Shiva the Destroyer, a kind of mythological "terminator" in Hinduism,
is now dancing again. A longstanding enmity based on historic reasonsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxHistory of India
has both countries accustomed to exist side by side at daggers drawn.
It should not be forgotten that essential parts of India once belonged
to a powerful Muslimic state that finally crumbled and gave way to thexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxIndian Muslims
development of a nation based on Hinduism. Both, Islamic Pakistan and
Hindu India, are therefore nourished by the same roots.
While India, accepted as a regional economic and military power, hasxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNuclear Arsenal
developed its nuclear arsenal essentially on its own, its poverty-stricken
neighbour Pakistan could take control of nuclear weapons only because
of U.S. policy regarding that country as an important "stronghold against
Communist India". Now, that old alliances have fallen apart, Pakistan's
nuclear weapons, brought under control by a widely rejected military
junta, is becoming a problem not only for India but for the U.S. as well.
Furthermore, Kashmir, the focal point of actual differences between IndiaxxxxxxxxxxxxKashmir and Central Asia
and Pakistan, is closely related with the development in Central Asia wherexxxxxxxx(diary of war and latest news)
the U.S. are desperately trying to "take over" because of oil and natural gas.
Therefore, it is necessary to look at the region as a whole.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWolfgang Wiesner, 2 June 2002
