Of military and horse rides…..

Neelam Mathews

July 5, 2011

Looking at the background of this very beautiful picture taken by Sitanshu Kar, a man of many mights, I was taken into the world of the P.J  O’Rourke, known for his hilarious travelogues and one who rarely has any issues finding the right word.

Kyrgyzstan makes P.J. O’Rourke “run out of adjectives” in ‘Horse Lattitudes’ when stuck on a hillside on a half-crazed palomino somewhere beyond the Hindu Kush, with vodka supplies on the wrong side of a landslide!
“Even by the standards of outer space, Kyrgyzstan is remote. If something happened to my horse it would be shot. For me, the medical treatment wouldn't be that sophisticated,” he wrote.
The sentiment he finally manages is evocative: “I wasn’t dead. And I wasn’t dead in a magnificent place.”

I love the landscape and people of Central Asia, so my writing is out of affection. Oh yes!  India has offered its assistance to Kyrghyzstan in a wide range of areas to strengthen its defense and security capabilities. Antony said joint working groups on counter- terrorism should meet regularly to share information.

Defense Minister AK Antony made this offer at the extensive talks he held with his Kyrghyz counterpart Major General Abibilla Kudayberdiev in Bishkek. Discussions also centered on military training, defense research and development and production of armaments.

India will be sending a team to train Kyrghyz Armed Forces in UN Peace Keeping Operations and impart English language skills. The team will be arriving in Kyrghyzistan by the end of this month.

Kyrghyzistan is a  Central Asian state bordering China that became independent with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Kyrgyzstan's strong democratic credentials took a hit when corruption reigned during President Akayev's years. In April 2010, Bakiyev was toppled
The government is worried about inroads by jihadist groups like Hizb-ut Tahrir, and there have been periodic outbreaks of fighting in the south.
Both U.S and Russia have two military air bases each in the country.