Another spectacular foreign policy failure of The Mushy Man to get a few more F-16s and dollar bills to fight his bogus war of terror through the attempted seduction of Condoleezza Rice by his stud-muffin Foreign Minister, Shaukat Aziz is now reported to have met with stunning failure.
Twice as Good: Condoleezza Rice and Her Path to Power, by Newsweek chief of correspondents and senior editor Marcus Mabry, says the incident happened during Rice’s first trip to Pakistan in 2005.
“When Rice sat down with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, who fancied himself a ladies’ man, Aziz puffed himself up and held forth in what he obviously thought was his seductive baritone. He bragged — to western diplomats, no less – that he could conquer any woman in two minutes,”the author writes.
“(He tried) this Savile Row-suited gigolo kind of charm: ‘Pakistan is a country of rich traditions’, staring in (Rice’s) eyes…. There was this test of wills where he was trying to use all his charms on her as a woman, and she just basically stared him down. By the end of the meeting, he was babbling.
“The Pakistanis were shifting uncomfortably. And his (Aziz’s) voice visibly changed,†the author wrote.
Evidently, “aankhon ki gustakhiyaan” isn’t “maaf ho” always.
What was Aziz thinking? The “I am a hot love boy” , faster-than-Maggi-noodles line does not work in orkut scrapbooks far less on one of the most powerful women in the world. And nothing gets a rice bowl all steamed up than a gentle reminder of Pakistan’s “rich traditions” of hudood (recently repealed) and sensitivity towards women.
It’s not that Condi has never been kissed. (video here). It’s not that diplomacy doesn’t have a bit of naughtiness. It’s just that our man Aziz played his cards horribly wrong, going for the alpha male, direct approach where a little bit more subtlety and sensitivity could have given him some “enriched uranium” before the night ended.
However it is never too late to learn. So without further comment, I leave for Mr. Aziz two pictures. Just to show how the old “foreign affairs” hands do it.
The Greatbong Blog & Podcast 
Yeah, nice to see a member of the Pakistani establishment made fun of, and to see their so called PR excellence humbled, but the unbiased part of me thinks the article does sound a bit of a racist rant.
If that article had been written about an Indian leader, would we have been amused or insulted?
And of course, Mushy baby still gets oodles of military aid while his spend on catching the Al Quaida/ Taliban keeps decreasing…
@Sayon: I personally would have been plenty amused. I wonder why you thought that was racist. Do I rejoice in Pakistan with egg on their face? Sure. Would I also find it funny if the person was Natwar and not Aziz? Absolutely. The last post about the BJP MLA (an Indian) didnt seem racist did it? So why did this?
Hi,
As usual great post with insightful and deep analysis of foreign affair hands.
Shaukat better learn a thing or two from our randy old men!
In fact, out leaders have always been remarkably successful with foreign women, starting with Nehru and Edwina, Subhas Bose and his companions, right down to Rajiv Gandhi and the Italian connection!
Oh, and that glint in Vajpayee’s eyes! Priceless! 🙂
Tut tut..Sayon. All that material in there and all you could mine was a lame racist rant. What comes across are several things – A general culture in Pakistan, a head of state (well close) who has trawled the corporate circles of the US and is considered one of the most sauve personlaities in the subcontinent and and and…the truly appalling standards of behaviour.
He was not a college frat boy trying to pick up a girl for the Prom night for chrissakes!
Oh..the shame of it all. I was cringing when I read this …I recall Masood Hasan doing a similar take on Mr Aziz when he actually took Ms Jolie for a walk in the garden. I mean WTF? Write a hundred times..I MUST DEVELOP SOME CLASS AS I AM A PM OF A COUNTRY.
God!!! What was he thinking. I wonder why it saw the printing ink though. I would be ashamed to mention an event like this.
Interesting. This proves the quote below
“Foreign affairs are affairs between foreigners” – Myself
Pardon my aggression, maybe its got something to do with getting up at 5 in the morning and watch it rain in Bangladesh… but Mr. Sayyon, do you even know the meaning of the word “racist”
Don´t know, normally I ignore the comments here- too many ppl like you with an opinion about every thing thats written here and a knowledge about none..
“unbiased part of me” !! you mean the “part” of you that after reading the post thought “yippie, I could be the first to put a comment, but what shall I write!! let me criticize the article and be the super-cool guy”
well the latest news is that Tendulkar is out there, so I need to cut this rant short. Greatbong- keep up the good work. and forget about Mr Cool-Views- they give lesser mortals like me a chance and motivation to write something too
Manu
hmm
@ Sayon…Where does race come into the picture bhai?
When did u get bitten by this American bug of bringing race into everything.
Sometimes wrong (and overhyped) terminology can change history… man, ie, the Bosnian Conflict.
Undoubtedly, Aziz is a charming guy. In fact most diplomats from Pakistan have a very similar demeanor and presentation as their Indian counterparts. (the Indian ones are slightly smarter).
But the nation he represents (Islamic Republic of Pakistan) has too much of a smelly baggage to out-perfume his Christian Dior.
@ Shan
The glint is Vajpayee’s eyes could be becoz of the booz(not the woman).
What’s Natwar laal doing there? Patting her behind ;-)?
guys, i think what sayon meant is that condy rice is being racist and not arnab. i dont know how she would have reacted if its wasnt an “old brown man” but a white an hitting on her
Rice’s possibly racist undertone: “[Aziz] bragged — to western diplomats, no less – that he could conquer any woman in two minutes.”… no less?
@ Pyne
Which part of the statement you quoted is possibly racist?
@rishi: I thought S.Pyne made it clear enough – the “no less” part.
Hey guys, hold your hats – what I find racist is the tone of the Newsweek article – which Arnab quotes.
And no, I didn’t find the post by Arnab racist. It’s funny. But I still wonder if it would have seemed so funny if it had been a male American diplomat boasting to a female Indian diplomat. It would have just been bad taste, and that’s all.
The racist part comes from the attitude that this Paki chap is so pathetic that it isn’t worth being disgusted. It’s a little guy from the subcontinent, so you don’t expect them to behave better.
OK, I’m sure you’d feel that I’m over-reacting. Maybe.
@Rishi: Do you understand the usage of the two words ‘no less’ here? That said, ‘racist’ is probably the wrong word to use here too. It’s just condescending and downright humiliating. That’s all.
This gesture by Bush was, of course, just good ol’ Texan ribbing, he being a thorough gentleman and all.
I don’t really care much for Rice the diplomat. Her (non) achievements speak for themselves. But by stooping to the level of high-school gossip about a serving Prime Minister of a sovereign nation, she has not earned my respect as a woman either. Whatever her personal gripe against Shaukat Aziz the man, what she has done by naming him in the book and portaying him in an extremely unkind light (though I really don’t know whether the idea to drop the name was hers or the authors’), is that she has slighted the ‘office’ of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, she has insulted an entire nation. The sad truth, though, is that for most Pakistani diplomats and military dictators, such insults by high or mid-level American government functionaries is water off a buffalo’s back.
Good one GB.. 🙂
Gotta remember to Puff myself and bring in the sexy barritone in my voice next time I make a move 😉
I guess this is what the Pakistani have come down to in order to get a few more F16’s – Seduce American politicians… I think Shaukat had a better chance “sucking up” to Bill Clinton
Actually come to think of it from a position beyond Paki bashing, Aziz is actually suave and sophisticated, as far as I know an Oxbridge product, probably as, if not more educated, well read, and articulate than Condi.
Maybe Condi just did not deserve him. Maybe she prefers the semi-literate, bumbling, low IQ, Bush types… 🙂
Hello all:
I am blessed to receive a call from GB this morning. It is so nice of such a popular person to call me and I am really very happy. He is very friendly, a nice person. We talked about his site and other things, but I bored him to death with my blabber and my south indian accent. Actually, i was overcome by emotion and could not speak all the things that i have in my mind. I don’t know whether he found my south indian accent understandable or not. But a very nice person, he patiently listened to all my blabber. Long live GB. You take my years too and live at least 150 years and make this blog a nice place. Thank you very much.
Blessed soul,
Kishor
Welcome, welcome Kishor garu . 🙂
Long time, no hear from you.
Uday and S Pyne.
Agree with Paul, racist is the wrong word to use here.
Condescending… yes.
But I find it funny that “racist” pops out of people’s mouth at the slightest hint of discord.
Rest my case.
Hi Rima, actually could not come here and comment after Rahul dravid let all the south indians down with his captaincy in WC. anyway, we canceled his south indian membership and he is no more a south indian now.
@ Paul
Even though you may not care much for Condi as u said,
Condi Rice is probably one of the smarter figures in the current administration with a very pro-India outlook.
Unlike her predecessor, in the current administration, she is not biased by the glasses of Cold War Era Central Command military “alliance buddies”, which included Pakistan as a major pro-American player.
She is a scholar on global issues and deals with security issues on their merit.
Pakistanis certainly fits the bill for racist tag. If I were the prime minister of India, the first thing I would do is bombing pakistan with 25 nukes. Nobody shud remain there.
@ Kishor
That is not true Kishor.
Pakistan sans Islam is the same as India.
Racially we are the same people.
And nuking Pakistan…commom
Ever thought what “Pakistan” would be or could be without Islam?
@rishi:
Academic or literary excellence does not necessarily make one an able international statesman. Case in point, I K Gujral. Though not a ’scholar’ in the classical sense, he was very well read, articulate, an author, thinker, and an absolute disaster as a political leader.
Whether Condi Rice is academically qualified, a concert pianist, can juggle three cats, or even whether she has a so-called pro-India outlook (which is very debatable) is totally tangential to this issue. A lot is made out of her struggle during her childhood and early years as an African American growing up in a segregated society. I’m sure you will find many success stories like this among public figures from any randomly picked ‘third world’ country, the democracies, at least.
All she has done during her tenure is peddle the policies of hate and fear and violence of her administration around the world. One could argue that that’s her job. But she is Secretary of State of the United States of America, arguably a very powerful post in the world. There is a lot she could have achieved. There is a lot she chose not to, or did not have the ability to.
By all accounts, she has an abrasive personality. She does not possess the personal diplomatic charm necessary to bring leaders together, to stop wars, to build bridges, to make peace. How difficult is it to ruffle feathers in the international arena? All it takes is a couple of ‘axis-of-evil’ speeches. All it takes is absolute inaction while thousands are bombed to oblivion in Lebanon by ‘close ally’ Israel. Lecturing sovereign nations is not the same as ‘engaging’ them. Diplomacy is all about compromise and give-and-take. ‘Judging security issues on their merit’ does not mean proclaiming the right of pre-emptive warfare.
Scholar she may be, but diplomat she is not. History will not remember her kindly. Maybe staring down Shaukat Aziz was one of her better achievements
@Kishor
25 Nukes? Sigh …. that would not leave many Indians alive either.
With that kind of an attack, the evil north Indians would go the way of the pakis while the good southies would live a nuclear fallout and would be crippled for generations.
Vote for Kishor and prepare for a nuclear winter, seems like the best solution to global warming.
Funny that no one has posted about the real Rico Suave guy of them all — Pandit Nehru himself.
Now that’s how it is done, ladies and gentlemen.
It would not be fair to compare Condi Rice with IK Gujral.
Condi was the bi-partisan point person of US diplomacy during the Cold War and is still considered America’s best expert on former Soviet Union and its remnants pieces, not to speak of other regions.
As for your declaration of she being the peddler of “policies of hate and fear and violence of her administration around the world”, I think that depends on your personal ideology and position on the issues you talked about.
As you look at “ally” Israel’s response to the “civilian” Hezbollah’s barrage in the summer of 2006 as a issue worth a “give and take”, I may not.
And I can convincingly present the case that America’s attitude of studied disengagement from Lebanon was probably the best foreiegn policy decision that summer.
As for Israel’s response, nothing about it was pre-emptive.
A cursory study of Hezbollah’s history and its activities after the Israeli’s withdrawal from South Lebanon, in the 90’s, and the eventual slaughter and forced conversion to Islam of the South Lebanese Army by the “civilian” Hezbollah can help you pass better judgement on issues.
..forgot to mention, my previous entry was in response to Paul
Not that Indian diplomats are any less crass. I have personally seen an Indian Consul General in the US make outrageously racist remarks in a large gathering, yell at a waiter in a party, and openly ogle a nubile young thing…
But Aziz bragging about his sexual prowness simply takes the cake. What an idiot!
Just did not understand one point.Why in world any man would like to seduce Condi??I mean Condi has really lost her head !!!
@rishi:
Can you point out any benefit that Condi’s expertise with the former Soviet Union and its current remnants have brought to her job as US Secretary of State? Her recent confrontations with Putin over US missiles in Eastern Europe or the status of Kosovo are a throwback to the Cold War, contrary to your assessment earlier that she is “not biased by the glasses of Cold War Era Central Command military alliance buddies”.
And when she is not threatening, she is lecturing. In the Middle East, she lectures about ‘the birth pangs of a new middle east’ as thousands die every month. Her ‘involvement’ in the Israel-Palestinian peace process is at best forgotten. Hell, the peace process itself has been forgotten. And after hearing for years from all parts of the globe that the sane thing for the US to do would be to stop sulking and talk to Iran and Syria, it is only now that Condi decides to even acknowledge that reality, after four disastrous years in Iraq. These, from my humble perspective, are not the signs of a capable international statesman, espcially one in a position as powerful as her.
The issue is not whether she has an impressive resume. The question is about her achievements in her current role. And in that she has come up short. On all counts.
I do think that Condi peddles her administration’s short sighted war-diplomacy around the globe. And you are right. It does stem from my personal ideology, and by the looks of it, the personal ideologies of about 99% of the people in this world, especially the dead Iraqis, don’t you think?
Let’s not get into the Israel-Hezbollah issue. That is way off topic, and volumes can be written about the aparthied state of Israel, its rationale for existence, its planted population of East Europeans and adventure-seeking Americans, its expertise with state terrorism and the fascination for its policies among a surprisingly large section of urban Indians, who tend to think that somehow it is a state whose violent policies India should emulate.
Finally, Condi’s policy of ‘studied disengagement’ from South Lebanon, the “best foreign policy decision that summer”? I’m sure the one thousand Lebanese under the rubble of South Beirut agree with you, not to mention the forty odd dead Israelis.
@ Paul
Since you continue to pontificate on Israel while urging me not to talk about it as its “way off topic”, let me respond to your thoughts on Israel first.
Lets see…
you drive somebody (the Jews) out of their house, you take their holy shrines and turn them into mosques. Then when they come back and re-claim their land, you decide to rage a indefinite “Intefada” with a pledge of throwing those “infidel Dhimmies”, not my word but Hamas’s, into the sea…
Hmm lets see…so the Holocaust survivors of East Europe who remained countryless for centuries return back to their land of origin and they become “planted”.
Israel’s expertise with counter-terrorism is a compulsion and not a fad.
Imagine the choices you would have when you either convert or are eternally condemned to death because u dont fall in the Quranic categorization of a “Believer”.
As for the thousand dead in South Beirut, who dont YOU ask that question to Hassan Nasrallah of the Hezbollah?
Why dont you ask him, why he fired 2000 rockets into Israel.
Why dont you ask him, why he needed to break the truce and kidnap Israeli soldiers ( from their side of the border), when Israel honored every treaty with the Islamic groups, only to see them being broken by the other side, time after time.
Why dont you ask Hizbollah why they burnt alive hundreds SLA members in 1999 and 2000, just because they happened to be Christians and Jews.
While you are at it, why dont you ask Hezbollah why it starved its own fellow Shia Muslims of the Shia’h Amal Militia (they survived by eating rats), in 1982 , because they refused to fight the Hezbollah’s Jihad against those “dirty Jews”.
As for those urban Indians with a fascination for Israeli tactics, good for them, their exposure to world media and current affairs actually makes them realize certain tactical efficacies in Israel’s counterterrorist policies.
If that bothers you , I cant say much.
I am not an “urban Indian” and you have no idea about my background, so dont try to pidgin me into one.
Now to Condi’s resume:
Just because she doesnt fit into you world vision doesnt mean that she has done a bad job.
Her inputs on East Europe have helped the US meddle less in Russia’s internal affairs, especially Chechenia. For that matter, Eastern Europe has a very favorable demeanor towards the US than ever before.
It takes a while to get out of the morass US got Eastern Europe into by creating a Islamic state (Bosnia & Herzegovina) bang in the middle of the Balkans in order to placate its Middle Easatern Allies.
Cool your heels my friend, we can agree to disagree for now.
Rishi@
“you drive somebody (the Jews) out of their house” – the Old Testament I presume?
When were today’s Jews driven out of their “homeland”? A little research tells me it was sometime around 66-73 CE, after the First Jewish Roman War. I’m sure the blond haired caucasian teenagers surfing along the shores of the Tel Aviv today can still recall the horror vividly. No wonder they threw out millions of Palestinian Arabs living on that land for more than the past thousand years. All justified, I’m sure.
A much much milder interpretation of your logic would repatriate the United States and Canada to the Native Americans, Australia to the Aborigines and most of Pakistan and Afghanistan to decendents of Chandragupta Maurya, not to mention all the Native Indians of South America, who would have to throw out all caucasian descendents of the Spanish and Portugese.
Just where do you plan to go with that assertion? All you have done is read Zionism’s charter.
And the survivors of the holocaust. Of course, the best thing that could be done for the sins of one set of Europeans on another? Impose them on a hapless Arab population. Displace 7 million of them and set up the nation of your biblical dreams. A tragedy of epic proportions caused by pure religious zeal and dogma. And it’s not even the middle ages.
@ Paul
The hapless Arab population was invited to live in Israel to live as citizens.
Dont forget that Israel has 15% Muslim population that lives perfectly fine with full rights.
It was the fellow Arabs from Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria that encouraged (and continue to do so) the Muslim Palestinians from returning back to their homeland…
I am not quoting the Zionist Charter here my friend but historical facts.
The reason countries like Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria encouraged the Palestinians from returning back to their homeland is because they believed they could wipe the Israeli state completely from the face of this earth, something that they continue to fume and froth about even today.
Now to talk about the milder interpretation of my logic.
Yes, I bilieve the Americas should belong to the Native Americans first and foremost…and so should Australia to the aborigines.
And ofcourse Pakistan and Afghanistan does belong to the children of Chandragupta Maurya….
the sad thing is, with the support of people like you, the children of Chandragupta Maurya would rather call themselves the children of Mohammad bin Qasim and Salah-ad-Din…
but then again..you shouldnt have any problem with that…
@Rishi:
“the sad thing is, with the support of people like you, the children of Chandragupta Maurya would rather call themselves the children of Mohammad bin Qasim and Salah-ad-Din…
but then again..you shouldnt have any problem with that…
”
Ah, I was wondering when you would come round to that.
@ Paul
To get a better understanding of what happened when Palestinian Muslims were welcomed back by Israel, (and stopped from returning by the ffellow Arab Muslim states), please study the history of the region between 1950 and 1973.
@ Paul
“Ah, I was wondering when you would come round to that”.
And what say u amigo?
@Rishi:
I think you are referring to a UN resolution which recommended that Palestinian refugees should be allowed to return to Israel. This was rejected by Arab states because it made no mention of the ‘rights’ of such refugees. It just said that they could return, without any provision for ownership of ancestral land and property, which most of them were forced to abandon and leave. It was a recipe for disaster. 5 to 8 million returning refugees without any right to claim their ancestral lands would lead to violent discontent.
Again, the 2000 Camp David peace deal brokered by Clinton between Arafat and Barak broke down because of similar reasons. Popular myths bandied about by talking heads on American television casually blame Arafat’s ‘greed’ for the breakdown of the deal. The truth was that Barak did not agree to the right to return of 8 million Palestinians. Instead he offerred a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, not even a fourth of original Palestinian land.
The history of the region has been studied by most people. It is the interpretation that matters. And you, sir, have chosen to go with the version that is screamed out the loudest.
@Rishi:
”
@ Paul
“Ah, I was wondering when you would come round to thatâ€.
And what say u amigo?
”
—————————-
I say nothing my friend. Such sly insinuations are best left unanswered.
@ Paul
I beg to disagree sir.
You choose to go with the version that screams out the loudest…and spills the most blood.
The Muslims in Israel enjoy full rights as any other citizens without any discrimination.
In fact, had those 8 million Palestinians returned back as per the UN resolution, they would have been part of a more prosperous and safer middle East with all the rights they enjoy as part of a democratic society. (unlike living under the gun of Hamas, Fatah and Islamic Jihad, as they do now).
Now you tell me.
Why should Barak agree to take back the refugees now, when 3 big wars and countless innocent murders have been inflicted Israel in the 30 years by the same people who refused to go back and live there peacefully 2 decades back. Why should Barak take back the people who have vowed to wipe every Jew from the Middle East.
What would you do?
@Rishi:
“Why should Barak take back the people who have vowed to wipe every Jew from the Middle East.”
Because the Middle East wasn’t his to begin with.
“What would you do?
I would get back to the topic, which was Shaukat Aziz and his charm offensive.
Good day.
@ Paul
Nor was the Middle East of the Islamists to begin with….
Enoy the topic …
good day
*enjoy
@rishi:
“And ofcourse Pakistan and Afghanistan does belong to the children of Chandragupta Maurya….
the sad thing is, with the support of people like you, the children of Chandragupta Maurya would rather call themselves the children of Mohammad bin Qasim and Salah-ad-Din…”
The true agenda is finally revealed, eh? Hail Modi!
But after all the brouhaha, I still believe that South Asians should endeavor to bed as many foreign diplomats as possible. Then we can truly say that we are on top of world affairs! 🙂
@Ravi Kiran: 🙂
@Shan: And you know why all those summits failed.
@Anil: Reminds me of the Pakistani batsman Yasir Hameed who after scoring a century against India asked Ashwarya to meet him , through an interview to the press.
@Manu: We all misunderstood Sayon. As for Condi Rice, whether it is racism I know not. But she may suffer from the all-too-common complex among many women (and some men too) who think that everyone is hitting on them.
@Rishi: Sharab and shabab both I think.
@QuickSilver: Food for oil?
@Defending_Sayon: Hmm.
@S.Pyne: Depends on where you think the emphasis is. If its on Western, yes racist. If its on diplomats, then no. Its as if she is saying he was bragging about his conquests not to his friends but to Western diplomats (his professional peers).
@Sayon: Got it. Sorry for the misinterpretation.
@Gangadhar: Thanks
@Ford Perfect: Be careful. It aint working recently.
@Kishor: Thank you. No I understood you perfectly. It was great getting to know you—one of the perks of coming to India is to be able to get to know, in a somewhat more personal way, so many of you who come back patiently to read what I write.
@Semibong: Yes Nehru was the original dude.
@Pighooey: Ogle a nubile young thing ! Aare baba, diplomat hua to kya hua, insaan to hain.
@Chengez: To each his own.
@ Shan…
Shan said “The true agenda is finally revealed, eh? Hail Modi!”
Oh boy…blame the dog and hang it.
@Shan
Where did Modi come up in my (or Paul’s)discussion?
Paul had the temerity and knowledge to pull off a fruitful debate…
You can do better.
@Rishi/Shan/Paul: Back to Hindu vs Muslim vs Jews, with Modi making a cameo appearance? Wow! And I thought it was a post just about a crass diplomat and a stuck up one!
It’s been a long time since we’ve had an argument on this blog without Sourav Ganguly’s name being dragged into it. So just for the records, I hereby bring his name into the discussion. 🙂
Now we eagerly await RC bringing in a reference to Himesh, and the deed is done!
@Arnab: Weren’t you pondering on how the comments in the blog had become fewer? See, your fans are alive and as argumentative as ever!!!! 😀
I got the feeling that the racist in the picture was Marcus Mabry, not Condi. Come to think of it, Condi did the most dignified thing she could have done in the circumstances – stared Aziz down – it’s the reporting on the incident which was done in a way that’s humiliating to non-westerners.
Of course, Condi could have told the story to Mabry in the same way – and thus be as racist, but in the absence of proof, shouldn’t we give her the benefit of doubt?
What say guys?
sayon:
you are correct. saurav will go after home runs vs. condi. after enduring two strikes, he will likely get to first base. however, in the process, he will run out of stamina and be run out trying to steal second.
– s.b.
@Paul
Arrey Babua…..Jindagi Jhandva, Phir Bhi Ghamandva ?
@Rishi Khujur
Paul sasura ka to baj gaya baaja.
Rishi Hujur/Khujur:
You may want to go through this BBC article, coincidentally published today.
May be enlightening for you and your alter egos.
@ Paul:
Thanks for the article (which I hope you read your self before giving the link).
Here is a quote “Under a 1947 UN-sanctioned plan to partition Palestine, Israel would have been established on 55% of the former territory, without a significant transfer of population, the Jews in the territory would have scarcely have exceeded the Arab population there”.
NOW THAT IS SOMETHING THE JEWS IN PALESTINE HAD AGREED TO.
The quote continues at a later paragraph,”The 1948 war ended with Israel in control of 78% of the former Palestine, with a Jewish-Arab ratio of 6:1″.
Now lets see who initiated the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
“The U.N. Partition Plan of 1947 having left Muslims deeply dissatisfied”. (hardly undexpected….remember Direct action day for India)) “The months prior to the end of the British Mandate in Palestine were characterized by bitter fighting between Muslims and Jews. Most of the Muslim fighters were non-Palestinians led by Fawzi al-Qawuqji and funded by the Arab League which was bent on thwarting any autonomy to the Jews in Palestine.
(see Kirsten Schulze, The Arab-Israeli Conflict (London: Longman, 1999), 12; also Charles D. Smith, Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, Fourth edition (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001), 195ff.).
Now going back to your trusted BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/middle_east/03/v3_ip_timeline/html/1948.stm)
“The day after the state of Israel was declared five Arab armies from Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq immediately invaded Israel but were repulsed, and the Israeli army crushed pockets of resistance. Armistices established Israel’s borders on the frontier of most of the earlier British Mandate Palestine.
Egypt kept the Gaza Strip while Jordan annexed the area around East Jerusalem and the land now known as the West Bank. These territories made up about 25% of the total area of British Mandate Palestine”.
It seems Paul, the Muslims (mostly non-Palestinians) were not too accepting of United Nations plan of 1947. (seems like thats not too uncommon a phenomenon).
And its not Israel’s problem that its efficient millitary tactics helped then not only repulse the Islamists but also take over large tracts of desert from the Islamists in a totally defensive war that was thrust upon them.
The same story repeats itself in 1956 and 1973 and 1982.
Now, having gone through this so many times, do you expect Israel to honor any UN resolution, when the other side has a track record of completely disregarding such.
Peace
@ Rishi Hujur
Funny comment buddy…but bring in some substance too.
@ Paul
Here are some materials that you may want to refer to
These dates are before the Israel was even in dreams. Mark the Islamic hatred of Jews.
See 1920 Palestine riots: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riots_in_Palestine_of_1920
See 1921 Jaffa riots: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaffa_riots
See 1929 Palestine riots: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1929_Palestine_riots
Also remember that the Jewish population in Palestine was present in huge numbers way back from the 13th century, even though they were considered Dhimmis, or second grade citizens by Muslims. Even worse persecution in Europe under Catholic Inquisitions had forced huge numbers of them to return to Palestine way before 1940.
So your blonde haired Yekki, could well have been a resident of Palestine for 500 years.
@Rishi:
Let me complete the quotes you have provided.
Your quote:
“Under a 1947 UN-sanctioned plan to partition Palestine, Israel would have been established on 55% of the former territory, without a significant transfer of population, the Jews in the territory would have scarcely have exceeded the Arab population there”
Here is what comes before it in the article:
“Official histories justify what happened in 1948 by saying the new Jewish state was threatened with annihilation by invading Arab armies.
But so-called revisionist Israeli historians say Israel’s founding prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, exaggerated the Arab threat, so he could implement a covert plan to expel Palestinian civilians and grab as much of the former Palestine as possible.
Demography – the need to have a large majority of Jews to sustain a Jewish state – has certainly been a key concern for Israel since its foundation. ”
Your quote:
â€The 1948 war ended with Israel in control of 78% of the former Palestine, with a Jewish-Arab ratio of 6:1″
Here’s what comes after it in the article:
“The equation brought security for Jewish Israelis, but emptied hundreds of Palestinian villages and towns of 700,000 inhabitants – the kernel of the Palestinian refugee problem today.
With the justification of not wanting to jeopardise its Jewish majority, Israel has kept Palestinian refugees and their descendants out of negotiations on a settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. ”
The point is, please do not attempt mislead readers by trying to paint this hyper-militarized bully state as a victim here.
The 1948 war. Arab nations got together to throw out a foreign entity that was planted in their midst by force. They showed unity and backbone. You have a problem with that? Oh, I forgot. You do, because they are Muslims. Since I don’t know where in India you’re from, let’s assume you’re from Delhi. Let’s also assume that the Old Testament said that the Promised Land stretched from the western border of Haryana to Bareily in the east. I’m sure you’d give up your ancestral lands and property, pack up your belongings and leave for the refugee camps of southern India to show solidarity with your invading Zionist brothers.
But that’s the thing about armchair warriors. It’s easy to scream war when the bombs aren’t dropping on your head.
I’m surprised you don’t mention the 1967 six-day-war. Is it because it was started by Israel? Is it because it began the process of blatant land grab that continues till today? After that war, Israel’s territory increased by a factor of 3! it seized the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, West Bank and the Golan Heights. Palestinians displaced? About 250,000 at a conservative estimate. Syrians displaced from the Golan Heights? More than 100,000.
But it’s ok. They’re Muslims, and God said the land doesn’t belong to them anyway.
You’re right. I don’t expect Israel to honour any UN resolution. Not with friends like the United States in their pocket anyway. And I completely understand how these two nations are joined at the hip. I understand where the sympathies of American Jews lie.
What I don’t understand is the zeal with which perfectly reasonable people like yourself defend such blatantly inhuman military societies. What is it that attracts you so much to this nation and its policy of cultural apartheid? Do you enjoy seeing the underprivileged being crushed by a brutal state?
Or is it something else? Is Israel the macho, gun-toting Muslim bashing cowboy nation that you wish your own country was? Is the sense of your own country’s impotence in dealing with Islamic terrorism driving this love affair?
@ Paul
If demography was the key concern for Israel as a foundation for a Jewish state as you mention, why do you think the Jews agreed to the 1947 UN Mandate, which proclaimed no transfer of population?
Your basic problem is that in your worldview of the Middle East , you only see Muslims as the rightful owners of the remnants of the land that was the erstwhile Caliphate.
The fact that Jews deserve to have a place for themselves in their land of origin doesn’t break bread with you.
As for Ben Gurion exaggeration of the Islamic threat, I think his threat perception was perfectly justified given the religious sanction given in Islam vis-Ã -vis treatment of Dhimmis (Jews), and the long history of persecution that the huge Jewish population of Middle East had faced (do a quick Google search of “Jaffa riots”.)
But, such blatant propagation of hatred and inhuman-ness towards fellow humans as part of a basic belief system, doesn’t register in your otherwise bleeding heart.
As for Israel ‘s territory increasing 3 fold after the war, is concerned, as I mentioned before it’s not Israel ‘s problem that a coalition of 10 nations which attacked Israel , ends up losing territory to it.
So dear armchair Intefadi, your logic behind the argument you give is the same logic that makes you put the blame of the victims of the Hezbollah-Israeli Conflict on Israel .
One thing that you are forgetting in your “Old-Testament/Haryana/Levant” Conjecture is that the “Levant” is actually is the place where Jews lived for 3 thousand years.
They returned back in huge numbers to their native land even agreeing to live as second class Dhimmis under Islam, right from the 13th century onwards.
I will give you a better example.
When the Bengalis from East Bengal moved into West Bengal after Partition, the Biharis living in Bengal did not launch a Intefada to keep them out even though the Hindi speaking Biharis in Bengal would have been living there longer than the East Bengali Hindus who migrated. (Something that the 1947 UN resolution in Palestine was looking for)
Now the residents of Palestine were immigrants themselves from the Umayyad period from the adjoining areas of Jordan and Syria . So a co-existence between an earlier original inhabitant and a later migrant should not have been a problem, as rightfully decided in the UN Mandate.
Of course I am right when I don’t expect Israel to honor any UN resolution.
How many UN resolutions have Egypt , Syria , Jordan , and Saudi Arabia …etc..Etc has honored vis-a vis Israel ?
As for the 1967 war, as you said, Israel did start the bombing of Egypt first, but that was after EGYPT STARTED TROOP MOVEMENT INTO SINAI and Syria started shelling Israeli villages. So go back and check your facts
I do not look at Israel as a “gun toting Muslim bashing cowboy nation” as you say. I certainly look at Israel as a nation that learnt from history and is trying hard to not repeat its mistakes.
And if you think my country is “impotent” in dealing with Islamic terrorism, then you are wrong.
India (which happens to be my country) is probably one of the few countries that has successfully endured the Islamic onslaught (albeit with immense bruises).
But one thing I am certain of, is that, the immense potency on the part of India was not because of people like you, but inspite of people like you.
And to end I will quote you with slight clarifications to the quote u quoted to me,”What I don’t understand is the zeal with which perfectly reasonable people like yourself defend such blatantly inhuman military societies (read Jihadis). What is it that attracts you so much to this nation ( read, The Ummah) and its policy of cultural apartheid (read Islam)? Do you enjoy seeing the underprivileged being crushed by a brutal state ?
Hope your own quote will help you see things clearer.
well said rishi.. unfortunately most people understand truth only when they are neck deep in the jhadic flood unleashed by islam… some don’t even then !
“If demography was the key concern for Israel as a foundation for a Jewish state as you mention, why do you think the Jews agreed to the 1947 UN Mandate, which proclaimed no transfer of population?”
Because, and I quote from Wikipedia,
“it allotted 55% of the land, including the the most fertile areas, to the Jews, who only made up 30% of the population, thereby leaving 45% to the larger Arab majority. Also argued was the Arab access to water, as the supply to the rivers flowed from Tiberias Lake (also know as Lake Galilee), which was within the control of the Jewish mandated area. Lake Tiberias still provides the State of Israel with most of its water.”
A rather comfortable little resolution for the Zionists, don’t you think?
“The fact that Jews deserve to have a place for themselves in their land of origin doesn’t break bread with you.”
Why do I feel that you’re about to fall back upon that most classical tactic…labelling me an anti-semite? C’mon, it should come pretty easily to you. You’re already getting applause by labelling me a Jihadist.
The “land of origin” concept is completely bogus in this context. You fall for it so easily because you refuse to remove your religion-tinted glasses. How far back in history are we willing to go? One thousand years, two thousand years?? Where were your ancestors two thousand years ago? Do you even know? Since you’re so concerned about me diluting your Chandragupta Maurya legacy, why don’t you go and claim land in Kandahar today? Alexander’s army came all the way till the Indus. Indo-European tribes have populated the Hindu Kush area in some form or other since Hellenistic times. I wonder why the Greeks don’t claim southern Iran, western Afghanistan and Pakistan?
Get real. Zionism’s ‘land of origin’ line is nothing but biblical dogma in respectable academic packaging. Zionists stole land because they could. That’s the sad truth. In the real world, might is right. The Arabs fought, and lost. The Jews won. A once oppressed people have now become the oppressors. Don’t try to beautify that ugly truth with moral platitudes.
“As for the 1967 war, as you said, Israel did start the bombing of Egypt first, but that was after EGYPT STARTED TROOP MOVEMENT INTO SINAI and Syria started shelling Israeli villages. So go back and check your facts”
Again, let me quote from Wikipedia:
“In a speech before Israeli National Defense College, Menachem Begin stated that Israel was the one who made the decision to attack: “The Egyptian army concentrations in the Sinai approaches do not prove that Nasser was really about to attack us. We must be honest with ourselves. We decided to attack him.”
The concept of pre-emptive warfare. We know where the Bush adminstration learnt that from.
AS for your links to Palestinian Intifada ‘riots’, there is enough material on the internet about Israeli atrocities to fill a few libraries. Intelligent people can see them for themselves. Don’t start a childish link war, please.
“But one thing I am certain of, is that, the immense potency on the part of India was not because of people like you, but inspite of people like you.”
Ah, the ‘my-patriotism-greater-than-yours’ line of attack. Do you need to be so predictable? Grow up.
Over the last two days you have labelled me a Muslim appeaser (by various sly insinuations), bleeding heart, armchair intefadi, jihadist and islamist. I’m waiting for you to bring out the rest of your arsenal…liberal, pinko, commie. Come to think of it, I did call you an armchair warrior. Thought yo would be proud of that!
About that modified quote of a quote…I’m sure you meant something. I’ll try and figure it out.
Finally, East Bengal Bengalis.
You just can’t avoid the foot in the mouth, can you? Don’t pick subjects which you know NOTHING about. My family is from East Bengal. We have NEVER been accepted as part and parcel of West Bengal society. Sylhetis like me can still feel the vibes when we open our mouths in Calcutta today. Moreover, post partition, most Bengalis who moved from the earstwhile East Bengal settled all over North East India, not West Bengal, and we know the kind of racial prejudice we have faced there for decades. So, in the absence of a milder way to put it, let me just say, cut the f***ing crap. [GB – my apologies. It’s your comment space, but sometimes you’ve just got to swat the kids down].
The mature & healthy debate between Rishi & Paul is interesting….no wonder that this blog is popular
@Anonymous:
“mature & healthy debate”
Funny you should descibe it that way just after I let rip some profanity…:-)
“You just can’t avoid the foot in the mouth, can you? Don’t pick subjects which you know NOTHING about. My family is from East Bengal. We have NEVER been accepted as part and parcel of West Bengal society. Sylhetis like me can still feel the vibes when we open our mouths in Calcutta today.”
Paul, kindly speak for yourself. There are many families from East Bengal (my maternal side included) and my wife’s family who have never faced any kind of discrimination from West Bengalis (ghotis I presume). Thought I would make this point. Incidentally, who would have thought that Condi Rice rebuffing Aziz would boil down to East vs West Bengal.
@GB:
“who would have thought that Condi Rice rebuffing Aziz would boil down to East vs West Bengal.”
I surely wouldn’t have…this is insane!
As for the East vs West Bengal thing, I’m distinctly uncomfortable bringing it up here, but Rishi’s uninformed point had to be addressed. I don’t know much about your family of course, but the fact is that a generation or more in Calcutta is enough to assimilate and ‘ghoti-ise’ yourself, if you will. I have extended family in Calcutta and they’re living proof of that. I’m REALLY doubtful if you’ll find a handful of Sylhetis of my generation, who share your sentiment, or would consider Calcutta ‘home’. ‘Discrimination’…oh I don’t know. It’s an all-encompassing word. I’m sure nobody was thrown out of a job because he spoke a different dialect of Bengali!
Again, Rishi seemed to suggest that refugees from East Bengal were absorbed into Indian society without any conflicts whatsoever. I wanted to point out that it was a wrong assertion since we have faced discrimination and violence at various levels all over the north east for over two generations now.
@Paul
‘Again, Rishi seemed to suggest that refugees from East Bengal were absorbed into Indian society without any conflicts whatsoever.’
The point given by Rishi was just cited as an example.
I decline to accept that there were social conflicts between the East and West Bengalis. The problems faced by several East Bengal families was due to their financial condition and not because of their origins.
@Paul: East Bengalis getting absorbed into West Bengal society as Ghotis? Did the East Bengalis want it in the first place?
We maintained our distinctive taste in food and way of living. Many of us even manage to retain our bangaal dialects (usually used in all Bangaal company). I know many Bangaal families who would not let their son/daughter marry a ghoti kid.
OK, we don’t have pogroms against each other (Hurrah!), but manage to live together without that much of a problem.
I believe that the East Punjab and West Punjabi refugees have a similar attitude about each other.
The key issue may be that the refugees shared a common religion as the original inhabitants, unlike the Palestinians and the Israelis. On the other hand, look at the fate of the Mohajirs. Hard to correlate one set of circumstances with another.
So let us leave the Ghoti/Bangaal issue out of the discussion on Condi-Aziz or even the Israeli-Palestinian issue this post has become.
Anyone opposing Israeli shoot-first-ask-questions-later policies = Anti Semite
Anyone supporting Israeli defensive policies = Fascist
Anyone supporting Palestinians’ right to self determination = Jehadi
Anyone opposing Palestinian terrorism = Narrow minded religious bigots
I wish the good guys and bad guys appellations were as clear as the debates make them out to be. It should be amply clear by now that neither side is free of culpability on unleashing bloodshed and carnage on the other.
As we all know on this blog, according the the majority of the Indian media and of course, that vanguard of fair and balanced information – Cricinfo, there are only some truths that are indisputable:
Ganguly scores a 100 at a strike rate of 60 = He is selfish
Ganguly gets out forcing the pace = He is over the hill
And of course this one…
Anyone supporting Ganguly = Parochial Bengali
Finally here’s my homegrown truism:
Anyone hitting on Condoleeza Rice = Sick and desperate
See how I finally tied all the themes together? 🙂
@Paul & Rishi Khujur
Here are a couple of quotes taken from the ongoing debate.
“The 1948 war. Arab nations got together to throw out a foreign entity that was planted in their midst by force. They showed unity and backbone.”
“Egypt kept the Gaza Strip while Jordan annexed the area around East Jerusalem and the land now known as the West Bank.”
I was hoping that there would be an in-depth discussion on the role of the states neighbouring Palestine in 1948.
As I understand, under the UN Resolution of 1948, Palestine was divided in Jewish and Arab halves. The Jewish half became Israel. Why did the Arab half cease to exist? Why did Egypt ‘keep’ Gaza Strip? And why did Jordan annexe the area known as West Bank (till they were evicted in 1967)?
These facts don’t reconcile with the concept of a strong and united coalition of Arab nations which wanted to ‘throw out a foreign entity that was planted in their midst by force’, showing ‘unity and backbone’. It sounds more like an opportunistic land-grabbing exercise under the guise of ‘liberation’.
Point is, Arab unity was a sham. Fronted by a dubious character called Mohammad Amin al-Husayni, also known as the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, funded by opportunists across the Middle-East and fought by corrupt and hired military adventurers.
(Parallels can be drawn with the same armchair Islamists of Middle-East who enjoy the fruits of Western influence but yet generously donate to the terror organisations as some kind of bizarre redemption for their dalliances with the decadent West.)
About 700,000 Palestinians became refugees after the first Arab-Israeli War in 1948. Where did they end up? In countries like Eqypt, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. What about countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq? These were the oil-monarchies. They had substantial land and more than enough resources and revenues to absorb, assimilate and support a sizeable Palestinian population.
But that’s not what happened. Egypt grabbed Gaza Strip. Jordan grabbed West Bank. The other nations of the Arab coalition continue to send in their ‘subscription dues’ for being a ‘fighting’ member of this anti-Western coalition that vowed to wipe out the Jews, while on their own they continue to do business and profit from their oil business with the West.
So in the end the Palestinians had to live with the double curse of no land and hypocritical friends too!
@Paul:
It seems that some people just speak with their foot in their mouth…and still end up abusive too.
I think you missed my point when I gave the example of Bengal, but some others didn’t.
As for your permanent gripe that this topic keeps veering off course, I am sorry to say but you have to take the big chunk blame for it.
Read through your responses (beginning from the first one) to understand why?
As of my knowledge of Bangladesh or Bengal……you may just be surprised.
I would let this debate end here as you have entered the realm of using the F*** word.
But dear Sylheti friend, I would be eagerly waiting for your critical comments to the link I have been given to my ID. You are the perfect person for help on that.
Write to me at rishi_khujur@rediffmail.com
@ Shan:
good job mate…
@ Paul:
Also, besides the link in my id, feel free to comment (negative or positive…. doesn’t matter) on the material and context of http://www.factusa.org/Bangladesh/info/bdeshinfo.htm
You will find the material familiar as it deals with the nick of your ancestral woods.
@Shan: Thank you Shan! This is exactly what was needed. Bravo!
@Aby:
“The point given by Rishi was just cited as an example.”
A really bad example, if I may add. Biharis on the warpath against East Bengalis in West Bengal? Oh come on! A truer to life example would have been ethnic conflict against East Bengalis in NE India. But then his example wouldn’t have worked, would it?
@Sayon: I agree. As for leaving the issue out of this discussion, maybe you should direct that request to our man who brought it in to the discussion in the first place.
@Shan: Sanity, at last.
@rahulghosh:
Completely agree. As I mentioned before, winners keepers. And Palestinians were the big losers.
No need to justify this might-is-right historical reality with bogus moral platitudes.
@rishi_khujur:
“I would let this debate end here…”.
Thank God for small mercies. Now I can go back to enjoying my long weekend.
Paul wrote
@rishi_khujur:
“I would let this debate end here…â€.
Thank God for small mercies. Now I can go back to enjoying my long weekend.
Rishi’s response:
Sorry if I was hurting u that bad…take it easy.
Enjoy
@Rishi:
I think you’d be better off feeling sorry for the people who you so easily dehumanize.
@ Paul
Applies to you too sir…
The scale varies.(yours being at a much larger scale)
But lets talk further private.
rishi_khujur@rediffmail.com
At last, peace. This is the problem with you north indians. You fight over silly issues. We south indians are wise.
@Kishor: I completely agree wise one…:-)
That’s why I moved south of the Vindyas 16 years ago.
@Paul
You may benefit from reading this Online Book: “My People Uprooted : A Saga of the Hindus of Eastern Bengalâ€
http://www.bengalvoice.com
You, and there are others like you that may not have had the inner strength to stand your ground, the conviction to defend your womenfolk and the will to fight off the Mohammedan mobs (and Sylheti-speaking ones, at that);
Nor do you have the intellect to reason that it was a “Belief System†that left you as a refugee on the streets of Calcutta;
So, you instead go around venting your spleen on the Ghotis (who had the courtesy to take you in) …..
Talk about a warped sense of justice and twisted reasoning.
You want justice for the underdogs? Look no further than your own backyard.
http://www.hrcbm.org
Those of the Sylhetis and Bangaals who had the temerity and tenacity to not leave the land of their forefathers, inspite of genocide and “rape as a weapon of religious cleansingâ€, are screaming for your help. Are you man enough to help them? Or do you suffer from selective hearing?
Or is it that “Charity Never Begins At Home†for you that likes to indulge in intellectual masturbation about every other topic in the sun, but has no answer or action to help the victims of the on-going pogrom in Bangladesh. Ever heard of the axiom “Think Globally, Act Locally†?
Your use of the “Fâ€-word is very enlightening indeed…. The other guy’s logic is irrefutable, so you cuss at him so that he steps away from the debate and saves you the dishonor of whimpering away from the discussion, on all fours.
Aap Aasmaan Sey Girey, Aur “Khujur†Pey Latkey,
Bolti Bandh Ho Gayi, Isliye Dhum Dabakar Bhagey ?
Enjoy your long weekend !
@Rishi:
Ok sir. Aur kuch?
Rishi, when people are using rape for religious cleansing in any place, the best solution is placing AIDS infected prostitutes there. That will solve all the problems.
@ Rishi Hujur
aare Hujur ….take it easy…
You dont know under world circumstances Paul and other fellow Sylheti Hindus were kicked out and you also dont know what they did to protect the Hindu women.
Sylhet had a relatively easier transition because its inclusion in East Pakistan was through a referendum and Hindus had some time to leave (many to Assam).
Leave him buddy…..
The following meet in New Delhi could prove to be a landmark in what might be viewed in history as the 21st century emergence of a wealthy and progressive Indian society – are you interested to check out (and cover in your blog)?
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-india-gays-festival.html
Vajpyee kind of gives that look that Joe from friends gives to women, “How you going?” 🙂
Bong…i read you almost religiously…and I’m Sri Lankan and dont really give a toss most of your subject matter….u are simply quite the entertainer…anyhow..my point is:
GET MORE ADS
unless you are doing the starving artist thing…i noticed that u have only one Google Ads…which must pay for a fish-head per week at most…while u devote a huge section to links to blogs that arent even in ur league…and ur comment page is similarly devoid of any advertising…this makes no sense because of the number of ppl that visit ur site and write on ur comment’s wall (and no they wouldnt go away cos of the ads…make the ads porn or something..)..
just some advice from a money-minded fan…
Left-wing bastards like Shan and Sayon should stop littering this blog with their highly illogical and over analytical crap. Do you losers have any offline lives or r u just scouting the net for the next opportunity to talk shit about Hindu nationalists?
hey Vinay man…
???? why this shower of invectives…enjoy the discussion…
This is not about left/right/center..top bottom …..the issues and problems discussed in this particular thread transcend such cardinal directions.
@sayon
you got a defender?!!!!!!!!!!!?
poor ol’ shaukat thinks it’s his easy smirking charm that slays us women.
ah! says I.
we shemales are more entranced by his bulging wallet.
trust us to know which side our bread is buttered on.
Yes, I stand by ALL the above tasteless comments.
@kishor
welcome back.
@GreatBong
Something out of this topic. I request you to write something on Infosys backing out of Bengal.
@Vinay: Mate, us left-wing bastards have very similar opinion of you right-wing illegitimates. Enjoy! 🙂
Arnab… more than a week and no posts! Did they leave a little black cross on your door at night? 🙂
@Kishor:
Yeah! South India rocks!! screw Delhi and Islamabad. Let’s call for Chennai being made the Capital of India! 😀
@Vinay:
Your choice of words are enough to make us feel much better about not belonging to your ilk. “Over analytical and illogical”, eh? As opposed to instinctive, reactionary, and moronic like you?
Whether we have “offline” lives is actually no concern of yours, but we do wonder what the purpose of yours is…other than scouring the net looking for imaginary “left wingers”, “pinkos” and “commmies”! 🙂
It’s actually quite obvious who the “loser” is. We are the ones having fun, while you work yourself up into a frothing rage…heh heh
Got a mail from GB. He is down with fever and I think not going to blog for at least another week. Wish him speedy recovery.
Lalbadsha, thank you. Chennai really sucks yaar, very conservative. I think Hyderabad is the best place to be the capital (also, I stay in Hyd). Yeah, but first have to deal with these North Indians.
Great bong,
Dont get well. Simply die. Hell or( even if you manage to make it to) heaven needs some sarcasm.
Hey Arnab…Get well soon.
Hiyaa…no posts for a long time..so left a comment…perhaps a tad out of place here..wishing u a speedy recovery…tc dude!
GB, how about a post regrding Rediff’s comments setion…..its howlarious,outrageous,inane yet a perfect time-pass
GB, here’s wishing you a speedy recovery. You have the good wishes of millions of fans with you. I agree with Anon’s comment on rediff comments. In fact I visit rediff only to read the comments — not the actual news! As for topics for GB, our country is currently offering plenty of circuses to write about…
GB, Get well soon.
Best wishes.
Wish you a speedy recovery GB. We readers feel like fish out of water without your posts.
Hey man,
Is the illness serious or what? Or are you just having a homecoming hangover?
Jokes apart, get well soon. Looking forward to your next post, post recovery.
Hey GB, its been 2 weeks now. Hope it is nothing serious and that you get well soon. Hopefully, it is something a week in bed and lots of chicken soup can set right!
Get well soon mamu (-: Meanwhile consider Kishor to play circuit and ask him to post till Bong bhai can take over
Hey GB, being missing ur posts so decided to check the comments here. Sorely missing u. Get well soon!! Take care.
Get well soon GB… waiting for your next post..
GB,
Get well soon! We are all eagerly waiting for your posts.
Take care
Nilesh
@kishor
“Hi Rima, actually could not come here and comment after Rahul dravid let all the south indians down with his captaincy in WC. anyway, we canceled his south indian membership and he is no more a south indian now”
hehehe .. you made my day man !
The Vajpayee pic really did make me laugh….Its like straight out of a 1960’s bollywood flick….