Rastafari and Bob Marley

Let me first of all confess - I am not a big Bob Marley fan. I have always known Bob Marley as one of the best performers who had a huge impact on the people of his generation but, I didnt know he was as strong a man of character as to surrender his life to a painful death for his belief in the Rastafari religion. Now that I know, I cant help but fall in awe of the man and his character.

Rastafari is a religion or rather a subculture whose pilgrimage is based out of Ethiopia. Ras Tafari, the emperor of Ethiopia, is worshipped by Rastafarians. Its basically a Black youth subculture and a religious movement that arose in the ghettos of Kingston, Jamaica, in the 1950s. Rastafarians regard Ras Tafari as divine. Males grow hair in long dreadlocks and wear woolen caps, use marijuana and listen to reggae music. Sounds like quite a cool religion. Well, hang on!

This religion opposes any surgery on the body. In Sep 1977, Marley was diagnosed as having cancer on his toe and was advised an amputation. Since Marley was a firm believer in the religion, he refused it. Cancer was spreading in his body but he kept on performing. Many of his shows had to be cancelled as he endured great pain and fought for his life for 8 excruciating months. He performed for the last time in Pittsburg in great pain and succumbed to death on May 11, 1981.

Bob Marley was a man who rose from being a trained welder to one of the best musicians. He was a man whose mother was abandoned by his father when he was 5 but who later on reconciled Jamainca's rival political groups through his music and following. A man who became the epitome of fight against inequity in the US and a national hero for the Jamaicans also had an ironical twist to his life - The man behind the fantastic number 'No Women No Cry' actually got married to Rita Anderson in 1966 at an age of 21. But then, he sung the song after he got married. Any lessons for me who takes the Matrimonial Oath in a short while?

Cheers to Marley and Reggae anyway!!!!

Washington to Fiji and Kashmir to Iraq - all in a week

A week which witnessed a few significant events across the globe - First and probably the most impacting is the publication of Iraq Study Group's Baker-Hamilton report, secondly the military coup in Fiji which happens to be the fourth in two decades, thirdly the enactment of India-US nuclear agreement and last but not the least Musharaf's proposal on resolving the Kashmir issue. Events range from North America to the South Pacific and for obvious reasons have major foreign policy implications for India and the rest of the world.

The much hyped Baker-Hamilton report mentions the obvious - situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating and have suggested three main actions

1. American troops need to change their focus to support and train the local police - Americans generally are one of the best managers but am not sure if the same can be said about the rude arrogant American militarymen
2. Performance based monitoring of Iraq - helping Iraqis to become self reliant and threatning penalties should they fail - I wonder what sort of penalties they are talking about. It cant be monetary penalties or economic sanctions that are the favorites of the Americans. However, the oil lobby can seek to control the oil rigs through this
3. Engage Iraq's neighbours in stabilizing the country and the region and get even more deeply engage in resolving the middle east conflict - well.. this is tricky.. Can the oversized egoist Americans really collaborate with the Arabs, the EU which has better credentials at mediating in conflicts and the emerging powers China, India and Russia in resolving these issues. If yes, it will be the dawn of a new multi-polar world.

The report envisages withdrawl of American troops by Q1 of 2008 - Given that the American public has finally risen against the Republican's politics of fear and hatred, I have a fair reason to assume that Bush will finally listen to more sensible people than Rumsfeld and Cheney and collaborate with the Iraqis and other relevant nations in figuring out a solution.

A yet another military coup in the South Pacific - fourth in two decades. Reason - the same old reason of ironing out the widening racial divide. Mr. Qarase, the democratically elected PM in this years May elections was house arrested by Cmdre Bainimarama and robbed of his powers. Australia, the dominant South Pacific nation failed to exercise its leadership in averting the coup despite repeated requests by Fijian PM. Whatever may be the outcome of this coup, one thing stands out loud and clear - in a country with racial diversity like that of Fiji, there is got to be a balancing of power between the eecutive and the military. India, with the most diverse population, has strangely never witnessed a military-executive confrontation. I wonder if its because the military leadership is kept happy with lavish defence deals commissions or its the structure of military that prevents the unification of forces under one command.

Passing of the India-US nuclear agreement may be seen as big step towards India's larger involvement in world affairs. India needs to tap each and every possible energy resource and this partnership if implemented will go a long way in establishing India's credentials as a peaceful nuclear power who can be a rold model for states like South Korea, Pakistan and Iran.

Lastly, another twist in the tale of Pakistani President Musharaf - a new four point resolution for the Kashmir problem. The solution on the face of it sounds practicable. However, it remaims to be seen if India too can respond actively to this. However, if this is yet another tactical media overture of Musharaf then India needs to be even more tactical at handling media and the international community to make Musharaf's shrewdy maneuver. So much I wish, Indian politicans were as good as Musharaf in handling international media as they are at handling media for appeasing the minorities.

Cheers mates..
Varun