An Indian born, AMU educated Muslim Ghulam Nabi Fai was recently charged with spying on behalf of ISI / Pakistan and trying to influence American politicians. He was the head of Kashmir-American Council and used to hold annual meetings. He also used to contribute to election funds of gullible and greedy American politicians while lobbying on behalf of Kashmiri separatists. This proud son of Mother India was doing his best to help Kashmiri terrorists and weaken the Indian position on J&K in the world. American FBI and the US courts that are not influenced by his minority religious status (unlike Indian courts or authorities), charged him with spying on behalf of the ISI. Since then Dan Burton and Joe Pitts, the two anti Indian politicians have returned all the money. The so called think tanks who had bought into this man’s lies have since backtracked silently. Weak mea culpa has been offered by all.
These annual meetings hosted by Fai were attended by Pakistanis from various branches of the government and media. Of course Indian leftists and liberals were also invited. Many of these are people like Dileep Padgaonkar, are in position of influencing the policies of the Government of India. For these leftists, these meetings were an all expense paid trip along with a chance to thumb their noses at Indian conservatives and establishment – both catnips to leftists. Since Fai’s arrest, these people have offered the “babe in the woods” or the “innocent as newborn babies” explanations. No one in their right minds would believe that people like Kuldeep Nayyar, Dileep Padgaonkar and Justice Sachar could not figure out the actual agenda of Fai. One would think that with all the anti Indian rhetoric and Pakistanis from the defense and political establishment in attendance would have offered them some clue. After all these people are not idealistic college freshers. So the question is: are these people useful idiots or traitors?
As per Wikipedia, "Useful idiot is often used as a pejorative term for those who are seen to unwittingly support a malignant cause through their 'naive' attempts to be a force for good”. A lot of these people are seduced by ideas of peace at all costs and equality by any means. That approach may work with really small segments of population where the social dynamics and the implications can be managed. However with larger and diverse cross section of society or where national interests are involved, the costs and means for peace and equality HAVE to be considered.
Better things are expected from people like Justice Sachar and a veteran journalist like Kuldeep Nayyar. They may be leftists but still have seen enough of the world to know better. Frustrated academics like Angana Chatterji and Vijay Prashad or flash in the pan celebrities like Arundhati Roy who are after cheap publicity are expected victims of manipulators like Ghulam Nabi Fai.
The more important question is: are these people traitors? Probably not. After all they do have noble intentions and seem to be victims of their own bloated egos. However, the damage to the society or the nation because of their actions is as bad as that of a terrorist or an anarchist. The one thing that really bothers me though is that these people do seem to enjoy the power they have over conservatives and the establishment due to their celebrity, biased media and pseudo-secular politics. So are these people working towards peace and equality or bringing down the conservatives and the establishment? That question needs to be asked.
The articles on Fai's arrest and the role of Indian leftists are below.
http://www.rediff.com/news/report/isi-didnt-get-its-moneys-worth/20110813.htm
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/padgaonkar-j&k-interlocutor-is-among-fais/820304/
These annual meetings hosted by Fai were attended by Pakistanis from various branches of the government and media. Of course Indian leftists and liberals were also invited. Many of these are people like Dileep Padgaonkar, are in position of influencing the policies of the Government of India. For these leftists, these meetings were an all expense paid trip along with a chance to thumb their noses at Indian conservatives and establishment – both catnips to leftists. Since Fai’s arrest, these people have offered the “babe in the woods” or the “innocent as newborn babies” explanations. No one in their right minds would believe that people like Kuldeep Nayyar, Dileep Padgaonkar and Justice Sachar could not figure out the actual agenda of Fai. One would think that with all the anti Indian rhetoric and Pakistanis from the defense and political establishment in attendance would have offered them some clue. After all these people are not idealistic college freshers. So the question is: are these people useful idiots or traitors?
As per Wikipedia, "Useful idiot is often used as a pejorative term for those who are seen to unwittingly support a malignant cause through their 'naive' attempts to be a force for good”. A lot of these people are seduced by ideas of peace at all costs and equality by any means. That approach may work with really small segments of population where the social dynamics and the implications can be managed. However with larger and diverse cross section of society or where national interests are involved, the costs and means for peace and equality HAVE to be considered.
Better things are expected from people like Justice Sachar and a veteran journalist like Kuldeep Nayyar. They may be leftists but still have seen enough of the world to know better. Frustrated academics like Angana Chatterji and Vijay Prashad or flash in the pan celebrities like Arundhati Roy who are after cheap publicity are expected victims of manipulators like Ghulam Nabi Fai.
The more important question is: are these people traitors? Probably not. After all they do have noble intentions and seem to be victims of their own bloated egos. However, the damage to the society or the nation because of their actions is as bad as that of a terrorist or an anarchist. The one thing that really bothers me though is that these people do seem to enjoy the power they have over conservatives and the establishment due to their celebrity, biased media and pseudo-secular politics. So are these people working towards peace and equality or bringing down the conservatives and the establishment? That question needs to be asked.
The articles on Fai's arrest and the role of Indian leftists are below.
http://www.rediff.com/news/report/isi-didnt-get-its-moneys-worth/20110813.htm
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/padgaonkar-j&k-interlocutor-is-among-fais/820304/
Defiantly they are not idiots. Traitors may be or may be not but those people lived in illusion and lack of common sense of the common people that they do not want to acknowledged because of their ego as well as desire for power. Because of the media they acquired the celebrity states that they do not want to loose it.So media is corrupt and crooked too.
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