Promises of a false war

It is always refreshing to see a young, dynamic (and female) minister create a buzz abroad, and certainly that’s what happened when the minister of state for commerce Nirmala Sitharaman visited the House of Lords to speak in a debate in one of the committee rooms. Presenting the British point of view was Jo Johnson, whom many in India remember fondly as he was posted there as the correspondent for the Financial Times. Now he is the head of the Downing Street Policy Unit, and a minister of state.

Following a tour of the UK Parliament, Ms Sitharaman said she really appreciated the sense of history, with the large number of carefully preserved paintings of kings and queens, and even the copy of the Magna Carta. But more than history, it was the present and the future that her audience was interested in. There were pointed questions from the mixed gathering of academicians and politicians on where was India headed, and many wanted to know about business opportunities. But the minister was also quite blunt, asking in turn, about growing the space in the UK for skills which could be exported from India, such as IT. Though neither side let their guard down, it was an interesting debate, part of a series hosted by Lord Bhikhu Parekh.

One of the biggest dangers in the world today is the West Asian conflict, raging on. This kind of senseless violence, where different factions of the same religion are killing each other, should really make people pray for a peaceful resolution, and an end to the ambition of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. But surveys have shown that the ISIS is winning the propaganda war in the UK, as it is gaining ample sympathy, especially among the young. Nine per cent of Londoners actually have “warm and favourable feelings” towards the ISIS, though throughout the UK the figure is slightly less at five per cent. But among those who sympathise, almost 14 per cent are in the age group between 18 to 24. That is precisely the age that ISIS will want to drag into its net.
The lifeline for most terrorist groups is obviously the Internet, and that is how these youngsters keep in touch. And through that, one day, some of these young men and women might be persuaded to join this false war.

But now a revolutionary idea has been thrown in the ring to woo would-be terrorists away. It is presented by London-born Khalid Koser, who has just established the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund last month in Switzerland. Essentially, the fund hands out grants of up to $30,000 for counter radicalisation programmes. One of the initiators of this project was US President Barack Obama, but now it is supported by the UK, Canada, Australia, Canada, the EC and even Qatar. According to
Mr Koser, it might even be possible for students, perhaps in Pakistan, to resist jihadi messages being posted online if they are given a grant. Could those who profess conviction or ideology linked to terrorism be so easily diverted? And could the latest counter-terrorism weapon now actually just be a bank? Mr Koser has $25 million in the kitty, and so there have to be many believers.

These days if you come to London, all roads lead to the Tower of London! All around the famous monument is spread a sea of more than 800,000 red ceramic poppies, each of which has already been sold for £25 each. This artificial plantation has led to furious debates on whether this is the best way to remember those who died in World War I, but it is certainly the most popular exhibit in the city. Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, created by Paul Cummins and Tom Piper, has generated unexpected crowd control problems, and according to reports, more than four million will see the display. This is quite an amazing turnout for what was essentially just an expansion of the British tradition of making a donation towards the Royal British Legion whilst buying a plastic poppy. But it has brought undoubted poignancy to this week of remembrance.

And one piece of really good news! The Mahatma Gandhi sculpture is being completed really swiftly by sculptor Philip Jackson. Some of us, including the chair of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Trust, Lord Meghnad Desai, the vice chair of the Lib-Dem party, Lord Navnit Dholakia, and the high commissioner, Ranjan Mathai went to the sculptor’s studio to get the first glimpse. It was an overwhelming moment to see the Mahatma as he will stand, forever, next to Nelson Mandela. And thus, those of you want to see the statue at Westminster Square, really soon, keep the donations flowing.
Remember that the Mahatma stood for all of us, for the common man and woman; he got us our freedom. Now it is time for us to give to his memory, with interest.

Kishwar Desai is an award-winning author