The Absent State- Book Review

THE ABSENT STATE is an appreciable effort to encapsulate all forms of insurgencies India is battling against. The  book provides an unbiased view and tries to cover every aspect of an insurgency area that breaks the general perceptions of an outsider. The whole book is divided into three sections. It shells the Naxal affected areas, the millitancy in Kashmir and the most serious ethnic insurgency in Northeast. It obliges the reader to realize that real India doesn't reside in metropolitan cities like Delhi and Mumbai rather in villages where basic needs are far from  the reach of the residents.It throws light on the prevailing huge gap between BPL and IPL of India. It talks about how insurgency is used as an excuse for misgovernance. 

Various schemes announced, but merely announced, in any case if implemented, than corruption overpowers their implementation. Result is obvious, people are deprived of  basic requirements such as education, roads, drinking water, employment opportunites and food to eat.This rift created between the government and the common people which is been filled and most of the times misused by the insurgents & millitants.The politicisation of small issues has worsen the situation and resulted into a disaster. Although, to put the vast insurgency issue in a nutshell is an extremely difficult task but the authors have tried their best to present an unprejudiced sight to avoid it to be seen through a single bigoted lens. The book is a good read for those who want to see the true picture behind the excuse called 'Insurgency'.

penned by Anubha.

Democracy Seeking A Chance In Egypt.

After Yemen, Jordan, Tunisia, it's Egypt which is on fire now. People are protesting strongly at Liberation square demanding the ouster of their President.  However, President of Egypt Mr. Hosni Mubarak has refused to step down stating -"I am fed up, but if I quit now there'll be chaos". Obliquely, he wanted to suggest that Egyptians have only left with two choices, either Mubarak or an unbearable chaos.Democracy is not even considered as an option by him. He fears that the conservative Islamic Muslim Brotherhood may take over the country in case he gives in.

On January 14, 2011, Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted after series of demonstrations and riots by the people of Tunisia those were started over unemployment , food inflation, corruption , freedom of speech and poor living conditions in December last year. The protests on such legitimate issues are spreading across the Arab world. People are raising their voices against their authoritarian rulers and the rage is obvious. 

The Arabs are the world's most injured civilization. They don't have leaders whom they can look up to. The EIU Democracy Index 2010 shows that out of 20 Arab countries, 16 are authoritarian. Apart from those 16, Iraq and Jordan are extremely chaotic and are flooded with corruption. Countries like Sudan, Egypt , Jordan and Syria are among the poorest. Even if economic reforms happened, they only upgraded the elite ones and led to an authoritarian rule. Sorbonne's Burhan Ghalioun, a great scholar defines these rulers as ' corrupt elites backed by Western countries'. Such a dictatorial regime, though a distorted one was supported by West to control Islamic militancy which is actually its own baby. The Bush administration's policy of 'Democracy by invasion' after 9/11 has further accentuated the anger of the people and they don't want themselves to be mere puppets in the hand of US.

In the middle of all this, the people of Egypt have preferred to revolt without militancy which should be appreciated. People are defying curfews, not willing to be fooled by their rulers, determined to their cause. Even Egyptian Army is neutral and not taking action against the protesters.The power of unity among citizens have done what the years of militancy had been unable to achieve.The  slogan powered by Islamic Muslim Brotherhood- " Islam is the solution" is replaced with  " Tunisia is the solution" by demonstrations at Tahrir (Liberation) Square. Egyptians have valid reasons to revolt. 

The world can't afford the Arabs to struggle for Democracy. Half of the 350 million of total Arab population is under 30 and economically underdeveloped. They have extensive fossil fuel reservoirs but their politics have kept them at the back foot. India has diplomatically supported the Egyptians in hushed voice. It's required that 

pro-democratic voice should not be too low that it can't be heard. The people of Egypt are looking at secularism rather than extremism.They want democracy rather than conservative Islamism. Their revolution is driven by faith but is not governed by it. They are giving a chance to democracy, it's time for the world to give them a chance to achieve it. 

Penned by-

Anubha Shukla.