Kolkata's Intellectuals in Willful Slumber

Courtesy: Facebook

Nidhu Bhusan Das

Intelligentsia in West Bengal,proud of being ahead of that of the rest of the world,are in rest for now.Rest they need have after relentless exercise of the brains for rejuvenation to react to larger issues to evolve.Let the space now be taken by commonest of the commoners to protest against the trivial issues or non-issues like that of the death sentence of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadav in Pakistan.The intervention of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case  is not at all significant and worth noticing,probably because a legal luminary like the one who along with other intellectuals of global impact takes to the street of Kolkata to eat beef for the people to see to reassert their progressive credentials in the climate of 'Intolerance’ has not been assigned the task of representing India in the UN judicial forum.

Instead a handful hijab clad Muslim women came out.in the open, placards in hand and slogans on lips against the insolence of Pakistan and Islamabad’s proxy war against India by way of promoting cross border terrorism.Such things are not important because Kolkata's intellectuals do not think so.After all we tend to bask in the glory showered on us when it was said “What Bengal thinks today,the rest of India thinks tomorrow…”

The women staged protest at Ramlila Maidan,Kolkata chanting slogans like “Down with Pakistan”.

International Karate Coach M.A. Ali who organized the demonstration said : “Pakistan promotes terrorism.We cannot and will not keep mum.” Let the intellectuals be in strategic and studied slumber when the commoners take the space.After all,the intelligentsia cannot and should not mingle with,below their dignity, the brainless flock who are thought to be there only to be shepherded,not be shepherded.

Aoa,a street urchin who participated in the slogan chanting, unnoticed might have thought: “The glittering gentle folks may have developed obesity and need karate lessons to repeat their street antics and walkathons in a jolly mood to be photographed and videographed for media coverage.”

All hail our merry-go-round cerebral celebrities and glitterati.

Pak-China Axis vis-a-vis ICJ Order 

Nidhu Bhusan Das

 It is difficult to tame insolence,more so if it is propped by one with institutional capacity to exercise distinct unbridled Power to protect and promote the interest of the insolent to trample and rampage the values that civilized society cherishes.So,it is not to be construed as cynical and pessimistic if some tend to harbour doubt that the stay ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the execution of Mr.Kulbhushan Jadav,an Indian national,may not be honoured as Pakistan in no uncertain terms dares the ICJ on the issue of jurisdiction soon after the pronouncement of judicial arm of the UN the Charter of which arms the Big Five in the Security Council with the Veto Power which is overriding.Depending on precedents Pakistan may flout the verdict as did the USA.
Islamabad can reasonably count on the unflinching support of its time-tested friend and benefactor China for any malevolent action against Mr. Jadav and for that matter against India.Islamabad may ignore the ICJ if they get assurance and ,thus, encouragement from Beijing. Beijing has the record of supporting Pakistan's Genocide in East Pakistan when it was declared Independent on 26 March 1971,and Soviet Union supported the War of Independence of Bangladesh.Once China dubbed the Foreign Policy of now defunct Soviet Union as Social Imperialism and now Moscow is close to Beijing.One can well judge what constitutes imperialistic design considering China’s sure footed strides towards fulfilling its desire for expansion of the sphere of influence on land and sea ignoring the interests and rights of the countries in the vicinity. Pakistan may carry out the execution of the death sentence awarded to hapless Kulbhushan by the Military Court which appears to be nothing but a Kangaroo Court. Such desperate and dangerous possibility can be averted only if good sense prevails in the omnipotent military authorities of Pakistan and monolithic power structure in Beijing.