The Wheeler Dealer

 

What I will say is in the realm of fialty – ‘fi’ as in fiction and ‘alty’ as in realty. The word is used for anecdotes that are in an area between fiction and realty. There is a soap on the tube airing juicy conversations between the ubiquitous (wherever there is a CD there is…) Amar Singh (AS) and a few cronies and industrialists. AS always reminds me of my school fellow Mannu B. Com. (MBC). I had attended a boarding school in Kannur on the North coast of Kerala.

I brought my army team to a PSU in Bangalore in the beginning of the last decade. I was still in uniform. On a first posting really down south, I had an opportunity to network with a few of my old school mates who have made Bangalore their home. One day, I got a call from the reception of this PSU telling me there was one certain Mr. Mamoo, wanting to see me. Earlier Saimesh, a senior at school and a neighbour in my village-town (there were/are no typical villages in Kerala) now settled in Bangalore had told me about MBC. I gave the green signal to let him in. I was more than curious to meet this fellow, three years my junior at school and from a neighbouring town to my own, in Kerala.

Soon, MBC was ushered into my office with all the trappings of fauj in attendance. Of medium height with a round countenance, on the threshold of balding, a thin typical Kerala style moustache lining the upper lip, MBC sauntered in wearing a bush shirt, trousers and leather shoes. The shirt was not tucked in. We hugged, although I could not then recognize him from Adam. We discussed the school and old boys (and some girls from the convent adjacent to our school) over cups of tea and biscuits. When it was time to leave he handed me a CV of his son, a fresher, who had applied to be an apprentice engineer with this PSU. A stepping stone before taking off for Dubai, Sharjah or Kuwait, I thought. I had no mind to refuse and so accepted the CV and promised to look in. He also insisted that Ramesh and I with our respective wives attend and Iftar – it was the id season - at his residence on the week end. At the iftar, dum biriyani and accompaniments after few tots of ‘imported’ Scotch whisky were exemplary and MBC and wife were hosts beyond compare. I felt happy for old time’s sake – or was it the scotch?

A couple of days later while in my office, I got a call from the CMD’s (of the PSU) office asking me to meet him immediately. This was strange as the urgency would not be so unless there was an emergency akin to war. So I dashed off to the HQ complex, where I was directly rushed into his office. Lo behold! What do I see? There he was, our MBC, a cup of tea half full in one hand and a half bitten off pastry in the other, sitting cross legged across from the CMD, wearing a wide grin in addition to his traditional bush shirt and all. It was obvious they had exchanged talks beyond pleasantries. The CMD greeted me “there you are Vish, here is your langoti yar, do you recognize him? It seems he came to know you are here and did not know how to get to you; so he came to me…..” Well I could only stare at MBC in bewildered appreciation. Before we left, the CMD had assured MBC of a place for his son among the next batch of apprentice engineers to be hired by his Company.

I learnt a lot about MBC in the subsequent months and years. A strictler, he is a member of the back-scratcher club. He does not do anything for free and does not accept obligations. No favours done no favours taken – be it a friend or foe. There is a price tag on everything. A good principle to follow in his trade. 

He says, there is only God who can do better than him – and you can see he believes that when he says it.  He can even create authentic births and deaths, on paper, from thin air. If he undertakes a job, consider it done. In Bangalore everybody knows him and he knows everybody; that is everybody who matter. You do not meet people like him until you have met him.

He is the wheeler-dealer.

Points to ponder

There is a saying in Malayalam which translates to “you take it out on your mother when you lose in the marketplace”. The recent flare ups on the line of  control indicate that Pakistan, after losing out to world opinion in regard to its intention of a honest fight against terrorism, wants to take out the frustration on India…OK...what are mothers for – after all Pakistan is only an errant child from a pan Indian point of view! (That is, if we set aside polity and politics for a moment).

 It is reported that ISI chief, Shujah Pasha said to the Pakistan parliament, in camera, that targets in India have been identified for retaliation in case India chose a clinical strike on targets in their country. On the face of it his statement does not mean much and India should not publicly react to a statement made in private, by a political and conventionally military non entity (except for terror acts). But it may be worth the while to examine the statement from the following angles!

1.    Does Shuja Pasha in his statements, inadvertently admit that those terrorists and criminals wanted by India are hiding in Pakistan under the protection of the ISI? – India knows that and ISI knows that India knows!

 2.    ISI is yet ready to use terrorists to strike at targets within India – with what? Terrorism is the only strategic and tactical weapon Pakistan can now employ against India, with their nuclear arsenal totally in control of the USA. In other words US complicity will be implicit in Pakistan’s use of a nuclear weapon.

The stakes in the region are high. India will be better served looking beyond Pakistan at Afghanistan. China is a looming threat to India in the region. India is better off than China in that it is a democracy. Militarily and economically China has an edge over India. With Pakistan as its ally it will try and dominate Af-Pak region once the USA pulls out from there. As an Indian, I feel vulnerable when our politicians exhibit a pathetic finality in treating elections as the end all of democracy and governance. I do not see any well defined strategy for India, let alone implementation steps, beyond clichés like ‘historical……’, ‘traditional…..’ et al. History and tradition will take us only thus far.

It is time India shed petty politics and seriously look beyond the immediate neighbours. I strongly feel a section of our military should be a permanent fixture in formulating National security policies and foreign policies. For instance, may be symbolical in the least, a senior Military General or equivalent should have accompanied the PM to Afghanistan during his recent visit to that country.

The bogey of Osama and an illusion

Let us assume that the USA eliminated Bin Laden deep inside Pakistan in operation ‘Geronimo’ on May Day this year. In its wake, the incident leaves more questions than answers. It was more of an intelligence operation than a military operation. At the individual level Bin Laden is not known to be a fighter like say Carlos the ‘Fox’. He was at best an ideologue and cash base, who spawned a network of terrorists across the world - Al Queda group and affiliates. The prolonged surveillance of the mansion he was ‘hiding’ in  (intriguingly known as the 'Waziristan Mansion') would have revealed he could not have housed a strong security force to defend him against an assault in there. Thus a CQB  to overpower Osama was never ever on the cards.

All the talks about what happened on that night and all what didn’t happen prior or later and being discussed ever since are missing one point. The whole drama of op ‘Geronimo’ staged or real or a mix of both is just symbolic. This symbolism is a win-win situation for all except the Pakistan military – yes internally the civil regime in Pakistan would also be happy to see their disobedient Army cringing and privately the PM Yousaf Raza Gilani would be daring Gen Khayani to clarify the Osama issue to the world!

Let us not get distracted by the drama of the events. The spent of billions of dollars and close to ten years to get this unmistakably tall Arab ( a rarity ) who was reportedly under periodic dialysis treatment for dysfunctional kidneys should reflect the inadequacies of the CIA and diplomatic poverty of the US. And finally the act has more relevance than the action. Years ago Osama himself had said his death will generate a thousand Osamas. Terror by vested interest will flourish. Pakistan with its widespread poverty, misrepresented Islam, lack of proper education among its people and a pliable state is an ideal breeding ground for terror. So it suits the elite military and the filthy rich aristocracy (Bhuttos, Shariefs et al) to roll in luxury and wealth at the cost of the proletariat.

The Islamic world is changing with a realization that fighting an incumbent, inefficient and authoritarian regime will bring prosperity rather than shadow boxing with the neighbours. It will take some more time for this to translate into action in Pakistan.

For the moment, nothing changes in the real world…and definitely not for India. We should continue to ignore Pakistan, engage Pakistanis and step up our vigil. In Pakistan there (were) are no individuals or organisations that can help in Nation building. The Salman Bashirs and the Khayanis are passé. The ‘Aman ki Aasha’ type of direct interaction with the people of Pakistan holds out better hope for peace in the region. India should support a Pakistan peoples’ non-violent revolution against oppression which could be outsourced to India for guidance. No weapons…just Satyagraha et al like what the Quaide Azam did decades ago. I can see the sneers...OK..but see the brighter side of it all too.....How do we know it won't work unless we try.