Raouf Rasool

Kashmir needs more than promises and pledges

Kashmir needs more than promises and pledges

Political promises alone don’t suffice the need, certainly not in Kashmir which has been torn apart by decades of conflict – a civil war like situation. Any government, whatever its composition and complexion, as some important studies conducted into the conflict situations world-over indicate, here will be confronted with two major challenges. First, Kashmir has […]

 Raouf Rasool

Finding meaning in meaningless political speeches

Finding meaning in meaningless political speeches

Recall that old story of a man who converts to Catholicism and decides to emulate as far as possible the life of a saint — St. Francis of Assisi. Filled with the zeal of a convert, he withdrew his life’s savings from the bank and took this money out in $5 notes (bills). Armed with […]

 Raouf Rasool

‘Highest good is pursuit of rational self-interest’

‘Highest good is pursuit of rational self-interest’

A little research into the word ‘sacrifice’ reveals that it means offering of something, animate or inanimate, in a ritual procedure which establishes, or mobilizes, a relationship of mutuality between the one who sacrifices (whether individual or group) and the recipient — who may be human but more often is of another order – God. […]

 Raouf Rasool

Political expediency and deliberate deceit!

Political expediency and deliberate deceit!

Thanks to the raging controversy about the Article 370, the two regional majors — National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party — otherwise facing political irrelevance, get an opportunity to engage in some rhetorical warfare every now and then. And they do without fail – blaming all but themselves for the continued dilution of the Article […]

 Raouf Rasool

E=mc2

E=mc2

Politics, according to Webster is “the science and art of government”. Though it is generally viewed in a context of corruption, interestingly, however, its dictionary synonyms are “discreet, provident, diplomatic, wise….” So if politics is the art of doing a ‘thing’ wisely, then wisdom also lies in knowing when not to do a ‘thing’. If […]

 Raouf Rasool

They won’t change, yet they want change! 

They won’t change, yet they want change! 

Somewhere in mid-sixties, an American political organizer after finishing his lecture at the Stanford University was approached by a Soviet professor of political economics from University of Leningrad. Since both these people shared diametrically opposite worldviews about the global politics and its core definitions, the opening of the discussions between the two was obviously illustrative […]

 Raouf Rasool

Simplistic inferences won’t help

Simplistic inferences won’t help

The very low voter turnout during the just concluded Lok Sabha elections in Kashmir may not have surprised any – for the political realists had anticipated it to be so. As always the separatists had also called for boycott and their calls were endorsed by a wider cross-section, including the vocal civil society actors who […]

 Raouf Rasool

Problem of beggary

Problem of beggary

Come Ramazan, Valley witnesses an unprecedented surge in the problem of beggary. Though a social evil, but here in the Valley the mendicancy has been flourishing with more and more people including small children joining the ranks of beggars to swell their number to teasing levels. There is hardly any nook or corner where there […]

 Raouf Rasool

Conflict, and selfish economic interests within

Conflict, and selfish economic interests within

Successive governments in Jammu and Kashmir have been face to face with a severe social and economic decline here. In post-2002 Jammu and Kashmir, the State governments have remained very vocal about bringing peace through development and this line of action has been shared, endorsed and supported by the Union governments in New Delhi too. […]

 Raouf Rasool

Shifting morality of the state!

Shifting morality of the state!

Today a whole lot of Indians find it difficult to reconcile with the way the India as a State conducts itself, both internationally as well as with its domestic subjects, particularly the have-nots. And their misgivings are completely not unfounded. Isn’t it the same country which pioneered the Non-aligned Movement at a time when entire […]