Sunday, August 30, 2015

The Peace Crusaders: Chapter 11

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“Human race has been created to fight,” Zintun shared his belief. “I have the first hand experience, I’ve lived it. That’s why I’m so confidently declaring this philosophy.”

 “I fully endorse Mr Zintun’s views,” Korruptkin seconded Zintun’s opinion with all the seriousness.

 These were the opening remarks espoused by the prime minister of Chinhut and the president of Unon in an exclusive conference. Chinhut was hosting the conference. The opening remarks by Zintun and Korruptkin gave a kick-start to the conference. Then Zintun and Korruptkin left the conference venue for Zintun’s private office.

 A large number of CEOs of armament designing, producing, and marketing companies of both the countries were already busy in another meeting in another conference hall. A huge entourage of more than 70 CEOs and governmental bureaucrats had arrived in the western part of Berth all the way from the eastern hemisphere. The flight time of travel from Unon to Chinhut was over 24 hours and it would cost exchequer a fortune to finance such a massive tour. Yet the president of Unon thought the expenditure would bring in few thousand times more returns and a significant chunk of it will further enrich his personal kitty.

 A CEO of arms producing company, the largest one in Chinhut remarked, “Welcome all the delegates. As you are aware we hold these meetings periodically. Chinhut is hosting the conference this time. Make your stay comfortable while you are here. Now allow me to turn to the business side of the meeting quickly. I will request Mr Richman, the CEO of Unon’s largest company designing and selling the most sophisticated missiles to take over from me.”

 Richman spoke, “Thanks Mr Takagin. As you all know the purpose of the meeting is to review the current business status and think of ways of bolstering the sale of military weapons in the future. Statistics confirmed time and again that the most profitable business that existed in the entire planet was to design, produce, and sell military weapons. It is glaringly true in the current scenario. Each one of 138 countries of planet Berth wants to keep itself militarily ready to fight the wars. Lately killing has emerged as the biggest need of human race and the products whose use is to kill are the most sought after products. Therefore the governments of all the countries of planet Berth have allotted a much bigger chunk of their GDP to buy all kinds of fancy weapons in the ensuing years. This expenditure far exceeds the budgets allocated for education, healthcare, food, shelter, and such noble causes.”

 The audience was listening intently.

 This was the flavor of the conference and the daylong deliberations continued.

 As the CEOs’ conference was in progress, in Zintun’s private office a one-on-one confidential meeting between Zintun and Korruptkin started concurrently. Zintun further played on his highly loaded philosophy of human beings’ liking for the wars. He said, “Therefore our cash register will keep clanking. The governments of all the countries of planet Berth will keep buying arms and weaponry from us for years to come.”

 Korruptkin hurriedly complemented this statement. He said, “And the two of us will keep the overall control over all the countries and all the politicians. It is not for nothing that your fame as a political strategist has spread far and wide. And who doesn’t know about your meteoric rise as its result?”

 But at this stage of conversation Zintun had one serious objection. He expressed, “Korruptkin, if you keep designing the same hackneyed products, all the nations will keep fighting with the same boring toys. They cannot tomtom any differentiating features of their armies. This boredom will affect our sale. So please ask your designers and developers to put their cerebral faculties to test. Ask them to come out with more and more interesting, lethal, and sophisticated weapons every now and then. And we promise to produce them in our country with all the aplomb.”

 “I see your vision. I agree. We have to have varieties and new models just like any consumer product. It will enthrall the public,” Korruptkin said. “I’ll instruct my labs and research centers accordingly.”

 “I have one more observation to make. You are not paying my workers enough. If that continues my popularity among my public will be adversely affected. You have to raise their compensation,” Zintun spoke forcefully.

 “Zintun, how’s that possible? We are in a position to market and sell these weapons at a price that brings in optimal returns. Paying more to your workers will create problems in pricing and selling.”

 “All hogwash! Price has nothing to do in armament sale. The two of us are already monopolizing this business much better than Bigland despite Gushnell’s feverish push to sell weapons from Bigland. Therefore the governments of all the countries of Berth have no option but to buy them from us. And I know that you are already jacking up the prices and keeping all the extra margins to yourself without sharing any part of it with us,” Zintun retorted irritatingly. “Pay us more, jack up the price further, sell, and make still more profit. The suckers will pay thorough their nose.”

 “I can never win over you. Done. My CEOs will be instructed accordingly. Are you OK now?”

 Zintun pondered over with a long pause. Then he broke the silence. He suggested, “But I won’t accept anything less than 30% rise.”

 Korruptkin thought, “I need to go along with this crazy guy though his demand prima facie seems quite unreasonable. But it seems I have no other choice but bow to Zintun’s demand. He and his country finance our research- our trump card. So we are in debt to our necks because of this heavy financing. Our economy will crumble as soon as Zintun stops cooperating. Great recession will hit everyone but it will hit me the hardest. I will lose my job, my political career, and my power.”

 So he agreed and confirmed, “OK, done thing.” He was convinced that he had no other choice.

 “Now that done, I want you to work on another front,” said Zintun.

 “What?”

 “Increase the demand.”

 “How?”

 “Produce more wars. Create more terror. It’s all that simple. I would do it easily. But it’s your department. You are marketing and selling. So it’s your job now,” Zintun spoke a bit mischievously.

 That didn’t go unnoticed by Korruptkin. Korruptkin put a brake on his thoughts and replied to Zintun, “We are doing our best to promote wars. I know you are also trying your best in this direction. I’ll be grateful to get enlightened from you on the subject.”

 Zintun felt flattered that Korruptkin was seeking his advice. He happily tutored him, “Korruptkin, do you know what fear psychosis is? Create it in a big way on the planet. War has to start in human mind. Make people of one race and color believe that people of other race and color are their enemy. Make people of one ethnicity and ideologies believe that the people of other ethnicity and ideologies are their foes. In short make everyone believe that his or her existence is under threat from the others. One will definitely like to win over the other when it comes to fighting. So each one will like to buy more and more weapons of higher and higher potentials. We will supply to each one- to both the adversaries. Do you get this mantra?”

 “Thanks to convey your brilliant philosophy of marketing the weapons.” Korruptkin played on Zintun’s ego.

 Zintun felt satisfied with the meeting. He said, “Great. We seem to have done a great job today to keep the entire planet busy for the next decade or more. Now please give me your company in celebrating the moment.”

 Then the two of them moved to the anteroom where their private seven-course lunch was to be served to mark the celebration. A troop of most provocative belly dancers would entertain them during the luncheon.

 As they marched toward the anteroom, Zintun gave an impish gesture. He said, “Korruptkin, you and me know how to keep our subordinates busy.”

 “Yes, I know you have arranged a working lunch for them so as not to disturb them from the conference.”

 “But to compensate I have also planned a lavish banquet for them in the evening,”
Zintun boasted.

 “But without the belly dancers!” Korruptkin laughed out loud.

 The seven-course lunch was served with the choicest and heady drinks and cocktails that the two heads of the two powerful countries cherished.

 Later the two intoxicated brutes exchanged lewd, loud, and dirty jokes with each other. Two limousines were in readiness with their respective drivers. The two drunken men would be dumped in them and deposited in their seven star abodes in absolute secrecy.

 The two were revered as great men of the planet in the 1% club and even many in 99% crowd also felt awed by Zintun and Korruptkin. Zintun was made famous by the media as punyatma (meaning sacred soul in Chinhut’s local language) and Korruptkin as a visionary.
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Sunday, August 23, 2015

The Peace Crusaders: Chapter 10

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Sharifyar was the chief of the armed forces of Seher. He was one of the canniest persons on the planet Berth. He was also venomously revengeful person to the extent that he soon became famous as Kattarkhooni meaning staunch murderer in Seher’s local language. He was revengeful of all those who mocked his religious beliefs. Only recently he had killed twelve persons of the minority sect of Hennothenics religion because they had eve-teased a lady belonging to the country’s mainstream religion Eggothenics.

People of Seher belonged mainly to two religious sects. The people who believed that egg came first belonged to Eggothenics. Others who believed hen came first followed the religion called Hennothenics. Hennothenics were in minority in Seher. Almost all the people living in most of countries in the eastern hemisphere of planet Berth had their faith in Hennothenics. Large population of the countries situated in the central part of Berth followed Eggothenics as their religion. The western hemisphere was dominated by a single religion Deshiyog.

Sharifyar was never a person he later became. He was true to his name Sharifyar, meaning a cultured person in Seher’s local language. The events that were responsible for his transformation to his nickname Kattarkhooni still haunted him. He lived those nightmarish experiences every moment and those experiences killed his pride hundred times a day.

The harrowing personality of the jailor was still quite vivid in Sharifyar’s mind. The jailor opened the sliding iron gate of his cell, spat on him, and abused, “You scum, dirty Eggothenic bastard! We are going to make your life miserable in these seven days of imprisonment here. You will forget to pray your Eggothenic god in your dishonorable language of your country. Now eat this shit before we torture you again.” He pushed forward a plate full with the food that exuded foul smell. 

He further asked, “Do you accept the charges? You better plead guilty in the court.” 

Sharifyar was in severe pain because of his bruised face and lips. The police had tortured him before he was brought to the jail. He somehow collected himself and spoke, “I maintain I’m innocent.”

The jailor kicked him, spat in his face once again, and went away. Sharifyar felt extremely humiliated and angry.

Within a week he was in the court facing the trial.

The judge asked, “Do you plead guilty of your racist behavior?”

“I’m innocent. I’m not racist. In fact it’s the other wayround. Three of my classmates are racists. They are citizens of Bigland. They are sons and daughters of some very influential politicians. They do not like my being in this country and they hate my religion, my color, and my language. They insist that I return to my country Seher. They keep harassing me,” said Sharifyar.

“But the eye-witnesses have testified on oath that you shouted at them and hurled abuses. You made derogatory remarks on their Hennothenics religion. You insulted them by saying that they belonged to an inferior race and color. You mocked at their mother tongue which is also the official language of our country,” the judge mentioned. “I also have the audio-recordings. You do not have any eyewitness and you have chosen not be represented by any lawyer. Even the diplomats of your country from your embassy here have not come in your support though an intimation of your criminal involvement was sent to them.”

“I have not appointed a lawyer as I cannot afford his fee. The lawyer given to me by the court insisted that I should plead guilty. I chose not to have that sort of lawyer. Yes, I admit I don’t have any eye-witness.”

Sharifyar had felt furious about the treatment that his embassy and his country had meted out to him. Despite his repeated pleas he did not get any favorable response from the diplomats of the embassy as well as from the secretariat of king Maramar in his country Seher. They left him in a lurch. He felt completely helpless.

He continued with his statement to the judge. He said, “I also do not have any support from the officials of my country. They have not responded to my petitions. I admit it. But I repeat I’m innocent.”

“I am afraid gentleman, I cannot condone your crime. You have committed a serious offence. But being a student on scholarship in our university we will deal with you leniently. You will be immediately deported from our country and will never be allowed back here.” The judge gave his ruling. “And by the way you speak our language quite poorly. Your pronunciations are all wrong though grammatically passable. I wonder how you got scholarship from our university.” The judge dismissed the court.

The police escorted Sharifyar to the college premises where his professors as well as the director of the college were already waiting for him. They handed over the official letter pronouncing his rustication from the institute. They also gave him the copy of the judgment ordering his deportation. The director hurled out a homily at him as his parting gift, “Mister, never ever dare to comment on others’ religion, race, color, and language. Better luck in your home country.”

When he came home in his country he remembered every word of what his director had said. He swore on the holy book of his Eggothenics religion, “I was a simple man oblivious of the reality that the organized religions could be misused by some to create and promote hatred. Though I was innocent the people of other religion and race wronged me. Now I’m a different person. I will now punish and finish everyone who would speak ill of my religion, my color, my race, and my language. To empower me to do so I will try to grab a top official position in country’s armed forces or in police soon enough.”

Obviously governmental officials of Bigland who had humiliated him became his number one enemy. He also decided on punishing every citizen of Bigland and every other country that would denigrate his religion or race.

One more person on the planet Berth became a fundamentalist and an extremist.

He strived to become chief of the armed forces of Seher to fulfill his objectives. A day came when king Maramar appointed him the chief of his country’s armed forces. Soon it became clear to Sharifyar that he could not remain loyal to king Maramar. He once mentioned to one of his army officers who was also his confidant, “The king though an Eggothenic behaves more like a Hennothenic. I don’t approve such a behavior at a king’s level. Worse, he is hand-in-glove with Bigland and its president Gushnell. They are our enemy number one. He has sold out our oil wells to Gushnell for a song and making our people poor and poorer.”

Sharifyar wanted to share one more reason why he despised Maramar. But he did not speak it out, he just talked to himelf, “I have one more score to settle with Maramar. When I was being tried in the court of Bigland on the charges of racism against me, I was left alone to fend for myself. No one from Maramar’s office came to my rescue. Whether Maramar knew about it or not, he is definitely responsible for creating such a rotten culture of corruption and apathy in Seher. I must punish him for that too.”

“But sir, you are developing a close tie with Gushnell yourself. You two seem to be on pretty friendly terms,” Sharifyar’s confidant said.

Humiliation suffered by Sharifyar in Bigland haunted him all the twenty-four hours of everyday. “I need to destroy that country and its people,” he used to meditate. With these kinds of thoughts hovering over his mind, he replied to his confidant, “Yes you are right. I am developing camaraderie with Gushnell. But it’s mainly to use him and his army for our own benefit. I will be using Bigland’s army to first unseat king Maramar, become country’s supremo and then dictate terms with Gushnell. From my recent intel updates I have come to know about a serious discord between Gushnell and Maramar.”

“You mean to say the intimate personal friendship between the two has ended.”

“A definite yes,” Sharifyar confirmed. “Bigland’s army will backup the coup we are about to stage against the king. You know about our preparedness for the coup. But we need the reinforcement of Bigland for the purpose.”

“But then Gushnell and his army will be seen as the winners and they would rule us.”

“Yes they would defeat our country in the war with our backing. But they will let us run its messy affairs; they are not interested in the messy day-to-day administration. They are simply interested in our oil and also the huge money they will make under the garb of reconstruction of the country gone out of shape. So they would like to install a government that will be subservient to them. The arrangement between Gushnell and me is reciprocatory. If he makes me the supremo I will allow him to do whatever he wants to do with our country and its resources.”

“Sorry to say this sir. But then he has bought you too. You seem to have forgotten all the economic atrocities of Bigland on us. In fact it seems you are going to continue with our king’s methods.” 

“No. As soon as I become the supremo I will start my real program of destroying Bigland. I will act expeditiously to garner the support of all the Eggothenic countries to terrorize Bigland, Unon, and the other Hennothenic countries.”

He looked in the eyes of his confidant for an effect. He was feeling charged up. His subordinate army officer nodded indicating his appreciation as if inviting him to continue.

So he continued, “Our acts of terror would humiliate them to the core. But our acts of terror will no more be termed as the act of terrorism since I will be committing them as the legitimate head of a country. Additionally I will impose economic sanctions on them; earlier they used to impose sanctions on us. Now it’s our turn. We are very rich in oil and other natural resources. Their resources have all dried up because of their foolish economic policies. They believe that economy grows when people consume. How stupid? So now they just can’t do without us. They will ultimately come begging to us. When they kneel down and beg for mercy, I will kick their asses and spit in their faces.”

Then he silently suggested to himself, “My revenge would end then.” He laughed out loud with perceived contentment. He was almost hysterical. His confidant joined him in laughter without knowing the boss’s real reason for being hysterical. Sharifyar ordered his confidant to leave him alone. He ordered, “I wish to rest for a while. Please carry on with your task of consolidating the support to topple the king’s regime.”

Sharifyar then savored a dream he often dreamt but with open eyes:

The jailor of the jail of Bigland where he was put behind the bars, the judge of the court of Bigland where he was put on trial, and the director of the institute of Bigland where he studied for a short period were brought to Seher. They were under his custody in a jail behind the bars. The TV channels of the entire world were invited to telecast live the episode that was about to take place. In that episode Sharifyar would open the sliding iron gate of the jail where the jailor, the judge, and the director were kept in captivity.

He would then look into their eyes, slap them hard, spit on their faces, and rattle out, “You scum, dirty Hennothenic bastards! You three will be immediately deported not only from my country but from our planet Berth altogether and will never be allowed back here. So get ready to be beheaded. The entire world will watch this grandeur live. Mister, never ever dare to mess up with me and my religion, race, color, and language. And by the way you three speak my mother tongue extremely poorly, shame on you. Your pronunciations are all cockeyed and your grammar is all screwed up. I wonder if you are worthy to be on this planet any more.”

Sharifyar relished one more dream:

In this dream he used to fantasize the presidents and prime ministers of Unon, Bigland, Chinhut, and such advanced countries and their cronies- the CEOs of gigantic sized corporations and their financial advisors etc- working on the shop floors of the factories of Seher. They were engaged in carrying out some semiskilled or unskilled work in the factories.

They were being paid their wages as per the terms and conditions of the outsourcing contracts laid out by these countries. So they were getting wages that were some thirty times less than the workers of the advanced countries and at least twenty thousand times less than their own salaries back home. 

In his dream he used to fantasize that all of them were literally starving to death, as they could not buy enough food in their meager wages. In the final scene he used to fantasize them dying of starvation. And before they were about to die he used to lecture to them, “Don’t ever financially mess up with our people who work as hard as you and your people do back home. Our people soon would get ready for a renaissance and in doing so would not spare those who had exploited them all these donkey’s years.”
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