*Must Read* links for the weekend

Starting with this one by Sandeep which includes quotes from MF Husain’s recent interview. The two that I found most interesting were: (emphasis mine):

MF Husain:

“…Later, in Hyderabad, in 1968, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia suggested I paint the Ramayana. I was completely broke, but I painted 150 canvases over eight years…When I was doing this, some conservative Muslims told me, why don’t you paint on Islamic themes? I said, does Islam have the same tolerance? If you get even the calligraphy wrong, they can tear down a screen.

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In colleges, you learn about Shakespeare and Keats, Kalidas does not find mention. This is why there is no pehchan in India, no recognition of what is Indian. Things are so farcical that years ago when the Benaras Hindu University honoured Subbulakshmi, JRD Tata, Mother Teresa and me, we were given red caps and cloaks! (laughs) This was the seat of Hindu learning! The custodian of Bharatiya sanskriti! “

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followed by Daniel Pipes’ sharp analysis on how Britain is inching closer to Islamic Law that has a mention of how, after a year-long review, …the British government has concluded “…that recognising multiple marriages conducted overseas was “the best possible” option” (even though) bigamy is punishable in Britain by up to seven years in prison. As an aside, also read “Britain’s love affair with the Saudi kingdom“, By Jemima Khan, written in Nov ’07.

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then move on to “Are Youth Bulges the Root Cause of Terrorism?” in which Dilip has done a painstaking and fascinating job of analysing a recent study by Gunner Heinsohn to understand its implications for India.

The premise of Heinsohn’s research is that demographics, in particular, large numbers of disaffected youth are one of the key factors behind terrorism. Here is what Dilip thinks about the challenges we face in various states:

Jammu and Kashmir: The J&K population growth rate probably peaked in the early-to-mid ‘70s, so the impact of the youth bulge would be expected to be most intensely felt in the late ‘80s to early ‘90s which is exactly around the period when violence was at its height; its subsequent decline could also be attributed to the fall in growth rate.

It has however not ended despite a considerable decline in the growth rate, a fact that may be attributed to the high absolute rate (despite the decline) as well as other factors such as external infiltration.

Punjab: A similar profile is seen here. The growth rate probably peaked by 1971 and the effects of the bulge would be expected by the mid-‘80s which again matches the timing of the violent aftermath of Operation Blue Star (in light of this, is Blue Star which is routinely blamed for the escalation the paramount cause of it after all?). The falling growth rate may have been instrumental in its demise by the early ‘90s.

Nagaland: The stubborn persistence of this conflict through the decades could also be attributed to incessant series of youth bulges through the decades. The trend, if this theory is true, indicates that no resolution must be expected in the near future which may lend support to the Center’s continuing ceasefire with the dominant I.Muviah faction.

Assam: In case of Assam however, the growth rate was in inexorable decline through the ‘70s which ought to have translated into a peaceful ‘90s which was not the case – there was considerable violence through the early ‘90s and ULFA, though no longer as potent, continued to retain enough potential for mayhem even through the first decade of the 21st century.

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In summary, it appears that youth bulge is an important factor in sustaining violent conflicts and preventing the restoration of political stability. However, such problems are multidimensional and it is only one (albeit an important one) amongst several factors. Heinsohn’s idea of it as the nidus upon which all else coalesces to create the storm may therefore not be quite accurate…

Incidentally, Mr Heinsohn’s prediction for the future of Pakistan and Afghanistan is dire and warns of impending instability in our neighbourhood.

“Pakistan’s bloodletting will not be ending soon. A burgeoning population of young men shares the Taliban’s dream of a nuclear-armed Islam, with a united Afghanistan and Pakistan as its core territory and led by a new Caliphate. Although the fertility rate among Pakistani women has declined from close to six in 2000 to an average of four children each in 2007, their sisters in Afghanistan are still having close to seven.

That is why in the Hindu Kush every 1,000 pensioners are followed by 5,570 men of best military age and 11,130 boys aged 0 to 4. This means the troubles in Pakistan and Afghanistan will be with us for at least 20 more years. “

Not comforting.

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Finally, for a bit of “light reading”fun, read, “Winds of War: More Pinhead Thinking on Terrorism”  which talks about a British study that draws links between “engineers and terrorism, saying such people are high achievers and often get sucked into radicalism out of frustration with their corrupt bureaucracies…and thus receptive to radical messages“.

Priceless.