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Major fraud Zardari drama Sex tourism |
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Unending unrest in Nepal
Many manifestations of man
Property helps mothers, children Mob violence and right to artistic expression From Pakistan
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Major fraud FEW would shed tears for Major Surinder Singh, who has been dismissed from the Army and sentenced to undergo three years’ rigorous imprisonment. The severest punishment was awarded to him by an Army Court Martial which found him guilty of faking an encounter with the Pakistani forces when he was commanding a unit of the Gorkha Rifles at Siachen. He got the blowing up of a bunker videographed as proof of his “brave” action. Not only that, he forced one of his own jawans to pose as a Pakistani soldier killed in action. His bosses recommended him for Vir Chakra which would have helped the Major achieve many other laurels in his career if the Army authorities had not received information that the whole encounter was fake. He claimed that what he did was within the knowledge of his immediate superiors. However, the court martial found them guilty of only indiscretion. The Major has made some harsh statements against the Army and the system of dispensation of justice in the organisation. Most people will see it only as the ranting of a guilty officer who has let down a great institution. The case shows the lacuna in the system which enabled an unscrupulous officer to nearly get away with perfidy. But seen in a different perspective, it also shows the strength of the Army which could not only detect the fraudulent conduct but also punish the guilty. Earlier, a Colonel was cashiered from the Army for faking an encounter in the Northeast while a Brigadier was hauled up for selling canteen liquor to private parties. These are certainly disconcerting developments, particularly when the nation expects high standards of ethical conduct from its Army personnel. There is a school of thought which holds the view that the Forces should be given some leeway as they work in difficult situations. Taken to its logical conclusion, such a stand assumes that disciplinary action against erring officers would demoralise the Forces. In the past there have been instances when the Army took stern action against those officers who took the law into their own hands. Stringent action against the black sheep will only enhance the image of the armed forces and not tarnish it. |
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Zardari drama MR ASIF ALI ZARDARI, husband of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, is the victim of his belief that he can get a deal clinched with President Pervez Musharraf on his own terms. But the General is a hard bargainer. He has never conceded to his political adversaries as much as can enable them to become a threat to his own position. Mr Zardari’s release last month showed that the two sides had accepted a formula, despite Ms Bhutto’s denial, to work for stamping out religious extremism under US pressure. But his re-arrest on Tuesday and release on Wednesday on bail provide proof that the PPP leadership was demanding too much, which could not fit into the General’s scheme of things. Mr Zardari is facing charges of corruption, drug smuggling and murder registered during the Prime Ministership of Mr Nawaz Sharif. After his release from jail on bail he began to give the impression that there would be a general election in Pakistan in 2005 as part of a deal between the General and Ms Bhutto. That would result in Ms Bhutto coming back home to play a major political role. He, in fact, began to talk of Ms Bhutto becoming Pakistan’s Prime Minister for the third time. This was intolerable for General Musharraf. The action against Mr Zardari through courts could be easily expected. General Musharraf is hell bent on not allowing Ms Bhutto to capture the political centre-stage again. Now that the efforts for a deal between them have failed to fructify, he may try to expose the misdeeds of Mr Zardari, also known as Mr Ten Per Cent, to further discredit Ms Bhutto in the eyes of the public. The PPP leadership, of course, will not take it lying down. It may attempt to settle scores with the General in collaboration with the six religious parties’ alliance, the MMA, which has been ditched by him on the issue of his continuance as Chief of Army Staff. But such tactics are unlikely to unnerve the General who enjoys enormous powers. |
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Sex tourism NATIONAL Human Rights Commission Chairperson Justice A.S. Anand’s concern about the spread of sex tourism from countries such as Thailand and Malaysia to India underscores the need for the government — at the Centre and in the states — to take timely corrective measures. Sex tourism has become a well-developed component of the commercial exploitation of women and children. It has serious socio-economic consequences for the nation, including the spread of sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS. In this context, reports that the booming tourism industry in Himachal Pradesh has made Himachalis vulnerable to AIDS are alarming. Tourists seeking unusual sexual experiences do not come as part of groups organised by a tour company, but discover suitable locations through their own networks. Thus, the governments need to be alive to this danger, as this problem has emerged in many states, including Maharashtra and Goa. Sadly, the Internet has become the chief promoter of sex tourism. Websites on the Internet sell sex tours online, sometimes advertising packages for tourists complete with airfare, hotel, and directions to local brothels. There is need to sensitise the judicial officers, prosecutors, medical experts and lawyers to help victims of sexual exploitation. They must be humane and kind towards the victims with a view to helping them. Very often, measures taken to combat trafficking result in suppressive action against the victims. Delay in trial, adjournments and the prosecution’s inability to produce witnesses have all multiplied their woes. There should be proper understanding between the consumer country and the host country to check it. Some countries have passed extraterritorial laws making it illegal for their citizens to travel abroad to have sex with minors. However, these laws are of little value if the destination countries do not strictly enforce laws against child prostitution. Above all, heightened awareness is needed to check this problem. |
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I never climbed any ladder: I have achieved eminence by sheer gravitation. — George Bernard Shaw |
Unending unrest in Nepal
During his 10-day visit to India, beginning today, King Gyanendra will mainly meet the new Congress leadership and seek their advice and consultation on how to break the protracted political deadlock in his country. In a recent exclusive interview, carried strangely in Delhi Times, he said: “I will speak my mind when in India and get to know India’s perspectives on the insurgency in Nepal.” The number one rumour in Kathmandu these days is that the King, having appointed three governments since he took over power on October 4, 2002 under Article 127 of the 1990 constitution, is planning for direct Palace rule assisted by a Royal Advisory Council. The existing royal council, after a two-day meeting recently, recommended a more proactive role for the King. Dr Mohammad Mohsin, the King’s nominee in the government, has also separately suggested this. The justification for the royal takeover: all governments have failed to engage the Maoists in a sustained dialogue and have been unable to hold elections. Once dismissed and reinstated Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is looking over his shoulder to his master for advice and guidance that he does not get. He is so preoccupied with retaining his office that recently he referred to the King as “Birendra”, the King’s elder brother who was assassinated in a massacre most royal. Gyanendra has given Deuba two tasks: holding talks with the Maoists as well as elections. Maoists had rejected Deupa’s invitation for talks, saying they will talk to the master, not the servant. This could become another reason for the King’s rule. A Palace coup will result in a direct confrontation between the King and the people. The King will overplay his hand if he, along with the Royal Nepal Army (RNA), imposes direct rule. It would be a big mistake returning the country to the partyless panchayat era even if it were on the pretext of breaking the political impasse. The people of Nepal may not accept this, especially by a monarchy discredited by the Royal massacre and the King whose political ambitions are larger than the present constitution allows. The bottomline demand of the Maoists is a new constituent assembly through which they want to clip the wings of the King, if not altogether do away with the institution of monarchy. These and other ideas on monarchy, the constitution, Parliament and the military situation in the nine-year-long Maoist challenge to the state, emerged from a two-day dialogue earlier this month in Delhi called “Restoring peace and stability in Nepal”. For the first time in the capital, former Maoists now overground, Maoist sympathisers, human rights and peace activists, a retired RNA general, politicians, royalists and journalists met Indian experts on Nepal in “seeking the way ahead”. It was recognised that the ball is in the King’s court, there is urgent need for the revival of legitimate authority and sovereignty of the people abrogated on October 4, 2002. The King should convene an all-party conference, invite the Maoists for talks and strive towards a national peace accord. On these issues there was complete consensus. There was division, however, on the means for restoring Parliament. The three ways to do this are: (a) by the King through Article 127, (b) by the Supreme Court reinstating Parliament, and (c) through elections. Nepalese participants on Maoist wavelength and some others favoured a dual-purpose election - one that could act as a constituent assembly as well. For others, this latter option was one of last resort. On elections it was felt that it would neither be free nor fair nor even representative of all people since the government controls merely 30 per cent of territory, including the 75 district headquarters. But an election was also an option of last resort. The security situation, though in a stalemate in Nepal, is a complete mess. The Maoists enjoy a distinct tactical advantage in the military and psychological context. Their writ runs everywhere, even in the Kathmandu valley. The intensity of the campaign is reflected by the fact that in the last three years, human and material loss has been three times higher than since 1996 when insurgency started. Neither the Maoists nor the RNA follow human rights and rules of engagement. The US has threatened to withhold military assistance if the RNA does not improve its human rights record. It was felt that the RNA must swear by the constitution and not the King. It is quite intriguing why the RNA has nearly 3000 soldiers on UN Peacekeeping Missions when more troops are required against the Maoists to force them back to the negotiating table. The stellar work being done by the Citizens’ Peace Commission, peaceniks and human rights groups has unfortunately made no impression on the protagonists in the war. It is widely believed that Maoists are giving their strategic offensive one more chance to do something spectacular like taking over parts of Kathmandu or overrunning the headquarters of a district and thereafter joining talks from a position of strength sometime next year. A new phase of killings has already started with clashes between the two sides that have resulted in heavy casualties. The situation in Nepal is completely out of control. If the King is set to speak his mind on the Maoist insurgency, the Government of India must also do the same. It is high time for plain-speaking. The King has to demonstrate his sincerity and seriousness about solving the crisis and not in keeping the House divided. He must publicly clarify his position on Constitutional Monarchy and declare that he does not aspire for any extraconstitutional role. He must be told clearly that India will not countenance direct rule. He must also rally the political formations in an all-party conference, reinstate Parliament and invite the Maoists for talks. There is also a good case for Nepal to temporarily suspend UNPKO where 3000 boots are on the wrong ground. Delhi, with the help of the international community, must assist and insist on this common minimum
programme. |
Many manifestations of man
If unmarried, woman is called the weaker sex. But when marital, she suddenly becomes the better half. Man, who ties the nuptial knot, is rudely divested of his pre-maritial social prestige and instantly reduced to worse (or bitter) half. Their actions will thus smack of gender fanaticism if over-zealous feminists still choose to fight for “equal” rights for women, for fanaticism consists in doubling up one’s pace when one has forgotten the goal. By sharp contrast, in a so-called man-dominated world, man continues to be at the receiving end when he decides to give up his vagabond ways and “settle” in life. Some wit has highlighted the curious irony in this highly myopic decision of man. A man in love is incomplete until he has married. Then he is finished!. Man has been a subject of perennial interest to thinkers and philosophers. One of them has called him a social animal. As a student of mankind following this trail, I have noticed man’s growth in this historical sequence. When, during the Renaissance, the focus shifted from the gods, man became a focal animal. When Industrial Revolution awakened him to his birth-rights, he emerged on the vanguard with many catchy slogans, and became a vocal animal. Darwinism made man into a nodal animal. And now, in the era of high-tech marketing, he has become a total animal. As a son, man can be pampered to a point of no return. There is a miraculous transformation in the same intransigent individual, however, when marriage makes him a henpecked husband. The shining pate that comes to crown his head is not baldness. It is the paradeground pecked neat by his hen. A university professor once confided: “I am not a henpecked hubby. I only wash dishes when the bartanwali comfortably stays away”. The other one cut in to say, “My wife in this respect in very considerate. In winters, she lets me use hot water for dish-washing.” The third fellow exclaimed, “Oh ! I am quite clearly the winner. My hen is an economist. She has not engaged any domestic help. She has married it!” Conclusion: if man be a social animal, then a husband is certainly a domesticated social animal. Modern man as a “rational animal” has found a scientific way out of this feminist impasse. He has started eliminating women even before they are born. In the heart of hearts, which he has been foolishly losing to the opposite sex ever since he became a Homo sapiens, he feels that, when he has achieved hundred per cent success, he would be delivered from this sexist syndrome for ever. He is, therefore, cautiously following his inner light and heading straight towards the attainment of moksha — beyond the tortuous ontological meanderings of scriptural prescriptions. Meanwhile, my appeal to the peoples of the world: call man by any name, but please don’t call him
names!
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Property helps mothers, children The development of human capabilities in childhood
rests greatly on the ability of the family and of the State to ensure
that children are free from deprivation. Children born into families that have little access
to property, especially physical property such as land or housing,
being life with a considerable disadvantage. In the rural areas of
many developing countries, the ownership of even a small plot of land
can substantially reduce the risk of a family falling into extreme
poverty. In an urban context, improverished neighbourhood
tends to be associated with poor quality housing and overcrowding. Recent research suggests that while family assets
have a positive effect on children’s well-being, it is assets that
belong to the mother that make the greatest difference. Evidence from many parts of the world shows that
women, especially in poor house-holds, spend most of the earnings they
control on essential goods and services that serve the household’s
needs- particularly those of children. In contrast, men tend to spend a significant share
of their earnings on personal goods, such as alcohol and tobacco. Even
more striking are findings that a mother’s ownership of assets make
a significantly greater contribution to a child’s well-being than
the ownership of these assets by the father. In urban Brazil, for instance, a study found that
child survival probabilities improved markedly when asset income
accrued to the mother than when it accrued to the father. The positive
impact on the health of daughters was especially high. Children in
rural India were found more likely to attend school and receive
medical attention if their mother owned more assets. Among marginal farmer households in Kerala in south
India, the mother’s cultivation of a home garden- the harvest of
which she controlled- was found to have a consistently high positive
impact on child nutrition. Apart from differences in spending patterns,
mothers who own assets such as land also have greater bargaining power
in the home. This can lead to a more equitable distribution of
benefits along gender lines, even from the income the father controls.
Recent research also shows a substantially lower incidence of marital
violence against women who own land or property. This has positive implications for children, since
children witnessing domestic violence tend to suffer from greater
emotional and behavioural problems than other children. Women’s and children’s welfare is affected not
only by the ownership of private assets, but equally by their access
to community assets such as forests and clean water. Children (especially girls) are their mother’s
main helpers in the collection of firewood, fodder and water. Scarcity
increases this burden, and can even cause some to drop out of school
or never attend school in order to help their mothers. The scarcity of community assets can also pose
health risks for children. Lack of safe drinking water is a major
cause of disease that affects children’s productivity and school
attendance. Firewood scarcity arising from deforestation forces
women to substitute with inferior fuels such as weeds and crop waste. Firewood itself is associated with smoke-related
diseases: inferior fuels compound this risk for children working or
playing in smoky kitchens. In summary, women’s access to both privatized
assets, especially land and housing, and to community assets, such as
forests, is often a key factor determining the survival, health,
education and physical security of children, and especially of girls. Enabling women to access these assets must thus
become a primary objective of development strategies in general and
poverty-reduction strategies in particular. Dr Agarwal is Professor of Economics at the Institute of Economic
Growth, University of Delhi.
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Mob violence and right to artistic expression The decision taken by the Birmingham Repertory Theatre to cancel further performances of the play Behzti can only be described as a capitulation to mob rule. Stuart Rogers, the executive director of the theatre, was at pains to explain that this drastic action was taken solely for safety reasons and out of a proper concern for the wellbeing of the performers and the audience. But while it is possible to sympathise with the predicament faced by the directors of the Birmingham Rep, they have made the wrong decision. The show should have gone on. West Midlands Police met representatives of the Sikh community and the Repertory Theatre to discuss how to avoid a repetition of the events of Saturday night, when a demonstration involving some 400 Sikhs resulted in vandalism of the theatre. When these representatives failed to guarantee that violence would not recur, the theatre capitulated and scrapped further performances. The directors were put in the invidious position of having to choose between the staging of an artistic event and public safety. They should never have had to make such a choice. The West Midlands Police should have guaranteed to protect the theatre, no matter how many demonstrators turned up. Shamefully, the threat of violence was allowed to curtail Britain’s tradition of free speech. This is an unwanted example of indirect censorship by a handful of zealots. Behzti is the work of a Sikh playwright, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, and there is no suggestion that she - or anyone else involved in the production -intended to stir up hatred against Sikhism. Nor does the play attack the Sikh religion. There is no case for prosecuting the author for incitement to racial hatred. Nor would she fall foul of the proposed legislation outlawing religious hatred (although the episode underlines the foolishness of the Government in raising this issue.) The protesters’ objection is to the portrayal of sexual abuse and murder in a Sikh temple. It is the setting, not the content, that has caused offence. Debates over the limits of artistic freedom are usually characterised by a lack of information about what is actually contained in the work. That is why we today print an extract of one of the most controversial episodes in the play on our front page. People need the facts if they are to have an informed debate. The Repertory Theatre has behaved sensitively throughout this affair. The directors consulted leaders of the Sikh community for months about the staging of this play. To counter concerns that the audience would come away with a negative view of the Sikhs, a statement was handed out before each performance which pointed out that the play was not intended to be a realistic portrayal of a Sikh temple. It is hard to see what more, apart from fundamentally altering the play itself, the theatre could have done. Broadly secular societies, such as Britain, are not immune to the gathering storm of intolerance and zealotry that is buffeting the world. The Netherlands, once considered the most harmonious society in Europe, has been traumatised by the brutal murder of Theo van Gogh, who made a provocative film about Islam. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born Muslim who worked with him, has received death threats. That country now seems to be moving away from its tradition of toleration to meet a newly perceived threat from fundamentalism. That is not a path that Britain should follow. All sections of society must subscribe to the principle of toleration. It is possible for Britain to be sensitive to the concerns of religious minorities while at the same time respecting the right to free speech. Freedom of expression is the right of everyone who lives in a democratic society. We must not tolerate censorship, indirect or otherwise. —By arrangement with The Independent, London |
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From Pakistan KARACHI: Infectious diseases are assuming alarming proportions in Pakistan, where 75 per cent of all forms of morbidity and mortality is due to a wide range of infections, enhancing urgency for close community and government coordination — strengthening efforts to address the same. Infection Control of Society President Prof. M. Rafiq Khanani stated this here on Tuesday, speaking at the inaugural session of the fifth International Conference of the Society. “Approximately 100 to 150,000 of these deaths are due to diarrhoeal diseases,” he said mentioning that Pakistan ranks sixth among the high tuberculosis burden countries with about 250,000 cases and over 60,000 deaths annually. Senior microbiologists further mentioned that the burden of Hepatitis B and C is estimated at 12 per cent to 15 per cent of the population that translates to about 15 to 20 million infected or carriers in the country or one of every six individuals among normal population is infected. —
The Nation Religion and
passport
LAHORE: Chaudhry Shahid Akram Bhindar, the State Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights, has said religious parties are unnecessarily pressing the government to add a religion column to the machine-readable passport as the passport is an identity of state, not religion. He was addressing the seminar “Role of the government in promotion and protection of Human Rights in the country” organised by the Regional Directorate of Human Rights (Punjab) under the Federal Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights, as chief guest. He said technically it was not possible to add a religion column, and added the state should not discriminate against its citizens on the basis of religion. —
The Nation Govt flayed for
arbitrariness
LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed its concern over the arbitrariness of the government in cracking down on peaceful political activity. According to a press release on Tuesday, these actions have further exposed the real face of “militarized” democracy. The impression that is being created is that the ruling junta is forcing the opposition into submission and forcible cooperation in order to perpetuate their dubious agenda. The HRCP is concerned at the dual policy which the present regime is following. The activities of political forces, which do not operate on communal lines, are being restricted and curbed. This has not only created a political vacuum by enabling an environment for communalism, extremism and militancy but has encouraged the forces of intolerance. The HRCP has consistently demanded that the government must acknowledge the fraud being played in the name of democracy and take sincere as well as transparent steps to include mainstream political parties and their leadership in any genuine democratic set-up. — The Dawn Anti-Musharraf
drive after Dec 31
ISLAMABAD: The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) central secretary-general Iqbal Zafar Jhagra has said that a decisive anti-Musharraf drive would be launched jointly from the ARD-MMA platform after December 31. “The ARD has already constituted a two-member committee to hold negotiations with the religious parties’ alliance to evolve consensus in this regard,” he said while talking to Online here on Tuesday. The PML- N secretary-general also warned the government that “its conspiracies” would not succeed in creating rifts within the opposition parties. Ruling out the possibility of talks with the government, he said the Prime Minister had no authority to hold dialogue with the opposition parties and his offer of dialogue with the opposition was nothing but a waste of time. Referring to the arrest and release of PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari, Mr Jhagra said this would prove the last nail in the coffin of the Musharraf government. PPPP chief Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Raja Zafar-ul-Haq of the PML- N were appointed members of the committee to hold negotiations with the MMA to launch a movement against the present set-up, he added. — The News |
One cannot live by giving up all material objects. But certainly one can try to give up attachment and craving for material objects. It is a hard task but others have achieved it. There is no reason why one more person cannot. — The Bhagavadgita The Supreme Truth can be attained by the way of knowledge. But this path is difficult and needs tremendous perseverance. The path of devotion is easier by contrast. — The Mahabharata We can cure physical disease with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness. despair, and hopelessness is love. — Mother Teresa Non-violence is the first article of my faith, it is also the last article of my creed. —Mahatma Gandhi Simran is the recitation of Sat Nam with tongue, heart, and mind. —
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The following is an excerpt from the report
"UNICEF in India":