10-04-2007, 11:37 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Mum on Myanmar, India preaches Gandhism</b>
At the United Nations General Assembly, Sonia Gandhi called for courage to practice the Gandhian virtue of non-violence and pleaded for it not to be reduced to a ritual. Yet, India did not condemn the violent crackdown on protesting monks in Myanmar.
Myanmar's army has waged a long-running brutal war against ethnic groups in which soldiers have destroyed villages, raped women and killed innocent civilians.
Troops who last week killed at least 13 and arrested over 1,000 people to suppress the largest pro-democracy protests in nearly 20-years have continued overnight arrests and mounted patrols to strike terror into the population.
Last week's bloody crackdownâdetails and images of which have trickled out on web postings and video clips despite a media clampdownâhas drawn international outrage, and governments have started to take action.
Indiaâs non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries is well-known. But was it right for Sonia Gandhi to completely ignore the brutal crackdown in Myanmar while championing the cause of non-violence at the United Nations? Are we guilty of not practicing what we preach?
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/mum-on-myanmar...sm/49863-3.html<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I suspect that had Myanmar been a muslim nation, Sonia Gandhi would have made vehement comments on the Myanma situation - just for the benefit of her muslim electorates back in India. If it had been a christian nation, she would have unhesitantly joined forces with the western nations in commenting on the situation. But, being a Buddhist nation, Myanmar is of least interest to the very vote conscious Sonia Gandhi, because her party depends very little on the buddhist votes in India.
At the United Nations General Assembly, Sonia Gandhi called for courage to practice the Gandhian virtue of non-violence and pleaded for it not to be reduced to a ritual. Yet, India did not condemn the violent crackdown on protesting monks in Myanmar.
Myanmar's army has waged a long-running brutal war against ethnic groups in which soldiers have destroyed villages, raped women and killed innocent civilians.
Troops who last week killed at least 13 and arrested over 1,000 people to suppress the largest pro-democracy protests in nearly 20-years have continued overnight arrests and mounted patrols to strike terror into the population.
Last week's bloody crackdownâdetails and images of which have trickled out on web postings and video clips despite a media clampdownâhas drawn international outrage, and governments have started to take action.
Indiaâs non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries is well-known. But was it right for Sonia Gandhi to completely ignore the brutal crackdown in Myanmar while championing the cause of non-violence at the United Nations? Are we guilty of not practicing what we preach?
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/mum-on-myanmar...sm/49863-3.html<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I suspect that had Myanmar been a muslim nation, Sonia Gandhi would have made vehement comments on the Myanma situation - just for the benefit of her muslim electorates back in India. If it had been a christian nation, she would have unhesitantly joined forces with the western nations in commenting on the situation. But, being a Buddhist nation, Myanmar is of least interest to the very vote conscious Sonia Gandhi, because her party depends very little on the buddhist votes in India.