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Not through violence, please! Moving forward |
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PM to the rescue
Jehadi terror in Bangladesh
Beyond belief
Pakistan’s compulsions on Israel Entertainment farms for tourists Defence notes
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Not through violence, please! VIOLENCE begets violence. Many times over. In reaction to the torching of the houses of Dalits in Gohana, traffic was blocked at many places in Haryana and government buses were damaged in Panchkula on Friday. The problem is that the victims of such violent protests are again innocent people who had nothing to do with the original crime. The public property that was destroyed by its very nomenclature belongs to the public. As such, the protestors were, in a way, only destroying what is their own. This method of venting of anger does not make any sense. What happened in Gohana was highly condemnable and those who attacked the Dalit houses must be given the severest punishment. The violence which broke out two days later in a tit-for-tat retaliation is equally uncalled for. It is the duty of the community leaders to curb this dangerous tendency which does not help anyone. We on our part appeal to everyone to maintain peace and amity so that the situation does not go out of hand. The anger over the destruction of houses of Dalits is understandable. But the incident should not lend to more violence. Caste clashes are a bane of Indian society. And what happened in Gohana will be a blot. But punishing the guilty should be left to the authorities who are being watched by the public and the media. Leaders of various hues who have descended on Gohana in strength should have used all moral force at their command to drum this point home. Unfortunately, some of them are doing quite the opposite, inflaming passions. Their eyes seem to be set firmly on the forthcoming byelection. Yes, this policy of divide and rule will get them many votes, but should they be playing dirty politics over a human tragedy? This is the time to show that they are not just politicians who want to look at their own interest, but wider interest of the State and society. The test of their mettle will come during the agitations planned in the coming days. The success of such strikes should not be measured in terms of how much violence is let loose but how dignified the protest is.
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Moving forward It is heartening to note that India and Pakistan not only continue to move forward with the composite dialogue process, but have jointly affirmed its “integrity”. That augurs well for the several complex issues that await resolution in the next round of talks. The two foreign secretaries have reviewed the progress under the second round, which covered Kashmir, Siachen, CBMs, the Wullur Barrage, Sir Creek, terrorism and drug trafficking, economic cooperation. and cultural exchanges. Tackling these issues will require sustained effort that is not easily shaken by sudden ups and downs along the way. Several steps have been taken on reviving the Joint Commission, and finalising the Agreement on pre-notification of ballistic missile tests and the MOU on establishing communication links between the Indian Coast Guard and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency. Humanitarian issues regarding prisoners and “inadvertent line-crossers” are receiving the urgent attention they deserve. The slew of measures to facilitate movement across the borders is particularly important for people on both sides of the divide. Under consideration are new bus routes, a truck service for trade across the LoC, a review of the bilateral air services agreement and the shipping protocol, and more cultural exchanges and the enabling of pilgrims to visit more religious shrines in both countries. This territory-to-people shift is indeed an important element of the ongoing process and should be constantly nurtured. While the new round of talks will be launched in January next year, the stage has now been set for the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharaf in New York next week. While a big breakthrough might be too much to expect, expectations for a “very constructive and productive” meeting in Mr Saran’s words, are indeed high. The peace process seems to be on track.
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PM to the rescue PRIME Minister Manmohan Singh’s plain speaking at the first-ever conference of Superintendents of Police in New Delhi on Thursday is remarkable for its candour and refreshing for his concern. To take the latter first, he was forthright in emphasising that he is equally interested in seeing the police protected from politics and politicians as well as in the police discharging its responsibility with diligence. While the Prime Minister acknowledged the need to ensure honesty and transparency in the force he also recognised the difficulties and political consequences faced by the police. Lest the point be missed, Dr Manmohan Singh underscored the case for tenure protection, insulation from political interference and an end to arbitrary transfers. Over the decades, the biggest bane of the police force is the instrument of transfers. Political bosses indiscriminately use this threat to make police officials submit to unwarranted interference and pressures. The Prime Minister was frank enough to admit to the gathering of police officials from across the country, that during the last 15 months he has been unable to convince Chief Ministers on the issue of arbitrary transfers. While assuring them that he would persist till a solution is found, he has thrown his support firmly on the side of upright police officers. Without mincing words, he asked police officers not to succumb to “unwarranted interference and stand up and be counted”. This exhortation to policemen to place their commitment to duty above any extraneous consideration is a clear signal that between politicians and those in uniform, Dr Singh is firmly behind officers who stand up to do their duty undeterred by interfering busybodies. At the same time, the Prime Minister has reminded the police of the necessity for them to become a people-friendly force if only to be more effective and useful. The Prime Minister’s message is as much for the politicians as for the police. Governance of the country will improve if both heed the advice.
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One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives. — Euripides
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Jehadi terror in Bangladesh
A
series of coordinated blasts of over 400 bombs in 63 out of 64 districts on August 17 firmly established Bangladesh as another hotbed of terrorism. While the police blamed the Jamaatul Mujahideen, Minister of Industries and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami put the blame on India’s RAW and Israel’s MOSAD. Later on, former Islamic Foundation Director, Moulana Fariduddin Masud, detained for suspected links to the August 17 blasts reportedly pointed out Nizam’s involvement in the countrywide explosions. It remains to be seen whether Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has the political will to confront the Jamaats and root out the terrorists. Past experiences, however, do not evoke any confidence. The responses of the government of Bangladesh have been more to do with addressing international concern rather than rooting out the Islamic terrorist groups. Jagrata Muslim Janata led by Bangla Bhai and Jamaatul Mujahideen were banned hours before the meeting of the donors in Washington on February 23-24, 2005. But Bangla Bhai roamed freely after the ban. The government also failed to nab the real culprits for the killing of former Awami League Finance Minister AMS Kibria on January 27 and attempt to murder the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Anwar Choudhury on May 21, 2004. In fact, the inquiry commission into the attacks on Awami League rally on August 21, 2004 blamed external intelligence agencies. As such high profile cases of terrorism do not lead to prosecution, the perpetrators of the attacks on the NGOs, journalists and liberal thinkers have been roaming scot-free. From opposing the Bangladesh liberation war by participating in the genocide and mass murder of the intelligentsia, Jammat-e-Islami has come a long way to become a partner of the government since 2001. The root causes of the growth of extremism in the last four years need to be analysed in perspective. First, international community, including India, failed to address violence against religious and ethnic minorities, which furthered religious extremism and provided the sense of impunity to the zealots. The attacks on Hindu minorities in October 2001 were dismissed as post-elections violence. In the first week of February 2005, local “Siddique Bahini” forcibly occupied 12 acres of land, including of a temple and a crematory, of 14 poor Hindu families at Kapalipara village in Patuakhali. On March 27, the ruling party thugs forcibly occupied about 42 bighas of land of a Hindu family at Chhoto Shanta in Debhata upazila of Satkhira. Torture, rape, humiliation, destruction of temples and idol etc are perpetrated with impunity while taking over land. These atrocities are not surprising considering that while the religious extremists have been assassinating political opponents with bombs, the BNP has been targeting them by using Rapid Action Battalion, with impunity. Second, the government has been openly siding with extremist elements. On January 8 the government banned all publications of the Ahmadiyya community, including the Koran and any translations or interpretations of it to appease the fundamentalists. This is despite the fact that earlier on December 21, 2004, the High Court temporarily suspended the government ban. The ban on the Ahmediya publications in clear contempt of the High Court provided further impetus to the fundamentalists. Not surprisingly, on April 10, 2005, International Khatme Nabuat Movement dared to issue a public warning that they would gherao and evict the Ahmadiyyas from their native villages in Satkhira district on April 17, The government failed to take any measure. On April 17 2005, as announced, nearly 15,000 fundamentalists equipped with sticks, iron rods and other sharp weapons attacked the Ahmadiyya community, injuring over 50 people, including women and children, and looted at least 10 houses at Sundarban Bazar of Shyamnagar upazila, Satkhira. Third, the state support to madrasas, which are increasingly being held responsible for fomenting extremism across the world, has increased exponentially during the current BNP-Jamaat rule. It is not only Saudi funds. The government of Bangladesh has been using assistance for education from UN agencies, western donors and other multilateral financial institutions to fund the madrasas. According to Bangladesh Economic Review, from 2001 to 2005, the number of madrasas increased by 22.22 per cent in comparison to the 9.74 per cent growth of the general educational institutions. Teachers in the general schools and colleges increased by 12.27 per cent against 16.52 per cent in the madrasas during the same period. The number of students in general educational institutions rose by 8.64 per cent while the madrasas saw 10.12 per cent rise. These figures relate to about 9,000 government-registered madrasas. There are about 15,000 Qawmi madrasas under the Bangladesh Qawmi Madrasa Education Board which are totally out of government control and have their own curriculum. Thousands of other madrasas are not registered under any organisation. Fourth, extreme fundamentalists control the grip of the current government. Salahuddin Kader Chowdhury, infamous for his role against the Bangladesh liberation war and suspected arms smuggling to India, serves as the advisor for Parliamentary Affairs to the Prime Minister. Chowdhury’s hold on the government is such that he was also nominated for the post of Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Conference, much to the consternation of international community. There are many known extreme fundamentalists who hold important positions in the government. Fifth and most importantly, there is power vacuum in Bangladesh. Political authorities do not exercise full control over the Army and other security forces and they have to look over their soldiers all the time. There is a strong nexus between the extremists and local authorities, political leaders and Directorate General of Bangladesh Forces’ Intelligence. There have been countless incidents in which Islamic extremists were apprehended, sometimes with arms and explosives, only to be released by the authorities. The Jammat-e-Islami and other fundamentalist groups remain indispensable in Bangladeshi electoral politics. During the last parliamentary elections in 2001, BNP received 40.97 per cent of the votes against 40.13 per cent received by the Awami League. BNP’s landslide victory was ensured because of the alliance with the fundamentalists. After having become a partner of the government, Islamic fundamentalists have further expanded their support base. Given the power vacuum, polarisation of the Awami League and BNP, state support to fundamentalists groups against the non-Muslims and increased indispensability of the Jamaats in electoral politics, Islamic terrorists in Bangladesh are unlikely to be rooted out. Bangladesh may not be next Afghanistan or Pakistan but it will not fall off the map of the sources of global
terrorism.
**** The writer is Director, Asian Centre for Human Rights
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Beyond belief
IT has always been puzzling why people, in the name of renovation, change century-old architectural beauties into cold, impersonal marbled ones. That is why I could not share my mother-in-law’s enthusiasm about the recently renovated (read marbleised) Gurdwara Dukhnivaran in Patiala. It only made me “dukhi”. I wish people had found ways to protect old buildings without converting them into marble monsters. Anyway, it was my fascination for the past that took me to Umananda temple when I visited Guwahati last. Situated in sylvan surroundings in one of the smallest river islands in the world, I remember the temple for the ethereal feelings it exuded. The journey in the small dinghy from the south bank of the Brahmaputra was thrillingly scary. It was with awe that my friends and I watched the boatman negotiating the high currents in the river. The thought of what lay ahead was even more exciting. Dressed appropriately for climbing flights of stone steps, we got our first surprise when the boatman dropped us at the climbing spot. Gone were those tricky stone steps. In their place were polished granite steps that resembled entrance to a five-star hotel in Chandigarh. “I could have come in my stilettos to keep my date with Lord Shiva,” I rued looking at my flat shoes. By then we were mentally prepared for some changes at the temple. But what we saw was beyond belief. The lovely structure, which the Ahom King Gadadhar Singh had erected with un-burnt bricks, plastered with a concoction of rice powder and egg yolk, was gone forever. In its place, there were tacky tiles covering the entrance wall, proudly displaying the name of the company, which bore the cost of the tiles. Even the hinged stones, part of the original temple, were lying around, gathering plastic bags and discarded eatables. The only link from the past was the Kali temple, which stood in its pristine, though desolate, glory next to the main Shiva temple. As we returned with a heavy heart, we sat on the marble steps next to the kiosk, which now sell lemon tea to the devotees. Of course, one cannot stop being health conscious just because one is on a spiritual journey. Maybe, low-calorie diet “prasad” will be the
next!
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Pakistan’s compulsions on Israel
THE meeting between Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri and his Israeli counterpart Silvan Shalom in the Four Seasons Hotel in Istanbul has understandably generated a lot of attention in India and abroad. Unfortunately, in sections of the Indian media there is a tendency to describe this meeting as a great diplomatic victory for Pakistan, and, therefore, in terms of zero-sum logic of some of our media persons, a diplomatic setback for India. The meeting took place at the initiative of Pakistan and was held in Turkey which is the Islamic state with longest relations with Israel. The meeting has already resulted in hostile reactions from the religious parties in Pakistan. Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), which is wielding power in the North West Frontier Province and Baluchistan has threatened protests against this contact all-over the country after the Friday prayers. General Musharraf has been hinting for some time about establishing relations with Israel and, therefore, this meeting cannot come as a surprise. General Musharraf has also accepted an invitation from the American Jewish Congress to address an “inter-faith” conference in New York in September. Pakistan has cleverly attempted to link up this long planned development with the withdrawal of Israel from Gaza. What has been overlooked by many Indian observers is the fact that General Musharraf is taking these steps even as al Qaeda and its associated elements are intensifying their threats against those collaborating with their enemies among which Israel figures prominently next only to the US. Therefore, General Musharraf is taking significant risks in undertaking this step. Not long ago General Musharraf used to preach to the US the root cause of terrorism should be addressed first to solve the problem of terrorists and always put on top of the list the Arab-Israeli issue. Therefore, this move of Pakistan should be under great pressure from the US on Pakistan to behave like a moderate Islamic state like Turkey, Egypt, Morocco and Jordan, which have all recognised Israel. After all, Pakistan boasts of being the most allied ally of United States, which has the largest Jewish population in the world and without the support of which Israel would not be as powerful as it is today. In 1956 when the Anglo-French Israeli forces invaded Egypt, Pakistani Prime Minister H.S. Subrawardy unlike India, refused to come out in support of the Arabs. He made his celebrated statement “Zero plus zero will still be zero”, decrying solidarity with the Arabs. Pakistan discovered its commitment to Palestinians only after the Arabs, with growing oil riches became a factor in world politics and started using the Arab oil money in international politics. Of late the US is threatening to monitor the flow of money from Saudi Arabia into Pakistan and putting pressure on Pakistan to behave as a moderate Islamic state. These factors have compelled General Musharraf to initiate his interaction with Israel. It is, therefore, not a great victory for Pakistan. It is a clear sign of the effect US pressure has on Pakistan in terms of war on terrorism. The pressure obviously is so great that General Musharraf has to risk the wrath of religions parties domestically and accept also the risks of threats from the jehadi organisation. In terms of national ethos, Israel and Pakistan share a fundamental credo that religious faith determines national identity. While Pakistan wanted secession from India on the basis of “two-nation theory” they have been against Israel claiming the same logic. If the two nation theory is to be accepted then Pakistani Muslims will have no place in the UK and the US. General Musharraf with a brother and a son in the US is being increasingly educated on the untenability of the two-nation theory in a globalising world. While imminent establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Israel may not be on the cards, Pakistan finds it necessary to repair the damage to its current image as an extremist Islamic state with a strong anti-Jewish orientation. It has also to contend with a radical change in the US policy towards India resulting in long practised India-Pakistan hyphenation being given up. Among various steps General Musharraf can take to impress the US public on his moderate Islamic state credentials one of the easiest is his relationship with Israel. Hence his present moves. One need not take seriously the Pakistani contention that this is only a preliminary engagement and they would establish diplomatic relations only after the emergence of the Palestinian state. They could easily change that stand and argue that they want to deal with Israel diplomatically to help the formation of Palestinian state. On the Israeli side, while the establishment of diplomatic relations with Pakistan will help in obtaining similar recognition from other Islamic states, they cannot afford to forget that Pakistan is the origin of the Islamic bomb. While both Israel and the US focus great deal of attention on Iranian nuclear efforts they are not likely to overlook that the origin of Iranian nuclear efforts is Pakistan. The justification of Dr A.Q. Khan for his proliferation to Iran, Libya and another yet to be named Arab State is his Islamic obligation. It is well known that Israelis keep an eye on Pakistani nuclear proliferation efforts. A Jewish American, Jonothan Pollard, was jailed for spying since he passed on US satellite photographs on the Kahuta plant to Israelis. Both Israel and Pakistan are pastmasters in the practice of real politik. During the anti-Soviet mujahideen campaign in Afghanistan, Pakistan permitted Israeli training teams to train the mujahideen and they functioned with Peshawar as their headquarters. Neither the Islamic warriors nor the Jewish state allowed their ideologies to come in the way of their tactical cooperation for an immediately shared objective. Therefore, further developments in Pakistan-Israel relations depend largely on General Musharraf’s calculations how far he should go to please the US and what degree of control the US exercises on Saudi financial flows into Pakistan and on the extent of Saudi anti-Israeli animosity. Saudi anti-Israeli policy too at the Royal family level is based on real-politik and not ideology.
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Entertainment farms for tourists AT the reins of a team of Clydesdales, Craig Underwood posed for photos with a posse of suburbanites and city slickers before taking them on a wagon ride around his farm in Ventura County, Calif. This isn’t exactly where he thought his career would lead. His family has farmed in these parts for four generations, raising vegetables for markets around the world. But today, the 62-year-old grower is pushing a cash crop of a different kind. Underwood has created the equivalent of an agricultural amusement park amid the southern California sprawl of tract homes and shopping malls, providing an authentic farm experience to people hungry to reconnect with their rural roots. More than 100,000 people a year visit the farm, where visitors can climb hay bales, pick their own strawberries, and feed veggies to rabbits and cows. “Everybody looks at farm life as an idyllic way to live, and they want in some way to experience that,’’ said Underwood, noting that entertainment farming now makes up one-third of his business. “More and more, we want to be able to return people to the farm. And in today’s environment, it really helps us stay competitive.’’ Across California, there is a growing convergence between agriculture and entertainment as small farms turn to a bit of showbiz to survive. Perhaps fittingly in this entertainment capital, more than 600 farms around the state now offer a direct-marketing component, a fivefold increase over the past decade. In addition to traditional enticements such as fruit stands and pick-your-own plots, growers are carving mazes in cornfields, opening dude ranches and setting up pony rides and petting zoos to draw customers eager to experience farm life. Dubbed agritourism or agritainment, the movement is steadily picking up steam as associations form to promote entertainment farming and jurisdictions relax regulations to make it easier to launch such ventures. Agritourism now generates an estimated $75 million annually throughout California, said Desmond Jolly, director of the University of California Small Farm Center in Davis. Although that represents a fraction of California’s $30 billion-a-year farm economy, Jolly said that for some farmers the additional income can mean the difference between staying afloat or drowning in a sea of red ink. Facing a mound of regulations and a surge of foreign competitors, farmer Paul Fantozzi set out to earn extra money three years ago by carving a maze in a cornfield along Interstate 5 near the community of Patterson, Calif. Each fall, thousands of visitors pay $7 each ($5 for children) for the privilege of walking miles of narrow pathways flanked by towering green stalks. Fantozzi, 45, figures the maze now makes up about 5 percent of his farm revenue. He said he’d like to grow the entertainment component so that it constitutes at least half the business. Entertainment farming is not for everyone. Many growers guard their privacy and are reluctant to allow strangers on their properties. And there are some who question whether such endeavors are legitimate farming enterprises and worry that farming could quickly become lost amid the amusements. Then there are looming concerns about liability and insurance. Watsonville, Calif., grower Nita Gizdich, an agritourism pioneer and regular speaker at conferences to promote the movement, said she has talked to plenty of farmers who want to give it a try but are leery. She knows some who have been put out of business by too many insurance claims. After 40 years of having people out to her 90-acre farm to pick their own fruit, taste a slice of homemade pie or comb through her antique shop and gift store, the 70-year-old apple and berry grower considers herself lucky that she’s never had an accident. Six years ago, California lawmakers made it easier for farmers to open their properties to overnight guests. Some counties have eased restrictions on growers who want to give visitors a taste of country living through festivals, fairs and other farm activities. Even universities are responding to the shift. California Polytechnic State University’s vaunted agriculture program in San Luis Obispo now offers courses on agritourism and wine tourism as part of a curriculum on sustainable farming.
— LT Times-Washington Post |
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Defence notes THE government has admitted that there is a shortage of over 340 fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force, but has brushed aside suggestions that this could be due to the big gap in the emoluments of commercial and fighter pilots. “The sanctioned strength of pilots in the IAF is 3,263 and the actual strength as on August 1 is 2922”, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said recently in Parliament. As many as 236 pilots had quit service during the past three years, but the government has no information whether these pilots had joined private airlines. He said similar shortfalls were also there in the officer cadres of the Army as well as the navy. “Deficiency of officers in the rank of Lt Col and below in army is 10,650, the shortfall in the IAF officer cadre is 508 and in the Navy 1,244”. Asked if the big gap in salary between IAF and commercial pilots could be the reason, Mr Mukherjee said the job profile and job requirements of pilots of the IAF and pilots in commercial airlines were different and not comparable. Award for officer Ace skydiver of the Indian Air Force, Wing Cdr Jayashankar has been awarded the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award for excellence in aero sports. The officer, who has already done the Indian Air Force or with his earlier performances was handed over the award at a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 29 when President APJ Abdul Kalam also honoured the other sportsmen of the country. Wg Cdr Jatashankar is the leader of the Air Force Skydiving team “Air Devils” and has featured in the Limca Book of Records for his achievements in aero sports. He also led the first Indian Skydiving delegation to the World Freefall Convention in the United States of America in August last year and also trained the Chief of Air Staff in the same sport. Airfields’ income The Ministry of Defence has earned a revenue of Rs. 68.96 crore from the defence airfields by allowing them to be used for civil flights. There are a total of 24 such defence airfields which are being operated for scheduled civil flights. However, the MoD has stringent requirements which the civil flight operators have to fulfill before their flights are allowed to land on defence airfields. The proposals relating to allowing civilian aircraft to operate from any Defence airfield is considered on the basis of proposals received from operators in accordance with the guidelines. To ensure the safety of the Air Force installations due to the operation of civil aircraft from defence airfields, separate isolated enclosures are developed and managed by the Airports Authority of India for the operations of these aircraft. Besides, security of the Air Force installation is ensured by restricting entry to the campus, regulated by Indian Air Force Police and Defence Security Corps (DSC). Point security through armed Air Force and DSC guards.
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From the pages of Who won the Sikh war?
The other day, in a speech, the Kaiser declared that “the Hanoverians and Blucher saved the English from destruction at Waterloo.” If we are to believe the German Kaiser, we would have to completely forget our school-taught lessons. It may be that the Kaiser was carried on by his enthusiasm and was a little too partial to his own nation. But, on the other hand, we can scarcely believe the English historians entirely. They have the rare knack of concealing facts, and, what is more, of changing them at their pleasure. That great fiction-writer Macaulay was a brilliant instance of this. Again, one will see in the writings of the English historians that, during the second Sikh War, the battle of Chlianwallah was an indecisive one. But everyone knows that in that battle the British troops were completely routed, and the remaining portion of the Army was very glad to escape with their lives. A high English official was dismissed from his service for the great offence of writing a true history of the Sikh War.
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It is often said that deprivation for a just cause is morally fair. Those who say so do not realise that to deprive, no cause is just enough or fair enough. — The Mahabharata The secret of happiness is renunciation. — Book of quotations on Happiness And those who spend their money to be seen by people without believing in God or the last day; and for those to whom the perverter is an intimate, what a wretched companion! — Book of quotations on Islam Is it possible to understand God’s action and His motive? He creates, He preserves, and He destroys. Can we ever understand why he destroys? — Ramakrishna
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