EDITOR'S COLUMN

We are into 2015. Old order changeth yielding place to the new. So, its WISHING ALL OUR READERS, PATRONS & WELL WISHERS A GREAT NEW YEAR. The year 2014 that went by had all the making of political block buster, with the newer political party AAP making its debut in forming government in Delhi. They came with a bang but left without even whimper in just 48 days. It was the stupidest political move by any party, especially an year old party.

Narendra Modi is another phenomena, that came with a roar of an untamed lion. He has redrawn the political behaviour unseen or unheard earlier, whether it was his prostrated entry into the parliament complex or his independence day speech. They were class apart. Of course with him came his party’s unprecedented victory. After quarter century, it was again a single party government, although for record it is NDA.

After 6 months, it is still not clear that the ‘Abki baar Modi Sarkar’ would deliver all its promises! But certainly there is a new culture of work across corridors of power in Delhi.

Emergence of lunatic fringe ISIS is another macabre development. Birth of this ISIS is very bad for the world in general and Muslim world in particular. Sooner the Muslim world realizes it, the better for them, better for the world. 

Looking back over the month, the most devastatingly shocking news was the barbaric killing of 148 persons including 132 children in an Army Public School in Peshawar. Tehrik-e-Taliban, terror group from the restive North West Frontier province claiming responsibility for the killing. TeT reportedly told the media that “Taliban were forced to attack the school because of military operations against us. We want them to feel our pain because they target our families”. 

There was global outrage at the killing of innocent school children. Understandably Pakistan went into national mourning. The government in Islamabad, civil society and of course Army were all shell shocked at this unprecedented dastardly act of violence.

While India and its leadership expressed grief for the western neighbour’s collective sorrow, Pakistani media made stark observations. In a straight forward statement, 'The Nation', the Pakistani daily said “Not just terrorist, but everyone from the wider population to the civil and military leadership is responsible for the barbarity our children were subjected to”, while adding “The country is reaping what it has sown over decades”. Thus the question that came out ringing, like Hillary Clinton famously observed “if you are rearing snakes in your backyard, how can you guarantee it will bite only your neighbour”. Yes it is biting the hand that reared terrorism. In this there are lessons for India’s pseudo secularists as well, if they are open to learning. Hope, this tragedy shall have changed the sub-continent for better. The 125th birthday celebration of Nehru has led to avoidable controversy between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress. We have tried to discuss the issue of India’s first Prime Minister Nehru’s legacy while comparing with the newest Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Focus for the relevance it presents. Hope readers will find it interesting. Kindly revert with your feedback. We do value them.