Islamabad : Pakistan has slammed spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s offer to engage with the Taliban, calling it interference in the country’s internal affair. Speaking to his followers in Islamabad after opening the first Art of Living peace centre in Pakistan, Sri Sri had said : “I want to talk to the Taliban, understand them, give them my opinion, my piece of mind.”
“We are very confused,” admitted a spokesperson of the Pakistan Home ministry. “We sent our foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar to New Delhi, who created quite a splash in the Indian media. But India sends a spiritual person here. And he says he wants to talk to Taliban, which is a bit like we going to India and speaking to your Maoists. What’s the motive?”
ISI, Pakistan’s espionage agency was asked if Sri Sri is a RAW person. ISI’s reply was : “No, he is not a raw person. On the contrary, he is a very refined gentleman, with a huge following all over the world.”
Sources in the ISI told Tenali Rama that this is the second visit by a high-profile Indian within a month. “First you sent Speaker Meira Kumar who kept telling us to `baith jayiye’. How is it even possible? Now that the winter is over, this is the month for our fidayeens to indulge in Kashmir tourism,” he explained.
Meanwhile reacting to Sri Sri’s comment that when he meets the Taliban, he will find the answers, Pakistan President Zardari said, “I think there isn’t even a 10 per cent chance of finding the answers because internet connectivity is poor in Afghanistan and you just cannot google. I doubt if Sri Sri will find the answers.”
The President’s Office is reportedly upset over Art of Living’s plan to distribute `I do not take bribe’ stickers to officials in Pakistan. “The President has made it clear that he does not approve of the idea one bit,” a spokesperson said tersely.
Much as Shri Shri wants to talk to the Taliban, what will be the language they talk in. Shri Shri speaks the language of hope and peace, but Taliban knows only the language of intolerance and bigotry. This is just a dream!
Posted by Tintumon | March 15, 2012, 10:55 pm