Kashmir

Kashmir India and Pakistan have combat over the region of Kashmir for more than sixty years. The two atomic equipped states have not just battled three bleeding wars in the district yet have likewise been battling shadow wars for a long while. Recently, Kashmir has been one of the contemporary world's most grieved and perilous spots, even an 'atomic blaze point' in what India calls 'psychological militant insurrection' and Pakistan 'an opportunity for development'. Today there is a surge of writing on Kashmir. In any case, despite the fact that we every now and again read about Pt Nehru or Sardar Patel's perspectives regarding the matter, next to the sort of perspectives that Mahatma Gandhi held towards the Kashmir issue and the job which he played with respect to the Kashmir issue during the most recent couple of months of his life. This article endeavours to ponder Gandhi's perspectives on the then recently developing Kashmir question which in later years would in the long run finish into an atomic blaze point in contemporary history and keep on staying one of the most powerless zones on the planet. It would be simply theoretical too dangerous to theorise whether Gandhian techniques could have been fruitful in diffusing the emergency in Kashmir. Like an unceasing confident person, he(Gandhi) had total confidence in individuals' capacity and their feeling of equity. He had fabulous plans of visiting Pakistan and was additionally cheerful that parcel was just a brief procedure and it could be disavowed. Before setting out for Pakistan, be that as it may, Gandhi felt he had first to endeavour to get India's home all together. 'What face would I be able to go to the Pakistanis', he asked, 'if the fire still seethes here?'48 Even while answering to Vincent Sheean's inquiry with respect to why brutality had not died down after an exemplary war, Gandhi stated, "See what's going on in India, in Kashmir. However, I have confidence. On the off chance that I live long enough, my supporters will see its vanity (utilizing power), and come round to my way." However, our corrupted world today has some new perspectives towards the resolution of this cancer. This whole idea of solving past issues, has now been blown away by uneducated, so called liberal, unaware individuals who claim that democracy and liberalism is never to be wrong. These individuals who have all the powers in the world, all the technologies in order to voice their opinions even though they can be so god awfully wrong about things believe that it is their duty to speak on topics they know an ant's worth about. Yes, I using this medium talk about all those people who have joined the #RedForKashmir campaign. These individuals who are all over social media and have enough methods to gain required knowledge on the issue still sit with darkness in their brains believing that everything done in today's date is incorrect as it is destroying the way the system works. Answer me this question all of you... if this was against the constitutions and the rights given to us through that revolutionary book signed on 26th January, how has any nation not massively (except Pakistan and China) repelled against this? The answer remains simple, nothing in this whole strategically planned utilitarian outcome is unlawful. All the laws have been followed, laws passed 2 months ago till laws which were in the workings since the moment the B.J.P. government came into power have all combined together to allow this completely just action to be executed. The curfew, as many would believe and put out as extremely harsh is being reacted through the uneducated population as possibly the first one, whereas the number of curfews were racing to a century in the past. The amount of money required to run a disputed state, going out of your parents' pockets was given to this state which was not even completely part of this unison of a nation. These articles have been abolished in order to achieve the first true unified Independence of India, where people crying over internet connection cuts do not matter. This is a new India, and a India which has set its mind on fixing the wrongs of the past. Strategically, implementing laws through the Lok Sabha, having Panchayat elections, communicating with foreign ministries, everything is done for one reason and that is the creation of a complete and equal state for all. Calling something like this wrong, reflects unawareness of what greater good means in today's day and age. It is not all rainbows and unicorns, diplomacy has not solved this issue for the last 60 years, it is now turn to the stick. The man you call a Mahatma did not die for this

 

Samarth Modi

Grade 11

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Portrayal of the Punk Subculture, Islam and Stereotypes by Media

 

In a defining moment for punk Islam in Pakistan, a controversial documentary film called “The Taqwacores: The Birth of Punk Islam”, directed by Eyad Zayra and based on the novel by Michael Muhammad Knight was screened at the Lahore's National College of Arts. The documentary experiments with merging mohawks, feminists, gays, skateboards, porn magazines, beer in the fridge, parties, stoners, sex, graffiti, punk with Friday prayer meetings, Allah, religion, and burqas; basically the most unorthodox collision one would not even fathom. Knight who coined the term “taqwacore” in his novel says it is about "giving the finger to both sides". The word itself echoes of an outlandish idea as it mashes the word ‘taqwa’ which means faith with hardcore which symbolises punk. I think the question we as taqwacore followers dare to ask is: why should something of such a vast and diverse culture and religion be limited to only a single interpretation? 

A conflict was bound to happen when two extremely polar views - Islam and punk - get into bed and it would not be pretty. It is like daring to putting The Sex Pistols and The Queen in the same room except here the community is the same however the interpretations, not so much. Conservatives did not remain quiet while an attempt to share this eccentric idea to the gen Z of Pakistan was being made. Some highly conservative Islamic-Pakistani media are not too delighted by the same saying it “made fun of Islam” and it was “shocking” that a film such as Taqwacore was even released. Furthermore they pinpoint towards a female gay Muslim saying it is against what “devout Muslims” believe in. The fact that the conservatives simply dismiss the idea of another perspective existing is truly saddening. The same views are shared by radical clerics such as Mufti Muhammad Naeem who runs the Jamia Binoria seminary. He released a fatwa or a religious directive regarding banning the film across Pakistan. Not only new viewpoints are being choked in the very beginning by strong censorship, they are also being dismissed all together as Islam. 

Taqwacore I believe has been revolutionizing. It’s not only a single sub-genre; it’s the melting pot of radicals, traditional, gays, straights, hedonists, abstainers, stoners etc. The culture captures the new found diversity in Islam as it is one of the most widespread religions of the world. It is loud, it is rough, it is honest, it is non-pretentious and it is rebellious - what better way to convey our message? I believe Taqwacore isn’t about rebelling against religion, but truly living with it, interpreting it and following it your own way. With Rabhya, always seen with a burqa and a Dead Kennedy patch in the film, crossing out verses in the Quran she finds problematic such as “ayah advices men to beat their wives” and Jahangir sporting his bright red mohawk announcing the morning prayers with his electric guitar, Taqwacore embodies the fact that we need to have a platform to submerge the two ideologies as we are living under modern and contrasting conditions. Islam means something personal to everyone and the way you interpret it should be allowed to be accepted. In a time when we are bombarded cantily with ideologies, perspectives, religions, news, politics, violence, sub cultures, spirituality, which all have fleeting meanings, Taqwacore is about reinterpreting life itself and not fitting into specific boxes. Why should we define things? With this liberal environment thriving, I anticipate it is finally time for individualism to flourish. Islam and punk are quite similar in their purpose of beginning: seeking and sharing the truth. It is about not having ambitious simplifications and flattening of life but in fact making a change, finding who you are. Taqwacore lets you see Islam from a new lens - a dirty, gritty lens - allowing you to finally stop being ignorant of issues that are often clouded with rigid taboo and dogmas. Taqwacore is a safe space for all the misfits of alternate ideologies, perspectives, identities, philosophies and practices. As Knight puts it best, "It's just a spectrum of the Muslim rainbow that wasn't seen before". 

This is an imperative topic that must be discussed rather than being dismissed. Conservatives needs to realize that the increasingly diverse and liberal population cannot have limited interpretations to Islam. The conflict here exists between the Muslims themselves and the conversations needs to start. Arm twisting the youth about values and instilling fear will not bring a permanent solution to this. I hope change is right around the corner.

 

Nishtha Rampuria 

Grade-11

 

 

 

 

 

Communism- Friend or Foe?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                 http://socialboor.com/m/1785164144498372938_7750888074

 

Countries which have adopted communism aren’t necessarily isolationist, nor are they the enemy, one must be open to new forms of governance in my opinion. However communism isn’t just a form of governance, it’s a lifestyle for some, as communism is much more systematic as compared to democracy or any other system with its central focus being the leader. As revisionism has existed for a long time, leaders tend to make changes to the system based on their own idea of communism, as one can clearly observe when looking back to the governance of the USSR, which was very different to post-war Vietnam.

 

The world has systems such as the anti-revisionist Marxism-Leninism which was used by Enver Hoxha to form Hoxhaism. The Ho Chi Minh though incorporated Vietnamese culture, French revolutionary ideas, liberal ideas, Marxist-Leninist communist ideas, and Ho Chi Minh's personal traits, and if we compare this to Hoxhaism we can clearly see a difference, as the Ho Chi Minh though is liberal compared to Hoxhaism, and Hoxhaism being anti-revisionist.

 

Communism has been a melting pot of unexplored ideas of how the world should work. It is changed every time it is adopted, while some may view the changes for the better, others may think they are leading to impending doom. While we understand that one cannot pass a judgment on which method of governance is "best", I believe it is our duty to continue to change and improve the current systems in place, even if it means we have to tread through "communist waters".

 

I can only hope the world stops using communism as a scapegoat for the mistakes their flawed democracy made.

 

Aditya Das

Grade 9

 

 

 

 

Draupadi: The Feminist Of Her Age

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                  https://www.pinterest.pt/pin/542261611375216605/

 

Bold, fiery, gutsy, straightforward, opinionated, strong, fearless, beautiful, brave, generous, enviable, and a feminist. You must be wondering who this exceptional lady is, she is the feminist of her age: Draupadi.  

 

We hear incidents of some girls being abandoned by their families who solely wish for a son, similarly, Draupadi was never fully accepted by her family. But a girl in spite of not being accepted finds her voice and fights for her rights- just like Draupadi did. She was intolerant towards injustice and resolved for herself that she would defend the innocent and stand up against the wicked, just how today’s women fight for the truth and stand up against injustice.

 

The way today’s girls are fearless, strong, independent and needless of a man to fulfill her wishes and complete her existence, Draupadi also was an embodiment of the same. She did not need the Pandavas (her husbands) to fight for the dishonor that their game got her, she condemned the people who saw injustice happen without voicing their opinion she fearlessly demanded justice for herself, needless of a man. Draupadi was a fiery yet a highly compassionate woman, who had a soft corner for the good and the worst for those with bad intentions, this depicts how balanced she was, just like today’s women.

 

Nowadays women are vocal and bold about their likes and dislikes as well, we do not hide our emotions; likewise, Draupadi was always vocal about her decisions and thoughts, she absolutely refused to share her household, that is- Indraprastha with any other woman. Hence making her decision very clear. She boldly confessed her love for Karna to her husbands as she had plucked an apple from a tree which was meant for a sage who was about to break his fast. Only a person with no secrets would be able to put the apple back in its place. The only secret that Draupadi had was, that she didn’t long for any of the Pandavas but Karna, finally she could have the apple back to its place, for the sage.

 

This incident reveals the evenhandedness of Draupadi, showing empathy towards the sage and courage in admitting the truth. In my opinion, had she put in the effort and gone all out to empower the women of the society as much as she empowered herself, it would have influenced an entire generation of women. Had she been assertive to bring about a change in the commonality as much as she was, to wash her hair with Dushyasan’s blood, in order to take revenge for her insult? That particular effort by Draupadi would have guided not only an existing lot of people but also the generations to come. This would have led to a substantial rise in the status of women today, in our country. If all this had happened, today’s woman wouldn’t have had to fight for her basic rights, a mission like beti Bachao, beti padhao would not have existed, issues like female feticide, female infanticide, child marriage, and ill literacy would not have haunted our society and culture and most importantly girls would have been taught of the rights they are entitled to and boys would have been made aware of the respect they must give to women, decades ago.

 

Panchali personified every quality that today’s women look up to. She was a highly opinionated, educated and efficient woman. She was one of a kind of her time. A woman like her was rare in prehistoric times. People ridiculed her, insulted her but she broke all odds and didn’t leave any stone unturned to take revenge for her humiliation. She is a woman fit to fight any war on her own, be it small or big.

 

She is the ideal woman. If all women look up to her as an ideal instead of their favorite singers, actors, models, etc, no women in our country would be denied of her rights, as she would have the guts, grit, and determination to stand for herself and her virtue. If we look to Draupadi, we observe that she never carried any regrets because she alone was responsible for the choices of her life. Hence she had no sorrow in her life. If we, the women of this generation follow the same, each woman in the country would be content with her life, as it is only she who decides what to do with her life, leaving regrets, doubts, and qualms far behind her.

 

So, was she a feminist? I believe she indeed was.

 

Ananya Guha

Grade 9

 

 

 

A MISTAKEN RELIGION 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                https://kindnessblog.com/2015/09/11/this-is-what-a-banking-firm-decimated-on-sept-11-did-for-the-children-of-employees-that-died/

 

On September 11, 2001the World Trade Centre located in the United States of America was attacked and demolished, this attack is termed as the 9/11 attack. On 26th November 2008 The Taj Hotel, in Mumbai was attacked and seized for 60hours termed as 26/11 attack. And recently on the 3rd of June, 2017 an attack took place in London, United Kingdom, wherein there was a knife-wielding attacker. One of the terrorists involved in the London attack said:” I am doing this for Allah”.  

 

The question that arises here is why would someone spread terror in the name of God? How can God preach the message of hatred? These terrorists spread destruction in the name of jihad which simply means striving or struggling, especially with a praiseworthy aim, or war with the inner evil of oneself in the Islamic context.  But this terminology is misinterpreted. Some people following Islam consider it as fighting with those who do not follow Islam. Groups like Al-Qaeda, Taliban, and Lashkar-e-Taiba are spreading the message of peace and love by Allah in an incorrect manner which in turn is leading to misunderstanding of the religion by people who do not follow Islam.  

 

Nowadays, people mistake the religion of Islam as one which spreads violence. Only because of a minority of people in this community the whole lot is looked down as evil. A verse of Quran says “there is no compulsion where the religion is concerned”(Qu’ran: 2/256). This clearly conveys that the Qu’ran asks its believers to preach its beliefs to others but does not force anybody to follow their path unwillingly. Scholars today say that some Islamists have gone beyond the true meaning of jihad and taken forward aggressive and non-peaceful methods of preaching the message of love in a rather destructive manner. If they wanted to propagate the teachings of their god they should have made the masses aware of it using peaceful methods. For instance Buddhism- it gained recognition all across Asia and later even outside Asia as it proliferated its significance in peaceful terms. It transmitted to Ceylon, Burma, Nepal, Tibet, central Asia, China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Central Asia, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, and Mongolia. Buddhism, like all the other religions, radiated the message of peace and love. The only reason why it got so much popularity is because it circulated its message in an apt way. 

 

The only way to make the masses aware of the true meaning of the Qu’ran is by making sure that the message of Islam is spread in the right manner and that their love for God does not cause the destruction of life and property. Only then can this mistaken religion be understood in the way it is meant to and stay true to its meaning. 
  
Ananya Guha 
Grade 9

 

 

The United Nations Has Failed? 

 

June 26th 1945, 50 flags stirred in the breeze as eager delegates heard Harry S Truman say the words “Oh what a great day this can be in history”. The day when the most prominent 50 nations signed a charter towards a better collective future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                      From- https://lastingtransitions.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/incheon-landing-memorial-hall/01-united-nations-flags-at-incheon-landing-memorial-hall-2/

 

This essay would attempt to justify why the United Nations is not an institution that failed. To begin with I would like to outline my essay by bringing to light how the UN’s in place bureaucracy is functionally sound and continuously improving thus ensuring current and future progress towards the goals we have set as parameters. I would like to outline and supplement two ways in which we plan to bring this about, one being the logistical efficiencies of the UN, and the second being the fact that the UN has been continuously improving as an institution.

 

I would like to begin with the point of Logistical Efficiencies. I would like to break this down into three sections, efficiencies in the decision making process, efficiencies in the emergency response and implementation, and the simultaneously functioning interdisciplinary specialised agencies, the epitome of efficiency.  

 

The decision making process of the UN is not just inclusive but also very dynamic or progressive in nature because before taking action any draft resolution, they spend hours discussing every word in the resolution in the hope of reaching agreement on the text. When consensus on the text is reached all of the Member States agree to adopt the draft resolution without taking a vote. That is a consensus. However If 192 Member States agreed on the text but there is just one Member State that requests a vote, then consensus is not reached.

 

The United Nations decision making process takes into account that One member state each time a draft resolution is under discussion, by providing the option of a vote. When you adopt resolutions by a vote, you only need to get a simple majority to agree on the text of a resolution. You don’t need to care about or try to understand the perspectives of the minority who disagree. This process is divisive.

 

However When you adopt resolutions by consensus, you have to be concerned about the viewpoint of everyone and engage in negotiations that makes sure that different points of view are taken into consideration. This process is inclusive. When the UN was created in 1945, there were only 51 Member States and resolutions were adopted by a vote. Today, in contrast, there are 193 Member States and roughly 80% of the General Assembly resolutions are adopted by consensus, that is, without taking a vote.

 

I urge you to realise how this clearly shows that the UN has progressed over the years to allocate efficient models into their decision making system that have come to not even reach a point where a vote is required, thereby not just promoting inclusion but also showing that most of the time the draft resolutions are unanimous, which is integral for any decision to do well in the long run.

Though we do agree that in some cases the UN has been criticized for implementing a slow yet effective decision making process, which brings me to my next point.

 

Efficient responses to emergencies and suitable implementation.

 

The Office For Coordination Of Humanitarian Affairs, under the UN, coordinates a system-wide approach to humanitarian relief, combined with the Central Emergency Response Fund, is essential in providing assistance quickly and efficiently to those in need. CERF allocated $470 million dollars, solely from donations and the recipients of this fund were Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Syria, Chad, just to name a few, which was then used for restoration and improvement in regeneration of, for instance the problem of disbalance of allocation of resources during drought in Sudan and for the extreme famine in Somalia.

 

The fastest response being the 77 million dollars monetary aid to Syria in the time of crisis, being the largest amount paid in aid to any country in times of a crisis. Not only that, the cerf grants go to red cross, the government of the struggling countries, the national and local NGOs of those countries, which makes its way through domestic implementation and hence reaches the people in need.

 

The CERF reaches the people directly through working with the specialized UN agencies that are able to implement humanitarian aid once the monetary aspect is taken care of. A prime example would be the 8 million dollar fund provided to Afghanistan at the time of conflict, this was implemented by international NGOs, UNICEF, WHO, WFP, UNHCR, and UNFPA.

 

The United Nations has a logistically systematic approach to, first funding for emergencies, then implementation for emergencies. The funds are ever growing due to donations, however, the specialized agencies provide relief immediately when a crisis hits and then starts restoration and minimization of impact shortly.

 

Which brings me to my third point- the simultaneously functioning interdisciplinary specialized agencies that are a driving force behind the UN’s logistical order. As already stated, the specialized agencies are the implementation force behind the decisions taken at the UN. I would like to bring to light that under the UN, specialized agencies such as World Health Organisation, International Monetary Fund or International Atomic Energy Agency made vast contributions to the global society through their efficient and effective methods of execution.

 

For instance, the IMF has contributed an excellent role in attaining a stability in the foreign exchange rate. After the establishment of IMF, the rates of exchange have not fluctuated as much as they were very common earlier. To improve the growth of trade, IMF eliminates the exchange restrictions which allows the global economy to flourish, though within reason.

 

Next, The World Health Organisation. Perhaps their biggest impact has been their influence on public health medicine. Their emphasis on community solutions rather than hospital based healthcare has led to a revolution in the design of health services not only in developing nations but also in more industrialised ones. These pro global prosperity ambitions are driven by the peacekeepers that are an integral part of the UN.

 

I would now like to bring light upon how the UN is an institution that is constantly improving and is progressive in nature.

 

We believe that for any organisation to be called efficient, they need to carry out constant reviewing and adjustments of old methodologies with new methodologies due to the growing needs of the world. The united nations is the gold standard with because not only do they review the clashes in resolutions based on new and emergent challenges of the future but also as for recommendations from the delegates to take into account a coherent response in the adjustment of the resolution.

 

Simply put, the UN has two main policy and action reviewing strategies.The first being the H L P P O, and The QCPR  

 

The Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR) is the mechanism through which the United Nations General Assembly assesses the effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and impact of UN development work. It also provides policy orientations for development cooperation at country level.

The millennium development goals are the biggest example of inefficiency, the UN realised that they were too ambitious and need targets to go along the goals to make them more attainable, hence came the birth of the SDGs.

 

With that, I rest my case

 

Samarth Modi

Grade 9