Afghanistan....the Graveyard of the Foreign Powers

*  A nation perpetually at war with itself. This is the common perception about Afghanistan the world over. 

*    With the exception of the introduction of Islam in 642 AD, it took almost two–centuries to finally embed Islam in Afghanistan, no foreign power has been able to establish a social contract between the central Government in Kabul and villages across the rural heartland. 

*  The reason is that the western powers, who considered Afghanis little less than barbarians, never understood the psyche of the common folks in Afghanistan. The Afghanis through ages have resisted any foreign attempts to bring about change in their social life. Why are they averse to change? this will boggle any human mind.

*   Alexander faced fierce resistance in the Afghan tribal areas and he is said to have commented that Afghanistan is "easy to march into, hard to march out of.” Genghis Khan had applied the most brutal measures during invasion in 1220, but failed.

*    The British forces faced a disaster during withdrawal at the end of the first Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842). During retreat over the mountain passes outside Kabul, about 4,500 British soldiers and 12,500 civilians died. 

*    During the second Anglo-Afghan War a young British soldier, Winston Churchill fought in the battle. Churchill wrote of British exploits in Afghanistan, as “Financially ruinous, morally wicked."  

* The Russians during their ten-year occupation of Afghanistan learned the lesson the harder way and paid with the lives of thousands of their soldiers. They faced humiliation and defeat before they took the decision to withdraw.  

*   It seems that the foreign powers get trapped by Afghanistan in their quest to improve the social structure in that country, and have a foot in this strategically located nation. 

*    Often the foreign powers suffer from a notion that their choices are correct, and thus invest so much in there. But in the end they leave Afghanistan, empty handed. The fate of the NATO forces doesn't seem to be any different that of their predecessors. 

* Sadly, Afghanistan remains a graveyard for the foreign powers.

Magic of Mikhail Sholokhov..

*    The books describes about the lives and struggles of the Don Cossacks during the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the Russian Civil War. Arguably it is the best book written about the race that has captured the imagination of readers from across the world. It's Sholokhov's masterpiece and he deservedly got the Nobel for this. 

*   Not even Leo Tolstoy, Russia's greatest writer (no offence meant to him and one of my favourite authors) could depict the lives of cossacks better in his book, 'The Cossacks'. I don't wish to spoil your mood by writing more about this classic. 

*     A must read for book lovers......

A New Year of Challenge !

*     Wishing you all a Happy and Peaceful New Year.

*      While this year brings hopes and aspirations for millions of us who live in safety of our homes, the year poses a great challenge for thousands of people living in Iraq and Syria where the Islamic State is butchering human beings. The women are being  abused, and then sold. The young boys are forced to join their ranks, and trained to kill.

*    Since the World War II, the innocent civilian population has never been so threatened. What's worrying is that the efforts of the civilized nations so far haven't been able to contain the menace of the Islamic State. 

*     People who are suffering and fighting the atrocities of these newest and cruelest terrorists, deserve our prayers.

A Stranger !

               (This poem I wrote several years ago)  
                               

                              A stranger


           Walks in crowded cities,
           Unmindful of human complexities,
           And life's eternal beauties,
           A stranger.

           Friendship often seeks,
           That meetings make,
           And partings break,
           A stranger.

           Confines in mystery,
           Looks what is not he,
           But someone else be,
           A stranger.

           Scruples that reside,
           In a human mind,
           Reason could he find,
           A stranger.

           A few moments ago,
           when asked, where you go,
           He says, 'I don't know',
           A stranger.

           His lovable countenance,
           Gives some assurance,
           Of future remembrance,
           A stranger.

                       *         *        *

Forgotten Verse of Shakespeare...

                                                (concluding part of verse)

                               5

        Gentle wind sport did find,
        Wantonly to make fly,
                       her golden tresses.
        As they shook, I did look,
        But her fair did impair
                              all my senses.
        As amazed, I gazed
        On more than a mortal 
                               complexion.
        Them that I love can prove
        Such force in beauty's 
                                   infection.

                             6

        Next her hair, forehead fair,
        Smooth and high; next doth lie,
                             without wrinkle,
        Her fair brows; under those,
        Star-like eyes win love's prize
                             when they twinkle,
        In her cheeks who seeks
        Shall find there displayed
                             beauty's banner;
        On admiring desiring 
        Breeds, as I look still upon her,

                             7 

        Thin lips red, fancy's fed,
        With all sweet when he meets,
                               and is granted,
         There to trade, and is made
         Happy, sure, to endure
                              still undaunted. 
         Pretty chin doth win
         Of all the world commendations;
         Fairest neck, no speck;
         All her parts merit high admirations.

                                 8

         A pretty bare, past compare,
         Parts those plots which besots
                                  still asunder.
         It is meet naught but sweet
         Should come near that so rare
                                  'tis a wonder.
         No mishap, no scape
         Inferior to nature's perfection;
         No blot, no spot:
         She's beauty's queen in election.

                             9

         Whilst I dreamt, I exempt
         From all care, seemed to share
                                pleasures in plenty;
         But awake, care take__
         For I find to my mind
                               pleasures scanty.
        Therefore, I will try
        To compass my heart's chief contending.
        To such a case causeth repenting.

                          ___  William Shakespeare
                 
(credit to Gary Taylor for finding this priceless poem)