Planet-like head
Impregnable pupils
Aggression dripping from every pore of the body
That which is exceptional must be saved
— Harishchandra Pandey in Hindi poem Sher Bachao (Abhiyan)
It is time to test the loyalty of the toadies of the neocon wolves in liberators' sheepskins. So, the imperial overlord wants its dues, and all the colonies seem to be more than willing to oblige. Governments in South Asia are jostling to rush their jawans to "stabilise" Iraq and release their master's forces for 'regime change' duties elsewhere in the region, perhaps Iran.
Colin Powell merely hinted that the imperial powers might need some foot soldiers in dangerous areas of the occupied territories in West Asia. His wish made Bangladeshi generals salivate. Ever since the restoration of civilian rule, the Dhaka brass is loath to let any opportunity of overseas sentry duty pass.
In Nepal, the greed for guard duty is so strong that when a proposal was put up in the cabinet recently to consider the American request, it seems no one even cared to point out the perils of aligning with an army of occupation. Of late, the Royal Nepal Army has earned a name for itself in peacekeeping duties for the United Nations. But its history of fighting for imperial powers goes back far. Even though its country was never a formal colony, doing duty for imperialists is a tradition with the Nepali soldiery.