Sunday, November 15, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Nandan Nilekani - beyond IT
Nandan Nilekani made headlines when he accepted the offer to head the NAUID. His transition too from the corporate world to government service was pretty seamless. One has to give due credit and realize that maybe he is made of a different material and takes pride in giving back to the society.
For his leadership and planning of the whole project Nilekani was recently felicitated by Yale University with ‘Legend in Leadership Award’. This award, since its inception 20 years ago, has been given to CEOs who serve as living legends and inspire CEOs across nations and industries.
India has traditionally excelled in identifying its citizens in a very mundane way. Let’s face it, Mumbai police were once noted for their exemplary crime solving statistics next only to the legendary Scotland Yard. There have been many approaches by the Govt. of India to come up with a solution to identify each one of its billion plus population. Administering a country which is second most populous in the world is no easy task. There are a multitude of needs and an urgent need for a common identification scheme.
Many countries have implemented their own methods of identification for their citizens, most widely known being the Social Security Number in USA, National Insurance Number in UK, Personal Identity Number in Sweden and Denmark, National Identification Card in Pakistan, Resident Identity Card in China, etc. etc. These countries in many ways have a lot of advantages in managing their subjects. These are used by authorities for domestic peace and national security, by health care providers, by the financial and banking industry and by various insurance industries.
Trouble makers: Inside and out
One of the primary reasons for such identification is for National Security. There are many issues domestic and international which plague India on multiple fronts. Domestically it varies from the J&K unrest, Western Border States international skirmishes with the neighbor, Southern tigers issue till recently before they were wiped out, the vertical corridor of Maoists and North eastern unrest. Add to this the spice of the race in the communal sensitive areas such as Lucknow, Mumbai, Ayodhya, Godhra, Deccan, Coimbatore, J&K, etc and you have the perfect recipe to breed vested interests.
There are many states in India which have regional political leaders who call for regional prominence over national interest, if only it was puritan thoughts of regional development, but alas that is never the case. Many heroes have risen and turned blind eye once greed sets in.
Crimes and abuse of the common man
In India for one has to access a passport there needs to be a Ration Card (Govt. provided document which lists a family and its members with their residence details). Most of the other transactions such as banking, licenses, etc need this document including voting. But since there is no common data base there is a very high possibility of abuse of this document. It is illegal to hold more than one passport or more than one Ration Card in a state, but due to non-viable tracking means, this is a very real situation.
Empowering the oppressed
India’s population even with the decade old liberalization is still a rural and agrarian one. India has one of the highest population densities in the World with about 344 per km. Also due to a large percentage of population still reeling under illiteracy and poverty, there is a very high chance of many potential victims to this menace.
In the recent past, things are changing for the good. There have been some good infrastructure development projects undertaken by the Indian Govt. such as connecting highways and roads across the length and breadth of the country and now the Nation Identification project. Liberalization has resulted in more spending power, more facilities trickling down the system and slowly reaching the common man. But how does the Govt. track this? The National Identification drive will empower them in more ways than one.
The MNIC is a smart card with 16KB of memory designed to be in line with the specifications laid out in ISO/IEC 7816 and SCOSTA. Earlier smart card applications of the Government of India have adapted the ISO/IEC 7816 specifications under the SCOSTA (Smart Card Operating System for Transport Applications) program of the government of India. The cards are designed to support a minimum of 300,000 EEPROM write cycles and will retain data for at least 10 years.
What does the future hold?
The best part of MNIC is that it involves bio metrics. Not even in countries as advanced as the US, has their identification have bio metrics incorporated in it. The plan and vision is to integrate the fingerprints of the person on the card. The process is already underway where the census board is planning on collecting 10 fingerprints and/or iris scan for the upcoming 2011 census. We wish if they can use both the finger print and iris scan for the MNIC. This information is assumed to be tamper proof and will be subject to modification to keep it current at all times.
Will this result in convenience for common man and help for administration remains to be seen. The promise is there but will it stand the test of time and the fickle nature of Indian politics or will it be abused too, only time will tell
For his leadership and planning of the whole project Nilekani was recently felicitated by Yale University with ‘Legend in Leadership Award’. This award, since its inception 20 years ago, has been given to CEOs who serve as living legends and inspire CEOs across nations and industries.
In India for one has to access a passport there needs to be a Ration Card (Govt. provided document which lists a family and its members with their residence details). Most of the other transactions such as banking, licenses, etc need this document including voting. But since there is no common data base there is a very high possibility of abuse of this document. It is illegal to hold more than one passport or more than one Ration Card in a state, but due to non-viable tracking means, this is a very real situation.
Empowering the oppressed
India’s population even with the decade old liberalization is still a rural and agrarian one. India has one of the highest population densities in the World with about 344 per km. Also due to a large percentage of population still reeling under illiteracy and poverty, there is a very high chance of many potential victims to this menace.
In the recent past, things are changing for the good. There have been some good infrastructure development projects undertaken by the Indian Govt. such as connecting highways and roads across the length and breadth of the country and now the Nation Identification project. Liberalization has resulted in more spending power, more facilities trickling down the system and slowly reaching the common man. But how does the Govt. track this? The National Identification drive will empower them in more ways than one.
The MNIC is a smart card with 16KB of memory designed to be in line with the specifications laid out in ISO/IEC 7816 and SCOSTA. Earlier smart card applications of the Government of India have adapted the ISO/IEC 7816 specifications under the SCOSTA (Smart Card Operating System for Transport Applications) program of the government of India. The cards are designed to support a minimum of 300,000 EEPROM write cycles and will retain data for at least 10 years.
Objectives of MNIC
- Remove the need for multiple form of document proof
- Facilitate easy identification of the citizens
- Facilitate easy leverage and usage of both government and private services
- Facilitate accountability in implementing the government welfare programs so they reach the intended beneficiaries
- Serve as a platform for future e-governance services
- Facilitate in preparing National Population Register
- Facilitate in preparing National Register of Indian Citizens
- Facilitate in preparing National Register of Residency for non-citizens
- Facilitate in preparing National Identity Number for each and every citizen
- Create and provide a Multi-purpose National Identity Card to each and every citizen
- Create and provide a Multi-purpose Residency Card for non-citizens
What does the future hold?
The best part of MNIC is that it involves bio metrics. Not even in countries as advanced as the US, has their identification have bio metrics incorporated in it. The plan and vision is to integrate the fingerprints of the person on the card. The process is already underway where the census board is planning on collecting 10 fingerprints and/or iris scan for the upcoming 2011 census. We wish if they can use both the finger print and iris scan for the MNIC. This information is assumed to be tamper proof and will be subject to modification to keep it current at all times.
The card will have the minimum written information and most of it will not be stored on the card, except the fingerprint and unique ID (which will be 16 digits). Initially the plan is to integrate just about 50 million people most of them being volunteers to begin with. First phase is planned to be rolled out in 12 – 18 months.
The whole plan is to implement in phases where the initial phase will cover 9 states and 4 union territories. This includes people living in the coastal villages of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal and the Union Territories of Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Lakshadweep, Pondicherry and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Will this result in convenience for common man and help for administration remains to be seen. The promise is there but will it stand the test of time and the fickle nature of Indian politics or will it be abused too, only time will tell
The Indian-Afghan tango, what next?
The recently concluded elections in Afghanistan have brought about a status quo that is to India’s advantage. Afghanistan went into elections with much fan fare trumpeting the success of democracy and defeat of Al-Qaeda. Little did anyone realize the extent of corruption and scandal that were to unfold. Allegation of wide spread voter fraud, corruption and threat by Taliban were some of the issues that Hamid Karzai had to contend with but eventually managed to win the election unopposed.
What went wrong in the elections and build up to elections?
Elections continued unabated amongst wide spread violence fraud. The independent commission overseeing the election process came out strongly stating that every one in three votes was fraudulent. The commission stated that about 10% votes for Karzai were suspect resulting in his overall tally dropping less than 50% all of which led to the decision to conduct a runoff.
Karzai runs off without a runoff
The West needed the runoff to justify its installation and continued support to Karzai government. The runoff also provided some vindication for the opposition who were all along accusing Karzai of government funded voter fraud. Much to the chagrin of the US, Karzai came out and accepted the allegation of voter fraud.
Given the fledgling democracy of Afghanistan and the faltering steps it is taking towards the establishment of a legitimate peoples’ government, one needs to realize that there will never be an election comparable to the puritan levels of the West. In a country with infrastructure at such infancy it is not prudent to expect transparency given the most recent history of the country.
And so the runoff date was set and it was certain that Karzai would be re-elected. Sensing defeat Abdullah did the expected. He withdrew from the runoff. Karzai was declared the winner unopposed and the runoff cancelled. It could very well trun out that this turn of events is more of a curse than a blessing for Karzai as it puts a big question mark on the legitimacy on his government within and outside Afghanistan. Already Obama faces stiff challenges in convincing his own people to continue supporting the Karzai government not to mention the skepticism in which Karzai is viewed by the European Union countries.
India congratulates
With victory come the wishes. Among the first few to congratulate Karzai on his win was India. In addition to the note of congratulations, Indian foreign ministry stated that it is now the responsibility of the international community to come forward to stand by Afghans, ensure its stability and speed up the development. India also stated that it will stand by the Afghanistan fully committed to its development mainly infrastructure.
India with $1.2 billion is the largest regional donor and among the top 10 worldwide. Since the fall of the Taliban, India has jumped at the opportunity to build consulates within the close proximity of Pakistan border. In total it has opened about 4 consulates at Kandahar, Jalalabad, Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif. Apart from this India has invested heavily by pumping millions and also sending huge delegates of engineers for the development activities. Kabul’s claim of 24 hour electricity supply was largely due to the role and efforts of the Indian engineers. India is working to also put together electricity lines, building hundreds of miles of roads, hospitals, schools and are also helping build the state police.
Influence thru Afghan
India has varying levels of interest for its huge involvement and investment in Afghanistan. Traditionally before the 1947 partition, Indian National Congress was very active in the North West Frontier Province of the now Pakistan bordering Afghanistan. The legendary Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan or Frontier Gandhi was an ardent fan of India. Even today many places in this area of NWFP and in Afghanistan Indian folk songs and music are very popular.
Apart from the cultural interest Afghanistan is strategically located and provides access into West Asia and then into Europe. With its growing economy and clout, India is looking to expand its influence in the region and in the world. To achieve this India needs to show it is a responsible nation and can take care of its responsibility within its own region.
National Security is also another reason why India needs a stable Afghan. India needs a stable Afghanistan to counter Pakistan. This will ensure that the western Indian border is less volatile enabling India to concentrate on pressing internal issues such as development and the China factor.
Next Steps
India needs to increase its trade relations with Afghanistan. Today it is a one way street, a unidirectional flow of funds and resources. But soon when Afghanistan can stand on its own, trade relations with India are bound to improve. Afghan’s rugs, nuts, fruits, etc are very popular in India and both countries share many common traditions. India has already donated the first national aircraft to Afghanistan and can do more in other areas such as sports, exchange programs, bi-lateral ties, etc.
And the big prize…
Once India establishes itself firmly it will have easy access to the Middle East and the oil rich nations. Oil is what drives many a foreign policy these days and India is playing its cards close to its chest. A friendly Afghanistan will open up access to precious oil and India needs oil to satisfy its growing economy. Access to cheaper oil will mean faster and a more sustainable growth and the current tango between the two countries could very well be the start to a long and prosperous relationship.
What went wrong in the elections and build up to elections?
- During the buildup to the elections the national radio of Afghanistan gave the incumbent President Hamid Karzai almost 71% of the total coverage. This meant Karzai got more than a fair share of the much needed publicity and coverage.
- Karzai along with other Presidential nominees had two Vice Presidential nominees. One reason was to include as many local warlords from different regions as possible into the Administration to satisfy the different clans. Unfortunately this meant including many of the warlords identified as renowned drug traffickers. This list also included the notoriously famous half brother of President Karzai – Ahmed Wali Karzai.
- Restricted movement of the candidates due to security threat. Since the incumbent had the Presidential security coverage he was able to and did get an advantage over his political adversaries. All of the remaining candidate movements were severely restricted.
- And then there were the namesake debates. A total of two with Karzai skipping the first accusing bias against him and Abdullah skipping the later one
Elections continued unabated amongst wide spread violence fraud. The independent commission overseeing the election process came out strongly stating that every one in three votes was fraudulent. The commission stated that about 10% votes for Karzai were suspect resulting in his overall tally dropping less than 50% all of which led to the decision to conduct a runoff.
Karzai runs off without a runoff
The West needed the runoff to justify its installation and continued support to Karzai government. The runoff also provided some vindication for the opposition who were all along accusing Karzai of government funded voter fraud. Much to the chagrin of the US, Karzai came out and accepted the allegation of voter fraud.
Given the fledgling democracy of Afghanistan and the faltering steps it is taking towards the establishment of a legitimate peoples’ government, one needs to realize that there will never be an election comparable to the puritan levels of the West. In a country with infrastructure at such infancy it is not prudent to expect transparency given the most recent history of the country.
And so the runoff date was set and it was certain that Karzai would be re-elected. Sensing defeat Abdullah did the expected. He withdrew from the runoff. Karzai was declared the winner unopposed and the runoff cancelled. It could very well trun out that this turn of events is more of a curse than a blessing for Karzai as it puts a big question mark on the legitimacy on his government within and outside Afghanistan. Already Obama faces stiff challenges in convincing his own people to continue supporting the Karzai government not to mention the skepticism in which Karzai is viewed by the European Union countries.
India congratulates
With victory come the wishes. Among the first few to congratulate Karzai on his win was India. In addition to the note of congratulations, Indian foreign ministry stated that it is now the responsibility of the international community to come forward to stand by Afghans, ensure its stability and speed up the development. India also stated that it will stand by the Afghanistan fully committed to its development mainly infrastructure.
India with $1.2 billion is the largest regional donor and among the top 10 worldwide. Since the fall of the Taliban, India has jumped at the opportunity to build consulates within the close proximity of Pakistan border. In total it has opened about 4 consulates at Kandahar, Jalalabad, Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif. Apart from this India has invested heavily by pumping millions and also sending huge delegates of engineers for the development activities. Kabul’s claim of 24 hour electricity supply was largely due to the role and efforts of the Indian engineers. India is working to also put together electricity lines, building hundreds of miles of roads, hospitals, schools and are also helping build the state police.
Influence thru Afghan
India has varying levels of interest for its huge involvement and investment in Afghanistan. Traditionally before the 1947 partition, Indian National Congress was very active in the North West Frontier Province of the now Pakistan bordering Afghanistan. The legendary Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan or Frontier Gandhi was an ardent fan of India. Even today many places in this area of NWFP and in Afghanistan Indian folk songs and music are very popular.
Apart from the cultural interest Afghanistan is strategically located and provides access into West Asia and then into Europe. With its growing economy and clout, India is looking to expand its influence in the region and in the world. To achieve this India needs to show it is a responsible nation and can take care of its responsibility within its own region.
National Security is also another reason why India needs a stable Afghan. India needs a stable Afghanistan to counter Pakistan. This will ensure that the western Indian border is less volatile enabling India to concentrate on pressing internal issues such as development and the China factor.
Next Steps
India needs to increase its trade relations with Afghanistan. Today it is a one way street, a unidirectional flow of funds and resources. But soon when Afghanistan can stand on its own, trade relations with India are bound to improve. Afghan’s rugs, nuts, fruits, etc are very popular in India and both countries share many common traditions. India has already donated the first national aircraft to Afghanistan and can do more in other areas such as sports, exchange programs, bi-lateral ties, etc.
And the big prize…
Once India establishes itself firmly it will have easy access to the Middle East and the oil rich nations. Oil is what drives many a foreign policy these days and India is playing its cards close to its chest. A friendly Afghanistan will open up access to precious oil and India needs oil to satisfy its growing economy. Access to cheaper oil will mean faster and a more sustainable growth and the current tango between the two countries could very well be the start to a long and prosperous relationship.
War within or outside?
Why Jihad?
Having witnessed riots and violence arising out of the fanatics during my childhood, I often wondered if ever there ever will be any solution for these struggles. “Jihad” by definition was coined for the holy war undertaken by the initial followers of Prophet Mohammed to take to arms in protecting and spreading the interests of Islam, overtime it has changed and evolved dramatically. The people who fight these holy wars are called Mujahidin or warriors fighting for freedom. Historically many popular rulers have waged Jihad on the Subcontinent which comprises today’s India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Mujahidin are fighting holy wars all over the world even today, in the nations of Afghanistan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Myanmar, Chechnya, India, Iran, Iraq, Philippines, Somalia, among others. It is speculated that some countries also sponsor the fighters for their personal gains.
Neighbors at loggerhead:
Since independence from the British, the two neighbors – India and Pakistan have been fighting overt and covert wars for over 50 years. There are been consistent attacks on the soils of these two countries for the years culminating in the recent Mumbai attacks in India and Ms. Bhutto assassination in Pakistan. All along the two neighbors have blamed each other for creating and fermenting separatisms within each other’s countries. This blame game has ebbed and troughed the relations and spanned beyond many leaders lives.
Adding to this mix is Afghanistan. Afghanistan holds one of the most important geological locations in the world. Anyone who controls Afghan controls the Silk Road since it is the crossroads between east and west since eons. When Soviet invaded Afghan in 1978, India supported the action being a staunch ally of Soviet. At that point US sided, armed and funded the Afghan Mujahidin to take up arms struggle against the invasion. Once the Soviet withdrew everyone including US forgot Afghan leaving it in tatters and a perfect ground for vested interest groups – warlords. Even though Mohammed Najibullah was at the helm as President, due to the chaos in the Afghan society, the Taliban started gaining prominence. Eventually it captured Kabul in 1996 and Pakistan was one of the three states to recognize it as a legit government.
Elements within and outside army:
Taliban began with a holy intent of fighting the local government lead by Mullah Mohammed Omar. But it later evolved into a society known to implement very strict Shariah Law. Fanatic hatred against the US and western allies drove the Taliban to plot and execute the September 11 massacre in US and soon the entire world turned against them. Bowing to the pressure from US and international community, Pakistan was left no choice but to tow the line and do a complete 360 on the support to Taliban regime. Even though Pakistan is actively fighting Taliban, it is alleged there are numerous officers of rank and file within the army of Pakistan who are against deserting Taliban.
Pakistan’s trapeze act:
Pakistan is right now walking a tight rope since the start of the US led war in 2003. On one end it is trying to block the western border with Afghanistan and on the other it is trying to weed out these elements from its own society who have emerged as sympathizers towards Taliban. Many conservatives view Mullah Omar and Osama as those who stood up against the mighty west and its allies. It is a difficult choice for Pakistan to follow the international war but still pacify its fanatic citizens.
In recent years it has been reported that Taliban and its fanatic supporters with arms have spread far and wide within the society of Pakistan. They have moved down from the mountains of the Afghan-Pak border to the inlands and cities.
Tough road ahead:
Pakistan is staring at quite a few stiff challenges. On one hand, it has to please the international community and ensure not being alienated and at the same time also cannot afford to lose credibility and the hold Pakistan has on Afghanistan. All this while trying to appease the international community that it’s nuclear assets are well protected with a proper chain of command and controls in place is getting to be a juggling act that is coming apart at its seams.
It is alleged in recent reports that some elements in Pakistan have been diverting the terrorists stationed at the western border to the eastern border. It is mentioned that the terrorists are provided with a choice of either join the covert war in Kashmir with India or face jail. Pakistan has also publicly shown its displeasure over India supporting the reconstruction in Afghanistan. India so far has invested in Infrastructure, Health, and other areas to the tune of $1.3 billion. It has already opened multiple consulates showing its interest and influence in the Afghan society. This is particularly not going well with Pakistan as it sees Indian influence in Afghanistan as a potential threat on both sides of its border. It is speculated that Pakistan’s notorious ISI has been covertly trying to destabilize this Indian influence by attacks on Indian citizens, consulates and its interests in Afghanistan.
Does the future look good?
The main challenge in my view Pakistan faces today is to stop thinking India as an enemy both within its military and civilian population and work towards a bilateral relationship. Before the relation went sour, the bilateral economic flow was significantly high with each offering the other the MFN status. In this age of technology and growth, it makes less sense to pursue an age old theme of war. To achieve this Pakistan needs to weed out the fanatic elements within its society and try to please the world over. The same thing also applies to the India and its conservatives/fanatics. Pakistan should stop viewing Kashmir as its problem and focus more on Waziristan and Baluchistan. India on the other hand has lot more its own internal issues to look after.
Both these nations are of same age with similar cultures, interests, cuisines, etc. If the three nations – India, Pakistan and Afghanistan can come together and work towards common development, the pre-independence country can be brought to life. When two Germanys can merge why cannot the two countries? It is a tricky situation to be in – to fight a big war within and also a war outside. Let’s all hope that someday better sense prevails and there will soon be a political solution to all these issues.
Having witnessed riots and violence arising out of the fanatics during my childhood, I often wondered if ever there ever will be any solution for these struggles. “Jihad” by definition was coined for the holy war undertaken by the initial followers of Prophet Mohammed to take to arms in protecting and spreading the interests of Islam, overtime it has changed and evolved dramatically. The people who fight these holy wars are called Mujahidin or warriors fighting for freedom. Historically many popular rulers have waged Jihad on the Subcontinent which comprises today’s India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Mujahidin are fighting holy wars all over the world even today, in the nations of Afghanistan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Myanmar, Chechnya, India, Iran, Iraq, Philippines, Somalia, among others. It is speculated that some countries also sponsor the fighters for their personal gains.
Neighbors at loggerhead:
Since independence from the British, the two neighbors – India and Pakistan have been fighting overt and covert wars for over 50 years. There are been consistent attacks on the soils of these two countries for the years culminating in the recent Mumbai attacks in India and Ms. Bhutto assassination in Pakistan. All along the two neighbors have blamed each other for creating and fermenting separatisms within each other’s countries. This blame game has ebbed and troughed the relations and spanned beyond many leaders lives.
Adding to this mix is Afghanistan. Afghanistan holds one of the most important geological locations in the world. Anyone who controls Afghan controls the Silk Road since it is the crossroads between east and west since eons. When Soviet invaded Afghan in 1978, India supported the action being a staunch ally of Soviet. At that point US sided, armed and funded the Afghan Mujahidin to take up arms struggle against the invasion. Once the Soviet withdrew everyone including US forgot Afghan leaving it in tatters and a perfect ground for vested interest groups – warlords. Even though Mohammed Najibullah was at the helm as President, due to the chaos in the Afghan society, the Taliban started gaining prominence. Eventually it captured Kabul in 1996 and Pakistan was one of the three states to recognize it as a legit government.
Elements within and outside army:
Taliban began with a holy intent of fighting the local government lead by Mullah Mohammed Omar. But it later evolved into a society known to implement very strict Shariah Law. Fanatic hatred against the US and western allies drove the Taliban to plot and execute the September 11 massacre in US and soon the entire world turned against them. Bowing to the pressure from US and international community, Pakistan was left no choice but to tow the line and do a complete 360 on the support to Taliban regime. Even though Pakistan is actively fighting Taliban, it is alleged there are numerous officers of rank and file within the army of Pakistan who are against deserting Taliban.
Pakistan’s trapeze act:
Pakistan is right now walking a tight rope since the start of the US led war in 2003. On one end it is trying to block the western border with Afghanistan and on the other it is trying to weed out these elements from its own society who have emerged as sympathizers towards Taliban. Many conservatives view Mullah Omar and Osama as those who stood up against the mighty west and its allies. It is a difficult choice for Pakistan to follow the international war but still pacify its fanatic citizens.
In recent years it has been reported that Taliban and its fanatic supporters with arms have spread far and wide within the society of Pakistan. They have moved down from the mountains of the Afghan-Pak border to the inlands and cities.
Tough road ahead:
Pakistan is staring at quite a few stiff challenges. On one hand, it has to please the international community and ensure not being alienated and at the same time also cannot afford to lose credibility and the hold Pakistan has on Afghanistan. All this while trying to appease the international community that it’s nuclear assets are well protected with a proper chain of command and controls in place is getting to be a juggling act that is coming apart at its seams.
It is alleged in recent reports that some elements in Pakistan have been diverting the terrorists stationed at the western border to the eastern border. It is mentioned that the terrorists are provided with a choice of either join the covert war in Kashmir with India or face jail. Pakistan has also publicly shown its displeasure over India supporting the reconstruction in Afghanistan. India so far has invested in Infrastructure, Health, and other areas to the tune of $1.3 billion. It has already opened multiple consulates showing its interest and influence in the Afghan society. This is particularly not going well with Pakistan as it sees Indian influence in Afghanistan as a potential threat on both sides of its border. It is speculated that Pakistan’s notorious ISI has been covertly trying to destabilize this Indian influence by attacks on Indian citizens, consulates and its interests in Afghanistan.
Does the future look good?
The main challenge in my view Pakistan faces today is to stop thinking India as an enemy both within its military and civilian population and work towards a bilateral relationship. Before the relation went sour, the bilateral economic flow was significantly high with each offering the other the MFN status. In this age of technology and growth, it makes less sense to pursue an age old theme of war. To achieve this Pakistan needs to weed out the fanatic elements within its society and try to please the world over. The same thing also applies to the India and its conservatives/fanatics. Pakistan should stop viewing Kashmir as its problem and focus more on Waziristan and Baluchistan. India on the other hand has lot more its own internal issues to look after.
Both these nations are of same age with similar cultures, interests, cuisines, etc. If the three nations – India, Pakistan and Afghanistan can come together and work towards common development, the pre-independence country can be brought to life. When two Germanys can merge why cannot the two countries? It is a tricky situation to be in – to fight a big war within and also a war outside. Let’s all hope that someday better sense prevails and there will soon be a political solution to all these issues.
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