WORLD WITH BORDERLESS STATES!

FROM SAMPATH’S DESK:

 

WORLD WITH BORDERLESS STATES!

(யாதும் ஊரே! யாவரும் கேளிர்!)

 

Mankind has traversed a long distance and time in civilization and co-existence since inception and achieved many a milestone in all walks of life. Scientific and technological wonders have brought in a lot of advancements and changes in lifestyles. History and current affairs, a link between the past and the present, continue to inspire peoples of different continents, regions and countries. Communication, the lifeline of the international business, has networked people into a never-before innovative, facilitative and interactive knowledge economy hub, apart from shrinking the whole world into a global village. Economic and digital divide between the rich and poor - rural and urban – man and woman - developed and developing regions/countries, etc. - is fast getting abridged. A sizeable population of one country living in peace and amity in other countries, adapting itself to local conditions, people and culture is now a new norm. Likewise, students from one country are increasingly prosecuting higher learning in other countries. This has become a common phenomenon, thus increasingly paving way for international integration conceptualizing and reinforcing mankind as a single race and/or family, fostering human unity. 

 

The trend has transformed the world into a never-before-seen global family, as a great Tamil poet KANIYAN POONGUNDRANAR’s (கணியன் பூங்குன்றனார்) concept of ‘YAADHUM OOREY YAAVARUM KELIR’ (யாதும் ஊரே! யாவரும் கேளிர்!), an English translation of which is roughly ‘ALL PLACES ARE OURS. ALL ARE OUR RELATIVES.”

 

Trade, commerce, business, exchange and sharing of resources, etc. have revolutionized the status of economy of different countries and regions – individually and collectively – ushering in a new era of balancing the imbalances of sorts. No doubt, the United Nations (UN) and its many agencies are relentlessly carrying out the stupendous task of unifying and serving the mankind in all ways possible.

 

Here arises a moot question whether the world is heading towards a borderless Union of States? However much one may wish to give an answer in the affirmative, somewhere there exist some odd and incongruous factors forcing us to go negative, of course, with positive expectations for the future.

 

What then is the truth that prompts one to turn a naysayer and plead helplessness? The nagging factor is that some rich/advanced countries considering themselves as a privileged and elite section that tries to play the ‘divide et impera’ (divide, influence and rule) policy. As for nuclear non-proliferation, while one has absolutely no reason to suspect the bona-fide intentions behind and its avowed objective of ‘pro bono publico’ (for the public good), too much of sensitiveness shown for all and sundry events across the nook and cranny of the world generates an inferiority complex in some poor and under-developed countries which become even rebellious, intransigent, and recalcitrant, North Korea with nuclear ambitions is a pointer besides civil conflict-torn Syria and Somalia.

 

Being part of the elite club of developed countries alone can’t guarantee their bona-fides. Such countries should act in good faith and help humanity. The so-called international war against terror and rogue state(s) – a term smartly coined and pressed into service to suit their own convenience and ambitions  - especially invasion of Iraq on pretext of ‘finding and destroying the so-called deadly weapons of mass destruction’ turned out to be a farce and fiasco – a clear intrusion into sovereignty of an independent nation where they could not find even a trace of what they claimed.

A mere ‘gratis dictum’ (a statement voluntarily made without necessity  or a saying not required at all)  can’t rationalize or validate the ‘casus belli’ (an  event or action that justifies or allegedly justifies a war or conflict). It is told that big powers had their hands in many a ‘coup d’etat’ (a sudden decisive exercise of force in politics, or the violent overthrow or alteration of an existing government by a small group or military) and sometimes behaving like de facto global controllers.

 

Globalization has, of course, brought countries closer than ever before with sustainable bonds proving to be panacea for the universally happening or existing ills. This trend is the strongest repudiation against mistrust, disintegration, suspicion and skepticism. It is really a ‘summum bonum’ (the highest or ultimate common good for humanity).

 

The President of the USA (George Bush) said that he was acting under instructions from God to send its troops into Afghanistan (2001) after the Taliban refused to hand over the Al-Qaeda fugitive leader Osama-bin-Laden, the mastermind of 11 September 2001 terror attack on the U.S. Again, George Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair similarly declared that they were acting at the behest of God to invade Iraq (2003) for three reasons – (1) to disarm Iraq of the weapons of mass destruction, (2) end Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism, and (3) free Iraqi people from his rule. Although they captured Saddam Hussein live after the invasion, they could not find any weapons of mass destruction. Saddam was subsequently executed by hanging on 30 December 2006.

 

It is not known how religious faith and convictions were nonchalantly brought in to buttress a wrong political and military action. Faults are thick when love is thin.

 

Big brotherly attitude, one-upmanship, looking down others with a needle of suspicion, partisan mindset and step-motherly treatment towards certain nations, which don’t fall in line with their diktats, etc. are hampering and dampening factors.

 

Let us see what is happening in our neighbourhood. Under the international war against terror, Pakistan is financially supported by the U.S. and purportedly for that country to act against Taliban. But, something different is happening. Pakistan is only strengthening itself militarily with that financial support only to act against India citing Kashmir as a ruse or subterfuge by encouraging, harbouring establishing, aiding, fostering and patronizing many terror hubs and terrorist training centres in its soil, and sponsoring and sending trained terrorists across its borders into India to carry out subversive acts in the Indian soil. Though U.S. itself has acquiesced in this stark reality, what precious little it has so far done to rein in Pakistan and stop its proxy war through sponsored terrorist groups and their networks – all against India? What a farce is it?

The concept of 'borderless states' presupposes a peace-loving world order which, though ideal, remains only as a utopian daydream and a far-cry.

 

 

 

 R.SAMPATH

12/7/2009