A simmering subcontinent

Even as it pats itself on the back for conducting one successful election after another, India must contend with the fact that it’s an island of democracy in a sea of unstable governments. This fact can’t exactly be a cause for self-congratulatory mood, as the volatile political situation in the countries across us is causing strain on our defence resources and preventing a healthy economic relationship and movement of people. For the Indian subcontinent to be able to become another European Union, political stability is the first imperative. But what we are witnessing in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and our eastern neighbour Myanmar, makes it look like a distant dream. 

But what followed shattered the peace of the country. March saw a bloody mutiny by the border guards against the government. The border guards rose up in violent protests over pay and alleged discrimination, and seized their headquarters in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, leaving more than 50 people dead.

The government dealt with the mutineers stringently asking them to surrender. Sheikh Hasina said that the only way for the protesters was dialogue and not killing. Tanks had to be sent into the city in a show of force to convince the mutineers to give up their guns.

The mutineers surrendered after a two-day revolt, after the government promised them an amnesty and agreed to look into their demands.

Nepal
In the summer of discontent on the Indian subcontinent, India's northern neighbour Nepal faced political tumults when prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' resigned following his standoff with army chief Rukmangad Katuwal on the issue of induction of Maoists in army ranks. When Katuwal refused to toe Prachanda’s line, the latter then demanded that the army chief be sacked, but President Ram Baran Yadav also refused to oblige. Prachanda, while criticising Yadav for becoming a parallel power centre, also blamed India for the turmoil in his country, and told the media that certain foreign masters wanted to kept he country in their grip.

Communist leader Madhav Kumar Nepal became the new Prime Minister of Nepal, with the support of 22 of the 24 parliamentary parties.

Sri Lanka
June: End to 25 years of war?
LTTE supremo Prabhakaran, who waged a relentless and ruthless separatist battle against the Sri Lankan state, died in May this year. Sri Lankan Army has produced his torso as proof of his death. But the victory came at a very heavy price. The civilians who were trapped in the offensive against the LTTE were the worst sufferers. On one single night, an artillery attack in the war zone killed 381 civilians, including more than a hundred children. Under attack from the UN and the world community for the large-scale killing, the army claimed it was LTTE, which was killing its own people.

The offensive had its political repercussions in India too, with the DMK supremo M Karunanidhi, a key ally of the Congress in the UPA, going on hunger strike against the assault.

Sri Lankan establishment might be sighing relief at the end of LTTE and the 25-year-old war, but its troubles continued. Reports said that 20,000 Tamil civilians were killed in the final weeks of assault and international community’s demand for a probe definitely landed it on a sticky wicket. The Sri Lankan government, however, stood firm, in the face of pressure from Amnesty international, and also from Britain, France and Norway, that there was no question of probe. This was conveyed by foreign secretary Palita Kohona. However, President Mahinda Rajapaksa admitted, during his Myanmar visit in June, that one lakh lives had been lost in the strife and that the challenge for him was to rehabilitate the displaced Tamil civilians.

Myanmar
Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was found guilty of an alleged violation of the restrictions that were imposed on her during her house arrest, which went on for 14 years. But instead of three-year imprisonment, her sentence was reduced to 18-month house arrest when after a dramatic entry in the court room, home minister Maung Ooo announced the reduction.

Suu Kyi was charged of keeping a guest, American John Yettaw, in her house though she was not allowed to do so. Yettaw, of Falcon, Missouri was also sentenced by the court to seven years of hard labour but was deported to the US after the intervention of a visiting US senator.

The military Junta said the intruder had entered the house after swimming across the lake adjoining her house. While the government said she had violated the code of house arrest, her lawyers, speaking to the media, said she only acted out of mercy, following the condition of the swimmer after crossing the lake.