Mohd! I am afraid you and your journalistic tribe underestimated Musharraf grossly at your own peril!
1. I have first hand information that Musharraf went through all those variations of speeches written for his telly address; as usual they all are befitting for the address of a head of state & Govt too! Pompous, verbose, complicated sentences and syntax. Mushy got went through all of them one by one and his irritation was only growing with every script. Here was the transcript of the conversation at the end of it:
Mush: Do ALL heads of states speak these kind of speeches?
Advisors & Speech writers: Yes Sir! This is the world standard
Mush: Tell me, mainly who watch TV
Adv: Jyada se aam Admi log!
Mush: What about intellectuals?
Adv: They read news paper editorials and surf websites
Mush: Then if a common man watches TV let me speak in his lingo that he understands without working overnight what exactly I meant by a word or a sentence. I will speak impromptu.
Adv: We dont advise you sir! But it is your prerogative. Shall we commence now?
Mush: You again! What is the time now?
Adv: 8 PM sir!
Mush: Can anyone watch TV in Pakistan, now?
Adv: No Sir! we pulled all connections.
Mush: Then? Who are the target audience?
Adv: mmmmmmm.... may be the Indians or Americans
Mush: Forget Indians! What is the time in America now?
Adv: Should be 8 AM Sir
Mush: Then? Call me when it is lunch time in US. That time people watch TV.
RE:BEHIND THIS SILLY LOOKING MAN, THERE LIES A GENIUS!
by S S on Nov 06, 2007 03:45 PM Permalink
only one small contradiction to your comment... first musharraf wants to address the aam janta as you said and talk to them "personally" and then he finds out about what time americans would have Lunch as he wants to target them..hmm I guess you should have use a better recording device to record his conversation. I dint know The President of Pakistan, addresses the aam janta of America as his own.
RE:BEHIND THIS SILLY LOOKING MAN, THERE LIES A GENIUS!
by Kabeer on Nov 06, 2007 03:52 PM Permalink
Oh, No!
He was addressing those NRP (Non-Resident Pakistanis) and the American citizens who create clamour!
Didnt you notice in his speech, he was using "PLEASE do not expect YOUR kind of democracy that you got over centuries! PLEASE do not expect YOUR civil rights that you got over centuries! We are learning!"
To whom he is speaking then? Why should he say "PLEASE" "YOU & YOUR"
RE:BEHIND THIS SILLY LOOKING MAN, THERE LIES A GENIUS!
by S S on Nov 06, 2007 03:58 PM Permalink
Kabeer I am not a musharraf hater, I actually wrote a comment on this article before yours which I would repost for you to read. I think that guy does have a heart. The comment I made on your post is not to say you are wrong in your opinion but the conversation you posted sounded lil contradictory. anyway if you care I would post my comments again for you to read.
RE:BEHIND THIS SILLY LOOKING MAN, THERE LIES A GENIUS!
by Kabeer on Nov 06, 2007 04:06 PM Permalink
It is common world over that it is aam janta who see mostly only tv. Upper classes either party or surf net.
Why do you think Musharraf quoted Abraham Lincoln? What relevance Abe Lincoln has with Pak. Pak is not a democracy now. Lincoln is famous for the spirit of democracy.
People in Pakistan are used to Martial law and emergency. Give them little freedom and you have lal masjid.
Rulers of Pakistan are used to of being thrown out rather than relinquishing their position with diginity and so Musharraf is following their path.
Problem is with India. Every now and then they have to deal with new fellow with new team and new ideas.
China does not have any problem because chinese do not understand urdu and Pakistanis can not understand Chinese and communicate in sign language.
America too does not have a problem because all the head of state in Pakistan have to pay obedience to them.
Why people in India are so ruffled and worried.
Let us clean and polish our democratic and secular set up and make it look even more brighter.
To do this we require guts and have to rise above slogan shouting and by shedding our religious and liguistic bias. It is not easy to do it but sooner we do it better it will be for the country
RE:What is wrong
by Ghanasham on Nov 06, 2007 03:56 PM Permalink
Well Aftab, Your comunity should take the lesson, You are fortunate that your father has not opted Pakistan after partition.
RE:What is wrong
by S S on Nov 06, 2007 04:14 PM Permalink
whats wrong here Ghanasham, I mean did this guy say anything wrong that you want to bring his community in between n treat him like as if you are his teacher and showed him the way to live.
Common yaar, if you would act this way then y wld he feel great being in this country or for the matter of fact what would be the difference between a pakistan and our India
RE:What is wrong
by Vijay alias Teesmar Khan on Nov 06, 2007 04:53 PM Permalink
The whole world is watching the difference between India and Pakistan. Do we need to be more specific?
RE:What is wrong
by S S on Nov 06, 2007 05:29 PM Permalink
Not really vijay, its amazing,you have replied to almost all my posts.Atleast someone paid attention! The difference I am talking is not to degrade India but to treat the person who is standing next to you,who might be a muslim, but when you see him,to see him as an Indian.
The writer has been effectively able to convey the comic pathos that is Musharraf. My point as a Pak watcher is that so long as the army remains in control through the anti-India stance, we might see many more Musharrafs. This writer may well document the next three coups with the same lazy elegance. Not that Im asking for it. No more Kargil widows or any Kargils for that matter. How about Baltistan or Skardu widows?
Hanif I am no authority to even comment on this article,its beautifully written, a joy to read and does make a strong point. Its like reading a Khushwant Singh's short story, and with that I am complimenting you to the highest.
But theirs this other side to the article, Musharraf. I did get your analogy about the drunk uncle,and until now,i always thought that god has chosen my life for such cinematic moments but I guess their are more drunk uncle's in this world then I thought. But anyway this guy, Musharraf might seem to be going in the wrong direction but somehow I feel that Pakistan has taken a turn in its life where nothing but dictatorship can control things, and by that I mean a real strong one. Extremism is on a unimaginable rise in Pakistan and even if democracy is put into a place, it would be a matter of time when a Imam or a shah would be elected to power. The pakistan would become a democracy but a democracy ruled by the mosque and religion not by its people. Musharraf has no doubt lost his grip but I dont think a benarzir or a sharif could do any better in the present situation. Whatever he said,might sound stupid but I think he meant a lot of it. A boss would no more then anyone if his authority is challenged and being ruined and someone else has taken his place. He knows it well that all his actions are being challenged now. Continued--
RE:Strange Article
by S S on Nov 06, 2007 03:06 PM Permalink
The extremism which is a common occurrence where ever religion is given a priority, has broken all boundaries and become more violent and extreme. Pakistan in my opinion is on its way to be ruled by taliban or become another iraq. We all know what happened at Lal Masjid,so he was right to quote about Islamabad.
Anyway my point is not to support Musharraf or anyone, but being from India, everything that happens next door is to watched very keenly, a small change their might make some change here. Pakistan in my opinion has to be ruled by a strict hand, but not by a religious fugure, not by a democratic prime-minister who are more concerned about filling their pockets but by someone who really wants to get rid of this. Pakistan is on a verge of collapse and in this extreme circumstances only extreme actions can help. The worst thing for Indian would be,to see pakistan get controlled by some religious fanatics who have no respect for life. Anyway good article.
i did watch Mushys speech on CNN and it looked like he is begging infront of the western audience about his endevours at his home country .. he looked really pityful !! afterall.. its time to go...Mr. Hanif said very correct.. it was like a drunk uncle talking infront of the TV !
Mohd! You are very mischievous! Not quite often in this site one comes across satirical reporting, such as this, of a solemn event!
I fell over laughing again and again!
Musharraf is not a politician either by training or by profession. Hence, he is so schoolboyish and is like a Little Rascal! But I guess he is an honest man; simple and straight forward as his TV (or the lack of it) address!-uncomplicated albeit, clumsy as of a schoolboy.
He is a child in a mans body!
By the way, your Indian friend either got it wrong or told you a lie not to hurt you.
All Indians watch Musharraf on the telly with total incredulity and in disbelief that how on earth such a clumsy truant yet lovable schoolboy could have planned Kargil and is the reason for those widows? They watch and watch him endlessly for two reasons: 1. Those who are yet to come over Kargil are trying to look even for an iota of scheming devilish mind on the face that was accused of Kargil. Some of them even think that this schoolboy is unnecessarily blamed but the real villain is that politician Sharif! 2. Rest watch him as there is no other better reality laughter show than watching Mushy's innocent clumsiness on the telly!
RE:LITTLE RASCAL!
by rajesh prajapati on Nov 06, 2007 03:31 PM Permalink
I love watching Mush on TV for the fine art of lying - of which he has become less stylish now!
RE:LITTLE RASCAL!
by Vijay alias Teesmar Khan on Nov 06, 2007 04:55 PM Permalink
If it is honesty what Musharraf is doing and saying then we will have to change the meaning of honesty. Actually Mush is the most dishonest ruler of the world. Not a single word of his is ever reliable.
