Time to bury the hatchet

Time to bury the hatchet

(My letter published in "DAWN" of Pakistan on 14th January 2002)
I REFER to the letter of Mr Naeem Sadiq, published in your paper recently and reprinted by the Times of India on Jan 2, 2002. In this letter, the author has blamed the "intellect Supreme Inc." for a wrong Pakistan Afghan policy, and has recommended a clamp-down on the "frozen in the 11th century" gun-toting jihadi organizations, their training camps and their activities in and outside Pakistan. He has also touched upon the need to change the mindset of the people of Pakistan.
I think that the Indians also need to change their mindset!This letter brought to my memory a letter written by me for Jakarta Post a few years ago while participating in a "war of letters" between the Indian and Pakistani expatriates in Indonesia. My views then are so congruent with those expressed by Mr Naeem Sadiq that I would like to repeat a part of that letter for the benefit of my Indian and Pakistani brethren.
We must accept, with a smiling face, certain realities and make peace so that our future generations are better off and do not keep bleeding each other to a slow (but sure) death. We should not spend our national resources to arm ourselves to the teeth but spend them to improve our economic conditions, our infrastructure, our competitiveness.
When I read the economic indices published in Asiaweek and find both India and Pakistan in an ignominious (and unflattering low) position, I feel ashamed and wonder whether this situation will ever change!Many countries have stolen a march over us. We must pause and think whether our children would be ashamed of us for the way we are conducting ourselves during the 50-odd years after the independence. In the enlightened era of tomorrow, this is very likely. After all, we are ashamed of our Kings and Nawabs and their generals of 1700s and 1800s, who fought amongst themselves over petty matters of personal (pseudo-) pride and (pseudo-) honour. They allowed it to take priority over our national pride and honour and offered our country to the British on a proverbial silver platter.
I know that Indians and Pakistanis are similar people, get along famously with each other when they meet abroad, have close friends in each other?s countries and at heart would like to bury this hatchet once for all. I feel that if Israel and neighbouring Arab countries can bury their differences and if the two Germanys can reunite, why can?t we sort out our problems? Why don?t we accept the status quo and forget the past? Follow this up by a TV and media blitz to declare that we are bhai-bhai (which we are) and reverse the way we have misused this blits so far to alienate us!?I think that both Dawn and Times of India, as responsible members of the Pakistani and Indian media, should take a lead to help this happen.
K.B. KALE, Pune, India

IndiaRelated_JakartaPost_2006 03 15_Indo-U.S. friendship

Indo-U.S. friendship
15th March 2006

The signing of various deals in New Delhi during the visit of President Bush to India was an important event. Here were two democracies, one the strongest and the other the biggest, shaking hands in friendship.
This friendship has come out of mutual respect. It was neither because of Indian's nuisance value in the geopolitical equation, nor was it based on issues like support against the global war on terrorism -- genuine or phony. It was in recognition of Indian's economic performance and its intrinsic ability to achieve so much while remaining a genuine, if occasionally somewhat chaotic, democracy.
I feel India should stop lobbying for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and instead concentrate on getting stronger and stronger until the UN Security Council feels that it is better off with India inside it than outside, and asks India to join as a permanent member. And then India should gracefully accept the request, but only if it comes with veto power.
From a hungry nation in the 1950s and 1960s when it waited for the arrival of wheat from the United States, to a nation which gratefully rejected the post-tsunami, post-earthquake aid, India has come a long way.
At the end of the visit, it was clear that India ate the cake and kept it too. It kept out what it wanted to be kept out and got what it wanted. Its civilian nuclear installations will get fuel and will be open to inspection by the IAEA, while its military installations will be on their own.
The U.S. secretary of state stated more than once that the U.S. now could take the name of India without taking the name of our honorable neighbor. Both have their own places in U.S. foreign policy, she said.
India has miles to go before it is accepted as a developed nation by the present group of developed nations and is admitted to the G-8 (or G-10 or G-11). But come President Kalam's magic year 2020 and India will be up there and continuing to march ahead.
Accepting the deal signed in New Delhi is in the interest of both the countries and so it is hoped that the American congress will ratify it without delay.
Viva the Indo-U.S. friendship!
K. B. KALE Jakarta

IndonesiaRelated_JakartaPost_2006 02 06_Busway lanes for all buses

Busway lanes for all buses
6th February 2006

I refer to your editorial on Jan. 21 "Toward better transportation and an article on Busway vs. monorail' by Siti Nurlaela.
With the addition of two more routes to the busway system, the Jakarta City Administration has taken another welcome step in the direction of mass transportation. But whenever I have seen the frequency of service on the Blok M to Kota route at 7 in the evening, just after the 3-in-1 time, I have always felt that the utilization of the special "busway" lane is very low while the other lanes are choked with vehicular traffic.
Distribution of traffic is far from equitable and car users suffer in bumper-to-bumper traffic while Trans-Jakarta buses travel with a gap time of five to 10 minutes between them. A good idea would be to route all the bus traffic through the busway lane wherever it is laid. In other words, on these routes all the buses (including the 25-to 30-seater Metrominis and 10-to 15-seater minivans, must use the busway lanes only.
Whatever needs to be done to achieve this goal should be done by enacting new laws and enforcing them. Maybe all small buses should be scrapped and only Trans-Jakarta type of buses should replace them. This will result in lanes outside the busway lanes being used only by non-bus traffic including trucks.
This will help in more ways than one. Apart from the decongestion of the traffic, it will also reduce the lawless driving indulged in by the Metromini buses and minivans which can be seen in all suburban traffic of Jakarta like Printis Kemerdekaan and Pulogadung area.
On roads where there is no busway lane laid as yet, the traffic rules can remain unchanged.
K.B. KALE, Jakarta

Cricket_JakartaPost_2006 01 14_India and cricket

India and cricket
14th January 2006

Raj Singh Dungarpur, manager of the Indian cricket team currently touring Pakistan, has just returned from "exile" of sorts from India's cricket governing body, the BCCI, after ruling over it prior to the arrival of Jagmohan Dalmiya.
And he seems to be enjoying his return to the mainstream of Indian cricket and its governing body, looking at his (alleged) remarks regarding Saurav Ganguly during an interview in Pakistan that were shown on one of the Indian news channels.
During this interview he is supposed to have said that John Wright, who was India's coach prior to Chappell's appointment, had "huge problems" with Saurav, but he was a little mild.
I have always felt that Saurav's image as the most successful captain of India was, to a large extent, because John Wright worked behind the scenes away from the glare of publicity and built the team into a force to be reckoned with almost single-handedly.
The lion's share of the credit for the excellent showing of India in the last World Cup goes to John Wright, who for the first time thought of building the morale and inner strength of the members of the Indian team through psychotherapy. The results could be seen in South Africa when the Indian team sprang back into reckoning after a defeat against Australia, and barely winning their game against Holland in the league rounds.
Credit for India's excellent showing should have been shared between John Wright and Ganguly, but Wright preferred to remain in the background. Be it as it may, I am sure that many discerning cricket lovers will recognize and respect great contribution made by John Wright during his tenure as the Indian cricket team's coach.
His skipper's skills aside, there is no doubt that Saurav is a great batsman with his 5150 Test runs (av. 40.87) and his 10123 ODI runs (av. 40.65), and we all hope that he will get a place in final squad and will be back amongst runs to help India win both the series.
K. B. KALE, Jakarta

IndonesiaRelated_JakartaPost_2005 12 03_'Bahasa Inglonesia'?

'Bahasa Inglonesia'?
3rd December 2005

Some recent letters have provoked me to write this letter. One was a letter by Rusdi (Nov. 26) who felt that all would-be ministers should be scanned for their proficiency in English before they are given the job.
Another one was by Nesa Ilich (Nov. 8) titled Education system in Indonesia, who bemoaned that graduates educated in Indonesian universities rarely shined in the international arena and concluded that their education was probably sub-standard.
Although my knowledge of Indonesian universities is inadequate, I deal with Indonesian engineers on a daily basis and find them quite proficient. And my proficiency in Bahasa Indonesia really helps me to understand this proficiency.
The Soekarno-Hatta Airport demonstrates the successful implementation of relatively inexpensive cakar ayam system of making foundations in swamps invented by Prof. Sudiyatmo. But very few know about this system outside Indonesia! Had it been invented by an English-speaking person, many papers might have been presented in international forums, thus granting it the world-wide recognition it deserves.
So whether it was a minister who created a few raised eyebrows in Bangalore or graduates who don't shine in the international arena, the malady is the same: Lack of English proficiency! So the earlier Indonesians take English language seriously, the better.
Now let us look at the letter by Bandung's Fanda Alle bemoaning mixing of English words while speaking in local dialects. Well, open any Indonesian newspaper. You will come across plenty of English words on the very front page. Try these: Evaluasi, kondisi, tradisi, otopsi, generasi, kolusi, renovasi, polusi, permisi, kriminal, etc., just to name a few. More and more English words are being added to Bahasa Indonesia everyday!
If this continues, Bahasa Indonesia will slowly blossom to become Bahasa Inglonesia. After all, the Indians have introduced Hinglish, a mixture of Hindi and English! And though I speak Indonesian quite fluently, I find it very difficult to understand people's replies because very few Indonesians in Jakarta speak 'pure' Bahasa Indonesia. Most of them mix in words from other languages, like Sundanese, Javanese and the ever-present Betawi (sono in place of sana). Responses are also embellished with generous use of kan that simply floors me (example: saya kan kemarin kan pergi kan ke Bandung.).
K. B. KALE Jakarta

IndiaRelatedGeneral_NavhindTimes_2005 11 19_An Unbiased Expression

An Unbiased Expression
19th November 2005

I refer to the letter ‘On Salem’s Extradition’ by Mr Amjad Maruf of Mumbai (NT dated Nov 16) and compliment him very much for his very balanced views and an unbiased expression. I am sure that all Indians would readily agree with his views. It is not easy for a Muslim citizen to express such views as he may feel tense. I think it is very healthy trend for a Muslim to write in this manner and I look at it as a rise of a new nationalism.
K B KALE, Jakarta

Cricket_JakartaPost_2005 11 14_Don't give excessive praise

Don't give excessive praise
14th November 2005

Presently, all sorts of superlatives are being showered on Greg Chappell and Rahul Dravid for winning the recent 7-match ODI series with Sri Lanka by a margin of 6-1. It is only fair that the kudos should go to the captain when the team wins, because he is at the receiving end when the team loses. But there should be some rationale to both the blame-game and praise.
I think that India won the series because of the simultaneous peaking of all the Indian batsmen (including the newcomers), a simultaneous plunge in form of all the top Sri Lankan batsmen and a quantum jump in Indian fielding. While Indian bowlers appear to have bowled well, the form of Sri Lanka's top batsmen plunged down so steeply that the Indian bowling, which was not known to be very penetrative, suddenly looked lethal.
As regards Rahul Dravid, there is no doubt that he is the mainstay of Indian batting, but as far as his captaincy is concerned, I think it is premature to speak so highly so early in his career. May be the absence of negative aspects of Ganguly's captaincy, brought out by Greg Chappell in his "confidential" e-mail to BCCI, helped?
No coach can rejuvenate a team to win an ODI series by a 6-1 margin against the very team that trounced them by the margin of 0-3 in the previous 3-match ODI series within a period of some two months. Greg Chappell has just started his job and it will be at least one year before his hand can be perceived in the new "Team India". So the praise being showered on Chappell should be withheld for the time being.
K. B. KALE, Jakarta

IndonesiaRelated_JakartaPost_2005 11 09_History of Sept. 30 events

History of Sept. 30 events
9th November 2005
I refer to the letter from Michael Hills published a few days ago in The Jakarta Post regarding the events that took place on Sept. 30 back in 1965,
As I have mentioned earlier, history is always written by the victors and accordingly we have had to watch the movie that was shown every year on Sept. 30 up until 1997 depicting the events as seen by the winning side,
It portrayed the atrocities meted out to the generals who were reportedly murdered by communist insurgents. Later on, when the tide turned, we found out that the communist insurgents were also not spared.
Now that neither side to that particular conflict is in a position of influence and power and a reasonably long period of 40 years has elapsed it is time an attempt was made to write the correct or official history based on what actually happened.
This should be done while many people from that era are still alive and the necessary documents in government archives are in the public domain.
It may not be easy, but if further time elapses, it will become more and more difficult as more and more people who witnessed the events pass away.
We should not forget that one of the most investigated mysteries of the last century, viz., the assassination of President Kennedy, is still unresolved after 42 years.

K. B. KALE, Jakarta

General_JakartaPost_2005 10 31_On artificial sweeteners

Artificial Sweeteners
31st October 2005

I refer to the letter of Sunarto Prawirosujanto published in The Jakarta Post on Oct. 20 urging Indonesians to use more and more artificial sweeteners to avoid the importation of sugar.
Of particular interest to all would be the fact that earlier classification of cyclamates and saccharin as carcinogenic elements, based on studies conducted on mice, have been reversed by the FDA of the U.S. after subsequent studies over a long period of time showed that these two sweeteners were not found to be carcinogenic to human beings.
Today, there are many artificial sweeteners apart from the other two. On one end is a chemical-based sweetener Aspartame and on the other end is Stavia, an herbal extract from the leaves of a tree found in Brazil. Also making a recent appearance on the U.S. market is Splenda.
For a layman, it is very difficult to determine which of these sweeteners are safe for use over a long period of time, because the information available on the internet is so conflicting that it can make one's head swim and leave him in total confusion.
I wonder whether some medical professionals among and beyond the Post's readership could enlighten people like us who are interested in using artificial sweeteners but do not know enough to make a correct choice.
I also wonder why everybody's favorite foods, sugar-free ice creams etc., which are easily available in U.S. supermarkets, are not available in Indonesia, while "diet" sodas are available. I really miss sugar-free ice creams.
K.B. KALE, Jakarta

General_JakartaPost_2005 07 13_Wimbledon Final

Wimbledon Final
July 13, 2005

It was indeed a pleasure to read D. Chandramouli's letter on July 9 giving an account of this year's Wimbledon men's and women's finals in his inimitable style.
Apart from his signature style, gloss and expertise in the use of the choicest words and phrases, the contents of his letter in terms of knowledge of the game of tennis and its finer points were really very enjoyable.
The only place where his narrative jarred me was his description of Federer, calling him a "robot programmed to win" and a person with a robotic smile. I think this is far off the mark. The only robot I have seen on the tennis court was Bjorn Borg, whose face never changed, not only when he won or lost a point but also when there was a grossly wrong line call against him. His expression also did not change much whether he won or lost a championship. He was really a player with nerves made of steel and ice!
Federer is different. I think he is too unassuming, too polite and too well behaved for a champion, and in the era of flamboyant enfants terribles strutting across the tennis courts, he appears to have descended from another planet. To call him a person with a robotic smile is really like missing the very core of Federer's personality.
The Swiss, the watchmakers to the world for centuries, are known for their precision and so it should come as no surprise that Federer enjoys this genetic advantage when it comes to the placement of his shots.
In my 40 years of watching Wimbledon, I have seen many styles of championship winners -- Pat Cash climbing into the gallery, Andre Agassi falling to his knees, etc. I have seen players weep for having lost a championship when it was almost in their hands but slipped away, but I don't remember having seen a champion weep with joy in a silent and somewhat self-conscious manner after recording his third consecutive Wimbledon title!
Maybe Chandramouli meant to say that Federer is a robot programmed to win and also to weep after winning.
K. B. KALE, Jakarta

IndonesianRelated_JakartaPost_2005 06 08_RI can be a great country

RI can be a great country
June 08, 2005

I refer to the account in The Jakarta Post on May 21 of the presidential address on the occasion of National Awakening Day, wherein he urged the Indonesian people to "feel proud of themselves and do the best they can for the country".
He further urged them to "remain confident in themselves" and expressed his confidence that Indonesia will one day be a developed country.
I am just an apolitical salary earner and so it is most heartening and gratifying to note that the views expressed by the President of Indonesia are similar to views I expressed in my letter published recently in the Post.
Then on May 23, I read a letter, SBY, please axe the 'fiskal' tax, by Suharto wherein the author says some harsh words about the elite of the country. In my letter I also said that if anyone has let down this country, it is the elite.
I have no doubt that it is just a question of time before Indonesians realize their hidden potential and take a quantum leap forward in their self-confidence and performance. However, I would like to strongly appeal to my Indonesian friends to become proficient in English to widen the horizons of their knowledge -- both technical and non-technical.
The elite class hopefully will mend its ways and discharge its responsibilities scrupulously and conscientiously. I am sure these actions will make Indonesia not only a developed country but a truly great country.
K. B. KALE , Jakarta

IndonesiaRelated_JakartaPost_2005 05 07_Be proud of yourself

Be proud of yourself
May 07, 2005

I refer to the letter of Fenty Ang (an Indonesian student in Singapore) that appeared in The Jakarta Post on April 23 and felt sorry for her having such a low opinion about her country and its people.
I have lived in Indonesia for about 12 years, mainly in Surabaya and Jakarta working in three private enterprises mainly connected to making, shaping and treating of steel. Two of the three are industrial units employing 600 to 700 blue and white collar workers.
I have travailed all over the world except the Australian continent and have seen workers of many Asian, European and American (and, of course, Indian) steel plants. And I find that Indonesian workers are second to none. They are hard-working, sincere and knowledgeable and do not need constant supervision. Though small-built, they pack surprisingly superb strength, stamina and staying power. They do not need to be continuously supervised and have a good work ethic.
I feel that if any one has let down this great country, a volcano of talent, capability and enormous natural resources, it is the elite class of this country.
Fenty Ang was humiliated by her teacher about the lack of skills of Indonesian workers in the IT area. She can now proudly tell her "arrogant" Singaporean teacher that recently two Indonesians won the international competition in software competence conducted by Google India for Southeast Asia in Bangalore beating all nationalities including Singaporeans!
I always tell my colleagues in my factory in East Jakarta to feel proud of their people, its products and its capabilities and talents. I think Indonesia is a sleeping giant who is showing signs of waking up and its new leadership with an emphasis on eradicating corruption is sure to give them a shot in the arm.
In addition to that the Indonesian government should make really good proficiency in English language a compulsory part of their educational system. I have seen my Indonesian colleagues getting mighty nervous if they have to write a letter to suppliers in English and, more often than not, they end up making a telephone call to register a complaint with no paper trail to follow up if nothing is done by the supplier to redress the complaint.
Come on, Indonesia! You are a great country. Feel proud about yourself and your country and never underestimate yourself!
K. B. KALE, Jakarta

General_JakartaPost_2005 02 16_Unprompted plug for Dan Brown

Unprompted plug for Dan Brown
February 16, 2005
I read with interest the letter of David Wallis in The Jakarta Post dated Feb. 14.
It reminded me of a book I read recently, Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, which touches on the very subject of God and science. What one believes or does not believe is a highly personal choice, but this book turns this complex subject into an interesting read, and I would recommend very strongly the book as a "good read" to the readers of the Post.
K. B. KALE, Jakarta

ForeignAffairs_JakartaPost_2005 01 31_Americans need introspection

Americans need introspection
January 31, 2005
I refer to the letters of Mark Potts dated Jan. 13 and Uli Pandjaitan dated Jan. 15.
I know many Americans. As personal friends, colleagues and business associates, all of them have been wonderful people: Friendly, genial and straightforward. And, by and large, they mean what they say. I have also enjoyed my visits to the United States immensely for these very reasons.
Sometimes oversensitive Asians (me included) may misunderstand their forthrightness, but I have never seen any deliberate attempt at belittling others, just because they are not Americans.
Though one may have differences of opinion with American policy, there is no doubt that America has always been a very generous nation to the whole world. In the 1960s, but for the American aid, I have no doubt that a sizable portion of the Indian population would have gone hungry with many perishing simply due to starvation. And this American aid kept flowing without any (apparent) strings attached, though, at that time, India was too close to the Soviet Union and Indian political leaders often berated America.
So why is a country that gives so much aid to so many countries not as popular as it should be? I think serious introspection is called for, on the part of the American government and American foreign missions and diplomats.
K. B. KALE, Jakarta

ForeignAffairs_JakartaPost_2004 12 10_RejoinderFromFellowReader_Arafat -- a respected leader

Arafat -- a respected leader
December 10, 2004
I wonder what kind of a world that K.B. Kale thinks he lives in. In his letter about Yasser Arafat's departure from this world (The Jakarta Post, Nov. 29), Kale stressed out that except for the nearest and dearest to Arafat, the rest of the world would be more likely to celebrate than mourn his passing. The world as in the eyes and mind of Kale does not seem to include the countries whose leaders paid their respects to Arafat and flew to Egypt, including Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
It is clear that in the opinion of a person such as Kale, what one should define as the world is those few countries that did express a kind of relief about Arafat's death. We all know which countries they are.
Kale also overlooked the Palestinian people, millions of them, who were heartbroken and emotional during Arafat's funeral in Ramallah. The event was often pictured on television and aired live on several TV stations. Who could have missed the images? I assume Kale did.
I would like to add that when President Susilo, a leader of more than 200 million people -- surely quite a significant part of the world -- took off immediately to Egypt to say his last goodbyes to Arafat, there was no palpable sense of relief here over his death. Susilo represented our country and many Indonesians do respect Arafat and mourn his death. Needless to say, I am proud that he went to the funeral because it is simply what a respectable national leader should do on the passing of another respectable national leader, no matter successful or unsuccessful they are (then again, "unsuccessful" is only Kale's opinion within his limited worldview). It may be an arguable point to Kale, but to me a so-called superpower country and its allies do not constitute the entire world.
IRMA FITRASARI Tangerang, Banten

ForeignAffairs_JakartaPost_2004 12 02_EmbassyRejoinder_Defending Arafat from foreign attack

Defending Arafat from foreign attack
December 02, 2004

Referring to the letter by K.B. Kale in The Jakarta Post on Nov. 29, 2004, it is intriguing to read the rhetorical litany of unbalanced, so-called observation, in his rather fervid diatribe, exhibiting a loose embrace of facts tinged with outdated superficial demagoguery.
It raises a compelling question as to how he could manage to eschew mentioning the background of the overall context, basically, the Israeli occupation and continuous aggression against the Palestinian people.
Mr. Kale effusively describes how he couldn't "forget the pictures of the three unfortunate aircraft ... waiting to be blown up" which was undoubtedly a regrettable act, but it is worth mentioning that no casualties resulted from the act. He conveniently overlooks the destruction of Palestinian cities, towns and thousands of houses by the Israeli occupation forces with a heart-breaking human toll inflicted on civilians.
The demure chauvinism with its searing breath was inescapably discernible as he expounded (on Arafat), "(he) did not succeed in keeping his people disciplined" as if they are a band of hoodlums that need to be restrained.
Arafat never claimed that he was behind the mentioned hijacking -- as Mr. Kale would have us believe -- and he was not, a rival group of that time committed that act.
The Palestinian people, who bravely stood up and resisted the Israeli military juggernaut, have a lively civil society in spite of the occupation. They have made their voice heard under all the circumstances, and the right is theirs to make a judgment about the performance of Arafat.
Mr. Kale's observations were flawed and disingenuous at best, and lacked the objectivity of balanced observation and fair criticism to advance the cause of constructive discourse.
RIBHI Y. AWAD, Ambassador of Palestine for Indonesia, Jakarta

ForeignAffairs_JakartaPost2004 11 29_Arafat's departure

Arafat's departure
November 29, 2004
I refer to the letter by Nachum Kaplan from London in The Jakarta Post on Nov. 23. I fully agree with him and would like to add a few of my own observations.
There is no doubt that Yasser Arafat was unsuccessful as a leader. As a leader, he did not succeed in achieving his objectives of liberating Palestine and also did not succeed as a leader in keeping his people disciplined. He had to make compromises, like any politician, while signing agreements with Israel's Yitzak Rabin under the Clinton administration; but having signed the agreement, he could not abide by it because his own countrymen never obeyed him.
He was certainly "unique" in many ways. He must be the only one who, though a "head of state", was under something akin to house arrest in his own country, in his residence in Ramallah, and had to seek permission from Israel to travel to Paris for his final medical treatment.
If one scans the media coverage of his death, unanimity seems to prevail about how his passing would create new hopes for a Mideast peace. He must be one of the rare few whose death has evoked hope instead of grief.
His departure must surely have caused personal grief to his nearest and dearest, but by and large, media across the world have stopped just short of celebrating his departure and have expressed a hope that the new leadership following his exit could bring peace to the troubled region.
He is thus also unique in that he is contributing not by being present, working on something, but simply by being absent.
Basically, he gained fame -- or notoriety -- by his terroristic activities in the mid-seventies, when he claimed to have hijacked a few European aircraft successfully. I cannot forget the pictures of the three unfortunate aircraft lined up side by side in some desert in the Middle East, like sitting ducks, waiting to be blown up.
That such a terrorist should receive a Nobel "peace" prize shows how politicized the institute has become, particularly its peace prize. I have always felt that if Alfred Nobel had any inkling of how this prize would be handed out after his death, he would never have initiated it. I have no doubt that when it was conferred to Arafat and Rabin -- who apparently inspired the character of Ari in Leon Uris' Exodus -- Mr. Nobel turned in his grave.
The footage of Arafat throwing kisses instead of waving at the crowd at the Parisian airport for his last journey was pathetic, to say the least, and was surely an indication of a lack of mental equilibrium. What a way to go.
K.B. KALE, Jakarta

IndonesianRelated_JakartaPost_2004 10 22_Shortening elections process

Shortening elections process
October 22, 2004

First of all, heartiest congratulations to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on the occasion of his assuming office on Oct. 20 as the very first directly and democratically elected president of Indonesia.
The event was of such epic and monumental importance that, for the first time in many years, many presidents and prime ministers of neighboring countries came to be part of this historical moment.
What needs to be done now is to shorten time between the three phases of elections (Indonesians have successfully performed) and also the time gap between the election of the President and his taking oath of the office. It would be worthwhile if Indonesia sought some practical help or tips from India as a fellow developing country which has a huge population and has been a genuine democracy for more than 50 years. It also has a distinction of being a country which successfully staged a general election in May this year, covering about half a billion voters exercising their right to vote electronically, making it possible to declare the results within some 48 hours after the closure of polling process.
There may be many countries in the world who have electronic voting, but India is the only one which has the indigenous know-how, huge population of diverse educational and social levels, and a successful track record.
Indonesia could follow India's example to shorten the whole process by more than 50 percent. After the president's election is announced, how long should be the time before he takes oath? In India and in Great Britain it is done immediately. In the U.S. it takes about 10 weeks and in Indonesia it took two weeks from official announcement of results, but perhaps four weeks from the date the outcome was obvious! I think Indian and British system is better. If the new leader does not assume office immediately, a lot of questionable decisions "which raise eyebrows" as reported by The Jakarta Post, are taken in a malafide manner. The minimum the Indonesian constitution can provide is to declare the incumbent government as "caretaker" of government with limited powers in decision-making!
K. B. KALE, Jakarta

IndonesiaRelated_JakartaPost_2004 09 09_Elections in Indonesia

Elections in Indonesia
September 09, 2004
With the final round of the presidential election around the corner, it is perhaps the right time to compare the pros and cons of two methods employed in electing the CEO of a country: A "direct" election -- as is practiced in the U.S. and France and some other countries -- and the indirect method -- as practiced by Great Britain and India -- wherein the members of parliament choose the CEO. It is really admirable that Indonesia has chosen the very good method of direct election with the motto, Presiden pilihan rakyat (a president of the people's choice).
In the first round, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Megawati Soekarnoputri and Wiranto were in a tight race and many predicted a direct confrontation between the two ex-generals (Susilo and Wiranto) in the runoff. But Megawati came in second, and the results of the final round between Susilo and Megawati are still wide open, as per the political pundits.
One thing surprises me: Unlike in the U.S., where the vice presidential and presidential candidates of both the Democratic and Republican party are from the same party, the picture here is totally different. In the U.S., the vice presidential candidate is chosen more on regional considerations. They are generally from an area where the presidential candidate may lack support.
But in Indonesia, there is total porosity across the party lines. I am honestly wondering what the losing "running mate" will do later. Will they return to their old party meekly? Will their old party accept them back, or call them a traitor? Or will they launch a new party, as Indian politicians often do? I feel that if Susilo and Megawati had selected their running mates on regional considerations rather than party ones, it would have been more logical.
One thing is very clear. The new president will enjoy the confidence of the people and will not be subjected to any horse trading that goes on, for example, in India where the factions of the coalition government jockey for prime slots in the cabinet. Or, what happened when then president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid was removed from office and Megawati was elected.
To that extent, I admire the people/politicians of Indonesia who were behind the decision to hold two-tier direct elections. Whoever wins on Sept. 20 will rule the country with confidence and with the full authority to do what he or she thinks is good for the country.
K.B. KALE, Jakarta

IndiaRelated_JakartaPost_2004 06 15_Nature of the Indian voter

Nature of the Indian voter
June 15, 2004
The outcome of the recent election in India was certainly surprising -- more so than the 1977 election, when Indira Gandhi was "dethroned". I would, in fact, compare it to Atlee's victory over Churchill, back in the late '40s, wherein, to quote Churchill, he was "ordered off the turf".
Surprise though the result may be, has the Indian electorate shown maturity or have they been rather unwise in casting their votes? Or is the result simply evidence of the great divide between the haves and the have-nots?.
The divide is certainly not an urban-rural divide: In the cities, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was routed. Neither is it a north-south divide, as the NDA was defeated in Andhra Pradesh as dismally as it was in Uttar Pradesh. The NDA did everything to ensure a landslide victory -- it brought out a dream program to woo the middle class, by making computers cheaper, air travel cheaper, etc.
It tried to woo industrialists by announcing industry and corporate packages, it brought the election timetable forward a few months to cash in on their spectacular victories in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh (they had lost in Delhi only), and gave so-called campaign wizards like Pramod Mahajan and Arun Jetley a chance to campaign. Opinion polls from late March to early April predicted the total demise of the Congress Party and Sonia Gandhi.
Then, something mysterious happened -- something that will take months to unravel, and Indian voters showed that they keep their intentions to themselves, and as such, electoral movement became very difficult to predict.
The road ahead is difficult: Mohan Singh is saddled with an unenviable job with some major coalition partners who are poles apart and oppose the very idea of liberalization. How long will this government last? Logically speaking, just a few months.
However, the elections are so expensive that the legislators elect would likely be uninterested in another election anytime soon, so they will play a game of nerves. But eventually, some party will yield, exactly as one did during Narasimha Rao's rule.
In the process, will the business of running the country efficiently and effectively be the last priority? Only time will tell.
Observing this, one could compliment Indonesia for choosing the principle of Presiden pilihan rakyat (president chosen by the people), wherein at least the job of the head of state does not depend on the vagarious loyalties of legislators.
K.B. KALE, Jakarta

IndonesiaRelated_JakartaPost_2004 05 15_Colonialism is not the answer

Colonialism is not the answer
May 15, 2004
I refer to the letters of David Wallis on corruption and bringing back colonial rule as its antidote, followed by the rejoinder by John Christian Torr. In fact, Torr has done a good job in bringing out the weirdness in "logic" in Wallis' letter.
Wallis seems to assume that colonial rulers were clean and not susceptible to corruption, which is far from the truth. While they exploited the colonies, quite a few of them also feathered their nests quite nicely. So bringing back colonial rule would only mean that the money so earned would go overseas, as opposed to the present situation where the money -- at least part of it -- remains within the country.
As the saying goes, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." So whoever rules will get corrupted one day or the other. Some may justify this by saying they are collecting funds for their party, while most of them don't bother with justifications unless they are caught! If Wallis feels that Westerners are less corrupt, one should not forget that the vice president of the richest country on earth had to resign from his post in the early 1970s for taking bribes.
There is no doubt that democracy is the most inefficient form of government, as its decisions have to be partisan, populist and are easily swayed by the short-term emotions of the public at large. Quite often these decisions are compromises and not necessarily in the best interests of the nation. In fact, the only thing in favor of the democracy is that it has a "term" of four, five or seven years and one can change the government peacefully at the end of its term.
This does not mean that I am defending corruption or corrupt people. But those who give bribes are as much responsible as the people who take them. One of the richest people in the world, Azim Premji of the Wipro Group in India, is very proud of his company's ethical conduct. He has steadfastly refused to "grease palms" to get the work done. So the antidote is not colonialism, but the people themselves taking an oath not to give bribes.
As long as we don't follow the maxim "Charity begins at home", we have no right to express opinions on this subject. If we still do, it is nothing but pure hypocrisy. K. B. KALE, Jakarta

IndonesiaRelated_JakartaPost_2004 05 10_Maintaining peace in hostile places

Maintaining peace in hostile places
May 10, 2004

The letter by David Jardine (The Jakarta Post, April 30), triggered some thoughts that have been haunting me for a few years. What I feel is that while there are both good and bad soldiers, what is crystal-clear is that the job they are entrusted to do while dealing with civilians is unenviable and most difficult.
For one thing, they may face rebels who outnumber them many times over, irrespective of whether you choose to call them terrorists or freedom-fighters, depending on which side of the fence you are. The soldiers may have superior weapons, but unlike in a war, they do not know whom to aim these weapons at! The rebels may kill thousands of innocent people and get away with it, but let a soldier kill one single innocent person and the media will descend on him like a ton of bricks! On top of that, they are always susceptible to attack and to being killed by a sniper choosing to shoot from behind an innocent pedestrian! So when a soldier doesn't know how long he has before his life could be snuffed out and makes some mistakes by way of knee-jerk reactions, that deserves some sympathetic consideration. These knee-jerk reactions occur without the knowledge of their top commanders because most of the time they aren't there and there is simply no time to communicate with them! What is shown on TV or what is published in the print media as part of news coverage may be part of the truth, but not the whole truth, because when one talks of "press freedom", it generally refers to the "freedom of press barons" or editors and not freedom of reporters, whose convictions or sympathies may or may not be the same as those of the owners of a particular TV channel or newspaper. The history of mankind is largely written by the victors. One should have no doubt about what the story of the Second World War would have been had Hitler won it. Or who would have been tried and convicted of war crimes at the Nuremberg trials. In my opinion, while armchair theorization is fine, the reality of life and death faced by the soldiers in very hostile civilian environments should not be overlooked and their actions should be viewed in a more comprehensive way.
K. B. KALE, Jakarta

IndonesiaRelated_JakartaPost_2002 01 21_Racism and forest fires

Racism and forest fires
January 21, 2002
A lot of brouhaha was generated by the media about the punitive action recommended by match referee Mike Denness against five of six Indian cricket players for their (rather) routine actions on the field.
Most of the media people (and also laymen) in India considered that it was nothing but a clear case of latent racism because they felt that a different yardstick had been used when punishing players from the subcontinent than the one used against players from the UK, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, etc., for committing similar "crimes".
Media coverage of the recent major bushfires near Sydney brings out clearly that it is not only in the realm of cricket that racism is so prevalent.
When one compares the grossly negative and abrasive coverage given by the international media to fires in the forests of Kalimantan in 1997 (the year of El Ni¤o) with the grossly bland coverage given to the fires in the forests near Sydney, can one reach any conclusion other than that this, too, seems to be a clear case of latent racism?
As the fires in Kalimantan were in Asia and due to the negligence and greed of profiteering Asians who had allegedly caused the fires deliberately, the story was given widespread, negative publicity, highlighting the irresponsible character of Asians.
This time, when it turns out that the fires near Sydney were also the handiwork of some irresponsible Australian youngsters, the international media seem to be handling this case with proverbial kid gloves. Is it because in this case the perpetrators of the crime are not greedy and irresponsible Asians?
K.B. KALE, Pune, India

ForeignAffairs_JakartaPost_2001 10 29_Pakistan and the U.S.

Pakistan and the U.S.
October 29, 2001
On CNN's Larry King Live Gen. Musharraf stated that the change in environment had led to the change in his country's policy toward the Taliban. He emphasized that Pakistan's national policies had to adapt to the prevailing environment and justified the adjustment in Pakistan's policy toward the Taliban on the basis of "ground reality". After all, according to him, the environment before and after Sept. 11 was drastically different.
But Gen. Musharraf did not use the same yardstick when talking about the shift in American policy toward Pakistan. He stated that Pakistan was left in the lurch after the defeat of the former Soviet Union and that it had led to a sense of betrayal and abandonment. He further stated that one of the prime topics discussed in Pakistan was whether the U.S. would abandon Pakistan again after the anti-terrorist campaign against the Taliban and Osama bin Laden.
Had the Taliban chief, Mullah Omar, been interviewed by Larry King, he (former) would have probably expressed the same feelings.
When Gen. Musharraf changed Pakistan's policy of abandoning the Taliban on the basis of environmental changes, why did he complain about the U.S. doing the same? He should know that the current marriage between Pakistan and the U.S. is a marriage of convenience and is likely to end as soon as the Afghan war is over due to changes in "ground reality" and the "environment".
K.B. KALE, Pune, India

ForeignAffairs_JakartaPost_2001 10 06_Pakistan's Dictators

Pakistan's dictators
October 06, 2001

They say that cats have nine lives. It seems that this feline privilege also applies to the Pakistani military rulers, who do appear to be a very lucky lot. Each of them seems to be presented with a lifeline just when their days seem numbered and these dictators seem to have an uncanny ability to know which side of their bread is buttered.
Ayub Khan was the luckiest compared to the other Pakistani dictators. During those heady days of the cold war, Ayub did not have to do a lot to retain his 'favorite boy' status with his allies in NATO, CENTO and SEATO. Unfortunately the American governments in general seem to have an obsession to support dictatorships in the third world. They poured in money, weapons, food and consumer goods. The rich and influential Pakistanis had a field day -- they drove the best cars, ate delicious imported delicacies and trotted the globe and tried their best to maintain the Ayub rule.
General Yahya Khan who followed had a short tenure and was finished along with East Pakistan. The next dictator, Zia-ul-Haque, came to power in relatively difficult times. The cold war had gone too cold and after Zia's execution of prime minister ZA Bhutto, things became too hot with Western democracies clamoring for a return to civilian rule.
When he seemed to be on the way out, the lady luck intervened in the form of Russians' march into Afghanistan. Americans had no choice but to prop up this unworthy dictator and extend the length of his regime. It took a despot to finish Zia when the plane he was traveling on was blown out of the sky. Unfortunately the American ambassador to Pakistan was also on board.
The next dictator, General Musharraf, who is currently ruling Pakistan, has already turned it into a pariah state. He is living on borrowed time with Pakistan's economy in shambles.
But then the lady luck seems to have intervened again. The dastardly terrorist attack of the WTC Twin Towers and the Pentagon has affected all nations. It has suddenly turned Osama bin Laden into a 'most wanted' suspect. Americans want him at any cost, thus presenting Gen. Musharraf the chance to revamp his falling fortunes by agreeing to help them in every way.
Everything in his story seems to have followed the set pattern until this point. The issue is whether the Americans have learned their lesson in the meantime. Will history repeat itself with Musharraf enjoying their generosity for a few more years? Didn't Osama bin Laden fight against the Russians on the American side in the previous war but later parted ways to become what he is today?
K.B. KALE, Pune, India

Cricket_JakartaPost_2000 04 20_Match Fixing

Cricket match fixing
April 20, 2000

These days the columns of all the Indian newspapers are overflowing with the news of the alleged conversation between Hansie Cronje and Sanjay Chawla and his alleged involvement in match fixing. He subsequently admitted that he was not fully honest with the South African Board but has categorically denied any involvement with match fixing and added that he was only involved in match forecasting.
I recall a similar admission by renowned Australian cricketers Mark Waugh and Shane Warne, who a couple of years ago admitted they had received a few thousand dollars for doing something similar to what Cronje has admitted (if we take what they admitted at face value). However, if I recall correctly, the ABC just fined them or warned them (or both) after doing their own investigation in the matter.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is presently under pressure to cleanse this "gentlemen's game" of this disease. I feel that the ICC should not only go into what Cronje did, but also what Waugh and Warne (and others) did and mete out punishments which are independent of which country or board these Waughs and Warnes and Cronjes belong to. The ICC should use the same yardstick in all such cases.
However, some marks should go to Cronje because he was at least honest and owned up to his wrongdoings.
Shouldn't we expect players of other cricket-playing countries to show similar courage and admit their guilt if and as applicable? Otherwise one would always he reminded of the 11th Commandment, "Thou shalt not be caught"!
K.B. KALE, Pune, India

Cricket_JakartaPost_2000 06 06_Falling Icons

Falling icons
June 06, 2000

Presently, there is a lot of hullabaloo being made in Indian Press about the corrupt and fallen icons of Indian cricket.
Basically the human being -- whether Indian, Australian, South African, Pakistani or English -- is kept "in line" by the fear of being caught doing something illegal and the subsequent punishment he must face if and when he is caught. That is why the 11th Commandment "Thou shalt not be caught" has become so popular.
When he sees that everyone around him is making money and getting away with it, he feels that he is the one who is odd man out to be behaving in lawful ways.
When fodder-scam team members are enjoying 5-star holidays in prisons, he feels that something must be wrong with the morals inculcated in him by his parents and teachers. And then he thinks..."Should I continue to be dumb like this"?
And when a bookie approaches him, he thinks "Mr. X and Mr. Y have been doing this for many years, have amassed millions and scores and have been getting away with it, so why not me?
Then instead of turning himself from the bad ways, he probably approaches Mr. X and Mr. Y for the "know-how" which they offer for a "fee" and bingo! He also goes into the multi-millionaire bracket!
Only a grass-roots cultural revolution (not the Mao type, but probably what our Jayprakash Narayan had in mind in the mid-1970's) can change this. As things stand, icons will fall so regularly that, God forbid, ten years from now people will take it in stride. K.B. KALE, Pune, India

General_Jakarta Post_2006 02 23_L N Mittal

Good management leads to success

The report Mittal, industrialist and India's man of steel by AFP (The Jakarta Post, Feb. 1) brought back many pleasant memories of my close professional association with L N Mittal from 1984 to 1989. As a fellow Indian, I am extremely proud of the remarkable achievements of Lakshmi Niwas Mittal, better known to us as Niwasbabu than Lakshmi.
Born on Sept. 2 (not June 15 as written in AFP report), he was a struggling young entrepreneur owning just PT Ispat Indo, still referred to as the flagship of Mittal Steel.
Even in those early days I saw so many sterling qualities in Mittal. He was totally focused on his business, which took priority over everything else. Often he would visit the plant in the middle of night while returning from a social event.
In those struggling days, the company used to have many problems, but he always overcame them with his management skills. He was a great motivator, and while we got a pat on the back for achieving one of his seemingly impossible targets, he would always give us a new seemingly impossible target.
He was very good at spotting good ideas from whichever source: Be it from me, then his top technical man, or an officer or a worker. Good ideas would really fire him up and end in a brain-storming session leading to a time-bound action plan.
Mittal had great follow-up technique and possessed the necessary energy to see that the action plans would be executed on schedule. That is one of the many things I learned from him.
He had phenomenal memory and had great capability to retrieve effortlessly from it when necessary. Then a commerce graduate, he was totally at ease with engineering subjects, even relatively difficult ones like electrical engineering. He learned and remembered these inputs very well.
Though he was still a small entrepreneur when we parted, I could see the makings of a future icon. Closely associated with his first acquisition of ISCOTT (Caribbean Ispat), I could see his fantastic ability in understanding the complex issues and overcoming seemingly impossible situations. Mittal fully deserves his success.
I am very proud to have poured a few cubic meters of my own sweat-and-blood into the very foundation on which the present Mittal Steel Empire stands so majestically. Doubtlessly, he was the best CEO under whom I have ever worked.
K. B. KALE
Jakarta

Indonesia-related_JakartaPost_2006 04 12_3-in-1 system needs reviewing

I think the time is ripe for a review of the 3-in-1 system! The system was introduced to ensure fewer cars in the golden triangle area by encouraging car-pooling among people from the same neighborhoods.
Originally the system required three or more passengers in a car only at the time of entry into the protected area. Once inside, it was neither necessary nor possible to have three passengers in the car as people who had joined the car-pool got off one by one at their offices. There was also no such restriction in the evenings.
The system failed because of the easy availability of "roadside jockeys". This was the situation when I left Jakarta in 1997. When I returned in 2004, a modified system requiring three passengers at all times during the designated hours in mornings and evenings was in force.
This modification is contrary to the very basic objective of the 3-in-1 system because it discourages the car-pooling. For example: three employees live in the same condo and work in the restricted area. They enter the golden triangle and the first employee gets out -- now the other two who wish to get out elsewhere are no longer eligible to be in that area. What will they do?
A couple running their individual businesses in the golden triangle leaves home together with their driver. When the husband gets out at his office, the wife has to call one of the employees from her office to come to her husband's office to make a threesome!
In the evening, most of the employees while away their time in restaurants or other places. And come 7 p.m., all the roads groan under the second coming!
The system can be modified to achieve its objectives and also enrich the exchequer by issuing monthly, weekly and daily passes for regular users of the golden triangle or by the introduction of a pre-paid E-Z pass system which could record and charge every entry during the designated hours. (I saw this system in Malaysia recently.) Today the money goes into pockets of jockeys and others.
The traffic congestion has not reduced by the present set of rules, anyway!
K. B. KALE
Jakarta