END OF GADAFFI

The protests of Anna Hazare took over the entire Indian media but not many in Kashmir were enthusiastic about the happenings in Ramleela. Normally, I have seen very healthy debates in Kashmir about the events across the world but I guess Anna Hazare hasn’t made an impact on the masses. Lately, one could see people discussing, Egypt, Tunisia, Syria and Yemen with an element of sobriety. Since last night I might have seen almost everyone I know, glued to the TV curious to k

now about the happening in Libya. It’s quite a mixed response actually and some people support him even till now, ask them why? and pat comes the reply, “Col. Gadhafi stunned the UN General Council by mentioning Kashmir in his speech, how many leaders have done that? After that speech he was an instant hit among a section of the society but at the same time many see him as a tyrant who unleashed a reign of terror on his own people, whatever the truth only time will tell.

Inspired by the Arab uprising, when the fight for Libya began from Ben Ghazi, not many thought that rebels would put such a fight. As things started unfolding and rebels advanced from one city to another it seemed apparent that the Pro-Gadhafi forces were losing ground. From Benghazi to Tripoli it has been a very slow and steady battle but on Saturday when Libyan rebels claimed that their men

in Tripoli were just waiting for the right time to strike very few believed them but soon after dawn that promise was put to test when they launched their “"Operation Mermaid Dawn" – the nickname for Tripoli – from a mosque close to the city. When the attack started, the rumors were rife that all the mosques were chanting anti-Gadhafi slogans even though those mosques were fired at by the pro-establishment forces. Later in the day, as the imminence of the rebel advance became clear, opposition forces came out elsewhere. News channels quote prominent opposition members confirming that rebels had been storing weapons for several weeks for this final strike.Although rumors swirled among opposition supporters both in Tripoli and abroad that Gadhafi and his family had fled, few gave them much credence. Whatever happens in the next few days will be crucial and very important for Libya. It would not be easy for the NATO forces to tame the rebels who now feel they can conquer anything in their way. It would be a huge task. The repeated appeal made by world leaders to Col. Gadhafi to relinquish power is not only political in nature but also very important in terms of a peaceful and prosperous Libya. The Libyan society is divided into tribes and communities and it will not be a cake walk for the NTC to govern the country without some tactical support from the tribes that are pro-Gadhafi. Say if Gadhafi is granted asylum in any of the neighboring country he can organize well coordinated attacks in future only to make Libya uncertain and chaoticAnd finally, the NATO and allied forces have to convince Col. Gadhafi to make an appeal to his followers and supporters to give up resistance and fall in line to see a democratic Libya after 40 years, failing which this would just mark the beginning of the long drawn civil war in the streets of Libya.