Following the terror attacks on Mumbai, only a handful of Pakistanis have been willing to come out in public to condemn the terrorists responsible and acknowledge how their country has become a breeding ground for Islamist extremists and suicide bombers.

In fact judging from comments published in the Pakistani media, the overwhelming majority believe Mumbai was the product of a deep seated conspiracy hatched by wicked Hindu minds. This is the same kind of thinking that blames a Jewish conspiracy for the 9/11 tragedy in the U.S.

The kind of argument that is being played out among Pakistanis rests on two basic principles. First, that one of the terrorists captured on film in Mumbai was clearly wearing an orange wrist band, orange being the colour loved by orthodox Hindus. This terrorist, so the theory goes, must have been a Hindu disguised as a Muslim.

The second principle is that Mumbai's anti- terrorist chief, Hemant Karkare, was gunned down in a dark alley by one of his own men controlled by a Hindu extremist group. The reason: Karkare was investigating anti Muslim atrocities and therefore could not be allowed to live. When the two theories are joined together they come up with any number of startling conclusions that make Indian Hindus responsible for what happened in Mumbai.

Given this delusional mindset, it was refreshing to see that Pakistan's leading rock band has delayed the launch of their much-awaited album in India in the light of the Mumbai tragedy. Roxen, due to release their debut album in India on December 15, are said to feature the original rock version of the successful Tera mera rishta purana track from Mukesh Bhatt's 2007 release, Awarapan. The band was scheduled to fly to Mumbai for the promotion of the release and concurrently work on some film assignments that they have reportedly signed up.

The band's lead vocalist Mustafa Zahid commented, 'It's not the right time for us to release an album knowing what India has gone through. I would love to take my band across cities in India to do a peace show and involve members of the film and music community from India with whom I have worked with in the past but that seems difficult at the moment. Therefore, we have delayed the release of the album in India and Pakistan and will announce a re-scheduled date very soon.'

He said, 'I would like to add that it's not the nations that hate each other but certain political faces and agencies. Terrorists have no religion and it's sad for them to think that jannat (heaven) is a result of jihad.'

Zahid does not go as far as a leading Pakistani intellectual settled in the West who was recently sounded out for a job in the Zardari administration.
The intellectual who cannot be named for his own safety commented about the extremists in a personal blog, saying, 'We need to take them out, or if we cannot do it, or will not do it because we are terrorised by our own so-called 'intelligence' agencies and a blowback, we need to quietly ask the American's to do it for us with their Predators. A couple of dozen Hellfire should do the trick. If it doesn't, we need to keep pounding them with more Hellfire until they vaporise and every 'camp' is destroyed in Pakistan and our part of Kashmir. 

'Then the entire Pakistani nation should rise up and come together and say 'enough, is enough'. We need to condemn this virulent, galloping cancer that is eating at the vitals of our beloved country — that beautiful and promising country that your father and mine built which has now been reduced to being 'the most dangerous place on earth'.

'This is destroying us. It is taking us nowhere except giving us a bad name. Pakistan is now a heaven for breeding terrorists and lunatics who hate and kill in the name of Allah and Islam. Which Islam is this? Is this the Islam you and I learnt as children from our parents where the high-point is 42 virgins who are waiting to entertain us on the condition that we can blow up the maximum number of innocent people?

'Presumably if we haven't been given the Islamic opportunity to kill the maximum number of innocent people in our lifetime, including, especially, children and the elderly, we don't get the virgins? I guess people like you and me are out of luck.  

'Sometimes I am deeply ashamed to call myself a Muslim. It makes me nauseous.

PS. By the way, what is one supposed to do with 42 eager virgins? Or is it 72? Sounds daunting to me but Thank Heaven for Viagra.'

Tata, Mandelson to talk JLR

The future of India's most prestigious investment in the UK is in the hands of two men who seemingly are separated by vast personal and national differences that set them apart.

The investment in question is for Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) that was bought early last year by India's Tata Motors that are part owned by Ratan Tata.
The global economic downturn that threatens the future of car manufacturers worldwide has also affected JLR, which has applied for emergency British government aid to avoid serious production cutbacks and massive lay offs.

The key British official who could make all the difference between survival and closure is cabinet minister Peter Mandelson who, as Business Secretary, has assembled a team of economic experts to tell him how to respond to JLR's request for a financial assistance package worth £500 million.

At some stage in the next few weeks, and almost certainly during his forthcoming visit to India, Lord Mandelson will need to negotiate face- to- face with Tata himself who is revered in India as the country's most acceptable face of successful business.

Mandelson is considerably younger than the 70 year old Tata and the two men have grown up in different cultures and on different continents. Beneath the surface the two bachelors have considerably more in common than is immediately apparent.

Each is an icon in his own field of specialisation and both are determined to avoid an outcome that could result in the loss of 15,000 JLR jobs as well as tens of thousands more that are part of the JLR supply chain.

Latest indications are that a small British government rescue package being assembled over the Christmas period will be supplemented in 2009 by a larger and more ambitious support proposal.

What Mandelson and his officials want to see is how much more Tata is prepared to invest in the long term in return for immediate government help. Tata's argument that his worldwide empire of car and steel making has been badly hit by the recession has not been well received in London where officials say JLR's management cannot and should not expect something for nothing.

What Mandelson and his officials want to see is how much more Tata is prepared to invest in the long term in return for immediate government help. Tata's argument that his worldwide empire of car and steel making has been badly hit by the recession has not been well received in London where officials say JLR's management cannot and should not expect something for nothing.

Ex-valet defends Earl's repute

Claims that the last Viceroy of India enjoyed a racy private life that would not have been tolerated if it had ever become public have been vigorously denied by the former valet of Lord Louis Mountbatten.

At the centre of the allegations are the claims that Lord Mountbatten was a homosexual who also participated in orgies organised by his sexually voracious wife, Edwina, a friend and confidante of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Now ex- valet William Evans has written in a letter to the British media, 'I was sad to read salacious details about Lord and Lady Mountbatten. I was particularly disgusted at the suggestion Lord Mountbatten was seen visiting a rent boys' brothel.

'I can assure you that Lord Louis was a great man in every sense and any lady who associated with him would have been more than satisfied.'

Evans' defence of Mountbatten follows the sensational screening of a UK television documentary that deals in the first instance with the indiscretions of Edwina, described as the 'bisexual' last Vicerine of India.

The documentary screened towards the end of November explained how the black American actor and singer, Paul Robeson, was wrongly identified as Edwina's lover, whereas her true, lifetime liaison was with the Grenada-born cabaret singer and pianist, Leslie 'Hutch' Hutchinson. He was the recipient from Edwina of a jewelled gold cigarette case, a gold ring with her coat of arms engraved on the inside and a gold and diamond watch.

The references to Mountbatten himself are almost incidental to the greater scandals involving his wife who also enjoyed what is described as a 'passionate' relationship with Jawaharlal Nehru. This was long before the daughter of a BBC producer monitored Mountbatten's regular visits to a male brothel in central London.

'In all my years with this great man, I never once saw or heard anything whatever of the slightest homosexual nature,' writes Evans, adding, 'Like all the royal family, Lord Louis was tolerant of all people, of whatever creed or orientation.'

China's $586 billion stimulus plan

The Chinese authorities have taken a leaf out of the book of the West's economic strategy by announcing tax cuts and easier access to credit for real estate developers.

As with so many countries in the West, the property market plays a significant role in the national economy. So the decline in property prices in the current fiscal year is a cause of concern for Beijing, which hopes that a raft of new measures, including reduced taxes and lower interest rates, will provide the necessary stimulus needed for the property market.

Falling steel production as a result of weakening international demand is just one indication of China's expected slower growth. Last November the Chinese authorities made what has been described as their first major strategic intervention in the economy since 2000 by announcing a raft of new infrastructure projects, including new nuclear plants and airports and a new natural gas pipeline in south east China.

The U.S. $ 586 billion plan focuses on public housing, rural and water infrastructure, and transportation, even at the risk of higher national inflation. The new measures have been compared to China's Go West policy of 2000, which led to a massive investment injection and higher growth rates in the western part of the country.

Whether the new measures will do the same again this time around remains to be seen. Meanwhile analysts confirm that China's economic growth in the final quarter of 2008 is sharply down compared to the same period last year.

Hindi newspaper launched

A fortnightly Hindi newspaper Samachar Varta was launched by Mr. S.M. Khan, Additional Director General, Film Festival, in New Delhi on December 24, 2008. A seminar on 'Secular and Democratic Bharat Ke Nirman Mein Media Ka Role' was held alongside at the capital's Ghalib Academy in Hazrat Nizamuddin to mark the paper's launch.

Speaking at the occasion the Chief Guest Mr. Khan expressed concern at the state of present-day media and hoped the new fortnightly would help raise the standard, so vital in a country like India.

The function was presided over by Mr. Ajit Sat-Bhambra, Director, Urdutahzeeb.net, who asked the youth to come forward and safeguard the spirit of secularism in the country.

Several other eminent persons from media and social work spoke on the subject and unanimously hailed the efforts of Mr. Ameeque Jamai, Editor of Samachar Varta. The speakers also said Mr. Jamai has a tough task on hand in maintaining the standards. The function was compered by Mr. M.A. Khalid.

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