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October     Last updated: October 14: 7:00 p.m.

World Window
"Third Way" for Putin

Atul Rawat

THOUGH there are many whom Putin's India visit is giving serious heart burn yet they have to keep quite due to reasons we all know. But a more severe headache has been caused to many "liberals", both in Russia and elsewhere by Shri Putin's visit to meet the Nobel laureate and the chronicler of Soviet misrule Alexander Solzhenitsyn. The cynics are trying to portray the meeting as that of a former officer of KGB "the sword and shield" of the Soviet system and the greatest critic of the system. But they tend to forget that the factors of nationalism and patriotism are the greatest binding force between the two men than their respective positions in a rotten system decades back.

Moreover, even at that time it was national patriotism on part of both that charted opposite paths for the two—the other a wielder of sword one a wielder of pen. Putin is hope of Russia and no wonder the eighty one year old Solzhenitsyn, who hardly ever appreciates a politician is emerging like a Guru to Putin. Some in Russia compare the relations between the two to the relationship between Maxim Gorky and Lenin. The heartache of the liberal is poured out in statements like that of a Heritage Foundation scholar stating that since Putin could not expect backing from the liberal intelligentsia so he was turning towards the "national patriotic forces".

This also reflects that the so-called liberal are losing the battle in the Russian peoples' minds who are backing Putin in a manner that they have never backed anyone of their rulers in the past. And Putin has been showing by his actions that he is a leader who will chart his own path which is different both from the left and right—a third way. Solzhenitysn is emerging as his friend, philosopher and guide. He is as stern a critic of the new capitalist Russia as he once was of the Soviet Communism. The critics of Putin say that his political philosophy is only now unfolding. But the reality is that this was defiend much earlier his being guided by the words "national patriotism". The ideas of Solzhenitsyn can be easily compared with the ideas of our own veteran economic thinker Dattopant Thengadi and coupled with the youth and vigour that Putin represents may easily be the right path for Russia—the third way.

Western Supporters of Cow Protection

And lo and behold. A great news from America, believe it or not this time it is no "Hindu fundamentalist" or who is "spreading communalism" by screaming for cow protection. On the other hand he is none less than an American himself. This is a good news for those who require a western example to accept anything good in the east. Lance Morosini, an activist of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) chose an interesting method of calling the attention of the Indian Government (and of course secularists and Eurandpanthis also) towards the cruel and inhumane treatment meted out to cows in a country where more than eighty per cent people consider cow like a mother. On the birth anniversary of Gandhiji who also wanted the cows to be protected, Morosini chained himself to a nine feet high bronze statue of Bapu that was recently inaugurated by the Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. He was carrying a placard that read : "India's cows betrayed". Soon the police came and took him away to charge him with statue climbing.

Later some other PETA activists said in a statement that Gandhiji used to call the cow as "a poem of compassion" and used to term her protection to be the protection of all creatures of God's creation. The activists also narrated graphically how the cows and calves were marched to the slaughter houses in the most cruel manner and how the end came to them in a most inhuman way. They have appealed to the Prime Minister to at least enforce the existing laws to protect the cow. Lamenting that they did not get any response from the Indian Government despite repeated appeals, the President of PETA Ingrid Newkirk said : "We are begging the Prime Minister to honour the memory of one of the greatest leaders and kindest men the world has ever known by stopping this horribly cruel business." The PETA and its campaign against cow slaughter is supported by many world leaders. The Dalai Lama, Jackie Chan, Paul Mc Cartney, Pamela Anderson are just a few names of celebrities who support PETA. This is high time the secularists and the Eurandpanthis stopped thinking cow protection to be a backward movement. It is hight time that the movement for cow protection is re-launched with additional vigour.

NATO is poking nose in Yugoslavia

Pyare Lal Beri

A very queer situation has emerged after recent elections in Yugoslavia. Strong man of the country President Slobodon Milosevic with his supporters of Socialist Party (SPS) and its allies have claimed that they have won the election. On the other hand, eighteen parties coalition Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) has declared that its candidate for Presidential election, Vijoslav Kostunica is victorious in the polling. The DOS coalition has made allegations that the party in power is playing fraud. Polling of this election was completed on September 24. Opposition coalition DOS claims that its candidate Vijoslav Kostunica has secured 48.96 per cent votes polled in the election and party in power candidate President Slobodon Milosevic has gained only 38.62 per cent. On the other hand, the supporters of Milosevic has asserted that the DOS opposition candidate Vijoslav Kostunica had secured only 41 per cent of total votes polled in the election whereas President Slobodon Milosevic had been polled 44 per cent. It means both sides are claiming more percentage of votes. The only deciding authority is Yugoslav Federal Election Commission. Most important fact is that provision of Constitution of Yugoslav which envisages that the winning candidate must secure fifty per cent of polled votes. It is admitted by both sides that the constitutional condition of securing fifty per cent of votes for President is quite necessary.

Now, Yugoslav Federal Election Commission has to announced final decision of poll on October 8. In this fluid situation, European countries of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) including America are over zealous to poke their nose in Yugoslavia's election. These countries have demanded the resignation of Milosevic as he has lost the battle of election but Milosevic is sticking to his guns and has refused to resign from the post. Supporters of party in power are declaring that it is quite unjustified to demand for resignation when the opposition leader has failed to gain fifty per cent of votes according to the constitutional provisions. The party in power has also made allegations against European countries of NATO that due to vindicative attitude against Milosevic, they are instigating the demonstrations in Yugoslavia. In different cities of the country, there are agitations against Milosevic for resignation. So much so, the party in power has blamed the opposition candidate Vijoslav Kostunica that he is stooge of NATO countries and America. European countries of NATO and America made statements in July appealing the Serb population to shunt out Milosevic. Propaganda of many countries has been going on against Milosevic for some time.

Now, foreign Minister of France Joschitka Fischer and foreign Secretary of UK Robin Cook have demanded the resignation of President Milosevic. Also, President of America Bill Clinton has declared that if Milosevic does not resign from the post of President, economic sanctions would be imposed on the country. In order to create pressure on Milosevic for resignation, a huge armada of 15 ships had been positioned by NATO in Medaterrianean sea near Yugoslavia. It is a quite similar position when NATO army had attacked Kosovo (Yugoslavia) last year. 78 days of bombardment there compelled Yugoslavia to surrender. Recently, in retaliation, Milosevic has also ordered the correspondent of BBC Radio London to leave the country as he was issuing manipulated news. This is sheer interference of foreign countries in the internal affairs of any country. Every nation knows fully well that the election in any country is an internal problem of that country. It is the basic rule of United Nations not to interfere in the internal affairs of any country. Have NATO countries and America shown political guts to ask Military Chief Executive of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf to resign when he demolished the duly elected democratic Government of Pakistan.

Perhaps European countries of NATO are fearing from the personality of President Milosevic who refused to partition Yugoslav giving separate country of Kosovo to Muslims of ethnic Albanian and faced the attack of NATO last year. NATO wanted to appease the ethnic Albanian Muslims. European countries have also grudge in their minds against Yugoslavia. Slobodon Milosevic is treading the path of Marshal Tito who refused to become subservient of Stalin regime. Tito wanted to adopt communism according to his national need and not according to international movement. It is very important to note that NATO is arch enemy of Warsaw pact. Yugoslavia is a prominent member of Warsaw but due to the fall of USSR, the head of Warsaw Pact, Yugoslavia has become weak. Still NATO wants to settle the old scores with Yugoslavia. Milosevic was also facing the trial of war crime in court of justice of UN. In retaliation Milosavic had also instituted a case of war crime against NATO military officers. This is because Amnesty International had declared NATO forces of guilty of war crime as the army had committed killings of civilian Serbs in order to support Muslims of Kosovo who are struggling for creation of separate State for Muslims. Meddling in election process in Yugoslavia by vested interest European countries is highly condemnable.