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A significant beginning
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It is 26/11 today Country only marginally more secure than 2008 IT was exactly five years ago on a Wednesday evening that TV channels flashed a certain firing incident at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai. Television sets across the nation were not switched off for the next three days, by when 166 people were dead at 12 sites in the country’s financial capital in the worst terror siege in India's history.
Mrs. Besant's new journal
Pakistan's dilemma over drone attacks
A Briton’s discovery of India
London Latitude
A sense of belonging
Family feud to the fore
THE TRIBUNE VISA WINDOW
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A significant beginning IT took time, a long time, but diplomacy did register a victory as Iran signed an agreement with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council on Sunday to undertake a number of measures that would constrain its nuclear programme. In exchange it would get relief from the strict economic sanctions that were crippling the country's economy. The deal signed in Geneva is the key to laying the foundation of a more positive relationship between the post-1979 Iran and the rest of the world. Iran has agreed to a series of measures that will impede its capacity to build nuclear weapons. It will now stop enriching uranium above 5 per cent and reduce the stock it has of medium-enriched uranium. Iran has also agreed to a freeze its enrichment capability. The International Atomic Energy Agency will also inspect the nuclear facilities. This will ensure that Iran complies with the agreement. Iran now has access to its oil sales' revenue from frozen accounts and suspension of restrictions in trade in certain categories of goods. Actually, it is not the deal itself, but what it represents that has caused ripples. The end of a pariah status to Iran represents a significant challenge to Israel, which has opposed the nuclear deal vociferously, as well as concern to other nations in the region, including some American allies like Saudi Arabia. A moderate Iran can aspire for a greater role in West Asia. The nuclear deal is the triumph of multi-nation diplomatic effort. It is a significant beginning of a process that seeks a permanent resolution. It allows both parties to claim victory, something that the US and Iran will need for domestic consumption. Internationally, it will have a major impact on West Asia, including in the dynamics of Syria, where Iran supports the regime. India is a historical ally of Iran and one of the main consumers of its oil. It has already welcomed the agreement and will surely like to participate in the economy of what was once a booming country with a large presence of Indian business interests.
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It is 26/11 today IT was exactly five years ago on a Wednesday evening that TV channels flashed a certain firing incident at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in
Mumbai. Television sets across the nation were not switched off for the next three days, by when 166 people were dead at 12 sites in the country’s financial capital in the worst terror siege in India's history. This was a new form of terror carried out at this scale for the first time. Analysis of what happened and how exactly it was executed carries on to his day, but one factor that stands out is the element of surprise and innovation that the perpetrators deployed. And that is an advantage that the terrorist will always exploit in this asymmetric war. Besides seeking justice, understanding all that led up to the 26/11 attack will be of use to the extent India is able to secure itself against terror attacks of any kind in future, not just similar assaults mounted from outside the country across a sea. But the sense gathered from the observations of experts at the conference of directors-general of police in New Delhi last week is that we have not been able to secure even our coasts against similar terror landings. India is a vast country, with a massive coastline; the population is huge; and migrations, both legal and illegal, are equally enormous. That would explain to an extent why we are unable to have a foolproof anti-terror set-up. But that also underlines the scale of the effort that has to be committed, both in terms of resources and political will. The size of the police as well as the intelligence assets are woefully inadequate for the challenge at hand. While major advances have been made in processing intelligence and coordination between the various security agencies, a lot remains to be done on that front. A National Counter-Terrorism Centre remains a proposal for want of political agreement. We cannot afford delay in addressing these issues, as the global security situation for India today is no better than it was in 2008. A repeat of that November Wednesday may not be as shocking a second time, but the effect on the country's sense of self would be no less devastating.
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We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. —Winston Churchill |
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Mrs. Besant's new journal THE Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar, Madras, is going to publish every Friday from January next a weekly journal under the title of the “Commonweal,” edited by Mrs. Annie Besant. It will be a journal of National Reform, and will deal among other subjects with the principal political, social, economic and educational problems of the day. Some pages will also be devoted to chatty and vivacious matters and general news. It will be a sixteen-page journal of foolscap size, printed in small pica type. Sir Krishna Gupta The Empire states it is authoritatively informed that the Honourable Sir Krishna Govind Gupta, member of the India Council since 1908, has been appointed Vice-President, India Council, for twelve months from November Ist. Sir Krishna, who is now 62, is the first Indian to occupy the position. In 1904 when he was the first member of the Board of Revenue, Bengal, he missed the acting Lieutenant Governorship of Bengal and was instead placed on special duty in connection with the Bengal Fisheries. Bombay ladies' protest A
meeting of the Indian ladies in Bombay was held last week about the South African question. It was resolved to hold a large ladies' meeting on the 29th instant to protest against the South African law. A number of prominent ladies were appointed to form a Committee to make the necessary arrangements. Lady Petit made a speech in which she described the nature of the grievances of Indians and their sufferings. She also referred to the barbaric methods adopted in converting mines into jails and forcing the men to work as slaves, in very indignant terms.
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Pakistan's dilemma over drone attacks IN his first major foreign policy challenge — one with a troubling internal dimension — Pakistan's Prime Minister and his National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz are both in the firing line. And interestingly the two lead men pointing political guns at Pakistan’s Prime Minister are none other than his own Interior Minister, Chaudary Nisar Chaudary, and cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan, whose party runs the government in Pakistan’s most troubled province, Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa(KPK), which bears the major brunt of terrorist killings and US drone attacks.
Sharif's drone dilemma is not an easy one. He has personally urged US President Barack Obama to stop the drone strikes and work on a mutually acceptable way of using the drones to counter terrorism. As of now, PTI is on the streets of Peshawer led by Imran Khan to block NATO supply routes, the Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP) is continuing with its terrorist attacks, killing innocent Pakistanis and owning them up. The US drone strikes have killed key TTP and Afghan Haqqani group's leaders with the Pakistan government attempting negotiations with the TTP. And no less significant a factor in the list of the dilemmas that Sharif faces is his Interior Minister's growing anger against the US, while by contrast it’s business-as-usual with the US. Soon after the 22nd meeting of the US-Pakistan Defence Consultative Group the statement that was issued read: “Both delegations welcomed continued efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation based on mutual interests and trust. Both delegations acknowledged that bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation has been critical to weakening violent extremists and agreed that it will continue after 2014.” Sharif’s Interior Minister the same day had thundered that Pakistan now needed to choose between “dollars and self-respect.” Meanwhile, within Pakistan there has been other significant fallout of Hakeemullah’s killing. The popular and shrill debates in the media have forced an internal rethink. Pakistan's post-eighties national security paradigm that popularised religious motivation, US antagonism and the 'evil' enemy is unravelling. The old narrative is unsustainable; a new one only along nationalist lines will now unite the anxious and probing Pakistanis. In the last few weeks much that has happened on the Pakistan-US front the government's extended and very audible opprobrium against death by drone that Washington caused of the Tehrik-i-Taliban head Hakeemullah Mehsud had all but evaporated. There was little to show for its impact on policy. It all began when within days of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's summit meeting with President Obama, a US drone killed TTP leader Hakeemullah Mehsud, an agitated Chaudary Nisar complained that Washington had killed peace. That Washington had also gone back on its promise that it would not target the TTP leader. Nisar said he had personally told the US Ambassador in Islamabad that Pakistan was working on opening dialogue with the TTP and requested that Mehsud should not be targeted. Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Minister of Punjab and younger brother of the Prime Minister, echoed Nisar's complaint. The outcry against the drone attack expanded into an attack on the relations with the US. In a subsequent National Assembly session the Interior Minister announced that in view of Washington’s act of “killing” Pakistan’s peace efforts, the government will “review every aspect of its relationship” with Washington. His grouse was against what he said was the Obama administration's double standards. It had sabotaged Pakistan’s dialogue effort with the Taliban, while having itself started a dialogue with the Afghan Taliban. Matching the government’s anger against the Americans was the anger of Imran Khan, the leader of Pakistan's second largest party Pakistan-Tehreeki-i-Insaaf. He had announced stopping NATO supplies by staging street protests in Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa, the province from where NATO supplies pass. The Sharif government has not been able to take any significant steps in protesting against the US drone attacks. The Interior Minister, who is considered to be the right-hand man of the Prime Minister, had threatened to "review the entire gambit of relations" with the US. Of course there wasn't much room to manoeuvre in the relationship. After all what was Nisar contemplating? He couldn't have been thinking of a replay of the 2011 lockdown? That was after the October 2011 US military attack on Pakistan’s military post in Salala. That reason was different; it was a clear violation of Pakistan’s territory and sovereignty leading to the death of Pakistani soldiers. It was a studied and united national response with relatively better economic conditions at home. Now as testimony to its fairly weak economic conditions the Pakistani rupee has lost its value against the US dollar by almost 10 per cent in three months. And it’s steadily moving on a downward trajectory with no sign of any quick recovery. When the Interior Minister threw the gauntlet at Washington, the country’s Finance Minister was negotiating an IMF package to prop up the economy. Also he was reminding the Americans of their long overdue reimbursement of the Coalition Support Funds. Without Washington’s support, Islamabad will find it difficult to construct the Daimer-Basha and the Dasu dams. In KPK the PTI government receives major US funding to implement its development projects. Upon his return from the US-UK trip the Prime Minister convened a meeting on security to review all parameters of the relationship with the US, more for solidarity with his distraught Interior Minister. Both for the government at the Centre and for the PTI-led KPK province it’s business-as-usual with the United States. The writer is a Pakistani anchor and columnist
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A Briton’s discovery of India Located in the majestic and serene Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu is a prestigious tri-service training institute, part of Wellington cantonment. In the late eighties, as a young officer I was there attending a long course. The institute also gets quite a few foreign student officers from developing and developed world. We have a good system of making our foreign guests feel at home. The institute takes special care so that they blend professionally and socially to optimise learning. After about five months the institute gave us a mid-term break. Everybody had plans in place for the vacations. However, our man from the UK had a mission. His ancestors had served in the British Indian Army. Some of them had died in India and the family had lost their trail. He had done enough research and planned a visit to an old cantonment in Central India to trace old graves and other details, if possible. After the mid-term break syndicates were reshuffled so we did not meet as often. One fine day this officer from the UK met me in a social. He seemed excited and had something interesting to narrate about his trip during the break. He could trace a few graves of his family in a cemetery there. It was well maintained by a local NGO without any malice or disrespect towards the erstwhile rulers, who perpetuated misery on their generations. This NGO essentially comprised locals and funds were through their own contributions. The officer was so impressed by this selfless service that he started reading about the history of our Independence movement and British indulgence. Thereafter every time we met he had something unique to narrate of our freedom struggle. He was impressed by Gandhian philosophy too. This transformation from an arrogant being to a humble friend amazed all of us. Such is the power of self-realisation. The successful trip encouraged him to enlarge the scope of his mission. He was suggested to visit Guwahati, Kohima and Imphal where war-time cemeteries are well kept and documented. On the termination of the course we parted as friends. However, we wanted him to carry a message from the recent history for the present and generation next in the UK. That about one million soldiers of undivided India fought two world wars for Great Britain. Thousands died, wounded and were traumatised as prisoners of wars in alien lands to save the Empire. Their heroics won many a crucial battle influencing the course of war. So at least, Britons can be grateful and worry about their dwindling economy and population and who is going to fight and fund their future wars, if they ever happen.
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London Latitude
THERE is method behind the madness of a leading London auction house's decision to start selling the works of leading Indian artists, such as M.F. Husain, V. S. Gaitonde, S. H. Raza, Ram Kumar and others.
Christie's first-ever India auction is to be held in Mumbai at the end of December, but what is less well known is that this is part of the London company's 'Asia Initiative' starting earlier this year with a ground-breaking sale in Shanghai that raised a staggering $25 million in a couple of days. “Christie's inaugural auction in Shanghai has been an unforgettable milestone in our 247 year history," Jinqing Cai, Managing Director of Christie's China, commented at the time. "I am incredibly proud of the results we have achieved in Shanghai and honoured by the support we have received. I was particularly moved by the success of Cai Guo-Qiang's work created...in a memorable and emotional explosion. We look forward to continuing to build on the positive momentum we have felt... Artists, art lovers, art institutions and those involved in art commerce all joined in hand in hand to make the event a historic success.”
Now Christie's hope to repeat the Shanghai success story in Mumbai when they hold their first ever auction in India to sell the works of renowned Indian artists from the personal collection of the late Kekoo and Khorshed Gandhy. Khorshed's legacy is described as threefold, establishing a gallery for modern artists in Mumbai, spreading the word about their work in India and taking the best art from India to the outside world by organising two international travelling exhibitions and gallery shows in Europe. "We have had an office in Mumbai since 1994 and we have been working to get everything in place", explains Dr Hugo Weihe, International Director of Asian Art at Christie's. "From our point of view, everything has fallen into place and the market has matured." "In India, we are focusing on South Asian art, including art from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. That's our long-term goal. India is very special because we want to highlight India's heritage and we're starting with works from the last 100 years of the 'national treasures', including Rabindranath Tagore and Amrita Sher-Gil."
Indians abroad In the driving seat Indian cabbies are set to outnumber Oz-born drivers. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed that Australian-born workers make up less than half of all workers in low-paying, manual professions like sewing machine operators and clothing trades workers. However the most popular country of birth of automobile drivers, made up of cabbies and chauffeurs, is set to be overpowered by Indians in the country in the next year, news.com.au reports.
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British NRIs are not just interested in making money. Judging from the actions of Gujranwala-born Rami Ranger, they also seek respectability from belonging to some of the country’s most elite institutions that once presided over a world empire. Self-made millionaire Ranger, founder of export firm Sun Mark Limited, is a popular and much-liked member of London’s NRI community. He is understood to be deeply frustrated by his unsuccessful bid to be appointed to the UK's upper house of parliament, the House of Lords, which would entitle him to be called 'Lord' (laath sahib) Ranger. Said to be worth an estimated £95 million, Ranger has now taken the unprecedented action of suing the House of Lords for blocking his application to be appointed a "people's peer." In papers filed before the High Court, he says he "wishes to contribute more to British public life." The papers explain how he first applied for a peerage in 2007. His second application in August 2010 "appears to have been rejected out of hand without so much as a moment's consideration." He further claims that his applications "have been stymied (at least in part) by information provided to the (commission) by way of two allegedly unsolicited letters received…from third parties. Lawyers acting for him add, "He quite reasonably suspects that the contents of those communications may be wrong, inaccurate, partial or partisan and in any event have prejudiced his applications." A spokeswoman for the Lords Appointments Commission commented, "We have been in correspondence with Mr Ranger for a number of years and have released information to him where possible. We cannot comment on ongoing legal proceedings. "The commission operates an open appointments process whereby anyone can apply and every single application is considered on its merits. (It) is proud of its record on diversity. It has received more than 5,000 applications and made 63 nominations. We understand that many talented people may be disappointed."
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ONE of Britain's wealthiest Sikh families is at war with itself following arguments over who is entitled to what in their considerable property empire. Disagreements between 62-year-old Jasminder Singh and his father Bal Mohinder Singh, aged 82, are being played out at the High Court in London which has heard how business relations between the two men have broken down. The two men own a property empire, including the Radisson Blu Edwardian hotels group, worth an estimated £415 million that was gradually built up following Singh senior’s migration to the UK in 1973 when he ran a post office in North London. Singh senior claims that his son forced him to retire in 2010 and has also failed to share the family wealth with him. In testimony quoted in the British media, he said, "As the head of the family, I have to be respected and the fact that I was forced to retire by Jasminder was very, very painful for me. "He is my eldest son and, of course, I still love him. I always will. I will not hear anybody say a bad word against him and why should they? He has worked hard too. But as I said, this is about respect and carrying on the traditions in which I have brought Jasminder up. I have great faith in the British legal system as I am only fighting for what is rightfully mine." In a witness statement submitted to the court, he added, "Both I and his mother are deeply ashamed that Jasminder should publicly renounce his cultural heritage and the mutual rights and obligations in which he was brought up. "My life has been devoted to winning respect for myself and family in those communities and the respect which we have earned as a family has been the basis for the success of our business in this country. "For Jasminder to deny that and claim all the credit and ownership for himself will be shocking to wide sections of those communities, particularly our family friends — that is why his mother and I are so ashamed." Singh's two other children, Seema, aged 59, and Harinder, aged 46, are also due to be heard in the high court. Jasminder has not commented on the case, although he is understood to have disputed any claim that the family had an agreement to share property."
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The Tribune has launched a collaborative effort with the US Embassy, New Delhi, to provide answers to common questions on consular topics.The US Embassy will answer general questions regarding immigration and travel-related queries. Can I apply for a B1/B2 visa if I already have an immigrant visa pending? Yes, but it may be difficult to qualify for the B1/B2 visa under such circumstances. One of the main qualifications for a B1/B2 visa is the demonstration that the applicant does not intend to immigrate to the U.S. An immigrant visa petition shows that someone intends to immigrate to the U.S. Unless you can demonstrate that you wish to make a short trip to the U.S. and return while your immigrant visa petition is in process, you will not qualify for a B1/B2 visa. I am in the process of getting an immigrant visa but my police certificate is more than one year old. Do I need a new one? The police clearance certificate (PCC) issued by Passport office is required for all immigrant visa applicants of age 16 years and above. Immigrant visa applicants younger than 16 years old need not submit PCC. Once the PCC is issued, it is valid for one year. After one year, applicants must submit a new PCC. A PCC issued by local area police is not required from immigrant visa applicants holding a regular Indian passport (blue passport). My visa page is damaged due to some reason. Can you issue me a new visa? Even if your visa is still valid, if it is damaged, you will have to apply for a new one with a fresh application and fee. This application may be considered for the Interview Waiver Program (IWP) but you may also have to submit new fingerprints and photo and appear for another interview. How can I report fraud information? Will my name be kept confidential? If you have information that someone is trying to commit visa fraud, you may write an email to ndfpu@state.gov. Your name will be kept in confidence. While reporting fraud, if possible please give specific information such as the perpetrator's last name, first name, date of birth, passport number, address and any other details you can share. I have an F1 or F24 immigrant visa pending but I got married in between and have children, too. Do I need to start over again with waiting time if I made fresh application for F31? F1 or F24 applicants should contact the Embassy/Consulate or the National Visa Center (NVC) and report your marriage. Upon marriage, the F1 petition may be converted to an F3. An immigrant visa application filed under F24 is no longer valid upon marriage. Note: Please send your questions to usvisa@tribunemail.com. The US Embassy or The Tribune will only give general answers based on various queries. We will be unable to respond to individual correspondence. For more information, you can consult www.ustraveldocs.com/in or on Facebook for the Visa Fridays feature
(www.facebook.com/India.usembassy).
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On their part foreign students are goodwill and professional ambassadors of their countries. There is a lot to learn from them as they come well prepared. Normally nothing transpires that could hurt sentiments. Somehow in my syndicate (a class of ten) there was a student officer from the UK Army, who was an exception. He was quite averse to diplomatic niceties and was generally critical of India, Indians and our way of life. We in the syndicate often ignored his loaded remarks till it became a little too much. Within the syndicate we decided to take him on. His pet theme that Britain once ruled the waves was countered by the argument that the UK now is merely a small island, not taken seriously by anyone anymore. Immaturity of young minds can at times manifest to absurd levels. Neither side would relent as days passed quickly.
Francois Curiel, President of Christie's Asia, commented, “Our first auction in Shanghai has illustrated how much demand and appreciation there is for art across categories. A red ruby necklace achieved the highest sales figure at RMB 18 million ($3,405,285) and records were broken for Singaporean art. We saw bidders participate from all over the world with online and telephone bidders joining the nearly 1,000 clients in the room tonight. This is an extraordinary start for Christie's in mainland China and indicates there will be exciting times ahead for the industry as a whole and art enthusiasts everywhere.”
