by Pakistan Supreme Court most lucidly. “If the [regional security] situation is so then the army as a whole body can deal with the situation, not the individual. If this criterion is allowed then every individual in the army can demand an extension on the same grounds,” said Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Chief Justice of Pakistan, in what can be termed as the most telling indictment of the decision to extend the tenure of the Pakistan Army Chief.

A fair assessment would lead to a conclusion that, under Gen. Bajwa, the Pakistan Army has attained its weakest position ever, both professionally and as virtual rulers of the country.  It has completely lost the initiative in Kashmir from where it got its sustenance. It has antagonised its biggest ally, America, and as a result is suffering a crippling resource crunch with no aid or weapons coming in. It has also completely lost its hold in Afghanistan as a mediator and in relations with the Taliban. Bajwa has been unable to leverage on the good work done by the previous chiefs in containing internal militancy and, as a result, the internal security situation has deteriorated considerably.  

Bajwa has been openly accused by opposition politicians of electoral manipulation, meddling in politics, suspension of civil liberties and muzzling of the media to help Khan win elections last year. There is no reason to disbelieve these allegations. Imran Khan became prime minister with support of Gen. Bajwa and will remain so as long as the support remains. He, therefore, has mooted for the extension to save his own chair which is getting shaky. He knows that the best way to ensure continuity is to back a known horse; there is no knowing what a new Pak Army Chief would do. Under the circumstances, there are not many takers to the argument of “continuing tension with India over Kashmir” that Imran Khan is giving to justify the extension.

Further, there are many associated factors that also need to be considered, and the main is the fear that this word “Bajwa” strikes in the hearts of all Pakistanis. The Jurist Foundation had challenged the extension of Gen Bajwa and the petition had been filed by a person named Raiz Rahi. The petitioner developed cold feet almost immediately and sought to withdraw the application. The Chief Justice, however, rejected the withdrawal and took up the petition as a public interest litigation under Article 184. In a second equally bizarre episode, the law minister of the federal government, Farogh Naseem, resigned in order to represent Gen. Bajwa in the court. Hussain was terrified at the prospect of becoming a scapegoat in the entire fiasco and he genuflected in the most demeaning way, simply to save himself. These two instances indicate the reign of terror that at present has enveloped Pakistan under the watch of Gen. Bajwa and Imran Khan.

Interestingly, a section of Pakistan’s media is most courageously supporting the Supreme Court and more and more voices are being heard against the decision of the government. “This is without a doubt the most shambolic episode in the PTI government’s tenure so far,” says an editorial in Dawn, a leading English Daily of Pakistan. “Surely there are other officers more than capable of leading the army. General Bajwa’s next step will determine whether he is thinking of himself or his institution,” it adds.

So sure was Gen. Bajwa of his unassailable position that he had already brought about wide ranging changes in the military hierarchy to suit his extension. He has appointed Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, as his new Chief of General Staff (CGS). General Mirza will be the senior-most among those eligible to become Army Chief after General Bajwa retires in 2022. Getting him on to his side was very crucial indeed to offset Lieutenant General Sarfaraz Sattar, who was poised to take over as Chief and will now retire on being superseded. The Corps Commanders have also been shuffled. Obviously, Gen. Bajwa was afraid of an internal backlash from the Pak Army which has propelled him into making these changes. That some in the army are backing the action taken by the Supreme Court is not beyond the realm of reality.

The Supreme Court may have given Gen. Bajwa some respite but the matter is unlikely to end here. The court has announced the extension of six months on the basis of an assurance given by the government that it will, within this period, make the required amendments in Article 243 of the Constitution and specify the appointment, extension and tenure of the Army Chief. This is easier said than done. Even if the PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) led government can muster the numbers to get the amendment through, the opposition will subject it to a loud and acrimonious debate. The end result will be Pakistan Army’s coming into public discussion for the first time, something that may strengthen democracy in the country but will damage the “holy cow” status of its establishment.

There remains no doubt that this self-serving move will dent the image of Pakistan Army and weaken it considerably. The hollowness of the incumbent government also stands exposed. And the situation can best be explained as a “lull before the storm.” The ultimate outcome is bound to leave Pakistan weakened and unstable. This opens the possibility of external aggression to offset internal issues, whereby, India will be adversely impacted. It is time to consolidate security in Kashmir and other parts of the country too.

Pakistan Army abducts four women in fresh crackdown in Balochistan

News Intervention Bureau
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Pakistan Army abducts four women in fresh crackdown in Balochistan

Pakistan Army has abducted four Baloch women and a boy, who is the son of one of these women during two separate illegal raids in the Awaran district of Balochistan. All women and the boy are now “missing”.

Local residents say that the Pakistan Army personnel attacked a house in Haroni Dunn area of ​​Awaran district on Friday night and arrested the women. They added that these “personnel from Pakistani Army have disappeared the women along with her son”.

These “abducted and disappeared” women have been identified as Bibi Sakina and Bibi Saeeda. Local residents explained that Sajid Baloch, who is the son of Bibi Sakina, was also forcibly abducted on November 25 by Pakistani security forces and has now been “disappeared” along with his mother and one another women.

In a similar and related incidence, Pakistan armed forces attacked Mir Liaqat Sajdi’s house in the Peerandar Zeelag area of ​​Awaran district at midnight on Friday and took two women of his family into illegal custody. These two women have also now “disappeared” with no whereabouts of them available anywhere. The women are Bibi Nazal and Bibi Hameeda, sister of Mir Liaquat Sajidi.

Bibi Nazal and Bibi Hameeda who have been illegally abducted by Pakistan Army in Balochistan

Pakistan Army has been continuing these forced abductions, inhuman disappearances and several other atrocities across Balochistan for the last several decades. Armed forces of the Pakistan Army forcibly enter inside Balochistan homes, misbehave with women and abduct innocent people including women and children at their whim. It’s rather strange that mainstream Pakistani media never reports these crime and illegal abductions. International human rights organisations have also chosen to stay mum over gross human rights violations in Balochistan. Various local reports suggest that Pakistan Army is guilty of abducting and forcefully disappearing around 40,000 Baloch nationals.

Magic Bullet to Revive the Indian Economy

Tulsi Tawari
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Magic Bullet to Revive the Indian Economy

Earlier this week, India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman painstakingly tried to convince the nation through her statement in the Parliament that the economy has slowed, and is not in recession. Coming directly from the government, it is indeed a matter of concern. There can be no magic to reverse the slowdown, yet that’s exactly what everyone is hoping for.

However, this magic is possible through one major correction which is long overdue, yet it’s the least talked about.

There is one big-ticket industry, which affects every family, both in the urban and rural areas: Housing, Construction and Real Estate. India’s real estate and construction is one such industry that creates demand for hundreds of other small and large industries. And these industries range from the heavy weights such as steel and cement to light industries such as electrical, fabric and furniture, among others. For comparison, what the automobile or car industry means to the American economy, is what construction, housing and real estate means to the Indian economy.

At present, India’s real estate is suffering not due to a lack in consumer demand, but primarily because of “very high prices,” which the masses cannot afford. Fortunately, policy correction (no, I am not advocating for any fresh fund allocation) can reverse this scenario and trigger a strongest recovery ever in the country, not merely for short-term, rather for a few decades. This is possible, as the entire country needs to be rebuilt, city-after-city (particularly the Tier-2 and Tier-3), village-by-village, both in the private and public spaces.

The three key questions which needs to be answered before this magic bullet can be fired for economic revival in India.

1) What is the right affordable price for a house?

2) How do we ensure that these affordable housing prices become viable for the industry as a whole?

3) How much GDP growth can be expected through this one move?

Well, answer to the first question is simple arithmetic, which one can compute on fingertips. For this we need to consider the prevailing monthly rents. A large majority of people who rent (or, may like to buy their own house if it’s affordable) pay ₹25,000/- to ₹50,000/- per month as rent for one to three bedroom dwelling in suburban metros and ₹10,000/- to ₹25,000/- in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. At an interest of around 9% per year, the value of these houses could vary from ₹35 lakh to ₹70 lakh in metros, and approximately ₹15 lakh to ₹30 lakh in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. One may put a premium of 20 to 25% for being the owner of a house and raise these prices a bit. But the big point is that affordable prices for a house are about half when compared to the current level of prevailing prices. Full demand (15-20 lakhs houses per year in urban areas alone) is worth about ₹10 lakh crore for houses alone. This lone example gives an idea of the magnitude of growth in real estate and housing sector.

The answer to second question about ways to reach affordable price levels, may appear to be a non-starter to many; but that is where the “true solution” to Indian economy lies. To appreciate this as a solution, one needs to pay attention as to how land and housing prices rose exorbitantly in the first place. If we go back to the year 2004, which is not too long ago, prices for 1-to-3 bedroom apartments were in the range of ₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh in metropolitan cities, and ₹4 lakh to ₹8 lakh in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. How did these prices increase by 1000%, merely in a decade by 2014?

It can be said with conviction that speculative price increase of real estate between 2004 to 2014 was the greatest economic fraud, the nation has ever experienced. An astounding 100% increase every year! Incidentally, this is the same period, when banks disbursed huge corporate loans of over ₹15 lakh crore, much of which has eventually turned into NPAs (Non-Performing Assets). NPAs are termed as bad loans in common parlance or better called as ‘loan-defaults’. Much of this is commonly viewed today as telephone-banking frauds. Worst affected by these speculation are the youth who now face a situation where owning a house has become a distant dream. In fact, around 95% of the population is unable to afford a house today.

The big point is why did these phenomenal speculations did not raise an eyebrow. The reason is very simple. In real estate, even if one house sells at a hefty price in a colony, price of every other house in the area is considered to have been increased. Who dislikes, if told that price of their existing land or house has increased by 5-10 times in its value, provided they could sell it! People carrying notional value of the only house they own, in their mind, also forget that to acquire additional room for a growing family they would now need to pay ₹50 lakh instead of the earlier ₹5 lakh. Those who talk of shortage of supply being the reason for such price increase, need to note that not even 0.1% of existing stock of land and houses are really traded fresh.

In this context, following actions that are essentially policy decisions (not requiring financial outlays by the government) can trigger a fresh addition of more than 5% in India’s GDP, with almost immediate effect.

1) Government should make parts of government land in every city available at prices a little higher than 2004, for housing purpose. Remember, price depression of one house will bring down prices of every other house in the area. A quick, back-of-the-envelope estimate suggests that every 10% reduction in real estate price, can add more than 1% to the national GDP. Compared to the 10-folds price rise during 2004-14, the fall in current prices by half may not look so bad, after all. However, even after correction, real estate prices would be 5-times compared to the price of 2004. But people will accept this gladly.

2) Registration charges in real estate should be waived off for the next 2 to 3 years.

3) Income tax deductions for purchase of “first home”, should be allowed to the extent of 100% of payment.

The only people who would feel hurt to some extent are those who have purchased their first homes at the higher speculative price during the past decade. But even they would find it far easier to buy a bigger home, once affordable. Besides home owners, SMEs (small & medium enterprises) and budding entrepreneurs would benefit immensely. Reduced land and house costs will bring about overall cost reduction in prices of all kinds of daily-use commodities, ranging from vegetables, grains, etc. while adding huge employment at all levels, for unskilled to highly skilled.

Indian economy has slowed down due to the bursting of speculative bubbles, created during 2004-14 and not because of GST (Goods and Services Tax) or even demonetisation. It’s time, we correct this fraud, through simple policy interventions and put India on high road to prosperity for all.

Pak Army’s ISPR works tirelessly to conceal their military casualties

Nilesh Kunwar
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Pak Army’s ISPR works tirelessly to conceal their military casualties

The good thing about Pakistan Army’s media wing Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) is that it never disappoints those who are looking for a good laugh. Remember how after the post Balakot aerial combat, Director General (DG) ISPR Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor announced with great flourish that “our ground forces arrested two (Indian Air Force) pilots; one of them was injured and has been shifted to CMH (Combined Military Hospital) and, God-willing, he will be taken care of.” It seems that God answered Maj Gen Ghafoor’s prayer and had really “taken care” of the injured pilot, because by evening, this pilot simply vanished from the face of the earth without any trace and hasn’t been heard of ever since!

Then, on the same day, DGISPR went on to vehemently deny that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had used US supplied F-16 fighter jets during its February 27 foray across the Line of Control (LoC). However, even when IAF displayed remnants of AIM-120 C-5 AMRAAM air-to-air missile that can only be fired from an F-16, DGISPR didn’t give up and continued to stand by his statement. But on April 1, he suddenly made a U-turn by saying “Even if F-16 have been used as at that point in time complete PAF was airborne including F-16s, the fact remains that Pakistan Air Force shot down two Indian jets in self-defence.” This admission once again revived the issue that a PAF F-16 being downed by IAF on February 27.

Surprisingly, just four days later, Foreign Policy, an American news publication carried an article quoting “two senior US defense officials with direct knowledge of the situation” as saying that US personnel had counted the F-16 of PAF after the February 27 aerial combat and found none ohttps://foreignpolicy.com/2019/04/04/did-india-shoot-down-a-pakistani-jet-u-s-count-says-no/f them missing. It went on to say that “The findings directly contradict the account of Indian Air Force officials, who said that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman managed to shoot down a Pakistani F-16 before his own plane was downed by a Pakistani missile.” This report should have vindicated Maj Gen Ghafoor’s claim, but rather than settle the issue once for all, its contents and subsequent developments made his assertions appear all the more suspicious. 

For one, the article didn’t name the two officials, which is intriguing as the magazine said it was Pakistan that had invited the US to physically count its F-16 planes after the incident as part of an end-user agreement signed when the foreign military sale was finalised. Therefore, there was nothing secretive about US auditing the holding of F-16s of PAF that necessitated anonymity. Secondly, it’s quite unlikely that “two senior US defence officials” would indulge in speculation just to ratify DGISPR’s stance by saying “It is possible that in the heat of combat, Varthaman, flying a vintage MiG-21 Bison, got a lock on the Pakistani F-16, fired, and genuinely believed he scored a hit.”

However, the knockout blow came when Pentagon confirmed that it was “not aware” of US carrying out any such audit of F-16s!

But Maj Gen Ghafoor’s latest tweet claiming that the Indian Army had lost more than 60 soldiers along the LoC since February 27 suggests that ISPR hasn’t learnt anything despite its monumental failures of the past. But with India using its special forces, air force and long-range artillery to pulverise terrorist camps located inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), DGISPR has no other option but to exaggerate Indian Army casualty figures to such an extent that public opinion at home is diverted. The Indian Army, no doubt, has been suffering casualties due to ceasefire violations along the LoC, but unlike Pakistan Army which has a proven record of concealing its fatalities, the Indian Army doesn’t have any such perverted proclivity.

Remember how during the Kargil Aar in 1999, Pakistan Army refused to accept the dead bodies of its soldiers killed in combat? In fact, such has been Pakistan Army’s obsession with suppressing data on fatal battle casualties that in 2017, this issue was hotly debated in the Upper House of Pakistan Parliament and what transpired there was downright comical. During a discussion on the situation along the LoC, senators were shocked when the Minister of State for Power who was speaking on behalf of the Defence Minister only gave out the details of civilian casualties, clarifying that “Pakistan Army wants to withhold the information about the losses suffered by its troops due to security reasons.” This irked six-time Senator and Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani so much that he not only shot back saying “Nothing can be withheld from parliament” but even hit out at the Pakistan Army by saying “Declare us irresponsible people, then (it’ll be) fair enough.” 

Needless to say, Rabbani’s assertion on supremacy of the legislature fell on deaf years as the military stood by its illogical explanation that declaring details of fatal military casualties would compromise Pakistan Army’s security. Consequently, while Rawalpindi celebrated the deaths of Indian soldiers in artillery duels and skirmishes along the LoC, many of its own casualties were denied the respect that are due to martyrs simply because they went unreported. Data of Pakistan Army casualty figures collated by reputed military analysts who have been meticulously monitoring open sources of information reveals that the Pakistan Army has suffered inordinately high casualties after it escalated hostilities after the Balakot airstrike.

One such analysis lists out the names of more than 60 Pakistan Army soldiers along with the date and place where they were killed within just a matter of five weeks during July-August this year. The fact that this handle has been suspended by Twitter clearly indicates that this was done on the complaint of some entity that wasn’t very comfortable with such specific data and this in turn establishes beyond any doubt that the Pakistan Army does have plenty of skeletons in its cupboards when it comes to supressing data on its fatal casualties!

But ISPR would still like us to believe that while the Pakistan Army is bleeding Indian Army dry along the LoC, it itself remains unscathed despite Indian Army’s devasting retaliation and this in itself is a howler that’s beyond compare!   

Tailpiece: Napoleon may have been exaggerating when he said “God fights on the side with the best artillery” but the fact is that this adage is very apt for the LoC. It’s no secret that the guns and munition available to the Indian Army are far more superior in both quality and quantity than what the Pakistan Army has and it’s but natural that being badly outgunned, the Pakistan Army has always been at the receiving end when guns blaze along the LoC. That’s why, when Gen Pervez Musharraf declared a unilateral ceasefire along the LoC in 2003 even after having had to bite the dust in Kargil, it was not out of any goodwill or his quest for peace, but purely to reduce the humungous casualties that the Pakistan Army was suffering!

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