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Enemy within Costly ‘mistake’ Repeal the Act |
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Great game in Afghanistan
Speed of change
Reason and religion at Harvard Defence notes
Yunus’ ideas are weapons against poverty
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Enemy within Defence
Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s expression of concern about Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) trying to “infiltrate and subvert” our armed forces comes ahead of the secretary-level talks with Pakistan on intelligence cooperation against terrorism. On the one hand, there is scepticism about the talks itself, given Pakistan’s routine evasiveness and double-speak on the matter. On the other, we have the National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan himself saying that the evidence against the ISI in the recent Mumbai blasts was “good, but not clinching,” which begs the question about why this evidence cannot be put across convincingly. That a hostile neighbouring intelligence agency would attempt infiltration and subversion of our armed forces is only to be expected. This is yet another track of activity, apart from cross-border infiltration and training of terrorists. Mr Mukherjee’s statement comes in the wake of arrests of a havildar from the Army’s frontline 14the Corps based at Leh, and a signal man from headquarters. The signalman was caught while handing over documents to a Pakistani embassy staffer, whereas the havildar was picked up while travelling to Kathmandu to meet his handler. Mr Mukherjee has pointed to the existence of extensive networks, and this is particularly disturbing. That some stray elements might well fall prey to monetary inducements or ideological appeals is not surprising. However, networks are the result of sustained penetration, and their existence is an indictment of our counter-intelligence and surveillance capabilities. One of the problems is that the ISI is everything from a convenient bogey to a clear and present danger. Only a competent, incorruptible and vigilant internal security apparatus, both within and without the armed forces, can tackle the problem in all its ramifications.
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Costly ‘mistake’ When the DIG of Police in a Naxalite-infested region of Orissa dies of a gunshot injury in broad daylight, the obvious inference is that he has been shot dead by extremists. That was the conclusion that everybody drew on the murder of Jaswinder Singh and sent the whole country into a tizzy. After all, he was the first IPS officer to be killed in Orissa. What gave credence to this theory was the fact that the slain officer from Hoshiarpur in Punjab himself was involved in many anti-Naxalite operations. The 1990-batch officer had served in several Naxal-infested districts like Deogarh, Gajapati and Bargarh when he was an SP and conducted many raids. But the DGP of Orissa, Mr Amarananda Patnaik, has said categorically that he was not killed by Naxals but was a victim of accidental firing at Rayagada. Singh was reportedly hit by a bullet fired from the gun of his Personal Security Officer (PSO). Asked whether he was ruling out Naxalite involvement, the DGP replied: “In absolute terms”. While the elimination of the Naxalite angle is cause for some relief, the sad truth remains that the country has lost a promising and conscientious officer who had a glorious record of putting duty before self. The DGP says that the DIG had not taken certain basic precautions. For instance, he should not have revealed his travel plans. The costly mistake raises questions about the anti-terrorism operations in the state. In fact, it gives strength to the allegation that the battle against Naxalites is not being fought as efficiently as it should be. The much-touted inter-state cooperation is more in the minds of officers than on the ground. Even the strategy at a micro level needs to be a lot better. That is why there has been a sharp increase in attacks on various targets in the recent past, leading to a heavy loss of men as well as armoury. The menace cannot be eliminated by brute force alone. Extreme poverty has given rise to a situation where Naxalites are never short of recruits, and to remedy the state of affairs, these socio-economic grounds have to be eliminated.
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Repeal the Act Notwithstanding the Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy Committee’s recommendation to the Centre to repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Manipur, no decision has been taken in this regard. This is unfortunate because the high power committee, appointed by the Prime Minister, submitted its report within seven months in June last year. The committee’s mandate was to review the provisions of the draconian Act and advice the government whether (a) to amend the provisions of the Act to bring them in consonance with the government’s responsibility towards protection of human rights; and (b) to replace the Act by a more humane one. While recommending the scrapping of the Act unequivocally, the committee has pointed out that the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act already provided the kind of protection against legal suits the armed forces are demanding. It suggested some important safeguards (by way of amendments) to protect civilians against the abuse of power. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, during a visit to strife-torn Manipur in November 2004, had assured people that he would do the needful. Yet, little has been done to assuage the feelings of the people of Manipur. Irom Sharmila has been on hunger strike for the last six years seeking repeal of the notorious Act. She is now continuing her protest in New Delhi seeking the release of the Jeevan Reddy Committee report and repeal of the Act. However, the Centre seems in no mood to make the report public, let alone implement it. There are no two opinions on the need to repeal the Act. In the light of the abduction and killing of Manorama and other atrocities committed by the security personnel in not just Manipur but the Northeast as a whole, the Army should not be given sweeping powers. More than repeal of the Act and the suggested amendments, there is a strong need for an attitudinal change among the security personnel. Neither the Army (nor the police for that matter) can win the hearts and minds of the people through draconian measures. It is only through a change of mindset and people-friendly approach that it can achieve the intended objective.
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It does not matter so much what lifestyle we choose — it’s what we make of the opportunities to grow, that counts. — Alan Cohen
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Great game in Afghanistan George Bush’s dinner diplomacy between feuding Presidents Karzai and Musharraf did not work. But on the ground, Nato commanders are claiming success. Just give me another 1000 troops and the Taliban will be on its knees (in Helmund), says Brig Ed Butler, British Commander in Southern Afghanistan. Lt Gen David Richards, the overall Force Commander of the UN-mandated ISAF and Nato-led forces, agrees. He has a sound plan: to defeat the Taliban in six months in Helmund and Kandahar provinces by winning hearts and minds of the locals through creating jobs and improving governance. On July 20, though, Richards had described the situation in Afghanistan as close to anarchy. Major-Gen Eric Olson 18 months ago observed that the Taliban “is a force in decline”. US Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Peter Pace, does not consider the situation worrying. But the frequency of suicide attacks in Kandahar and Kabul makes both look like Baghdad. These confusing signals sum up the present situation. The Supreme Commander of Nato, Gen James Jones, feels that an additional 2500 troops are required but none of the 36 countries contributing troops was prepared to provide more. So the already stretched British may have to do it. Winter is a few weeks away so troops have to get in fast. Till end last month, 50 suicide attacks had been carried out this year out of a total of 70 so far. And with mounting casualties among security forces, the situation is quite unstable despite a series of offensives against the Taliban. But this war can only succeed if the war against opium is fought simultaneously. The latest deal between Pakistan and pro-Taliban and Al-Qaida tribals in Waziristan has given the militants a virtual sanctuary. How Musharraf has sold this deal to the Americans is not a mystery. Musharraf is probably going to eat the cake and have it too without giving the US anything more than assurances to deliver Laden. Like Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq, where conventional victory came easily, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan also ensured a swift regime-change. But the Iraqis and Afghans are both enduring lack of freedom as near-civil war conditions prevail there. Although Afghanistan is not as bad, it seems headed in that direction. With a resurgent Taliban, fleeting tactical successes create the illusion of victory. As historian Olaf Caroe observed: “Wars in Afghanistan begin after they’ve ended”. Crippled by war and violence for 25 years, a new Afghanistan with a constitution, elected Parliament and President has emerged. Unfortunately the US is employing the Iraq template with greater emphasis on military forces rather than the political process. For example there is no intra-Afghan dialogue to establish a multi-ethnic government which could lead to improved governance. Corruption, extortion and drug trading are destabilising the government whose control over Kabul and outlying provinces is being challenged by the Taliban. Restoring the peace process by ending violence must be the top priority. The escalation in guerrilla war by Taliban is instigated by Pakistan’s renewed quest for strategic depth. So far this year, nearly 1000 deaths have been reported. Some put a figure as high as 1600 for the last four months alone. The new Taliban has a force of 12,000 fighters deployed in the South with strongholds in Kandahar, Helmund, Zabul and Urozgan. The force is Pashtoon-dominated and receives support from NWFP and Baluchistan. Taliban leaders like Mullah Omar are based in Quetta. Gen Richards is reported to have given Musharraf his address during their recent meeting. The day after this meeting, Pakistan announced the capture of 45 Taliban in Quetta. So this cat-and-mouse game goes on. The Taliban strategy is to bleed foreign forces and make them leave Afghanistan as the Soviets were made to do in 1988. A Taliban offensive in Southern Afghanistan took temporary control of Garamsehr and Nawa I Barakzayi. Intense fighting took place in Panjwayi which is the birthplace of the Taliban movement. IEDs and suicide attacks and occasional assaults on posts are the favoured weapons of Taliban. In the last three months coalition troops launched their biggest-ever operations called Mountain Thrust, Medusa, and Mountain Fury. Gen Jones claimed that 1000 Taliban were killed during Operation Medusa for six Nato fatalities. The Afghan National Army is authorised to have 70,000 troops and 37,000 policemen. Only a 36,000-strong Army is operational. The actual need is for 150,000 troops. 20,000 US troops and 19,000 Nato forces from 36 countries with complex rules of engagement are involved. On August 1, 8000 Nato troops extended security operations to Southern Afghanistan replacing US forces. Security operations are accompanied with development projects. 23 provincial reconstruction teams, more than half under US command, are deployed outside Kabul. The Afghan government is required to disarm illegal groups by end 2007. Since 2005, nearly 150 troops and 2000 civilians have been killed. The biggest problem facing Afghanistan is opium. Poppy products and drugs constitute half of the $ 7 billion economy. Therefore many call Afghanistan a narcotics state. About 20,6700 hectares of land is under opium cultivation since 2003. 3.8 per cent of the population is addicted to drugs. The EU apparently invests $ 3 billion in counter-narcotics strategies but the actual amounts will be much lower. Helmund is called the poppy province. And this is where the Taliban are the strongest. The official role of security forces is to help in the destruction of the poppy crop but as this is destroying the means of livelihood, it goes counter to winning hearts and minds. The poppy war has to be fought alongside the war against the Taliban. The economy is severely debilitated as Afghanistan raises only 18 per cent of its budget from its own resources. On top of this, 4.5 million refugees have returned from Iran and Pakistan. The US alone has provided $ 11 billion between 2001-06. Despite geographical constraints, India has established an impressive foothold in Afghanistan. It is hosting a meet of 22 Foreign Ministers of donor countries at Kabul in November. India has been involved from Day 1 for rebuilding a new Afghanistan. About 3000 Indians are working in Afghanistan on Indian projects. The thrust areas are infrastructural development, humanitarian assistance and institutional and human resource development. India has pledged $ 650 million of which $200 million has already been used. The reconstruction projects are chosen by the Afghan government. India has donated 400 army trucks, 35 mini buses and three Airbus aircraft in addition to 1000 scholarships for students and training for diplomats. ITBP and CISF personnel are deployed for security of projects and consulates which are located at Jalalabad, Kandahar, Herat and Mazar i Sharif. At an India-Pakistan conference in Colombo in June, former DG ISI, Lt Gen Asad Durrani, suggested that India and Pakistan should cooperate rather than confront each other in Afghanistan. “Let us make it the ninth item of the composite dialogue” he added. For India, Afghanistan is strategically so vital that any serious offer by Pakistan cannot be passed. This is worth exploring. India must also not keep all its eggs in the Karzai basket. The US-Afghanistan-Pakistan tripartite border commission will need to monitor Pakistan’s deal with the Taliban as also verify the presence of the Taliban headquarters in Quetta. A recent leak from a US strategy report suggests that the new Taliban is to be inducted into the Karzai government. This will allow Musharraf to run with the hares and hunt with the hounds. So the new Great Game will ensure US presence in Afghanistan with access to Central Asia while Pakistan would regain its strategic depth in Afghanistan. But the war will go
on.
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Speed of change IT was almost the last leg of the “European Extravaganza”. We were going from Paris to London. By Eurostar. Starting at 10.19 in the morning, it was expected to reach the Waterloo station at 11.54. After allowing for the time difference of two hours, the total travel time for a distance of about 1000 km was 3 hours and 35 minutes. The train started on the dot. Soon, it was going at 300 km per hour. Mentally, I thought we were flying too low. But in the train, it did not even feel fast. There was no noise. No sudden jerks. Over the land, or through the tunnel under the English Channel, everything was totally smooth. On the way, many people walked to the wash room. Nobody, young or old, needed any support. My immediate neighbour had a glass filled with Coke. Not a drop spilled. Throughout the journey, the countryside looked gorgeous. Vast tracts of land. Green fields. With a continuing cluster of trees in the background. Everything looked neatly in place. Even the cattle that were grazing. And the track was fully protected with fence on both sides. No stray dog. No pedestrian. Nobody could get even close to the track. Back home, we boarded the Shatabadi. The train was probably justifiably proclaimed as a singular achievement by the Indian Railway in the 20th century. But like other good things, even Shatabadi has been the victim of time. Instead of improving, it has already started showing signs of age. And then, the quality of bogeys and tracks is poor. No one can walk through the aisle without support. Nor are we punctual. Still worse, the sight on both sides is abominable. Dirty drains. Filth. Slums. For miles, it seems like an open lavatory. The garbage heaps. What a poor sight for a visitor to the national capital! No wonder, a diplomat felt that Delhi is a big dumping ground. And what made it worse was the fact that about 20 couples from abroad were travelling on the train from Delhi to Chandigarh. They were tourists. A part of the “Palace on Wheels” group. They were being taken to Shimla for a day in the hills. They saw everything. No one spoke a word. But their faces said it all. Silence was more eloquent than speech. What pictures shall they carry? We need to
change.
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Reason and religion at Harvard What should a properly educated college graduate of the early 21st century know? A Harvard curriculum committee proposed an answer to that question this month, stating that, among other things, such a graduate should know “the role of religion in contemporary, historical, or future events—personal, cultural, national, or international.” To that end, the committee recommended that every Harvard student be required, as part of his or her general education, to take one course in an area that the committee styled “Reason and Faith.” Whether that becomes policy remains to be seen, but the significance of the recommendation should not be understated. Harvard is the drum major of American higher education: Where it leads, others follow. And if Harvard says taking a course in religion is necessary to be an educated person, it’s a good bet that many other colleges and universities will soon make the same discovery. We hope they will. The Harvard committee rightly noted that students coming to college today struggle with an academy that is “profoundly secular.” This was not always the case, at Harvard or at many other universities. For centuries scholars, scientists and artists agreed that convictions of faith were wholly compatible with the highest levels of reasoning, inquiry and creativity. But in recent centuries this assumption had been challenged and assertions of faith marginalised in, and even banished from, academic departments and university curricula. Requiring courses in “Reason and Faith” would be a welcome step toward reintroducing faith to the academy. What should be the content of such courses? The Harvard committee hastens to explain that its proposal is not for “religious apologetics.” Rather, the courses it envisions would offer an examination of “the interplay between religion and various aspects of national and/or international culture and society.” They would deal not so much with the relationship between reason and faith as with reasoning about faith, religion and religious institutions and their impact in the world. Such courses are unquestionably needed. We are in an era in which misunderstanding, conflict and turbulence characterise our interaction with the Islamic world. Debates continue about the teaching of evolution. And religious beliefs play an important role in disputes over stem cell research, abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage. At the same time, religious communities in this country are important centers for personal and communal religious growth as well as for strengthening social cohesion and civic culture and for providing a variety of community services, particularly to the needy. Today’s students must understand religious beliefs and institutions if they are to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities the future will present. But universities can do more than just familiarise students with the world’s religions in survey-course fashion. The rise of religious fanaticism stems in part from a failure of intellectuals within various religious traditions to engage the faithful of their traditions in serious and reasoned reflection, inquiry and dialogue. The marginalisation of faith within universities contributes to this failure. A recent survey by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute found that 79 percent of college freshmen believe in God, and 69 percent pray and find strength, support and guidance in their religious beliefs. Religion will remain a powerful force in the personal lives of these students long after they graduate. If faith is shunned by the institutions whose role it is to foster reason and the life of the mind, if universities do not equip students to integrate their faith with the knowledge and reasoning skills they acquire, we shouldn’t be surprised if unreasonable or fanatical forces gain influence in communities of faith. It’s time for universities to explore the reasoning that is possible within a tradition of faith, and to help their students appreciate this possibility and the rich resources in great religious traditions. Such efforts would enhance the ability of those with faith to engage in thoughtful, reasoned and self-critical spiritual reflection. At the University of Notre Dame and other academically rigorous religious colleges and universities, we strive to make room for such scholarly inquiry and discussion. We work to create classes that will convey the intellectual riches of a religious tradition and help students engage in reasoned reflection from within the perspective of faith. This approach, too, has legitimacy within a core curriculum. Indeed, educating students on the reasoning inherent in particular faiths is critical if we want students to be able to understand and engage their own and other religious traditions in meaningful ways. We hope that the report of Harvard’s curriculum committee signals a more welcome atmosphere within the academic community for serious consideration of and engagement with issues of faith, religion and religious institutions. Our even greater hope is that some universities will join us in promoting a dialogue that truly explores the relationship between faith and reason. The Reverend John I. Jenkins is president of the University of Notre Dame. Thomas Burish is the university’s provost. By arrangement with
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Defence notes For the first time ever, a serving officer of the Indian Army, Lt Gen DDS Sandhu, was awarded an honorary doctorate by Jabalpur University, presented to him by President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Other eminent personalities who have been awarded such honorary degrees include Mr Kamal Nath, Minister for Commerce and Industries, Dr RC Lahoti, Former Chief Justice of India, Dr Sneh Bhargva, Ex Director AIIMS, and Dr VC Sahni, Director BARC, Mumbai. Lt Gen Sandhu, who is presently the Director General of Ordinance Services and Senior Colonel Commandant of Army Ordnance Corps, has had a brilliant service record and academic achievements. He holds an M.Phil in Defence and Management Studies and a doctorate for his thesis on “International Marketing of Indian Defence Products” from Punjab University. He is also a fellow of British Institute of Management. Management and automation are Lt Gen Sandhu’s forte. He has held various prestigious appointments in the Army and abroad, primarily in the logistics field. He was Commandant, College of Materials Management, Jabalpur. The College witnessed unprecedented upgradation in all facets of functioning, and, in particular, made tangible strides in the field of Automation and Academics (Materials Management) during his stewardship.
Air Ambulance Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has launched ‘Vayu Vahan’, a specially designed Chetak helicopter for emergency medical evacuation and air charter services. HAL Chairman Mr Ashok K. Baweja formally inaugurated the operations of Vayu Vahan at the Rotary Wing Academy in Bangalore. The helicopter is designed to undertake emergency evacuation of patients from areas around Bangalore to those major hospitals in the city which are equipped with a helipad. HAL has extended this facility to all persons, organisations and hospitals. The concept of air ambulance is very popular abroad and the need for it in India has been felt by the medical fraternity for quite some time now. HAL will charge Rs 25,000 per hour for all planned and unplanned medical evacuations. The cost of normal charter operations is fixed at Rs 55,000 per hour.
Paediatric ward The Indian Navy will be constructing a much-needed15 bed Paediatric ward as an annex to the existing District Hospital at Handwara town of Jammu & Kashmir. This gift from the Indian Navy comes in the wake of the Wular lake tragedy. Twenty children and two staff members of Burning Candle School, Handwara lost their lives in Wular lake on May 30 when a naval boat taking them on picnic capsized. The Indian Navy had provided an interim relief of rupees one lakh each to the families of the deceased, and the decision on a new ward comes after interaction with the state authorities, prominent citizens of Handwara and the parents of the deceased children.
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Yunus’ ideas are weapons against poverty The ISS had honoured Professor Yunus with its prestigious Lakdawala memorial award when his pioneering work was not widely known even within Bangladesh. Prof. D.T. Lakdawala, a celebrated economist, was deputy chairman of the Planning Commission under the Morarji Desai-led Janata Government from 1977-80. He died in harness when he was president of the ISS and the award was in his commemoration. Prof Malcolm Adishesaiah, another Desai- find, was president of the ISS then. Prof Mahbub-ul-Haq of Pakistan, Dr. Amartya Sen, then perhaps with the Delhi School of Economics, and Prof. Yunus were in the forefront of efforts to educate policy makers and planners of developing economies about the unsuitability of the so-called trickle-down theory of poverty reduction, especially in South Asia. Incidentally a former prime minister of India had plagiarised the thrust of Prof Haq’s writings on the need for a micro-credit approach for an effective assault on poverty in a speech at an international conference in New Delhi, without most of the ‘national’ newspapers and many journalists sensing it. Of course, the fault was not of the prime minister’s but of the civil servant who wrote the prime minister’s speech! Lay persons like me would call Professors Haq, Sen and Yunus the ‘three musketeers’ of socio-economic development in our respective countries. Of them, Prof Haq, passed away before he received due recognition internationally, Dr. Amartya Sen received the Nobel prize in economics and Prof. Yunus has now got the Nobel Peace prize. The citation by the Norwegian Nobel Committee brings out in a masterly manner the thinking, work and accomplishment of Prof. Yunus, with its accent on women and the rural areas, even if Bangladesh is the least urbanised among the three countries in South Asia. Commending Prof. Yunus’s effort ‘to translate visions into reality’ it lauded it as ‘an instrument in the struggle against poverty’, adding that such efforts served ‘to advance democracy and human rights.’ That might be an unspectacular way of safeguarding and promoting human rights in our countries – compared to the hype that professional human rights activists bring to bear on their work but it definitely tackles the problem at the grassroot level. Similarly, here is also perhaps a hint to Justice Rajendra Sachar, a former chief justice of the Delhi High Court, who heads an official committee to go into the causes for ‘backwardness’ of Muslims in India. It is tying itself in knots advocating
inappropriate suggestions of a census of Muslims in the defence forces and the like. Professional promoters of Muslim development miss the wood for the trees when they overlook a Yunus-kind of activity geared directly against poverty in the community. The Norwegian Nobel Committee’s recognition of Prof Yunus’s unique work among the poor and his crusade for ensuring the participation of ‘the female half of humanity on an equal footing’ in national development has come rather late. It followed much effort internationally to turn the spotlight on Prof. Yunus’s silent work. For instance, as long ago as on October 19 1998, UN Secretary General Dr. Kofi Annan, had hailed the work of Prof. Yunus and the Grameen Bank at a speech at Orlando in the US. Equally importantly, ‘participatory development’ is the key to women’s amelioration. As the socialist leader Dr. Lohia succinctly put it, women bear the brunt of deprivation and denial in hierarchical societies and need direct attention.
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Wretched is that for which they have sold themselves, that they should reject what God has sent down in arrogant jealousy that God should send it down from divine grace upon whomever of its servants God wills. So they have brought on themselves wrath upon wrath; and for the ungrateful is a humiliating torment. —The Koran Man may meditate and do penance, discipline his body and reside at places of pilgrimage; He may also give to charity and do good deeds. But without devotion to the True and His grace. These are of no avail. As he sows, so he reaps. Without cultivating virtue, life is all in vain. — Guru Nanak When our minds are taken up with thoughts of cars, houses and jewels; we begin to think of them as the final objective of life. A man in the grasp of such delusion cannot think of much else. Nothing appears worthwhile as these. —The
Bhagavadgita
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