War and peace on the Indian subcontinent - A class perspecti [Archive]

Ian

24th May 2003, 13:05

I quite enjoyed reading this article Com. Kamo, it doesn't say anything very contraversial from a theoretical point of view in my mind, some pedant may find something to explore, but not me.

Much of it was just a good collection of facts, and this was quite informative and disturbing

In Pakistan 10,000 people are falling into the abyss below the poverty line every day. More and more people are being forced into inhuman existence. This is also the least gender sensitive region in the world. Child labour is a social norm. Medieval and pre-medieval forms of exploitation like slavery and bonded labour still flourish. In fact the subcontinent can be termed as a living museum of historical materialism.

A very interesting point is made towards the end about war not being a good option for the rulers of India and Pakistan

The history of the last three decades clearly reveals that the situation has become so fragile and dangerous that the ruling classes of India and Pakistan can't afford to go to war.

...and a more pertinent point that applies the world wide...

The recent issue of The Economist states, "In fact, senior Indian politicians now admit in private, war was never seriously contemplated." So what was the game? With a million troops amassed along the border more than a billion impoverished and desecrated souls were tormented and agonised with the threat of war and devastation. Billions extracted from the blood, sweat and tears of the working people were extravagantly dished out for their 'preparations of war'. This farcical, as well as tragic, act of escalation and de-escalation was played only to quell the rising tide from below and to distract the oppressed masses from taking the road of their own emancipation.

(Edited by Ian Rocks at 1:06 pm on May 24, 2003)